A new modular heat treatment cell has been developed to handle nitriding, nitrocarburizing, carbonitriding, and dry oxidation, giving manufacturers the ability to perform multiple thermochemical processes within a configurable system architecture. The equipment operates at temperatures up to 1000°C (1832°F) and can run at atmospheric pressure or primary vacuum.
ECM Technologies developed the CCN cell with a cold-wall, graphite-free design and a load capacity of 1000 x 610 x 750 mm (39.4 x 24 x 29.5 inches). The system provides 150 kW convection heating and is designed around the furnace manufacturer’s modular equipment concept.
For carbonitriding applications, the CCN can be combined with a graphite cell for the carburizing phase. This configuration allows different process requirements to be addressed within the same system architecture.
The furnace has an operating range of 400°C to 1000°C (752°F to 1832°F). According to ECM, the equipment was developed in response to manufacturers’ requirements for increased productivity, lower operating costs, production flexibility, and simplified operation and maintenance.
ECM Technologies, headquartered in Grenoble, France, serves the North American heat treatment market through ECM USA, its American subsidiary located in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. The company designs and manufactures vacuum heat treatment equipment for applications including automotive, aerospace, defense, electronics, and nuclear.
Press release is available in its original form here.
A new sales representation agreement will provide regional support for plasma nitriding, gas nitriding, and plasma coating technologies across six U.S. states, serving automotive, heavy industrial, and metalworking operations.
RUBIG, a supplier of nitriding and coating systems, has signed the agreement with MetalPro Resources (MPR), a sales representative specializing in heat treating equipment and related technologies. The territory covers Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania.
The partnership adds RUBIG’s nitriding and coating technologies to MPR’s offering. Equipment delivery and service will continue through RUBIG’s Rockford, Illinois, location, which has supplied and serviced plasma nitriding, gas nitriding/FNC, and coating systems in the U.S. for approximately 30 years.
Founded in 2007, MPR supplies heat treating equipment for steel and aluminum, control systems, analyzers, vacuum instruments, and accessories, along with consulting services for heat treat operations. Its team brings more than 100 years of combined experience in heat treating and metallurgy, including experience operating captive heat treat shops.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Fabrication processes can introduce stresses that compromise the magnetic performance of electrical steel. In this Technical Tuesday installment, Tim Donofrio, VP of Sales at CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd., explores how precision thermal processing — from temperature and atmosphere control to furnace design and process repeatability — can help recover those properties and support efficient, reliable motors, generators, and transformers.
This informative piece was first released inHeat Treat Today’sOctober 2026 Ferrous & Nonferrous Heat Treatments / Mill Processing print edition.
Introduction
The rapid growth of electrification is driving demand for higher-performing electric motors, generators, transformers, and other electromagnetic equipment. Electric vehicles, industrial automation, renewable energy, data centers, and expanding electrical grid infrastructure are all pushing manufacturers toward greater efficiency, higher power density, and improved reliability.
At the heart of these systems is the magnetic core, manufactured from electrical steel specifically engineered to provide the magnetic properties required for efficient electromagnetic performance. Electrical steel, commonly referred to as silicon steel, is designed to minimize losses when subjected to alternating magnetic fields. The addition of silicon increases electrical resistivity, reducing eddy-current losses and improving magnetic efficiency.
Two primary grades are used in these applications. Non-oriented electrical steel (NGO) provides relatively uniform magnetic properties in all directions and is widely used for rotating equipment such as motors and generators. Grain-oriented electrical steel (GO) is processed to preferentially align its crystal grains, so that their preferred magnetic direction lies primarily along the rolling direction, making it particularly suited for stationary transformer cores.
While these properties are established during steel production, they can be affected as the material is converted into laminations and assembled into finished cores. Punching, shearing, laser cutting, stacking, interlocking, welding, and other fabrication processes can introduce localized deformation and residual stress, potentially resulting in:
Increased core loss
Reduced magnetic response and permeability
Increased heat generation
Reduced efficiency
Variation in finished-core performance
Addressing the Stress
One of the primary functions of thermal processing is to reduce residual stress introduced during fabrication and assembly. Punching and shearing can produce localized plastic deformation, particularly near cut edges. Forming, stacking, clamping, and assembly can introduce additional stresses throughout the core. Although these stresses may have little structural significance, their effect on magnetic behavior can be substantial.
