Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 18 news items.
Equipment
Saarstahl expands its production with an alternate current-electric arc furnace (AC-EAF) supplied by SMS group.
A Class A safety oven equipped with a solvent monitor and roll-in rack, meeting the stringent safety requirements of industries working with volatile materials, was recently shipped by industrial and laboratory ovens manufacturer Blue M.
A manufacturer in the defense industry has received shipment of a gas-fired walk-in batch oven from Wisconsin Oven Corporation, to be used for curing filament wound composite materials.
The Saarstahl team announces AC-EAF agreement with SMS Class A safety oven equipped to process volatile materialsGas-fired walk-in batch oven delivered to defense industry
Company & Personnel
Sean Patrick Murphy has been named product manager for laboratory and R&D furnaces at Centorr Vacuum Industries. He will be responsible for representing over 30 different vacuum furnace product lines to national laboratories, universities, and industrial sectors.
Charles (Charlie) Caldwell joins the team at Solar Atmospheres of Michigan Inc. as the quality manager for its new facility in Chesterfield.
Steel Goode Products LLC (SGP), a thermal spray specialist, has recently been acquired by Aalberts N.V., a provider of thermal spray coating and finishing services. The acquisition includes two operating facilities in Texas and one in Ohio.
The Wirco, Inc, team recently announced Chris Robbins as the new director of business development and Chad Kumfer to the position of director of sales.
Daniel Sonnenberg joins Nitrex Heat Treating Services as the new business development lead for North America. Daniel will focus on identifying and cultivating relationships with potential customers. His goal is to foster trust and drive growth by building enduring partnerships that deliver sustained value over time.
Dave Deiwart has begun a new position as president at Tracer Gas Technologies, based in Yorktown, Indiana. This follows a brief retirement after 35 years of providing leak detection and vacuum application support and training. Dave’s new focus will be on providing training and consulting.
Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, a fully owned subsidiary of Nel ASA, has been awarded a grant from the EU Innovation Fund of up to EUR 135 million (over $145.4M USD) for industrialization of its next-generation pressurized alkaline technology. The technology is currently being prototyped, and the potential industrialization is planned at Herøya, Norway.
OTTO JUNKER GmbH, system providers for metallurgic processes and metal refinement, recently announced that the new business division OTTO JUNKER Solutions, which was established in late 2023, will be further expanded. The company’s focus will be on the development and implementation of green technologies. The new division is headed by R&D expert Tobias Mertens.
Sean Patrick Murphy Product Manager of Laboratory and R&D Furnaces Centorr Vacuum IndustriesCharles (Charlie) Caldwell Quality Manager – Chesterfield Solar Atmospheres of Michigan Inc.Chris Robbins Director of Business Development Wirco, Inc.Chad Kumfer Director of Sales Wirco, Inc.Daniel Sonnenberg Business Development Lead – America Nitrex Heat Treating ServicesTobias Mertens General Manager OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS GmbH
Kudos
Constellium SE has received the Supplier of the Year Award from Stellantis, recognized for its overall best-in-class performance as a long-time partner.
Gary Sharp, founder of Advanced Heat Treat Corp, has been honored with the Legends of Manufacturing Award at the Iowa Manufacturing Conference.
Global Thermal Systems (GTS) Mexico’s pyrometry laboratories recently completed the reaccreditation process in the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
Rex Heat Treat has achieved its fourth consecutive merit-status Nadcap certification under the leadership of Conner Popo, quality assurance manager, and Vindon Griffin, technical services manager.
Aalberts surface technologies Dzierżoniów recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Through acquisition and expansion, the company has grown from 16 employees in 2014 to a current team of over 90 employees, serving the automotive, aerospace, power, fasteners, agriculture, and mining sectors.
The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) recently celebrated its 2024 YES Management Training Program graduates at the final reception of Furnaces North America (FNA) 2024.
Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co. received the 2024 Master Craftsman Award, also known as the Heat Treater of the Year Award, at the Metal Treating Institute’s Final Night Dinner & Awards Ceremony following FNA 2024. The award was announced by Doug Glenn, publisher of Heat TreatToday along with a scholarship check for the heat treater to bestow upon a deserving young student going into heat treat.
Ingrid Joerg, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Constellium, and Maxime Picat, Chief Global Purchasing & Supply Chain Officer, Greater Paris Metropolitan Region, at StellantisGary Sharp, founder of Advanced Heat Treat Corp, honored with the Legends of Manufacturing Award The Global Thermal Systems (GTS) Mexico’s pyrometry laboratories team completes ISO/IEC 17025 standard reaccreditation process
Listen as Jeff Rafter, vice president of sales and marketing at Selas Heat Technology and current IHEA president, discusses the upcoming IHEA Decarbonization SUMIMIT with Doug Glenn. Scheduled for October 28-30 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the summit will address the challenges and opportunities of decarbonization for manufacturers. Jeff highlights IHEA’s nearly 100-year history in industry education. The event will feature keynote speakers from the DOE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and John Deere, with a mix of technical and business content aiming to provide practical strategies for energy management and sustainability. Learn more in this episode of Heat TreatRadio, and learn more about this episode sponsor, IHEA, and their event at summit.ihea.org.
Below, you can watch the video, listen to the podcast by clicking on the audio play button, or read an edited transcript.
The following transcript has been edited for your reading enjoyment.
The IHEA Decarbonization Summit (01:03)
Doug Glenn: Jeff, when and where is the summit? And what was the driving force behind deciding to do this event?
