Why Choose Gas Nitriding?

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT TECH, NITRIDING TECHNICAL CONTENT

Among today’s nitriding technologies, gas nitriding remains the most widely used process for enhancing surface hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue performance while preserving dimensional stability. In this Technical Tuesday installment, Daniel H. Herring, aka “The Heat Treat Doctor®,” and Dr. Edward Rolinski, a senior scientist and recognized authority on plasma and ion nitriding, explain where gas nitriding excels, its process advantages and limitations, and the applications best suited for the technology.

If you’re looking for a broader introduction, watch for the upcoming print feature, “Nitriding Selection Guide: Gas, Plasma, or Salt Bath?” for an overview of nitriding, its key benefits, and a side-by-side of the three primary nitriding processes.

Gas nitriding represents 60–70% of all nitriding processes. The main benefit of gas nitriding, specifically when compared to plasma nitriding, is its ability to harden the entire surface of the component. Masking can be done by copper plating or painting with a nitriding-specific stop-off paint (Figure 1). Modern gas nitriding processes also allow treating of stainless steel, where PVC and other chemicals are used for surface pre-activation. Maintenance increases when these activating agents are used.

Figure 1. Large steel pinions being prepared for nitriding | Image Credit: Nitrex
Figure 2. Typical small parts and loading arrangements for gas nitriding (Herring 2011)

Case depths are typically total case depths (core hardness + 50 HV0.5) and vary by material (see Table B in Herring et al. 2026). Caution should be used when stating a required case depth as a number of definitions for total case depth are in use.

Another benefit of using gas nitriding is its ability to form a thick compound zone up to 0.025 mm (0.001 inches). The process can enhance the corrosion resistance of steels, particularly combined with post-oxidation. Also, gas nitriding is an excellent way to improve tribological properties of the treated components (Senatorski et al. 2017). Modern controls allow for automatic process adjustment over the length of the cycle and control of the nitriding atmosphere based on nitriding potential (Kn value) or ammonia dissociation rate (Herring 2020; Winter and Kalucki 2013). This allows for precise growth of the compound zone type and thickness, tight case depth ranges, and repeatability.

Dimensional change in nitrided parts, typically very small, is governed largely by composition, tempering temperatures, time/temperature of nitriding, relative thickness of case/core, shape of the part, and areas masked off to prevent nitriding. The amount of growth is usually constant for identical parts nitrided in different batches by a fixed processing cycle. After the amount of growth for a particular part has been determined experimentally, allowance for it can be made prior to nitriding during final machining prior to nitriding.

Table A. Single Stage Gas Nitriding Case Depth Time at 525°C (975°F) (Herring 2011)

Sharp corners or edges should be avoided on parts to be nitrided, because the projections formed at sharp corners receive higher nitrogen concentration and are susceptible to brittleness and chipping. These sharp edges nitride through the section and are without support from a soft ductile core.

In the single stage process, a temperature range of 500°C–540°C (925°F–1005°F) is typical, and process times range from 1 to 100 hours (Table A). The dissociation rate of ammonia is held in the range of 15% to 30%. The process produces a brittle, nitrogen-rich white layer at the surface comprised of various iron nitrides (Fe2-3N, Fe4N). One advantage of this thick white layer is that it will provide longer component service life in abrasive and adhesive wear applications.

Most parts, however, are nitrided in a two- or even three-stage process and not ground after nitriding (Table C). This affords them excellent dimensional stability (Herring 2011). Case depth is affected by temperature (Figure 3), time (Figure 4), nitriding potential (if there is not a compound zone formed), and how the total case depth is defined.

Table B. Recommended Ranges of Nitriding Potential (SAE International Aerospace Material Standard AMS 2759/10)
Figure 3. Gas nitriding case depth versus time for 4140 steels at 538ºC (1000ºF) (Adapted from Stange Electronik GmbH Data) 
Figure 4. Effect of temperature on formation of 0.51 mm (0.020 inches) case depth during nitriding 4140 steel (Adapted from Stange Electronik GmbH Data) 

References

Herring, Daniel H. 2011. “Principles of Gas Nitriding, Parts 1–4.” Industrial Heating, April–May. 

Herring, Daniel H. 2020. “An Overview of Nitriding—Technology and Tribological Benefits.” Industrial Heating, March. 

Herring, Daniel H. and Edward Roliński. 2026. “Nitriding Selection Guide: Gas, Plasma, or Salt Bath?” Heat Teat Today, August.

SAE International. n.d. AMS 2759/10 Aerospace Material Standard (latest revision). 

Senatorski, J., J. Tacikowski, E. Roliński, and S. Lampman. 2017. “Tribology of Nitrided and Nitrocarburized Steels.” In ASM Handbook, Vol. 18: Friction, Lubrication, and Wear Technology, edited by George E. Totten, 638–652. Materials Park, OH: ASM International. 