Mechanical stress can interfere with how electrical steel responds to a magnetic field. A properly developed annealing cycle promotes material recovery and stress relief, allowing the electrical steel to respond more closely to its intended magnetic characteristics. The degree of recovery depends on the steel grade, lamination thickness, fabrication method, degree of deformation, core geometry, and processing history. The heat treatment process restores magnetic properties in the material; it provides an opportunity to recover properties that have been compromised during fabrication.
Developing the Thermal Process
Achieving consistent magnetic property recovery requires more than heating the material to a specified temperature. The thermal cycle must be developed around the electrical steel grade, fabrication history, core configuration, and required final properties.
Key variables to be considered include:
Steel grade, quality, and lamination thickness
Cutting and fabrication methods
Degree of deformation
Core geometry and loading configuration
Heating rate and soak time
Controlled cooling rate
Temperature uniformity and thermal gradients
Furnace atmosphere and dew point
Surface condition and oxidation requirements
Desired magnetic properties
There is no universal heat treatment cycle for every electrical steel application. Temperature, time, atmosphere, heating and cooling rates, and load configuration must be established for the specific product and process. This is where furnace design and layout become an integral part of process development to ensure the system can deliver the required thermal and atmosphere conditions uniformly and repeatedly across densely packed heat treat loads.
Dimensional Stability and Load Uniformity
Electrical steel laminations are thin and dimensionally sensitive. Residual stresses can cause dimensional changes when the material is subsequently exposed to elevated temperatures. A controlled thermal cycle can relax these stresses while minimizing unwanted movement. Heating and cooling must also be carefully managed to limit thermal gradients and differential expansion. This is particularly important with large transformer cores, where substantial thermal mass can create significant temperature differences between the interior and exterior of the load.
Excessive gradients can introduce additional stress or distortion. For this reason, temperature uniformity throughout the product is often as important as the furnace temperature itself to achieve stress relief without uncontrolled dimensional change.
Process Consistency and Repeatability
The effectiveness of precision thermal processing ultimately depends on repeatability. Variations in the manufacturing process and assembly can result in different initial stress conditions. A properly engineered furnace must establish a consistent thermal history from load to load. Precision thermal processing of electrical steels ensures monitoring and control of the following parameters:
This allows manufacturers to move beyond simply controlling furnace temperature and instead control the thermal history experienced by the product, ensuring consistent core performance. For high-volume motor production, this repeatability supports consistent quality across large production volumes. For large transformer cores, it provides greater confidence that the entire load has received the required thermal treatment.
The Importance of Product Temperature
One of the most important considerations in electrical steel heat treatment is the difference between furnace temperature and actual product temperature. A furnace controller may indicate that the chamber has reached setpoint while the center of a large core remains substantially cooler. The material responds to its actual thermal history, not the temperature displayed by the furnace controller.
Product temperature measurement and temperature mapping are therefore important tools for process development and validation. They can establish:
Heating rate and thermal lag
Minimum and maximum product temperatures
Temperature uniformity throughout the load (± 7°C in some cases)
Effective soak time
Cooling response
Furnace design has a significant influence on these characteristics. Heat source location, position and orientation, along with preheating zones and load arrangement, can all be optimized to improve heat transfer and temperature uniformity. Forced recirculation, convective heating, atmosphere distribution, and atmosphere preheating methods can be used to optimize furnace performance.
Designing the Furnace Around the Product
Electrical steel applications vary considerably, and the thermal processing system must reflect those differences. Motor laminations and large transformer cores can have very different thermal characteristics. Product geometry, lamination thickness, thermal mass, and loading arrangement all influence furnace design. Other considerations include stamping oil burn-off requirements, product spacing, heating method, atmosphere, throughput, and cycle time.
Batch furnaces can provide the flexibility required for large transformer cores, varying product sizes, and lower-volume production. Continuous systems can offer advantages for high-volume motor lamination production where throughput, repeatability, automated handling, and operating efficiency are priorities.
The appropriate furnace capacities can range from 5,000 lbs/hr to over 20,000 lbs/hr. The configuration, overall length, and floorspace requirements are ultimately determined by the product and thermal process requirements.
Atmosphere Control
Furnace atmosphere can also influence the surface condition and metallurgical response of electrical steel. Depending on the material and process, important variables may include incoming material contamination, gas composition, dew point, furnace pressure, gas flow, leakage, purging, and exhaust conditions. Stable atmosphere conditions help maintain a consistent environment throughout the cycle.
