11 Largest Captive Heat Treats, North America – An Industry Exclusive

In 2022 “The Monty Heat Treat News” published a heat treatment industry exclusive, a list of the “10 Largest Single Location Captive Heat Treats” in North America. Since that time changes have occurred and we are now pleased to offer our 2023 list of the largest Single Location Captive Heat Treats in North America-a list which has now grown to the 11 largest. Read on to find out who are the largest captive heat treaters in North America.

Number 11 Caterpillar, East Peoria, Illinois. In years gone by we have rated Caterpillar, the world’s large construction-equipment manufacturer as one of the largest captive heat treaters in North America based on their various facilities throughout the USA many of whom have in house heat treating. Our criteria this year is slightly different in that we are looking at single location captive heat treatment facilities. However having said that we would rank the Caterpillar facility in East Peoria, Illinois as the 10 largest captive heat treat facility in North America.

Number 10 Amsted Rail – BRENCO Bearings, Petersburg, Virginia. A newcomer to our list of the 10 largest single location captive heat treaters is a bearing company, BRENCO Bearings a division of Amstead Rail, located in Petersburg, Virginia. Amsted Rail’s Brenco® Bearings was founded in 1949 to manufacture bronze journal bearings for railroad freight cars. In 1959, Brenco received conditional AAR approval for the product it is known for today throughout the worldwide railroad industry,the tapered roller bearing-in short the company makes bearings for the railroad industry. The company has locations around the world, at least two of which have in house heat treatment departments. While the heat treatment department in Petersburg is not as large as it once one it still includes multiple pit carburizing furnaces and rotary hearth units.

Number 9 Dana Corp., Queretaro, Mexico. Number 9 on our list is yet another large auto parts maker, Dana Corporation, Queretaro, Mexico. While Dana has numerous facilities around the globe that include heat treating the largest is an enormous complex in the Mexican city of Queretaro with several large, separate in house heat treating departments. There are 3 separate facilities here, Dana Forja which has a heat treating department doing annealing in continuous furnaces, Dana Cardanes which has 7 batch IQ furnaces, roughly 40 induction lines and 11 tempers and Dana, ENCO which has 2 AFC-Holcroft UBQ furnaces along with 4 pusher furnaces (as of 2020).

Number 8 Stellantis, Kokomo, Indiana. In 1956 Chrysler invested in a transmission facility in Kokomo, Indiana, a facility which now covers 3.1 million square feet (please note that there are several facilities in Kokomo, our interest is in the transmission facility). For many years now this plant which originally was called Chrysler, and subsequently FCA Kokomo before being renamed Stellantis had what was probably the largest captive heat treat in North America. At one time it included 7-Three row Holcroft Pusher Furnaces, 6-Lindberg 36 X 72 X 36 Batch IQ furnaces, 3-Holcroft single row pushers, 2- Surface rotary furnaces, 2-Seco Rotary Furnaces, 4-ECM vacuum nitriding furnaces, 30-tempering furnaces and several ECM vacuum carburizing systems. While the heat treat department is smaller than it once was it is still one of the larger in house heat treat departments in North America.

Number 7 American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings (AAM), Silao, Mexico. In 2012 auto parts supplier American Axle & Manufacturting (AAM) formally opened a new location in the city of Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. The Silao facility was AAM’s second manufacturing facility in Mexico, joining the Guanajuato Manufacturing Complex. The opening of these facilities marked a real change in the firms philosophy as previous to this most manufacturing was in the USA including a large facility in Buffalo, New York which featured 5 single row pusher lines. Each AAM facility (including Poland) has a varied mix of heat treating equipment which includes pusher furnaces, batch IQ’s and Induction to name a few. Each of the AAM heat treating departments is very impressive, mainly because they are relatively new and obviously no expense was spared. AAAM globally can be considered one of the larger captive heat treaters in existence.

Number 6 ZF Transmission, Grey Court, South Carolina. ZF is a German company which ranks amongst the largest suppliers of automotive transmission components in the world. The location in Grey Court, SC opened in 2012 and became a hub for ZF’s work in large-scale transmission production, including eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions. Almost exactly one year ago the company issued this press release about an expansion of the facility (an expansion which did not include more heat treating by the way), “Germany’s ZF Friedrichshafen said it will invest $200 million to build another production line at its commercial vehicle transmission plant in Gray Court, S.C. The new line is expected to begin production in 2023. More than 500 jobs will be created, the company said. The supplier on Thursday said it plans to expand production of the PowerLine, an eight-speed automatic transmission for medium-duty commercial trucks, heavy pickups and buses.” ZF is another company which made the decision to go with vacuum carburizing and the end result is that this facility has two ALD “Modultherm” systems in place with a total of 16 carburizing cells and 2 Pusher lines for annealing supplied by Ipsen.

Number 5 Linamar, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. In our fifth position we find a Canadian company, auto parts supplier Linamar. Linamar is a global company with many locations around the world doing heat treating however their largest heat treat department is in Guelph, Ontario. Roughly 15 years ago the firm made the decision to bring heat treating in house while at the same time deciding that going forward they would concentrate on batch processing as opposed to continuous. In 2022 we see that this plant now has twenty five 36” X 48” X 36” batch IQ furnaces in place combined with several vacuum nitriders and a rotary hearth furnace. Current plans include future additions to the heat treating department.

Number 4 John Deere Waterloo, Iowa. As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains used in heavy equipment, and lawn care equipment we are sure the company needs no introduction. Their location in Waterloo, Iowa would appear to be the second largest captive heat treat in all of North America with a total of 31 furnaces (we will qualify this statement slightly by saying that 10 of these furnaces are dual chamber which we are counting as two furnaces each). The equipment comes from a variety of furnace suppliers including Surface Combustion as can be seen in this photo.

Number 3 Allison Transmission, Speedway, Indiana. In our third position we find the Allison Transmission Campus in Speedway, Indiana. This facility is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Their very extensive in house heat treating department boasts the largest number of 36” X 48” X 36” batch IQ furnaces under one roof in North America-26 to be exact, just ahead of auto parts supplier Linamar in Guelph, Ontario, Canada who has 25 furnaces of the same size. In total the heat treat department at Allison includes this equipment;

(26) IQ Furnaces -36”x48”x36”
(36) Temper Furnaces
(6) Pit Nitride Furnaces
(2) Rotary Furnaces
(12) Induction hardeners

Number 2 GKN Driveline, Newton, North Carolina. In our second position we find another automotive parts supplier, GKN in Newton, NC. While not one of the first to invest in vacuum carburizing systems they certainly jumped on the bandwagon after vacuum carburizing proved it’s value. The company now has 39 LPC cells provided by ECM with 20 bar nitrogen quenching.

