FPM Heat Treating has placed an order for a vacuum furnace. The HFL-7472-2IQ vacuum furnace features a graphite insulated hot zone of 48” x 48” x 72” with a 5,000 pound weight capacity, and the SolarVac® Polaris Controls.
The furnace fromSolar Manufacturing is equipped with features for temperature control, uniformity, and rapid heating and cooling cycles, which are crucial for achieving superior metallurgical results. “We are thrilled to integrate this advanced vacuum furnace into our operations,” said Bob Ferry, VP of Engineering and Quality at FPM Heat Treating. “This acquisition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence and our dedication to providing our clients with superior quality and precision in every project.”
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Scrambling to stay up to date on all the publications that Heat TreatToday's experts have been releasing? If you are attending the ASM Heat Treat show in Detroit today or tomorrow, you can hear them present in live panels on the latest and greatest in the heat treat industry. Learn from the technical expertise of Heat TreatToday'sauthors, interviewees, 40 Under 40 honorees, and other affiliates.
Check out the technical sessions for Tuesday and Wednesday. For a complete list of all technical sessions offered over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, see ASM's Heat Treat show page.
Tuesday, October 17
Applied Technology / Processes and Applications: Energy Consumption and Efficiency
311 AB, 9-10am
This session features experts Dennis Beauchesne of ECM-USA, Inc. and MadhuChatterjee of AAT Metallurgical Services. Explore topics from adiabatic fluid coolers to the application of artificial intelligence, as well as heat treating emissions and decarbonization strategies. For more details, see here.
Chad Beamer
Applications Engineer
Quintus Technologies
Atmosphere Technology and Surface Engineering I
312 AB, 9-10am
Explore the development of clean HIP processing with Chad Beamer (Quintus Technologies) of Heat TreatToday's40 Under 40 Class of 2023 as well as "Changing Cost Environment Favors Self-Generation of Thermal Process gGases" with David Wolff of Nel Hydrogen. For more details, see here.
"Green” Heat Treating / Low Carbon I
312 AB, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
Fascinated by the question of how carbon emissions can be reduced during the heat treatment of steel parts? This technical session with Ed Rylicki of Ajax TOCCO is for you! For more details, see here.
Ryan Van Dyke
Applied Technology / Processes and Applications: Quality Control
311AB, 10:30-11:30 AM
Explore the topic of quench cracking during heat treatment with Ryan Van Dyke (Paulo) of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 in this technical session chaired by Ben Bernard (Surface Combustion, Inc.). For more details, see here.
Microstructural Development / Characterization II
313 AB, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
In this technical session, chaired by Dennis Beauchesne, explore topics from nano-crystalline martensitic stainless steel to the pretreatment of steel during carburization. For more details, see here.
New Trends in Global Heat Treating
311 AB, 1:00-1:40pm
Chaired by Angella Sell of Aalberts Surface Technologies (40 Under 40 Class of 2023) and featuring the expertise of Chad Beamer (40 Under 40 Class of 2023), Jianyu Liang (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Richard D Sisson (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), and Edward Rolinski (Advanced Heat Treat Corp.), this technical session will keep you up to date on global heat treatment, exploring topics as diverse as high pressure heat treatment, plasma nitriding, and boronization. For more details, see here.
Maciej Korecki
Vice President of Business of the Vacuum Furnace Segment
SECO/WARWICK
(Source: SECO/WARWICK)
"Green” Heat Treating / Low Carbon II
312 AB, 1:00 -2:20 PM
Curious for more technical information on "Green" Heat Treating? This follow-up session features Jim Oakes (Super Systems Inc.), Bryan Stern (Gasbarre Products), Don Marteeny (SECO/VACUUM Technologies, LLC), Maciej Korecki (SECO/WARWICK) and Dennis Beauchesne. Topics to be covered include the carbon impact of oil quenching, energy consumption and CO2 footprint, and the environmental impacts of low pressure carburizing. For more details, see here.
Vacuum Processes and Technology
313AB, 1:00 PM-2:20 PM
This technical session features all things vacuum heat treat, with presenters discussing high pressure gas quench, the effect of sintering atmosphere on vacuum sintered stainless steel, the development of CFC-fixtures for industrial heat treat (presented by Jorg Demmel of High Temperature Concept), and the impact of vacuum furnace power on ESG criteria. For more details, see here.
Wednesday, October 18
Simulation & Modeling I: Process Simulation (CFD/FEA)
311 AB, 1:00 PM-2:40 PM
In this technical session, 40 Under 40 honoree Justin Sims (DANTE Solutions, Inc.) will be featured in a discussion of model development for aluminum, while Richard Sisson (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) will discuss phase distributions in heat treat gas atmosphere, and Dr. D Scott Mackenzie (Quaker Houghton) will present on the challenges of visualizing and optimizing the flow inside gear oil quenching tanks. For more details, see here.
