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MTI Member Profile: Zion Industries, Inc.

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In a culture that does many things to a mere minimum standard, Bob Puls chose to found Zion Industries, Inc. on the standard of “Glory to God.” Seeking this high standard led the company to a specialization in induction heating, and since 1978, they have been building their knowledge on this topic. Today, the company’s expertise is demonstrated in the unique, customized services that benefit their own team as well as clients like Ford and Honda.

Zion’s ZSCAN induction scanner outfitted with full-service controls

Specialized, in-house induction equipment is one of the most interesting aspects of Zion Industries’ story. Across their three locations in Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina, they have a combined total of over 30 induction machines (capable of frequencies from 3 Khz to 450 Khz and power levels from 30 Kwatts to 300 Kwatts) that were designed and built in-house. Supplementing these 30 unique machines is equipment for tempering and metallurgical inspection of all the heat treated products. The impact of this equipment is enhanced by the commitment to making their own tooling in-house, which decreased time and cost of the induction projects.

The company demonstrated their ability to create specialized solutions in-house when hardening safety critical, automotive industry parts. One instance of this was when Zion supplied latch striker parts that required a specific center case depth. This project was complicated by the fact that the part had a longer end geometry. To address this complication, the company created a completely unique, clamshell induction coil. The customization, however, did not end there. They also integrated the coil with fixtures that allowed for quenching and for sorting out suspect parts, all in the same operation.

The company offers personalized consulting services at their three locations. One aspect of these consulting services is training seminars that discuss the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing induction heat treating versus bringing it in-house. Using the technical expertise of their 100+ employees, the company helps clients develop technology they may not currently have, but that may significantly benefit operations. The primary goal of offering consulting is to build a unique service around the client’s unique problems, rather than offering a one size-fits-all solution.

In the future, the company seeks to bring their customized, built-in-house induction equipment to new geographical markets. They will continue to upgrade their equipment and hope to integrate automation and robotics into their facilities. As Zion Industries spreads to new markets and grows internal operations, their success will continue because of their fixed focus: specialized induction heat treating.

For more information:

Zion Industries, Inc.

6229 Grafton Rd.
Valley City, OH 44280

sales@zscan.com
www.zioninduction.com

Main image: Zion Industries, Inc., facility in Valley City, OH

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MTI Member Profile: East Carolina Metal Treating, Inc.

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In the North American heat treating industry, potential comes in many forms, and learning to utilize it is what can change the industry from mediocre to extraordinary. East Carolina Metal Treating, a North Carolina heat treater, has embraced the potential in their past and present heat treat equipment, new digital technologies, and their irreplaceable, diverse employees to unlock their status as a stand-out heat treater.

East Carolina Metal Treating facility in North Carolina

Since 1976 when they boasted only a single salt pot, East Carolina Metal Treating has increased the range of their heat treating equipment significantly. Today, the company has three cryogenic units (36 x 36 x 48 inches), five atmosphere furnaces (36 x 36 x 48 inches), and four inductions units — to name just a few. This array of equipment has enabled the company to serve a wide range of industries (including the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries) with quality service and a fast turnaround time with offerings including a metallurgical hardness testing lab.   

Embracing all the potential modern equipment brings requires new monitoring and documentation technology. This new technology, in turn, provides additional potential for continual improvement. Integral to this improvement is Bluestreak, a provider of management solutions, which provides the company with a secure, organized place to process furnace charts, customer documents, and much more. Embracing this particular technology helps the company to achieve a high level of customization in their heat treating processes as no one process is the same.

Virginia Metal Treating, Inc.

This modern equipment and new technology would be a dead end were it not for a trained team to use and apply it. Because of this, East Carolina Metal Treating makes it a high priority to utilize the potential of their team. The company believes each team member brings a different perspective on how to approach the complex problems that arise in heat treating, from the production line to the accounting department. Unlocking the potential of this 95-person team has yielded a reputation for providing quality service and a strong customer base.  

