Within the Solar Atmospheres group of companies are over one hundred mechanical vacuum roughing pumps and mechanical holding pumps. Of their fleet of furnaces, some are aging, still in operation even at 30-plus years old. Mechanical pump life is on the order of five to ten years, depending on usage. So it became necessary for Solar Atmospheres to establish a vacuum pump service center, which they have named Vacuum Pump Services Corp.
Currently, there are three employees: Bob Sandora, vice president of operations, a longtime Solar Atmospheres employee, with over 40 years of mechanical vacuum pump experience, and Steve MacInnes, manager of operations, with 15 years of mechanical vacuum pump experience, and another recent pump technician.
William R. Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres family of companies, said: "We know vacuum pumps: when to have the pumps serviced, and how to service them correctly. This is the base reason for establishing our own organization. We have also serviced pumps for other organizations, even including our competitors. So we are eager to share our knowledge and expertise, and to offer our services broadly across industry."