Mr. Jason Orosz (Nitrex) of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 will be chairing this technical session, featuring 40 Under 40 Class of 2018 honoree Dr.Lesley Frame (University of Connecticut) and Matt Fischer (Castalloy Corp.), presenting on guidelines for alloy trays and fixtures. For more details, see here.
Residual Stress / Panel Session
313 AB, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Chaired by Dr. Lesley Frame, a 40 Under 40 honoree, this technical session will explore topics from the relationship between deep case carburizing and residual stress to recent upgrades to the residual stress diffractometer. For more details, see here.
Heat Treating: Induction Heat Treating
313 AB, 3:30 PM-4:50 PM
Fascinated by the topic of induction heat treating, including improvements on performance and induction fatigue following carburizing? Be sure to attend this technical session featuring David Lynch (Induction Tooling, Inc.), Justin Sims, and RichardSisson. For more details, see here.
Industry Internet of Things
312 AB, 3:30 PM-4:50 PM
This technical session explores the topics of AI, furnace smart data, and predictive maintenance, all in relation to the heat treating industry. Featuring experts Trisha Rouse (General Motors), Peter Sherwin (Eurotherm LLC), and Aymeric Goldsteinas (Ipsen USA), discover information on these pertinent questions. For more details, see here.
D. Scott MacKenzie, Ph.D
Senior Research -- Metallurgy
Quaker Houghton, Inc.
Quenching Technologies I: High Pressure
311 AB, 3:30 PM-4:50 PM
This final technical session for Wednesday features a discussion of quenching technologies, with topics ranging from nitrogen gas quench to induction hardened cylinders. Finish off your Wednesday with experts Dennis Beauschesne, Chad Beamer, Tom Hart (SECO/VACUUM), and D Scott McKenzie. For more details, see here.
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Today is a little-known holiday: National Veterans BBQ day, on which Americans are encouraged to treat veterans to a cookout as a “thank-you” for their service.
At Heat Treat Today’s, we wanted to take this opportunity to recognize veterans who have donned the hat of heat treating, although we can’t offer a physical celebration. Thank you for your service and sacrifice for our country.
Below, you will find profiles of Heat Treat Veterans from our archive. Heat Treat Today is continually updating our records of individuals in the heat treat industry who have served/are serving in the U.S. military. If you are or know a military veteran whom we can add to this living archive, please reach out via the online form or email Bethany Leone, managing editor, at bethany@heattreattoday.com.
This article as originally published in Heat Treat Today’sSeptember 2023People of Heat Treatmagazine.
Larry Bradley
Bradley has been in the heat treat industry for two years and works as quality manager at Bodycote. Military Branch: Army Active Service: January 1972 to December 1979 Highest Rank Achieved: E-6 Staff Sergeant Service Details:
• Vietnam War • Basic — Fort Knox • AIT — Fort Benning • Airborne School — Fort Bragg • Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland (Introduction to Quality) • Bronze Star, Silver Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal • Also stationed at Kaiserslautern Germany, and 100th Division Echo Company at Morehead, KY • Mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom and stationed at Camp Atterbury, IN
Bradley Johnson
Johnson has been in the heat treat industry for 8 years and works as quality engineer at Bodycote. Military Branch: Army Active Service: October 2000 to August 2007 Highest Rank Achieved: E-5 Sergeant Service Details:
• Involved with Operation Enduring Freedom • Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO • AIT at Fort Lee VA • First duty Station at 400th QM • Also stationed at Kaiserslautern Germany, and 100th Division Echo Company at Morehead, KY • Mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom and stationed at Camp Atterbury, IN
“As far as stories, I tend to not delve too deep into my tenure as a serviceman, but what I will share is: There are very few people in the United States that truly understand what it means to sign a blank check of your life, being willing to risk it for the county that you love, as well as the millions and millions of its citizens, at the drop of a hat, if called to action. With regards to basic training, I as well as numerous others I am sure, believe that the experience was the most fun and exciting adventure that I would never do again. I was in AIT when the 9/11 attacks happened, and on that day, we all knew we were going to war. It was just a couple short years later when I was mobilized for OEF. I was attached to the 658th out of Mississippi, and we traveled to Camp Atterbury, IN, for our pre-deployment training. We were there for around 3–4 months, chomping at the bit, to go do our part in protecting our country and for a lack of better terms, enact revenge for the ones we tragically lost that fateful day in September 2001. We were three days away from boarding the plane and heading overseas when we got word from the Pentagon that our particular mission was cancelled, and they were sending us home. Come to find out, we were going to be sent to the southeastern part of Turkey, to be able to invade Iraq at its northwestern border. When Turkey denied our access, that was the ticket home. After getting back home I submitted a transfer request to be able to join the 100th Division. It took about a month, but the transfer went through, and I was now a part of a drill sergeant unit (Echo Company) and was making trips to Ft. Knox to push troops through their basic combat training. To be able to come full circle in that regard was one of the most rewarding adventures I have ever had. To clarify, I was not a drill sergeant myself, merely cadre, but I was an NCO, and just by having that rank, the fear in the recruits’ eyes when you walked into the room took me back to being in their shoes. And this is where I ended my career.”