Number 1 Ford Motor Company Sharonville Transmission Facility. We are quite comfortable in suggesting that the Ford Sharonville, Ohio Transmission facility is the single largest captive heat treat facility in North America. Ford was one of the first automotive companies to embrace vacuum carburizing and the end result is that this plant now has 64 ECM LPC cells with 20 bar nitrogen gas quench systems. It is worth noting that this facility has almost 2.5 million cubic feet under roof with almost 2,000 employees;

“The Ford Motor Company Sharonville Transmission plant is a transmission manufacturing facility located in Sharonville, Ohio, United States. Established in 1958, Sharonville has long been the backup site for overflowing work at the Ford Motor Company Livonia Transmission plant. It is also where the Ford Crown Victoria’s transmission was once assembled for over three decades. With the Crown Victoria now discontinued, the Sharonville transmission plant currently overseas production of the 64140 6-speed automatic transmission – also known as the Torqshift – destined for the Ford Super Duty line of heavy duty trucks. Sharonville is where the Ford/GM 10R80 10-speed transmission is assembled. The facility also manufacturers individual gears for the 6R80, 6R140, 6F35, 6F50/55, 8F57 transmissions. These gears are then shipped to other Ford manufacturing plants like the Ford Motor Company Van Dyke Transmission plant and the Ford Motor Company Livonia Transmission plant.”

10 Largest North American Heat Treat Furnace Builders

“The Monty Heat Treat News” is proud to present our list of the 11 largest North American furnace builders as ranked by 2023 sales. Before we get to our list we would like to make some points about how we arrived at these rankings;

It is important to note that this list only includes furnace suppliers who manufacturer in North America. This is an important distinction in that some well known brands in North America will not be included as they manufacture the majority of their products outside of North America. Examples include such well known brands as SECO/WARWICK, ECM, ALD, Nitrex and TAV.
North America of course includes the USA, Mexico and Canada, both Canada and Mexico have one company each on this list.
Our list included suppliers of both atmosphere and vacuum furnaces. Apples to oranges comparison? Perhaps because the atmosphere market is substantially larger than the vacuum market but having said that the largest builder by far is almost exclusively vacuum.
Another distinction we should point out is that this list only includes firms who focus on the heat treat industry. Our list does not include suppliers who concentrate on other industries such as the steel industry or foundries.
Sales for each of these companies includes new furnaces, spare parts, rebuilds and ancillary equipment.
Sales figures came from a number of different sources. In the case of Ipsen it is a publicly traded firm so sales figures are relatively easy to come by. Solar Manufacturing is always very forthcoming with their sales figures, we thank Mr. Bill Jones, CEO for his openness. In most other cases we were given sales figures on the basis that they were not shared. Gasbarre, and McLaughlin two companies on our list have provided a rough idea of their sales in recent articles/Interviews.
Each of these companies has sales of $20 million or over. Other companies which we considered and which would be on a list of the 20 largest include Vac Aero, Williams, CEC, Lindberg, Abbott, GM Enterprises (which is under the Nitrex banner) and Centorr Industries.
All figures in USD
We thank everybody who helped us on this project.

#1 Ipsen USA, Rockford, Illinois. With 2023 sales of over $110 million USD vacuum furnace builder Ipsen USA had sales almost double that of the second largest furnace builder. Of this total 50% is new equipment and 50% aftermarket (parts, service, hot zones). Ipsen is based in Kleve, Germany which produces Ipsen’s line of atmosphere furnaces while Ipsen USA builds vacuum furnaces for the global market.

“Excellence in thermal processing allows you to push the boundaries of what’s possible: whether it’s transforming space exploration, crafting better medical implants or developing more efficient cars and jet engines. Backed by more than 75 years of experience, our global team works in concert so that manufacturers and commercial heat treaters can innovate with confidence.”

#2 AFC-Holcroft, Wixom, Michigan. We would suggest with little hesitation that AFC-Holcroft of Wixom, Michigan is the largest manufacturer of atmosphere heat treating furnaces in North America. Over the years the company has built just about every configuration of atmosphere furnace there is although they are best known for batch IQ furnaces and pushers.

“AFC-Holcroft, L.L.C. is a leading manufacturer of industrial furnace systems used in the heat treatment of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Building on the traditions of Holcroft & Company dating back to 1916, AFC-Holcroft services clients across the globe. AFC-Holcroft was created as an L.L.C. in 2000, then purchased by the AICHELIN Group in 2016. AFC-Holcroft produces high quality thermal processing equipment used in the production of metal components, and provides related aftermarket service. Customers include both captive and commercial heat treaters who supply components to various industries such as automotive, heavy truck, industrial bearings and gears, railroad, fasteners, mining, aluminum heat treatment, and others.”

#3 Surface Combustion, Maumee, Ohio. Surface Combustion in Ohio is probably the oldest company on our list with a history which stretches back over 100 years. Privately owned they have built just about every style of furnace out there but they are best known for their line of “Allcase” batch IQ furnaces of which the company has built literally 1,000’s making it the most common furnace in North America;

“For over 100 years, Surface Combustion has been the leader in industrial heat treatment solutions. From our signature Allcase® Batch Integral Quench Furnace to tried and proven vacuum furnace options and customized engineered products, we are your source for all heat treat and thermal processing needs. We work with all industries including agricultural, automotive, biomass, oil & gas, and powder metals and so many more. We are also an excellent resource for rebuild and retrofit services as well as maintenance and operation.”

#4 Can Eng, Niagara, Falls, Ontario, Canada. Can Eng International in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is our only Canadian furnace builder on this list. The company is best known for their mesh belt furnace lines and aluminum capabilities;

“CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd. was established in 1964 and has grown to become a leading global designer and manufacturer of thermal processing equipment for ferrous and non-ferrous metals. We focus on the development of high volume batch and continuous industrial furnace systems for challenging applications. Our rugged furnace designs have served commercial and captive heat treaters, stamping and fastener companies, automotive component producers, the iron and steel industries, aluminum foundries, agricultural, construction and appliance manufacturers for over 60 years and we have an international reputation for design innovation, quality workmanship and a dedication to service.”

#5 AVS Inc., Ayer, MA. AVS is a privately held company owned by Jake Krashan.

“AVS is a manufacturer of custom, high-temperature vacuum and pressure furnace equipment for customers worldwide. AVS is a vertically integrated manufacturing facility, with full capabilities including design and engineering, ASME code-certified welding, mechanical assembly, electrical design and assembly, controls programming, and complete functional testing. AVS has a main manufacturing facility in Massachusetts and a supplemental facility in New Hampshire with over 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space for systems up to 26 feet in height. Two 10-ton and two 20-ton overhead cranes, cooling water system, and 3000 amps on site allow AVS to completely build and full-temperature test every furnace before it leaves the facility.”

#6 Solar Manufacturing, Souderton, PA. We would consider Solar Manufacturing to be the second largest vacuum furnace builder on our list because of their laser focus on vacuum heat treating only. The firm is always very open on their sales figures and we quote; Solar Manufacturing Inc. sales for 2023 to the North America market were $24.5 million for 24 furnaces and major hot zone rebuilds. Sales were to the Aerospace, Medical, Commercial HT, and General Manufacturing, non automotive. All applications were vacuum heat treating furnaces, non atmospheric or flammable atmospheres like hydrogen, natural gas, and the like. Solar Mfg. is in a 40;000 square foot plant dedicated to our vacuum furnace mfg. business and has 56 full time employees. This means our sales per employee is $437,500. USD.

