About Us

Solar Atmospheres is an industry leader delivering unsurpassed quality and capacity for the vacuum heat treating and brazing of metal parts. Our extensive knowledge and expertise, gained from decades of experience, provides multiple industries with superior solutions to their thermal processing challenges. We continually update our capabilities with state-of-the-art vacuum furnaces from the innovations spearheaded by our founder and Chief Executive Officer, William R. Jones one of the pioneers of vacuum furnace technology. Along with the largest commercial vacuum furnaces in the world, we have the equipment to do small batch and R&D jobs. Solar maintains the highest standards of quality assurance, and your total satisfaction is our goal.

Solar operates four plant sites, Souderton (Eastern PA), Hermitage (Western PA), California, and Greenville, South Carolina. Solar Atmospheres offers large furnace capacity, Advanced ten and twenty bar quenching, and service characterized by quality and responsiveness. Through our foundational strengths processing skills, furnace engineering knowledge, metallurgical consultation, and commitment to service, Solar has gained a reputation for quality heat treating and responsive service. Our customers regularly express appreciation for Solar and its people going the extra mile. Taking on the challenge as a commitment to new types of work is evidenced by the R&D work done for universities and national laboratories. As a consequence of this service and expertise, Solar services many different markets that need the Thermal Processing Advantage.

Company History

Solar Atmospheres was founded in 1983 by William R. Jones, our Chief Executive Officer. It was a natural outgrowth of his pioneering work as a developer and manufacturer of vacuum furnaces having started Vacuum Furnace Systems (1978) and Solar Manufacturing (2002), www.solarmfg.com. Consequently, Solar uses the latest technology in processing parts and is continually investing in new furnace engineering.

In 1992 Solar moved to a new 24,000 square foot building built specifically for vacuum heat treating. 2001 marked the start-up of Solar's second facility in Hermitage (Western PA), which now features five 24-foot long vacuum furnaces, a 36-foot long vacuum furnace, and the world's largest commercial vacuum furnace at 48 feet in length with a load capacity of 150,000 lbs.

In 2007, Solar added vacuum carburizing services at the Souderton plant. To provide the service, a newly engineered insitu vacuum carburizing furnace was developed by Solar's Technology Center in cooperation with Solar Manufacturing.

In 2011, Solar Atmospheres added a third plant site in California. The plant primarily services the aerospace, medical and oil industries.

In 2015, Solar Atmospheres opened its 4th location in Greenville, SC. The facility is 57,000 square feet and is focusing on the expanding aerospace development in the Southeast US.