HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

12 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items to Keep You Current

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

 

Personnel Chatter

  1. Isaiah Arnold joins Schneider Electric as a services sales engineer.
  2. Vacuum & Atmosphere Services Ltd. has new heads of departments: Aaron Long, head of Vacuum Products; Greg Walker, head of Atmosphere Products; Adam Greenway, head of Fabrications; and Mike Oldham, head of New Business.
  3. Hubbard-Hall Inc. has hired Jodie Menze as customer service manager. In this newly-made position, Menze will take a hands-on approach to enhancing the customer experience.
  4. Hubbard-Hall has transformed its Sales & Technical Departments and promoted several key staff: Larry Ensley, director of Technical Applications, is assuming company-wide responsibility for technical service teams and lab operations, overseeing ten technical experts. These individuals include Robin Deal and Faith Mierzejewski. Secondly, Mike Valenti is expanding his role as the director of Cleaning Technology. Lastly, Ted Saltzman, newly named Specialty Sales manager & Business Development, will direct the Specialty Sales group’s field account team and oversee the inside account management team. All three individuals will report to Scott Papst, vice president of Specialty Sales and Business Development.

Company Chatter

  1. Ramco Steels Pvt. Ltd. in India has installed its first SCADA-controlled quenching & tempering furnace in-house. Now, they offer spherodised annealing, normalising, isothermal annealing, through hardening and tempering, induction hardening/tempering, and soft carburising operations in-house.
  2. Service Heat Treating announced the completion of a multi-year plant expansion, expanding their space by 40,000 sq.ft. and adding heat treat capacity.
  3. Solar Manufacturing Inc., Sellersville, Pa. announced the receipt of U.S. Patent No. 11053560 issue date July 6, 2021.
  4. Kanthal launches a second generation flow heater control system, developed to assist customers to run the flow heater safely and efficiently.
  5. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. announced a new black oxide option which offers a darker black color oxidation than their original offering. The additional option will be available as a standalone black oxide treatment and as part of the UltraOx® heat treatment (referred to as UltraOx Hyper).

Kudos Chatter

  1. China’s Tiangong International Company Limited acquired a Quintus Technologies hot isostatic press (HIP).
  2. Bodycote Greenville is now certified by GE for the heat treatment of both titanium and aluminum.
  3. On SECO/WARWICK’s 30th Anniversary, they introduced a new website – www.secowarwick.com — and a new book — the DNA Book.

 

 


Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to bethany@heattreattoday.com.

 

12 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items to Keep You Current Read More »

Penna Flame Industries

Penna Flame Industries (PFI) was founded in 1968 by Garrett D. Orr, Sr. and his wife Mary Patricia (Pat) Orr to provide flame hardening services to the growing steel industry. Orr chose the Zelienople, PA site because it was centrally located between Pittsburgh, PA, and Cleveland, Ohio, which was then heavily into steel manufacturing. Garrett was employed as a sales representative for a foundry and was involved in other steel-related industries. Through this experience, he recognized the need for flame hardening in the steel industry. In 1968, at the age of 39, he founded Pennsylvania Flame Hardening. The groundbreaking took place on April 1, 1968.

Bert demonstrates the benefits of working with a collaborative robot to induction harden steel parts. The robot gives the operator the ability to work directly next to it, as opposed to conventional robot arms where fencing and distance is required.

In 1990, James P. Orr was named president of the company, continuing his father’s commitment to the industry by adding new technology and innovations in surface hardening and roll manufacturing.

In 1995 the company added a roll manufacturing and machining facility to meet the needs of customers who wanted highly polished rolls used in the automotive and other industries. Today, PFI also serves the military, mining, and agriculture (heavy equipment) sectors.

In 2008, the company added the industry’s first robotic cell that replaced manual scanning and reduced the amount of setup required for tooling, thereby increasing precision and repeatability. The company has since added three additional robotic cells.

The computerized robotic surface hardening systems have revolutionized the surface hardening industry. These advanced robots, coupled with programmable index tables, provide an automation system that helps decrease production time while maintaining the highest quality in precision surface hardening.