Energy Efficiency
Recovering magnetic performance and reducing core loss can improve the operating efficiency of motors and transformers. The furnace itself can also be designed to reduce energy consumption through effective insulation, efficient heating systems, auto-recuperative heating, optimized atmosphere flow and preheating, improved load utilization, reduced idle time, and appropriate cycle times.
The goal is not simply to minimize furnace energy consumption, but to achieve the required magnetic and metallurgical results with the least practical energy input.
An unnecessarily long cycle consumes energy without necessarily improving the product, while an inadequate cycle may fail to achieve the required recovery. The best process balances energy consumption with the required product performance.
From Furnace Temperature to Product Performance
Electrical steel heat treatment is moving beyond simply controlling furnace temperature. The more meaningful objective is controlling the thermal history experienced by the product. This means understanding how quickly the load heats, how long it remains at temperature, how uniform the temperature is throughout the load, and whether the product actually receives the intended cycle.
Enhanced real-time Level II Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are critical to understanding and controlling a product’s thermal history. Product parameter monitoring and historical event tracking provide manufacturers with greater insight into process performance, allowing precision thermal processing cycles to be refined and optimized for different product configurations and required performance standards.
For the furnace designer, this changes the role of the equipment. The furnace is no longer simply a device for supplying heat. It is a precision thermal processing system designed to deliver a controlled and repeatable thermal environment to the product.
Conclusion: Enabling the Potential of Electrical Steel
The continued growth of electrification is placing greater demands on the performance of motors, generators, and transformers. Electrical steel provides the magnetic foundation for these systems, but its properties can be compromised during lamination and core manufacturing process. Properly developed thermal processing provides an opportunity to recover properties inherent in the original material.
Achieving this consistently requires more than a furnace capable of reaching a specified temperature or atmosphere condition. The thermal process must consider the steel grade, incoming cleanliness condition, fabrication history, product geometry, thermal mass, loading configuration, atmosphere, heating and cooling characteristics, and required final properties. The furnace must then be designed to deliver optimal conditions uniformly and repeatably throughout the load. As electrification continues to expand and efficiency requirements become more demanding, precision thermal processing will play an increasingly key role in extracting the full potential of electrical steel.
About The Author:
Tim Donofrio VP of Sales CAN-ENG Furnace International Ltd.
Tim Donofrio has almost 40 years of experience working in the forging, heat treatment services, and equipment market sectors. He joined CAN-ENG Furnaces International, Ltd. in 1998 and has been the VP of Sales since 2016.
In aerospace and defense manufacturing, consistency is not optional. It is expected at every stage of production. The thermal processing behind that consistency must deliver precise, repeatable results while meeting strict regulatory and client requirements. For more than 60 years, O&W Heat Treat, Inc. (O&W) has built its role in this environment by focusing on controlled processes, technical discipline, and long-term client trust.
Based in Connecticut, the company supports OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and precision manufacturers with specialty processing for critical components. From its early years, the focus has remained on demanding applications where metallurgical integrity and process control are essential. That emphasis continues today, particularly in aerospace and defense work where specifications leave little room for variation.
A defining part of O&W’s evolution has been its commitment to quality systems and compliance. With Nadcap accreditation maintained since 1995 (including continuous Merit status since 2006) and ITAR registration in place, the operation reflects the level of oversight required for defense-related and high-performance aerospace components. These credentials support both process validation and the traceability expected across the supply chain.
At the core of operations are vacuum heat treating, brazing, and induction hardening and brazing, which play a central role in processing advanced alloys and complex geometries. These methods allow for tight environmental control, minimizing oxidation and contamination while delivering consistent metallurgical results. For aerospace components, where cleanliness and precision are critical, this level of control is essential to meeting both AMS and client specifications.
O&W supports a range of thermal treatments designed to enhance material performance. These include solution treating, age hardening, stress relieving, cryogenic processing, and multiple brazing methods. Each process is executed with careful control of temperature, atmosphere, and cooling rates to achieve the required balance of strength, durability, and stability in finished components. This approach ensures that parts meet both specification and performance requirements before leaving the plant.
