A Special Report from Heat Treat Today Publisher, Doug Glenn
Nearly 100 top level heat treat and finishing professionals have gathered in Atlanta to discuss future trends in the heat treating industry. The event kicked off last night with an opening reception at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead, Georgia (see photographs at the bottom of this post). Representatives from Mexico, Europe, and the United States are present to hear what an excellent panel of speakers has to say about the future of heat treat as well as share ideas with each other. (Listen to Heat Treat Radio’s interview with heat treat consultant Thomas Wingens as he discusses future MegaTrends in the heat treat industry. Click here.)
Of note in today’s sessions is an opening keynote address by Dr. Irene Petrick from Intel Corporation on “Factories of the Future: What Does the Future Workforce Look Like?” Based on anecdotes from the attendees, the recruitment of skilled help is becoming a significant issue.
And not only recruitment but retaining good workers. Since heat treating is not considered a cutting-edge industry, it is difficult to recruit and retain. Passing a drug test is one obstacle, but one high-ranking executive suggested that there is an even more significant hurdle for new employees to pass, what he referred to as the “tape rule” test — being able to read and accurately add measurements from a tape rule. Doesn’t seem like a monumental test to pass, but according to this source, it has eliminated more candidates from employment than the drug test. There’s something to be said for listening in 3rd- and 4th-grade math class when the concept of common denominators is taught.
Another industry consultant commented on the increased demand for experienced and knowledgeable individuals to advise when it comes to owning and operating heat treat equipment. The need for hands-on training as well process education is widespread as a vast amount of knowledge is leaving the industry through retirement. Fortunately, for this consultant, business is very good due to this fact. More companies are needing his services.
To help locate a qualified heat treat consultant, Heat Treat Today has launched a new Heat Treat Consultants resource. The “official” launch will be in a few weeks, but you can get a sneak peak by clicking here.
Additive manufacturing will also be one of the topics covered today by Todd Grimm of T.A. Grimm & Associates. As one of the more disruptive manufacturing technologies in the last decade, additive manufacturing is a topic often covered within the webpages of Heat Treat Today. For a glimpse at some of the articles published in the recent past, click here.
For a complete list of ITPS presentations, click here.
ITPS is produced by the Industrial Heating Equipment Association. Both Industrial Heating magazine and Heat Treat Today are media co-sponsors of the event.
Below are photos from the July 30th Opening Reception. Click on an image to enlarge.
