Surface Combustion

Furnaces North America (FNA) Registration Announced

/ UNCATEGORIZED
HTD Size-PR Logo

Renowned for its dynamic trade show environment, FNA 2024 brings together the foremost experts, suppliers, decision makers, and buyers from around the globe. This year’s event is set to continue the tradition of offering an engaging technical conference alongside the bustling trade show floor.

The excitement takes off on the first day of the trade show with a unique gaming opportunity. During the Day 1 Trade Show Floor Reception, one lucky attendee will be selected to participate in a thrilling game at the heart of the expo, standing a chance to win $500, $1,000, or a staggering $100,000!

With exhibit booths in high demand and an anticipated sellout, prospective exhibitors are urged not to hesitate in securing their spots. Registration for attendees will open on May 1, 2024.

Mark your calendars and prepare to be a part of the industry’s most awaited event. Stay tuned for more details and visit www.FurnacesNorthAmerica.com for the latest updates.

Furnaces North America 2024 is excited to unveil its lineup of Title Sponsors for the upcoming trade show and technical conference, scheduled for October 14-16, 2024. Produced by the Metal Treating Institute in collaboration with Heat Treat Today, the event will be hosted in Columbus, OH — a hub of manufacturing innovation.

The roster of Title Sponsors includes:

  • Can-Eng Furnaces
  • McLaughlin Furnace Group
  • Super Systems
  • Surface Combustion
  • Wirco
  • GeoCorp
  • Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
  • RoMan Manufacturing

Corporate Sponsors are:

  • Aerospace Testing and Pyrometry
  • Honeywell
  • Williams Industrial Service

Furnaces North America (FNA) Registration Announced Read More »

Endings . . . People We Lost

/ FEATURED NEWS

HTD Size-PR LogoBeginnings and endings often come together. As we begin a new year this month, we want to pause to remember a few lives that came to an end. Although the following are by no means the only important endings, Heat Treat Today would like to honor the memory of the following individuals who left their mark in the heat treating world.

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's December 2022 Medical and Energy print edition. Feel free to contact Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

William “Bill” Cleary
Surface Combustion
(1960–2022)

Bill Cleary joined Surface Combustion directly after graduating college and remained with the company through the next 36 years. Working as a mechanical engineer and later as senior sales engineer, Bill was a constant presence at Surface Combustion — always the first person to help and listen.

 

Roger Joseph Fabian
Lindberg & Bodycote
(1940–2022)

Roger Fabian received his B.S. in metallurgical engineering in 1962 and his MBA in 1980 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He began his career with Lindberg Corporation in 1962 as a plant manager at Lindberg’s Boston Division, and in 1964 transferred to the Berlin Division, where he was named chief metallurgist and quality control manager. He was promoted to division manager at Berlin in 1979 and named vice president of Lindberg Heat Treating Company in 1992. When Lindberg was purchased by Bodycote Thermal Processing in 2001, Roger was named Eastern Region sales manager and finally retired in 2010 after 48 years. Roger had many professional accomplishments, including president of ASM International, president of the ASM Heat Treating Society (an affi liate society of ASM International), and was a long-time member of both societies. He also served as a president for the Metal Treating Institute (MTI), and as chairman of the ASM Technical Programming Board. He was instrumental in the development of the Center for Heat Treating Excellence (CHTE) at Worcester Polytechnical Institute and served as director-at-large and industrial liaison. He was known to be always a gentleman and a friend.

 

Klaus Hemsath
Surface Combustion
(1935–2022)

Klaus Hemsath and his family emigrated from Germany in 1967 to begin work at Surface Combustion. To this day, Klaus has over 60 patents to his name in the United States. Among his many accomplishments in the heat treating industry, Klaus founded Indugas, Inc. and wrote several books on climate change. Klaus will be greatly missed by his son, Mark Hemsath (Nitrex), as well as all others in the heat treating industry who knew him.

