Arc-Melting Furnace Module
What is arcMELTER used for?
Alloy prototyping
Raw elements or scrap materia can be used to prototype new alloying systems in form of cast or powder.
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Feedstock preparation
Our arcMelter can be used to prepare: an alloy for atomization, custom masteralloy to modify the melt or feedstock to machine your samples from high entropy alloys to test the anneling influence performed in inFURNER.
Recycling
The arcMelter series developed by Amazemet are additional lab furnaces next to inFURNER series (vaccum heat treating furnaces) which can upgraded to the tailored to your needs ultrasonic atomizer rePOWDER allowing you to complere your laboratory with in-house metal atomization systems to boost up your research with a plasma arc melting and induction melters to work with even wider range of materials in your research with a single solution.
How does it work?
An arc melting furnace is a specialized piece of equipment used to melt and refine metals and alloys by utilizing an electric arc as its heat source. The arc, which forms between an electrode and the material being melted, produces extremely high temperatures, typically above 3,000°C. This intense heat melts the metal and allows it to be refined and cast into different shapes.
Arc melting furnaces typically operate ininert gas environments which is controlled by inert gas system equipped with vacuum pump to prevent contamination from the atmosphere. They often include features like water-cooled chambers and tungsten electrodes, ensuring the furnace’s stability and efficiency even under ultra high temperatures.
The furnaces are used to handle a wide range of metals, including refractory metals like tungsten, tantalum, and molybdenum, which require very high melting points.
Want to learn more about arc melting?
Feedstock can be melted using TIG OR FOCUSED PLASMA
FOCUSED PLASMA TORCH
Focused plasma torch is a more sophisticated tool. It allows for more process optimization and provides a narrower, more precise arc delivering concentrated heat. Therefore, alloying of high-melting alloys, including refractories, is easier and more efficient using focused plasma.
TIG TORCH
TIG is a fairly robust solution, cheaper and less complicated than a plasma torch. However, it requires more skill from the operator and introduces the risk of tungsten contamination from the electrode at high amperage.
Core benefits & features
Discover the pinnacle of arc melting technology with our custom-designed vacuum furnace and arc melting chamber, engineered to exceed expectations and revolutionize your melting processes. Innovation, precision and efficiency come together in our arc melting chamber, setting new standards in the industry. Explore with us the future of melting technology, where customization, productivity and efficiency are at the core. Here's why our chamber stands out from the rest.
Custom Cold Crucibles
Our chamber boasts the advantage of custom cold crucibles in both shape and size, thanks to our state-of-the-art CNC machinery park. This unparalleled capability allows us to tailor our products precisely to the unique specifications of our customers, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency of their laboratory vacuum arc melting furnace requirements. For some of the experiments it might be beneficial to use one of the mold for remelting process of titanium getter.
Advanced Grabbers
Inside the chamber, precision is paramount. That’s why we’ve integrated grabbers designed to expertly manipulate feedstock, facilitating seamless operation and enhancing overall productivity. With our grabbers, handling materials becomes a breeze, minimizing downtime and maximizing throughput.
Integrated KF Ports
Equipped with integrated KF ports, our chamber offers unparalleled versatility. These ports allow for the seamless attachment of sensors such as thermal cameras or pyrometers, empowering you with real-time data and precise control over your melting processes. With enhanced monitoring capabilities, achieving optimal results has never been easier.
Dual Mounting Positions
Versatility is key, which is why our chamber features two mounting positions for the arc generator. Whether utilizing a TIG torch or a Focus Plasma torch (powerful arc melting solution), our chamber accommodates your specific needs with ease. This flexibility is especially beneficial when working with refractory materials, allowing for precise control and superior results.
Water-Cooled Design
Our arc melting chamber features a advanced water-cooled design, guarantees optimal temperature control for sustained performance. Effective managing heat inside the stainless steel water-cooled chamber enhances the chamber’s durability and reliability, allowing for prolonged operation at optimal efficiency. With water-cooled technology, you can trust that your melting processes will remain consistent and reliable, even under demanding conditions.
