After the fourth annual nomination for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 came to a close, Bethany Leone, editor at Heat Treat Today, shared what type of leaders would be recognized in the September 2021 Trade Show magazine. Check out pages 32-55 for the full list of rising young leaders in the North American heat treat market.

Where did you come from? I mean, before you got into heat treating. And how did you become the heat treater that your colleagues know you to be today?

If you are like most people, heat treating was something that you fell into. You didn’t plan to go into the family business, but you did; your other opportunity at your dream job fell through and someone offered you this position; you were waiting for the chance of a lifetime and decided to pursue heat treat instead. . . .

The stories go on. Mundane, perhaps more often than not, but very much our stories.

Among the ordinariness of moving from point A to point B and making the small decisions to take on a new customer or take on a new cleaning or processing technology, we find rising young leaders of the heat treat market. The general manager at a small plant who continues to impress his colleagues and employer, or the young female operations handler whose capable, can-do attitude has driven her to vice president are the constantly felt, though not often recognized, leaders in our sphere.

Determining what is a leader is the first step to recognize these invaluable figures in our ordinary lives, hidden behind their families, books-of-the-month, and job transitions. But how to talk about a good leader? How do you put into words what is felt and not spoken? It’s a difficult question, but the best answer I can give you: tell a story.

These stories show hard work and initiative from one step to the next. . .

“Erick developed successful bilingual/bicultural work instructions and created a seamless process to develop new equipment using local resources, all during demanding project schedules and in the middle of the COVID crisis.”

Leadership stories highlight cultivated talent on display. . .

“Lindsey’s communications background has helped Advanced Heat Treat Corp’s growth in technical material content for customers [. . .] Lindsey’s marketing expertise has increased AHT’s website traffic year-after-year, with a 45% increase since the pandemic.”

A good story moves people with cutting edge reality and humanity of a leader. . .

“With [Matthew’s] newly acquired purchase of his first home, he is honing his abilities as a handyman from rough carpentry to finish work. Applying his perfectionist personality to every job, it’s truly hard to tell if it was done by him or a professional.”

As you peel through these pages to look for the next technical article or skim for an advertiser who will meet your needs, pause for a moment with fresh eyes on the incredible narratives that make up Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2021.

Welcome to Heat Treat Today’s This Week in Heat Treat Social Media. As you know, there is so much content available on the web that it’s next to impossible to sift through all of the articles and posts that flood our inboxes and notifications on a daily basis. So, Heat Treat Today is here to bring you the latest in compelling, inspiring, and entertaining heat treat news from the different social media venues that you’ve just got to see and read!

This week, we check out what’s going on in the heat treat community (in person and afar), watch a robot video (it may look familiar, but this time the robot might be at your plant), and read a not-so-heat-treat-but-certainly-funny T-shirt.

If you have content that everyone has to see, please send the link to editor@heattreattoday.com.

1. “Spot What You’ve Been Missing”?

Spot, the dancing robot from the previous TWIHTSM, can perform manufacturing site inspections. Using Fluke imaging technology, the robot can monitor site problem areas. What do you think? Does this change the game of manufacturing? Is it a good solution to safety concerns on the shop floor?

2. Water Cooler Talk

What have you been talking about while we were away? Online chatter “around the cooler” yields some interesting insights. Let us know about some interesting fact or episode in your world by tagging @HeatTreatToday on your next post!

Chattin’ About Furnaces

Influences on Furnace Pumping Time?

Too Basic?

3. Heat Treat Community

In person or online, we can’t get enough of the comradery. Let’s show you what we’re talking about. . .

@Women in Manufacturing!

To China and Beyond!

Nope, this is not a throwback picture. This week, the China Heat Treating Association hosted a live edition of the 2020 Shanghai Heat Treatment Exhibition. Booth visitor turnout was strong with many mfrs planning to invest in their production capacity.https://t.co/5Tifckc7Jh. pic.twitter.com/kYgrFy5C6Z

– Nitrex Metal (@NitrexMetal) October 16, 2020

Luncheons in the Air (kind of)

4. Reading and Podcast Corner

You can’t read everything, we get it. So how’s about you listen/watch/read this ONE epic podcast? Yes? Perfect.

5. Outstanding 40 Under 40 Leaders of 2021

Check out some of the stellar Heat Treat Today 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 that have been popping up on the interwebs:

6. I know it’s not heat treat. . . but I laughed

Have a great weekend!

