Abstract: Vacuum arc metallurgy is a core specialized metallurgical technology for the preparation of high-end specialty metal materials. Leveraging its unique advantages of low oxidation, low gas content, and high purity in a vacuum environment, it has become a fundamental process for the industrial production of key strategic materials such as titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, ultra-high-strength steels, and refractory metals. As two major core equipment in the field of vacuum arc metallurgy, the vacuum arc remelting furnace and the vacuum consumable shell furnace focus on large-quality ingot production and precision specialty casting, respectively, and are widely applied in critical sectors like aerospace, high-end equipment, nuclear power, and national defense. This paper systematically elucidates the working principles, equipment structures, and technical characteristics of these two core types of equipment, reviews the technological development and research status both domestically and internationally, analyzes the technical bottlenecks in the current processes of large-scale, precision, and intelligent development, summarizes advancements in key technologies such as power systems, arc control, solidification regulation, and vacuum assurance, and finally, based on the demands of the high-end materials industry, outlines the trends toward intelligent, large-scale, green, and integrated development of vacuum arc metallurgy equipment, providing theoretical references and technical support for the iterative upgrading and engineering application of specialized metallurgical equipment.

Key words: vacuum arc metallurgy, vacuum arc remelting furnace, vacuum arc skull furnace, equipment technology, special alloys