HEAT TREAT NEWS

Alumni Spotlight: 40 Under 40 Stars Still Bringing the Heat

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS

Each year, the 40 Under 40 initiative at Heat Treat Today recognizes 40 rising young leaders (ages 40 and younger) in heat treat who are going above and beyond in the industry. The 40 Under 40 initiative gives names, faces, and words to the next generation of heat treat professionals.

To learn more about what makes someone a quality candidate for this honor, read below to hear from the individuals themselves — alumni of Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 — as they share personal updates and industry insights.

Click this link to nominate yourself, or someone you know, by June 28, 2024.

David Cunningham

At the time of David’s nomination for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2019, he was working in Process & Mechanical Design as a heat treating furnace engineer for L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. Here he shares an exciting career (and company) update: “The biggest change since I was nominated to Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 is that I have taken over ownership of L&L Special Furnace Co. I became full owner of the business in January 2023.” 

David Cunningham
L&L Special Furnace, Co., Inc.

Something David finds most fascinating about the heat treat industry is the number of markets it serves. He says, “I am always surprised looking through our list of customers and knowing what their processes are. I never considered how many industries utilize heat treating.”

David’s advice for the incoming 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 is to “Keep learning . . . there is so much more to heat treating than just making things hot. There are so many niche markets out there. One of the things that fascinated me most was learning how the glass for the Hubble was heat treated.”

Read more about David here.

Kevin Norton

An alum of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, Kevin describes how he rose “through the ranks” in the heat treat industry starting in 2008: “[I] started out in the field on the ground as a helper and . . . worked myself up through the ranks . . . to Level 1 technician, to Level 2 technician . . . all the way up into management.” He currently works as operations manager of heat treating at ProQual Inspections.

Kevin Norton
ProQual Inspections

To Kevin, the most intriguing thing about the heat treat industry is the advancements in technology, reducing manpower and improving safety. He states that, “different processes in heat treating will go far and beyond what we currently have . . . I’m looking forward to that.”

Kevin’s advice to anyone looking to do something different in their work is to “Be inquisitive; ask questions.”

Read more about Kevin here.

Miguel Zempoaltecatl

Previous to Miguel’s nomination for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, he worked as a process engineer at Nexteer. Miguel shared an exciting career update that took place soon after: “This kind of recognition gave me a plus to be considered . . . [for] the new position I have had since last year as an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer (AME)” at Nexteer.

Miguel Zempoaltecatl
Nexteer

Miguel describes what he enjoys most about working in the heat treat industry, “As a good friend . . . told me, metallurgy is the oldest of the arts but the newest of the science[s], and this relationship between metallurgy and heat treatments, gives me the opportunity to learn more every day . . . I enjoy work[ing] in this area because every day [there] are new challenges.”

Read more about Miguel here.

 

Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Authors

Check out some of the technical content that 40 Under 40 alumni have published with Heat Treat Today over the years:

Chad Beamer – 40 Under 40 profile

Michelle Bennett – 40 Under 40 profile

Alberto Cantú – 40 Under 40 profile

John Chesna – 40 Under 40 profile

Heather Falcone – 40 Under 40 profile

Humberto Ramos Fernández – 40 Under 40 profile

Brian Flynn – 40 Under 40 profile

  • Heat Treat Radio #84: Heat Treat Tomorrow — Digital Security with 4 Industry Experts

Scott Fogle – 40 Under 40 profile

Ben Gasbarre – 40 Under 40 profile

Josh Hale – 40 Under 40 profile

Mike Harrison – 40 Under 40 profile

Kyle Hummel – 40 Under 40 profile

Caleb Johnson – 40 Under 40 profile

Trevor Jones – 40 Under 40 profile

Don Marteeny – 40 Under 40 profile

Jonathan McKay – 40 Under 40 profile

Aniket Maske – 40 Under 40 profile

Ellen Conway Merrill – 40 Under 40 profile

Shawn Orr – 40 Under 40 profile

Alberto Ramirez – 40 Under 40 profile

Justin Rydzewski – 40 Under 40 profile

Humberto Torres Sánchez – 40 Under 40 profile

Justin Sims – 40 Under 40 profile

Bryan Stern – 40 Under 40 profile

Ryan Sybo – 40 Under 40 profile

Sasha Tupalo – 40 Under 40 profile

Andy Wilkosz – 40 Under 40 profile

Nic Willis – 40 Under 40 profile

Ben Witoff – 40 Under 40 profile

Víctor Zacarías – 40 Under 40 profile

Erika Zarazúa – 40 Under 40 profile

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Allied Mineral Products Jobs

Refractory Manufacturer’s $23.5M Expansion To Create Jobs in Alabama

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, HEAT TREATING ACCESSORIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

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.

headshot Paul Jamieson
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.