Jeff Rafter: The IHEA Decarbonization SUMMIT will be at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana, beginning on Monday, October 28, and ending Wednesday, October 30.
The drive to create this event arose because the IHEA membership had often commented on, and lamented, the frequent inquiries they get from the client base across all sectors of manufacturing; clients are looking for clarification on the ongoing changes of the U.S. energy infrastructure and, specifically, how to manage the requirement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
There is a lot that is changing quickly in the U.S. energy infrastructure around renewables, electrification, and low carbon fuels. he IHEA board felt that it was essential to assist manufacturing members by trying to clarify these topics in an interesting event that presented the information objectively and provided a diverse array of all the decarbonization pathways available to manufacturers today.
IHEA’s Qualifications (02:36)
Doug Glenn: For those who might not know what IHEA is, what makes it uniquely qualified to present such a summit?
Jeff Rafter: I am proud to say that IHEA is a very unique organization. Many trade organizations do not have the long-standing success in supporting members that this organization has. The composition of IHEA, which is close to 100 years old, was originally made up of heating appliance and heating component manufacturers, who have spent most of our history focused on industry education as a service to all the member companies.
We felt that this was the perfect organization to take up the topic of sustainability and decarbonization because we are education focused. From that background and that bias, we are leveraging thousands of years of experience over a broad array of manufacturing options from traditional fossil fuels through electrification. Our member companies provide a very strong basis to deliver real-world examples of how to deal with reducing CO2 emissions.
Doug Glenn: And if I am remembering correctly, IHEA actually has a standing history of cooperation and working with the DOE on different things in the past, correct?
Jeff Rafter: Very good point, Doug. If you look back in history, before “CO2 reduction” and “decarbonization” became buzzwords, we spent a lot of similar efforts working with government organizations, research laboratories, and third-party organizations around topics of NOx reduction and trying to create a cleaner basis of industrial, manufacturing, and energy. In addition, we have always spent our time helping with business concerns regarding efficiency, not only operating successfully heating processes and appliances, but also making manufacturing more cost effective.
Keynote Speakers (04:44)
Doug Glenn: And speaking of the DOE, I see that there are some pretty high-profile speakers coming. The keynote speaker is Dr. Avi Shultz, from the U.S. DOE, and he is on the Industrial Decarbonization Initiative. Other speakers include Paulomi Nandy from Oak Ridge National Lab, Jeff Kaman from John Deere, and Tim Hill from Nucor. Can you give us a sense of what these folks will be talking about?
Dr. Avi Shultz Director U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) The Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office (IEDO)Paulomi Nandy Technical Account Manager, R&D Assistant Staff Member Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research Analysis Group (MEERA) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)Jeff Kaman Manager, Energy Supply and Sustainability John DeereTim Hill General Manager Sustainability Solutions NucorSpeakers at the IHEA Decarburization Summit
Jeff Rafter: Doug, we are very excited to have the diverse mix of speakers that will make up the summit presentations. With Dr. Schultz and Miss Nandy, we are very excited to be providing a third-party opinion — government organizations and research laboratories — and they will be presenting on their views of the trends for the future of sustainability and decarbonization.
When we move to some of the other presenters like Tim Hill from Nucor and Mr. Kaman from John Deere, we also wanted members and attendees to take away from the summit real-world experience. These are not imagined or planned changes. We wanted companies that had actual experience with decarbonization — who had even taken actions towards net-zero positions — to share with attendees exactly how they approached the challenges.
Because, of course, some of the issues around sustainability are that it comes at a cost.
And how do you fund that? How do you research that? Where do you look for grants, and how do you make the business case towards decarbonization or any sustainability action for that matter?
Finally, adding to those two bodies of participants, we have a number of presenters speaking about real-world solutions today. IHEA’s view on decarbonization and sustainability is that there is a very broad set of pathways that you can take today with inexpensive, readily available technologies all the way out to longer term solutions like full electrification of processes.
There is more than one way to approach this challenge and do the responsible thing in manufacturing, which is to address our CO2 production globally.
Is Electrification the Only Answer? (07:25)
Doug Glenn: You mentioned electrification. When people hear decarbonization or sustainability, they often think electrification. There may be a lot of people listening saying, “I am primarily combustion. Should I be going?” Are only electrification solutions going to be presented? Or are combustion solutions going to be presented as well to help with the decarbonization?
Jeff Rafter: The answer to that question is, “Yes, you should be going, regardless of whether your focus and your background is in traditional fossil fuel combustion or electrification.”
The summit will contain a very balanced approach of different technologies, presented with no bias. The goal of this summit is providing education to help business leaders make better decisions around their energy management and their environmental concerns.
With that said, when we look at the body of what is available in the agenda, electrification is an important topic. But as a lot of people recognize, some portions of electrification are just relocating to a different fossil fuel further away from the point of use whilst other electrification options linked to renewable energy sources truly can come close to net-zero production of CO2.
IHEA’s view is that there are many sustainability pathways that we can all investigate or pursue.
Some pathways maintain fossil fuel basis. Some industrial processes will be challenged to move to an electric heating source. And then for other processes, electrification is the cat’s meow. So it is that broad sweep of diverse technologies that everyone needs to be educated on to make better decisions when the time comes.
Who Should Attend the Summit? (09:21)
Doug Glenn: How technical will the summit be; do I need to know heavy engineering, metallurgy, and things of that sort? And who should come?
Jeff Rafter: Traditionally, a lot of IHEA’s educational content has been directed at a technical audience; it was technical education about how various energy sources and heating appliances work, how to comply to code, and how to approach the application of that equipment safely. In this particular summit, we have changed course a bit in that we did not want this event to be a technical conference.
