Relevant Industrial, LLC (Relevant), an industrial equipment and engineered solutions company, has announced its acquisition of Lindberg Process Equipment (Lindberg), a provider of industrial heating and combustion systems. The acquisition adds to Relevant’s geographic presence in the Midwest while expanding its ability to support its clients.
John Carte CEO Relevant Source: Relevant Industrial, LLC
Lindberg’s operations will combine with Relevant’s New Brighton, MN location, adding an established thermal solutions operation. The move allows the company to provide faster response times, improved product availability, and more tailored support to industrial clients across the Midwest.
“This acquisition reinforces our commitment to being close to our customers and equipping them with the products and solutions they need to keep their operations running efficiently,” said John Carte, CEO of Relevant Industrial. “By expanding our thermal solutions capabilities in a key geography, we’re better positioned to deliver timely, practical support.”
Lindberg Process Equipment specializes in industrial heating and combustion systems, including burners, valves, pipe trains, controls, and custom control panels.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Last weekHeat Treat Todayhosted its annual conference, Heat TreatBoot Camp, at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The two day event was chock-full of learning, networking, and enjoying the best Pittsburgh has to offer. Learn more about Heat Treat Boot Camp’slargest year ever below!
Monday, September 15
Monday’s events featured an extravagant rooftop reception where those from the heat treatment industry were able to network, get to know the staff and lecturers on a personal basis, and compete in a lighthearted putt-putt game for a free ticket to next year’s Heat TreatBoot Camp.
The Drury Plaza Hotel is a former Federal Reserve building, and its rooftop patio provided a beautiful view of the city. Some individuals gathered around tables laughing about their shared experiences working with Heat Treat Today’scolumnist Jim Roberts from U.S. Ignition (who everyone agrees is very funny). Others enjoyed cocktails and gazed out over the city, relaxing from their travels into town. Still others collaborated over roast beef and horseradish sauce on how to invent a zippo-style lighter in the shape of a vacuum furnace with 3D printing.
The reception provided a wonderful opportunity to break the ice and ease into the full days of sessions.
Heat Treat Today staff and guests connecting during rooftop receptionDoug Glenn & Thomas Wingens, main speakers for HTBC 2025Rooftop reception dinner and charcuterieA group of representatives from Idemitsu, this year’s Title SponsorRooftop reception at Drury Plaza HotelThomas Wingens greeting groups of attendees
Tuesday, September 16
There were 62 attendees who participated in the sessions, which were located in one of the former bank vaults of the building. The information covered the players, products, processes, markets, materials, and future trends in heat treating. Thomas Wingens of WINGENS CONSULTANTS and Doug Glenn of Heat Treat Today led the sessions.
Tuesday evening included a ride up the Duquesne Incline — one of the few remaining inclines in the country — in a one-hundred year old cable car to Mt. Washington. From there, the group was able to take in Steel City’s amazing views on an observation deck. A short walk from the incline, the group enjoyed a delicious meal at the LeMont, one of Pittsburgh’s iconic restaurants, where its floor to ceiling glass windows dazzled diners with additonal stunning views of downtown Pittsburgh.
Duquesne InclineDuquesne Incline and cable carLeMont Restaurant
Wednesday, September 17
Three additional sessions were held on Wednesday prior to an afternoon of certificates being awarded. The group had one final field trip: an opportunity to visit Penna Flame, a local commercial heat treater in Zelienople, PA. Penna Flame is a third generation family-owned business serving the steel, mining, railroad, and automotive industries among others where they specialize in flame hardening, robotic induction hardening, additive manufacturing, furnaces, and cryogenics. It was a helpful hands on approach, bringing to life some of the processes discussed in the sessions, and enabled those present to see the value of sessions’ information in real time.
At last, the group had to disperse to their hometowns and businesses all over the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Heat Treat Boot Camp was an informative event in which participants enjoyed all aspects of boot camp. Many individuals shared that they would be sending people next year, noting the good balance of learning and networking which took place.
Heat Treat Today staff at Heat Treat Boot Camp 2025
Keep your eyes peeled for information about next year’s Heat Treat Boot Camp2026!
Heat TreatToday original press release, last updated on 09/22/2025 at 4:43am
In today’s News from Abroad installment, we highlight a $46.9 million USD investment for an aluminum recycling expansion, a transition from a gas-fired billet treater plant to electric, and a new $46.9 million USD electric furnace to meet decarbonization efforts.
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.
€40M for New Aluminum Recycling Capacity
A new recycling facility now covers a third of the Rheinwork site in Germany
“Speira has invested €40M in additional can recycling capacity at its Rheinwerk site, with the aim of reaching CO₂ savings of up to 1.5mt per year. As part of the investment a new melting furnace was installed specifically for scrap at the German site, with production scheduled for early 2026.