“Solar Manufacturing is a privately held, U.S.-based company providing technologically advanced vacuum heat treating furnaces designed and built to be the most energy efficient, cost effective, and highest performance furnaces on the market. With decades of experience as its foundation, our team offers unmatched expertise in solving our customers’ most difficult heat treating problems. Together with our affiliate Solar Atmospheres, we continually develop new solutions to vacuum processing applications and improve the science of vacuum furnace technology.”

#7 Gasbarre, St. Marys, PA.

“Founded in 1973, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems is located in St. Marys, PA and has grown to have approximately 80 employees dedicated to serving the thermal processing industries worldwide. Gasbarre designs, manufactures, and services a full line of thermal processing equipment for virtually any process. Gasbarre’s offering includes continuous and batch atmosphere equipment, and continuous and batch vacuum furnace lines that serve a wide range of thermal processing applications and can be adapted to nearly any production process. In 2023, Gasbarre moved into a state-of-the-art facility with 150,000 sqft of manufacturing space to support their continued growth. Gasbarre is dedicated to serving its customers by providing products and services that combine value and design flexibility through knowledge and understanding of their customer’s processes.”

#8 McLaughlin Furnace Group, Avilla, IN. Quite possibly the fastest growing company on our list is McLaughlin Furnace Group and this is how they describe themselves;

“McLaughlin Furnace Group is much more than the maintenance and repair shop it began as in 2007. In the beginning, McLaughlin Services only offered complete furnace rebuilds, including structural fabrication, refractory, piping, rigging, mechanical assembly, electrical, and controls. But it didn’t take long for the Avilla, Ind., company to branch out. Shortly after opening its doors, McLaughlin Services started fabrication of car-bottom, temper and atmosphere furnaces, and support equipment. Since then, this MTI Diamond Member has started supplying custom flow panels and piping as well as custom, easily expandable endothermic generators.”

#9 Mattsa Furnace Company, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Founded more than 25 years ago by Mr. Carlos Torres Mattsa in the only Mexico based furnace builder on our list. The company offers a very wide variety of heat treat furnaces which includes batch IQ furnaces, rotary hearths, mesh belts and roller hearths. Mattsa is the AFC-Holcroft licensee in Mexico and the relationship has been a long and prosperous one. Associated with Mattsa is commercial heat treater CRIO also located in Mexico.

#10 Rogers Engineering, Cambridge City, IN. Rounding out our list of the 10 Largest is privately owned Rogers Engineering in Cambridge City, Indiana While not as well known as many on the list their products will chiefly be found in captive heat treat operations;

“ROGERS ENGINEERING is a world-wide leader in furnaces and other heat treatment related products and services. We supply equipment in the United States and 14 countries throughout the world, with a customer list consisting of the top companies in the world. Also offering, a full range of heat processing equipment ranging from batch through continuous and supporting atmosphere producing equipment. Rogers’s equipment is noted for its robust design, ease of maintenance, and low operating cost.”

The Monty’s 50 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treats 2023

#1 Bodycote

Without a shadow of a doubt UK based Bodycote is the largest North American commercial heat treater and indeed the largest globally. Want to know exactly what the company’s sales are? As a publicly traded company their financial results are easily found on their website at The leading provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services worldwide – Bodycote plc

For the purposes of this report we are only looking at Bodycote’s North American sales and operations. Our understanding is that 2023 sales in North America will be approximately $400 million USD. The firm has 72 plants in the USA, 3 in Canada and 4 in Mexico.

#2 Aalberts

Aalberts N.V. is a public company with its global HQ in the Netherlands. For years, Aalberts Surface Technologies has been the second largest commercial heat treater in Europe (previously under the name Hauck). In a relatively short period of time Aalberts went from a small player in the North American commercial heat treat industry to the second largest. This was achieved largely through acquisitions which over the years have included Premier Thermal, Applied Process, Alfe and several others. Incidentally if we put together a list of the largest commercial heat treaters in the world Aalberts would be the second largest.

#3 Paulo

Founded in 1943, Paulo is the largest privately held provider of thermal processing and metal finishing solutions in North America. Headquartered in St. Louis, Paulo operates six divisions servicing the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Southeast regions of the United States and northern Mexico. Paulo has been family owned and operated since the beginning, now the fourth generation carry on the business Ben and Pauline Rassieur started 77 years ago. The processes offered by Paulo cover austempering in mesh belt furnaces, Hot Isostatic Pressing, carburizing, nitriding, vacuum, brazing, zinc plating and black oxide to name a few. What makes Paulo unique to some extent is that the company has built in redundancy for most of their processes-if for some reason a process is not available at one particular location it can be quickly and competently shifted to another location. Paulo: Thermal Processing. Brazing. Heat Treating. Metal Finishing.

#4 Solar Atmospheres

“Solar Nation” consist of 7 operating companies in the USA, all 100% owned by Mr. & Mrs. Jones. Five do thermal processing and two are related to vacuum furnace manufacturing. In 2022 the company reported that all five heat treating companies had total sales of $71 million, 243 employees, $292K per employee. (all figures in USD). When the two manufacturing companies were included the total sales for “Solar Nation” was $94 million, 327 employees, $287.5 per employee. Current projections for 2023 put sales at over $120 Million USD. Solar Nation is very specialized in vacuum heat treating for the aerospace, space, defence, medical, petrochemical and electronics industries with very little exposure to the auto industry. Vacuum Heat Treating and Brazing Services | Solar Atmospheres

#5 Woodworth

The fifth largest North American commercial heat treater on our list is a company which operates 4 facility in two countries and specializes in large volume automotive work. “Woodworth Inc. provides a wide range of heat treatment services through our four facilities. We are currently located in Pontiac, Homer, and Flint, Michigan, as well as Puebla, Mexico. The company operates 40 large furnaces in North America. Woodworth Inc. has installed capacity to run 16 million + rotors per year. (2.2 million Lbs / Day).” Woodworth is similar to many heat treaters on our list in that they are almost exclusively dedicated to the automotive industry, albeit on a very large scale. FNC brake rotors rust free brakes nanotechnology oil and gas industry corrosion resistance woodworth inc heat treatment (woodworthheattreating.com)

#6 Braddock

Braddock Metallurgical. Family owned Braddock Metallurgical was founded in 1953 by William Braddock. The company has eight production facilities mainly in the US Southeast, however the company also has a location in NJ and Puerto Rico. Certainly in the growing US Southeast region Braddock is the dominant commercial heat treater. The company is a full service heat treater in that they offer virtually every process available. We are quite confident saying that they are the fourth largest family owned commercial heat treater in North America. Quality Metal Heat Treating | Braddock Metallurgical (braddockmt.com)

#7 Advanced Heat Treat Corp

“Established in 1981, Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) is a recognized global leader in providing heat treat services and metallurgical solutions. The company has 4 locations in Alabama, Iowa and Michigan and offers over 20 surface treatments such as UltraGlow® Ion & Gas Nitriding, UltraOx®, Nitrocarburizing, Induction Hardening, Carburizing, Quench & Temper and more.” What makes Advanced such a fascinating company is that it is the creation of Mr. Gary Sharp who started off with the idea that there was a place in the North American heat treating industry for Plasma (Ion Nitriding). Gary started off with a small investment and has never looked back. He is still involved in the day to day operations of the company. Advanced Heat Treat Corp (ahtcorp.com)

#8 Bluewater Thermal

“Bluewater Thermal Solutions operates 12 different heat treatment and brazing facilities in the United States and Canada and this makes us one of the largest heat treating and brazing companies in North America. Each location has different capabilities and equipment that allows them to offer specialized different types of processing required by their local markets. Bluewater provides thermal processing and metal joining to over 2,000 customers. In addition to specialty heat treatments and brazing, most of Bluewater’s locations offer traditional heat treatments such as annealing, hardening, carburizing, carbonitriding, vacuum heat treatments, nitriding, nitrocarburizing, normalizing, solution treat and age hardening, stress relieve, and many more.” Bluewater is similar to a few of the companies on this list in that it is owned by a venture capital firm.