Supporting these heat treating and brazing operations is a fully equipped in-house laboratory with NIST-traceable testing and inspection equipment, enabling verification of metallurgical properties. Their comprehensive testing options include mechanical and hardness testing, metallographic evaluation, pressure testing, and leak detection, allowing clients to access multiple services at a single facility.
Equipment capabilities reflect the same emphasis on control and repeatability. A mix of vacuum and atmosphere furnaces supports for a variety of heat treatment cycles, including solution heat treatment, aging, and other specification-driven thermal processes, while induction systems provide localized hardening applications. All systems are maintained in accordance with aerospace and defense quality standards, including regular qualification and system accuracy testing to confirm consistent performance.
Long-term relationships have been equally important to O&W’s position in the industry. Many client partnerships span decades, a reflection of consistent delivery of quality and reliability in industries where the margin for error is essentially zero.
That trust is supported by a team of 23 employees whose expertise and commitment drive daily operations. The organization emphasizes professional growth and continuous improvement, strengthening both internal capabilities and the level of service delivered to clients.
Following its acquisition by Savannah Search Capital in late 2025, O&W is led by Ali Platon (CEO), Chris Goyen (President), and Patrick Ohlheiser (VP and former owner). Leadership has been focused on expanding capabilities through investment in equipment, personnel, and client relationships. O&W’s direction remains grounded in controlled processes, technical expertise, and consistent results.
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA is commissioning a new water quench furnace designed to solution anneal large titanium components, adding capacity for rapid quenching of workloads serving aerospace, defense, medical, and other critical applications. The system is expected to enter production in November 2026.
The furnace, manufactured by Heat Treat Equipment Inc. of Canton, Michigan, is being installed at Solar Atmospheres’ Hermitage, Pennsylvania, facility. The system is designed to process titanium components weighing up to 7,500 pounds while maintaining temperature uniformity within ±5°F (±2.8°C) and achieving water quenching within seven seconds.
The furnace measures 14 feet long by 54 inches wide by 48 inches high and is positioned directly above an 11,000-gallon, multidirectional, highly agitated water quench tank. The configuration is designed to minimize transfer time between the furnace and quench tank to meet aerospace requirements for rapid quenching of titanium components. A closed-loop cooling system maintains the water quenchant at a temperature not exceeding 100°F (37.8°C).
Robert (Bob) Hill President Solar Atmospheres of Western PA
The system will allow Solar Atmospheres to thermocouple the actual workload for monitoring and control throughout the heat treatment process. An in-process camera will also monitor workloads while they are heated above critical beta transus temperatures.
“This equipment finally gives us the opportunity to solution anneal critical titanium alloys that our titanium [clients] have continuously asked for over the years,” said Bob Hill, president of Solar Atmospheres of Western PA.
Once operational, the furnace will add large-component titanium solution annealing and water quenching capabilities to the company’s existing vacuum and air heat treatment services.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Heat Treat Today has gathered the four heat treat industry-specific economic indicators for October 2026. The results point to strengthening expectations across the heat treat industry, with suppliers anticipating increased client activity and healthy business conditions as the fourth quarter gets underway.
October’s data indicates anticipated growth across all four indicators, with each remaining well above the growth threshold. Inquiries are projected to climb to 70.0 (up from 65.0 in September), while Bookings are also expected to reach 70.0 (up from 59.4 in September), both representing their highest readings over the past 12 months. The Backlog index is forecast to strengthen to 64.3 (up from 60.0 in September). Meanwhile, the Health of the Manufacturing Economy index is projected to moderate slightly at 60.0 (from 62.2 in September), but continuing to reflect expectations for growth.
October’s indicators suggest suppliers anticipate stronger heat treat industry activity heading further into the fourth quarter. The simultaneous rise in inquiries and bookings points to both healthy prospective client activity and strengthening near-term demand, while the increase in backlog suggests a solid pipeline of work. Although expectations for the broader manufacturing economy have moderated slightly, the index remains comfortably above the growth threshold, reinforcing an overall positive outlook for the month ahead.
The results from this month’s survey (October) are as follows: numbers above 50 indicate growth, numbers below 50 indicate contraction, and the number 50 indicates no change:
Anticipated change in Number of Inquiries from September to October: 70.0
Anticipated change in Value of Bookings from September to October: 70.0
Anticipated change in Size of Backlog from September to October: 64.3
Anticipated change in Health of the Manufacturing Economy from September to October: 60.0
Data for October 2026
The four index numbers are reported monthly by Heat Treat Today and made available on the website.