Winter, K. M., and J. Kalucki. 2013. “Gas Nitriding and Gas Nitrocarburizing of Steels.” In ASM Handbook, Vol. 4A: Steel Treating—Fundamentals and Processes, edited by Jon I. Dossett and George E. Totten, 647–679. Materials Park, OH: ASM International. 

About The Authors

Dan Herring
(The Heat Treat Doctor®)
The HERRING GROUP, Inc.

Dan Herring, who is most well known as The Heat Treat Doctor®, has been in the industry for over 50 years. He spent the first 25 years in heat treating prior to launching his consulting business, The HERRING GROUP in 1995. His vast experience in the field includes materials science, engineering, metallurgy, equipment design, process and application specialist, and new product research. He is the author of six books and over 1000 technical articles.

Dr. Edward Rolinski, affectionately known as “Doctor Glow,” is a distinguished senior scientist having spearheaded research on plasma/ion nitriding since the 1970s. He holds advanced degrees in manufacturing technology and metallurgy, including a PhD and Doctor of Science. His focus has been on plasma nitriding processes, especially involving titanium alloys and powder metallurgy. Over his career, Dr. Rolinski authored numerous influential technical chapters and articles, including for ASTM International and the ASM Handbook, and is a prolific contributor to industry publications. After decades of leadership and innovation in surface engineering and heat treating, he is now a consultant in the heat treating industry. 

For more information: Contact Dan at dherring@heat-treat-doctor.com.

Why Choose Gas Nitriding? Read More »

Why Choose Plasma Nitriding?

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT TECH, NITRIDING TECHNICAL CONTENT

As manufacturers look for greater control, precision, and flexibility in surface hardening, plasma nitriding has emerged as a versatile alternative to traditional nitriding methods. In this article, Daniel H. Herring, aka “The Heat Treat Doctor,” and Dr. Edward Rolinski, a senior scientist and recognized authority on plasma and ion nitriding, examine the advantages of plasma nitriding, including its ability to treat stainless steels, selectively harden complex geometries, and process powder metallurgy components.

If you’re looking for a broader introduction, watch for the upcoming print feature, “Nitriding Selection Guide: Gas, Plasma, or Salt Bath?” for an overview of nitriding, its key benefits, and a side-by-side of the three primary nitriding processes.

Plasma nitriding can be used over a broad range of heat treating temperatures and is used for all types of ferrous alloys (Figures 1 and 2). Additionally, it has the ability to activate the surfaces of oxidized stainless steels to allow them to be nitrided (Winter and Kalucki 2013; Roliński 1987).

Figure 1. Plasma nitrided A-286 Alloy Marble’s Etchant | Image Credit: The Herring Group, Inc.
Figure 2. Plasma nitrided duplex stainless steel 2205 Marble’s Etchant | Image Credit: The Herring Group, Inc.

Activation of the surface involves both ion bombardment and sputtering of the surface/cathode in the areas where the glow discharge covers the surface (Figure 3). The actual contact area of the part with the cathodic base plate or fixture does not nitride. The problem of edge effect, which is related to uneven distribution of sputtered atoms at corners and edges of a component (Roliński et al. 2005; Roliński 2024), is addressed primarily by proper adjustment of the processing gas pressure, which changes the thickness of the cathodic glow, making it more uniform around contour of the part. Masking areas that do not need to be hardened is simple. For example, a nut on a thread or a steel plate on a section with small holes is sufficient to protect those surfaces from the glow discharge and prevent nitriding.

Figure 3. Typical “glow” around component parts during plasma nitriding | Image Credit: The Herring Group, Inc.
Figure 4. Plasma/Ion nitrided powder metal component run at 565°C (1050°F) in a mixture of nitrogen/hydrogen at a ratio of 1:3 and pressure 3.5 mbar. 3% Nital. (Roliński et al, 2021)

Plasma nitriding is a unique process capable of surface hardening low-density sinter/powder metal (PM) products, even those less than 7.3 g/cm3 (Figure 4) and PM stainless steels (Roliński 2004). This is especially true when a portion of the treated component requires masking (Roliński and Sharp 2005, 2004). Active nitrogen species generated by the glow discharge penetrate only near-surface cavities/porosities, forming a nitrided layer. By contrast, ammonia in gas nitriding penetrates throughout the entire thickness of the component increasing the brittleness of the nitrided part.

Plasma nitriding is a low-nitriding potential process because the compound zone/white layer is typically very thin without extreme control accuracy of the nitriding parameters. This is a result of sputtering and a low partial pressure of nitrogen during processing (Roliński 2014). Plasma nitriding requires much less processing gases, such as nitrogen and hydrogen, than gas nitriding with ammonia. In addition, only small quantities of hydrocarbon gases are needed to dope the atmosphere and form epsilon-type compound zones at the surface (Roliński and Sharp, 2004).

Long parts, such as extruder screws and shafts, can be plasma nitrided even in “cold-wall vessels,” which do not have external heaters (Hemsath and Herring 2019).

