Dan Herring, who is most well known as The Heat Treat Doctor®, has been in the industry for over 45 years. He spent the first 25 years in heat treating prior to launching The HERRING GROUP in 1995. His vast experience in the field includes materials science, engineering, metallurgy, equipment design, process and application specialist, and new product research. Dan holds a patent (as a co-inventor), and a broad range of industries are made better for his consulting services in heat treating and sintering, metallurgy, operations, business management, sales and marketing, and technology. In particular, The Heat Treat Doctor strongly believes open sharing of knowledge and discoveries in the field will improve the industry: he holds a position as an associate research professor with the Thermal Processing Technology Center (Illinois Institute of Technology), has written four books and nearly 500 technical articles, and lectures frequently at conferences and workshops worldwide.

Publications or Significant Accomplishments:

1. Founded The HERRING GROUP (1995)
2. Past Associate Research Professor, Thermal Processing Technology Center, Illinois Institute of Technology.
3. Author of 6 books on heat treatment: 1) Vacuum Heat Treatment: Principles, Practices, Applications, Volume I (BNP Media; 2012); 2) Atmosphere Heat Treatment: Principles, Applications, Equipment, Vol. 1 (BNP Media, 2014); 3) Atmosphere Heat Treatment: Atmospheres, Quenching, Testing, Vol. 2 (BNP Media, 2015); 4) Vacuum Heat Treatment: Applications, Equipment, Operation, Volume II (BNP Media, 2016); 5) A Comprehensive Guide to Heat Treatment, Vol. 1, (Industrial Heating, BNP Media, 2018); 6) A Comprehensive Guide to Heat Treatment, Vol. 2 (Industrial Heating, BNP Media, 2018); as well as U.S. Government publications, including The Influence of Process Variables on Vacuum Carburizing (U.S. Department of Energy, 1995)
4. Author or co-author of over 700 technical articles on Heat Treatment Processes at The Heat Treat Doctor’s Technical Library as well as The Heat Treat Doctor’s Heat Treat Hints.
5. Co-inventor of patented “method of carburizing steel comprising carburizing steel under vacuum utilizing as the carburizing gas an aliphatic alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably methanol and natural gas additions.” (Patent No. US4386973A)
6. A frequent lecturer at local, national and international conferences
7. Consulting Technical Editor and Monthly Contributor, Industrial Heating, including over 500 articles and blog posts
8. Contributing Writer: Vac Aero, Fastener World, Fastener Technology International, Heat Treating Progress, Wire Forming Technology International, Gear Solutions, and more (see list linked under #4)
9. Member: ASM International, American Gas Association “Hall of Fame”
10. One of the “25 Most Influential People in the North American Heat Treating Industry” (The Monty, 2007, 2009, and 2013)

Links to Heat Treat Today or Other Online Resources from This Consultant (a select list)

• Heat Treat Today “Best of the Web”: “Heat Treatment of Medical Device Fasteners,” August 13, 2016
• “The Navy C Ring Test – A Practical Tool for the Heat Treater,” Industrial Heating, October 2016
• “Tempering of Fasteners,” Fastener Technology International, October/November 2010
• “Predicting Size Change from Heat Treatment,” Production Machining, October 2010, with Patrick McKenna
• “The Annealing Process Revealed – Part One: Basic Principles,” “Part Two: Furnace Atmosphere Considerations,” and “Part Three: Annealing of Steel Coils,” Industrial Heating, August 2010/September 2010/October 2010
• “The Influence of Manganese in Steel,” Industrial Heating, May 2010
• “Case Studies: Creating Salvage Cycles for Carburized Gears,” Industrial Heating, April 2010
• “MWF Heat Treating: Options for a Critical Process,” Tribology & Lubrication Technology, March 2010 (Contributor; Ned Canter, Ed)
• “Considerations in Heat Treatment Part One: Furnace Atmospheres” and “Part Two: Furnace Atmosphere Control,” Industrial Heating, October 2009/December 2009
• “Periodic Atmosphere Furnace Maintenance, Part One: Preventative Maintenance Plans,” and “Part Two: Lessons Learned,” Heat Treating Progress, July-August 2009/November-December 2009
• “Reducing Distortion in Heat Treated Gears,” Gear Solutions, June 2004, with Gerald D. Lindell,
• “What to Do About Metal Dusting,” Heat Treating Progress, August 2003
• Author of the Heat Treat Today series Ask the Heat Treat Doctor®, October 2024 to present.

References (partial list):

LinkedIn.com |  The Heat Treat Doctor  |  Vac Aero  |  Industrial Heating  | Thermal Processing Technology Center