Renishaw

20 News Items to Keep You Current

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 20 news items, including Advanced Heat Treat Corp.’s Iowa expansion to grow carburizing and hardening capacity, Allied Graphite’s collaboration with Harper International and ONEJOON Gmbh to scale vertical furnace technology for battery-grade graphite production, Vac Aero International’s AS9100 certification achievement at its Greenville facility, and more!

Equipment

1. Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), a global provider of commercial heat treat services and metallurgical solutions, is expanding its Waterloo, Iowa, facility to increase capacity for carburizing, through hardening, normalizing, and other heat treatment processes. The 18,000 sq. ft. project broke ground on April 6 and is expected to be completed by fall 2026.

2. Treatnorte, a commercial heat treat company, will add a new vacuum furnace supplied by SECO/WARWICK to support vacuum heat treatment of tool steel, improving process control and consistency for components used in manufacturing applications.

3. RTX’s Pratt & Whitney, a North American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in East Hartford, Connecticut, is investing $100 million to expand production capacity through advanced manufacturing processes, including heat treatment of forged engine components, to support increased output of commercial and military aircraft engines. The expansion is expected to strengthen supply for aerospace programs and improve throughput of critical engine parts used across global aviation fleets.

4. A U.S. national laboratory has selected a plasma gas atomization (PGA) system supplied by Retech, a division of SECO/WARWICK Group in support of a critical materials initiative. The pilot-scale program will enable advanced powder development for next-generation materials used in high-performance manufacturing and emerging technologies.

5. Wallwork Group is doubling its hot isostatic pressing (HIP) capacity with the installation of a second HIP system supplied by Quintus Technologies to support improved component integrity and performance for aerospace applications.

6. Andis Company, a U.S.-based manufacturer of grooming tools, has completed a controls upgrade on a vacuum heat treat furnace used for hardening components. With support from ECM USA, the upgrade supports continued operation of a system critical to its production.

7. A U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer is expanding its heat treat capabilities for bearing components with the addition of vacuum heat treatment furnace supplied by SECO/WARWICK. The Vector vacuum furnace is equipped with a 15-bar absolute high-pressure gas quenching system that has been customized to meet the client’s requirements by integrating the low-pressure carburizing (LPC) option. The move supports increasing production capacity, process quality, and operational flexibility.

8. HYUNDAI-POSCO Louisiana Steel has selected SMS group to supply rolling mill technology for a new steel plant in Louisiana set to begin operations in 2029. The multi-billion-dollar project will produce high-quality automotive steel using advanced hot and cold rolling processes, supporting domestic supply for U.S. automakers and strengthening North American steel manufacturing capacity.

9. Gazi Metal has awarded Pomini Tenova a contract to supply a foundation-free roll grinding machine to expand roll shop capacity at its Karasu facility in Türkiye. The equipment is designed to improve precision, increase throughput, and streamline installation, supporting higher production efficiency for cold-rolled steel operations.

Groundbreaking at AHT’s Iowa facility
Vacuum furnace for tool steel heat treatment
Pratt & Whitney’s $100 million expansion in Poland
Advanced powder development for next-generation materials
Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) capacity expansion at Wallwork
Controls upgrade at Andis Company
Vacuum heat treatment furnace supplied by SECO/WARWICK for U.S. aerospace manufacturer
SMS Group and Hyundai Steel delegation at the SMS Campus in Germany
Roll shop capacity expansion at Gazi Metal’s Karasu facility

Company & Personnel

10. Allied Graphite is working with Harper International and ONEJOON GmbH to scale vertical furnace technology for battery-grade graphite production. Led by CEO Andy Goshe, this partnership to develop, validate, and provide engineering data for vertical furnace solutions will support the company’s progress toward commercial-scale production.

11. Velontra, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based startup, partnered with Innovative 3D Manufacturing, a rapid prototyping company in Franklin, Indiana, to produce propulsion system components using laser power bed fusion (L-PBF) technology from Renishaw. The approach enables rapid prototyping while addressing material use, dimensional tolerances, and cost constraints.

