This list of cybersecurity acronyms was compiled by the late Joe Coleman, former cybersecurity officer at Bluestreak Consulting™. Joe wrote a regular column called the Cybersecurity Desk in Heat Treat Today’sprint publication.
“Even if a heat treater is not a DoD contractor or in the DoD supply chain, NIST 800-171 is a great “best practice” standard for any organization to improve overall cybersecurity health. This will help in obtaining future orders because customers will know critical data is secure.” – Joe Coleman
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE CYBERSECURITY ACRONYMS LIST
CLICK TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE CYBERSECURITY ACRONYMS LIST
About The Author
Joe Coleman
Joe Coleman was the cybersecurity officer at Bluestreak Compliance, which is a division of Bluestreak | Bright AM™. Joe worked for over 35 years in diverse manufacturing and engineering positions. His background included extensive training in cybersecurity, a career as a machinist, machining manager, and an early additive manufacturing (AM) pioneer. Joe presented at the Furnaces North America (FNA 2024) convention on DFARS, NIST 800-171, and CMMC 2.0.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 12 news items, featuring steel mill and furnace upgrades, new CEOs, a 5000th device celebration, and more!
Equipment
1. Synergy Additive Manufacturing LLCwas awarded Phase I SBIR by U.S. Navy to develop extremely high-speed laser cladding processes to enhance the performance of titanium cylinder bores used in critical helicopter components.
2. SMS group upgrades CELSA Barcelona’s medium section mill with new process automation. Upgrade of the outdated level 2 automation will secure the long-term operational stability and ongoing production efficiency of the medium section mill.
3. Nitrex upgraded seven furnaces for a Nevada manufacturer for the aerospace industry. The upgrades included retrofitted vacuum furnaces with modern automation utilizing QMULUS — Nitrex’s AI- and ML-powered SCADA platform.
4. Mercer Vacuum Components and Services, Inc., were commissioned to rebuild two vacuum furnaces, including the furnaces’ hot zones, gas cooling systems (to include the motor), and fan and heat exchangers. The rebuilding occurred at their Vacuum Technologies Center in Terre Haute, IN.
Synergy Additive Manufacturing LLC awarded phase I SBIRSMS Group upgrades millNitrex upgrades furnacesMercer Vacuum Components and Services, Inc. rebuilds
Company & Personnel
5. SMS group enters into strategic partnership with The Systems Group to drive safety and sustainability in steelmaking. SMS group now integrates Spray-Cooled® technology into its solutions for electric arc furnaces and secondary metallurgy plants.
6. Ipsen Group CEO Geoffrey Somary assumed the role of president of Ipsen USA, in addition to his current role leading the global organization.
7. Patrick McKenna has been appointed as chief executive officer and director of Bluewater Thermal Solutions, a portfolio company of Aterian Investment Partners.
SMS Group partners for furnace solutionsGeoffrey Somary CEO Ipsen USAPatrick McKenna CEO Bluewater Thermal Solutions
Kudos
8. Kowalski Heat Treating Company celebrated 50 years in business. The family company was founded in 1975, and remains a family company today.
9. Southwest Metal Treating Corp. announced earning Nadcap® accreditation for heat treating, marking a milestone in its commitment to quality and precision in aerospace and defense manufacturing.
10. Nitrex celebrated the 35th work anniversaries of Karen Feciskonin and Bill Schmitz. They also recognized Bill Schmitz’s retirement after 35 years of serving on their team.
11. Akron Steel Treating Company announced 20 years of Nadcap® accreditation.
12. The SECO/WARWICK Group announced record-breaking dynamic growth results as well as the milestone of the 5000th device in production.
Kowalski 50 Year AnniversarySouthwest Metal Treating Nadcap CertificationNitrex celebrates anniversariesAkron Steel Treating Nadcap CertificationSECO/WARWICK 5000th device
Patrick McKenna has been appointed as chief executive officer and director of Bluewater Thermal Solutions, a portfolio company of Aterian Investment Partners, effective immediately.
Patrick McKenna CEO Bluewater Thermal Solutions
“I’m honored to join Bluewater Thermal Solutions at such a dynamic time for the industry,” said McKenna. “With a strong operational footprint, a dedicated team, and a reputation for technical excellence, Bluewater is well positioned for growth. I’m eager to work alongside our employees, customers, and partners to build on the company’s momentum and drive our capabilities forward.”