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Publisher’s Page: The DOE Is Coming After YOUR Job

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS, PUBLISHER'S PAGE

“When it comes to who should lose their jobs because of changing times, I’d much rather leave the decision up to the market and millions of individual decisions being made independently around the world . . .”

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 the May 2024 Sustainable Heat Treat Technologies print edition.

Yes, the headline is intentionally provocative and even a bit of an exaggeration, unless you are employed in an industry that either makes or heavily uses combustion equipment. If that’s you, then the headline is NOT an exaggeration.

To prove that it is not, I’d like you to meet Mr. Isaac Chan, a DOE employee. Mr. Chan, whom I met in March of this year at an Industrial Heating Equipment Association Annual Spring Meeting is a genuinely nice person with no ill intent toward any living soul. He is also the program manager at the DOE’s Office of Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization.

Let’s pause for just a moment before we talk more about Mr. Chan and acknowledge that the name of this DOE Office, “Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization,” will be, in some specific cases, an oxymoron. In specific industries, given the best available technologies (BAT), mandated decarbonization would cause industrial inefficiency.

Back to Mr. Chan. As I’ve stated, he is a very nice person, but the job he and hundreds of others at the DOE are being paid to do with taxpayer dollars is explicitly targeted at changing the energy composition of U.S. industry with the undeniable effect of putting many, if not all, combustion processes in the ash heap of history along with all those employed therein.

On the fourth slide of a presentation entitled, “Cross Sector Technologies Meeting: Day 2, Next-Generation Enabling Technologies,” presented by Mr. Chan on May 30, 2023, we find the following:

  • DOE Commitment to Industrial Decarbonization (slide title)
  • “Industrial Heat Shot™ — Developing technologies to reduce process heating GHG emissions by 85% by 2035”
  • “Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap — Net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050”

The same slide goes on to list four international organizations that the U.S. has joined to “decarbonize” energy-intensive industries. Those four organizations are:

  • Net-Zero World Initiative
  • G7 Industrial Decarbonization Agenda
  • Mission Innovation’s Net-Zero Industries Mission
  • UNIDO’s coordinated Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative

Who Decides

The issue here is who decides if the world will decarbonize or not. I personally have no axe to grind on whether combustion people stay employed or not. Economies change. Energy sources change. People in those industries lose and gain jobs. And assuming these changes are the result of millions of decisions freely made by millions of individuals daily, we can safely consider these changes to be progress. But when a change from one fuel to another — gas to electricity or carbon to no carbon fuels in this case — is pushed from the top down, when it is forced on us by “guideline” or “mandate” using our own money, that is not progress.

The market should decide. A free, unfettered market where millions of people make decisions daily is a more reliable indicator of what the people want than the well-meaning individuals in the DOE — no disrespect to any of these good people.

When it comes to who should lose their jobs because of changing times, I’d much rather leave the decision up to the market and millions of individual decisions being made independently around the world, than to a small group of well-meaning individuals who believe they know what is best for the world.

Let’s let the market do what it does so well. Let the market choose the winners and losers.

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Heat Treat Economic Indicators: May 2024 Results

/ HEAT TREAT ECONOMIC NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

The four heat treat industry-specific economic indicators, gathered by Heat Treat Today each month since June 2023, indicate expectations for economic growth in May compared to what suppliers experienced in April. However, while growth is still expected, it appears that most suppliers are more tame in their projections for growth across most indicators.

The numbers, which were compiled in the second week of May, show that responding parties strongly anticipate all four indices — number of inquiries, value of bookings, size of backlogs, and health of manufacturing economy — to grow. Again this is growth as is compares to the previous month (April). One specific indicator does stand out, though: Manufacturers are expecting significant growth in number of inquiries.

