Maximizing Productivity with Innovative Fixtures

This presentation will describe methods to increase productivity and lower the per part cost of heat treatment or brazing by utilizing innovative fixtures.

Purchasing a new furnace can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. To get higher utilization from the furnace, many companies operate multiple shifts. In addition to the initial capital expenditure, are costs for personnel, utilities and maintenance each time a batch of parts is processed. These costs typically exceed hundreds of dollars per cycle.

Often however, there is more cost effective solution; utilizing a custom fixture which allows more parts to be processed simultaneously.

Processing as many parts as possible in each batch is essential to getting the most value from the furnace and keeping operating costs to a minimum. This can include some or all of the following:

Evaluate something besides standard grids or baskets.

• Evaluate a different orientation of parts.
• Process multiple layers of parts at a time.
• Make a rectangular (specified) work zone more like the round hot zone.
• Qualify a larger work zone than the manufacturer specifies.
• Evaluate different materials for fixtures: fabricated alloy, cast alloy, ceramics, graphite, CFC, refractory metals.