EDITOR

What Makes a True Leader

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

OCAfter the fourth annual nomination for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 came to a close, Bethany Leone, editor at Heat Treat Today, shared what type of leaders would be recognized in the September 2021 Trade Show magazine. Check out pages 32-55 for the full list of rising young leaders in the North American heat treat market.

Bethany Leone
Heat Treat Daily / Heat Treat Radio Editor

Where did you come from? I mean, before you got into heat treating. And how did you become the heat treater that your colleagues know you to be today?

If you are like most people, heat treating was something that you fell into. You didn’t plan to go into the family business, but you did; your other opportunity at your dream job fell through and someone offered you this position; you were waiting for the chance of a lifetime and decided to pursue heat treat instead. . . .

The stories go on. Mundane, perhaps more often than not, but very much our stories.

Among the ordinariness of moving from point A to point B and making the small decisions to take on a new customer or take on a new cleaning or processing technology, we find rising young leaders of the heat treat market. The general manager at a small plant who continues to impress his colleagues and employer, or the young female operations handler whose capable, can-do attitude has driven her to vice president are the constantly felt, though not often recognized, leaders in our sphere.

Determining what is a leader is the first step to recognize these invaluable figures in our ordinary lives, hidden behind their families, books-of-the-month, and job transitions. But how to talk about a good leader? How do you put into words what is felt and not spoken? It’s a difficult question, but the best answer I can give you: tell a story.

These stories show hard work and initiative from one step to the next. . .

"Erick developed successful bilingual/bicultural work instructions and created a seamless process to develop new equipment using local resources, all during demanding project schedules and in the middle of the COVID crisis."

Leadership stories highlight cultivated talent on display. . .

"Lindsey’s communications background has helped Advanced Heat Treat Corp’s growth in technical material content for customers [. . .] Lindsey’s marketing expertise has increased AHT’s website traffic year-after-year, with a 45% increase since the pandemic."

A good story moves people with cutting edge reality and humanity of a leader. . .

"With [Matthew’s] newly acquired purchase of his first home, he is honing his abilities as a handyman from rough carpentry to finish work. Applying his perfectionist personality to every job, it’s truly hard to tell if it was done by him or a professional."

As you peel through these pages to look for the next technical article or skim for an advertiser who will meet your needs, pause for a moment with fresh eyes on the incredible narratives that make up Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2021.

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Message from the Editor: Firsts

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, OP-ED

OCLet's talk about "firsts" and the importance of starting new adventures in the heat treat industry. From her editorial perspective, Karen Gantzer, editor of Heat Treat Today, shares her experience meeting the patient, informative experts in the heat treat industry in today's original content article. Where will your next "first" take you?

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's November 2021 Vacuum Furnaces print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Karen Gantzer
Managing Editor
Heat Treat Today

In January of 2019, our publisher and close family friend, Doug Glenn (Doug, his wife Mary, and I go all the way back to our days at Grove City College), called me, a middle school English teacher, and asked me if I’d consider working for them as an editor. While I was honored that they would think of me, my initial response was something like, “Doug, I don’t know anything about heat treating and besides, I’m a humanities girl, not STEM!” He assured me that I could learn the industry and it would be a fun ride. A first for me to dip my toes into STEM waters!

Well, fast forward to present day, having just passed my second year with the Heat Treat Today team, I can truly attest that it has been an exciting, yet growth-filled adventure in many ways. I don’t teach and grade papers of 7th and 8th graders, but I do have the privilege to work with the most talented and inspiring group of dedicated and committed men and women. What a joy to look forward each day to working not only with the Heat Treat Today team, but also with you, the experts in the industry.

I attended my first trade show in October 2019 — The ASM Heat Treat Show in Detroit. I was such a newbie and it was pretty overwhelming, but an enjoyable experience. Doug, Mary, and the managing editor, Laura Miller, were incredibly kind in not only introducing me to many of you, but I was also thankful for the patient tutorials many of you gave as I began learning the industry. I’ve mentioned this Socrates quote many times, but I truly believe it, “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” You helped me understand the terms!