Harnessing the potential of equipment, technology, and people creates an even brighter future for East Carolina Metal Treating. In the next five to ten years, they plan to expand their range of equipment by adding aluminum quenching equipment. This will require an increase in the team’s technological capabilities, which they will address by training the 3rd generation of owner/operators, adding 20,000 square feet to their new facility in Lynchburg, VA, and creating a third facility in the southeast/mid-Atlantic region. With this ability to embrace a diverse team and new heat treat technologies, East Carolina Metal Treating is excited for a bright future.

For more information:

East Carolina Metal Treating, Inc.

1117 Capital Blvd.
Raleigh, NC 27603
United States

ecmtinc.com

quality@ecmtinc.com

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MTI Member Profile: Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co., Inc.

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A blacksmith sweating over an open flame is not the image most heat treaters immediately identify with in 2024. In the present, heat treating tends to look more like a trained metallurgist supervising a complex brazing operation. Yet we should not throw out the blacksmith and his hammer, even though bridging the gap between past and present is a tough job. Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co., Inc. is known for doing just that.

This New Jersey heat treater was originally founded by Wilbur Bennett (a one-armed blacksmith turned heat treater) and was purchased by Anthony Quaglia in 1954. They make it their job to bridge the knowledge gap between the experienced and the novice heat treaters within their own team. After the sudden death of David Quaglia in 2017, John Quaglia leveraged his father’s foundational expertise to build a highly skilled team of seasoned veterans and emerging talent, which will one day include his children Anthony and Abby Quaglia. Today, Bennett Heat Treating has over 100 years of knowledge and over three generations of expertise to draw from in order to create an innovative future.

The original Bennett Heat Treating inspection department circa 1950s (Source: Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co., Inc.)

Technology and equipment are the keys to an innovative future, but new technology would be useless without inherited expertise. Bennett has been able to combine their modern equipment with veteran experience to create heat treating processes that are reliable. For example, their neutral salt bath with marquenching enables clients to control dimensions of parts with tight tolerances at high hardness requirements. The marquenching process is so repeatable that a few clients intentionally machine their intricate helical gears out of tolerance because they are sure Bennett’s process will return the parts to tolerance.

A solid team of knowledgeable experts who will bridge the heat treat industry’s generational gap also seamlessly meets the needs of clients. For Bennett’s major private, aerospace prime, and U.S. military clients, the metallurgical consultant team within Bennett bases its success on carefully listening to clients, identifying major lessons learned in the past, and collaborating with clients to methodize production processes that avoid past mistakes.

John Quaglia with wife Kerri and children Abby and Anthony at Bennett’s 100th year celebration (Source: Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co., Inc.)

John Quaglia recalls an example of how his team leads with expertise to collaborate with clients: a curved, thin part requiring nitriding on one area and optional nitriding all over it. After years of nitriding these parts, the team noted that when both sides of the part were nitrided, the edges chipped and the part would bow. Collaborating with the client, Bennett confirmed that only one side of the part needed to be nitrided. The team then developed tooling that was able to mask the part while maintaining the part’s dimensions.

In the future, Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co. intends to focus on gaining new equipment and building a cohesive team of employees to continue the high level of precision and quality work. No doubt, they will continue to seek to bridge the gap between seasoned heat treaters and new members on the scene through close communication — both amongst themselves and with clients. While the team will not be found in a blacksmith’s forge of the past, they will be collaborating with veteran experts and learning to apply that wisdom to meet the needs of present and future clients.

For more information:

Bennett Heat Treating & Brazing Co., Inc.

690 Ferry Street
Newark, NJ 07105

johnquaglia@bennettheat.com
www.bennettheat.com

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MTI Member Profile: Thermal-Vac Technology

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In brazing, a filler metal is used to create a strong bond between parts. In business, what holds companies together is the shared vision of its people. That is the philosophy of the team at Thermal-Vac Technology, southern California’s premier brazing facility, where an experienced crew shares a passion for solving complex puzzles and delivering quality outcomes.

As a supplier to major aerospace programs, Thermal-Vac is united with its customers in its uncompromising approach to quality control. One of the company’s taglines summarizes its mindset: “We build good parts here; at a profit if we can, a loss if we must, but always good parts.” The company has invested in cutting-edge digital systems that provide continual insight into its brazing processes. Monitoring equipment, including digital readouts from load thermocouples inside the furnaces, gathers real-time data from part surfaces. These tools allow operators unprecedented control throughout the braze cycle and the opportunity to review in detail every step of the process to identify opportunities for improvement.