A few benefits of this service are:

  • Increased wear resistance
  • Higher hardness and longer life
  • Less processing time
  • Higher efficiency and productivity
  • Maintain tensile strength
  • Quick turnaround of the project
  • Consistent, repeatable process
  • Less distortion when compared to furnace treatment

A crane wheel, in the process of being flame hardened, glowing red hot about to submerged in a quench bath.

Additional services include flame hardening, robotic flame hardening, robotic induction hardening, roll hardening, roll manufacturing, roll straightening, hardness testing, wheel and axle assembly, deep cryogenics, stress relieving, and tempering.

In 2017, the company expanded its facility to incorporate the world’s largest spin flame hardening tank (80-inch diameter) and added a collaborative robotic cell that induction hardens and allows the operator to work right next to the robot without having safety fences.

Here’s a fun fact: while PFI doesn’t know the final destination of many of the parts they heat treat, they have flame hardened wheels that are in the roofs of professional sports stadiums and fields that roll out.

As they look to the future, James P. Orr, together with his sons Michael (Vice President) and Andrew (Vice President) are poised to lead the 28 employee-strong company into the next generation of products and services.

Penna Flame Industries Read More »

Publisher’s Page: All NEW Heat Treat Buyers Guide

Heat Treat Today publishes eight print magazines a year, and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter first appeared in Heat Treat Today's May 2021 Induction print edition.


Doug Glenn
Publisher and Founder
Heat Treat Today

I’m not positive, but it seems to me that it was back in 1992 or 1994 when my former employer launched the heat treating industry’s very first PRINT Buyers Guide. I remember with certainty that it was a HUGE undertaking every July. The excellent team at Industrial Heating in those days (many of whom are still there) did yeoman’s work to get this helpful resource into the industry every year. It was always a great relief when the issue finally hit the street.

Nearly 30 years later, Industrial Heating announced last year that they were no longer going to print a monthly magazine which, I believe, includes their big July Buyers Guide.

In steps Heat Treat Today. We’re big believers in print, and we’re big believers in online and print buyers guides. So, this June (next month), Heat Treat Today will officially launch its very first print and online North American heat treat industry Buyers Guide. Woo hoo!! Let the fun begin.You can preview the online Buyers Guide at www.HeatTreatBuyersGuide.com (super cool URL, eh?), although we’re not officially launching it until mid- to late- June. But go ahead, take a quick look. The big print edition will come out in late June as well.

We’re really excited about both the online and print versions of this Buyers Guide.

The online version is super-sleek. While we’ll undoubtedly make improvements as we go on, the initial look and functionality is uniquely simple and modern. It is also the very first Buyers Guide that combines both heat treat equipment and related services and commercial heat treating services. If you’re looking for either, you’ll find it at www.HeatTreatBuyersGuide.com.

If you’re an industry supplier, you should search the site for your company. If you’re not there, you should create a listing. If you are there and your listing is “unclaimed,” claim it.

We’re also very excited about the print version. There’s been a lot of talk about the death of print magazines and print directories. In fact, it was the belief that print’s days are limited that prompted the aforementioned thermal processing publication to essentially abandon print. As Mark Twain is reported to have asserted, “The rumors of my death have been vastly exaggerated.” So it is with the rumors of print’s death – vastly exaggerated.

Heat Treat Today's research arm recently conducted two broad based studies – one on batch integral quench furnace systems and another on induction heating technologies and usage – and both returned very similar results to an identical question we asked in each. The question was, “When reading through an industrial trade magazine, which do you prefer?” Here are the combined answers:

Said another way, if you drop print, you’ve lost nearly 40% of your audience. That doesn’t make sense. So, we’re not going to go that route. We’re committed to keeping print a priority and June’s Buyers Guide is no exception.

Watch for it in June, Heat Treat Buyers Guide. Or get a sneak preview now at www.HeatTreatBuyersGuide.com.

Publisher’s Page: All NEW Heat Treat Buyers Guide Read More »

Message from the Editor: How to Use This Guide

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

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


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

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

The Buyers Guide is divided into three major sections.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy shopping!

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

Four 40 Under 40 Alumni: Where Are They Now?