The idea of this summit was to make it a business conference because that is where most of the challenges exist when we look at sustainability efforts.
The content that will be presented is a pleasant mix of some technical topics because we have to get a rudimentary understanding of how these different technologies work. However, we are spending just as much time in the presentations addressing business concerns: How do you fund these various actions? Where can you find available grants? What are real-world examples of how other companies have approached sustainability or have begun an initiative internally? How do you get the support and the decision-making decided while moving in the right direction? When you look at the agenda that will be posted on the IHEA website, you will see that the topics range broadly from some technology presentations to real-world business concerns and how to make those business decisions.
Agenda for IHEA Decarburization Summitt, Monday – Wednesday, October 28-30, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana
Doug Glenn: How much fun have you had putting this summit together?
Jeff Rafter: I would happily report it has been a tremendous team effort.
I am very proud to say that a lot of IHEA member companies and third parties have stepped up to help us construct this event. We are really looking forward to it being a valuable event that provides a lot of information and important takeaways for participants.
Doug Glenn: I know you have put a lot of work into it. I have watched you do this over the last year and a half, and you have done a great job coordinating it.
Closing Remarks (12:34)
Jeff Rafter: I would just like to say in closing, for anyone who is thinking about coming to the IHEA Decarbonization Summit, please do. This is a very important topic for manufacturers, and you really need to take the approach of not waiting. It is time to get in front of changes in our energy infrastructure and the need to decarbonize some manufacturing processes. This is a great way to get educated and start your plan.
Doug Glenn: And I did remember one other motivation: If you are looking to stay at the hotel where the summit is held, the cutoff date for the hotel (you can still get into the summit even if you do not hit this cutoff date) is October 7th. So anyhow, appreciate it. Jeff, thanks very much for your time.
About The Guest
Jeff Rafter Vice President of Sales and Marketing Selas Heat Technology Company, LLC Source: Selas Heat Technology
Jeff Rafter is vice president of sales and marketing for Selas Heat Technology in Streetsboro, Ohio, and has a rich history in the combustion industry, including Maxon Corporation. Jeff has 31 years of industrial experience in sales, research and development, and marketing; combustion application expertise in process heating, metals, refining, and power generation; and 13 years of service on NFPA 86 committee. He holds patents for ultra-low NOx burner design. Additionally, his company, Selas, is an IHEA member, and Jeff is the current president of IHEA as well as one of the driving forces/coordinators behind the upcoming Decarbonization Summit at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, October 28-30.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 18 news items.
Equipment
A Canadian automotive components manufacturer recently expanded its operations with an electrically heated small batch oven to be used for curing arts. The small batch oven was manufactured by Wisconsin Oven, designed to utilize combination airflow to maximum heating rates of 650°F and temperature uniformity.
With the successful conversion to a four-stand finishing mill, Henan Yirui New Materials Technology Co, Ltd, officially began production. SMS Group converted an existing hot rolling mill into a tandem finishing mill by adding three new finishing mill stands, developed for refurbishing and integrating components.
KALLER, a manufacturer of gas springs and gas hydraulic systems based in Sweden, recently launched its fully automated line of hardening furnaces for surface coatings on gas springs. The hardening systems were supplied by Ipsen International.
Electrically heated small batch oven to be used for curing arts at Canadian automotive components manufacturer. Source: Wisconsin OvenFully automated line of hardening furnaces installed at Kaller Source: LinkedInFAC Signing Ceremony L-R: Rüdiger Roger Wiechmann, Project Manager at SMS group, with Zheng Guoqiang, Project Manager at Henan Mingtai Aluminium). Source: SMS Group
Company & Personnel
Steve Fuller has joined the team at Nitrex HTS as the new plant general manager at their Michigan location. He brings 45 years of experience in commercial heat treating, machine tool manufacturing, fabrication, quality management, and more.
Bobby Boom, Tim Litchauer, and Wade Sholmire, have been added to the Superheat team as business development managers. Wade is the new National BDM, Tim will oversee the Greater Houston Area, and Bobby will manage the Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas regions.
Chris Martin has been promoted to regional sales manager for the Southeast by Ipsen. Chris will be responsible for leading a team of seven that includes six field service engineers and one service administrator.
Adam Woelber has been promoted to manager of aftermarket parts and service at AFC-Holcroft.
Ethan Castle has been appointed the St. Louis plant manager for Paulo Heat Treating, Brazing, and Metal Finishing, recognized for his leadership, technical capability, and mentoring role, in addition to representing the company within the North American Diecasting Association and National Tooling and Machining Association. Ethan has also been named to Heat TreatToday‘s 40 Under 40 Class of 2024.
Gary Doyon has stepped down from his role as CEO of Inductotherm Group, after 15 years in the position and 38 years with the company. Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu have taken as co‐leaders at the company, which provides thermal processing technologies. Mr. Doyon will remain actively involved with the company, assisting with specific operational needs of other businesses owned by the Rowan family and pursuing new business avenues and opportunities for the Inductotherm Group.
Ipsen USA has launched its Field Service Engineer Academy, designed to be a 20-week in-depth program with classroom training and experience in the field with veteran service technicians. Darci Johnson, program and transformation manager at the company, is leading the implementation of the FSE Academy. Content will focus on the fundamentals of vacuum furnace repair.
Industrial furnace equipment manufacturer Gasbarre welcomed Dan Hill as product development manager; he will be based at the company’s Livonia, Michigan, facility. A licensed professional engineer, Dan brings a diverse background in capital equipment, spanning material handling, control systems, boilers and furnaces, combustion systems, and industrial washing/deburring equipment.