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Personnel Chatter

1. Isaiah Arnold joins Schneider Electric as a services sales engineer.
2. Vacuum & Atmosphere Services Ltd. has new heads of departments: Aaron Long, head of Vacuum Products; Greg Walker, head of Atmosphere Products; Adam Greenway, head of Fabrications; and Mike Oldham, head of New Business.
3. Hubbard-Hall Inc. has hired Jodie Menze as customer service manager. In this newly-made position, Menze will take a hands-on approach to enhancing the customer experience.
4. Hubbard-Hall has transformed its Sales & Technical Departments and promoted several key staff: Larry Ensley, director of Technical Applications, is assuming company-wide responsibility for technical service teams and lab operations, overseeing ten technical experts. These individuals include Robin Deal and Faith Mierzejewski. Secondly, Mike Valenti is expanding his role as the director of Cleaning Technology. Lastly, Ted Saltzman, newly named Specialty Sales manager & Business Development, will direct the Specialty Sales group’s field account team and oversee the inside account management team. All three individuals will report to Scott Papst, vice president of Specialty Sales and Business Development.

Company Chatter

1. Ramco Steels Pvt. Ltd. in India has installed its first SCADA-controlled quenching & tempering furnace in-house. Now, they offer spherodised annealing, normalising, isothermal annealing, through hardening and tempering, induction hardening/tempering, and soft carburising operations in-house.
2. Service Heat Treating announced the completion of a multi-year plant expansion, expanding their space by 40,000 sq.ft. and adding heat treat capacity.
3. Solar Manufacturing Inc., Sellersville, Pa. announced the receipt of U.S. Patent No. 11053560 issue date July 6, 2021.
4. Kanthal launches a second generation flow heater control system, developed to assist customers to run the flow heater safely and efficiently.
5. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. announced a new black oxide option which offers a darker black color oxidation than their original offering. The additional option will be available as a standalone black oxide treatment and as part of the UltraOx® heat treatment (referred to as UltraOx Hyper).

Kudos Chatter

1. China’s Tiangong International Company Limited acquired a Quintus Technologies hot isostatic press (HIP).
2. Bodycote Greenville is now certified by GE for the heat treatment of both titanium and aluminum.
3. On SECO/WARWICK’s 30th Anniversary, they introduced a new website – www.secowarwick.com — and a new book — the DNA Book.

Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to bethany@heattreattoday.com.

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Equipment Chatter

1. A new feature on Ipsen’s PdMetrics dashboard monitors incoming three-phase utilities, voltage and frequency on vacuum furnaces. This addition offers further diagnostics for the diffusion pump heater assembly.
2. AMETEK STC’s JOFRA ASC-400 Advanced Signal Calibrator now includes a built-in help function that offers a graphical solution to connect with the ASC-400s current set-up. The end result is time saved and reduced errors.

Personnel/Company Chatter

1. Andrew Clark from Advanced Heat Treat Corp. has been promoted to induction equipment operator.
2. AVS is pleased to announce the successful transfer of ownership from Steven Levesque to Jacob (Jake) Krashan.
3. Solar Atmospheres Greenville, SC facility announced it had been awarded GE Aviation approval.
4. Solar Atmospheres of California (SCA) has installed and recently commissioned the state’s largest commercial Solar + Energy Storage System. By combining onsite generation, an advanced energy storage system, and an artificial intelligence powered analytics platform, SCA will optimize energy use by automatically switching between onsite generation, battery power, and grid power.
5. Bodycote announced the opening of a new Syracuse, NY heat treatment facility.
6. SECO/VACUUM, SECO/WARWICK’s North American’s vacuum furnace company, received orders in 2020 from the aerospace and defense sectors, with the tool and die market also placing orders.
7. Paulo announced plans to double the size of its Monterrey, Mexico facility to meet the demand from the automotive industry for the heat treatment of brake components in passenger cars and trucks.
8. Ambrell’s first system retired after nearly 35 years of service.

Kudos Chatter

1. AMETEK STC launched a new webshop for pressure measurement industries.
2. Schneider Electric is ranked the world’s most sustainable corporation by Corporate Knights.
3. Hubbard-Hall announced its certification as a Woman Owned Small Business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Molly Kellogg leads the specialty chemical producer and distributor headquartered in Waterbury, CT as the chairman, CEO, president, and 6th-generation owner.

Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to editor@heattreattoday.com.

Source: Advanced Heat Treat Corp.

Why do forging dies fail? How can heat treating prevent failure? And what specific role does gas- or plasma-assisted nitriding treatment play in enhancing metal structure?