The results from this month’s survey (May) are as follows; numbers above 50 indicate growth, numbers below 50 indicate contraction, and the number 50 indicates no change:

  • Anticipated change in the Number of Inquiries from April to May: 61.5
  • Anticipated change in Value of Bookings from April to May: 56.8
  • Anticipated change in Backlog Size from April to May: 52.7
  • Anticipated change in the Health of the Manufacturing Economy from April to May: 55.9

Data for May 2024

The four index numbers are reported monthly by Heat Treat Today and made available on the website. 

Heat Treat Today’s Economic Indicators measure and report on four, heat treat industry indices. Each month, approximately 800 individuals who classify themselves as suppliers to the North American heat treat industry receive the survey. Above are the results. Data started being collected in June 2023. If you would like to participate in the monthly survey, please click here to subscribe.

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All 11 News Chatter To Keep You Current

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 11 news items.

Company

  1. By rolling the first hot strip, SMS group put the new high-capacity hot strip mill (HSM) at Jindal Steel Odisha Ltd. (JSOL) successfully into operation. The commissioning and erection of the furnace took place in record time, despite temporary restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Eisengießerei Th. Schultz have placed an order with OTTO JUNKER GmbH for the delivery and commissioning of a medium-frequency coreless induction furnace plant. The 1.7-ton induction furnace will be equipped with a 12-pulse IGBT frequency converter and have a power of 1,200 kW. Apart from a glycol-free air/water re-cooler with integrated heat recovery, the new furnace plant will be fitted with the OCP+ temperature monitoring system for permanent coil monitoring.
  3. Angang Guangzhou Automotive Steel Co., Ltd. and Ansteel Engineering Technology Corporation Limited have signed a contract with SMS group for the supply of a new hot dip galvanizing line (No. 2). The first ready-for-sale coil is scheduled for production in November 2025.
Roughing mill No. 2 in 4 hi-design with attached edger
SMS group to supply new hot dip galvanizing line (No. 2)

Company & Personnel 

  1. Control Concepts, Inc. is excited to announce that seasoned employee Tony Busch has been promoted to the position of North American sales manager. Busch has been with the company for 15 years, having most recently served clients as Sales Applications engineer for the past 10 years.
  2. The American branch of SECO/WARWICK has decided to expand its presence on the continent. Mexico is an important market for SECO/WARWICK USA; hence, the decision was made to open a sales and service office in Monterrey as the new SECO/WARWICK, MEXICO division. It will occupy about 2,000 square feet of office space in a high-rise business park, including garage parking and controlled-access reception.
  3. CAN-ENG FURNACES INTERNATIONAL LTD. is pleased to announce that Tim Donofrio, VP of Sales, has reached his 25-year milestone with the company. Tim joined CAN-ENG in 1999 in an outside sales capacity, eventually leading the Company’s Aluminum Products Group, which captured a significant portion of the ICE and Aluminum Structural casting component heat treatment equipment market. With the launch of EVERGREEEN KILN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC in 2024, Tim has the added sales and marketing responsibilities for kilns used in the processing of anode and cathode materials for the emerging BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) market.
  4. SECO/WARWICK has opened a new production hall in India. This is one of the steps in implementing their global expansion strategy, which aims to deliver the highest quality equipment for metal heat treatment to all continents.
  5. Steelhead Technologies launched “The Hatchery Roadshow” in April 2024, bringing an interactive and immersive demo experience of its digitization job shop solutions to manufacturers across the U.S.
  6. Ipsen bolstered its aftermarket team with the addition of two new Regional Sales engineers. Tyler Free will support customers in the Midwest, while Charlie Preston will serve the Southeast region. They join a seasoned team, including Steve Mondorf (West), Tom Sutherland (South), and Chad Mehmel (Northeast).
  7. Allied Mineral Products, LLC has purchased Gemcast, Inc. The acquisition will allow them to have a manufacturing presence in Canada and adopt new lines of business through Gemcast’s industry-leading vacuum-formed products, fiber gaskets, and precast shapes.
Tony Busch, North American Sales Manager, Control Concepts, Inc.
Tim Donofrio, VP of Sales, CAN-ENG FURNACES INTERNATIONAL LTD.
SECO/WARWICK reports that the opening of the hall will significantly increase the group’s efficiency in this region.
Ipsen’s two new Regional Sales Engineers: Tyler Free (Midwest) and Charlie Preston (Southeast)

Kudos 

  1. Solar Atmospheres’ Greenville, SC, facility announced that it has been awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems approval. With this approval, now all five of Solar Atmospheres’ facilities can meet Lockheed Martin requirements for thermal processing services.
Solar Atmospheres of Greenville awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems approval

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Solar Atmospheres Acquires Certified Metal Craft Inc.