References

Hemsath, Mark K., and Daniel H. Herring. 2019. “Nitriding—Growth and Tribological Benefits for Surface Engineering.” In Heat Treating Progress 2019 Conference Proceedings. Materials Park, OH: ASM International. 

Herring, Daniel H. and Edward Roliński. 2026. “Nitriding Selection Guide: Gas, Plasma, or Salt Bath?” Heat Teat Today, August.

Roliński, E. 1987. “Effect of Plasma Nitriding Temperature on Surface Properties of Stainless Steel.” Surface Engineering 3: 35–40. 

Roliński, E., J. Arner, and G. Sharp. 2005. “Negative Effects of Reactive Sputtering in Industrial Plasma Nitriding.” Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 14 (3): 343–350. 

Roliński, E., and G. Sharp. 2004. “Ion Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing of Sintered PM Parts.” Industrial Heating, October: 33–35. 

Roliński, E., and G. Sharp. 2005. “When and Why Ion Nitriding/Nitrocarburizing Makes Good Sense.” Industrial Heating, August: 67–72.

Roliński, E. 2014. “Plasma Assisted Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing of Steel and Other Ferrous Alloys.” In Thermochemical Surface Engineering of Steels, edited by E. J. Mittemeijer and M. A. J. Somers, 413–449. Cambridge, UK: Woodhead Publishing.

Winter, K. M., and J. Kalucki. 2013. “Gas Nitriding and Gas Nitrocarburizing of Steels.” In ASM Handbook, Vol. 4A: Steel Treating—Fundamentals and Processes, edited by Jon I. Dossett and George E. Totten, 647–679. Materials Park, OH: ASM International. 

About The Authors

Dan Herring
(The Heat Treat Doctor®)
The HERRING GROUP, Inc.

Dan Herring, who is most well known as The Heat Treat Doctor®, has been in the industry for over 50 years. He spent the first 25 years in heat treating prior to launching his consulting business, The HERRING GROUP in 1995. His vast experience in the field includes materials science, engineering, metallurgy, equipment design, process and application specialist, and new product research. He is the author of six books and over 1000 technical articles.

Dr. Edward Rolinski, affectionately known as “Doctor Glow,” is a distinguished senior scientist having spearheaded research on plasma/ion nitriding since the 1970s. He holds advanced degrees in manufacturing technology and metallurgy, including a PhD and Doctor of Science. His focus has been on plasma nitriding processes, especially involving titanium alloys and powder metallurgy. Over his career, Dr. Rolinski authored numerous influential technical chapters and articles, including for ASTM International and the ASM Handbook, and is a prolific contributor to industry publications. After decades of leadership and innovation in surface engineering and heat treating, he is now a consultant in the heat treating industry. 

For more information: Contact Dan at dherring@heat-treat-doctor.com.

Why Choose Plasma Nitriding? Read More »

Message from the Editor: The Greatest Engineering Skill

/ EDITOR

Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines a year and included in each is a letter from the editor. This letter is from the July 2026 Annual Super Brands Issue print edition. In today’s letter, Bethany Leone, managing editor at Heat Treat Today, shares her insights on why interpreting client needs, not technical know-how, is often the real challenge engineers face — and how deliberately practicing creative thinking, the willingness to ask “what if…?”, is the skill that builds resilience in the face of change.

I had the pleasure of attending an award ceremony for a local metallurgy chapter filled with academia and industry players in metals processing. As we chatted around the table exchanging first-hand stories about aerospace engineering industry feats and reflecting on materials capabilities, the conversation took a turn. What was their biggest challenge of their careers? The unanimous, almost immediate consensus came down to interpreting client needs.

One gentleman with a full career and retirement worth of experience commented first. A lot of confusion came from the misuse of or difference in terms. For example, use of the term “sheet” versus the desired “foil” outcome in rolling operations. This reminded me of a maxim my colleague and managing editor predecessor likes to quote: “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” Until you understand what the terms of the discussion are, neither you nor your listener can make much of it.

Another expert chimed in and shared that clients often brought their own expectations of what made for a sufficient thermal processing outcome. But with testing, though the specs were met, the part failed. Finding the words to bridge the gap between the expectations of clients and the world of testing that he lived in was a regular feat of strength. Or perhaps a feat of the mind through creative thinking.

In both cases, technical expertise was not the limiting factor. The challenge was finding a new way to understand and communicate a problem.

Exercising Creativity

Today’s world of advanced technology does not necessarily undervalue creative thinking, but it is a metric that is often misidentified. What is often thought of as creative thinking is often another skill: problem solving, logical reasoning, savvy use of tools.

These are all excellent abilities to have. But I fear for myself and especially for the engineers navigating the new manufacturing world that we are not flexing the creative thinking muscle purposefully. There are increasing defaults in our lives that minimize effort while maintaining quality outcomes (note the key word: maintain). With technology’s rapid advances, practicing creative thought increasingly requires a deliberate choice to break through what is normal or assumed to be “right” answers in search of new solutions.