“Volker Backs, managing director of Speira, said: ‘Speira has moved away from energy-intensive primary production. This decision was inevitable in light of Germany’s energy policy outlook and our responsibility for the future viability of our entire company. And our transformation into a pure recycling group — a path we began over 20 years ago – has been accelerated once again.'”
Decarbonization Aluminum Upgrade in Strangpresswek
Herren Schatko, Technical Manager of the Neuman Aluminium pressworks and Stefan Krieger, Otto Junker Service Department Source: Furnaces International
“Otto Junker has completed a decarbonisation project at Neuman Aluminium’s Strangpresswerk facility. The companies converted a gas-fired billet heater plant to electric heating — a major step towards climate-neutral production. Originally commissioned as a gas-fired convective billet heater in 2016, the plant has now been modified to the EcoJet type. Neuman Aluminium can now heat its 8-inch aluminium rods with clean, CO₂ free energy. Depending on production throughput, the aluminium rods are heated from ambient temperature to a target temperature of up to 480°C.”
€40 Million Electric Furnace for Decarbonization Efforts
From left to right: District Administrator Roland Grillmeier hands over the permit for the new electric melting tank to Schott CEO Dr Torsten Derr. Source: Schott / Dominik Garban
“Schott has broken ground on its first electrified melting tank in Mitterteich, Germany. The €40 million investment is partially funded by the German government. Schott said the new tank would be a major step in decarbonising pharmaceutical glass production. Using 100% green electricity, the tank will produce Schott’s FIOLAX Pro Optimised Carbon Footprint (OCF) tubing. This could see up to 50% fewer CO2 emissions per vial.
“Schott CEO Dr Torsten Derr said: ‘The transformation of our industry toward decarbonisation and significantly lower-carbon processes begins with concrete projects. This pilot tank is an example that sends a strong signal. We are investing specifically in technology that avoids emissions while also strengthening the competitiveness of our site.’”
Join Heat TreatToday in welcoming a new group of rising industry leaders for the eighth year in a row! Heat Treat Today is honored to recognize forty young professionals in the North American heat treat industry as the 40 Under 40 Class of 2025.
The Heat TreatToday40 Under 40 initiative is an opportunity for the heat treat community to give loud applause to the ladies and gentlemen rising up as leaders in the North American heat treat industry.
We are honored to conduct this annual recognition for the eighth year.
Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from theJuly 2025 Heat Treat Super Brands print edition.
The Good Book, the Bible, upon which our nation was founded, is chock full of wisdom. Here’s one: A good name is to be more desired than great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold. That’s from Proverbs 22:1, and the first part of that verse hits at the heart of what the Heat Treat Today team is trying to accomplish this month with the inaugural edition of “Heat Treat Super Brands.” We are taking a moment to recognize the brand names that are prevalent in the North American heat treat and thermal processing market — giving a voice to the many companies in this industry who have invested endless hours building and maintaining the good name and good reputation that they’ve so diligently worked to establish.
Building a Good Name
Building a reputable brand is a long, painstaking process that is not easily accomplished but can be undone in seconds. Building and maintaining that good name is a huge investment of both time and money, and companies have a right to insist that their brand names be respected and used correctly.
Our publication tries to do that very thing, but sometimes we have slip ups for which we feel bad and do all we can to correct. I recall an instance years ago when we used the phrase “trident tube” when referring to a radiant tube. Either BJ or Ben Bernard from Surface Combustion called us and very politely reminded us that Trident™ is a trademark of Surface Combustion. We apologized and quickly corrected ourselves. Their defense of their brand name was well founded.
Countless other companies in the North American heat treat and thermal processing market have also invested blood, sweat, and tears establishing reputable brand names, trade names, and patents, all of which deserve protecting.
Spreading the Word
In the Letter from the Publisher of the April 2025 publication, I wrote, “You Can’t Sell If You Don’t Tell.” The point of that column was to remind our industry suppliers that they can have the best product, technology, or service in the industry, but if they don’t make it known, if they don’t “tell,” it will be nearly impossible to sell. The same is true when it comes to brand names. ere are hundreds of brand names in the North American heat treat market, but not all of them are well known. The only way for these names to become well known is for them to be publicized widely and frequently. The goal, of course, is to become a household name like Kleenex or Coke. In an industrial setting like ours, it is essentially impossible to become a household name, but we can shoot to become well known within the industry.