 

David Soderberg
County Heat Treat
(1951–2022)

With over 45 years of experience in metallurgy, Dave Soderberg had a vast knowledge of nitriding, aluminum solution aging, stress relieving, and other heat treating processes. His expertise especially honed in on aerospace heat treating, where he was appointed the designated supplier quality representative by GE Aerospace Engineering Group. Dave was a skilled metallurgist, able to develop heat treatments according to custom specifications.

 

Jon K. Tabor
Allied Mineral Products
(1933–2022)

After a 65-year career in refractories, Jon Tabor joined Allied Mineral Products in 1970 and helped to build it to the multi-national corporation it is today. Some of John’s accomplishments at Allied were transforming it into an employee-owned company and establishing a manufacturing presence in several countries, including China, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Brazil.

Endings . . . People We Lost Read More »

Watervliet Arsenal to Receive New Ion Nitriding System

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, NITRIDING NEWS, VACUUM FURNACES NEWS

HTD Size-PR LogoWatervliet Arsenal will receive a new ion nitriding thermal processing furnace system with full controls. It will be fully installed and commissioned in a horizontal configuration.

Ben Bernard
Vice President of Marketing
Surface Combustion

This is the second ion nitriding furnace supplied from Surface® Combustion, to Watervliet Arsenal; the first was originally over 40 years ago. They awarded a contract to Surface so they could again bring their processing capability in-house. Adding control to the supply chain for product was one of the many reasons they acquired an ion nitriding thermal processing furnace system for their plant. This configuration best suits the facility and Watervliet Arsenal's processing needs, and will also include process development.

Surface has always placed a high value on customer relationships and believes that an equipment purchase is the beginning of something much more than a finite transaction. In fact, they have been working with the Watervliet Arsenal location for over 40 years.

"It is always great to see customers coming back to Surface," said Ben Bernard, vice president of Marketing at Surface, "because they appreciate our incredible product lines as well as our engineering capabilities and long standing relationships."

(Image source: Surface Combustion)

Watervliet Arsenal to Receive New Ion Nitriding System Read More »

New Additions to the 2020-2021 IHEA Board of Directors and Officers

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS

Scott Bishop, incoming president of IHEA (source: IHEA)

Jeff Valuck, incoming VP of IHEA (source: IHEA)

The Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) recently announced its 2020 – 2021 Board of Directors and Executive Officers. The new executive officers are Scott Bishop of Alabama Power Company as president, Jeff Valuck of Surface Combustion as vice president, and Brian Kelly of Honeywell Thermal Solutions as treasurer. Outgoing president Michael Stowe of Advanced Energy assumes the role of president emeritus.

Brian Kelly, incoming treasurer for IHEA (source: IHEA)

IHEA also welcomes new board member Alberto Cantu of Nutec Bickley. Alberto has been involved with IHEA since 2011 and participates on the Safety Standards and Codes Committee.

Alberto Cantu, incoming board member of IHEA (source: IHEA)

IHEA President Scott Bishop, who is highly involved in IHEA’s Infrared Division, says, “It is an honor to serve as IHEA’s president for the 2020-2021 term.  I look forward to continuing the great work IHEA has done for more than 90 years.  Also, during this unprecedented time I would like to encourage our members to be proactive in finding ways to better serve our industry and make an impact.” Bishop has served as IRED chairman, presented at numerous workshops and seminars, and provided key support in the recent revision of the Infrared Process Heating Handbook for Industrial Applications. 

Michael Stowe, outgoing president of IHEA (source: IHEA)

“I am very excited about this new role,” Cantu states. “I think it will be a great opportunity to connect with colleagues in the industry and help move it forward,”

 

New Additions to the 2020-2021 IHEA Board of Directors and Officers Read More »

Heat Treat Line Expanded at Ontario Facility

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A family-owned commercial heat treating company recently expanded the capabilities of its Ontario-based facility with the purchase of two batch furnaces.

Cambridge Heat Treating, located in Cambridge, Ontario, purchased two new Allcase® Batch Integral Quench Furnaces in addition to two used Allcase furnaces to be used in the same line, along with a previously purchased 30”x30”x48” Allcase with top cool.