This skill is built by repeated efforts to challenge accepted norms — think, perhaps, heat treat process recipes — and invites “what if…?” to solve new problems. This is not a necessary tool to apply to every instance of challenge, but the effort to break mental rules is a scientific superpower that makes us and our operations resilient in the face of change.

Research suggests that mentally stimulating activities like crosswords and sudoku may support cognitive health and delay cognitive decline. And while logical thinking and memory skills play a foundational role in problem solving, the magic moments often come with a forced “what if…?” Whether in a scribbled newspaper game or on the plant floor, this daring thought comes after you have done your due diligence, executed the research, laid the logical framework, and tested for solutions systematically.

What If…?

Decide to practice and not offload this ability. You are among many who finesse every tuning, manage every hot zone refabrication, or confront each production issue. Therefore, the greatest engineering skill will be to let curiosity prevail and slowly, painstakingly find the words to ask the right questions.

Bethany Leone
Managing Editor
Heat Treat Today
Contact: Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com

Message from the Editor: The Greatest Engineering Skill Read More »

New DRI Plant Planned for US Pig Iron Production

/ FOUNDRY CASTING NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

NEMO Industries is planning a new direct reduction iron (DRI) plant in Louisiana to strengthen domestic pig iron production by supplying high-carbon DRI for electric smelting. The project will support both U.S. and international markets while incorporating technologies designed to improve process efficiency and provide flexibility for future lower-carbon ironmaking.

NEMO Industries has selected Tenova, a global metals technology company with North American operations, to provide the ENERGIRON direct reduction technology for its proposed Ironworks I facility. Located in Louisiana, the plant will produce up to 2.5 million metric tons per year of hot and cold DRI. Tenova will begin front-end engineering design (FEED) as the project advances toward a final investment decision, currently expected in December 2027.

The facility will use the ENERGIRON Zero Reformer configuration, a direct reduction technology jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli. The plant will also incorporate the HYTEMP hot DRI transport system and be designed to accommodate future carbon caption integration. In addition, the facility includes provisions for future hydrogen use as Gulf Coast hydrogen infrastructure develops, providing flexibility for evolving feedstock and decarbonization strategies.

Michael DuBose
Co-Founder and President
NEMO Industries
Stefano Maggiolino
President and CEO
Tenova HYL

Michael DuBose, co-founder and president of NEMO Industries said recent market disruptions have underscored the need for a more resilient domestic pig iron supply chain. “Recent market disruptions including war, tariffs, and weather have reinforced the national security case for a resilient American pig iron supply,” DuBose said. “ENERGIRON DRI technology positions us to develop a pig iron facility that will strengthen the American steel supply chain and reduce our reliance on imported steel inputs.”

Stefano Maggiolino, president and CEO of Tenova HYL, said the project highlights how direct reduction technology can help manufacturers balance operational efficiency and sustainability goals. “It gives NEMO Industries the technical foundation in terms of capital and operating expenditures, carbon content, and sustainability to prove its DRI-based pig iron model,” he said.

Press release is available in its original form here.

New DRI Plant Planned for US Pig Iron Production Read More »

News from Abroad: Electrification and Steel Processing Advances

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS

In today’s News from Abroad installment, we highlight several major global developments — from electrified furnace technology and low-carbon steelmaking to advanced casting and electrical steel production — demonstrating how manufacturers are modernizing thermal operations to boost efficiency, improve product quality, and support the growing demand for sustainable metals production.

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. 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.

Electric Pusher Furnace Improves Aluminum Heating Efficiency

Novelis expects to cut emissions by approximately 4,500 tons CO2eq per year. | Image Credit: Novelis

“Novelis has started operating its first electric pusher furnace at its Sierre plant, Switzerland. The pusher furnace is used to heat aluminum ingots prior to rolling.”

“As part of the Net Zero Lab Valais roadmap, Novelis plans to continue to scale electrification and low-carbon energy integration at its Sierre plant, while also exploring decarbonization solutions across the company’s global production network.”

Read more: “Novelis commissions electric pusher furnace” at furnaces-international.com.

Electric Arc Furnace Advances Green Steel Production

Henan Jiyuan Iron and Steel Group orders electric arc furnace from Danieli. | Image Credit: Alcoa Norway

“Danieli has signed a contract with Henan Jiyuan Iron and Steel Group for the supply of a new 55t ECS Zerobucket electric arc furnace (EAF). The order marks the first EAF for Henan Jiyuan and aids in the company’s transition from blast furnace steelmaking to green steel production.”

“The new EAF will allow Henan Jiyuan to establish a more efficient and environmentally friendly special steel production process.”

Read more: “Danieli to supply first EAF to Henan Jiyuan” at furnaces-international.com.

Continuous Casting Raises Rail Steel Standards

Primetals Technologies will supply a 6-strand bloom caster as part of WISCO’s plans to improve its production line layout. | Image Credit: Primetals Technologies

“Wuhan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (WISCO) and Primetals Technologies recently signed a contract for a 6-strand bloom caster project.”