Future-Proof Upgrade
Looking ahead, our chamber can be easily upgraded to accommodate an ultrasonic powder atomizer. This future-proof feature ensures that your investment remains at the forefront of technological advancements. By integrating this upgrade path into our chamber design, we empower you to adapt to evolving industry demands and take advantage of cutting-edge innovations as they emerge.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your research capabilities, optimize production processes, or explore new materials, the ability to upgrade to an ultrasonic atomizer provides you with endless possibilities for growth and innovation. It’s not just about meeting your current needs; it’s about preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
With our future-proof upgrade option, you can invest with confidence, knowing that your melting solution will continue to deliver exceptional performance and value long into the future. Join us in shaping the future of melting technology and unlock new possibilities for your business with our advanced arc melting chamber.
Arc-melting module of
rePOWDER atomization
platform
arcMELTER is a module of rePOWDER atomization platform. However, this verstile arc melting furnace can function as a standalone device and be upgraded with additional modules over time. This modular design allows researchers to customize their systems to meet their specific needs and budgets.
Future-Proof Upgrade
Understanding the importance of adaptability in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, our chamber has been designed with future upgrades in mind. Specifically, it can be upgraded to accommodate an ultrasonic atomizer, a feature that ensures your investment remains at the forefront of technological advancements. This future-proofing allows you to stay ahead of industry demands and evolving technological innovations, helping you avoid obsolescence. The design incorporates an intuitive upgrade path, so you can easily integrate the latest technology as it emerges. By allowing you to effortlessly transition to the next generation of equipment, we empower you to maintain a competitive edge and meet evolving industry demands confidently and starting your journey in AM.
Integrated KF Ports
Our chamber is outfitted with integrated KF ports that offer exceptional versatility, setting a new standard in control and adaptability for various applications. These ports make it effortless to attach a wide array of sensors, such as thermal cameras and pyrometers, which provide vital, real-time data. This seamless integration grants you unparalleled precision and control over your melting processes, enabling you to monitor conditions closely and make real-time adjustments. By leveraging these enhanced monitoring capabilities, users can optimize their results like never before, ensuring a level of accuracy that elevates production standards. You can also attach your own custom equipment and anything what will help you research thaks to easy integration base on KF ports!
Arc-melting case studies
water-cooled copper crucible
The water-cooled copper cold crucible is a crucial component in arc melting furnaces. Unlike traditional crucibles made of materials like graphite or ceramics, the copper cold crucible operates on a fundamentally different principle, leveraging the properties of copper to facilitate efficient and controlled melting.
At its core, the arc melting furnace utilizes an electric arc to generate intense heat, allowing for the melting of various materials such as metals, alloys, and ceramics. The process involves passing an electric current between two electrodes creating a high-temperature arc plasma that can reach temperatures exceeding several thousand degrees Celsius.
The copper cold crucible in an arc melting furnace operates by leveraging the unique properties of copper to facilitate efficient and controlled melting. Its water-cooled design allows it to withstand the extreme temperatures of the arc without melting itself while providing precise control over the melting process. This innovative approach not only improves the efficiency and reliability of arc melting operations but also enables the production of high-quality, contamination-free materials.
Here's how the copper cold crucible fits into this setup and why it remains solid despite the extreme temperatures:
Unique Design: The copper cold crucible consists of a water-cooled copper cold hearth with a crucible-like shape. This design allows it to withstand the intense heat generated by the electric arc without melting itself. The water-cooling mechanism ensures that the copper remains at a temperature below its melting point even as it is subjected to the extreme heat of the arc.
Reduced Contamination: Another advantage of the copper cold crucible is its inert nature. Unlike graphite or ceramic crucibles, which can contaminate the melted material with impurities, copper is relatively inert, minimizing the risk of contamination. This is particularly important in applications where purity is critical, such as in the production of specialty alloys or advanced ceramics.