12. Signature Vacuum Systems, a small manufacturer of vacuum furnace equipment, recently implemented an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), placing partial ownership of the company into a trust that benefits its employees. The transition reflects a growing interest among small- to mid-sized manufacturing companies in alternatives to traditional ownership succession — particularly as many in the industry face workforce turnover and the challenge of preserving decades of accumulated knowledge.

13. Bluewater Thermal Solutions promotes David Farnham to CFO, effective April 27, 2026. In this role, David will oversee all aspects of finance, accounting, planning and analysis, and financial strategy, partnering closely with operations and executive leadership to drive long-term, sustainable growth.

14. Phoenix Heat Treating has added a third Pratt & Whitney-certified LCS representative to expand its ability to certify aerospace hardware in-house and support aluminum solution heat treating work. The move is expected to improve lead times and strengthen process control for aerospace manufacturers and machine shops supplying Pratt & Whitney programs.

15. The Precision Metalforming Association has appointed Mark Getsay as managing director as part of a broader leadership restructuring aimed at strengthening member engagement and supporting growth across the North American metalforming industry. The transition also includes the promotion of Katlyn Stratis to executive director of member services and the creation of a new membership leadership role, reinforcing support for manufacturers and suppliers serving precision metalforming and related manufacturing sectors.

16. AICHELIN Americas has appointed Wm. Wright & Associates as a regional representative to support its portfolio of thermal processing equipment, technologies, and services across North America. The partnership expands access to brands like AFC-Holcroft, Nitrex, and UPC-Marathon, aiming to improve local support, streamline service, and strengthen lifecycle solutions for manufacturers.

17. ABB AB Sweden and SMS group GmbH have agreed to work in partnership to jointly market and further develop FC Mold X (Flow Control Mold X), and electromagnetic flow-control system for thin and medium slab continuous casting.

18. Skuld LLC is leading a project in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Rubble to Rockets (R2R) program to develop methods for converting scrap metal into usable components through advanced manufacturing approaches. Skuld contributes research in alloy characterization, casting evaluations, and AI-supported design methodologies. It is collaborating with partners including Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Foundry Casting Systems, MatMicronia LLC, and other research partners working across materials science, AI/machine learning, and advanced manufacturing.

Vertical furnace technology for battery-grade graphite production
Additively manufactured afterburner casing for the hypersonic propulsion system
Signature Vacuum System co-founders Tim Horning (left) and Greg Kimble (right)
David Farnham, newly promoted CFO of Bluewater Thermal Solutions
Mark Getsay, newly appointed managing director at Precision Metalforming Association
AAB AB Sweden and SMS group leadership working together

Kudos

19. Vac Aero International‘s Greenville, South Carolina facility has achieved AS9100 certification.

20. Hindalco-Almex Aerospace Limited has secured the NADCAP certification for the Non-Destructive Testing (UT) process which is a hallmark of aerospace quality.

The Greenville Vac Aero team posing with its AS9100 certification
Hindalco-Almex Aerospace Limited’s NADCAP certification

20 News Items to Keep You Current Read More »

AM Drives Hypersonic Engine Development Demand

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HIPING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

Aerospace firm Velontra is leveraging metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology to support hypersonic propulsion development. Their choice of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) for rapid prototyping is an AM method that requires post-processing technologies — hot isostatic pressing (HIP) being key to bring these types of AM parts to their full potential.

The original source was published in Metal AM, and the following content has been adapted for our Heat Treat Today audience.

Aerospace firm Velontra is using metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology to advance hypersonic engine development, signaling continued momentum in high-performance propulsion and downstream demand for post-processing capabilities.

Velontra, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based startup, partnered with Innovative 3D Manufacturing, a rapid prototyping company in Franklin, Indiana, to produce propulsion system components using laser power bed fusion (L-PBF) technology from Renishaw. The approach enables rapid prototyping while addressing material use, dimensional tolerances, and cost constraints.