“The new caster will further strengthen the company’s manufacturing capabilities in high-end areas such as rail steel, automotive, and photovoltaic applications, and marks another milestone in the partnership between the two companies.”

Read more: “Primetals Technologies and WISCO to Set New Benchmark in Zero-Defect Rail Steel Casting” at heat-processing.com.

Electrical Steel Project Adds Thermal Processing Capacity

Fives signs contract with Sanbao Group for new electrical steel lines. | Image Credit: Fives

“Fives, an international engineering group, has signed a contract with Fujian Kunbao New Materials, part of Sanbao Group, to design and supply two high-performance strip processing lines for electrical steel production in Zhangzhou, China.”

“The project includes the delivery of two complete decarburizing and coating lines (DCL) dedicated to producing grain-oriented (GO) electrical steel, a critical material used in power transmission and distribution systems.”

Read more: “Fives to supply full electrical steel lines to Sanbao Group” at heat-processing.com.

News from Abroad: Electrification and Steel Processing Advances Read More »

Major Steel Plant Shifts to Electric Steelmaking

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS

A major steel plant is replacing its existing blast furnace route with electric steelmaking as part of a transition to lower-emission steel production. The project will convert the facility into an electric arc furnace-based operation while supporting continued production of high-quality flat steel products, including grades used in the automotive industry.

Tenova, a global industrial furnace and metals technology supplier with North American operations, will supply the electric arc furnace for the transformation of Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (HKM) in Duisburg, Germany. The furnace, designed with a production capacity of 2.5 million tons per year, will be Germany’s largest electric arc furnace and will become the technological center of the plant’s transition under its new owner, Salzgitter AG.

The investment marks the beginning of a new phase for the Duisburg-Huckingen steelworks. By replacing the existing blast furnace route with electric steelmaking, HKM expects to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations while maintaining the plant’s competitiveness. The project reflects continued investment in electric steelmaking technologies as steel producers pursue lower-emission manufacturing.

Tenova’s scope of supply includes a 285-ton Consteel® EAF, complete with auxiliary plants on a turnkey basis. The furnace will incorporate Tenova’s Consteel® continuous scrap charging technology and an Electro Magnetic Stirring (EMS) System developed in partnership with ABB. It is designed to deliver a continuous production rate of 380 tons per hour to the existing secondary metallurgy line and slab caster, enabling production of high-quality flat steel products, including grades that meet automotive industry standards. The new facility will be installed in a dedicated building within the HKM production site.

Paolo Stagnoli
Sales and Marketing Director for EAF & LF
Tenova

According to Paolo Stagnoli, sales and marketing director for EAF & LF at Tenova, the project followed an extensive period of collaboration between HKM and Tenova to develop a solution tailored to the operational requirements of the Duisburg steelworks. “It took almost two years of joint studies and intensive discussion between HKM and Tenova to define this ambitious project and fine-tune the technological solution to the unique constraints and needs of the productive site,” he said.

The project expands Tenova’s portfolio of electric arc furnace installations and reflects continued adoption of electric steelmaking technologies designed to improve process efficiency, reduce energy consumption, minimize environmental impact, and support lower-carbon steel production.

Press release is available in its original form here.

Major Steel Plant Shifts to Electric Steelmaking Read More »

Are We Missing the Next 10-Year Downturn?

/ PUBLISHER'S PAGE

Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter from the July 2026 Annual Super Brands Issue print edition considers whether the heat treat industry’s roughly 10-year downturn cycle will repeat in 2028-2030, weighing low energy prices against the risk of a financial-instability-driven correction.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

Since the early 1990s, the thermal processing and heat treating industry has experienced a significant recession or slowing about every 10 years. The last great downturn happened 2008–2010. When 2018–2020 rolled around, everyone was optimistic that we had skirted the 10-year cycle. Then COVID hit, and there was a drastic and immediate downturn. It was dramatic; however, it was not typical nor caused by the usual mysterious economic causes. In fact, had COVID not hit, it seems likely we would have missed the 10-year cyclical slowdown.

Now we’re approaching 2028–2030 — hard to believe! The question is whether we will skirt the next 10-year bust.

Why We Might Miss It: Energy Prices

Economies are largely unpredictable. That’s primarily because economies are largely incomprehensible. They’re simply too big and too complex to be understood, much less predicted. Those believing that economies need to be managed and planned will find renewed vigor for their command and control theories with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). They’ll claim that AI can make sense of the millions upon millions of individual decisions that are made each second, and because AI can understand and make sense of it, mankind will once again be able to control and plan even the most complex economies. They will try — I predict failure.

That being said, it is possible that we will miss the next 10-year cycle because there have been some major shifts in the economy over the past several years. The primary shift has to do with energy prices. Manufacturing follows low energy prices. That’s the simple principle. Unless our policymakers mess it up, it is very likely that energy prices will continue to be relatively low compared to other industrialized economies. For that reason alone, I fully anticipate that these United States will see continued economic growth for the next 10–20 years.