Heat TreatToday’sEconomic Indicatorsmeasure 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 collection began in June 2023. If you would like to participate in the monthly survey, please click here to subscribe.
A manufacturer of aerospace and gas turbine components is establishing an in-house heat treatment department with its first vacuum furnace, bringing vacuum processing and high-pressure gas quenching into its own operations. The investment is intended to increase production independence and quality control while reducing reliance on external heat treatment services and associated delivery risks.
Image Credit: SECO/WARWICK
Croatia-based Tvornica plinskih turbina d.o.o. has ordered a Vector single-chamber vacuum furnace from SECO/WARWICK, a global supplier of industrial heat treatment equipment and technologies with operations in North America. The system will be used to heat treat aerospace and gas turbine components requiring process cleanliness, parameter repeatability, and precise cooling control. Until now, the manufacturer has relied on commercial heat treatment service providers.
The furnace has a working space of 600 x 600 x 900 mm (24 x 24 x 35 inches), with a round heating chamber that also enables the processing of oversized components. Designed to operate with argon and nitrogen, the furnace includes a high-performance cooling system with a blower for gas quenching up to 6 bar abs.
Additional features include convection heating, an efficient pumping system, dew point control, and a partial pressure system. The configuration is designed to give the manufacturer greater control over its vacuum heat treatment processes and production planning.
Tvornica plinskih turbina has manufactured jet engine and gas turbine components since 1975. Its capabilities include precision forging of turbine blades and production of components for helicopter engines, gas turbines, and civil aviation engines.
“The SECO/WARWICK equipment will allow us to increase production independence, better control process costs and quality, and reduce the risk of delays resulting from the use of external services,” said Tihomir Šoškić, representative of Tvornica plinskih turbina.
Press release is available in its original form here.
New aerospace heat treating systems are supporting increased production requirements across commercial aviation and defense, including automated horizontal air quenching for aluminum components and additional furnace capacity for military aircraft maintenance. The systems provide controlled heat treatment and rapid air cooling for aviation-grade metals while supporting growing aerospace and defense manufacturing and maintenance requirements.
DELTA H Technologies, a Carroll, Ohio-based manufacturer of heat treating and thermal processing furnaces, has delivered multiple systems to aerospace and defense contractors, commercial aviation OEMs and MROs, and the U.S. Armed Forces throughout 2026. The deliveries include fully automated horizontal air quench furnaces as well as systems being supplied under a U.S. Air Force contract for 38 dual-chamber aerospace heat treating furnaces.
Among the commercial systems delivered this year are fully automated horizontal air quenching and cooling furnaces. The systems use high-velocity cooling air and can heat treat aluminum to AQ condition without the distortion normally associated with water quenching. Parts can then naturally age to T4 or be artificially aged to T6, with artificial aging performaed in the same surface chamber using the system’s aging mode.
The horizontal air quench systems include Super SCAHT furnaces with temperature uniformity survey volumes of 48 x 30 x 90 inches and 30 x 30 x 72 inches. Both operate from 200°F to 1200°F (93°C to 649°C), provide Class 1 temperature uniformity, and are fully automated.
Super SCAHT® – 48 x 30 x 90 inches TUS Volume, 200°F–1200°F Ops Class 1 Uniformity, Fully Automated Horizontal Air Quench For Major A&D Contractor | Image Credit: DELTA H TechnologiesSuper SCAHT® – 30 x 30 x 72 inches TUS Volume, 200°F–1200°F Ops Class 1 Uniformity, Fully Automated Horizontal Air Quench For Major A&D Contractor | Image Credit: DELTA H Technologies
Richard Conway Director and CTO Delta H Technologies
To support its increased order volume, DELTA H said it has doubled its workforce and retooled production capacity to accommodate a larger backlog of systems in production simultaneously. The company also reported a backlog of furnace startups and preventive maintenance projects. “Upon completion of our current backlog, DELTA H will have furnaces installed in approximately 75% of the USAF bases worldwide that can perform aircraft maintenance,” said Richard Conway, director and CTO of DELTA H Technologies and a U.S. Air Force veteran.
DELTA H manufactures heat treating and thermal processing furnaces for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications, including dual-chamber and custom-engineered systems designed to meet AMS2750 and Nadcap requirements. The company also provides technical support, maintenance, and spare parts services.