OCHeat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 was created to bring recognition to young professionals in the industry, giving names, faces, and words to the rising generation of industry professionals. In this article, released in the final nomination period for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2021, we caught up with exemplary classmates from 2020 to see what they have been up to since being recognized in September 2020.


Alberto Cantú
VP Combustion, Control and Services
Nutec Bickley

Alberto Cantú

"I’ve been working from home for the past year, which in my case means that I am saving 2 hours of commute time every day! That’s not only good for the environment but also for my pocket ?.

"With this 'extra time,' I decided I wanted to read more, so I subscribed to the Harvard Business Review magazine, which has been very helpful for work. But perhaps the most interesting thing I’ve read over the past year is a book by Dale Carnegie How to win friends and influence people. I know it’s a classic but I was very reluctant to read it because it felt like a cheesy self-help book (which I am not a fan of), but I have to say it has timeless advice."

Ellen Conway Merrill
Vice President
DELTA H TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Ellen Conway Merrill

"The pandemic certainly presented its share of challenges, but it’s also been incredible to witness the strides being made across the industry in such a short matter of time.

"They say necessity is the mother of invention and many businesses across the globe, including DELTA H, have embraced the opportunity to think differently and creatively to give both our employees and clients some semblance of normality and connectiveness.

"DELTA H is grateful to have come out of 2020 with a record year in revenue which could not have been done if it weren’t for the dedication of our team to push forward through uncharted waters and embrace change."

Jeff Opitz
President and Owner
CeraMaterials

.

Jeff Opitz

"Since my induction into the Heat Treat Today’s 2020 “40 under 40” class, CeraMaterials has been fortunate to enjoy a surge in new business and product development, which has been especially rewarding considering the challenging business environment we’ve been navigating since the onset of Covid.

"A few noteworthy achievements include:

  • Developing a new resin treatment for our line of carbon-carbon modular fixturing which reduces open porosity and enhances performance in oil quench and fuel vane applications.
  • Collaborating with several large aerospace entities to switch out graphite and alloy fixtures for carbon-carbon fixtures, resulting in increased throughput and tooling longevity.
  • Conducting a national rollout of carbon composite and graphite insulation products with McMaster-Carr, achieving a 100% fulfillment rating.

"Additionally, we have a new production line up and running for our signature “tight weave” carbon cordage, available in 24K and 36K weave patters, outgassed to 2200C. We’re working with key players in the “hypersonic” space, and are in the process of obtaining full ITAR certification to help our business reach new heights! We’ve also invested in our team by hiring a new digital marketing manager and have added a new member to our shipping and receiving department to ensure our customers are receiving undamaged material in a timely manner.

"I’m beyond grateful to our loyal customers and suppliers, as well as our new business partners who allow us to continue growing and serving the global heat treat market."

Esau Zamorano
Manufacturing and Heat Treating Project Engineer
Eaton Hydraulics

Esau Zamorano

1. Just a few weeks ago, the certification for EATON Hydraulics was obtained as a plant under the ISO 9001: 2015 system.

2. Preparing for a conversion from EATON Hydraulics to the Danfoss culture and business system.

3. Developing new projects to minimize the risk of operation in batch-type furnaces with the add of safety devices in the furnaces.

Four 40 Under 40 Alumni: Where Are They Now? Read More »

The Show Must Go On – Thank Goodness!

Heat Treat Today publishes eight print magazines a year, and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter first appeared in Heat Treat Today‘s June 2021 Buyers Guide print edition.


Doug Glenn
Publisher and Founder
Heat Treat Today

We’re seeing the backside of COVID as it slouches off into the sunset. Masks are coming off. People are standing less than six feet apart. Hands are being shaken as opposed to elbows being bumped. And planes, trains, buses, interstate highways, office buildings, and restaurants are starting to fill up again with real live people.

So are convention centers.

Such is the case in the North American heat treat industry. . . and none too soon. ASM International recently announced that their IMAT event which includes the long-standing Heat Treat Society sponsored Heat Treat Conference and Exposition (aka Heat Treat Show) will be live and face-to-face this coming September 14-16, in St. Louis. Amen and amen!