Why We Might NOT Miss It: Financial Instability

On the other hand (because economists always have two, if not three, hands!), there is a very foundational reason why we may not escape a 2028–2030 downturn and that is financial instability.

For those familiar with the simplicity and beauty of the Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT), easy money (i.e., an increase in the supply of money) leads to recession. What artificially goes up must come crashing down. Without going into the depths of the theory, suffice it to say that when the economy is artificially stimulated by inflation (i.e., an increase in the money supply, also known as “easy money” or “quantitative easing” or “lower interest rates”), the economy will experience an artificial high. Then, once some time passes, the readjustment (“correction,” “recession,” “downturn,” etc.) will inevitably take place.

ABCT has pretty much always been proven right. Some will dispute that, but by and large, it is dead on.

In our current situation, it is almost certain that all the quantitative easing that took place during the COVID years due to fear of a major, worldwide economic crash will one day come back to bite us. We’ve not yet seen a major correction or readjustment since the COVID years of inflation, and I don’t see any chance that we won’t “pay the price” for our profligate monetary policy and experience a pretty significant downturn in the next 5–8 years.

Then again (or “on the third hand”), no one ever knows for sure until it happens. Economies are too big, too complicated, and too mysterious to predict. Whatever happens, let’s remain calm and continue to diligently apply ourselves to making others’ lives better.

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

Are We Missing the Next 10-Year Downturn? Read More »

OMG Site Tour: An Inside Look at In-House Heat Treating

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT, HARDENING TECHNICAL CONTENT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT TECH

This Technical Tuesday installment summarizes the highlights from a site visit by Heat Treat Today’s Doug Glenn, publisher and founder, and Karen Gantzer, manager of events. Learn how OMG Building Products, LLC took control of efficiency, product quality, and R&D in the middle of New England.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s July 2026 Annual Super Brands Issue print edition.

In 2003, OMG‘s decision to vertically integrate manufacturing operations meant that heat treating needed to be brought in-house, making R&D a prized cornerstone of operations that guarantee high quality products. The Northeast operation in Agawam, Massachusetts, now moves 20 million pounds of steel per year (two to three tractor trailer trucks of steel wire per day) and features electrically powered IQ batch furnaces and continuous mesh belt furnaces.

Founding and Evolution

Five guys in Agawam, Massachusetts, gathered around a backyard BBQ in 1981 talking about the challenge of finding decent roofing screws. Pooling their talents across fabrication, finance, and more, they formed the company that has expanded to be OMG Building Products LLC. Their singular focus: making better roofing fasteners. To this day, roofing fasteners still make up 60% of OMG’s business.

In 2003, following years of sustained growth and product expansion, they took steps to bring increased oversight to their product. The main objective was to further ensure quality, gain greater material velocity, and increase customer service. The first step was to invest in an ECoat painting line for the fasteners, the process closest to OMG’s clients. Kevin Walters, now OMG’s senior process engineering manager, was hired as quality manager to oversee these transitions.

Making room for roofing heat treating operations soon followed, as well as several building expansions in the industrial park, including a residential construction fastener business and increased warehouse space. These capacity developments brought OMG’s low-carbon steel and yet highly efficient roofing product to a global market.

The Next Step: In-House Heat Treat

Bringing heat treating in-house would be a major move to further secure the manufacturing line. Product was being shipped to as many as ten different locations, including facilities in the Midwest and Canada. In fact, the biggest percentage was at risk since that Waterbury, Connecticut, heat treat supplier was looking at closing its doors with just a 90-days’ notice.

It was 2012 when OMG decided to investigate installing systems at the industrial park in Agawam. After three to four years’ worth of technical and business research, the parent company approved the funds to embark on the installation that is there today.

Research and Design

Jeff Hotham, Heat Treat Manager, and Kevin Walters, R&D Lead, collaborate to make OMG’s heat treat operations more efficient and effective. | Image Credit: Heat Treat Today

When it comes to the success of their heat treat operations, Jeffrey (Jeff) Hotham, OMG heat treat manager, put it bluntly: “Kevin is our secret weapon.” Since joining the team in 2003 at the apex of change, the senior process engineering manager brought heat treating operations in-house, facing every obstacle that comes with it.

The first challenge was logistics. OMG is situated in a light industrial park that cannot provide enough energy to power gas or electric furnace operations. After much analysis, it was determined that the most cost-efficient solution was to build an electric line connecting to an Eversource utility grid. This has had welcome maintenance implications as the electrically powered furnaces do not require an on-site burner tech and the accompanying nickel element ceramic tubes are also low maintenance.

Next was determining the thermal processing equipment. For an entire year, Kevin researched heat treating methods to optimize the company’s fasteners. His boots-on-the-ground research included visiting commercial heat treat facilities, attending trade shows, and speaking directly with industry professionals.