Heat Treat Today brings you this Best of the Web feature article this Technical Tuesday to answer these questions. Written by Dr. Edward Rolinski and Mike Woods of Advanced Heat Treat Corp., this article explains the impact of forging process, material and press type; heat treatment for forging dies; and nitriding forging and stamping dies.

An excerpt: “Surface properties critical for die performance can be further elevated by a surface-treatment process employing a multi-gradient design strategy, a novel plasma, multi-step treatment with formation of the nanostructured layer/coating developed by Advanced Heat Treat Corp.”

Read more: “Enhancing Forging Dies’ Durability with Ion Nitriding.”

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Equipment Chatter

1. TAV VACUUM FURNACES SPA sold two horizontal all metal high vacuum heat treatment furnaces to a well-known Chinese heat treater working in the manufacturing industry.
2. Honeywell announced that Global Control Pte Ltd, a global heating system original equipment manufacturer (OEM), is incorporating Honeywell technologies, including the ControlEdge™ HC900 controller, into its heat treatment solutions to help its customers improve their asset performance, reduce their inventory and lifecycle costs, and save energy.
3. Grieve Corp. announces 1250°F (667°C) inert atmosphere oven currently used for heat treating firearms components at a customer’s facility.
4. Tenova, a company specializing in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries, started up the most productive Electric Arc Furnace in history, a Tenova Consteel® EAF, at Acciaieria Arvedi, Cremona (Italy) on September 17 this year.
5. ECM Technologies announces the release of a new furnace system which will replace current sealed quench (SQ) or integral quench (IQ) style furnaces.
6. Hubbard-Hall has completed the first phase of a three-year Digital Initiative Strategy.  This phase focuses on creating a more engaging user experience, with use of Web Chat and On-Demand Portal technologies.
7. Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems is pleased to announce the recent commissioning of a Vacuum Oil Quench Furnace, which included 2 BAR gas quench capabilities to an international manufacturer.
8. Kanthal is adding a 60 kW heater to its range of flow heaters to meet demands for higher power in industries like aluminum and glass.

Personnel Chatter

1. Hubbard-Hall Inc. welcomes Joshua McClellan as application engineer-cleaning and Becky Cavazuti as customer engagement key accounts manager. These roles are critical in expanding Hubbard-Hall’s services in metal finishing operations and achieving customer’s goals with less cost, complexity, and chemical consumption.

   

2. Hubbard-Hall Inc. welcomes Fernando Carminholi as Business Development Manager.
3. Wire Experts Group, the parent company to Pelican Wire of Naples, Florida and Rubadue Wire of Loveland, Colorado has named Trent Dunn as the new WEG Marketing Manager, with overall responsibility for the marketing departments of all business units, including the parent organization.
4. The Heat Treating Society of ASM International welcomes to the board Steven Ferdon, director engineering technology, Cummins Incorporated. Chuck Faulkner, commercial development manager-heat treatment, Quaker Houghton, and Marc Glasser, director of metallurgical services, Rolled Alloys, were reappointed for a second three-year term.

Company Chatter

1. 

   Custom Electric Manufacturing was acquired by Sweden-based Kanthal in 2018 and will now go to market under the Kanthal brand. The transition will be effective as of January 1, 2021. View a video with Jon Hartmayer and Victor Strauss about the brand transition.

2. Brian Fitzpatrick, District 1 US Congressman, Bucks County, PA., toured the Solar Manufacturing plant in Sellersville, PA.
3. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), a recognized leader in heat treat services and metallurgical solutions, announced a new logo for their UltraOx® heat treatment today. The new logo features an ox as the term ‘ox’ is often used as an abbreviation of the term ‘oxide’ – one of the three steps of this protective heat treatment.

Kudos Chatter

1. Lindsey Newcomb, Marketing Manager at Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), was recently selected for a “2020 20 under 40 list,” furthering the understanding/awareness of heat treat among the general public.
2. In August, 2020, Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania (SAWPA) participated in a Boeing Supplier Assessment. The on-site, preventative engagement resulted in zero findings and Solar, once again, achieving preferred status for Heat Treating, Hardness, and Non-Destructive Liquid Penetrant Testing.
3. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. recognized in the 2020 Courier Employers of Choice. These honorees demonstrate the diversity of career options in and continued commitment to healthy communities in Cedar Valley, IA.

Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to editor@heattreattoday.com.

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry.