The U.S. Navy recently selected StandardAero to serve as its engine depot-level repair prime contractor to perform Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A engine MRO services, supporting the Navy’s fleet of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The aerospace aftermarket service supplier has also announced that Turkish and European Boeing 737 Operator Corendon Airlines has extended its contract for the support of CFM LEAP-18 engines.
Ipsen USA recently announced the formal launch of its Service HUBmodel, marking a significant shift in how the company delivers customer service and support across the United States. The program has been under the direction of Geoffrey Somary, the company’s global CEO. Currently being led by John Dykstra, chief service officer, the HUBs now provide services across a large portion of the Midwest and Southeastern United States. Lu Chouraki, manager of business development, is leading the implementation of the HUBs.
Steve Fuller Plant General Manager Nitrex HTS Source: Nitrex Wade Sholmire National Business Development Manager Superheat Source: SuperheatTim Litchauer Business Development Manager for the Greater Houston Area Superheat Source: SuperheatBobby Boom Business Development Manager for Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas Superheat Source: Superheat
Chris Martin Regional Service Manager for the Southeast Ipsen Source: IpsenAdam Woelber Manager of Aftermarket Parts and Service AFC-Holcroft Source: AFC-HolcroftEthan Castle St Louis Plant Manager
Source: PauloGary Doyon Retiring CEO Inductotherm Group Source: Inductotherm Group The launch of Ipsen USA’s Field Service Engineer Academy Source: Ipsen USADan Hill Product Development Manager Gasbarre Source: Gasbarre
Kudos
James Wellborn, gas nitride manager at Advanced Heat Treat Corp, celebrates 25 years with the company.
Patricia Miller, director of technical services at Uddeholm, has been named the Technical Committee Member of the Year by North American Die Casting Association (NADCA).
Denise Blaubach, who is known as the resident flow meter assembly expert at UPC-Marathon in Wisconsin, recently celebrated 35 years with the company.
Constellium today announced it has achieved Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard Certification for all its operations, and for its corporate office in Paris.
Sinosteel E&T and Tenova have successfully completed the performance test for the ENERGIRON DRI Plant at the Baosteel Zhanjiang site in China. The sustainable hydrogen-based 1,000,000 tonnes/year ENERGIRON Direct Reduction (DR) plant demonstrated the nominal production of DRI, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and marking a significant step in the green steel industry.
James Wellborn Gas Nitride Manager Advanced Heat Treat Corp Source: Advanced Heat Treat Corporation Patricia Miller Director of Technical Services Uddeholm Source: UddeholmDenise Blaubach celebrates 35 years at UPC-Marathon Source: UPC-MarathonENERGIRON DRI Plant at the Baosteel Zhanjiang site in China where Sinosteel E&T and Tenova complete performance test Source: Tenova
Inductotherm Group, which provides thermal processing technologies, has announced a significant leadership transition as part of a planned succession strategy of the company. After 15 years as CEO and 38 years with the company, Gary Doyon has stepped down from his role as CEO, effective July 1, 2024, coinciding with Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu taking over as co‐leaders.
Although he is stepping down as CEO, Mr. Doyon will remain actively involved with the company. He will continue to serve as the only non family member on the parent company Board, assisting with specific operational needs of other businesses owned by the Rowan family and pursuing new business avenues and opportunities for the Inductotherm Group.
Gary Doyon retiring CEO Inductotherm Group
“We greatly appreciate and thank Gary Doyon for his exceptional leadership over the past 15 years,” said Virginia Rowan Smith, chairman of Inductotherm Group. “As we move forward with our succession plans, we are confident that the new leadership will continue to uphold the high standards and legacy that Gary has established.
“We are pleased to announce that Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu have been selected to be co‐leaders,” added Ms. Smith. “This management strategy fits perfectly with the fact that our business is large, growing fast, and becoming wider in product technologies around the world. Mick and Satyen have come up with strong business plans that meet our family’s goal of maintaining a stable, customer‐focused, and technology‐centric business. We have an exciting future ahead of us.”
The unique co-leadership arrangement of Mick Nallen and Satyen Prabhu is designed to leverage their complementary strengths and experiences. In their new roles, they will focus on thought leadership, market comprehension, and a deep understanding of the thermal processing industry’s various sectors. with a goal to preserve the core values and vision of the company’s founder, Henry Rowan.
Under Doyon’s tenure as CEO, Inductotherm Group, which offers advanced technology for the engineering, manufacturing and service of thermal processing equipment used in the melting, heating, heat treating, forging, galvanizing, coating, cutting and welding of metals, has diversified its product offerings. In addition, the company has expanded its global footprint, bringing together 40 companies with 38 manufacturing facilities located in 19 countries under the brands Inductotherm, Inductoheat, Thermatool, Radyne, Consarc, and others.
The press release is available in its original form here.
The heat treating industry is under pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), and the response has been a noble effort to attain sustainability. In two previous articles in this continuing series, guest columnist Michael Mouilleseaux, general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd., discussed the U.S. Department of Energy’s initiative related to the decarbonization of industry and its potential impact on the heat treating industry.
The endeavor to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), albeit noble in intent, begs the question: Why is the heat treating industry being asked to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions?
Some background:
The United States’ GHGE account for approximately 14% of the total worldwide emissions.
According to the U.S. DOE, U.S. industry accounts for approximately 23% of the total U.S. GHGE.