While last year was a blur for us all with the cancellation of in-person trade shows, this year was an oasis for those of us extroverts who are energized by the face-to-face time that real, live shows provide. During this year’s Ceramics Expo in Cleveland and the ASM Heat Treat Show in St. Louis, I was able to meet so many of you — for the first time in person — who before this summer, I’d never met but had communicated with often.

Heat Treat Today team at the ASM Heat Treat Show 2021 in St. Louis. Left-Right: Michelle Ritenour, Doug Glenn, Karen Gantzer, Alyssa Bootsma, Ellen Porter, and Bethany Leone.

I truly believe we were created to be in community with one another, and these trade shows offered the opportunity to connect at a deeper level than emails afford. I loved talking with people about what they were working on and how Heat Treat Today could help in sharing their successes.

One of the people I had the pleasure of meeting was Carlos Carrasco of Carrasco Industrial Furnaces, a veteran expert in the industry. As we were chatting about article ideas, he asked if we’d be open to publishing the content in both English and Spanish. We loved the idea and so, with this issue, we are proud to feature our first ever Spanish-translated article entitled, “Guía para la Selección de Equipos para Tratamiento Térmico!” (p.33) which is “A Guide to Selecting Heat Treating Equipment” (p.28). We were honored to work with Carlos.

Taking those first steps can be wobbly, but oh so exhilarating when you experience the satisfaction of deciding to take on the unknown — whether it’s a career change, meeting new people, or accepting a new opportunity. It’s worth the effort. Go for it!

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Message from the Editor: Inspiring Young People in Heat Treat

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

OCYoung people today get a bad rap. Karen Gantzer, managing editor at Heat Treat Today, disagrees! The leadership, initiative, and problem-solving skills of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 are truly inspiring. In the heat treat industry, it appears youth isn't such a bad thing after all. In this article, read what Karen has to say about some of the young people on the team at Heat Treat Today.

This article was originally published in Heat Treat Today's August 2021 Automotive print edition.

Karen Gantzer
Managing Editor
Heat Treat Today

I find it very inspiring to work with young people in this industry. Contrary to what is sometimes heard in the world at large, many of the young people I’ve had the privilege of working with in the North American heat treat market are intelligent, conscientious, respectful, hard-working adults worth their weight in gold. They’re a real pleasure to be around. As this column is being typed, Heat Treat Today is working on selecting 40 young leaders in the North American heat treat market to be inducted into the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021, a great honor for each person, and a great honor for the 120 previous inductees, the 40 Under 40 Classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020. It’s amazing how difficult it is to pick 40 each year from those nominated. Nearly all of them are more than qualified, but only 40 can be selected. The judges invariably struggle each year. That is a GREAT problem to have, and it speaks to the quality of the young people in this industry. Although these young people will probably never make it into one of the 40 Under 40 classes, I would like to mention several under-40 individuals who contribute substantially to the North American heat treat market each and every day – the young people of Heat Treat Today – all of whom are less than 40 years old and all of whom are simply stellar people.

Bethany Funk-Leone is the Heat Treat Daily editor as well as the Heat Treat Radio editor and resident idea person along with Doug. We sometimes have to pivot at the last minute and Bethany flexes with grace, determination, and wit, as she juggles multiple responsibilities and stays ahead of the game.

Brandon Glenn is our art and web design expert. When we need a logo or image, a tweak on the website, or a last-minute edit on the Heat Treat Daily, Brandon is our man; and he always comes through with precision, kindness and often a comment that makes us laugh.

Ellen Glenn-Porter wears several hats—billing/accounting/audience development—and makes sure that important admin is completed on time. She faithfully connects with you in the industry and is always diligent to make sure the rest of the team is aware of needs, encouragement, or concerns that are sent to her.

Lauren Porter, Heat Treat Today production manager, is our newest team member. She has been Doug’s right hand person and done yeoman’s work in getting the print magazines, e-blasts, and other media out to you all as well as working with advertisers.

Alyssa Bootsma is our social media editor. She has taken excellent initiative on the various platforms and has grown our presence significantly. It has been exciting to see her grow and succeed in an area that had been unfamiliar to her, but one which she has embraced.