#9 Nitrex

Nitrex is a world leader in heat treating solutions with a unique integrated products portfolio composed of three divisions: Nitrex Turnkey Systems, United Process Controls and Heat Treating Services. Its Heat Treating Services division is an international full-service commercial heat–treatment solutions provider. With over 35 years in heat–treating, 9 locations in the U.S., China, Canada, Mexico and Europe, over 4000 unique processes, 18,000 lab test results and a team of skilled metallurgists, engineers and heat treaters, Nitrex is a solutions provider capable of going beyond traditional heat–treating services. Serving North American customers from its locations in Chicago-IL, Franklin-IN, Mason-MI, Las Vegas-NV, Montreal-Canada, and Queretaro-Mexico, Nitrex has established long term relationships with an array of OEMs, Tier 1s and end-users. While world-renowned for its nitriding expertise, Nitrex also provides a full suite of state-of-the-art vacuum, atmosphere, and LPC solutions to its many customers and will continue to expand its global footprint through 2020 and 2021. HEAT TREATING SERVICES – Nitrex

#10 Thermal Process Holdings

THERMAL PROCESS HOLDINGS is a dynamic growth company providing critical Metallurgical services to virtually every industrial sector. Our strategy is to provide industry leading thermal services throughout North America from our expanding network of facilities. Currently the company operates 5 locations around the US. Thermal Process Holdings | A Unique Partnership for the Future You Want

#11 Stack Metallurgical

Stack Metallurgical Group consists of four sites strategically located throughout the Pacific Northwest. Stack specializes in advanced heat treating, aluminum anodizing and painting, and hot isostatic press (HIP) services. With a rich history dating back to 1946, Stack has become a trusted partner to demanding clients in industries such as aerospace, power generation, precision cutlery, oil and gas, and general industrial. Stack has been privately held by the Ederer family since 1974. Over the last 46 years, the business has grown and expanded into new markets. The most recent expansion, Stack HIP, was launched in 2020 Albany, Oregon. About Us – Stack Metallurgical Group

#12 Parker Trutec

Parker Trutec is a North American subsidiary of Japan based Nihon Parkerizing, a very substantial player in the global heat treat industry. In North America Parker has 4 heat treat locations in Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mexico. The Springfield, Ohio facility is fairly typical of the plants and has this equipment;

Salt Bath Nitriding Furnaces (FNC) processing our Isonite process to AMS 2755 (High Cyanide Salt).
Salt Bath Nitriding Furnaces (FNC) processing our Isonite QPQ process to AMS 2753 (Low Cyanide Salt).
Salt Bath Nitriding Furnaces (FNC) processing our Isonite LiFe process.
Gas Ferritic Carburizing Furnaces (FNC) processing to AMS 2757.
Batch Carburizing with Dowa, Surface Combustion and AFC-Holcroft Furnaces.
- Carburizing, Carbonitriding, Neutral Hardening (Quench & Temper), Normalizing.
Continuous Roller-Hearth Carburizing Furnaces (Dowa).
Vacuum Degreasing Systems for pre- and post-carburizing.
Hanging and barrel shotblasters.
Vibratory polishing equipment.

Their business largely relies on the Japanese automotive transplants. https://www.parkertrutec.com/

#13 Heat Treating Services

Based in Pontiac, Michigan HTS is a privately owned commercial heat treater founded in 1978.Being in Michigan the company is heavily involved in the auto industry and the Hynes family have done a tremendous job of guiding the company through the ups and downs of the last few years. HTS has 4 plants in Michigan and serves the ferrous metal industries with thermal process and clean capabilities, which exceed sixty-four (64) million pounds per month. In total HTS had over 200,000 square feet under roof and 250 employees. Heat Treating Services | Home (htsmi.com)

#14 Rex Heat Treat

Rex Heat Treat is a family owned-and-operated business that began the year of 1938 in Pennsylvania making it one of the oldest commercial heat treats in North America. In its beginning, Rex Heat Treat supported the United States military efforts during World War II. Since then, Rex has also managed heat treating plants in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. The company has two locations in PA which service industries such as Mining and Drilling, Energy, Aerospace and Defense, and Transportation. With the installation of the world’s largest Vertical Vacuum Oil Quenching Furnace, Rex Heat Treat is primed for continued growth. Rex Heat Treat – The Heat Treater of Choice! (rexht.com)

#15 Thermtech

ThermTech in Waukesha, Wisconsin is a privately held commercial heat-treating company that offers a wide range of services to a diverse and discerning set of customers. It was founded in 1982 by Charles Wiberg and remains a family owned business under the guidance of Mary Springer and her brother Steve Wiberg. We would consider ThermTech to be a full service shop in that it offers most commercially available heat treat processes. Metal Heat Treating and Metal Finishing – ThermTech

#16 Dowa Thermotech

Globally Japan based Dowa Thermotech is one of the largest commercial heat treaters in the world so it is no surprise that it also ranks as one of the largest in North America. Their facilities in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and Bowling Green, Ohio are both dedicated to servicing the Japanese automakers which means that they largely “fly under the radar” and don’t usually appear on lists of commercial heat treaters. The company almost exclusively uses furnace built in Japan and their focus is very narrow-the automotive industry. Locations (Overseas) | DOWA Thermotech Co., Ltd.

#17 ALD

ALD Heat Treat Services is considered to be one of the world’s premier heat treatment organizations, providing consistent and predictable distortion control through its expertise in Low Pressure Carburizing (LPC) and High Pressure Gas Quenching (HPGQ). ALD’s Global footprint includes two operations in North America; ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc., in Port Huron, MI, and its sister plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, a state-of-the-art facility in Saxony, Germany, and recently launched operations in Suzhou China. ALD is well-positioned to service the needs of its diverse and growing customer base.

