21 News Chatter to Keep You Current

February 20, 2026 / HEAT TREAT NEWS

Heat Treat Today offers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 21 news items, including Gasbarre‘s portfolio expansion of modular quenching technology, Bodycote‘s acquisition of Spectrum Thermal Processing, Stack Metallurgical Group‘s Supplier of the Year honor from BENCHMADE Knives, and more!

Equipment

1. Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems announced an exclusive licensing agreement with SOLO Swiss SA to bring Profitherm® modular bell furnace quenching systems to the North American market, giving Gasbarre rights to manufacture, promote, and sell the technology locally. This expansion enhances Gasbarre’s equipment portfolio and offers heat treat operations — from commercial shops to captive facilities serving aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors — a flexible alternative to traditional quench furnaces that can reduce infrastructure needs and improve processing efficiency.

2. IperionX has received a prototype order from American Rheinmetall to manufacture about 700 lightweight titanium components for U.S. Army heavy ground combat systems, using its patented recycled titanium technologies. This order supports U.S. defense efforts to reshore critical materials supply chains and could improve vehicle performance with significantly lighter parts, signaling growing demand for domestic, advanced titanium production in military manufacturing.

3. Jupiter Aluminum Industries (JUPALCO) has ordered two additional patented Vortex 2.0 aluminum coil annealing furnaces from SECO/WARWICK. The installation will expand JUPALCO’s heat treatment capacity while improving process efficiency and temperature uniformity. The project reflects continued investment in modern annealing technology to support growing aluminum processing needs.

4. Century Aluminum Company has emphasized that Emirates Global Aluminum‘s next-generation EX smelting technology will be critical to the development of its new primary aluminum smelter, one of the most advanced technologies deployed in the U.S. This platform is designed to improve productivity, reduce energy consumption per ton, and lower emissions, reinforcing both economic competitiveness and environmental performance in primary aluminum manufacturing.

5. Global pipe manufacturer Tenaris has reactivated quenching and tempering operations at its Koppel, Pennsylvania facility, restoring a critical stage of in-house heat treating capacity that supports domestic oil country tubular goods (OCTG) production for the U.S. energy sector. The restart reinforces supply chain reliability for clients requiring high-performance steel pipe.

6. A Midwest automotive manufacturer is boosting its stainless steel brazing capacity by installing a new four-zone, 24-inch controlled-atmosphere brazing furnace from Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems. The furnace will support higher production of critical automotive components.

7. A Chinese thermal management manufacturer has significantly increased its production capacity by installing a new continuous controlled-atmosphere brazing (CAB) line supplied by SECO/WARWICK to support higher output of advanced cooling components for data centers, EVs, aviation, photovoltaics, and rail transport.

From left to right: Dan Hill, product development manager of Gasbarre, Ben Gasbarre, EVP sales & marketing of Gasbarre, David Salerno, CEO of SOLO, and David Howard, sales director of SOLO

Company & Personnel

8. Spectrum Thermal Processing, a Cranston, Rhode Island heat treat provider, was acquired by global specialist processor Bodycote plc and integrated into its Aerospace, Defence & Energy division in a deal that closed January 14, 2026. This move brings Spectrum’s Nadcap-accredited vacuum heat treatment, low-pressure carburizing, and gas nitriding capabilities into Bodycote’s U.S. network, expanding regional capacity and improving lead times and supply-chain resilience for aerospace and defense component manufacturers.

9. A Tier 1 automotive supplier ensured uninterrupted production during a planned maintenance shutdown by tapping outsourced burst heat treating capacity from Bluewater Thermal Solutions’ St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania facility, rapidly scaling to meet strict OEM requirements. This collaboration kept deliveries on schedule and highlights the growing importance of flexible heat treating resources in supporting automotive supply-chain resilience.

10. Atlantic Fire Brick & Supply, a company that provides refractory products and installation services for furnaces, kilns, and other high-termperature equipment, has been acquired by Plibrico Company LLC in a move that expands refractory distribution and service capabilities for industrial thermal processing operations across the southeastern United States.

11. The AICHELIN Group has appointed Robert Sokoliński as CEO and general manager of Nitrex Metal Sp. z o. o. in Poland, effective January 1, 2026, tasking him with leading the subsidiary strategic and operational development within the group. The leadership move reinforces AICHELIN’s commitment to expanding advanced thermochemical heat treating capabilities in Europe, supporting automotive and industrial manufacturers with reliable, high-performance surface treatment solutions.

