Heat Treat Industry Supplier News

Kanthal® Award 2017 Goes to German Energy Tech Company

An energy technology company based in Dresden, Germany, was recently appointed the Kanthal® Award by the jury at a prize ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 4.

The jury awarded the prize to Sunfire GmbH according to the following motivation:

“Sunfire GmbH has developed a process converting regenerative power, CO2, and water into synthetic gas or a crude oil substitute (Blue Crude) which has the potential to satisfy the key need for CO2-neutral transportation fuels for the sustainable society of tomorrow. Sunfire is nominated for their process which utilizes waste heat with the help of efficient high-temperature flow heaters to maximize the overall efficiency.”

The Kanthal® Award recognizes innovations related to new solutions in sustainability, quality of life, and the field of energy efficiency. The Kanthal® Award includes a prize sum of 5000 Euro ($5500), a statuette, and a diploma. The prize sum is, however, not for the winner to keep, but is to be donated to a charitable organization which supports the same criteria the Kanthal® Award is based. Sunfire GmbH will donate their award to the environmental organization Greenpeace.

Dr. Dilip Chandrasekaran, Head of R&D and Technology at Kanthal and Chairman of the Jury

“It feels great, I’m very motivated,” said Sebastian Becker, Sunfire GmbH. “Sunfire has a very motivated team and we are eager to make the world more renewable. Hopefully, we have the right idea at the right time with the right people, and I think this can make us successful.”

Dr. Dilip Chandrasekaran, Head of R&D and Technology at Kanthal and Chairman of the Jury, said: “Sunfire GmbH has with their technology fulfilled the key criteria for the Kanthal® Award, to promote innovation, sustainability, and benefits on a global scale.”

Kanthal is Sandvik Group’s global brand in heating technology.

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Paulo Promotes Kyle Moore to St. Louis Production Manager

Paulo, a provider of heat treating, brazing, and metal finishing processes, recently announced that Kyle Moore has been promoted to the Production Manager position at its headquarters

Kyle Moore, photo by Beautiful Mess Photography

in St Louis, effective October 2nd. Moore joined Paulo in 2014 as a Corporate Quality Management Associate, a position which included performing audits for ISO 9001, AS9100, TS16949, CQI-9, and NADCAP across multiple facilities.

Moore was then promoted to Paulo St. Louis Quality Manager. In this role, among other achievements, he systematically worked through over 50 PPAPs (Production Part Approval Process) in 2017.

“As Quality Manager Kyle has made tremendous improvements to our Quality Systems.  I’m excited for him to move into the Production Manager role and continue to move the ball down the field,” said Tim Mohr, St. Louis Plant Manager.

“We have all seen Paulo grow and change and I am very fortunate and proud to be a part of this,” Moore commented. “I am excited about our future and the team we have assembled to get us there.  I look forward to continuing to build our relationships and make our team even stronger.”

“Paulo’s commitment to developing talent internally remains,” added Ben Crawford, Vice President Operations.  “I’m excited to watch Kyle flourish and the plant prosper from his growth and knowledge.”

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New Projects and Expansions to Include Steel Bar Micro Mill Project, Merchant Bar Operations

Nucor Corporation has approved a steel bar micro mill project and announced the company is considering five states in the Midwest and Southeast for the project. The states being considered include Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Florida. Nucor’s board of directors also approved the expansion of its existing merchant bar operations in either Illinois or Ohio.

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MTI Distinguished Service Award Presented to Solar Atmospheres’ Jamie Jones

The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) Distinguished Service Award for 2017 was recently presented to Solar Atmospheres president, Jamie Jones. Jones (pictured on right above), who has served on MTI’s Board of Governors since 2013, was also nominated as vice president/president-elect of the Institute for 2017-2018.  He has served on a variety of different committees including the Education Committee and NextGen Creative Team.

Jones was honored to receive the Distinguished Service Award, an award given for outstanding, significant, and well recognized contributions of lasting importance to the MTI.

Solar Atmospheres has been a member of MTI since 1983.