Joel Darin
CTO
Velontra

“Compact hypersonic propulsion systems are highly sought after by space companies, so, to remain competitive, we must develop parts quickly,” explained Joel Darin, CTO of Velontra. “In aerospace, we know that the best way to learn is by doing things, particularly if you want to be the first to launch a new technology.”

While the focus is on AM production, the resulting components require post-processing to achieve final material properties. Parts produced via L-PBF are typically subjected to stress relief and heat treatment to stabilize microstructures formed during rapid solidification. For high-temperature aerospace alloys, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) may also be applied to reduce internal porosity and improve structural integrity.

This requirement is consistent with broader industry findings for nickel-based superalloys used in propulsion systems. As noted in Dan Herring and Nikolai Alexander’s article published in Heat Treat Today’s Annual Aerospace Heat Treating magazine (March 2026) covering IN 718 processing, powder bed fusion methods often rely on post-HIP to heal cracks and homogenize the microstructure.

To learn more about why HIP is critical for AM superalloys, read this overview of IN 718 heat treatment.
Explore this look at emerging technologies to learn more about how HIP is scaling with AM.

As adoption of AM expands in aerospace applications, supporting technologies such as heat treating and HIP are expected to scale alongside it. Industry perspectives highlighted in Heat Treat Today’s Medical & Energy Heat Treat magazine (December 2025) indicate that HIP capabilities are evolving in response to increased demand from additive manufacturing and advanced materials development.

The integration of AM with post-processing underscores the role of heat treating in enabling next-generation propulsion systems, where component performance under extreme conditions remains a key requirement.

Press release is available in its original form here.
Main image shows the additively manufactured afterburner casing for the hypersonic propulsion system with several components combined into one part. | Image Credit: Renishaw

AM Drives Hypersonic Engine Development Demand Read More »

Aluminum Alloy Achieves Ultimate Tensile Strength in Heat Treating

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, ALLOY FABRICATIONS NEWS, ALUMINUM PROCESSING TECHNICAL CONTENT

An aluminum alloy developed and patented five years ago has been identified as one of the strongest aluminum additive manufacturing powders commercially available.

Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet
Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet

Aeromet’s A20X™ surpassed the key 500 MPa UTS mark following a recent research project involving aero-engine giant Rolls-Royce and additive manufacturing equipment specialist Renishaw. Heat-treated parts produced using A20X™ Powder have achieved an Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of 511 MPa, a Yield Strength of 440 MPa and Elongation of 13%. Crucially, parts additively manufactured with A20X™ Powder maintain high-strength and fatigue properties even at elevated temperatures, outperforming other leading aluminum powders.

“Since bringing the A20X™ alloy to market for additive manufacturing 5 years ago we have seen significant adoption for high-strength, design-critical applications,” said Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet. “By working with Rolls-Royce, Renishaw, and PSI, we have optimized processing parameters that led to record-breaking results, opening up new design possibilities for aerospace and advanced engineering applications.”

The HighSAP project was backed by the UK’s National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP).  A20X™ Powder for additive manufacturing is derived from the MMPDS-approved A20X™ Casting alloy, the world’s strongest aluminum casting alloy, which is in use by a global network of leading aerospace casting suppliers.

Aluminum Alloy Achieves Ultimate Tensile Strength in Heat Treating Read More »