Press release is available in its original form here.
Jim Roberts of U.S. Ignition engages readers in a Combustion Corner column about the three methods of heat transfer found in heat treating shops — examining how advection, convection, and radiation each move thermal energy, from forced hot-gas circulation by fans and burners, to the natural buoyancy-driven stirring of fluids, to the electromagnetic waves emitted by glowing radiant tubes that deliver the temperature uniformity so critical to heat treating.
This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’sSeptember 2026 People of Heat Treat print edition.
A furnace guy walks into a heat treat facility and says, “Hey, I think I’m warming up to this place.” The operators say, “It’s about time… and temperature.” This might be a lame joke on the most common requirement in heat treating, but time at temperature is the secret, right? How we get that combination of properties is the question.
Last month, we discussed that one of the Laws of Thermodynamics was advection. It’s not a term we use regularly, but it’s a better description of what we experience in our lives. Advection is when hot gases or hot atmosphere is circulated by force. In other words, it is not a natural transfer of heat to the product. It is when that heat is forced around the work piece, and it is in a state of unnatural agitation. We are moving the heat around by a fan or the velocity of the hot gases from the burner, some method of creating a “stirring effect” by using another energy source. A great example would be a heated fan. You can feel the heat from the coils, but most of that is because the air movement of the fan is scrubbing off the heat from the heat source and blowing it at you. Both the heat transfer of the heat source to the air and then that air transferring heat to you are examples of advection.
Now we turn to convection. Convection is sometimes described as a form of thermal transfer wherein the motion of a fluid is driven by the buoyancy of the fluid and is caused by temperature differences in the fluid. In engineering circles, a fluid can be liquid, air, a gaseous atmosphere, etc. Convection is all natural, and advection is using outside energy. A mug of hot water will lose its heat through the change in temperature caused by thermal lift in the liquid. Then, it will continue to transfer and lose heat as the steam or temp continues to rise away from the mug and into the air, all by natural stirring or lift. That mug will eventually release its thermal energy and equalize with the area around it.
This leads us to radiation. Ansys Engineering describes radiation as the mechanism that transfers heat energy as electromagnetic waves or photons. That’s right, Capt. Kirk, that phaser technology might just be real! In other words, thermal energy can cause the atoms in any matter to move. The movement of those charged particles (protons and electrons at an atomic level) will result in the release of electromagnetic radiation. In its purest form, radiation heat transfer will only occur in a vacuum or through a medium that is transparent to the radiation. Furnace atmospheres come to mind.
Also, re-radiation is possible from an object, such as a heat treating load, so the radiant source is also absorbing radiation some of the time. Radiation transfer is very efficient and is used effectively in radiant tube furnaces. The tubes are heated electrically or by gas burners, and when they begin to glow (somewhere around 1250°F), they begin in earnest to try and bring the furnace or the load up to temperature.
Image Credit: Ashikul / AdobeStock
When radiation is at work, these types of heating devices provide good temperature uniformity. This is because once the furnace has determined that the chamber temp has been achieved, the radiation will continue to try to bring the chamber up to temperature, and these electromagnetic pulses try for equilibrium in the chamber.
Radiation is very efficient in most cases. Radiation is like a living thing — it wants everything to be the same temperature. So it normally has sight line between the glowing heat source and the load. Thermal radiation transfers heat via infrared rays and visible light waves. Hot furnace walls and heating elements emit these electromagnetic waves, which then heat the metal parts without needing direct contact or air movement.
That covers the styles and methods of heat transfer we can see in our heat treating shops. We’ll pick up a new topic next month.
About The Author:
Jim Roberts President US Ignition
Jim Roberts president at U.S. Ignition, began his 45-year career in the burner and heat recovery industry focused on heat treating specifically in 1979. He worked for and helped start up WB Combustion in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. In 1985 he joined Eclipse Engineering in Rockford, IL, specializing in heat treating-related combustion equipment/burners. Inducted into the American Gas Association’s Hall of Flame for service in training gas company field managers, Jim is a former president of MTI and has contributed to countless seminars on fuel reduction and combustion-related practices.
Inductor design plays a critical role in heating efficiency, temperature uniformity, and process stability, but conventional manufacturing methods can limit what coil geometries are possible. In this Technical Tuesday installment, Max Wissing, technology manager at PROTIQ, explores how 3D-printed copper inductors expand design freedom, allowing heat treaters to more closely tailor electromagnetic fields, cooling, and overall coil performance to demanding applications.