Jones indicated that he was “very happy to serve the MTI in this capacity. I look forward to the challenges ahead and embrace the opportunity to build MTI to be an even more all-encompassing organization for commercial and contract heat treaters around the globe.”

The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) is the world’s largest collection of commercial heat treaters with locations in 40 states, 8 countries, and over $1.2 billion in annual sales.

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Nadcap Approval for Furnace Brazing Awarded to Southeast Heat Treat Facility

The Southeast U.S. facility of a heat treat supplier for the aerospace industry has received Nadcap approval for vacuum furnace brazing.

The Nadcap accreditation is the second in two years for the Greenville, SC, location of Solar Atmospheres’ operations; the facility received its first Nadcap approval in September 2016 to include low-pressure vacuum carburizing.

“Earning this Nadcap accreditation for vacuum furnace brazing reaffirms our commitment to providing our customers with quality services that meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the aerospace industry,” said Jon Collier, Quality Manager at Solar Atmospheres in Greenville, SC.

 

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Memoirs of Heat Treating Leader Assigned October Publication Date

William R Jones, CEO of Solar Atmospheres Group and Author of The Golden Nugget: An Entrepreneur Speaks

Part memoir, part technical guide, The Golden Nugget: An Entrepreneur Speaks, by William R. Jones and co-author Heather Idell, is set for publication in October 2017, Solar Atmospheres announced Thursday.

The book includes the memoirs of Bill Jones, the founder and owner of Solar Atmospheres and a leader in the heat treating industry, taking the reader on a journey through Mr. Jones’ life and career–from a curious, technically adept young man to becoming one of the most lauded and respected leaders in the vacuum furnace and heat treating industries. Providing insight into the mind of an entrepreneur, the book also chronicles the technical innovations that propelled Mr. Jones to the forefront of these industries.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS BOOK.

 

 

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Panasonic Acquires AMP of UK

 

 

Source: ACR News

Left to right: Martin Michaelson (AMP), Makoto Takahashi (Panasonic), Polly McConachie (AMP), and Enrique Vilamitjana (Panasonic)

 

A.M.P. Air Conditioning Ltd (AMP) has recently been acquired by Panasonic Corporation as part of the latter’s plans to expand service in the commercial and industrial heating and cooling sectors.

Read more: “Panasonic Acquires UK Air Conditioning Equipment Distributor AMP”

Image above shows the Panasonic and AMP staff.

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Atmosphere Engineering to Bolster UPC’s Expansion

United Process Controls (UPC) announced the acquisition of Atmosphere Engineering Company (Atmosphere Engineering), a Wisconsin-based, family-owned and -operated business led by brothers Jason and Eric Jossart. Founded in 2002, Atmosphere Engineering designs and manufactures industrial flow control products, furnace control products, and data acquisition software for clients in North America, South America, and Europe.

Atmosphere Engineering will bolster UPC’s product offering and technical competencies. While the acquisition expands the company’s customer base, it will also provide a platform to expand into new markets and extend market penetration in the flow controls market.

Additionally, UPC has enhanced its organizational structure to align with the future direction of the company and its foundation for continued growth. As part of the new structure, Jason Jossart will serve as the company’s Vice President of Operations and report directly to UPC’s President, Paul Oleszkiewicz; Eric Jossart will join as Director of Sales, Heat Treat and report directly to Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Patrick Torok.

“Atmosphere Engineering represents a great fit with our flow and process controls business and is in line with UPC’s strategic direction to expand its repertoire of products and leadership in the industry,” commented UPC President Paul Oleszkiewicz. “Jason and Eric run an incredible business, and we are excited to welcome them and the entire Atmosphere Engineering team to the UPC family. This acquisition shows our ongoing commitment to provide customers worldwide with a comprehensive portfolio of process and flow control solutions that optimize the quality, safety, and control of heat treating operations.”