15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

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

Personnel & Company Chatter

  • Professor Chris Sutcliffe, Director of Research and Development (R&D) at Renishaw‘s Additive Manufacturing Products Division (AMPD), was awarded a prestigious Silver Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), recognizing his role in driving the development of metal 3D printed implants for use in human and veterinary surgery and celebrating his successful commercialization of additive manufacturing products as part of his work with Renishaw, the University of Liverpool, Stryker Orthopaedics and Fusion Implants Ltd.
  • Michael Handscombe joins UK-based Phoenix Temperature Measurement as National and International Sales Manager to support PhoenixTM temperature monitoring solutions used in industrial heat treatment and furnace surveying and other industries.
  • One of five new vacuum furnaces, with an all-metal hotzone and 15 bar Argon quenching with an 8,000lb capacity, have been delivered to the Cleveland division of Paulo and will be ready for production late July. This represents the first step of a larger expansion that includes a new building.
  • Two large heat-treating furnaces were recently rebuilt and upgraded at Metlab, a heat treatment and surface enhancement company located in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. The furnaces, designated P-1 and P-2, are believed to be the largest atmosphere-controlled pit furnaces in North America and are used to neutral harden, carburize and harden, nitride, anneal, and stress relieve large components or multiple quantities of parts.
  • A 20-foot long car bottom air furnace capable of handling a workload up to 30,000 lbs will be installed at Solar Atmospheres of Western PA during July 2018 and surveyed in accordance with AMS2750. With a maximum operating temperature of 1400°F, this furnace will accommodate not only the tempering of large tool steel components but also age hardening of 15-5 PH, 17-4 PH, and nickel-based alloys. Although Solar is typically known as a “vacuum only” heat treater, the company notes the need for heat treating non-finished parts and materials in accordance with the same specifications (AMS, MIL, Boeing and Airbus) within different atmospheres where surface oxidation is permissible.
  • Robrecht Himpe retired from his position as CEO of ArcelorMittal North America and CEO of AM/NS Calvert on July 1, as well as his duties with ArcelorMittal’s executive management team. He has been with the group for 37 years and will be succeeded as ArcelorMittal North America CEO by Brad Davey, who has been serving as chief marketing officer of ArcelorMittal North America and head of global automotive.
  • Team, Inc., an industrial services company based in Houston, Texas, recently announced that Arthur F. Victorson, President of the Inspection and Heat Treating segment, will retire from the company on September 30, 2018. In connection with his retirement, Mr. Victorson will transition from his current role, effective July 15, 2018, and serve as a special advisor to Amerino Gatti, Team’s Chief Executive Officer, to ensure a seamless transition. Team anticipates naming a successor to Mr. Victorson in the near future.
  • A partnership has been formed between Plibrico, based in Northbrook, Illinois, and Upstate Refractory Services, headquartered in Newark, New York.
  • John Hynes has been promoted at Paulo to Director of Information Systems from his previous role as Manager of Information Technology.  John has been with Paulo for just over one year, strengthening the company’s IT position.

Equipment Chatter

  • A natural gas-fired, enhanced-duty, walk-in oven was recently shipped to the technology industry by Wisconsin Oven Corporation for use in post-curing refractory material. With a maximum operating temperature of 300°F, the oven was designed with the capacity to heat 8,000 pounds of steel and 4,000 pounds of refractory material from 70° to 150° F within 180 minutes.
  • A 1400°F electric, inert atmosphere tempering furnace from Grieve Corporation, No. 885, is currently being used for heat treating weldments at a customer’s facility.  
  • An India-based conglomerate recently commissioned an aluminum automotive casting heat treatment system from CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited for its new greenfield North American expansion in South Carolina.

Kudos Chatter

  • The F-35 Joint Program Office of The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin delivered the 300th production F-35 aircraft, a US Air Force F-35A, to be delivered to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. “The F-35 weapons system is a key enabler of our National Defense Strategy and is providing our warfighters the combat-proven, advanced capabilities they need to meet mission requirements,” said Vice Admiral Mat Winter, program executive officer for the F-35 Joint Program Office. The first 300 F-35s include 197 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants, 75 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variants, and 28 F-35C carrier variants (CV) and have been delivered to U.S. and international customers. More than 620 pilots and 5,600 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 140,000 cumulative flight hours.
  • The first Future Aluminum Forum was held on 8th & 9th May 2018 in Milan, Italy, with more than 150 delegates from across the aluminum manufacturing and processing industries gathering to hear from technical experts and uncover the myths behind Industry 4.0 and what this means for the manufacturing value chain. An Advisory Board was established to develop a strategic approach towards integrating Industry 4.0 across the aluminum manufacturing and processing sectors.
  • A center for aerospace air management systems, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS, in Toulouse, France, recently obtained accreditation from the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) for its materials testing laboratory. This accreditation follows an audit conducted in early March 2018 by the Performance Review Institute (PRI), which focused on both the overall quality system of the laboratory and the practice of static and dynamic mechanical tests.