Quality control is critical for the commercial heat treater.

Incorporating digital technologies into brazing has pushed Thermal-Vac to innovate in exciting ways. Brazing is a well-defined technique, with roots going back to ancient Egypt. But today’s manufacturing requirements push the boundaries of materials science. Exotic materials, elaborate component shapes, and new end-use applications all present opportunities for innovation. Thermal-Vac’s clients have come to rely on the company to find answers to their brazing challenges. To be ready to tackle whatever its clients need, the company has assembled a large, in-house engineering team. Thermal- Vac’s engineers draw upon their specialization in the brazing field to find creative solutions in close collaboration with their customers. Some of their routine achievements include implementing a new alloy, improving component design, or creating specialized tools to achieve the customer’s planned outcome.

The proof is in the product. Thermal-Vac’s quality control standard helped it to be selected to work on NASA’s SLS-Orion project, a space exploration vehicle that will eventually send astronauts to the moon and beyond. Thermal-Vac partnered with L3Harris/Aerojet Rocketdyne in the production of rocket motors by nickel plating 10-ft long tubes that needed to be precisely plated with an even, 0.0001 inch thickness. They also hand-assembled the rocket motors’ heat shields.

The company is proud to have received the 2023 MTI Commercial Heat Treater of the Year award, which it sees as a validation of its approach to constant improvement.

Vacuum furnace at Thermal-Vac Technology

Quality and innovation are not the entire Thermal-Vac story. CEO Heather Falcone sees the strength of the company arising from the way her 45-person team was assembled: by bringing people from all walks of life together to forge a special environment of trust and collaboration. Along with her three brothers — COO Shannon Driscol, Special Projects Expert Shane Driscol, and Sean Driscol, now president of the company’s sibling start-up company, Thermal-Vac Arizona — Heather has led the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and fair chance hiring practices. Heather and her brothers strive to create a workplace where everyone is valued and treated well. To do this, the company introduced well-received cultural initiatives such as a four-day work week, giving out over 20% of net profit in bonuses as featured in the Wall Street Journal, and awarded over $30,000 in charitable donations and scholarships in 2023 alone.

In recent years, Thermal-Vac Technology has been busy consolidating its operations at its Orange location. The company is pursuing numerous initiatives as it prepares for the future. Special focus will be given to streamlining operations and finding new ways to leverage technology so the company can remain agile and responsive. The company is also looking forward to continuing to foster a spirit of community in the North American heat treating industry.

For more information:

Thermal-Vac Technology

1221 W. Struck Ave.
Orange, CA 92867

sales@thermalvac.com
thermalvac.com

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MTI Member Profile: Newton Heat Treating Co., Inc.

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Newton Heat Treating might be located in California, but their impact is out of this world — literally. Serving a niche section of the aerospace industry since 1968, Newton Heat Treating is a company with 52 dedicated employees, working to complete highly specialized processes while retaining a merit-level of service and quality, empowering them to heat treat parts for outer space.

These highly specialized processes include cold stabilization, thermal cycling, stress relief, and the straightening of aluminum alloys. Also known as uphill quenching, cold stabilization is a cyclic thermal shock process which is used to reduce the detrimental effects of residual stresses on aluminum alloys. The use of custom fixtures and high-velocity steam instead of boiling water is what sets this process apart and makes it more efficient and cost effective. Newton is the only heat treater to perform this process, and because of that, they are working with a prime aerospace company to write an industry-standard specification for cold stabilization; this information will be available to the aerospace industry in 2024.

Furnaces such as these process client products efficiently and ensure on-time delivery. (Source: Newton Heat Treating Co., Inc.)

The primary equipment used in their processes includes the automated drop-bottom furnaces and quench
line. These furnaces process the bulk of clients’ products and have great efficiency. Though the company might not have the largest furnaces (working zones are 14’ x 5’ x 5.5’), they are nimble and will heat treat customer-supplied parts that other heat treaters do not want to touch — plus, they do it quicker than other, larger companies.