The Company has a long history of providing superior quality vacuum heat treatment services, with a strong international presence and the support of a worldwide organization that includes furnace sales and equipment. Their robust production capabilities, quality systems, automation controls, Research & Development, and in-house laboratory have earned them the prestigious General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award for Nine consecutive years. ALD is IATF 16949, AS9100, and ISO 9001 certified, as well as ISO 27001 and ISO 14001 compliant. Earlier this year the Company achieved its NADCAP Accreditation and has begun servicing the aerospace community. ALD’s thermal treatment processes minimize the distortion of precision manufactured components and are ideal for the increasingly stringent requirements of tomorrow’s electric drive transmissions and drivetrain units. Additional information can be found on their website at: www.heat-treatment-services.com

#18 Flame Metals

Privately owned Flame Metals was founded in 1985 and operates out of a 102,000 square foot facility with over 100 employees working 7 days a week in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Focus is on the General Industrial Markets-Off Highway, Construction, Marine, Outdoor Recreational, Agricultural, Mining and Wind Energy. With eleven integral quench furnaces (9000 lb max capacity) and two pit furnaces (25,000 lb capacity), the company is best known for its ability to process large critical components. Additional capabilities include continuous processing, vacuum, salt bath nitriding, neutral salt, induction, aluminum and car bottom. Home – Flame Metals Processing Corporation

#19 FPM Heat Treating

Founded in 1979 FPM has two locations in the US Midwest, Elk Grove Village, IL and Cherry Valley IL. FPM has the capability to offer most heat treating processes including Through hardening, Carburizing, Carbonitriding, FNC and Nitriding, from a variety of furnaces including batch IQ furnaces, mesh belt, vacuum and salt bath. The company has NADCAP approval along with CQI-9. Home – FPM Heat Treating (fpmht.com)

#20 Pressure Technologies

Pressure Technology Inc. (PTI). Do companies doing strictly Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) deserve to be on our list of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America? Well the answer is yes in our minds as the precedent has already been set. Bodycote, Paulo, Aalberts, Stack and Lake City are already on our list so for that reason we have a new entry on our list of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America-PTI.

“Pressure Technology is a leading provider of high quality hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) to the aerospace, medical, ceramics, electronics, precision casting, powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing and a variety of other industries.” The company has 3 locations in the USA, PA., OH., and Florida. PTI makes our list this year for the very first time based upon their strong position in the Hot Isostatic Pressing industry. Hot Isostatic Pressing – PTI (pressuretechnology.com)

#21 Continental Heat Treating Santa Fe

Nadcap approved Continental Heat Treating is an aerospace approved heat treating company located in Santa Fe Springs, California. Established in 1957 in Downey, CA the company moved to their current location in Santa Fe Springs in 1969 where it has grown and prospered under the leadership of Mr. Jim Stull. Home – Continental Heat Treating (continentalht.com)

#22 Specialty Heat Treating, Houston

Specialty Heat Treat, Inc. is a family owned business and was founded in 1993 by Tom Moore in Houston, TX. SHT operates a 100,000 square foot facility on 9 acres and has grown to 42 furnaces up to 25’ in length. Like all heat treaters in Texas the company’s fortunes are closely tied to the oil and gas industries. Due to the upturn in those industries Speciality is seeing substantial growth these days. www.specialtyheattreat.com

#23 Texas Heat Treating

Texas Heat Treating offers a wide range of heat treatments, testing and support services, operating 24 hours a day and seven days a week. CEO C.H. “Buddy” Crossley started Texas Heat Treating in 1977 as a small company in a 6,000 square foot shop. Today, the company has expanded to two large facilities, the first in Round Rock, Texas, and the newest plant in Fort Worth, Texas. It is run by Buster Crossley and features batch heat treating equipment including IQ’s, pit furnaces, vacuum furnaces and nitriding systems. It is one of 7 commercial heat treaters in the great state of Texas to make our list of the 50 Largest. Texas Heat Treating – AS9100D, ISO 9001 Certified. ISO 17025 Accredited

#24 Hansen Balk, Grand Rapids

We are going to rely on Hansen Balk to summarize the company, we will add that it is one of the largest vacuum heat treaters in North America. “Since 1955, Hansen/Balk in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA has built a reputation as a state-of-the-art provider of steel heat-treating services. Our 85,000-square-foot facility features a full cohort of best-in-class batch vacuum and batch atmosphere furnaces, capable of processing orders of all sizes. We offer a variety of services, but are best known for the breadth and depth of our vacuum heat-treating capabilities-including high-pressure quenching up to 15 Bar-as well as unique services such as cryogenic treating, flame hardening and induction heat-treating services. We adhere to the most technologically advanced heat-treating methods with modern equipment to ensure your parts meet the required specifications-from hardness tolerance to surface finishes. We also bring customers a deep well of metallurgical knowledge, formed over six decades of work on millions of parts. Hansen/Balk Steel Treating Company (hansenbalk.com)

#25 Modern Heat Treat, DFW

2023 is the first year that Modern Heat Treat in Richland Hills, Texas makes our list of the largest North American commercial heat treats. The company was founded in July of 2009 by Brad Luce and Rudy Saucedo (unfortunately Brad passed away in 2019 at a very young age, Rudy is now President and owner). What started as a relatively small operation featuring several batch IQ furnaces has grown into a very substantial company which includes numerous batch IQ furnaces, vacuum furnaces, induction equipment, flame hardening, deep freeze and straitening capabilities.

Currently the company has over 50 pieces of equipment and over 60 employees making it one of the larger privately owned commercial heat treaters in North America. Watch for our updated list to find out where we rank Modern Heat Treat. www.modernht.com – Modern Heat Treat

#26 East Carolina

Family owned East Carolina Metal Treating was founded in 1976. Through a commitment to continual improvement and reinvestment, ECMT has garnered a reputation for providing high quality service with great turnaround and the best customer service. ECMT has a state-of-the-art metallurgical lab and maintains Nadcap, ISO 9001, AS9100, and Appendix B certifications with the goal of achieving the automotive certification – IATF 16949.

Servicing the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, the company has grown into a 45,000 square foot facility located just outside of downtown Raleigh, and ECMT’s second location, Virginia Metal Treating, has recently constructed a 20,000 square foot facility in Lynchburg, VA with room to grow! ECMT offers a full range of heat-treating services including Vacuum, Batch IQ, Nitriding/FNC, Induction, Cryogenics, Salt bath hardening with austempering and marquenching, Stress Relieving, Age Hardening, as well as Black Oxide. ECMT partners with the best equipment manufacturers to provide repeatable quality results for our diversified customer base. https://ecmtinc.com/

#27 Metex Heat Treating

Metex Heat Treating Ltd. In 1983, Metex Heat Treating Ltd. was founded by Mr. Surjit Bawa to serve the heat treating needs of the manufacturing industry in the Greater Toronto, Canada Area. Since that time Metex has grown into the largest commercial heat treater in Canada and the company services customers as far as Montreal, Cleveland and Michigan. We specialize in Continuous and Batch Neutral Hardening, Carburizing, and Carbonitriding. We also have 10 state of the art induction hardening systems. https://metexht.com/

#28 Accurate Steel Treating, Southgate

Accurate Steel Treating was founded in 1962 on a strong commitment to quality and customer service. In 1989, Accurate Steel Treating was acquired by a new management team and embarked on a carefully planned expansion program. During the next 25 years, new processes and equipment were added to keep pace with growing demand including high-pressure gas quench vacuum heat-treating, precision carburizing, and ion nitriding. In 2012, management decided, along with encouragement from several key customers, to enter the Aerospace market to be better diversified and capitalize on the many opportunities developing in this sector.

