Each year, the 40 Under 40 initiative at Heat Treat Today recognizes 40 rising young leaders (ages 40 and younger) in heat treat who are going above and beyond in the industry. The 40 Under 40 initiative gives names, faces, and words to the next generation of heat treat professionals.
To learn more about what makes someone a quality candidate for this honor, read below to hear from the individuals themselves — alumni of Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 — as they share personal updates and industry insights.
Click this link to nominate yourself, or someone you know, by June 28, 2024.
David Cunningham
At the time of David’s nomination for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2019, he was working in Process & Mechanical Design as a heat treating furnace engineer for L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. Here he shares an exciting career (and company) update: “The biggest change since I was nominated to Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 is that I have taken over ownership of L&L Special Furnace Co. I became full owner of the business in January 2023.”
Something David finds most fascinating about the heat treat industry is the number of markets it serves. He says, “I am always surprised looking through our list of customers and knowing what their processes are. I never considered how many industries utilize heat treating.”
David’s advice for the incoming 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 is to “Keep learning . . . there is so much more to heat treating than just making things hot. There are so many niche markets out there. One of the things that fascinated me most was learning how the glass for the Hubble was heat treated.”
Read more about David here.
Kevin Norton
An alum of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, Kevin describes how he rose “through the ranks” in the heat treat industry starting in 2008: “[I] started out in the field on the ground as a helper and . . . worked myself up through the ranks . . . to Level 1 technician, to Level 2 technician . . . all the way up into management.” He currently works as operations manager of heat treating at ProQual Inspections.
To Kevin, the most intriguing thing about the heat treat industry is the advancements in technology, reducing manpower and improving safety. He states that, “different processes in heat treating will go far and beyond what we currently have . . . I’m looking forward to that.”
Kevin’s advice to anyone looking to do something different in their work is to “Be inquisitive; ask questions.”
Read more about Kevin here.
Miguel Zempoaltecatl
Previous to Miguel’s nomination for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, he worked as a process engineer at Nexteer. Miguel shared an exciting career update that took place soon after: “This kind of recognition gave me a plus to be considered . . . [for] the new position I have had since last year as an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer (AME)” at Nexteer.
Miguel describes what he enjoys most about working in the heat treat industry, “As a good friend . . . told me, metallurgy is the oldest of the arts but the newest of the science[s], and this relationship between metallurgy and heat treatments, gives me the opportunity to learn more every day . . . I enjoy work[ing] in this area because every day [there] are new challenges.”
Read more about Miguel here.
Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Authors
Check out some of the technical content that 40 Under 40 alumni have published with Heat Treat Today over the years:
Chad Beamer – 40 Under 40 profile
- Hot Isostatic Pressing: A Seasoned Player With New Technologies In Heat Treatment – Expert Analysis
- Hot Isostatic Pressing For Orthopaedic Implants
- Heat Treating: The Best Medicine
- HIP Innovation Maximizes AM Medical Potential
Michelle Bennett – 40 Under 40 profile
Alberto Cantú – 40 Under 40 profile
John Chesna – 40 Under 40 profile
Heather Falcone – 40 Under 40 profile
Humberto Ramos Fernández – 40 Under 40 profile
Brian Flynn – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #84: Heat Treat Tomorrow — Digital Security with 4 Industry Experts
Scott Fogle – 40 Under 40 profile
Ben Gasbarre – 40 Under 40 profile
- Effective Integral Quench Furnace Maintenance
- Tech Trends: Heat Treat Technologies to Watch in 2022
- Heat Treat Future with AM and 3D Printing
Josh Hale – 40 Under 40 profile
Mike Harrison – 40 Under 40 profile
Kyle Hummel – 40 Under 40 profile
- Induction Hardening: Understanding the Basics
- Induction Hardening: Strengthening the Automotive Industry into the Future
- The Heart of Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40
- Heat Treat Radio #51: Spotlight on 40 Under 40 Leaders (Part 1 of 3)
Caleb Johnson – 40 Under 40 profile
Trevor Jones – 40 Under 40 profile
Don Marteeny – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #84: Heat Treat Tomorrow — Digital Security with 4 Industry Experts
- Heat Treat Radio #99: 365° Look At Troubleshooting Vacuum Furnace Maintenance Issues
- It’s Time for Another Look at Vacuum Oil Quenching
Jonathan McKay – 40 Under 40 profile
Aniket Maske – 40 Under 40 profile
Ellen Conway Merrill – 40 Under 40 profile
Shawn Orr – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat E-Commerce: A Growing Trend or a Passing Fad?
- EthernetIP
- Heat Treat Radio #55: Spotlight on 40 Under 40 Leaders (Part 3 of 3)
Alberto Ramirez – 40 Under 40 profile
- 10 Steps To Troubleshoot Your Induction System
- 10 pasos para solucionar las fallas en un equipo de inducción
Justin Rydzewski – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #42: Justin Rydzewski On CQI-9 Rev.4 (Part 1 Of 4) – Pyrometry
- Heat Treat Radio #45: Justin Rydzewski On CQI-9 Rev.4 (Part 2 Of 4) – HTSAs & Job Audits
- Heat Treat Radio #47: Justin Rydzewski And James Hawthorne On CQI-9 Rev.4 (Part 3 Of 4) – Process Tables & New Resources
- Heat Treat Radio #50: Justin Rydzewski and James Hawthorne on CQI-9 Rev.4 (Part 4 Of 4) – Expert Advice
Humberto Torres Sánchez – 40 Under 40 profile
- Regionalization: How It’s Transforming Mexico’s Manufacturing Industry
- Overcoming Challenges And Finding Success In Latin America’s First HIP Batch
- Como Se Logró La Primera Horneada De HIP En Latinoamérica
- Greener Mobility from the Heat Treat Department
Justin Sims – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #28: Heat Treat Modeling With Justin Sims
- Fatigue Improvement for Gear Steels in Helicopter Powertrains
- Fatigue Improvement for Gear Steels in Helicopter Powertrains, Phase 2
- Case Study: The Low-Pressure Carburizing Process Improvement for a Ring Gear
- Process Innovation to Reduce Distortion During Gas Quenching
- Testing Underway for Innovative Gas Quenching Unit
Bryan Stern – 40 Under 40 profile
Ryan Sybo – 40 Under 40 profile
Sasha Tupalo – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #98: Heat Treat NextGen Sasha Tupalo
Andy Wilkosz – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #11: Laser Heat Treating with Laser Hard
Nic Willis – 40 Under 40 profile
- Heat Treat Radio #96: Making the Leap to Laser Heat Treat with Nic Willis
Ben Witoff – 40 Under 40 profile
Víctor Zacarías – 40 Under 40 profile
- How To Choose the Right Thermocouple in Heat Treatment
- ¿Cómo elegir el termopar correcto en Tratamientos Térmicos?
Erika Zarazúa – 40 Under 40 profile
- Guide To Conducting SATs According to CQI-9 4th Edition
- Guía para conducir pruebas System Accuracy Tests conforme a CQI-9 4ta. Edición