But they won’t just do jobs quicker, they will do them with five-star quality service. Newton is ITAR registered, as well as AS9100 and Nadcap certified with merit status since 2020. To ensure this standard of excellence, the last step in any process is a trip to the Final Inspection Department. There, dedicated employees inspect parts for hardness, conductivity, and cleanliness to verify the conformance of the heat treated material. This ensures success for the company’s partners: their clients.

As the last step before packing and shipping, dedicated employees in the Final Inspection Department examine parts for hardness, conductivity, and cleanliness to verify the conformance of the heat treated material. (Source: Newton Heat Treating Co., Inc.)

Their clients need this star level of quality since the atmosphere where many parts are headed is quite unforgiving: outer space, to be exact. The most interesting parts the company has treated are now orbiting in space and roaming on Mars. Parts on Voyager, an interstellar probe which is now beyond our solar system, underwent Newton’s cold stabilization process. Their thermal cycling process — a delicate process that can take up to 48 hours depending on the ramp rate, target temperatures, and number of cycles — is used on parts on Mars Rovers. With high stakes like these, keeping quality at the forefront is Newton’s goal and will continue to be into the future.

In the coming 5–10 years, the company will take small steps to become more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and cybersecure, which will give them a giant leap into the future. Plans include replacing old equipment with new, investing more in information technology infrastructure to minimize cybersecurity issues and better protect their clients, and continuing to provide their clients with high-quality service that one might call “stellar.”

For more information:

Newton Heat Treating Co., Inc.

19235 E. Walnut Dr.
City of Industry, California 91748
United States

jrico@newtonheattreating.com
newtonheattreating.com

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MTI Member Profile: GFI Metal Treating, Inc.

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Mixing close client communication, a unique record keeping system, and two special patents generates a recipe for success — at least for this Midwest heat treat company, GFI Metal Treating, Inc.

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Communicating closely with their clients in the agricultural, military, and construction industries, this heat treater worked painstakingly to test and perfect over 150 recipes for a variety of specifications. This process took five years and much in-house research. The research and communication have paid off, however, as they can now process an extra eight loads a day with only two or three nonconformances a year. When clients voiced diverse needs in the ever-changing industry, the company listened and began offering not only heat treating processes like carburizing and induction hardening, but also post heat treatment services such as vibratory deburr and parts cleanings.

Owner Dick Francis with son and President Jason Breuer standing
outside GFI Metal Treating, Inc.

In developing these 150 recipes, a second key ingredient was at play: Their record keeping control, notably their proprietary database software, “RUN SHEETS.” RUN SHEETS follow every step in each part’s process, from prepping the basket to running the load, and can be used as a reference when needed. Parts at GFI may be processed in anything from one of two 2,500 lb IQ furnaces to one of two car bottom furnaces, and the software collects data on every step of processing each part. The database holds records since 2004, giving them a wealth of past data to be drawn upon.

The final ingredient? Two special patents pertaining to the agricultural industry. GFI hardens the top edge of crossbars for combines and holds one patent for the hardening process and one patent for the process equipment. This shows just how much they are willing to communicate with their agricultural clients, as they honed and specialized their processes and equipment to achieve these patents, creating a “print to quote” environment where all processes can be completed in house

The team at GFI Metal Treating, Inc.

The next steps in GFI’s recipe are making further developments on their three core ingredients. As they continue to focus on close client communication, growing with the client base, taking on new projects to help clients grow, and finding new clients are significant goals.

Additionally, artificial intelligence is becoming more and more a mainstay of manufacturing, and GFI is excited to see how this may affect their proprietary database software. Whatever new technology may bring — perhaps iPads will replace paper or billing will become instantaneous upon the delivery of work — the company is looking forward to adapting, and maybe even improving, their RUN SHEETS system.

Since the patented hardening equipment is so unique, equipment upkeep (and avoiding breakdowns) is a high priority for the upcoming years. The company has come a long way in a short period since their beginning in May 2000 and is excited to continue applying their recipe for success to new opportunities.

 

For more information:

GFI Metal Treating, Inc.
1531 Preston Street
Rockford, IL 61102-2047
United States
gfimetaltreating@sbcglobal.net
www.gfimetaltreating.com

 

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Check Out This Week’s Spotlight: Braddock Metallurgical

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The journey began in 1953 for this family-run business, which started with only a single salt pot furnace and grew into a company with eight production facilities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Braddock Metallurgical was founded by its namesake, William R. Braddock, who mandated a mission to “help our customers succeed,” a goal still paramount to the company today. His belief that a well-trained workforce would result in superior customer service is the backbone of the company’s client- centered reputation of 70 years.