Today, Accurate Steel Treating continues to be the fastest growing commercial aerospace heat treat service provider in the western US. We are AQS AC7004 certified and accredited by Nadcap for a wide range of thermal processes and support services, including vacuum & atmosphere hardening, gas carburizing, ion & gas nitriding, stress relieving, annealing, aging, pre & post cleaning, oil, salt, water & polymer quench mediums, titanium processing, straightening and metallurgical evaluations. The transformation to a full service Aerospace Heat Treat provider accelerated in 2014 when we achieved our first Nadcap accreditation, we have since accomplished many milestones that we are proud of. Accurate is a privately held company with Mr. Chris Hall, President. https://accuratesteeltreating.com/

#29 Q-Tech, DFW

Q–Tech Heat Treat LLC., makes our list for the first time this year. Located in Dallas, Texas it was founded in 1972 by R.D. Fussell and sons in a 1,000 sq foot building with 2 furnaces. “We have grown to our current size of 100,000 sq feet and over 40 furnaces. Our main focus is on customer needs, and servicing them on a personal level. We have been ISO 9001:2015 approved since 2003. We have also been approved for steel parts through General Dynamics, and Komatsu from Osaka, Japan.” Q–Tech remains a familyowned business to this day with Sean Fussell as President which marks the third generation. http://www.qtechht.com/

#30 Industrial Steel Treating Jackson

Industrial Steel Treating Company (IST) began operations in Jackson, Michigan in 1943, initially servicing the growing tool and die industry in mid-Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. The company is owned and run by the Levy family and operates out of a 350,000 square foot location in Jackson, Michigan. Two separate, across-the-street facilities house production, prototype sample and warehouse-inventory management capabilities. IST offers gas nitriding, carbonitriding, induction hardening and several other processes. The firm is now fourth generation which few commercial heat treaters can boast of. https://www.indstl.com/

#31 Lake City Heat Treating

Lake City Heat Treating in Warsaw, Indiana is part of a very small select group in that for years the company has offered Hot Isostatic Pressing which only a handful of companies can say. With roughly 13 vacuum furnaces and 3 “Hip” Vessels the company focuses on the medical and aerospace industries. Major shareholder is Mr. Bill Davis. Lake City has made our news section several times over the years, each time when the company was making a new equipment investment. https://lakecityheattreating.com/

#32 Kittyhawk

Kittyhawk is another new entry to our list this year and it is a firm which is 100% Hot Isostic Pressing (exactly the same as Pressure Technologies which also joined our list this year). Kittyhawk made our news section earlier this year when they were acquired by Trive Capital, December 30, 2022. “Founded in 1981, Kittyhawk is a leading provider of Hot Isostatic Pressing (“HIP”) services on the West Coast from its locations in Garden Grove, CA and Canby, OR. The Company is trusted by many of the largest aerospace, defense, and space OEMs to increase the performance and safety of their most iconic platforms. HIP is an integral service that improves the strength and metallurgical properties of casted and additively manufactured parts. Kittyhawk specializes in servicing parts for high-temperature, high-pressure, and high cost of failure applications such as rocket and jet engine componentry.” Hot Isostatic Pressing | Kittyhawk (kittyhawkinc.com)

#33 Century Sun

You would not expect to find one of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America in Northern Michigan, however such is the case with Century Sun Metal Treating which for over 30 years have been offering heat treating services in Traverse City, Michigan. Century Sun has a great deal of vacuum and plasma nitriding capacity which they use to service a wide variety of industries. In 2021 the company was acquired by Hillcrest Investment Partners, LLC, a private investment group. https://www.century–sun.com/

#34 Sun Steel Treating

Sun Steel Treating in Michigan is best known as one of the largest plasma nitriding firm in North America; Since 1958, Sun Steel Treating has specialized in providing our customers exceptional quality, expertise, and timeliness. Whether it’s hardening alloys, carbon steels, tool steels or high speed specialty steels, our engineers know the precise metallurgical processes to apply. In 1981, Sun Steel Treating pioneered the use of plasma Nitriding as a viable surface hardening treatment. Sun Steel Treating has Trade-marked and registered this process as Ionitriding®. Sun Steel Treating has also pioneered combining the benefits of Ionitriding® and Steam Treating to develop IonWear®. Sun Steel is privately owned by Mr. Jim McGuirk and operates out of large facility close to Detroit, Michigan. The company concentrates on two areas, vacuum heat treating and Plasma Nitriding. https://sunsteeltreating.com/

#35 Thermetco

Thermetco located near Montreal, Quebec, Canada is the second Canadian commercial heat treater on our list. Thermetco is a second generation heat treat founded by Mr. Andre Houle. The firm has over 150 employees, 4 locations and offers Carburizing, Vacuum Hardening, Austempering, Plasma Nitriding and Carbonitriding along with several other processes. Thermetco has seen tremendous growth over the past several years which includes acquiring two competitors, a new location and a number of new furnaces. Sales in 2023 have again grown substantially, so much so that the company is rumored to be considering expanding yet again. It is ranked as the second largest in Canada.

#36 Vac Aero

Vac Aero is our third and final Canadian heat treater to make our list this year. VAC AERO International provides heat treating and brazing of advanced materials for the aerospace and other high technology industries. Specializing in vacuum processing, VAC AERO holds numerous heat treating and quality system approvals from prime manufacturers, with AS9100 and NADCAP accredited plants strategically located within the Toronto to Montreal aerospace manufacturing corridor of Canada. The Oakville, Ontario operation is one of North America’s largest subcontract heat treaters of aircraft landing gear components while the St Laurent, Quebec operation is focused primarily on gas turbine engine and airframe component. The company also has a division, Vac Aero Furnace Manufacturing which builds vacuum furnaces. https://vacaero.com/www.vac-aero.com

#37 Byron Products

Founded in 1982 by Mark Byron in a 1 car garage, Mark has grown Byron into a very significant player in the Thermal Processing Industry in North America. The NADCAP approved company offers brazing, heat treating, welding and coatings all with a strong emphasis on the aerospace industry. Byron excels in the heat treating of stainless steel and high temperature aerospace alloys. The company operates out of 2 facilities in Ohio. https://byronproducts.com/

#38 Lone Star

Founded in 1945 Lone Star is one of the older commercial heat treats in the USA. As far as we know the company has always been owned and run by the Van Dorfy family, the current President is Mike Van Dorfy, Jr. Like all heat treaters in Texas, Lone Star’s business is based upon the oil and gas industries although the company has diversified to some extent over the years. Lone Star offers induction hardening, atmosphere carburizing, deep hole drilling and vertical heat treating. https://www.lsht.com/

#39 Lark Heat Treating

Lark Heat Treating in Houston, Texas is another new addition to our list. “Lark Heat Treating was founded in 1978 by brother’s Frank and Gene Clark with the guidance and inspiration of their father, Wade Clark, whose heat treating career started in 1936. Now owned and operated by Frank and Gene, Lark Heat Treating is one of the top commercial heat treaters in the southern United States, Lark Heat Treating Houston, TX” Lark operates out of a 55,000 square foot facility and can be classified as a “full service provider” in that they offer most commercially available processes, carburizing, nitriding, vacuum hardening, induction and a few others. https://www.larkheat.com/