According to the U.S. DOE, “process heating” accounts for approximately 43% of the total GHGE generated by U.S. industry.
According to the U.S. DOE, heat treating accounts for approximately 2.8% of the GHGE they have attributed to process heating.
In sum, heat treating accounts for 0.3% of the total U.S. GHGE (23% x 43% x 2.8%), and 0.04% of the worldwide GHGE (14% x 23% x 43% x 2.8%).
Why is the Department of Energy imposing natural gas restrictions on an industry that they have calculated to be responsible for 0.3% of the country’s total emissions?
Second, this administration has spent something between several hundred billion and a trillion U.S. dollars to incentivize power, transportation, and industrial sectors in their effort to stem global warming. Years from now, we will look back at this as one of the greatest capital reallocations in our history. If we can accept that the “past is a prologue,” we have a storied history of government failures to determine the future of the agricultural, aircraft, and financial sectors. This is already happening in Western Europe: Power is substantially more expensive, and industrial output has dropped nearly 6% for the past two years — the European Investment bank attributes the reduction in industrial output to “elevated energy costs.”
Perhaps it’s time for us to take notice and slow down this effort until such a time that we have the technology in place to accomplish decarbonization without eviscerating our industrial, transportation, and power industries. A greatly overused term today is “existential threat” — but our livelihood, our national security, and our way of life are, in fact, on the line.
Attend the SUMMIT to find out more about the DOE’s actions for the heat treat industry.
On www.heattreattoday.com/factsheetDOE, you can utilize the one-page resource to let governmental officials know what our industry is, who we are, who we employ, and the effect this effort has in regulating us out of business.
I want to thank Surface Combustion, Gasbarre, and Super Systems Inc. for the guidance they provided me with in navigating the technology of this subject matter.
Any errors contained herein are mine and mine alone.
About the Author:
Michael Mouilleseaux General Manager at Erie Steel, Ltd. Sourced from the author
Michael Mouilleseaux is general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd. He has been at Erie Steel in Toledo, OH since 2006 with previous metallurgical experience at New Process Gear in Syracuse, NY, and as the director of Technology in Marketing at FPM Heat Treating LLC in Elk Grove, IL. Michael attended the stakeholder meetings at the May 2023 symposium hosted by the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 10 news items.
Equipment
Premier Furnace Specialists received orders for nine pieces of heat treating equipment to be delivered to a range of manufacturing operations, all of which are currently in various stages of completion and testing or delivery and installation.
A manufacturer in the composites industry recently received shipment of a cabinet oven from Gruenberg, an industrial oven and sterilizer manufacturer. The furnace will be used for curing composite parts under a vacuum.
A second nitriding system was installed by Nitrex to increase capacity at Balexco, an aluminum extrusion company in Bahrain focusing on increasing production capacity.
Nine furnaces in various stages of completion and testing on the floor at Premier Furnace SpecialistsGruenberg cabinet oven shipped to composites manufacturerNitrex nitriding system installed at Balexco
Company & Personnel
Greg Miller National Business Manager Superheat
Cognizant, a professional services company that helps clients modernize technology, announced intent to acquire Belcan, a global supplier of digital engineering services for multiple industries, including aerospace, defense, and automotive.
Greg Miller has joined Superheat as national business development manager for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Greg will continue to work from his base in Lanarkshire, Scotland, bringing experience in manufacturing and preventative maintenance, with a foundation in induction heating.
Kudos
On July 2, 2024, David Lynch celebrated 40 years with Induction Tooling, Inc. This milestone was accomplished by his commitment to excellence and consistent hard-work and dedication.
Superheat, an on-site heat treatment service provider based in New Lenos, IL, recently received two Industrial Safety Training Council (ISTC) Safety Achievement Awards: one for achieving three consecutive years with zero recordable injuries and another for celebrating five years without an OSHA lost workday case. Bret Cadenhead, regional HSE manager at Superheat, represented the company at the awards event in Beaumont, Texas.
StandardAero celebrates 60 years of providing service to Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A turboprop across four overhaul locations worldwide. In 1964, Dallas Airmotive (acquired by the company in 2021) became the first independent MRO provider to enter into a turboprop agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Centorr Vacuum Industries celebrates its 70th year in business in the vacuum furnace industry. The company was founded in Somerville, MA, as Vacuum Industries in 1954, and Centorr Furnace Company in 1962 in Suncook. NH. The two companies merged in 1989 in their current facilities in Nashua, NH.
Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group, celebrates five years in the position, managing all three brands: SECO/WARWICK, Retech, and SECO/VACUUM.
StandardAero’s engine overhaul center in San Antonio, TX, has completed correlation of its first test cell for the CFM International LEAP-1B turbofan engine, as part of its introduction of LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
Bill Stuehr (L), president & CEO of Induction Tooling, Inc., congratulates David Lynch (R) on 40 years with the companyBret Cadenhead, Superheat (R), receives ISTC Safety Achievement AwardSławomir Woźniak President & CEO SECO/WARWICK GroupCentorr Vacuum Industries, Nashua, NH, location
Toyota Material Handling is investing nearly $100M for a new 295,000-square-foot facility at its Columbus, Indiana, headquarters, adding 85 manufacturing jobs by June 2026. The project will house Toyota’s manufacturing processes, which include the production of electric forklifts and material handling products.
“We are excited about this significant strategic expansion to our Columbus campus,” said Tony Miller, senior vice president of Engineering, Operations & Strategic Planning at Toyota Material Handling, at a recent groundbreaking ceremony. “Electric products are more popular than ever, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep up with increased demand.”
