Project Background

Recently, Brother Furnace provided a vacuum brazing solution for copper components to an industrial client in Spain. The client specializes in the production of copper-based electronic modules and connectors, where brazing is a key process.

After years of using conventional atmosphere furnaces and open-flame heating, the client began facing increasing challenges and was in urgent need of a technology upgrade.

Challenges Faced by the Client

The client's previous equipment was outdated and lacked a vacuum system. Brazing was performed in ambient air, which led to several production issues:

* Severe oxidation of copper surfaces, resulting in poor wettability of the brazing alloy and weak joints;

* Uneven heating, causing inconsistent brazing results and low product yield;

* Heavy surface residue after brazing, increasing the burden of post-cleaning and lowering appearance quality;

* Unstable process repeatability, with heavy reliance on manual operation, making large-scale standardized production difficult.

The client recognized that without improving atmospheric control during brazing, their production quality and competitiveness would continue to suffer.

Brother Furnace’s Solution and Recommendations

After analyzing the client's brazing process, material properties, and production needs, Brother Furnace proposed a custom vacuum brazing furnace solution with the following features:

Equipment Configuration

* Furnace Type: Vertical vacuum brazing furnace

* Chamber Size: Designed for batch processing of multiple workpieces

* Heating Method: Electrical resistance heating with graphite elements, ensuring high temperature uniformity

* Vacuum System: Combination of diffusion pump and rotary vane pump, achieving vacuum levels up to 10⁻⁴ Pa to prevent copper oxidation

* Temperature Control: Multi-zone heating with PLC automation, ±5°C temperature uniformity

* Cooling System: Efficient gas cooling for reduced cycle times

Process Recommendations

* Use silver-based or phosphorus-containing copper-based brazing alloys to improve wettability;

* Provide an optimized heating and soaking profile to ensure ideal brazing temperatures.

* Suggest graphite or stainless steel fixtures to enhance workpiece alignment and joint consistency.

Client Feedback

We have been operating the vacuum brazing furnace provided by Brother Furnace for a while now, and the results have been outstanding.

* The brazing quality has improved significantly – joints are clean, with no oxidation or discoloration;

* Our product yield increased from around 80% to over 98%;

* Most impressively, the components no longer require post-brazing cleaning, saving time and labor;

* The temperature control is stable, and the system is easy to operate, greatly reducing the dependency on operator experience.

The Brother Furnace team provided us with professional technical guidance from the very beginning — from equipment selection to brazing curve recommendations. Their solution not only resolved our long-standing issues but also strengthened our position in the European market.

Conclusion

Through this successful collaboration, Brother Furnace assisted the Spanish client in upgrading from conventional brazing to advanced vacuum brazing technology, effectively resolving oxidation and quality issues while enhancing production efficiency and consistency.

At Brother Furnace, we are committed to delivering customized and practical thermal processing solutions. If you're facing similar challenges in brazing copper or copper alloys, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are ready to design the most suitable vacuum furnace solution for your needs.