Jonathan Lloyd, Heat Treat Today's talented audio/podcast editor, ensures the excellence of Heat Treat Radio and other multimedia endeavors. His expertise and creativity in the audio and visual world is a huge asset as he helps us maintain a cutting edge.

The old-timers, Doug Glenn and I, couldn’t be happier to be working with this youthful group, who keeps us sharp and current! And, while they might never be in Heat Treat Today's 40 Under 40, they are our "Top 6" list of great people serving the North American heat treat market.

Thanks, team for the incredible work you do!

Message from the Editor: Inspiring Young People in Heat Treat Read More »

Message from the Editor: How to Use This Guide

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, OP-ED

OCAre you someone who is satisfied with the same services and equipment that you've used for years, regardless of how mediocre the results are? Would you like to use a new guide to find better heat treat solutions?  

This original content article was written by Karen Gantzer, editor of Heat Treat Today, for Heat Treat Today's June 2021 Heat Treat Buyers Guide print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

80%-90% of you tell us that you prefer to have a print, hard-copy magazine – and the Heat Treat Buyers Guide is no exception. While it is the “hip,” “cool,” or “in” thing to “go digital,” the facts say otherwise. So, slap this hard-copy, bad boy down on your desk or table and let it sit around until you’re ready to buy something in the North American heat treat market. Then pick it up and enjoy all of the resources it has to offer.

Here’s how you can get the most out of this resource:

The Buyers Guide is divided into three major sections.

1. The first section, from pages 17-27, contains an alphabetic listing of all the suppliers of heat treating equipment and related services in the North American heat treat marketplace. You’ll notice that some of the companies listed in this section have a red star before their name. These are the advertisers who make this print version possible. Please lend your support to these industry-leading companies when it comes to purchasing.

Other companies have a boldface listing along with their company logo, but no red star. These are our Gold level suppliers who have paid extra to be in the online version. These companies are also worthy of your serious consideration.

There are still other companies who have not yet completed their online listing and therefore have relatively little information in this print edition. You’ll be able to recognize these companies because they have a blue asterisk (*) next to their name. More and more of these companies are signing up daily, so our suggestion is to check our website (www.heattreatbuyersguide.com) for the latest information about these companies OR go directly to these companies’ websites, which are listed along with their company names in this first section.

Those companies without a red star, no logo, and no blue asterisk are what we call our Basic Level companies. They’ve also contributed a nominal yearly amount to be listed in the online and print versions of this Buyers Guide. These companies are also very much worthy of your consideration.

2. The second major section of this Buyers Guide is an exhaustive listing of heat treat equipment and related services. There is a comprehensive index of these services listed between pages 28 and 32. This is a good place to start your search.

Immediately after the Index of Equipment & Related Services are six sub-categories with hundreds of products and companies who provide them. The six sub-categories are: 1) Heat Treat Furnaces, Ovens & Induction Equipment, 2) Heat Treat Components, Supplies & Materials, 3) Heat Treat Controls, Instrumentation & Sensors, 4) Heat Treat Auxiliary, Subs-System, Ancillary Equipment & Services, 5) Heat Treat Lab, Testing, & Materials Characterization Equipment, and 6) Heat Treat Gases & Atmosphere Generation Equipment. There are too many products and services to reproduce here, but you can see them all on pages 34-78.

3. The third and final section of this Buyers Guide runs from pages 79 to 83 and is a state-by-state listing of commercial heat treaters. If you’re looking for a company to perform heat treating on a product your company makes, this is a good place to start. There wasn’t room in this print edition to list the processes that these commercial heat treating companies perform, but if you go to the website, www.heattreatbuyersguide.com, you’ll be able to search for a commercial heat treater by the processes they perform AND their proximity to you.

A final thought. If you are a supplier of heat treating equipment or related services OR if you are a commercial heat treater and you are NOT listed in this directory, there is a quick and easy remedy. All you have to do is go to www.heattreatbuyersguide.com and search for your company’s name. If you are there, all you need to do is “claim” your listing. If you are not there, you can easily create a listing for your company in less than 15 minutes. If you have any trouble, please feel free to contact us at buyers_guide@heattreattoday.com with any questions. We’ll respond as quickly as possible.