12. Bodycote’s Derby and Rotherham heat treat facilities now operate with zero direct carbon emissions, having transitioned to fully electric operations powered by 100% renewable energy — a milestone in decarbonization trends in thermal processing. This achievement signals growing momentum towards sustainable practices in the aerospace and automotive supply chains, helping clients meet ambitious carbon-reduction targets while maintaining process performance.

13. NUTEC Group Chairman Genaro Cueva and CEO Daniel Llaguno have appointed long-time executive Rodrigo González as president of NUTEC Bickley, following his 24-year tenure in senior engineering and operations roles. Llaguno praised González’s capabilities and alignment with NUTEC’s values, expressing confidence that he will successfully lead the company into the future while strengthening its position in the industrial heating sector across North America.

14. Thermcraft Inc. announced that Thermo Kinetics has joined as its authorized distributor for Canada, expanding Thermcraft’s reach for its thermal processing and industrial heating equipment across the Canadian market. This partnership brings together Thermcraft’s furnace and thermal solutions expertise with Thermo Kinetics’ local sales and technical support capabilities, strengthening service and market impact in the region’s industrial heating sector.

15. TFL Incorporated, a Houston-based provider of refractory materials and precast shapes, has been acquired by Plibrico Company LLC in a move that strengthens resources and technical support for high-temperature industries. The acquisition enhances service capacity and product availability for clients operating in demanding thermal-processing environments, including sectors that rely on consistent refractory performance to maintain uptime and efficiency.

16. Tosyalı Algérie, working with technology partner Midrex, set a new world production record for direct reduced iron (DRI), marking a major milestone in large-scale, low-carbon ironmaking. The achievement underscores growing momentum around DRI as a critical feedstock for steel producers seeking greater efficiency and reduced emissions. For the broader metals industry, it signals continued investment and confidence in DRI technology as a foundation for future steel and downstream thermal processing supply chains.

17. Claus Joens, founder of Elnik Systems, has retired after decades of advancing debind-and-sinter furnace technology. His leadership helped strengthen metal manufacturing capabilities critical to defense and advanced industrial applications, leaving a lasting mark on the MIM and thermal processing industries.

18. The Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) has announced its 2026-2027 Board of Directors and Executive Officers, naming Jason Safarz of DUNGS Combustion Controls as president, Bob Fincken of Super Systems, Inc. as vice president, and Chad Spore of John Deere as treasurer. IHEA leadership highlighted Spore’s appointment as a historic milestone, marking the first end-user officer in nearly a century and reinforcing alignment between equipment suppliers and industrial end users.

Thermcraft and Thermo Kinetics partnership in Canada

The two Midrex DRI plants at Tosyalı Algérie

Kudos

19. Stack Metallurgical Group was honored as a Supplier of the Year by BENCHMADE Knives at the 2026 SHOT Show Supplier Showcase. This recognition at one of the shooting, hunting, and outdoor industry’s largest trade events underscores Stack’s growing influence and excellence in precision metal processing and heat treat services within the manufacturing supply chain.

20. Applied Thermal Technologies Inc. received its 4^th consecutive 24-month merit for Nadcap.

21. Vacu Braze announced that its metallurgical laboratory has achieved Nadcap accreditation.

Supplier of the Year awarded to Stack Metallurgical Group by BENCHMADE Knives at the 2026 SHOT Show

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Tenaris OCTG Production Restarts In-House Heat Treating

February 11, 2026 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS, TEMPERING NEWS

Global pipe manufacturer Tenaris has reactivated quenching and tempering operations at its Koppel, Pennsylvania facility, restoring a critical stage of in-house heat treating capacity that supports domestic oil country tubular goods (OCTG) production for the U.S. energy sector. The restart reinforces supply chain reliability for clients requiring high-performance steel pipe.

The reactivation follows Tenaris’s broader investment in its Pennsylvania operations and coincides with the reopening of the adjacent steel mill. “Reopening the heat treatment and finishing lines in Koppel reinforces the strength of our domestic production capabilities for our clients across the U.S.,” says Guillermo Moreno, Tenaris U.S. President. “Koppel remains a cornerstone of our U.S. operations, allowing us to deliver high-quality steel products that support U.S. energy and industrial needs.”

Tenaris operates an integrated steel pipe manufacturing system across Pennsylvania and Ohio. At the Koppel facility, steel billets are produced in an electric arc furnace and shipped to Ambridge, Pennsylvania, where they are rolled into seamless OCTG to client specifications. The pipes are then returned to Koppel for quenching and tempering, followed by finishing, nondestructive testing, and inspection.