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Today, grandsons Griffith and Clay Braddock, along with the company’s senior management, led by President and CEO, George Gieger, work diligently on developing the company’s eight sites. Going back to the founding belief that a well-trained employee makes all the difference, Griffith and Clay also ensure that all employees are among the best trained and supported in the industry.

Aerospace, military, medical, automotive, and electronics industries are among those served by the company. As a full-service heat treat provider, the company facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and offer a comprehensive range of services including cryogenics, brazing, induction heat treating, black oxide, and more, as well as various metallurgical testing services. Unique capabilities include ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC) with post oxidation, low-temperature nitriding of stainless steels, and vapor degreasing and bright hydrogen processing without discoloration.

Original location of Braddock Metallurgical in Bridgewater, NJ, circa 1975.

When it comes to equipment for these services, quality is of utmost importance. All high-positive pressure-quench vacuum furnaces and batch IQ furnaces are certified to AMS2750E. They have nitriding and induction equipment at select facilities and car bottom furnaces up to 35 feet long in New Jersey and 18 feet long in Tampa for stress relieving and aging. The company holds Nadcap accreditation for heat treating and brazing at four locations and is ISO & AS9100 certified at all facilities. All Nadcap accredited locations have achieved Merit status, thanks to the hard work and dedication of their employees.

To continue founder William’s commitment to the success of their clients, the company prioritizes upgrading technology and support systems, including instrumentation, laboratory equipment, and computer systems to stay on the cutting edge of technological advancements.

The team members have developed a high proficiency for brazing intricate honeycomb applications. Their expertise and techniques are applicable to a wide range of complex geometries and configurations, achieving results where others fail. Braddock leverages state-of-the-art cleaning processes, brazing filler metals, binders, and atmospheres to deliver braze joints of high quality.

From 50 ton pressure vessels, automotive transmissions, musical handpans, and surgical implants, to NASA space components, they encounter many unique and interesting parts, all of which testify to the creativity and talent of the team and their clients.

Throughout their history, the heat treater has partnered with their customers. From developing and bringing in new processes, investments in additional equipment and capacity, and even expansion into additional facilities, Braddock’s growth has been based on the needs of its customers.

As they look to the future, they will evaluate and act on any required additional capacity or capability and implement new technology when necessary to benefit existing equipment and instrumentation. Braddock Metallurgical  will continue innovating and implementing efficiencies to keep up with growing demand for high quality heat treating.

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Check Out This Week’s Spotlight

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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.

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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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Ohio Metallurgical

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In 1947, amidst a global war that touched every corner of the world, a small heat treat company emerged to serve the thriving and diverse manufacturing market of northeast Ohio. That company, Ohio Metallurgical (Ohiomet), was started by William Latiano and Frank Monaco with only a few salt pots in Lorain, but grew into a larger plant in Elyria, adding vacuum, shaker, and integral quench furnaces. Years later in 1977, Don Gaydosh, who was the general manager at the time, purchased 70% of the company, along with fellow employee Jerry Pragg. In 1990, John Gaydosh followed in his father’s footsteps and is the current president and owner.

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The company has now grown to include 78 employees who are trained in four core values: Be client focused, be dependable, do business with integrity, and always be improving.

One way they accomplish their first value is by scheduling production based on the client’s need. In order to be dependable and operate safely, efficiently, and with high quality, the company invests in new equipment and controls. Since 1990, almost all equipment has been replaced completely, though a few older furnaces are still in use but with upgraded, modern controls.

Heat treat operations at Ohiomet
Source: Ohiomet

To implement their fourth value of always improving, Ohiomet regularly updates its control systems to reduce operator errors and increase accuracy. Using an in-house customized SCADA software package, they monitor furnaces in real-time, so the operators and supervisors can be notified if process parameters are outside of preset parameters.