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT, MEDICAL HEAT TREAT NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Solar Atmospheres, Inc. announced their most recent acquisition, Certified Metal Craft (CMC) located in El Cajon (an East County suburb of San Diego). With nearly 55 years of serving the Southern California region, CMC and the Wiederkehr Family have established themselves as a source for heat treating and brazing services. With the addition of CMC to the Solar Family of Companies, CMC establishes Solar’s 6th nationwide location and bolsters their West Coast presence.

Derek Dennis
President
Solar Atmospheres California

CMC has extensive capabilities to include vacuum, aluminum, atmospheric, endothermic, salt bath and cryogenic processing and currently employs 25 dedicated employees. Servicing the aerospace, medical, and commercial markets, CMC is Nadcap-accredited and holds a long list of customer and prime approvals. Tim Wiederkehr will immediately assume the role of V.P. of Operations and report to Derek Dennis, president of Solar Atmospheres of California, Inc.

Derek Dennis states “Solar is excited to welcome the dedicated CMC team into the growing nation of Solar companies.” He adds, “Together, we will continue to grow our west coast footprint while solidifying our industry leading approach of being the ‘go-to’ choice for all heat treating & brazing needs with an unwavering commitment to honesty and integrity in all relationships.”

This press release is available in its original form here.

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News from Abroad: Safer Technologies and Carbon Cutting

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS, BURNERS COMBUSTION SYSTEM NEWS, FOUNDRY CASTING, FOUNDRY CASTING NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Today’s News from Abroad installment highlights more carbon-cutting trends from the steel industry, ranging from robots in the cast house to recycling best practices.  

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe. 

Robots Bring Safety to Casting 

Primetals Technologies’ new customized LiquiRob robotics system in operation at Siam Yamato Steel’s Map Ta Phut plant Source: Primetals Technologies

“Thai steel producer Siam Yamato Steel has implemented a new robot concept from Primetals Technologies, including LiquiRob, at its steelworks in Map Ta Phut . . .. Thanks to the robotics solution, safety and occupational health in the steelworks have significantly improved. Previously, workers who manually operated the shadow tube had to stand directly next to the distributor and the stream of steel flowing out of the ladle. In the case of a so-called ‘frozen pan.’” 

READ MORE: “Primetals Technologies: New robotics concept for safer casting processes” at heat-processing.com

Carbon Cut with Induction Solution at High Heats

CELES EcoTransFlux™ brings green high heating abilities to the induction heating technology. Source: Furnaces International

“Nippon Steel Stainless Steel Corporation and Sojitz Group met with our induction team at Fives headquarters in Paris for a detailed design review of the transverse flux induction heating system. CELES EcoTransFlux™ is an induction heating technology with very high heating rates at extremely high temperatures, and a compact footprint. It also has a minimal environmental footprint, making it beneficial for steelmakers to improve their carbon, stainless or electrical steel production.” 

READ MORE: “Breakthrough technology for steelmakers” at furnaces-international.com

Standards To Maximize Can Recyclability

EAGP members signed an agreement to engage in a standardisation project for beverage cans. Source: Anrita1705/Pixabay

“Four leading flat-rolled aluminium manufacturers and members of the European Aluminium Packaging Group (EAPG), Constellium, Elval, Novelis and Speira, have signed an agreement to engage in a standardisation project to maximise the recycled content levels of the beverage can and thus substantially lower carbon emissions, focused on increased recyclability of the can end.” 

READ MORE: “European Aluminium Producers Agree on Standardisation Project for Cans” at heat-processing.com

Mini-Mill Investment Transforms Future for Swedish Metal Manufacturer

Fossil-free mini-mill Source: Furnaces International

“SSAB’s Board of Directors have taken the decision to proceed with the next step in SSABs transition, building a state-of-the-art fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden. When completed SSAB will close the current blast furnace-based production system. This will reduce Sweden’s CO2 emissions with 7% in addition to the 3% from the Oxelösund mill conversion.” 