Heat Treat Today has become a relatively well-known brand in the industry. Why is that? The answer is rather straightforward — Heat Treat Today is consistently in front of thousands of in-house heat treat department personnel, as well as in commercial heat treat shops. We’re there every month with a hardcopy print magazine. We’re there every weekday with our Heat Treat Daily e-newsletter. We’re there 24/7, 365 days a year with the industry’s leading heat treating and thermal processing website, as well as industry e-newsletters and our monthly podcast, Heat Treat Radio. We’re not exactly a household name, but thanks to all of you, people have become comfortable with us because we are seen widely and frequently. That’s what it takes to be a super brand, and we’re here to help the suppliers in our industry reach that status.
This edition of Heat Treat Today that you hold in your hands is our attempt to help those industry suppliers build awareness of their brand names. Please take a minute to flip through this edition and read about some of the Super Brands included. If you are a supplier and are not included in this edition, you can be included in next year’s July edition, which we anticipate will have the same Super Brand focus.
Contact Michelle Ritenour (michelle@heattreattoday.com) if you’d like to be included.
Heat Treat Today offices will be closed today in honor of Labor Day and will reopen on Tuesday, September 2. We hope you enjoy the long weekend with friends and family!
Heat Treat Today offices will be closed Monday, September 1 in honor of Labor Day and will reopen on Tuesday, September 2. We hope you enjoy the long weekend with friends and family!
Heat treatment is a hands-on science and it can be easy to forget about continuing education. In today’s edition of Combustion Corner, Jim Roberts, president of U.S. Ignition, encourages readers to continue cultivating their own heat treat learning and offers specific and practical educational resources to do just that.
This informative piece was first released in Heat TreatToday’sJune 2025 Buyers Guide print edition.
So, a furnace guy walks into a heat treating facility and says, “What’s that?”
The Flame and Man
Since the invention of fire, we as upright, walking, opposing-thumb-equipped critters have been learning to control it. We have learned at the elemental level that we can change the properties of just about anything on the planet simply by exposing that item or material to the flames. Certainly, we hold fire as one of our most fascinating benefits of our existence.
Yet, in the grand scheme of things, we are just now really learning to control at levels that our Neanderthal cousins would never have conceived, and they didn’t! Conceive the possibilities, that is. I mean, for the first 400,000 years of our human existence, (that’s a mindblower, isn’t it?), fire had four basic purposes: warmth, light to see in the dark, protection from predators/enemies, and to cook our food. Later, we discovered that by heating up the tip of certain sticks, you could make the stick useful over a longer time. It didn’t wear out as fast. And from there we figured out ways to change other materials at our behest by using the flame. Weapons and tools followed.
In the bigger picture, we only have figured out the really cool uses in the last 5,000 years — and the really, really cool stuff in the last 300 years. So, the learning curve for us has been relatively late when it comes to the heat and the flame and the ability to understand it — to really control it.
Furthering the Science of Heat
How did we get to this stage of significant control over temperatures and systems that would melt a Cro-Magnon’s noodle right there in his big ol’ skull? We used our ever-developing brains. We used intelligence to advance the art of using the flame. Others before us thought their way into our present-day future. Shouldn’t we keep the ball rolling? Isn’t this ever-evolving commitment to responsible use of the flame what we need to do? We accept the gift of those before us and strive to improve on it for the upcoming iterations of humankind. Idealistic? I think not.
The premise of temperature is basically fixed. We can put it in a furnace, we can put it in a vacuum, we can melt the very rocks our planet is made from. So, let’s use the very latest available knowledge to further the science of heat. Let’s improve the situation, both at work and personally, by using our brains and by learning about what is going on with the furnaces, the parts, the fuels, and all the methods of heating. Let’s keep learning about the latest technologies. Let’s actually control this wondrous element.
To do that, we must embrace the knowledge, we have to know what we are looking at. We need to know the history and have a vision for the future. We need to teach and be taught.
Learning the Industry
If you or your reports need to get up to speed with our industry, indeed our very science — GO TO SCHOOL! The fact you are even reading this publication shows that you are open to learning. Let’s ace the test!
Heat Treat Today runs a drink-from-the-firehose learning experience calledHeat Treat Boot Camp. You can learn the latest and greatest technologies and new technologies on the horizon in heat treating. Send yourself, send your people.
The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) runs an online certification school that teaches the ins and outs of the heat treating industry. The Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) runs an annual Combustion Seminar. Almost all the major furnace and equipment suppliers offer seminars on their specialty niche.
SECO/WARWICK produces a Global Training Seminar on continuous improvement and heat treating
Can-Eng offers analysis of specific inquiries
Ajax Tocco will come to your facility to conduct the latest schooling on your equipment
All you must do is decide that you are going to continue to learn more. How can you not with these kinds of services around you?
Don’t forget Safety. National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) seminars are available from NFPA themselves. Industry experts who have certified trainers, like Rockford Combustion, also offer multi-day seminars on equipment safety.