Heat Treat Today is one of the sponsors of the ASM Heat Treat Show, and we couldn’t be happier to get together with all of our friends and colleagues at this year’s event. On page 8 of this edition, Eric Hutton explains a bit more about the event. Be sure to read his column. This publication will be heavily promoting the Heat Treat Show as something good and worthy of your attendance. Considering that the last major face-to-face industry event was the 2019 ASM Heat Treat Show, it will be a real blessing to be back in a booth, shaking hands and catching up with industry colleagues, customers, and prospects.

“People are happier and make better decision when they are well informed” has been the driving force behind all that Heat Treat Today does. Our goal is to help people become well informed, and with nearly 24 months since the last face-to-face event, there is certainly a lot of informing that needs to happen. That’s why we’re excited to be one of the key promoters of this year’s event. We hope that you’ll take the time to attend the show, and bring your entire heat treat department with you.

Another way we keep people well informed is by helping them connect with suppliers who can provide them with the equipment, supplies, components, and/or services that they need. That’s exactly what this month’s issue is all about – connecting buyers and sellers of heat treat equipment and services. This is Heat Treat Today's 1st Annual Buyers Guide. We’re super pleased with how it has turned out, and we are absolutely certain that next year’s Heat Treat Buyers Guide will be even bigger and better.

In the Heat Treat Buyers Guide, you will be able to find ANY heat treat equipment, supplies, components, sub-systems, or heat treating services that is known to man. If not, let us know and we’ll see if we can add it to the list of improvements for next year. On page 6, our managing editor, Karen Gantzer, explains how to get the most out of this resource. That’s a page worth referencing.

And don’t forget, all of the information presented in this annual print version of the Heat Treat Buyers Guide is updated continually at www.HeatTreatBuyersGuide.com. In the online version, you’ll be able to access the very latest information. When this print issue was going to the printer, there were still a significant number of heat treat industry suppliers who had not updated their listings. By this time next year, there will definitely be more, so don’t forget to check out the online version of this Heat Treat Buyers Guide for the very latest.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know. We’re always glad to help.

Whether it’s the Heat Treat Buyers Guide or the upcoming ASM Heat Treat Show, we hope you become and stay well informed in 2021. If there’s anything we can do to help, please let us know. We’re wishing you the very best in 2021 – a true face-to-face, closer than six feet, hand shaking, blessed year.

The Show Must Go On – Thank Goodness! Read More »

HEAT TREAT 2021: Meet Me in St. Louis!

op-edThe 31st Heat Treating Society Conference and Exposition (Heat Treat 2021) is scheduled for September 14-16 in St. Louis. This bi-annual, can’t-miss event provides an excellent opportunity for the heat treating community to meet, exchange information, and conduct business.

Eric Hutton
President,
ASM Heat Treating Society
Vice President Operations
Aerospace, Defense and, Energy
Bodycote

In addition to our standing colocation with AGMA’s Motion & Power Technology Expo (MPTE), we are excited to also be co-locating with ASM’s NEW Annual Meeting, “International Materials, Applications, and Technologies (IMAT)” Conference and Expo. Heat Treat conference registration includes full access to IMAT 2021. Co-locating with IMAT 2021 will provide access to additional exhibitors and more than 400 technical presentations on a wide variety of materials-related topics.

This year’s Heat Treat organizing committee did an excellent job of ensuring that the latest research and development is included for a high level of technical content on a wide variety of important topics, including Atmosphere Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Internet of Things, Nitriding, Vacuum Technology, Applied Technology, Quenching and Cooling, etc.

The Heat Treat Expo, co-located with IMAT and MPTE, is the place to be, featuring more than 500 companies. Activities on the show floor include a VIP guided industry tour on Tuesday, Solutions Center presentations, welcome reception with exhibitors, the Fluxtrol Student Research Competition, and the HTS Strong Bar Competition.

We hope attendees will join us during our premiere networking event, “The Heat is On,” at the Anheuser Busch Biergarten, scheduled for Wednesday, September 15. This special evening will feature live music, a tempting array of locally inspired food, craft beer, and a few “hot surprises.” Attendees will have the opportunity to network with Heat Treat, IMAT, and MPTE attendees.