Jon Tirpak
Tirpak has been in the heat treat industry for 42 years. Branch of Service: United States Air Force Active Service: 1982 to 1988 Highest Rank Achieved: Captain Service Details: Captain, United States Air Force, Norton Air Force Base, CA, 1986 to 1988.
Led an $18M Air Force-wide, integrated effort to evaluate materials and structures in underground nuclear tests and managed Small Business Innovative Research Projects.
Lieutenant, United States Air Force, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH, 1982 to 1986.
Served as an Executive Officer within Project Forecast II (an Air Force “think tank”) and focused expertise on advanced materials and manufacturing in Plans and Programs.
Office of the Air Force Materials Laboratory — conducted structural failure analyses; characterized effects of plastic bead paint removal. Centrifuge test subject with 43 tests, some approaching 8.5 Gs. Designed and conducted data generation programs to characterize the fatigue and fracture of cast aluminum and generated static and dynamic property data for various metallic alloys.
“My military career took off in 1982. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering at Lafayette College and completing four years of Air Force ROTC Training, the best assignment for me was the Air Force Materials Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Those formative years linked me to heat treating, for most alloys without thermal processing are just metallic chemistries! For example, a popular alloy then was A357 comprised primarily of aluminum, silicon, and magnesium. To impart useful properties after casting, heat treating is required, and in the case of A357 industry specified -T6. We can’t have one without the other; we need alloy suppliers and metal workers (foundries, forges, etc.) AND heat treaters. We don’t need a lot of them; we need just the best, world class producers with the passion, people, processes, and purpose for serving humanity. Back in ‘82, my take off for success was via the Air Force and cast aluminum alloy A357 with a heat treat “afterburner” of -T6. In 2023, I have yet to land!”
Awards: • United States Air Force Commendation Medal • United States Air Force Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters • United States Air Force Outstanding Unit Military Ribbon • United States Air Force Service Longevity Ribbon • United States Air Force Training Military Ribbon • United States Air Force Centrifuge High G Test Subject Certificate • Lifetime Member Air Force Materials & Manufacturing Alumni Association, Dayton, OH
Danny Woodring
Woodring has been in the heat treat industry for 28 years and works as manager of the Quality/ISO & Flow Team at UPC-Marathon. Branch of Service: Army Secondary Branch: Army National Guard Active Service: 1982 to 1996 U.S. Reserves: 1996 to 2022 Highest Rank Achieved: Sergeant Major/E9 Service Details: • Participated in three Combat Tours
Timothy Wright
Wright has been in the heat treat industry for 30+ years. He was founding owner of WIRCO. Branch of Service: Army Secondary Branch: Army National Guard Active Service: Yes U.S. Reserves: Yes Highest Rank Achieved: Major General Service Details: • Vietnam War • Desert Storm • United Nation’s SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina • Indiana National Guard • Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal x8, Air Medal x27 (1 for Valor), Army Commendation Medal x5 (1 for Valor), Kuwait Liberation Medal, and more.
Heat Treat Today interviewed MG Wright and will be releasing the full story of his extraordinary service and sacrifice on Heat Treat Radio in fall 2023. Watch for it at www.heattreattoday.com/radio.
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A component supplier in the automotive industry has secured a multimillion-dollar contract to receive a turnkey automated nitrocarburizing furnace system for the production of electric passenger vehicle brake components.
Under the contract, Nitrex will design, manufacture, commission, and test continuous-line furnaces, part of the NXL furnace series, which are capable of processing millions of brake parts annually.
In addition to the furnace design, Nitreg®-C and ONC® technologies are integral to this order. This ferritic nitrocarburizing process with post-oxidation improves metal corrosion resistance and effectively reduces rust formation. It is designed to achieve lower non-effluent emissions associated with electric vehicle braking systems.