I can attest to the effectiveness of these kinds of learning commitments. I have been both a student and a teacher at some of the aforementioned seminars. The scope of learning can be broad or focused. It’s up to us to keep mentally expanding, so that the lessons learned don’t get lost, and the future technologies get a fair review.
I have been watching with interest how over the last 25 or so years precise control over combustion has been evolving. The major controls and process monitoring companies have been striving to gain precise control and safety on furnace equipment for years. I might add, they have been successful in varying degrees, and safety and maintenance have improved greatly.
I just spoke recently with a company in Erie, Pennsylvania. They have developed a program that monitors each individual burner. Not only does it tell if the burner is running, but if there has been a component failure, if the burner is out of tune, it can self-correct, and if there is a failure, they shut it off. Oh, and they do that for you, from THEIR office. The technology just grows and grows, doesn’t it?
So, I know some of you were wondering where I was going with the Caveman intro, and some of you probably would have preferred that I kept going up to the point where we were cooking mammoth steaks on sizzling rocks with our Cro-Magnon buddy. But we are better than him, and we need to keep proving that. Don’t you think?
Besides, this is the final month before school is out for the summer. Let’s give education a nod here.
I am sorry if I did not mention your company, no slight intended. If so, contact your customer base to alert them to any learning experiences that may be available.
Keep learning. Until next time…
About the Author
Jim Roberts President US Ignition
For More Information: Contact Jim Roberts at jim@usignition.com.
Century Aluminum Company has announced plans to restart over 50,000 mt of idled production at its Mt. Holly, SC smelter. Part of a $50 million investment, the effort will create over 100 jobs and boost U.S. domestic aluminum production by almost 10%.
Jesse Gary CEO Century Aluminum
The restart will enable the plant to achieve full production (up from current 75%) by June 30, 2026. The restart follows President Donald’s Trump’s tariffs for primary aluminum, most recently increasing the tariffs to 50% on aluminum imports without exceptions or exemptions.
“Our team stands ready to continue leading the resurgence of domestic primary aluminum, starting with bringing our Mt. Holly smelter back to full production.” said CEO of Century Aluminum Company, Jesse Gary.
The restart was made possible with the help of South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), Mt. Holly’s power supplier. The parties extended the current contract through 2031 to purchase the additional power necessary for the restart. The final details of the restart will be subject to a definitive agreement with Santee Cooper, along with confirmation of economic incentives provided by Berkeley County and the state of South Carolina.
Century Aluminum is an integrated producer of bauxite, alumina, and primary aluminum products. At full capacity, Mt. Holly smelter has an economic impact of over $890 million annually in the state of South Carolina. Century is the largest producer of primary aluminum in the United States, and operates production facilities in Iceland, the Netherlands, and Jamaica.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Heat TreatToday offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 10 news items, featuring a multi-million dollar expansion, furnace additions, a 1,000,000 load milestone, and more!
Equipment & Company
1. NUTEC Bickley will deliver a four-car shuttle kiln to a global leader in energy technologies. The gas-fired shuttle kiln will typically operate up to 2012°F (1100°C) and employs a twin-deck kiln car setting.
2. Century Aluminum will invest $50 million into restarting a South Carolina smelter. 50,000mt of idled production is intended to be revitalized through the restart.
3. HT-MX Heat Treatment has added nitriding to one of their comprehensive Nadcap scope, including carbon steels, stainless steels, nickel alloys, aluminum, lab services, HIPing, and more.
Century Aluminum to restart smelter in SC with $50 millionNitriding added to HT-MX Heat Treating’s scope
Personnel
4. Quaker Houghton welcomed Dr. Arisbeth Rodwick to the Quaker Houghton team as the senior product application manager (PAM) of Heat Treatment and Forging, effective July 14, 2025.
5. Tom Hart has been promoted to director of sales for North America at SECO/WARWICK, USA. Tom’s promotion comes at a pivotal time, as SECO/WARWICK consolidates its U.S. operations.
6. Kevin Stein Joins Hubbard-Hall as the director of Sales & Business Development. Stein succeeds Jeff Davis, who will retire at the end of October after 42 years with Hubbard-Hall.
Tom Hart promoted SECO/WARWICKKevin Stein joins Hubbard-Hall
Kudos
7. AHT President, Mikel Woods, celebrated his 20th work anniversary this month.
8. ECM USA celebrated a 1,000,000 load milestone with one of their automotive parts manufacturing customers. 20 years ago their ECM FLEX vacuum furnace systems started processing loads 24/7 — recently surpassing 1,000,000 loads.
9. SuperSystems celebrated 30 years as a company.
10. Tenova has been awarded the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for a Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) pilot plant — a key element of the NeoSmelt project, which aims to develop a groundbreaking low-emission ironmaking facility.