McKenna has more than 25 years of leadership and innovation experience in the thermal processing industry. He most recently served as president & CEO of Ipsen USA, a global provider of vacuum furnace technology for the thermal processing sector. He oversaw a team of more than 250 employees at Ipsen’s U.S. based Vacuum Center of Excellence, while driving success across international markets.
Prior to Ipsen, McKenna was most recently co-founder, board member, and vice president of Nevada Heat Treating/California Brazing. There, he helped transform the business from a traditional commercial heat treating operation into a Nadcap-accredited provider of turnkey manufacturing solutions serving major aerospace OEMs.
Brandon Bethea, co-founder and partner at Aterian, expressed strong confidence in the new leadership: “Patrick has excelled in every role he’s taken on. His deep industry expertise and sharp eye for commercial growth make him the ideal leader to guide Bluewater into its next phase. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the team.”
Bluewater Thermal Solutions is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, and is one of North America’s largest providers of heat treating and brazing services. The company operates ten facilities across the U.S., offering thermal processing capabilities.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Each year, the 40 Under 40 initiative at Heat Treat Todayrecognizes 40 rising young leaders (ages 40 and younger) in heat treat who are going above and beyond in the industry.
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’s40 Under 40 — as they share personal updates and industry insights.
Click this link to nominate yourself, or someone you know, by June 27, 2025.
Larissa Costa
When she was nominated for Heat Treat Today’s40 Under 40 in 2024, Larissa Costa was a metallurgist withNucor Steel Brandenburg, she had a PhD, and had already served in her industry for ten years. Now she shares an encouraging update about milestones since her nomination and the role mentorships play in the industry.
“The most exciting milestone I recently reached was developing all the quenching recipes for the continuous heat treatment line at Nucor Steel Brandenburg. Developing the heat treatment process, especially the quenching recipes from scratch in a green steel mill is not something usual. Therefore, having the opportunity of developing recipes for quenching in a continuous line is very rewarding and it was an important milestone for both Nucor Steel Brandenburg and my career itself. At the continuous heat treatment line we heat treat steel plates with grades varying from structural to abrasion resistant, with a large range of thicknesses that varies from 3/16” – 4.”
Sharing about the role mentors played in her success, Larissa said, “Yes, I had some good mentors in my career and they definitely had an impact in how I develop my work. Two things I learned with respect to technical abilities that I use on a daily basis are:
Make sure that you’re expressing yourself in a way that everyone can understand, independent of their background or technical knowledge.
Always support your discussions, ideas, plans, and projects by data and technical information.”
When asked what advice she would give to young professionals entering the heat treating industry, she replied: “Keep your mind sharp. Discuss technical aspects with your peers and teammates, explore, investigate, study, review things that you learned, keep yourself updated. Understanding how your material was processed before the heat treatment can be the key to mitigate issues you might face after the heat treatment. The previous steps in production can impact in the mechanical and metallurgical properties, residual stresses, distortion, and consequently the lifetime of your final product.”
Trevor Gibson
Trevor Gibson was a Heat Treat Today 40 Under 40Class of 2023 honoree. He had been in his field for 11 years, and was the lead materials engineer at Dana Incorporated. Trevor shared more about his recent achievements, and how he has grown over the past five years as a heat treater.
“Recently, I have remained steadily busy. With higher demands for power density through various parts, continuing to educate others in regards to various heat treat and materials has been at the forefront of my responsibilities. I would say that it has driven more creativity in how we look at conventional processes.
“Over the past five years I have gone from a simple engineer to a lead engineer at Dana. I have been working with the global teams in everything from materials selection and design all the way to helping troubleshoot heat treating issues at our various plants globally.”
When asked what the most enjoyable part of heat treating is, Trevor responded, “Definitely the people. There is always someone willing to help out when you have issues. Whether it is from furnace, controls, induction, or commercial heat treaters, you can always message or call people up when you are having an issue, and they are more than willing to take time out of their day to support.”
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 Todayover the years:
Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from theJune 2025 Buyers Guide print edition.
In 2025, procuring nearly anything has become a bit more “interesting,” shall we say, with the complete and total shake up of the world’s economy with hasty and heavy tariffs imposed by the U.S. on the rest of the world.
For posterity, let me record a few basic facts about what is happening. On April 2, 2025, newly re-elected U.S. President, Donald J. Trump, imposed what was described as “reciprocal tariffs” on nearly every country in the world. April 2 was chosen because President Trump did not want people to think that he was just kidding by imposing the tariffs on April 1, April Fools’ Day. All previous trade agreements were instantly and unilaterally eliminated.