Furthermore, Nitrex will integrate QMULUS, an AI and machine learning IoT platform, to enhance the supplier’s manufacturing capabilities and drive continuous improvement throughout its operations.
"[This project] empower[s] our customers to thrive as the transition to electric vehicles and more advanced solutions accelerates,” expressed Nitrex CEO Jean-Francois Cloutier.
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A supplier of aviation and defense industry components, a NASA and Formula 1 partner has recently purchased a horizontal two-chamber furnace with oil quenching and LPC. The furnace will be used for the heat treatment of aviation parts.
SECO/WARWICK is supplying the CaseMaster Evolution® two-chamber, horizontal vacuum furnace with oil quenching consisting of a heating chamber and a quench bath equipped with a loading and unloading vestibule. The load cooling can be carried out in two different centers: dynamically in inert gas (1.5 bar abs) and in quench oil. This solution enables users to implement a variety of heat treatment and thermo-chemical processes, such as vacuum carburizing.
Noted Maciej Korecki, vice president of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK, “[This model] is one of the most frequently chosen furnaces for metalworking by the aviation industry."
The furnace can be switched on and off without additional time and energy expenditure. It does not require users to maintain the system at specific temperature parameters when at standstill, as is the case of traditional gas furnaces.
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Two new specialist technology focused businesses, Lake City Heat Treat and Stack Metallurgical Group, have been acquired by Bodycote.
Bodycote has agreed to acquire Lake City Heat Treat based in Warsaw, Indiana, a Medical market HIP and vacuum heat treatment business; and Stack Metallurgical Group based in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., a key provider of HIP, heat treatment and metal finishing services.
The businesses are complementary to the commercial heat treater’s existing operations and will both expand its geographic footprint in North America and provide additional customer reach. Comprising of two HIP and three heat treatment sites, the businesses will be integrated into Bodycote’s existing specialist technologies business and aerospace, defense and energy classical heat treatment business respectively.
Stephen Harris, Group Chief Executive of Bodycote plc, commented, “These investments are an important and exciting enabler of our strategy to further enhance and grow our Specialist Technologies businesses. In addition, they will also expand our footprint in Aerospace and Medical heat treatment on the West Coast and in Indiana in the U.S."
The heat treater also announced plans to open a new HIP plant utilizing one of their existing sites in greater Los Angeles. The capacity is intended to support the rapid growth in space and civil aviation markets in the Los Angeles area.
The combined gross consideration for the acquisitions is 119 million pounds ($145 million) on a cash and debt free basis. The net economic consideration is approximately 106 million pounds ($130 million).
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The four heat treat industry-specific economic indicators gathered by Heat TreatToday each month --- starting in June of this year --- are predicting continued growth along with some economic contraction in the month of October.
The numbers, which were compiled the first week of October, show that responding parties anticipate inquiry levels will turn the corner and be up for October as compared to September and that the value of October bookings will continue to show growth. Backlogs are anticipated to contract by a fractional amount, and the overall health of the manufacturing economy remains slightly down. Please keep in mind that this is only the 5th month of data collection, so keep following this study as this bank of information builds.
The results from this month’s survey (October) are as follows; numbers above 50 indicate growth, numbers below 50 indicate contraction, and the number 50 indicates no change:
Anticipated change in the Number of Inquiries from September to October: 51.5
Anticipated change in Value of Bookings from September to October: 56.5
Anticipated change in Backlog Size from September to October: 49.2
Anticipated change in the Health of the Manufacturing Economy from September to October: 49.0
Data for October 2023
The four index numbers are reported monthly by Heat TreatToday and made available on the website.
Heat TreatToday'sEconomic Indicatorsmeasure and report on four, heat treat industry indices. Each month, approximately 800 individuals who classify themselves as suppliers to the North American heat treat industry receive the survey. Above are the results. Data started being collected in June 2023. If you would like to participate in the monthly survey, please click here to subscribe.
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As we get further into the heart of fall, it’s time to turn up the heat (treat)! – but how can this be done in an optimized and sustainable way?
Today’s Technical Tuesday original content round-up features tips and tricks from our summer print editions on how to optimize and sustain your heat treat operations, even during the chilly months. So, bundle up, grab a hot drink, and review these insightful pieces!
Sustainability Insights Corner
In May, Heat TreatToday began publishing "Sustainability Insights" from the IHEA editorial team. Here's a brief overview of the recent insights all in one place:
June: NEW Sustainability and Carbonization Webinar Series. Although this year's IHEA Webinar series may have come and gone, it's not too late to establish a foundational understanding of carbon and sustainability here!