READ MORE: SSAB continues the transformation with a fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden” at furnaces-international.com

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Is It Time To Rethink the “Quality” Movement?

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, PUBLISHER'S PAGE

“It’s really difficult to speak against ‘quality.’ Who doesn’t want quality?” Read on to discover Doug’s thoughts on this topic.

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 the March 2024 Aerospace Heat Treat print edition.

With door plugs flying out of airplanes at scary-high altitudes, it seems an appropriate time to revisit where we are in quality initiatives in the North American heat treat industry from an equally high, 30,000-foot perspective.

It’s really difficult to speak against “quality.” Who doesn’t want quality? Those who even bring it up are bound to be looked at with suspicion. Let the suspicion begin, because I would like to bring it up.

One Standard To Rule Them All

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Since my early days in the heat treat industry (late 1980s), there have been discussions about “quality” standards and certifications. I first remember QS-9000, a standard imposed on automotive industry suppliers by the Big 3: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The understanding was if you (a supplier to the Big 3) work and achieve QS-9000, then you won’t need to worry about complying with any other quality certifications, especially from one of the Big 3; it was one standard to rule them all, to borrow language from Lord of the Rings.

Before QS-9000, each of the Big 3 could demand that you comply with their specific quality standards, and each of them could (and would) audit your processes, costing suppliers significant time and money. Saving these costs by complying with JUST ONE standard that would make the Big 3 happy was the driving force behind QS-9000.

But QS-9000 ceased to exist on December 14, 2006, and was replaced by one or two other standards systems (depending on how you look at it). So much for one standard.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the quality industry saw enormous growth. “Quality Assurance” (QA) departments burgeoned, “Quality Managers” became more prevalent, and standards organizations, like SAE and ISO, flourished. Quality had become an industry of its own. In fact, my previous employer, BNP Media, publishes Quality Magazine just to serve the growing quality industry. Quality is now a living, breathing organism that, like all living things, is interested in self-propagation and survival.

“Quality” or Consistency?

One of the first thoughts I remember having about the corporate quality initiative I was involved with was the distinct lack of a definition of what “quality” really meant. For many of the standards, they did not really care what you did (whether or not you did quality work), they just wanted you to prove you had documented your work, that your people knew said documentation existed, and they were following the processes you had described in documentation.

That doesn’t sound so much like true quality so much as it sounds like a consistency check for documentation. Certainly, documenting and complying with documentation is a good thing. To that extent, the quality movement has certainly helped many companies.

“. . . current “quality” standards . . . act [more] as an anchor on a fully throttled ship . . . .”

Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today

“Quality” or Conformity?

As the current “quality” movement stands, it seems to be more of a hindrance to quality than a help. Today, most of the current quality standards that exist, as much as they may help in some instances, act as an anchor on a fully throttled ship — slowing progress and innovation.

Regularly, we hear about new technologies that are very innovative. These new technologies, if they could be adopted, would undoubtedly increase true quality and lower costs. They are, however, not being commercialized at a significant rate because suppliers have to conform to quality standards, and it would take heaven and earth to change those standards. In this sense, the quality movement is inhibiting quality instead of supporting it.

Love-Hate Relationship

Even many in the quality industry are aware of this hinderance. Over the past several months, I’ve spoken with quite a few quality people who think their industry is bloated and, in many cases, counterproductive. But it is a huge part of their livelihood. When I ask them if they think the industry would be better off without a quality movement, nearly all of them have a hard time letting go . Most think it would be a bad thing if quality standards and audits went away.

Perhaps in a future column, I can give you one scenario of how we could pivot away from the current “quality” system to a more market-oriented quality system which would do a better job promoting both quality and innovation .

Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today

For more information contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com.

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Heat Treat Economic Indicators: April 2024 Results

/ HEAT TREAT ECONOMIC NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

There are four heat treat industry-specific economic indicators gathered by Heat Treat Today each month since June 2023, and this month, we are seeing a marked downturn in expectations across all indicators.

The numbers, compiled in the second week of April, show that responding parties strongly anticipate all four indices — number of inquiry, value of bookings, size of backlogs, and health of manufacturing economy — to grow. However, all projections are significantly down, which would seem to indicate that industry suppliers are approaching April with far more conservative expectations as compared to Q1 2024.