With their updated equipment and software, the company serves the automotive, aerospace, military, and mining industries, and more. While the integral quench lines containing 12 IQ furnaces make up the largest part of their business, they also offer multiple types of processes and services from one location. In addition to their IQ lines, they have vacuum furnaces capable of 2-bar nitrogen gas quench, bright age hardening, tempering, and annealing, all of which are qualified to meet AMS2759 specifications and are Nadcap accredited.

In addition to these processes, Ohiomet has both automatic and manual straightening equipment, induction equipment with various frequencies for use on vertical and horizontal scanners, and bell furnaces performing atmosphere annealing and stress relieving. A Nadcap accredited, modern quality control laboratory contains multiple automated microhardness testers along with a metallograph with digital imaging capabilities.

Ohiomet heat treats ribs used in crash test dummies
Source: Ohiomet

Among the unique items they have been heat treating are the ribs used in crash test dummies. They harden and temper the steel crash test dummy ribs and the ribs are fitted with sensors to detect how extensive the damage would be in a real car wreck.

While remembering their humble beginnings, Ohiomet looks to the next five to ten years anticipating an increase in automation, not only in material handling, but also for machine control, allowing them to continue fulfilling their founding principle of serving the manufacturing market of northeast Ohio.

 

 

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Cincinnati Steel Treating

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Technicians with a combined 100+ years of metallurgical and heat treating experience . . . one of the largest commercial nitriding departments in the country . . . and the recipient of the 2022 Master Craftsman Award . . . All of these attributes characterize The Cincinnati Steel Treating Company (CST), a heat treater serving clients in multiple industries, a few being the large gear, automotive, and industrial knife, as well as hundreds of general-purpose machine shops.

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Heat treatment of long parts
Source: Cincinnati Steel Treating

The company was founded in 1941 to accommodate the gear industry’s metal-treating needs in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. By 1950, they had diversified and moved to 5701 Mariemont Avenue in Cincinnati. Now, after two major expansions, the 45,000 square-foot facility provides heat treating services nationwide. Some of these heat treat services include: carbonitriding, FNC, sub-zero metal treating, and tool steel processing. The dimensional capacities of their furnaces accommodate large loads of smaller parts as well as parts too large for most furnaces. For example, their pit furnace vertically processes parts up to 120” to prevent warpage, and the max capacity of their car bottom and nitriding furnaces is 8’ x 17’ x 6’ and 57” x 107” respectively.

In addition to their heat treatment services, CST also provides metallurgical lab testing services and failure analysis for both in-house and outside treated parts. A fully equipped metallurgical laboratory includes a metallurgical cutoff saw, metallographs, microscopes, stereoscopic equipment, and more. The lab includes capabilities for macro-etching, quench oil testing, and other chemical testing for metallic parts. Some applications of metallurgical analysis include tool steel industrial knives, highly alloyed rolling mill rolls, flat-rolled carbon sheet steel products, and carburized and hardened gears. With experience analyzing various types of materials, such as stainless steel, brass, aluminum, titanium, and cast iron, the company’s lab analysis has saved CST’s clients thousands of dollars, both by helping them to improve their processes and determining the root cause of a failed component.

Cincinnati Steel Treating is proud of the difference that it has made in terms of the parts it has heat treated over the years. Two specific jobs stand out; first, heat treating the armor plating of the military’s Humvee for combat. The client emphasized that the job was an integral part of saving lives, and the company saw letters from soldiers and their families expressing their gratitude.

Carburization of gears
Source: Cincinnati Steel Treating

The second job was solution treating and aging an aluminum mounting bracket for the external booster rockets affixed to a space shuttle for NASA. These parts were designed to withstand being jettisoned from the space shuttle (with the external booster rockets) once the rockets’ fuel depleted. Made of aluminum, the components could more easily disintegrate during re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. CST even purchased a high-speed crane and affixed it to the bridge of their existing overhead crane to maintain the desired quench delay time specific in the military specifications for aluminum. This program ceased when the space shuttle program ended, but the high-speed crane is still used for jobs requiring specific quench delays.

Plans for the future are looking bright as Cincinnati Steel Treating rounded out 2022 with the Master Craftsman Award for Commercial Heat Treater of the Year. At the beginning of 2023, CST added a new IQ furnace and continues to increase capacity and capabilities as needed.

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