Press Release

CENTORR VACUUM INDUSTRIES EXPANDS ITS MIM FURNACE LINE

August 2006 - Nashua, NH -- Centorr Vacuum Industries announced it has expanded its furnace offering for the Metal Injection Molding market with the introduction of a new line of Modular MIM-Vac™ custom metal hot zone furnaces, based on industry input concerning features and capabilities. One unit was sold to a European Metals producer and a second unit to a Chinese MIM producer.

The MIM-Vac has a number of design improvements for use with MIM Feedstocks. These include Molybdenum hot zones with integrally designed gas-plenum retorts using our Sweepgas™ technology for consistent gas flow dynamics over the parts, compact furnace layout and construction for fast installation and aesthetics, a Dry mechanical pumping system for clean and efficient handling of any binder, and the use of advanced Molybdenum alloys in the hot zone offering excellent creep resistance, higher recrystallization temperatures, and longer life.

The new line of MIM-Vac™ furnaces offers a temperature uniformity better than ± 5°C, and operates in a partial pressures from 10-750 torr in Argon, Nitrogen, or Hydrogen gas using mass flow controllers for completely automated control. It is available with an easy-to-use HMI software package for computer control. The new MIM-Vac™ is available in sizes from 2, 6.75, and 9 cubic foot.

Centorr Vacuum Industries is a high temperature vacuum / controlled atmosphere furnace manufacturer with an installed base of over 6000 units worldwide. Their furnace offering ranges from large commercial and production units with hot zones over 3m x 3m x 3m, to smaller Lab and Research & Development furnaces for use at temperatures over 3000°C. They are located in Nashua, NH with a fully staffed Aftermarket Field Service group, and Applied Technology Center offering R&D support and toll production service. For more information please contact the sales department at 603-595-7233.