Heat treat industry players from across a spectrum of facilities, suppliers, and manufacturing specialties landed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, September 24, 2024, to kick off Heat Treat Boot Camp 2024. Attendees networked, gained new practical knowledge, and participated in a tour of a local commercial heat treating facility. It wasn’t all work; an opportunity to get to know one another at a meet-and-greet reception upon arrival and later on a trip up Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Incline allowed boot campers to relax and connect, balancing work with fun.
A day and a half of sessions led by instructors Doug Glenn, publisher and founder of Heat Treat Today, and Thomas Wingens, president/CEO and founder of WINGENS International Industry Consultancy, brought the 39 trainees up-to-speed on “Processes & Materials,” “Heat Treat Players,” “Latest Heat Treat Developments,” and more. Questions and discussion were encouraged during the formal sessions, and heat treaters had plenty of informal, additional learning time through interactions with each other and the instructors.
At the end of the first day of lectures, nearly all of the attendees boarded a school bus to visit the Duquesne Incline on Mount Washington and enjoy the view of Pittsburgh. Following another day packed with training and resources, attendees had the option to visit Solar Atmospheres in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, to tour the in-house vacuum heat treating and brazing facility.
“I’ve enjoyed talking about the different types of heat processes and the types of furnaces — vacuum and atmosphere air systems,” said Ike Okoh, a product engineer with Dry Coolers, Inc, based in Michigan. “The questions I had before the course started were answered during the course, and the most beautiful part of the program was that it’s not always you get to see CEOs and or business owners in the training sessions with you. It’s wonderful to get to meet them and find out more about them and their companies.
“The instructors, Doug and Thomas, were really nice, went through the course and broke down some of the issues, took questions and answered them,” Okoh added. “All in all, it’s been an enlightening experience.”
“Every group that’s been here is different,” said Glenn. “This group has been really fantastic; it’s an engaging group, and overall, we’ve heard positive feedback that the sessions and networking have been helpful. So, thanks to everyone who has come, and we look forward to seeing others next year.”
Highlights of the Event
Heat Treat Today thanks everyone for their participation in Heat Treat Boot Camp 2024, including our sponsors. Title Sponsors for this year’s event were Aerospace Testing & Pyrometry, Inc. and Control Concepts Inc.. Social Sponsors were CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd. and Cleveland Electric Labs. Additional sponsors were Algas-SDI, AFC-Holcroft, Chiz Bros: Refractory and Insulation Specialists, GASBARRE, Ipsen USA, Super Systems Inc., and I Squared R Element Co.
Keep your eyes open for your invitation to join us in 2025 for our fourth year of training up heat treaters of the future. Be sure to register early and bring friend and coworkers!
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