The tariffs were, in fact, not truly reciprocal as one might simply understand that word. Instead, each nation’s actual tariffs were combined with their trade deficit and currency manipulation and then divided in half to arrive at what President Trump called “U.S.A. Discounted Reciprocal Tariffs.” No country escaped. Everyone had at least a 10% tariff. China was hit with a 34% reciprocal tariff – their calculated tariff was 67%. India received a 26% reciprocal tariff – their calculated tariff was 52%.
Roughly a week later, while the world was still reeling, all tariffs were reduced to 10% assuming the country did not retaliate. Only one country retaliated – China. China’s tariffs have ranged as high as 145% and as low as 30% as the two countries struggle to come to an agreement. It is safe to describe the relationship between the two countries as very tense.
Understanding Tariffs
Before exploring how these tariffs might impact the North America heat treating and thermal processing markets, let me first make two recommendations for anyone wanting to learn more about tariffs and good, sound economics.
The best book I’ve ever read about tariffs is an old classic book written by Frederic Bastiat entitled, Economic Sophisms. The book is spot on and simple and shows how tariffs are not generally helpful from an economic perspective. Bastiat was also the author of another great, short book called The Law. I recommend both.
Another excellent book that discusses tariffs is Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson, especially chapter eleven, “Who’s ‘Protected’ by Tariffs.”
Of course, economics aren’t the only reason a country imposes tariffs. Preserving industries critical to national defense is one such non-economic reason often cited for imposing tariffs.
The Upside of Tariffs
So, what are the potential impacts of tariffs on the North American thermal processing industry? Given that tariffs are, in essence, a tax, there are few true economic gains to be made. However, it is very possible that our commercial heat treater brothers and sisters may benefit significantly from tariffs, especially if more and more manufacturing returns to the U.S. This return of manufacturing would also potentially benefit many oven, furnace, and induction equipment manufacturers, as well as component suppliers. Any increase in manufacturing State-side will bode well for industry suppliers.
The Downside of Tariffs
The potential downsides are legion. The most notable? Instead of stimulating manufacturing in the U.S., it is possible that tariffs will start to significantly impact exports. If that happens, manufacturing will take it on the chin due to artificially restricted demand. Not only would this hurt many of the companies that read this publication and perform their own in-house thermal processing, but it will have the trickle-down effect of drying up demand for new furnaces, ovens, and components.
Tariffs also could be a real boon for furnace and oven manufacturers located within the borders of the U.S. Assuming the tariffs persist (which is doubtful), companies building furnaces in the U.S. will have a significant competitive advantage. However, the opposite is true for furnace manufacturers who build internationally and ship their equipment into the U.S. Currently, there are a significant number of international furnace manufacturers doing business in the U.S. These companies are at risk.
The Real Goal of Trump’s Tariffs
If the real goal of Trump’s tariffs is to lower all tariffs everywhere, this whole tariff chapter should end well, ultimately. If, however, President Trump really does “loooove tariffs” as he has claimed, the new Golden Age will not be as golden as it might have been.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 10 news items, featuring a new steel mill in Alabama, a 46% carbon emissions reduction validation, a sweet farewell to an industry leader, and more!
Equipment
1. Solar Atmospheres of Michigan expanded with new air tempering and cryogenic equipment including a 6’6” wide × 4’ high × 14’ long car-bottom air furnace, with a robust weight capacity of 30,000 pounds and temperature uniformity within ±10°F from 300°F to 1400°F
2. Alleima’s Kanthaldivision and Danieli is slated to supply the first electric process gas heater for commercial use at Emsteel’s Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
3. SMS group supplied open-die forging press to Jiuli Yongxing in China, creating a fully integrated forging line to increase production capacity. The press utilized an open-die forging process that improves the microstructural quality of materials through grain refinement, with forging accuracy of approximately ±1 millimeter.
4. Dynavac designed a thermal vacuum system for validating spacecraft performance and reliability. The system operates under high vacuum conditions while providing temperature control from -185°C (-301°F) to 150°C (302°F).
Solar Atmospheres of Michigan expanded with new equipmentAlleima’s Kanthal division and Danieli to supply electric gas heaterSMS group supplies open-die forging pressDynavac provides furnace for aerospace testing
Company & Personnel
5. Hydro signed a long-term agreement with power cable solutions provider NKT, under which Hydro will supply NKT with low-carbon aluminum for the production of wire rod.
6. SSAB received a $4.3 million in tax incentives to support its $74 million expansion project: a steel plant in Alabama.
7. Nitrex announced two new company leadership promotions: Kurt Willms as sales director of Americas and Asia, and Marcin Stoklosa as sales director of Europe and Middle East.