Because OMG produces a variety of lengthy fasteners, distortion control drove the decision of an integral quench furnace design, while productivity needs were met through a continuous mesh belt furnace design. Additionally, size of the furnace systems was all important in balancing flexibility and time-to-market realities. This resulted in a competitive heat treat system design that would leverage a significant amount of automation and a loading system that minimized manual intervention. This original furnace line included two endo generators, smart oil filtration, cooling equipment, and material handling.

The Right Fit: Finding a Furnace OEM

The competitive system design, however, would hinge on the ability to find a vendor who could deliver dependable, customizable equipment. Kevin and a cross-functional team of OMG business, operations, finance, purchasing, and safety representatives were tasked with selecting the equipment supplier.

When reviewing their options, OMG’s choice of furnace supplier came down to three key factors: design flexibility, locality, and customer service. It was essential that the system integrate design decisions to accommodate Kevin’s researched solutions.

Some furnace OEMs had reservations about adapting their systems to accommodate these special requests. Other suppliers had systems completed at various locations, with features sometimes being subcontracted off-site. Ultimately, the team found their perfect fit with Williams Industrial Service, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, who were eager to accommodate design changes, maintained full control of furnace build under one roof, and demonstrated a service-minded team.

Once ordered, the next step was to monitor job progress. OMG was proactive, providing timeline-focused goals. The furnace build progressed on schedule with Kevin making quarterly visits to complete milestone reports.

Within three years, OMG’s full heat treating line was installed.

Optimizing Productivity in Current Operations

Operations have increasingly shifted to focus on cost savings and control over inefficiencies. From a 30,000-foot view, wire arrives, is skim drawn, goes through cold forming, then heat treating, and finally painting and packing.

Facility design is critical in operational performance. According to Kevin, the working environment surpasses that of many heat treat operations he has visited, a credit to how well Jeff manages the plant floor. A key example of this is safety. OMG’s safety culture can be seen throughout their operations, extending to the racking department where a climate-controlled room away from loud manufacturing supports racking staff. Kevin also remarked that the air ventilation system is a point of pride: “We literally have guys wear hoodies in the heat treat department in the wintertime… because we have so much fresh air intake and exhaust in the room; the climate here is pretty good.”

Mesh belt line | Image Credit: Heat Treat Today

When roofing fasteners are heat treated, they either go through one of the three medium- to large-scale continuous mesh belt furnace lines or through the automated integral quench (IQ) furnace line. The mesh belt line receives shorter, 1.5- to 6-inch parts that are poured from a tub onto the belt with ease as well as longer 7- to 8-inch product. On the other hand, the IQ furnace line includes two furnaces which receive longer parts up to 24 inches long from a fully automated delivery system; fasteners are hung from their heads on the rack to prevent distortion. In the future, the team looks forward to automating this part of the process.

Kevin Walters, Doug Glenn, Karen Gantzer, and Jeff Hotham stand in OMG’s testing lab. | Image Credit: Heat Treat Today
Long roofing screws are hand-racked to best control distortion. | Image Credit: Heat Treat Today

The IQ line is a point of pride. Kevin commented that he has reason to believe that his IQ line may be the most automated in the country. “My operators do not have to get on a charge cart at all,” he explains, “[because] it’s fully automated; it knows when loads are done in the furnaces, takes them, puts them in, takes them out, puts them in the washer, and takes them out. Everything is automatically programmed.” These loads are monitored based on weights for baskets and piece count for racks.

Jeff and Kevin have collaborated to increase equipment efficiency and throughput while maintaining quality.

Operations feature an in-house laboratory to test product, particularly for distortion, the leading quality concern for roofing product. As mentioned earlier, furnace line automation is a goal, yet longer parts — like thin-shanked 8-inch parts — may still need to be hand-racked on the mesh belt to attain the quality results.

The Power of Planned Maintenance

Regular planned maintenance schedules work to keep this operation up and running. Jeff coordinates any maintenance requiring extended furnace downtime to occur at the same time.

On an annual basis, temperature uniformity is prioritized through extensive furnace care, including replacing the thermocouples and carbon probes. As Jeff asserts, “We try to stay ahead of the game.” This planned maintenance takes two weeks of the furnace being out of commission to ensure the furnace is thoroughly cleaned and any equipment replacements completed.

Biannually (twice every year), furnace ductwork is cleaned — a critical measure to stop risk of fire since, according to Jeff, most industry fires start in the ducts. OMG outsources experts to complete this maintenance over the course of a full week.

Finally, on a quarterly basis, all equipment undergoes vibration and infrared analysis. Following this proactive maintenance schedule has brought the operation from producing 9 million pounds in his first year to 19.2 million pounds just six years later in 2025 — same equipment, simply leveraged by Jeff’s proactive planning and coordinating Kevin’s R&D efficiency endeavors.

