System for maintaining interior volume integrity in an induction vacuum furnace and method of making same

An induction furnace for cooling a workpiece, the induction furnace comprising:

• a chamber having a susceptor positioned therein, wherein an interior volume of the susceptor defines a heating zone located within the chamber configured to be inductively heated by an induction coil when a current is provided to the induction coil and wherein the chamber has a cooling zone positioned therein outside of the interior volume of the susceptor;
• a support system coupled to a base of the susceptor, the support system extending through the wall of the chamber;
• an actuator coupled to the support system and configured to selectively translate the support system to move the base of the susceptor to translate a workpiece tray supported by the base of the susceptor between a first position in the heating zone and a second position in the cooling zone;
• a cylindrically shaped cooling manifold positioned in the cooling zone, the cylindrically shaped cooling manifold constructed to surround the workpiece tray when the workpiece tray is in the second position within an inner wall of the cylindrically shaped cooling manifold;
• a heat exchanger configured to draw hot air from the chamber;
• a blower configured to blow cooled air that has passed through the heat exchanger into the cooling zone via the cylindrically shaped cooling manifold;
• and
• an expansion system configured to surround a portion of the support system to hermetically seal the heating and cooling zones from an environment volume external to the chamber.

A method of making an induction furnace comprising:

• coupling an insulation cylinder within a chamber;
• providing the insulation cylinder with a heating chamber and a cooling chamber, the insulation cylinder including a base cover that is selectively movable between a first position in the heating chamber and a second position in the cooling chamber, wherein the second position is configured to seal an interior volume of the insulation cylinder;
• coupling a cylindrically shaped cooling manifold in the cooling zone, the cylindrically shaped cooling manifold constructed to surround the base cover when the base cover is positioned in the second position within an inner wall of the cylindrically shaped cooling manifold;
• providing a heat exchanger configured to draw hot air from the chamber;
• providing a blower configured to blow cooled air that has passed through the heat exchanger into the cooling zone via the cylindrically shaped cooling manifold;
• coupling an induction coil to surround at least a portion of the insulation cylinder;
• coupling a susceptor within the insulation cylinder;
• coupling a first member to the base cover of the insulation cylinder;
• the first member extending through a wall of the chamber;
• coupling a bellows system to surround a portion of the first member, the bellows system having an interior volume fluidly coupled to an interior volume of the chamber;
• coupling a actuator to the first member and to the bellows system;
• and
• configuring the actuator to selectively translate the first member to move the base cover of the insulation cylinder between the first and second positions.