The vacuum arc furnace (VAF) is a type of vacuum metallurgy melting equipment. The furnace body is a sealed container that can be evacuated or filled with inert gas. VAFs produce ingots with low impurities, low gas content, and excellent mechanical and physical properties. They are suitable for melting high-melting-point metals, reactive metals, special steels, and other metals. The manufacturer Baoji Dingsheng Vacuum Thermal Technology Co., Ltd. provides the following usage precautions:
- Maintain Cleanliness: Always keep the furnace clean to avoid internal contamination. When not in use, maintain a vacuum inside the furnace.
- Preheating Under Low Vacuum: Only start the diffusion pump and preheat when the vacuum is below 5 Pa.
- High Vacuum Operation: Only operate the diffusion pump to achieve high vacuum when the vacuum level is below 3 Pa.
- Post-Use Cleaning: Clean the furnace immediately after removing materials. When not in use, maintain a low vacuum.
- Power Off Procedure: Upon power shutdown, immediately disconnect vacuum measurement, close the high-vacuum butterfly valve, turn off the power, and open backup water supply.
- Mechanical Pump Oil Replacement: Follow the mechanical pump operation manual when changing pump oil.
- Vacuum Maintenance: Keep the furnace and booster pump under vacuum unless there is a specific reason not to.
- Extended Downtime: For prolonged shutdowns (around 10 days), re-evacuate to high vacuum and perform a leak check. Follow the mechanical pump manual for oil replacement.
These precautions ensure safe and efficient operation of the vacuum arc furnace. For more information, consult Baoji Dingsheng Vacuum Thermal Technology Co., Ltd.