There are very high peaks and very low valleys. The aircraft boom might last to 2004 or 2005, Cardy says. These include computer chips, automobile valves, medical instruments, and implants such as hip joints. The company also has one EAF with a 30-ton capacity and five with capacities of 15 tons. The VIM furnace has an induction-melting furnace inside a vacuum chamber.
Operators charge metal into a vessel in the furnace that's surrounded by a copper induction coil.
An AC current passes through the coil, which induces electrical energy into the metal and melts it. The process takes five to 13 hours. Carpenter started electroslag remelting in 1971 and installed the last of its seven ESR furnaces in 1993. CarTech also added two new VAR furnaces from Consarc this year. The company's 12 VARs produce ingots up to 36 inches in diameter that weigh up to 12.5 tons.