Future

Kevin Walters, the R&D manager at OMG, explains how OMG forms spools into screw and nail roofing product to Doug Glenn, publisher of Heat Treat Today. | Image Credit: Heat Treat Today

As the business grows, OMG is exploring other ways to accomplish tasks better and more efficiently: induction, vacuum furnace, continuous or pass-through IQ, and rack furnaces are all being considered.

Kevin addressed their laser-focused approach in heat treating operations, saying, “As time goes on though, we are perfecting productivity with Kaizen events and controlling our own destiny and lowering overall costs. Last year, process optimization on the mesh belt lines boosted our productivity by more than 30% and our automated IQ line is up 20% this year.”

OMG’s operation demonstrates what curious innovation and on-the-ground industry research can unlock for in-house heat treating. If the past is any indication of the future, we’ll see OMG leading the way in thoughtful, quality-focused integration of advanced technology in the industry.

This article was written by Heat Treat Today’s editorial team. For more information, contact editor@heattreattoday.com.

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Steelhead Acquires Visual Shop, Bluestreak

/ CONTROLS NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Steelhead Technologies, a software provider serving the heat treating and metal finishing industries, has acquired Visual Shop and Bluestreak, bringing together three providers of manufacturing execution, quality management, and job shop management software for North American heat treaters and metal finishers. The acquisition expands its software offering while retaining the industry expertise developed by each organization.

Visual Shop, developed by Cornerstone Systems, and Bluestreak have both provided software for heat treating and metal finishing job shops for decades. Steelhead said clients of all three companies will have access to a unified platform combining manufacturing execution, quality management, enterprise resource planning, and shop floor management capabilities.

Steelhead plans to continue investing in software capabilities for heat treating operations, including support for furnace calibrations, operator certifications, sample testing, sensor integration, and cybersecurity initiatives related to CMMC compliance. The company said the combined organization will continue drawing on the technical expertise of Visual Shop and Bluestreak teams.

Jeff Halonen
CEO and Co-Founder
Steelhead Technologies

“Heat treating job shops have been under decades of competitive pressure from offshoring, workforce challenges, and volatility in costs,” said Jeff Halonen, CEO and co-founder of Steelhead Technologies. “With demographic changes and AI completely changing the operational landscape, the challenges remain as steep as ever. At the same time, top government officials and contractors are urgently bringing back work by reshoring and scaling production. Job shops must leverage technology to rapidly increase capacity and capability without adding head count to solve every challenge.”

“To stay competitive in the long term, we would need to build a new product on a modern platform. Steelhead has a great product and shares our philosophy of providing outstanding customer service,” said Kevin Pluedeman, president of Cornerstone Systems (Visual Shop). Todd Wenzel, president and founder of Bluestreak adds, “By joining forces with Steelhead, we are bringing the institutional knowledge and specialized features of Bluestreak together with Steelhead’s modern infrastructure.”

The announcement also included comments from Exactatherm, a commercial heat treater in Mississauga, Ontario, which has implemented Steelhead’s software. Vraj Shah, quality manager at Exactatherm, said the company has used the platform to simplify employee training, improve access to Nadcap audit records, reduce lead times to approximately 10 days, and shorten inventory hold times.

ThermTech partners with Steelhead to implement their AI-powered platform. | Image Credit: Steelhead Technologies

As part of the announcement, commercial heat treater ThermTech said it is partnering with Steelhead as it implements the company’s software platform. The system combines manufacturing execution, quality management, ERP, financial, and customer service functions into a single platform. The company also said its engineering team will work with Steelhead to further develop heat treating-specific capabilities.

Press release is available in its original form here.
Stay tuned for more: Heat Treat Today’s Doug Glenn recently sat down with Steelhead Technologies CEO Jeff Halonen for a deeper dive into the acquisition and its implications for the heat treating industry. The full interview will be published soon.

Steelhead Acquires Visual Shop, Bluestreak Read More »

Titanium Heat Treating Capacity Nears Completion

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS

Solar Atmospheres, a U.S. commercial heat treater, is preparing to commission a titanium solution heat treating system that will expand processing capacity for large titanium bars, forgings, and other components used in aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. The system combines a drop bottom furnace with an 11,000-gallon recirculating water quench tank designed to rapidly cool large workloads and achieve consistent metallurgical properties.

The company recently installed the stainless steel water quench tank at its Hermitage, Pennsylvania, facility as preparations continue for commissioning the titanium drop bottom furnace. The furnace remains on schedule to be fully commissioned and operational by September 2026.

Designed primarily for solution treating titanium bars, titanium forgings, and other large titanium components, the furnace features a 14-foot-long x 54-inch-wide x 48-inch-high workload envelope. During processing, parts will be transferred into the 11,000-gallon recirculating, agitated water quench tank within five to seven seconds, providing the rapid, uniform cooling required to achieve consistent metallurgical properties.

The investment expands its capability to process large titanium components for demanding aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.

Press release is available in its original form here.
Images show the installation of the drop bottom furnace at the Hermitage facility. Image credit: Solar Atmospheres

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