“Electric forklifts make up 65% of the North American market and this trend towards electrification in the material handling industry will continue to grow,” said Brett Wood, president & CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America and senior executive officer for Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO). “This investment is one of the largest in our history and signifies TICO’s commitment to the North American market, the state of Indiana, the city of Columbus, and most importantly, our dealers and our customers.”
Photo Pictured L to R: Brett Wood, Toyota Material Handling North America President & CEO; Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana; Bill Finerty, Toyota Material Handling President & CEO; Tony Miller, Toyota Material Handling Senior Vice President of Engineering, Operations & Strategic Planning
The press release is available in its original form here.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 21 news items.
Equipment
Tata Steel Meramandali, based in Odisha, India, placed an order with SMS group for the implementation of Paul Wurth coke oven gas injection technology at their Blast Furnace (BF) #1. This order is the first of its kind in India, setting a precedent for the industry’s move towards sustainable steel production. The project is expected to be commissioned by Q1 2026 and will be completed within 25 months.
Sousa Corp., based in Newington, CT, installed its second Ipsen Turbo²Treater vacuum furnace to its production line, expanding its capacity to meet demand for heat treating services to the aerospace, automotive, medical, and general manufacturing industries.
A Chinese partner has purchased a two-chamber VIM 50 kg induction furnace from SECO/WARWICK for casting gas turbine blades. The furnace will produce gas turbine blade castings in an equiaxed structure and has already obtained an export license.
The modernization of a blast furnace at Salzgitter Flachstahl AG has been completed by SMS group. The new Paul Wurth parallel hopper Bell Less Top® (BLT) installed offers enhanced efficiency with less maintenance.
Edwards AFB in California received delivery of a composition oven from DELTA H®/Phillips Federal. The equipment will be used for advanced materials applications R&D. The heat treat furnace supplier initially designed and engineered the walk-in oven using SolidWorks 3D modeling and developed the project as a “kit oven” for easy field assembly. After preassembly of key subsystems at their Carroll, OH facility, the system was shipped to Edwards AFB. The entire field assembly project required two weeks including commissioning and extensive training of USAF personnel.
Tata Steel Nederland selected Tenova to develop a new state-of-the-art steel production line in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The overall contract will include engineering, supply, and advisory services for a three million tons electric arc furnace to meet current operational specifications (high-quality steel for the automotive sector).
Cavendish Hydrogen ASA, a subsidiary of Nel ASA,has received a purchase order from Alperia Greenpower SRL for hydrogen fueling equipment to be used for light- and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles in Bruneck, South Tyrol, Italy. This will be Nel’s first H2Station™ installation in Italy, built for the 2026 Winter Olympics to fuel vehicles for the transfer between the Olympic sports facilities.
Newly installed material hoppers at Salzgitter Flachstahl AGCoke oven gas compressing station previously installed at HKM, GermanyDELTA H®/Phillips Federal providing composite oven for Edwards AFBLeft to right: Paolo Stagnoli (Tenova), Hans van den Berg (CEO Tata Steel Nederland), Jeroen Klumper (Tata Steel Nederland), and Nico Bleijendaal (Danieli)
Company & Personnel
StandardAero has appointed Kim Ernzen to serve as chief operating officer. In this role, Ernzen reports directly to Russell Ford, StandardAero chairman and CEO, and is responsible for global operational performance, efficiency, and excellence, as well as engineering and supply chain management for StandardAero. Additionally, StandardAero’s Engine Services and Component Repair Services division presidents will report directly to Ernzen, who will maintain close oversight of the company’s overall business performance. She replaces Kerry O’Sullivan, who is retiring from StandardAero, and will be located at the company’s Scottsdale, Arizona, headquarters office.
Steelhead Technologies launched Steelhead University, an online learning platform designed to expedite user training and streamline software implementation. The comprehensive curriculum of eight core administrative courses equips users with fundamental knowledge essential for navigating the intricacies of the company’s software.
Solar Atmospheres’ newest acquisition, Solar Atmospheres of San Diego, has announced the addition of Chris Constable as their new vice president of operations. Chris has nearly 25 years of heat treating experience that includes quality, operations, management, plant safety, business development, and sales.
Ipsen USA welcomes Max Stormo as the new Ipsen customer service (ICS) operations manager as the company streamlines its aftermarket services in Souderton, PA. Stormo comes to Ipsen after an extensive career working as a manufacturing operations leader in Texas, and a recent role as vice president of operations at a manufacturer in the Philadelphia region.
Solar Manufacturing, Inc., announced the hiring of Nicholas Max, BSME Drexel University, as its chief mechanical engineer to head up its vacuum furnace mechanical design group. Nick is also pursuing an MBA at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. He will be tasked to lead the further development of energy efficient hot zones, vacuum vessels, high pressure gas quenching systems, and vacuum pumping systems.
Ipsen USA has confirmed its commitment to the growth of the Ipsen Customer Service (ICS) Parts Department by expanding staff and implementing strategic initiatives. Christina Connelly, parts manager for Ipsen in Cherry Valley, joined the team in 2022, and has since hired six additional employees. Connelly and her veteran team members and new hires are focused on reducing turnaround time and increasing customer responsiveness.
Swiss Steel Group announced its participation in a renewable energy consortium, the “Initiative EE-Industrie.” This initiative, consisting of 19 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany, aims to build, operate and utilize wind and photovoltaic plants for self-supply with green electricity.