The results from this month’s survey (April) are as follows; numbers above 50 indicate growth, numbers below 50 indicate contraction, and the number 50 indicates no change:

  • Anticipated change in the Number of Inquiries from March to April: 51.9
  • Anticipated change in Value of Bookings from March to April: 56.5
  • Anticipated change in Backlog Size from March to April: 51.9
  • Anticipated change in the Health of the Manufacturing Economy from March to April: 51.3

Data for April 2024

The four index numbers are reported monthly by Heat Treat Today and made available on the website. 

Heat Treat Today's Economic Indicators measure and report on four, heat treat industry indices. Each month, approximately 800 individuals who classify themselves as suppliers to the North American heat treat industry receive the survey. Above are the results. Data started being collected in June 2023. If you would like to participate in the monthly survey, please click here to subscribe.

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US DOE Strategy Affects Heat Treaters

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, OP-ED

As heat treaters strive for a sustainable future, pressure mounts to make the right choices while running commercially viable operations. This guest column by Michael Mouilleseaux, general manager at Erie Steel, Ltd., explores how and why heat treat operations are now coming under the focus of the U.S. Department of Energy.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s March 2024 Aerospace print edition.

The iron and steel industry contributes approximately 2.1% of energy-related CO2 emissions from primary sectors in the U.S. These statistics may seem insignificant or far removed, but the federal government has now determined that heat treating is a significant contributor and has set in motion critical changes for U.S. heat treaters.

Background

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On December 8, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order that committed the federal government to “lead by example” in U.S. efforts towards carbon-free and net zero emissions solutions. Since then, the executive has delegated the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to spearhead these initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and promoting energy efficiency across various sectors of the U.S. economy. To support these efforts, $10,000,000,000 in incentives are being allocated for the DOE and EPA to investigate and promulgate regulations.

Specifically, the government sees the “industrial sector” as responsible for close to a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE); the five industries named within this sector are chemical processing, petroleum processing, iron & steel production, cement production, and food & beverage manufacturing. The DOE is leading the efforts of “supercharging industrial decarbonization innovation” and leveraging the potential of “clean hydrogen.”

Following these directives, the DOE unveiled the “Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap” in September 2022. This strategic plan will guide decarbonization efforts of the five key industrial sectors to mitigate GHGE. The four pillars are:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Industrial electrification (using green electricity)
  • Adoption of low-carbon fuels, feedstocks, and energy sources (LCFFES)
  • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage at the generated source (CCUS)

The DOE determined that process heating — accounting for 63% of energy usage within the iron and steel industry — would be the best opportunity to apply these four pillars. However, until May 2023, heat treating had not been explicitly mentioned as a target for decarbonization efforts.

Why Should Heat Treaters Care?

In May 2023, the Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office — an office within the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy — held a symposium to refine its commitment to the decarbonization of the industrial sector. It was then that heat treating was specifically defined as a process targeted for the reduction of GHGE in the steel, aluminum, and glass manufacturing industries.

The DOE’s refined commitment focuses on two things: reduce GHGE attributable to “process heating” by 85% by 2035 and achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. To reach these ambitious goals, the DOE emphasized the importance of adopting LCFFES, green electrification, and implementing strategies that promote industrial flexibility, advanced heat management, smart manufacturing, and alternative technologies.

The potential ramifications of the DOE’s efforts on the heat treating industry are momentous. With the development of regulations to support these efforts, businesses within this sector must prepare for significant changes. The focus on green hydrogen, biofuels, and electrification, coupled with advanced technological solutions like ultra-efficient heat exchangers, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and alternative no-heat technologies, are strategies being considered for potential regulation.

Conclusion

The heat treating industry stands at a crossroads, with the DOE’s decarbonization initiatives signaling a shift to adopt cleaner energy practices. As these regulations take shape, businesses will need to adapt, investing in new technologies and processes that align with the nation’s clean energy 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. He will be speaking on the MTI podcast about this subject on March 5, 2024, 2:30 EST, and will present on this topic at the April 3, 2024, MTI Mid-West chapter meeting.

For more information: Contact Michael at mmouilleseaux@erie.com.

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