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Janicki installs 50 ft autoclave for high-performance composite

30 Apr '12

2 min read

Janicki Industries will add to its advanced composites capabilities via the introduction of a 50 foot long, 12 foot diameter autoclave. One of the largest production autoclaves in the Northwest, the 550ºF, 150psi vessel will be installed adjacent to Janicki's new 9,204ft² cleanroom.

The autoclave arrived at Janicki's Hamilton, WA plant April 15, 2012. Installation and testing will take four to five weeks, and the autoclave is expected to be fully operational by June 4th. Autoclave curing is required for some types of high-performance composites. Preparation in a cleanroom environment, with highly-refined air quality, keeps dust and other particles from interfering with composite fabrication.

According to Janicki Industries' President, John Janicki, “The autoclave, along with upcoming AS9100C accreditation and the newly certified cleanroom, will advance our composite tooling and add to our high-performance composite capabilities.”

The autoclave's shipping was handled by Active Machinery Moving of Lynden, WA. Their Dual Lane Loader consists of a trailer powered by two trucks, one in the front and one in the rear, with a total of 18 axles and 108 tires. The total weight of the trailer and autoclave load was just over 500,000 pounds (250 tons). The load was 236 feet in length.

Autoclave Specifications
• Interior dimensions: 50 ft long and 12 ft diameter
• Operating temperature 550ºF
• Propane heat source
• 72 part thermocouples
• 36 Vacuum source lines
• 36 Vacuum probe lines
• Floor rated to hold 50,000 pounds
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Janicki Industries is a technical engineering company that creates composite tools, prototypes and production parts for transportation, aerospace, space and defense, marine, alternative energy and other innovative markets throughout the world.

Janicki Industries