8. ECM USA announced the retirement of William (Bill) Gornicki following 35 years of distinguished service in the heat treat industry.
Hydro to provide low-carbon aluminum for wire rodSSAB received a $4.3 million to support steel plant expansionNitrex announces new leadershipWilliam (Bill) Gornicki retired from ECM/USA after 35 Years
Kudos
9. Bodycote achieved Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validation for an enhanced carbon reduction target of 46% in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 – compared to a 2019 baseline.
10. SECO/WARWICK celebrated 15 years of operations in China, after beginning in 2010.
Bodycote achieves SBTi validation for carbon reduction targetSECO/WARWICK celebrated 15 years of operations in China
In today’s News from Abroadinstallment, we highlight a new €13 million (that’s $14.9 million US) melting furnace which can recycle 7,000 tons of aluminum waste annually, an oxygen enrichment system for a European steelmaker’s billet reheating furnace, and a new bell annealer facility for copper.
Heat TreatTodaypartners 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. Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe, and heat-processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets.
A €13 Million Dollar Recycling Furnace For Aluminum
Aluminium Dunkerque’s €13 million furnace will enable it to recycle 7,000 tonnes of aluminium waste a year. Source: Furnaces International
“Aluminium Dunkerque has inaugurated a melting furnace dedicated to aluminium recycling. It said its furnace 8 will allow it to recycle 7,000 tonnes of aluminium waste each year and to produce an additional 20,000 tonnes of metal with a low carbon footprint. This represents a 10% reduction in CO₂ emissions per tonne of ingots produced, i.e. 25,000 tonnes of CO₂ avoided each year, and 96 GWh of electricity consumption avoided. The furnace also created an additional eight jobs. Furnace 8 is part of a broader approach to reindustrialisation and the reduction of imports of high-carbon aluminium. Guillaume de Goÿs, CEO of Aluminium Dunkerque, said: “Each year, France still exports nearly 500,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap that could be processed domestically. “By enabling on-site processing, Aluminium Dunkerque strengthens national sovereignty in critical metals while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Oxygen Enrichment System For Billet Reheating Furnace
Fives installed an oxygen enrichment system at SN Maia Siderurgia’s furnace in Portugal. Source: Furnaces International
“Fives has completed its first PREMIX oxygen enrichment project on an existing billet reheating furnace at SN Maia Siderurgia Nacional in Maia, Portugal. This marks a milestone in its efforts to optimise furnace performance and improve energy efficiency. SN Maia Siderurgia Nacional, the largest rebar production plant of the MEGASA Group – a European steelmaker, was looking to install a new oxygen system to reduce natural gas consumption, having the possibility to produce oxygen on site at a lower cost. The project was entrusted to Fives Steel Spain, which had previously modified the combustion system of the same furnace. The company developed a new technology called Premix, which injects additional oxygen into the combustion air duct upstream of the burners. Oxygen levels were increased to 25% with around 6% fuel savings, exceeding initial energy efficiency expectations.”
Poongsan Corporation order HICON/H2® bell annealer facility for capacity increase
Source: Ebner
“Poongsan Corporation invests in an additional EBNER HICON/H2® bell annealer facility for bright annealing of copper and copper-alloy strip coils. The new facility comprises 2 heating bells, 4 HICON/H2® workbases and 2 cooling bells including necessary auxiliary equipment and a Visual Furnaces 6® Process Control System. With this facility the capacity will be increased, and it will be available for production in 2026. Poongsan Corporation is a world known quality producer and, among others, supplies their high-end products to the automotive, electronic and coin industry.”
READ MORE: Poongsan Corporation order HICON/H2® bell annealer facility for capacity increase atprozesswaerme.net
Welcome to Heat Treat Today’sThis Week in Heat Treat Social Media. We’re looking at a new metal training hub, Tesla AI robotics, MTI’s Spring meeting highlights, and more!
As you know, there is so much content available on the web that it’s next to impossible to sift through all of the articles and posts that flood our inboxes and notifications on a daily basis. So, Heat Treat Today is here to bring you the latest in compelling, inspiring, and entertaining heat treat news from the different social media venues that you’ve just got to see and read!If you have content that everyone has to see, please send the link to editor@heattreattoday.com.
1. New Metal Hub at University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB)
Check out UAB’s exciting new hub. This partnership with The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning will provide opportunities for metalworking and manufacturing professional training. Are we looking at the future of Heat Treat Today’s 40 under 40 Class of 2030? Time will tell.