This informative piece was first released inHeat Treat Today’sOctober 2026 Ferrous & Nonferrous Heat Treatments/Mill Processing print edition.
Why Inductor Design Matters More Than Ever
Induction heating remains one of the most established and widely used technologies in modern heat treating. It enables precise, contactless energy transfer and offers a high degree of repeatability, making it particularly suitable for demanding applications, such as surface hardening, partial hardening, and localized treatment of highly stressed components.
At the same time, requirements in industrial heat treatment continue to increase. Manufacturers are expected to improve energy efficiency, reduce cycle times, and maintain consistent process quality. These demands are further intensified by the growing complexity of component geometries, which require more precise control of electromagnetic fields and temperature distribution than ever before.
Within this context, the inductor itself becomes a decisive factor, as its design directly influences heating behavior, efficiency, and process stability. However, many conventional inductors are still constrained by the limitations of their manufacturing methods. These constraints often force compromises between manufacturability and functional performance, meaning that coil geometries are not always ideally adapted to the component or the specific heat treat application. In more complex cases, this can lead to reduced energy efficiency or non-uniform temperature distributions, ultimately affecting process consistency.
In response, recent developments have increasingly focused on application-driven coil design and improved engineering approaches. Industrial 3D printing introduces a fundamentally different paradigm by enabling inductors to be designed according to functional requirements rather than production constraints. This shift opens up new possibilities for optimizing electromagnetic field distribution, improving energy transfer, and enhancing overall process performance in induction heat treating.
Where Conventional Coil Design Reaches Its Limits
Traditional induction coils are typically manufactured by bending and assembling copper tubes or machined elements. These methods are well established and widely used, but they impose inherent restrictions that can limit further optimization.
Geometric flexibility, for example, is constrained by bending radii and available tube profiles. As a result, the coil design often represents a compromise between what is theoretically optimal and what can be manufactured. In more complex applications, this can lead to non-uniform heating or less efficient energy coupling.
In addition, conventional manufacturing involves a considerable degree of manual work, which can introduce variability. Small deviations in geometry may affect electromagnetic behavior and, consequently, process consistency. The presence of joints — created through soldering or welding — further introduces potential weak points that can impact durability under thermal and mechanical stress.
Taken together, these factors not only influence manufacturing efficiency but also define the performance limits of the entire induction heating process.
3D Printing as a Design Enabler
Industrial metal 3D printer | Image Credit: PROTIQ
Additive manufacturing, often referred to as industrial 3D printing, is a production technology that creates metal components directly from digital design data. In processes like laser powder bed fusion (LPBF, often called SLM), a high-power laser selectively melts thin layers of metal powder. By repeating this process layer by layer, complex metal parts can be produced without the need for molds, tooling, or many of the manufacturing steps associated with conventional production methods.
This manufacturing approach offers a fundamentally different level of design freedom. Traditional manufacturing processes often require designers to adapt component geometries to machining, forming, or joining constraints. With additive manufacturing, many of these restrictions can be reduced or eliminated, allowing engineers to focus more directly on the functional requirements of the heat treatment application.
For induction heating, this means that the geometry of the inductor can be tailored more closely to the desired electromagnetic field distribution and heating characteristics. As a result, component design, process requirements, and performance objectives can be aligned more effectively.
Another important advantage is the ability to manufacture inductors as monolithic components. Instead of assembling multiple individual parts, the inductor can be produced in a single piece. This eliminates joints that may act as potential mechanical weak points while also enabling the integration of internal features, such as cooling channels. These channels can follow complex three-dimensional paths that would be difficult or impossible to realize with conventional manufacturing methods, enabling more targeted and efficient thermal management.
Impact on Induction Heating Performance
The increased design freedom enabled by additive manufacturing translates directly into improved process performance. When the geometry of the inductor is closely matched to the component, the electromagnetic field can be shaped more precisely. This allows for a more uniform temperature distribution, which is essential for achieving consistent material properties in heat treated parts.
Inductor with spray cooling | Image Credit: PROTIQ
Optimized geometries also improve the coupling of energy into the workpiece. In practical terms, this means that the required heating energy can be delivered more efficiently, often resulting in shorter cycle times. At the same time, improved cooling concepts help stabilize the process by keeping the inductor within its operating limits, even under demanding conditions.