August: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Your Heat Treating Operations. Brian Kelly of Rockford Combustion is back with yet another suitability insight, here exploring ways to assess your heat treating operation's carbon footprint, tune your combustion systems, explore renewable fuels, and much more.
September: Process Heating and the Energy-Carbon Connection. Explore the issue of greenhouse gases and how recent conversations are affecting the heat treating industry with Michael Stowe of Advanced Energy.
In Case You Missed the May Issue: Induction and Sustainability Tips
Looking for sustainability tips for your heat treating operation, but lacking in time? Heat TreatToday's May Issue has you covered with a quick read: "13 Induction and Sustainability Tips." We'll highlight a few below which made it into a recent Technical Tuesday feature:
Sustainable Energy for Furnaces? What does the Future Hold?
What will the future run on? With growing discontent around current energy sources like natural gas and other fossil fuels, power sources for furnace equipment are due for a makeover.
Explore the question of sustainable energy for furnaces in the future with industry experts John Clarke of Helios Electric, Philippe Kerbois of Glass, various authors from Watlow, and Stuart Hakes of F.I.C. (UK) Limited.
How much electrical power is being used in the typical heat treatment plant? And how can power (and money) be saved in these operations? If these questions peak your interest, explore further with Roger A. Jones and William Jones of Solar Atmospheres.
Learn about savings in electricity and money in areas of electric motors, high vacuum diffusion pumps, gas blowers, building lighting, AC/heating, and more in this article.
A supersized cold isostatic press from an HIP supplier with North American locations will be supplied for Lingchuang Special Material Co. to domestically produce isostatic graphite.
Quintus Technologies will be supplying a press model QIC 2.4 x 4.5 - 2000 to maximize operation and output capabilities. The press itself is setting new standards along with a new energy management system that offers energy savings of more than 30 percent compared to conventional intensifier solutions.
The cold isostatic press
Source: Quintus
Noted Lingchuang's vice president, Zhongxin Zhao, "In order to ensure the stability and consistency of product quality that reaches the international level, we have adopted the most advanced technology that has been proved in production at home and abroad. . . .Our key equipment is mainly imported, and the production process has reached a high degree of automation, stability, and environmental protection."
Lingchuang's CIP will be equipped with a new, first-of-its-kind feature: a redesigned pressure vessel that is floating during pressurizing, extending the life of the guide rail system and ensuring operation over a very long period of time.
"Lingchuang is a young company with a far-ranging outlook," comments Jan Söderström, CEO of Quintus Technologies. "Its founders saw opportunity in the shortage of domestic high-end specialty graphite materials."
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Herb Sweny, a returning WWII veteran, founded Modern Industries, Inc. in 1946 with this foundational mission: Do the Right Thing and Do the Thing Right. This meant a tough, fair, and honest business practice with a focus on improvement. Today, these characteristics have led the company to become a primary source of heat treating services in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Contact us with your Reader Feedback!Flame curtain (safety feature) for atmosphere furnace.
Source: Modern Industries
To do the right thing and do the thing right, the company uses four vertically integrated divisions of manufacturing and industrial support services. The first division, heat treat, is made up of over 40 furnaces of varying type, size, and process capability. These furnaces are capable of various heat treating processes: carburizing, annealing, vacuum processing, and many more. Certifications in Nadcap, AC-7102, IATF 16949, an ITAR registration, and several zero-finding audits over the past five years aid the heat treat division in doing the thing right.
The three other divisions — machining, lab testing, and products — work with heat treat to be a one-stop-shop for certified parts. The machining division provides production manufacturing and sub-assembly. The lab testing department consists of an on-site laboratory which, through the research division, provides the ability to combine process, testing, and certification. The product department creates work and tool holding products. Herb Sweny’s tough, fair, and honest business practices are now applied to the automotive, aerospace, medical, and military industries, as well as others. A second generation family business, Modern is committed to providing certainty of outcome and demonstrating quality turn-around time. These qualities have propelled the business forward, and the company now supports customers in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada with services that were historically “local” at Erie and Kersey, PA facilities.
Loading vacuum furnace
Source: Modern Industries
For Modern Industries, the final element of doing the right thing is a continued focus on improvement. Over 75 years of business, the company has seen the evolution of heat treating capabilities and changing best practices. In the next five to 10 years, they hope to use this experience to continue to maintain adaptability and meet the evolving market requirements. Their most recent investment in this goal was the addition of the area’s largest 10 bar capable vacuum furnace. A new operating furnace control system is also advancing them towards improvement. With deep roots in the past, Modern Industries is looking steadily toward the future, doing the right thing and doing the thing right.
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