New Metal Hub Launches at the University of Alabama, Birmingham
2. Dance Off With a Robot?
Dancing today, changing a tire tomorrow. Tesla is striving to advance its robotic humanoid AI to be of practical help to its human creators. However, dancing is not only easier, but more entertaining than practical tasks. Check out the moves on their Optimus robot below, and feel free to blast Mr. Roboto by Styx while you do.
Tesla showcasing a dancing Optimus robot.
3. A Visual on Cooling Rates
We in heat treatment love quality technical content. Check out this fabulous graph depicting the effect of cooling rate on the microstructure of eutectoid steel.
Graph showing the impact of cooling rate on eutectoid steel
4. Where Do Tan Lines and Pyometry Meet?
Many social media posts poured in about the MTI Spring Meeting in Puerto Rico. Something about those palm trees, salty air, and industry experts puts us in a good place.
Attendees share their about their MTI experience in Puerto Rico
5. Be Inspired With Heat Treat Radio #121
Tune in to Listen to Heat Treat Radio #121: Equipment And Process Insights From A Rising Metallurgical Engineer. This inspiring information shared by Katelyn Kirsch, one of Heat TreatToday’s40 Under 40 Class of 2024, on Heat Treat Radio will keep you well informed! And if you know an up-and-coming leader in the heat treat industry who is 40 years of age or under, head over to the 40 Under 40 nomination page to nominate today!
Katelyn Kirsch discusses responsibilities in integrating new equipment and processes, managing thermal processing, and setting up a metallurgical lab in Heat Treat Radio #121
Two entities located in Meadville, PA will now operate as one organization.
SECO/WARWICKand SECO/VACUUM Technologies have consolidated their U.S. operations. Piotr Zawistowski, the current president of SECO/VACUUM, will remain at the helm of the merged organization.
Growing market needs, changing geopolitical conditions, and the aim to further strengthen the global SECO/WARWICK brand were motivations for the decision.
Sławomir Woźniak CEO SECO/WARWICK Group
Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group shared that “operating under one brand (SECO/WARWICK) is an important step in implementing our product strategy in the North American market. The consolidation will strengthen brand recognition, optimize operational processes, and simplify administrative formalities. I want to emphasize that while the formal structure and name change, the values, mission, and vision of the SECO/WARWICK Group remain unchanged. The goal of the entire undertaking is growth on all fronts.”
“I would also like to emphasize that all existing product lines of both entities will continue,” added Piotr Zawistowski, Managing Director of the American SECO/WARWICK branch.
Piotr Zawistowski Managing Director SECO/VACUUM
One of the short-term goals following the merger will be the transfer of technology and the expansion of the product portfolio in the American market. The remaining branch of the Group in the USA – RETECH in Buffalo, New York – will maintain its existing production, product segment, and separate brand.
Merger Announcement On SECO/VACUUM Website Source: SECO/VACUUM
Press release is available in its original form here.
A new thermal processing company has launched under the oversight of industry leaders.
High Vacuum Technologies (HVT) has announced its inauguration as a new vacuum furnace manufacturer. HVT is committed to serving the industry with energy efficient equipment.
HVT Logo
The executive team for HVT consists of Suresh Jhawar, named chief executive officer, who has 54 years of experience in the industry. He spent the first ten years of his career at IPSEN USA, holding positions of senior project engineer, manager engineering services, manager marketing services, and technical director of Heavy Equipment Division. Later, he assumed the role of vice president general manager at ABAR Corporation. In 1987 he joined G-M ENTERPRISES as a minority partner and became the sole owner in 2005 and oversaw its acquisition by NITREX of Canada. Jhawar earned BSc in physics, BSME in heat transfer & thermodynamics and a MBA in marketing.
Steve Turmala is one of the co-founders and will serve as HVT’s executive vice president of technology. He has thirty-five years of experience in the furnace industry, working with electrical and computer control systems. He actively seeks out and invents furnace control systems, with particular attention to reliability and early warning signs for malfunctions.
Jeffrey Taino is a co-founder and will serve as the executive vice president of engineering & R&D for HVT. He has over 30 years of industry experience, including design and equipment development for heat processing of zirconia tubes for nuclear energy.
Veena Jhawar will fill the role of chief operating officer and co-founder of HVT. She spent 25 years in her career at G-M Enterprises managing supply chain and operations. Veena has a master of science degree in economics. She is aware of the challenges of increasing costs for materials and the impact of tariffs on the industry, but she is ready to meet those challenges.