We know that things might look a little different this year, but, rest assured that your health and safety are always our top priorities, and the ASM team continues to closely monitor all federal, state, and local guidelines. We are confident that we can safely come together and are taking all appropriate measures to ensure a healthy and successful in-person conference and expo.

Let’s get back to business! I hope you will join me at Heat Treat 2021, a great location to reconnect, make new contacts, share information, and collaborate with attendees and exhibitors from around the world in the global heat treating industry. We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis in September.

HEAT TREAT 2021: Meet Me in St. Louis! Read More »

Happy Memorial Day!

Heat Treat Today would like to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day as you spend time with loved ones and reflect on the sacrifice that men and women gave to protect this nation in the hopes of it becoming a more perfect union. From the Civil War origins to the World War I symbolic adoption of poppies to Congressional affirmation of the permeant holiday as "Memorial Day," we are grateful for this moment to take a rest and give humble thanks to those now past.

Have a blessed and safe holiday!

- The team at Heat Treat Today

Happy Memorial Day! Read More »

13 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items to Keep You Current

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

 

Equipment Chatter

  1. Foundrax Engineering Products Ltd, global Brinell test specialist, has launched the “BRINscope Duo”, a patent-pending, dual-illumination, hand-held microscope for measuring indentation diameters.
  2. TAV VACUUM FURNACES SPA received an order for a horizontal vacuum heat treatment furnace for a Brazilian company who specializes in different heat treatments (including quenching, cementation, nitriding) for the engineering industry.


Personnel/Company Chatter

  1. Mark Hemsath, former vice president of SECO/VACUUM Technologies LLC, is joining Nitrex’s Heat Treating Services Sales division. He will be taking on the role of vice president of Sales Heat Treating Services, Americas.
  2. Zachary Thomas will be assuming the role of outside sales manager at Solar Atmospheres of Western PA. He will be reporting directly to their sales director, Mike Johnson.
  3. AFC-Holcroft launched “AFC-Holcroft University,” a training program for all employees. This training offers their entire staff, including those in non-technical roles, the opportunity to learn more about the company, products, and technology.
  4. Ipsen is offering on-site Ipsen U courses to accommodate large groups at client facilities. Ipsen U is a course designed to teach heat treatment fundamentals, best practices and new methods.
  5. Rockford Systems, LLC, dba Rockford Combustion Solutions, is broadening its portfolio of offerings to include field service throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
  6. Throughput Consulting Inc., a leading Manufacturing Execution and Quality Management System software provider, hired Joe Coleman as its new cyber security officer to assist customers and their vendors in achieving compliance of NIST 800-171, CMMC and DFARS. He will be working with the Bluestreak™ team towards this end.

 

 


Kudos Chatter

  1. Nitrex launched their new website to reflect their company’s values and brand.
  2. Solar Atmospheres Greenville, SC facility has been awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne approval, their second aerospace prime approval of 2021.
  3. Berndorf AG, parent company to AFC-Holcroft, graduated its 2020/2021 class of its Berndorf Academy, an exclusive, yearlong management training offered to select employees chosen from the corporation’s global subsidiaries. AFC-Holcroft’s Jason Crook, electrical engineering manager, was one of the graduates.
  4. Newage Testing Instruments announced the launch of its new webshop, www.store.ametekstc.com to shop for hardness testing accessories such as test blocks, indenters, and anvils that can be used with both Newage’s products as well as other Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, and Knoop hardness testing and microhardness testing systems.
  5. ECM Technologies was recognized as one of the companies who is leading the way towards a better, brighter, greener future. ECM’s ECO Furnace was presented the Green Business Award for accomplishing a cleaner, safer, and more efficient operation in the heat treat industry; more specifically the environment benefits from a low carbon footprint (energy consumption is minimal and CO2 emissions are near 80% less).

 

 

 

 


Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to bethany@heattreattoday.com.

 

13 Quick Heat Treat News Chatter Items to Keep You Current Read More »

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