Jason Jossart, founder and President of Atmosphere Engineering commented, “We at Atmosphere Engineering are very pleased to join forces with UPC. My brother Eric and I have worked hard to build Atmosphere Engineering’s brand and reputation and are excited to see it grow further as part of UPC. Together we will emerge as a leader in flow and process controls to the heat treat industry and address new market challenges and opportunities for technical innovation and growth.”

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Heat Treatment Furnace Maker Announces Organizational Changes

Heat treatment furnace manufacturer Ipsen recently initiated several organizational changes to the company’s structure.

Patrick McKenna was recently promoted to Ipsen USA President and CEO

Geoffrey Somary, who started at Ipsen in 2005 and for the past four years has held the dual responsibilities of Ipsen USA CEO and Ipsen Group COO, will leave his USA position and focus fully on his Group responsibilities with CEOs at all entities (Europe, USA, China, Japan and India) continuing to report directly to him.  Jake Hamid, who has been with Ipsen since 2007, will also leave his position as Ipsen USA COO and move into the position of Ipsen Group Director of Global Product Development and Manufacturing.

Ipsen USA also announced that Patrick McKenna is promoted to Ipsen USA President and CEO, responsible for all entity functions including Sales, Engineering, Operations, Service, Finance and Human Resources. McKenna states, “My focus from day one will be on delivering the highest quality products and services to our customers and ensuring that the established Ipsen performance culture continues far into the future.” McKenna has both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and has served on the Metal Treating Institute Board of Directors for ten years (2016 president). He worked at Ipsen as a mechanical engineer for four years before leaving to co-found a successful commercial heat treating and brazing company. He divested his interest in that company in 2015 and returned to Ipsen as Vice President of Sales.

Other promotions include Pete Kerbel to Ipsen USA Vice President of Sales, who takes on responsibility for sales of new equipment, retrofits, and parts. Kerbel started at Ipsen in 2008 and most recently was the Director of Aftermarket Sales.

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Japan-Based Foundry Builds First U.S. Manufacturing Facility

Global manufacturer of alloy castings for the automotive and industrial sectors, Kimura Foundry America, has announced plans to locate its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility in Shelbyville, Indiana. The 35,200-square-foot plant, built on 10 acres of property, will house 3D-printing equipment which will facilitate the production of complex castings and molds for its U.S. clients. Planning to break ground in October 2017, the subsidiary of Japan’s Kimura Group targets a December 2018 opening and plans to create 20 new jobs by 2020.

The company uses a proprietary process for casting molds using 3D printing technology, allowing it to manufacture products including stamping die castings and machine and industrial tool castings. These products are used in automotive engine parts, pumps, compressors and energy components. “Kimura has established a Development Department and is engaged in thoroughly researching improvements in quality and in developments of new products. This approach has enabled us to introduce positive techniques in the casting industry, which used to depend only on workers’ experience and good sense. The results of these research outcomes are fed back to our foundries,” reads the company’s website.

“When we were searching for our first U.S. manufacturing partner, Indiana offered exactly what we were seeking,” said Yoya Fukuda, Ph.D., president of Kimura Foundry America. “That is because Indiana is strategically located in the epicenter of the industries we serve. The state’s highly-developed transportation networks and its highly-skilled manufacturing workforce were an excellent match. Indiana has a long history of welcoming Japanese companies to the state, and we are looking forward to joining the many other Japanese companies in Shelby County.” Kimura Group employs more than 830 associates at its 10 facilities across three locations in Japan and at its North American sales office in Schaumburg, Illinois.

“Shelbyville is a great community in a prime location for industry growth with capable Hoosiers ready to get to work,” stated State Representative Sean Eberhart (R-Shelbyville). “Kimura Foundry America is a perfect fit as they join other global manufacturing companies that already call Shelbyville home.”

Kimura Group employs more than 830 associates at 10 facilities across three sites in Japan and at its North American sales office near Chicago. The company uses a proprietary process for casting molds using 3D-printing technology, allowing it to manufacture products including stamping die castings and machine and industrial tool castings used in automotive engine parts, pumps, compressors, and energy components.

Sources: Business Facilities, Foundry MagazineIndustrial Heating, Indiana House Republicans

 

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