Surface Combustion, headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, commissioned the new furnaces. which are all serviced by Surface’s charge car, Uni-DRAW® Batch Tempering Furnaces, washers, and RX® Endothermic Atmosphere Gas Generator.  The 36”x48”x36” batch heat treat line expands Cambridge’s capacity for carbonitriding, carburizing, neutral hardening, and has added ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC) and normalizing capacity with the atmosphere top cool chambers on the two new Allcases.

“We could not be happier with our Surface purchases,” said Peter Robbins, owner of Cambridge Heat Treating. “Their robust equipment is built for longevity, and we appreciate that they are easy to operate and maintain. Surface’s Aftermarket parts department ensures that we always have the necessary parts for maintenance in a timely manner, and their customer service department is always available for a telephone or service call.”

 

Heat Treat Line Expanded at Ontario Facility Read More »

BIQ Furnace Repeat Order Expands Line at North Carolina Heat Treat Facility

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A thermal processing equipment manufacturer based in Maumee, Ohio, recently supplied a batch integral quench furnace for a metal treating company in Raleigh, North Carolina, that services the automotive, aerospace and defense sectors, as well as general manufacturing.

East Carolina Metal Treating’s (ECMT) purchase of the Allcase® Batch Integral Quench Furnace from Surface® Combustion Inc. is a repeat order. Identical to the previously commissioned Allcase furnace, the new equipment is configured to process 36” wide by 48” long by 36” high workloads that weigh up to 4,000 lbs. In addition, Surface has supplied two air cool stations, a scissors lift table, and two stationary load tables that integrate with an existing IQ line.

The new Allcase works seamlessly with ECMT’s existing charge car, tempers, and washer, following the incorporation of a purchaser specified controls system to match the existing UPC controls on the initial order, and features a Vertical Radiant Tube Heating System with direct spark ignition and flame monitoring, recuperated burners and plunge cooling. A maintenance platform with access stairs allows for fast and easy maintenance. An integrated Top Cool Chamber was provided to further expand process applications, a hallmark of the Allcase furnace which was invented for the greatest range of thermal processing; all case-hardening and non-case hardening applications under controlled atmospheres.

“As always our team did a great job but a special shout out to the Surface Combustion and UPC Teams involved in this project. This was our first project with Surface and their reputation holds true as expected,” said Jamie Ramm, president of ECMT.

BIQ Furnace Repeat Order Expands Line at North Carolina Heat Treat Facility Read More »

10 Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

10 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 and Company Chatter

  • A Berwick, Pennsylvania, machining company which offers heat treating among its services was recently acquired by precision machining provider DPMS, based in Santa Clara, California. K-Fab Inc. operates a 22,000-sq.-ft. precision machine shop that manufactures parts for the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor sectors.
  • GKN Powder Metallurgy recently announced a strategic collaboration with HP Inc, becoming the first to deploy the just-launched HP Metal Jet, a groundbreaking binder jetting technology, into its factories to produce functional metal parts for auto and industrial leaders, including Volkswagen and Wilo, and for companies around the world.
  • Joshua Farrell recently took over the Operations Manager position at Mid-South Metallurgical, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Equipment Chatter

  • California-based Delta H Technologies, LLC, recently delivered a commissioned dual chamber aerospace heat treating system — the largest and most advanced to date — to a leading U.S. military aircraft manufacturer. Both chambers are certified for heating parts up to 1200°F and capable of solution heat treating, aging, annealing aluminum, stress relieving titanium and ferrous castings, weldments, and aging of PH stainless steel.
  • An auto parts manufacturer recently received shipment of a customized oxidation nitriding furnace, manufactured by JGEF Furnace, a vacuum heat treating  equipment supplier with U.S. offices in San Francisco, California. The pit furnace, which has useful dimensions of 43.3 inches (1,100 mm) in diameter x 70.9 inches (1,800 mm) high, has a maximum temperature rating of 1292°F (700°C). The goal for this project was to represent an advanced solution for metallic parts. The furnace includes an advanced oxidation system that ensures the workpieces are preheated in a controlled oxidizing atmosphere and guarantees corrosion resistance, which in turn facilitates nitrogen uptake and growth of the nitride compound layer.
  • A large capacity fastener hardening furnace system has been commissioned by a tier one automotive supplier based in Detroit, Michigan. CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd has been contracted to design and commission the system for the company, which offers heat treating among its services.
  • A large capacity SECO/Warwick vacuum furnace was delivered to U.K.-based Wallwork Heat Treatment company just before Christmas.