In the final stage of production, the pipes are sent to Tenaris’s Brookfield, Ohio, facility for threading and final inspection before shipment to oil and gas clients across the United States. With the Koppel heat treatment lines back online, Tenaris strengthens its U.S. production capabilities and continues delivering high-performance steel products for energy and industrial applications.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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Heat Treating Restarts with Pipe Mill Reopening

October 23, 2018 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT

A Texas company that manufactures a complete range of seamless and welded steel tubular products recently celebrated the reopening of its plant in Conroe, which will include the restart of heat treating capabilities.

Tenaris had suspended operations at the Conroe mill, which is located about 40 miles north of Houston, for three years due to an economic slowdown in the oil & gas industry. The plant is now heat treating and finishing pipe from Tenaris’s mill in Bay City, Texas, to support the ramp-up of domestic production. Tenaris invested approximately $7 million USD to ready the plant for operations, including safety, training, equipment and systems upgrades.

“I want to thank our employees, many of whom have returned to the plant and those who are new to Tenaris, for their dedication to completing a safe, and successful, start-up,” said Luca Zanotti, Tenaris President, USA. “Our Conroe facility is playing an important role in the resurgence of US manufacturing.”

Photo credit: Tenaris / Photo caption: From left to right: Roberto DeHoyos, Tenaris Vice President of Public Affairs; Germán Curá, Vice Chairman, Tenaris Board of Directors; U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady; and Luca Zanotti, Tenaris President, USA tour the reopened plant in Conroe during an event held on October 19, 2018.

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Tube Supplier Ramps Up Heat Treating, Announces Restart of Operations

June 28, 2018 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

A tubes and related services supplier for the world’s energy industry recently announced it will restart select areas of its mill in Conroe, Texas, to support the company’s ramp-up of heat treatment and finishing of pipe products in the U.S.

Tenaris, headquartered in Luxembourg, also has manufacturing facilities in Bay City and Houston, Texas, which will both contribute to the resumption of operations at Conroe.

“We are prepared to respond to the increased demand for the domestic supply of pipe,” said Luca Zanotti, Tenaris President, USA. “Reviving areas of the plant will allow us to maximize production from our new mill in Bay City expediting the finish, prep, and delivery of our products while raising the current level of activity at the plant that, during the downturn, remained opened as a service center.”

At Conroe, Tenaris pipe products will be heat treated and then finished, which includes threading, inspecting, testing, stenciling, and prepping the pipe before being dispatched.

In preparation for the restart, Tenaris will form a team of more than 100 employees – internal and external hires – who will be trained to operate the two areas of production as well as bringing equipment back online and performing tests to ensure the lines are operating as required.

“Market conditions have been improving over the past year with a higher price of oil, increased drilling activity and actions by the U.S. administration to support domestic manufacturing. We look forward to expanding our team and resuming industrial activity inside the plant to further support and deploy our strategy in the US,” added Zanotti.

Photo credit: UpstreamOnline

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Heat Treatment Processes Lead Way for Seamless Pipe Mill Startup

January 9, 2018 / ENERGY HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

A $1.8 billion state-of-the-art seamless pipe mill was unveiled before local, state, and federal representatives in Bay City, Texas, last month, following early startups of the heat treatment and finishing areas and successful test runs of the complete hot rolling process.

Tenaris, a global supplier of tubes and related services for the energy industry and certain other industrial applications, produced its first seamless pipe at the facility in October. The 1.2 million sq ft mill is strategically located near key shale plays and has the capacity to produce 600,000 tons of OCTG, annually, which will be shipped directly to customer rig sites or stored at Tenaris service centers in Bay City, Freeport, Midland or Oklahoma.

The launch ceremony in December included U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Tenaris customers, community members, and employees.

“TenarisBayCity shows our commitment to domestic manufacturing, competitively supplying the US oil and gas industry,” said Paolo Rocca, Tenaris Chairman and CEO. “This mill, which incorporates the most advanced technologies available worldwide, will lead our domestic industrial and service network dedicated to the US market.”

“Wherever Tenaris pipes go, jobs will follow. This company is fulfilling the promises it has made,” said Secretary Perry.

“As a leading supplier of pipes, casing, and tubing, Tenaris has played a significant role in the oil and gas surge here in Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “With this $1.8 billion investment, Tenaris has not only built the most technologically advanced pipe manufacturing facility in the world, but they have also created hundreds of new jobs in Texas.”

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Tenaris