#40 Specialty Steel Treating

Specialty Steel Treating, founded 1956, has been performing precision heat treating for more than 60 years. The privately held company has 4 locations in the US, three in the Detroit, Michigan area and one in Connecticut. While Specialty is located in the auto capital of the world it has broadened its customer base over the years and now has a very strong presence in the aerospace and bearing industries. https://www.sst.net/

#41 ETSA Mexico

ETSA Group, Mexico; Founded in 1979, Especialidades Termicas, S.A (ETSA Group) is one of the two largest commercial heat treaters in Mexico with 350 employees spread over 6 locations, Guadalajara, Celaya, Aguascalientes, San Juan del Rio and Mexico City. In actual number of furnaces the company has 6 vacuum furnaces, 4 nitrocarburizing units, 20 batch IQ’s, 3 mesh belt lines, 2 large pit carburizers, 4 bell type for annealing and 1 austemper line. ETSA is a family owned business and the current CEO is Mr. Mario Fabian Mendez son of the founder of the company. The company also has an entire division dedicated to rebuilding and installing furnaces. https://www.especialidadestermicas.com/

#42 Thermal Vac, Orange

Founded in 1985 by Steve Driscol and based in Orange, CA, Thermal–Vac Technology now has two locations, the first in CA, the second brand new facility in Arizona. The company offers brazing, heat treating and finishing much of it destined for the aerospace industry. The company continues to be privately held and is run by Steve Driscol’s son and daughter. With almost 100 employees it is one of the larger heat treats on the US west coast. https://www.thermalvac.com/

#43 Pinson Valley

Pinson Valley is owned and run by the Hendry family and is now in its third generation. Founded in 1970 the company has a very unique mix of capabilities including vacuum heat treating, atmosphere and some very interesting and unique tip up style furnaces. https://www.pvht.com/

#44 Southwest Metal Treating

Southwest Metal Treating Corp., (SWMT) Heat Treating Texas – Southwest Metal Treating is a family owned commercial heat treater in business for over 40 years run by Mr. Ryan Fussell. The company is full service in that it offers most heat treating processes including but not limited to; vacuum heat treating, carburizing, nitro carburizing, flame hardening, normalizing, stress relieving and Plasma Nitriding. The company operates out of a 50,000 square foot facility located on 7 acres. http://southwestmetaltreating.com/

#45 Pacific Metallurgical

Pacific Metallurgical in Kent, Washington makes our list for the first time this year. Founded in 1968 the firm covers many of the bases when it comes to processes offered-carburizing, gas nitriding, stress relieving, press quenching, neutral hardening and a substantial vacuum hardening department consisting of 3 GM 48x48x90 furnaces as well as two Ipsen 924s. http://www.pacmet.com/

#46 Voestalpine AG

Voestalpine AG is an Austrian steel-based technology and capital goods group based in Linz, Austria. With over 30 locations around the world offering heat treating the company would rank as one of the larger commercial heat treaters in the world. While their heat treating operations in North America are relatively modest compared with their global footprint they do operate two very impressive facilities in North America, one in Canada and one in Mexico. Their heat treat operations are both captive heat treating of their own products and commercial heat treating. This photo shows their Canadian facility. https://www.voestalpine.com/group/en/

#47 Applied Thermal

Located in Warsaw, Indiana Applied Thermal like many of the companies on this list it is a family owned and run business started by Mickey Bradican-this is how the company describes themselves; “Applied Thermal Technologies Inc. is a metal processing company specializing in bright vacuum heat treating and brazing of stainless steel and exotic alloys. Founded in 1992 to service the medical and specialty products industries in Northern Indiana and has grown to over 30,000ft² with international sales. Our specialty furnaces feature temperatures to 2800°F, levels to 10-6 Torr, all metal hot zones and extremely rapid cooling.” Applied Thermal is NADCAP approved and works very closely with with the aerospace and medical industries. https://www.appliedthermaltechnologies.com/

#48 American Steel Treating

Founded in 1989 by three Surface Combustion employees including the current owner and CEO, Mr. Roy Waits, American Steel Treating is located in Perrysburg, Ohio. While the company offers most types of heat treating covering a variety of industries we tend to think of them for high volume automotive work processed through a number of pusher furnaces. The company operates out of a 300,000 square foot facility close to Toledo, Ohio. https://www.americansteeltreating.com/

#49 Winston Heat Treating

In 1959 Winston Heat Treating was formed to service the local tool & die market. Since then the company has always focused on moving forward with new technologies and in the 1970’s the firm became a real pioneer in vacuum hear treating which resulted in Winston becoming one of the first to achieve both ISO and NADCAP status. Like so many on this list this is a family owned business with David Reger acting as President. We have watched Winston grow and invest and it is a fine example of a modern commercial heat treater. https://winstonht.com/

#50 Akron Steel Treating

The history of Akron Steel Treating in Akron, Ohio makes for fascinating reading. In 1943, the U.S. army helped Prosper P. Powell convert his garage at 654 Glenwood Avenue in the North Hill area of Akron into a mini-heat treating facility for firing pins. Operating in the secrecy of soaped windows and late-night deliveries, with overflow work conducted in the family’s kitchen oven, Powell launched a successful company. When World War Two was over Prosper asked the US government when they wanted the furnaces back. The answer was “they are yours now” and thus one of the oldest commercial heat treaters in the USA was born. Akron is still a family owned business and offers a very wide variety of heat treating. https://www.akronsteeltreating.com/

As already mentioned in many articles, the reduction of emissions as well as the energy efficiency of the entire process line are currently one of the top issues in industrial heat treatment processes, especially in Europe. As a result, the perennial questions on the minds of management and chairholders are: Is electric heating a viable option for my heat-treatment facility? Where are the limits of economic viability? What needs to be considered for chamber furnaces and what limitations in the overall process must be accepted? Beside the visually appealing alternatives such as the use of electric igniters instead of gas burners for flaring escaping process gas, some key aspects of reducing the carbon footprint are highlighted below.

Preheating furnace – In addition to preheating the parts to be heat-treatment, the preheating furnace also fulfills the function of pre-oxidation. On the one hand, organic residues on the component surface are oxidized, and on the other hand, the surface is also activated. This reduces the risk of local problems during the subsequent thermochemical heat- treatment (“soft spots”). Direct gas heating is advantageous over electrical heating because of the direct contact with the exhaust gas (residual oxygen and moisture) and the exhaust gas flow.

Retrofits and new purchases in existing production lines – While various technical concepts are possible or can be easily adapted for new plants, the situation is more complicated for existing heat- treatment systems. Assuming that the necessary power supply is available at the factory, that the wire size is sufficient and that there is enough space to expand the switch cabinets, the number of existing gas burners and their heating capacity is a challenge in most projects.

For standard electric heating elements, the sum of all heaters must be divisible by 3 to avoid creating unbalanced loads in the power grid.
The use of 2- or 3-phase heaters is just being implemented for the first customers – long-term experience is not yet available.
The heating power to be installed must be adapted to the diameters and materials (steel, ceramic, powder metallurgical based) of the radiant tubes installed. Despite the higher efficiency, a reduced power input is possible.