Because additive manufacturing allows components to be reproduced with high accuracy, it also supports consistent process results. Compared to manually fabricated coils, this reproducibility reduces variability and contributes to overall process stability. The absence of soldered or welded joints can further increase service life, as common failure mechanisms are eliminated by design.
Copper in Additive Manufacturing: From Challenge to Application
Copper is the preferred material for induction coils due to its high electrical conductivity. However, its processing in laser-based additive manufacturing systems has long been considered challenging. The high reflectivity of copper and its thermal conductivity make it difficult to achieve stable and efficient melting during the build process.
In recent years, these challenges have been addressed through advances in machine technology, laser systems, and material development. Today, it is possible to manufacture copper components with properties suitable for demanding industrial applications, including conductivity levels comparable to conventional materials.
Despite this progress, successful implementation still requires a detailed understanding of both material behavior and process conditions. The interaction between geometry, material properties, and manufacturing parameters must be carefully considered to ensure that the final component meets both functional and mechanical requirements.
Companies such as PROTIQ have developed extensive experience in processing pure copper by additive manufacturing. This knowledge helps ensure stable production processes and application-oriented solutions for demanding industrial components like inductors.
Bridging Design and Reality Through Simulation and Experience
Simulation tools are an important element in the development of modern inductors. They provide insights into electromagnetic field distribution and thermal behavior, allowing engineers to evaluate and optimize designs before manufacturing.
However, simulation alone cannot fully predict how a component will perform under real operating conditions. Factors, such as material characteristics, surface quality, and manufacturing tolerances, can influence actual results. For this reason, experience in both additive manufacturing and induction applications remains essential.
In practice, effective inductor development is based on a combination of simulation, engineering expertise, and manufacturing know-how. This integrated approach helps ensure that theoretical designs can be translated into reliable solutions for industrial use.
Typical Applications in Heat Treating
The advantages of additively manufactured inductors become particularly evident in applications where conventional designs reach their limits. This is often the case in the heat treatment of components with complex geometries or varying cross-sections, where uniform heating is difficult to achieve.
In surface hardening processes, for example, tailored coil geometries can improve the consistency of hardness profiles across critical areas. Similarly, localized hardening applications benefit from the ability to precisely confine the electromagnetic field to specific regions of the component.
Another important field of application involves components with limited accessibility or intricate features. Here, additive manufacturing allows the realization of coil designs that can be adapted closely to the part geometry, enabling effective heating in areas that are difficult to reach with conventional inductors.
These application scenarios illustrate how additive manufacturing expands the solution space in induction heating, particularly for tasks that require a high degree of customization.
From Technology to Industrial Practice
While additive manufacturing offers significant opportunities, its successful use in induction heating depends on several factors. Material selection, manufacturability, and process stability must all be considered from the outset. Not every theoretically optimal design can be produced reliably, and design decisions must account for the specifics of the additive process.
Equally important is a deep understanding of the application itself. The requirements of the heat treat process, the properties of the component, and the desired outcomes must all be reflected in the inductor design.
In practice, additive manufacturing is not always the only or best solution. Depending on the application, a combination of conventionally manufactured and additively produced features can provide the most effective balance between performance, manufacturability, and cost.
This is where manufacturing expertise becomes critical. Companies like PROTIQ support clients in evaluating which parts of an inductor benefit from additive manufacturing and which may be better suited to conventional production methods. By combining process knowledge, material expertise, and industrial manufacturing capabilities, innovative designs can be translated into reliable and economically viable components.
Application-Driven Inductor Design
Additive manufacturing represents a shift in how induction coils are conceived and realized. By removing many of the constraints associated with conventional manufacturing, it enables a more direct alignment between design and function.
For heat treat operations, this opens up new possibilities for improving efficiency, quality, and reliability. Instead of adapting processes to the limitations of available coil geometries, inductors can be tailored to the specific requirements of the application.
As the technology continues to mature, additively manufactured inductors are likely to become an increasingly important element in advanced heat treat processes. Their successful application, however, depends not only on access to manufacturing technology but also on a comprehensive understanding of materials, processes, and application context.
About The Author:
Max Wissing Technology Manager PROTIQ
Max Wissing is the technology manager for 3D printing at PROTIQ with nearly a decade of industry experience. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in the optimization of 3D-printed induction coils.