Versatility in Material Processing: The arc melting in the copper crucible enables the processing of a wide range of materials with varying properties and compositions. Whether melting metals, alloys, ceramics, or composites, the precise control over temperature and heating profile allows for tailored processing conditions to meet specific material requirements without considering the crucible material - its reactivity and possible contamination, especially for Ti alloys and materials for high temperature applications. This versatility makes arc melting furnaces with copper cold crucibles valuable tools in research, development, and industrial production across diverse fields such as metallurgy, materials science, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Scale-up Potential: The scalability of arc melting furnaces with copper cold crucibles makes them suitable for both laboratory-scale research and industrial-scale production. While smaller furnaces can accommodate research-scale batches for material characterization and process optimization, larger furnaces can handle production-scale quantities for commercial manufacturing. The consistent and reliable performance of the copper cold crucible technology ensures seamless scale-up from laboratory experiments to full-scale production, facilitating the transition of innovative materials and processes from the lab to the marketplace.
the arc remelting process
Arc melting is a process used in metallurgy to melt and refine metals. It involves using an electric arc to generate intense heat, often exceeding 3000°C (5400°F). This high temperature is necessary for melting metals that have high melting points, such as titanium, niobium, and zirconium. Here’s how it works:
Electric Arc Generation: The arc is created between a consumable or non-consumable electrode and the metal to be melted. This is done in a controlled atmosphere to prevent oxidation.
Melting and Refining: The electric arc’s heat melts the metal. The molten metal can then be refined by allowing impurities to separate out or by adding refining agents.
Solidification: Once the metal is molten and purified, it is cast into ingots or molds to solidify.
Applications of arc melting include the production of high-purity metals and alloys, recycling scrap metals, and preparing samples for analysis.
The role of high temperatures in arc melting
Arc melting is a specialized process used for refining and producing high-purity metals and alloys. The process starts by establishing an electric arc between an electrode (tungsten heating element) and the target material. The intense energy from this arc rapidly generates extremely high temperatures, which causes the target material to melt swiftly. The material, now in a molten state, pools together in a crucible, typically within a vacuum chamber or an inert gas environment like argon to prevent oxidation or contamination.
During this molten phase, the intense heat and controlled atmosphere allow different components to mix and homogenize thoroughly, ensuring a uniform composition throughout the alloy. This is especially crucial when working with metals that have a high melting point or are highly reactive, such as titanium or zirconium.
The process is invaluable for producing alloys and metals with precise properties for applications in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and electronic industries. The molten metal can be directly cast into molds to create ingots or other shapes once it has been sufficiently mixed and refined. In some cases, it undergoes further processing to achieve desired specifications.
Arc melting is particularly effective for small-scale production of specialty metals and alloys where control over composition and purity is paramount. It is preferred for research and development or in situations where the specific characteristics of an alloy are critical to the performance of the final product.
Arc melting furnaces
in materials research
Arc melting furnaces are invaluable in materials research due to their ability to reach extremely high temperatures quickly while maintaining a controlled atmosphere. These characteristics make them indispensable in a variety of advanced applications. In the field of hypersonic technology, materials must withstand extreme thermal and mechanical stresses, which demands the development of alloys capable of enduring such conditions. Arc melting furnaces provide the ideal environment to refine and produce these alloys, ensuring they can handle the immense temperatures and stresses associated with hypersonic travel.
In metal matrix composites (MMC) development, arc melting furnaces facilitate the blending of metals with ceramics to create high-strength materials with high stiffness. Precise process parameter control and homogenization ensures the desired properties are uniformly distributed throughout the composite.
Refractory elements, known for their exceptionally high melting points, require the extreme temperatures that arc melting furnaces provide. The furnace’s ability to achieve these temperatures without contaminating the metals is crucial for working with refractory materials such as tungsten, molybdenum, and tantalum which are sensitive to oxygen so the arc melting chamber design is crucial to avoid oxidation.
When it comes to novel materials that have high reactivity, such as titanium and zirconium alloys, arc melting is essential due to the minimal contamination risk associated with the inert atmosphere of the furnace. This allows for the safe production of materials that would otherwise react aggressively with air or traditional crucibles. One of the significant advantages of arc melting furnaces is their design, which avoids using traditional crucibles that might react with and contaminate the alloys being produced. Instead, the metal is melted directly on a water-cooled copper hearth, ensuring high purity in the alloy production process.
In-house homogenization of binary alloys is another benefit provided by arc melting furnaces, which can produce homogeneous master alloys. This is crucial for the consistent production of more complex alloys that build upon binary compositions. Thus, arc melting furnaces are indispensable tools that underpin technological advancements across a wide range of materials research fields.
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