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Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) Furnaces  

Retech plasma torch furnaces use an electrically excited gas, typically Helium or Argon, to melt materials in a sealed chamber under an inert atmosphere. 

Plasma Cold Hearth Melting

State-of-the-art Plasma Arc Melting systems with cold hearth refining configurations for alloy production.

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Plasma Arc
Welding

Allows customers to create primary Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) electrodes from compacted sponge.

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Waste Treatment
(PACT)

Our Plasma Arc Centrifugal Treatment system provides superior destruction of a wide variety of wastes.

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Laboratory
Melting

Designed to melt material in an inert atmosphere utilizing a non-consumable electrode or small plasma torch.

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Plasma
Consolidation

State-of-the-art systems with material consolidation  for production of economically recycled ingots.

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Plasma Gas Atomizer

Utilizes Plasma Arc Melting technology with gas atomization to produce powders that meet customer needs.

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Customized PAM Furnace Systems

Retech’s PAM furnace can be supplied in different configurations, depending on the input materials and the form of the product that is desired. Similar to other Retech furnaces, each configuration can be designed for a wide range of sizes, from a few pounds to multiple tons. The melting process allows for the creation and processing of alloys that contain elements with lower vapor pressure by processing the materials under inert atmosphere rather than under vacuum.

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Retech's PAM Technology

Plasma is the fourth state of matter whereby a gas is electrically excited via a DC arc producing a high energy plume that can be used to melt metals and alloys. That arc can be transferred to a work piece to aid in melting or the arc can be non-transferred, or contained within the torch, thereby causing the plasmated gas plume to accomplish all of the melting. Examples of plasma in everyday life are lightning, Neon lights and television sets.

A Retech PAM Cold Hearth furnace uses an electrically excited gas, typically Helium, Argon, or Nitrogen to melt materials in a sealed chamber, under inert atmosphere and offers significant cost savings by eliminating the need for electrode welding and primary Vacuum Arc Remelting. The Cold Hearth is a water-cooled, copper vessel that is devoid of contaminating elements like Oxygen and yields clean, as-cast metal by removing high- and low-density inclusions during cold hearth refining.

Retech has three types of guns in four different sizes. The customer application and the system design will ultimately determine which type of torch to employ.

The PAM process is different from other melting techniques in that it does not take place in deep vacuum, instead it is in an atmosphere of inert gas. This allows the process to fully melt and refine alloys that contain low vaporization elements.

Retech Plasma Melting Systems have primarily been utilized for melting reactive and refractory metals and alloys (like Titanium & Titanium Alloys) though ongoing plasma research and development programs have melted countless specialty materials for our customers. Plasma furnaces can be designed for a wide range of sizes, from a few pounds to many tons, as well as production of everything from ingots and powder to castings. Our plasma arc melting furnaces can be configured with one or multiple torches, any number of feed systems as well as casting and withdrawal chambers to meet the needs of our customers.

PAM applications are generally melting and remelting of alloys containing a large number of elements with high vapor pressure that would evaporate under deep vacuum. Additionally, rotor-grade alloys for aerospace typically require plasma melting due to the ability to remove high- and low-density inclusions.

The inert gas enters the plasma torch and is excited using DC power to the “plasma state” and directed at the workpiece where the heat of the plasma will melt the material. Additionally, the plasma acts as a conductor to allow the energy to flow between the torch and the workpiece. The current flowing through the workpiece increases the energy into the workpiece.

Typically, the PAM furnace is configured as a cold hearth refining system. The material will be melted in the hearth and refined as it is continuously cast into an ingot. Ingots can range from 50mm up to 1000mm in diameter and can exceed 5m in length depending on the final application requirements.

Plasma is the fourth state of matter whereby a gas is electrically excited via a DC arc producing a high energy plume that can be used to melt metals and alloys. That arc can be transferred to a work piece to aid in melting or the arc can be non-transferred, or contained within the torch, thereby causing the plasmated gas plume to accomplish all of the melting. Examples of plasma in everyday life are lightning, Neon lights and television sets.

The Retech Equal Opportunity Statement

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Retech Systems LLC is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best available persons in every job. Company policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. All such discrimination is unlawful.

The Company is committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Company operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of the Company, including supervisors and coworkers.

To comply with applicable laws ensuring equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, the Company will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or an employee unless undue hardship would result.

Any applicant or employee who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact a Company representative with day-to-day personnel responsibilities and request such an accommodation. The individual with the disability should specify what accommodation he or she needs to perform the job. The Company then will conduct an investigation to identify the barriers that interfere with the equal opportunity of the applicant or employee to perform his or her job. The Company will identify possible accommodations, if any, that will help eliminate the limitation. If the accommodation is reasonable and will not impose an undue hardship, the Company will make the accommodation.

If you believe you have been subjected to any form of unlawful discrimination, submit a written complaint to your supervisor or the individual with day-to-day personnel responsibilities. Your complaint should be specific and should include the names of the individuals involved and the names of any witnesses. If you need assistance with your complaint, or if you prefer to make a complaint in person, contact the Human Resources Manager. The Company will immediately undertake an effective, thorough, and objective investigation and attempt to resolve the situation.

If the Company determines that unlawful discrimination has occurred, effective remedial action will be taken commensurate with the severity of the offense. Appropriate action also will be taken to deter any future discrimination. The Company will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint and will not knowingly permit retaliation by management employees or your coworkers.