Personnel & Company Chatter

• Bill Gornicki was recently appointed Director of Sales at ECM-USA, Inc. in Pleasant Prairie, WI.
• AFC-Holcroft, in Wixom, MI, recently moved its European satellite office from Delémont, Switzerland, to Swiebodzin, Poland, as necessitated by the retirement of their Director of European Operations. The new director, Marek Kedzierzynski, will be based out of Poland.
• Wire Experts Group, the parent company to Pelican Wire and Rubadue Wire, recently announced the newest members of their leadership team and their respective roles: Brinson White will now lead the Engineering & Maintenance teams at both Pelican and Rubadue as WEG Director of Engineering; Mike Skorupa has been named Director of Continuous Improvement across all business units; and Kevin Clements has been named Global Supply Chain Manager. 
  
• RETECH Systems, LLC, a SECO/WARWICK Group company, has finalized plans to relocate its headquarters from Ukiah, CA, to Buffalo, NY.
• Charlie Li, of DANTE Solutions, began teaching a new master-level Mechanical Engineering class entitled “Advanced Manufacturing Processes: Heat Treatment of Steels” at Cleveland State University.

Equipment Chatter

• Solar Atmospheres has purchased two microscopes, one a ZEISS AxioVert A1 Inverted Materials Microscope and the other a a Hitachi smart Scanning Electron Microscope, to enable them to better serve the needs of their customers.
• Magnetic Specialties, Inc. recently shipped two 510KVA, three phase step down 6-pulse rectifier transformers and DC inductors for use in industrial rectifier applications.
• The Grieve Corporation recently installed their new electrically-heated 2000°F inert atmosphere heavy-duty box furnace to be used for heat treating titanium at a customer’s facility.
• Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems recently commissioned a model CVPQ Continuous Vacuum Furnace with 5 BAR pressure quench capabilities, and a precision gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing furnace, in the Midwestern United States.
• Ipsen USA offers free evaluations of any brand of vacuum heat-treating system in the United States. An Ipsen Customer Service team member will check all major components of the furnace and provide a written health report with a suggested 18-month maintenance plan.
• Tenova recently received the official notice to proceed with the new Hot Dip Galvanizing (HDG) line for NLMK Group in Lipetsk, Russia.
• Pries Enterprises finished a 50,000 sq ft expansion and installation of a state-of-the-art anodizing line, making them the only vertically integrated extruder-anodizer fabricator in their immediate area.

Kudos Chatter

• Grupo Mess was recently named an exclusive Buehler distributor of metallographic and hardness equipment in Mexico.
• Aerospace Testing & Pyrometry recently announced the opening of their newest regional office in Greenville, SC. The territory will include North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.
• Constellium SE was recently recognized with the “Best Performer Award” by Airbus.
• Advanced Heat Treat Corp. recently announced that it has added gas nitriding to its Nadcap® accreditation.

 

Source: Advanced Heat Treat Corp.

 

Extensive wear or fatigue from friction and contact stress cause many engineering components made of ferrous or titanium alloys to fail. In this Best of the Web

Technical Tuesday feature, Edward Rolinski, aka Dr. Glow, from Advanced Heat Treat Corp., compares “wear resistance between engineering components that were carburized vs nitrided,” originally published in his article, “Tribological Performance-Enhancing Surface Treatments for Improving Durability of Engineering Components” at AHT’s website.

An excerpt:

“The results of the tribological studies strongly suggest that for many engineering components, the application of nitriding may be more beneficial than carburizing since the nitrided layer had better wear properties than the carburized layer despite the fact that the layer was about four times as thick.”

Rolinski defines the uses, advantages, and tribological behavior of nitrided and carburized steel and provides illustrations of samples subjected to both treatments.

Read more: “Tribological Performance-Enhancing Surface Treatments for Improving Durability of Engineering Components”

Main image photo credit/caption: Advanced Heat Treat Corp / Advanced Heat Treat’s Cullman, Alabama, location ion nitroding vessel, which the company says is one of the largest in the United States—”big enough for two small cars to fit inside.”

Heat Treat Today is privileged to oversee the 40 Under 40 recognition awards, highlighting a group of young, up-and-coming talent in the North American heat treat industry every year. This year’s Class of 2019 is no disappointment, a group of industry elite, significant contributors to the heat treat market.

Every couple of weeks we highlight two of the current class of recipients. This week we introduce Joshua Braun-Wagner of Advanced Heat Treat Corp. and Colin Pashia of ABB Motors & Mechanical, Inc.

Name: Joshua Braun-Wagner

Company: Advanced Heat Treat Corp

Position: Induction Supervisor