Kudos Chatter

  • America Makes recently announced the awardees of a Directed Project Opportunity on advancing additive manufacturing (AM) post-processing techniques (AAPT), funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division. Awardee #1 is Arizona State University, in conjunction with Quintus Technologies; Phoenix Heat Treating, Inc.; and Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc. Awardee #2 is ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE), a collaborative, which includes ASTM International, Auburn University, EWI, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wichita State University – National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), in conjunction with Quintus Technologies, Carpenter Technologies Corporation, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Rolls Royce Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, GE Aviation, and Raytheon.
  • Paulo recently announced the recent addition of the St. Louis Division to the approved heat treat sources list for General Motors High-Pressure Die Casting Die Insert Material. The approval list references AWQ49658 which includes the heat treatment specifications for Hot Work Tool Steels for GM High-Pressure Die Casting applications.  The St. Louis Division joins Paulo’s Nashville plant on the approval list, which includes only seven approved locations in the US. AWQ49657 covers approved material providers, heat treaters, and testing labs. Paulo is the only US source with two facilities on the list.
  • Nominations are open for the ASM HTS/Surface Combustion Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes an outstanding early-to-midcareer heat treating professional whose accomplishments exhibit exceptional achievements in the heat treating industry. The award was created in recognition of Surface Combustion’s 100-year anniversary in 2015. The winning young professional will best exemplify the ethics, education, ingenuity, and future leadership of our industry. Deadline for the nomination is February 1, 2019. Past winners include Olga Rowan of Caterpillar in 2015 and Lee Rothleutner of Timken in 2017. For nomination rules and forms, visit the Heat Treating Society website at hts.asminternational.org and click on Membership & Networking and Society Awards.

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 the editor at editor@heattreattoday.com.

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

Special Report: MTI & IHEA Combined Meeting Photo Gallery

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT ECONOMIC NEWS

Special Report by Doug Glenn, Heat Treat Today Publisher

Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today
Doug Glenn, Publisher, Heat Treat Today

As mentioned in yesterday's special report, the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) and the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) kicked off their combined triennial meeting yesterday in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Talking Stick Resort.

For manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments, this event carries significance  . . . even though it is not an event many (or any) of you might attend. It's at this event where the suppliers of your equipment, components, technology, and know-how update and hone their skills for helping you accomplish the heat treating you do every day.

Because many of you in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors may know and recognize some of the attendees at this event (and because we all like seeing OUR pictures online!), today's Special Report is a selection of photos taken at last night's Opening Reception. Enjoy today's Special Report and let your favorite vendor know you saw them on Heat Treat Today if/when you see them next.

Also, special thanks goes out to these three generous sponsors for helping to underwrite the cost of this event:

Photos from Opening Reception:

 

Special Report: MTI & IHEA Combined Meeting Photo Gallery Read More »

A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current

/ FEATURED NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES

 

 

 

A Baker's Dozen 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 and Company Changes and Moves

  • Super Systems Europe recently announced that Rob Wilcox has joined the sales and engineering team, where he will also operate as a general consultant to help commercial and captive heat treaters improve the quality and efficiency of the entire operation, covering the UK and Ireland.
  • Brian Robbins, CEO of MidWest Materials, has been named Steel Man of the Year by the Association of Steel Distributors. "I am honored to be chosen for this prestigious award. My family has been associated with the steel industry for more than 65 years, and it is humbling to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, Joseph Koppelman, founder of MidWest Materials, who was one of the earliest members of the ASD and served as its president 50 years ago," said Robbins, who served as president of ASD from March 2014 to April 2016. He led the association’s effort to rebuild the steel manufacturing sector by encouraging young talent to join the industry.
  • Ryan Kelly recently rejoined the team at Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) where he will be leading all quality initiatives as a senior quality specialist.
  • Senior Vice President Douglas Matthews has assumed day-to-day operations of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel’s Tubular division. He replaces David J. Rintoul, who retired to become the president and CEO of GrafTech, a graphite company that supplies technology to the steel industry.