Kanthal and Danieli have announced a partnership to jointly scale up Kanthal’s demonstrated electric process gas direct-heating solution, Prothal® DH, to full industrial scale. With the installation in Energiron hydrogen-ready DRI plants, fully green DRI production will be achieved. Additionally, the introduction of Prothal® DH technology in blast furnace operation will reduce CO2 emissions in ironmaking.
Kim Ernzen, Chief Operating Officer at StandardAero Screenshot of Steelhead University knowledge check on adjusting powder coat recipesChris Constable, Vice President of Operations, Solar Atmospheres of San DiegoMax Stormo, Customer Service Operations Manager, Ipsen USANicholas Max, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Solar Manufacturing, Inc.Dilip Chandrasekaran, Global Business Development Manager at Kanthal (L) and Marco Lapasin, Vice President Danieli Engineering Centro Metallics
Kudos
Ipsen Global has received the German Innovation Award for the Atlas Green furnace platform, presented by The German Design Council. The award ceremony was held in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 14, celebrating the innovators that emerged from a field of 520 submissions from across 23 countries.
Industrial Steel Treating Co. was named the Manufacturer of the Year by the Jackson Area (MI) Manufacturers Association. Accepting on behalf of IST was Tim Levy, current President of IST. Members of the Levy family in attendance included current VP, Tom Levy, and former IST President, Bernard Levy. Bernard was the 2nd generation Levy family owner and spent his entire 50-year career at IST before retiring and passing the reins to his three sons in 1998.
Bluestreak Compliance™, a division of Bluestreak | Bright AM™, received approval as a Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO) by the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Accreditation Body (Cyber-AB). This significant achievement enables Bluestreak Compliance™ to offer expert consulting services to defense contractors and suppliers aiming to comply with CMMC cybersecurity standards and prepare for their Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) audits.
IHEA has announced Dr. Avi Shultz as keynote at the first Industrial Heating Decarbonization SUMMIT. Dr. Shultz, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO), will provide the keynote address at its first summit, to be held October 28-20 at the Conrad Indianapolis.
Swiss Steel Group has launched a new website which focuses on customer needs, including a Product Finder that generates automated product suggestions based on customer requirements and specifications, and detailed information about green initiatives and sustainability as well as special requirements for steel grades for specific applications.
IHEA recently announced its 2024–25 Board of Directors and Executive Officers. Taking over as President is Jeff Rafter of Selas Heat Technology Co. LLC; Vice-President is Gary Berwick of Dry Coolers, Inc.; and Treasurer is Jason Safarz of Karl Dungs, Inc. Brian Kelly of Honeywell Thermal Solutions assumes the Past President position. Finalizing the lineup of IHEA’s Board of Directors for 2024-2025, the following members continue their tenure: Scott Bishop, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Bob Fincken, Super Systems, Inc.; Ben Gasbarre, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems; Doug Glenn, Heat Treat Today; John Podach, Fostoria Infrared; John Stanley, Karl Dungs, Inc.; Michael Stowe, Advanced Energy; Helen Tuttle, WS Thermal Process Technology Inc.; and Jeff Valuck, Surface Combustion, Inc.
Dr. Bora Ozkan-Paul van Doesburg (L) and Lutz Dietzold (R) with their German Innovation AwardTim Levy (L) and Bernard Levy (R)Dr. Avi Schultz, keynote speaker at IHEA’s Industrial Heating Decarbonization SUMMITThe 2024-25 IHEA Board of Directors: Back row, left to right; John Stanley, Bob Fincken, Gary Berwick, Brian Kelly, Scott Bishop, Doug Glenn, and Jeff Rafter. Front row, left to right; Jeff Valuck, Ben Gasbarre, Helen Tuttle, IHEA Executive Vice President Anne Goyer, Jason Safarz, and John Podach. Not pictured: Michael Stowe
As heat treaters strive for a sustainable future, pressure mounts to make the right choices while running commercially viable operations. In this Technical Tuesday installment of a continuing series, guest columnist Michael Mouilleseaux, general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd., explores the potential ramifications of the DOE effort for industrial decarbonization in the heat treating industry. The first installment, “US DOE Strategy Affects Heat Treaters”, appeared on April 10, 2024, in Heat Treat Today, as well as in Heat Treat Today’s March 2024 Aerospace print edition.
This informative piece was first released inHeat Treat Today’s May 2024 Sustainability Heat Treat print edition.
As regulatory agencies set industrial decarbonization goals aimed at achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) by 2050, heat treaters should prepare for action. But where do heat treatment technologies stand today, and what is the path going forward?
Background
President Biden’s 2021 executive order calling for a “clean energy economy” led the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop “The Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap,” a strategic plan for reducing industrial emissions. The plan identified five sectors — chemical, petroleum, iron and steel, cement, and food and beverage production — as targets for mitigation efforts. According to “The Roadmap,” process heating operations within these five industries represent the greatest opportunity to apply what were established as four pillar technologies:
Energy efficiency
Low carbon fuels, feedstocks, and energy sources (LCFFES)
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)
Industrial electrification using green electricity
In May 2023, heat treating was specifically named as a target process for reducing GHGE during the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s Low Carbon Process Heating Forum.
A Closer Look at the Technology Pillars
To determine the path forward, it’s important to understand where heat treatment technology stands today regarding the four pillars.
Energy Efficiency: Among energy efficiency opportunities are furnace insulation, controls, and burner design. According to furnace and controls manufacturers that I have spoken with, advancements in insulation and heating system controls offer less than a 20% opportunity in efficiency improvement over
LCFFES: In the U.S., the primary hydrocarbon fuel for heat treating is natural gas, which has an average (commodity) cost of $2.57/MMBTU. Hydrogen has been endorsed as the preferred replacement. Hydrogen manufacturing and distribution issues aside, hydrogen has a 2023 (commodity) cost ranging from $14.00 to $40.00 per MMBTU, and a carbon footprint of 30–130% that of natural gas. “Green hydrogen” is “under development.”
