It works very well indeed. I was lucky enough to use a vacuum furnace with a very large hot zone that could be stabilised to a few degrees Centigrade. It also had the ability to quench rapidly with Argon.

The only drawback was that the furnace cost around £15,000 around 25 years ago!

The biggest pitfall will be money.

If you have vast numbers of self jigging components then consider a furnace. If not, then do what the majority of industry does and use gas torches, induction heating, resistance heating (direct or indirect).

I offer you the same advice as I did an F1 racing company who had a similar thought process, but they ignored it because they simply said "money is no object if we get the right result". Result not known!

There are two basic types of furnace – vacuum and atmosphere. But they have to achieve the same result ie that of producing oxide free surfaces into which a filler metal will flow by capillary action into a joint gap

The vacuum furnace involves creating conditions of temperature and pressure where the surface oxides break down and the the oxygen is pumped away. The pumps will also remove any metal vapour produced when the alloy melts. Expect a coating of zinc everywhere!

An atmosphere furnace uses an atmosphere that removes oxides to produce the same effect that a flux does.

Common atmospheres are natural gas, forming gas (5% hydrogen nitrogen) and cracked ammonia. The choice depends on how dry the atmosphere has to be for the oxides to be removed. The dew point of the atmosphere is a measure of the atmosphere dryness. For a silver solder to work and create a joint at about 700 deg C, the dew point has to be about minus 50 deg C! If you cannot achieve that then braze at a higher temperature, in which case why use a silver solder when copper or brass will do.

You aren't brazing copper or brass are you?

Avoid the risk of liquation caused by slow heating, ie the alloy splits as it enters the semi-molten stage. Use a filler metal with a narrow melting range- ideally less than 25 deg C.

Another problem is maintaining the integrity of the atmosphere.

Now I suggest that you talk to Kepston, who, I believe are market leaders in this technology. **LINK**

I have no connection with them other than appreciating they are a sound, reliable company and who have been around in this industry for over 50 years.

I believe that in the event of your not having an F1 budget, they can offer a sub-contract brazing facility.

Wow!

What a project!

Regards

Keith