  • Dana Incorporated announced the election of two more members to its board of directors: Michael J. Mack, who recently retired from Deere & Co., where he had served as chief financial officer; president of the company's Worldwide Construction & Forestry Division; and most recently as group president of John Deere Financial Services, Global Human Resources, and Public Affairs; and Diarmuid B. O'Connell, who spent the last 11 years at Tesla, most recently as vice president of business development.
  • International Thermal Systems (ITS) recently announced Tom Stricker as the new president. Stricker joined ITS in 2015 as the general manager of the Metal Packaging and Parts Washer product groups and brings more than 20 years of professional experience to his new role.
  • Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle has been elected to the Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI) board of directors. General Carlisle is president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and is a retired four-star general from the United States Air Force (USAF).

Equipment Transactions

  • A supplier of the battery industry received shipment of a nine tube gas-fired immersion tube lead melting and holding furnace from Lindberg/MPH, to be used in the production of lead plates for automotive batteries. The furnace has over 28,000 square inches of heat transfer area for efficient heating of the metal without super heating and the resulting metal losses. In addition, Lindberg/MPH announced the shipment of a three-zone tube furnace to an American University with a footprint which makes it ideal for research facilities with limited space. The maximum temperature rating for this tube furnace is 2012°F.
  • Ipsen recently designed and built a vertical, high-pressure quenching furnace, complete with twin cooling systems and a work volume of 350 cubic feet. During the testing phase, the furnace quenched with 1,000 horsepower (.75 megawatts) – a remarkable achievement that began as an idea just months prior.
  • An aviation engine repair services facility located in the western region of the United States recently received shipment of two vacuum furnaces from Solar Manufacturing. The customer witnessed full testing at Solar Manufacturing and approved shipment in late 2017. Both new furnaces are tailored specifically to fit the needs of aerospace engine component repair processing to the aerospace specification AMS2750E and incorporate the new SolarVac® 5000 supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA). The system provides gas quench rate control utilizing a variable frequency drive and precise temperature control from ambient to 2400° F (1316° C) utilizing digital power trimming technology.
  • An aluminum manufacturer received shipment of two electrically heated standard horizontal aluminum quench systems from Wisconsin Oven Corp., of East Troy, Wisconsin. The systems guarantee temperature uniformity of ±10°F at 775°F and 1075°F, ensuring that the furnaces meet AMS 2750E, Class 2 furnaces and Instrumentation Type C requirements. Each system is designed to heat 1000 pounds of aluminum to a 950°F operating temperature.

Accreditations, Certifications, Patents, and More

  • MedAccred has recognized Solar Atmospheres of Western PA for its commitment to continual improvement in medical device heat treat and brazing quality. In receiving the prestigious MedAccred Heat Treating accreditation, Solar Atmospheres has become only the eighth plant internationally and the fifth plant domestically to receive this certification.
  • H.C. Starck recently announced that it has received the certification for processing of “conflict-free” tantalum raw materials the seventh year in a row. The audit included the H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH subsidiary and the H.C. Starck Smelting GmbH & Co. KG associated company. This means all subsidiaries that process tantalum at the Goslar, Mito, Tokyo, Map Ta Phut, and Laufenburg locations remain certified. The audit was performed by the independent company SGS, acting on behalf of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA, formerly Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition EICC) and the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP formerly Conflict-Free Smelter Program) as part of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI, formerly CFSI).

A Baker’s Dozen Quick Heat Treat News Items to Keep You Current Read More »