CCUS: Carbon capture, utilization, and storage is currently relegated to natural gas production operations where the captured CO2 is injected into existing wells to “enhance” production. Although the DOE suggests development of advanced CO2 capture technologies are still underway, a 2023 Congressional Budget Office report states there are “fifteen CCS facilities . . . operating in the United States . . . [with] an additional 121 . . . in development.” It is fair to state there are no CCS (carbon capture and storage) facilities currently operating on the scale of a heat treating operation.
Electrification: For electrification to be impactful, electricity must be generated via green sources. Currently, 40% of the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from natural gas, 20% from coal, 19% from nuclear, 10% from wind, and 3% from solar. It is my opinion that, regardless of the incentives federal and state governments offer wind and solar energy operations, they will not reach the scale — and most certainly not the reliability — necessary to achieve the stated 2035 GHGE goals.
Cost also must be considered. The average U.S. cost for electricity was $0.086/KWH in 2023. In California, however, the cost for electricity generated with 40% renewables was $0.1819/KWH. In Germany, it was $0.289/KWH with 55% renewables. To put this into perspective, today the differential in (industrial) electricity (commodity) costs demonstrably increase as the percentage of that electricity is generated by “green” sources. To think that this trend is going to be reversed by federal mandate is paradoxical.
A Realistic Look at the “Road Map”
While industrial decarbonization targets called for an 85% reduction in GHGE by 2023 and net zero by 2050, the goals seem unreachable using currently available technology. Replacing natural gas with hydrogen will result in significant cost increases as the commodity is 5–15 times more expensive, the equipment will require retrofitting to accommodate hydrogen, and the national infrastructure will need to be modified for hydrogen.
Electrification of existing gas-fired processes will result in a cost increase of four times, according to DOE estimates; however, based on today’s cost trends, 7–9 times higher is more likely. Additionally, the cost of converting equipment to electric operation must be considered. Mitigation efforts suggested by the DOE include improvements in efficiency that rely on yet-to-be-developed technologies and cost reductions in electricity facilitated by the wholesale use of renewable energy.
Overall, decarbonization efforts are noble. The timeframe and methodology, however, are unrealistic as they are based on the use of still-conceptual technologies.
What Can Heat Treaters Do?
Following the lead of the automotive industry may be key. This sector reacted to the government mandates for GHGE reductions by going all in for electrification — with projections of 50% electric vehicles by 2030. A funny thing happened; these vehicles were not wholly accepted by the American public. The auto industry, led by the dealers, with the support of the UAW, and the car manufacturers petitioned their U.S. Representatives to “pause” these requirements. This political pressure caused the EPA to roll-back the implementation schedule.
Heat treaters must act now with a similar effort, but it must be aimed at preventing the promulgation of regulations that rely on still-conceptual technologies within an unachievable timeframe. Contact your local government leaders; let them know what we do means jobs and tax revenues. Contact your U.S. Representatives and Senators to let them know heat treaters are critical to our national security, the transportation system, and, in fact, the infrastructure of this country. What we do should not be outsourced, and we need to be given all the considerations of a critical industry.
The next column in this series will address the role of process heating in GHGE, analyze DOE assessments of GHGE for industry and process heating operations, and propose a fact sheet intended for use in our effort to set a realistic timeline for decarbonization goals In the next column, we’ll address potential ramifications of the DOE effort for industrial decarbonization in the heat treating industry to help you be better informed and prepared.
About the Author:
Michael Mouilleseaux General Manager at Erie Steel, Ltd.
Michael Mouilleseaux is general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd. He has been at Erie Steel in Toledo, OH since 2006 with previous metallurgical experience at New Process Gear in Syracuse, NY, and as the director of Technology in Marketing at FPM Heat Treating LLC in Elk Grove, IL. Michael attended the stakeholder meetings at the May 2023 symposium hosted by the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.
For more information: Contact Michael at mmouilleseaux@erie.com.
Attend the SUMMIT to find out more about the DOE’s actions for the heat treat industry.
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Thirteen new manufacturing jobs will open up with the $23.5 million expansion of an Alabama heat containment refractory production facility. The Ohio-based company supplies products used in a variety of industrial applications, including heat treating operations.
Paul Jamieson President & CEO Allied Mineral Products
Allied Mineral Products, an Ohio-based producer of monolithic refractory ceramics, recently broke ground on the major expansion at its Pell City, Alabama, location. The growth project will add a 200,000-square-foot production facility on the company’s current site and expand the workforce with thirteen new manufacturing jobs added to the company’s current workforce of 81 full-time employees. The project is expected to be completed in late 2025, increasing the facility’s production capacity and improve efficiency. State and local officials joined executives and employees of Allied Mineral Products, LLC (Allied) at the groundbreaking ceremonies marking the investment.
“Our partnership with Alabama is strengthened yet again with the expansion of this plant which we originally built in 2019,” said Paul Jamieson, president and CEO of Allied Mineral Products. “Locating our facility in Alabama was part of a long-term strategy to expand our manufacturing presence in the south to be closer to our customers. Because of the quality of this workforce and the local support here, our growth in Alabama has been faster than we planned. We are excited to be expanding our facility so soon and are confident this will help us to continue that growth.”
The press release is available in its original form here.