Happy shopping!

Message from the Editor: How to Use This Guide Read More »

Message From the Editor: Survey: Heat Treaters Who Use Induction Heating Equipment

/ EDITOR, INDUCTION HEATING EQUIPMENT TECHNICAL CONTENT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

OCEver wonder what the status of induction heat treating is in North America? Well you can stop wondering: Check out these Induction Heating Survey results that represent approximately 450 induction units.

This original content article was written by Karen Gantzer, editor of Heat Treat Today, for Heat Treat Today's May 2021 Induction print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Karen Gantzer
Managing Editor
Heat Treat Today

Heat Treat Today conducted a survey with those companies that perform in-house heat treating as well as commercial heat treaters who use induction heating equipment. The results represent approximately 450 induction units, and we received very interesting and beneficial information from the questions posed. Below is a sampling of the questions and responses.

When asked the number of induction coils owned, 27% have over 100 coils, 16% own 50 to 100, and 13.5% have ownership of between 16 to 30 coils. Interestingly, 50% of respondents design and make the vast majority of their induction coils.

There were eight different power supply and transformer selections noted in the results. 62.5% use IGBT generators, while 33.3% use vacuum tube generators, and tied for third with 25% of respondents using thyristor or MOSFET generators.

Surveys. Polls. While well-designed ones can require time to complete authentically, the effort is worth the data received because it helps many make informed decisions. Heat Treat Today believes that people make better decisions when they are well-informed, and so, with that thought in mind, if you’re interested in seeing the full report of this induction survey, please email me at Karen@heattreattoday.com.

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Heat Treat History Offers Promise to the Present

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

In today’s article, Heat Treat Today’s editorial staff has gathered noteworthy reflections of heat treaters who are looking to the past to offer hope to present circumstances. Read more to see that while the present seems paused with Covid-19, the past offers promise of growth and change through challenges.

Like many markets, the heat treating industry is seeking to make the best out of this summer of 2020, and even though the market is looking more positive by the day, there are many who still look for a sense of normalcy. However, with leaders looking at historical moments in heat treat, they remind us that while the present seems paused with Covid-19, the past offers promise of growth and change through the challenges of life.

Sceenshot of Bodycote’s “An Interactive History of Metallurgy” (photo source: https://www.bodycote.com/history-of-metal/)

A major reach into the past is a throwback to the 90th century BC called “An Interactive History of Metallurgy.” In this historical timeline, Bodycote presents an engaging look at copper, bronze, iron, and tin through the centuries. The developments include detailed information, mostly funneled from Wikipedia, like the fact that bronze alloy in 12th century English candlesticks contained a degree of silver, antimony, and arsenic. And the modern, continuous development of steel is believed to have begun in the carbon furnaces of Sub-Saharan African communities.

(photo source: SECO/WARWICK)

On June 30, 2020, SECO/WARWICK released an “anniversary reflection” to commemorate the achievements of the Group in the first half of 2020. Among these is the 10th anniversary of their Chinese branch which has now become a recognized leader of CAB systems in heat treat, creating furnaces for aluminum brazing in controlled atmospheres. They conclude their message with a word from Sławomir Woźniak, President of the Management Board, saying, “We wish that health, patience and faith – embracing the world at large – will return to normal.”

Sanderson’s Weir (photo source: Shane Higgins on LinkedIn)

Finally, a recent LinkedIn post from Shane Higgins, Field Sales from Special Quality Alloys Ltd, shared a lunch-time crowd favorite: Sanderson’s Weir, built in the 1580s. With two iron forges on either side of the River Don in Sheffield, this low dam was built to provide power to the industrial work. Changes in the nature of industry has allowed a 20-year project along the River Don in Sheffield and Rotherham to permit a fish pass for salmon after 200 years without. It is impressive that the location that once produced iron still houses metalworking business.

 

 

 

(photo source: Hakon Sataoen on unsplash.com)

(photo source: https://www.bodycote.com/history-of-metal/)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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