 

 

Heat Treat Today celebrates with our heat treatment industry partners by highlighting their accomplishments and announcements 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 the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com.

15 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current Read More »

More Accessible Design-to-Launch Services Unveiled with IT, AM Technologies Partnership

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Sudip Singh, Global Head, Engineering Service at Infosys Ltd

An end-to-end product development service using metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology was announced last month by two leading companies partnering to help customers accelerate their deployment of AM, also known as 3D printing, for volume production of end-use metal components.

Engineering and IT services company Infosys will apply its engineering processes and design for AM knowledge to manage product development projects from concept through to launch. Renishaw, a leader in metrology and additive manufacturing technologies, will support Infosys through its global network of Additive Manufacturing Solutions Centres, which provide access to Renishaw’s metal AM technology, which is used in series production of high-performance parts for aerospace, medical, automotive, oil and gas, mould and die, and consumer products.

“Additive manufacturing enables us to design and make innovative products with spectacular gains in performance and efficiency,” said Sudip Singh, Global Head, Engineering Service at Infosys Ltd. “Infosys has developed a rich knowledge base of AM design best practices, coupled with powerful design tools to analyze and optimise product designs, so that we can take full advantage of the flexibility that AM offers.”

Marc Saunders, Director – Global Solutions Centres at Renishaw

“Whilst additive manufacturing can create complex geometries in a single process step, some level of finishing is generally required to produce functional products,” said Marc Saunders, Director – Global Solutions Centres at Renishaw. “Renishaw’s knowledge of metrology, machining and finishing processes can help customers to develop an integrated manufacturing solution for their innovative new product.”

The two companies are currently working together on projects for customers located in Europe, Asia, and North America.

More Accessible Design-to-Launch Services Unveiled with IT, AM Technologies Partnership Read More »

British Firms Explore Heat Treatment Regimens for Alloy in Additive Manufacturing

/ AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT, AEROSPACE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

Two British firms recently announced a collaboration to establish process parameters for the use of aluminum alloy in additive manufacturing (AM), a project that will include the investigation of heat treatment regimens to deliver optimum properties in AM components for applications in multiple industries, including the aerospace sector.

Mike Bond, Aeromet

Renishaw, a global engineering technologies company based in Gloucestershire providing solutions and products for the aerospace, medical, energy and manufacturing sectors, and Worcestershire’s Aeromet International, a leading supplier of cast metal parts for the global aerospace and defense industries, recently debuted the highly refined alloy at the Paris Air Show in June. The two companies are working together to establish additive manufacturing process parameters and material properties for Aeromet’s A20X® aluminum alloy and to optimise the processing techniques for the alloy on Renishaw metal AM systems.  The results of these developments and the heat treatment research will be made available to Renishaw and Aeromet customers.

A family of high-strength aluminum alloy technologies developed and patented by Aeromet, A20X® includes the Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) approved A205 casting alloy and AM205 powder for additive manufacturing.

Marc Saunders, Renishaw

“A20X is being rapidly adopted for additive manufacture of aero engine, airframe, space, defense and automotive parts.  It’s unique combination of high strength, high ductility and performance at high operating temperatures make it ideal for light-weight, stressed components.  We look forward to making processing techniques for this innovative alloy more widely available to accelerate its adoption,” said Mike Bond, Director of AMT a Division of Aeromet.

“Renishaw’s metal AM systems feature high-power lasers, an inert processing environment, and open parameters,” said Marc Saunders, Director of Global Solutions Centres at Renishaw, “making them ideal for supporting innovative new materials like A20X.  We are working closely with Aeromet to qualify this exciting new alloy on our machines. Through our network of AM Solutions Centres, we can help manufacturers to develop industrial AM processes using A20X.”

The two companies plan to release processing techniques and material properties information in the coming months.

Photo Credit: Aeromet/Monty Rakusen

British Firms Explore Heat Treatment Regimens for Alloy in Additive Manufacturing Read More »