Active Radiant Tube Cooling – In gas-fired systems with indirect radiant tube heating, the combustion air can also be used to cool the system. This cooling is used for faster temperature reduction from carburizing temperature (920-950°C / 1690-1740°F) to hardening temperature (850- 880°C / 1570-1610°F). Without this active cooling, the process time will be extended on a case-by- case basis. Currently, there is no easy way to solve this cooling function for electrically heated heat- treatment equipment without additional technical and thus financial effort.

Heat Recovery System Proposals – Implementing advanced heat recovery systems in existing and new plants continues to be a challenge for plant engineers and operators. The pressing need to increase the energy efficiency of a thermal processing plant and minimize the carbon footprint is leading to several innovative approaches. The temperature level and its time dependence have a significant impact on the feasibility and efficiency of a heat recovery system. In addition to the classical methods of direct heat recovery via heat exchangers, also in combination with heat storage, indirect heat recovery can lower or raise the temperature level of the waste heat by using additional energy (chillers or heat pumps) or convert the waste heat into electricity. There are three main sources of wasted heat:

The main difference between a conventional gas-fired and an electrically heated heat-treatment system is the elimination of burner exhaust gases and the associated additional thermal losses. Due to the exhaust gas temperatures, this results in a reasonably usable energy potential that should be exploited. The same is true for flared process gas. However, the cost-benefit ratio must be carefully considered. Direct use of the unburned process gas is not common due to safety considerations and possible negative effects on the heat treatment process. Therefore, the greatest savings potential lies in process optimization. This refers to optimized process control and reduction/adjustment of process gas consumption. The waste heat from oil bath or salt bath quenching must be investigated with a view to reducing energy requirements. Utilization of the thermal energy released during product cooling has a high recovery potential due to the continuity of the heat input. The high energy density of the liquid medium can be used economically despite the lower temperature level compared to the hot exhaust gases.

Preparing for the future – Numerous highly volatile influences affect the decision on the energy supply of your plant which must be carefully evaluated for each factory in different locations. It is therefore reasonable to analyze all possible scenarios separately for each site, while preparing for future changes in local environmental conditions.

Evaluate space requirements for possible future changes to electrical heating (e.g. effective heating capacity of individual burners vs. electrical heating elements, preferred interconnection in 3-groups – symmetrical load on the electrical grid).
Consideration of space requirements for possible retrofit of heat recovery systems and installation of a NOx reduction system.
Consider alternative heating media and funding opportunities (e.g. biogas, hydrogen).

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“The Monty Heat Treat News” is proud to work closely with “International Search Partners” the premium recruiting firm for the North American heat treatment industry. ISP has provided “The Monty” with regular articles about finding and hiring the best people in the industry, typical wages and salaries and tips on what to ask during a job interview-all of these can be found at Articles & Interviews | The Monty

Today we offer the latest article from Managing Recruiter, Josh Hale, and Senior Recruiter, Jessica Maier.

Managing Recruiter, Josh Hale, and Senior Recruiter, Jessica Maier, recently addressed a common reframe from potential candidates for employment:

At some point through the hiring process, the company will ask for questions… what’s a good question to ask at the end of an interview

Josh: Many jobseekers obsess over giving the “right answers,” but it’s important to also be prepared with the right questions – nobody wants to be the person who freezes when asked at the end of the interview: “do you have any questions for me?”

So, what’s a good question to ask at the end of an interview? There’s one question that can really set the stage for the candidate to receive an offer and that question is:

“After I’m hired and we’re looking back on my first 6-12 months in the job and there is one thing that I have accomplished that would blow your mind and make you think that I was the best hire you ever made – what would that be?”

This question shows strategic and forward thinking in way that also demonstrates to the employer that you don’t do just the bare minimum and plan to go above and beyond. Plus, it shows confidence.

Jessica: That’s a great question for a candidate to ask, Josh, but how they respond to the interviewer’s answer is what will really make or break the deal!

Typically, the hiring manager will smile and think for a minute before commenting on some current goal they have for the company and how the ideal candidate would perform (or over-perform) to reach said goal… at that point, the most successful candidates will share how they’ve reached a similar goal in the past, with, and this is key, SPECIFIC examples.

Let’s say the manager tells you: “I would be thrilled we hired you and you were tracking to hit 100% of sales quota after six months.” An ideal answer sounds like: “I’ve done just that! In fact, I helped my current company hit 143% of quota by spearheading initiatives into two key new markets and landing a marquee new client in each!”

Josh: That’s a great response, but only if true…

Jessica: Of course, which is why I always stress giving SPECIFIC examples and telling stories with DETAILS. It helps the interviewer get a better visual of you doing work with their company, while also acting as a BS detector.

Josh: Good points... one more tip is to not ask about salary and benefits until an offer is eminent (or at least not in the first round). Companies have an idea of market rates for employees and, while there are some very rare exceptions, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be interviewed if your salary is way outside the company’s pay scale.

Jessica: Agreed.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that working with a good recruiter is a great way to address the compensation early too as any professional in our business worth their salt will be able to help negotiate on your behalf and would never waste your time or their clients –

Josh: Or their own!

Jessica: Or theirs – if salary expectations weren’t on the same page for all parties.

Josh Hale collaborates with companies to identify, engage, and hire top performers as a professional “headhunter” where he’s focused exclusively on the thermal processing industry as part of International Search Partners since acquiring the firm in 2015. He works closely with Jessica Maier to support the practice, and, together, they’ve helped dozens of companies make hundreds of hires in a variety of roles within the industry, including engineering, sales, quality, metallurgy, and management. For more information email [email protected] or call 619-465-9621.

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Conveyor Hardening – Mesh Belt versus Cast Link Design: Reducing Carbon Footprint and Costs by: P. Kleinbrod, Aichelin GesmH

Conveyor belt furnaces are a proven technology for quenching and tempering fasteners (screws, bolts and nuts). The parts are fed as bulk material and transported on metal conveyor belts through the hardening and tempering furnace, as well as through the oil quenching unit and washers (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: AICHELIN cast link belt furnace (750 kg/h / 1,700 lb/h)

Conveyor belt furnaces with mesh belts are ideal for small and medium capacities up to approximately 750 kg/h /1,700 lb/h. They are highly flexible and economical (M2x4 up to M14x180). However, the mesh belt furnace has higher energy costs due to the continuous cooling and reheating of the belt. For production, a line with an internal cast link belt is technically and economically the better alternative. These advantages are particularly significant for higher production capacities in the range of 750 to 2,500 kg/h / 1,700 to 5,500 lb/h (Fig. 2)

In addition to the technical advantages of the cast link furnace, such as twice the output per working area and 5 times the belt life, the reduced energy requirement for heating of the hardening and tempering furnace also results in a reduction in CO 2 emissions of 10-20 %(depending on working temperature and throughput).

The following table (Tab. 1) provides an overview of the energy consumption and the related energy costs and CO 2 emissions for the two different furnace types (mesh belt vs. cast link design) – based on an electric heating system and a production capacity of 1500 kg/h / 3,300 lb/h. The cast link belt hardening furnace shows a reduction in required heating power of 77 kW. This is primarily due to savings in belt reheating, to a lesser extent due to reduced process gas volume and minimized wall losses.

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“The Monty Heat Treat News” published this article earlier this year but in 2023 we will be publishing a new series of articles related to CO2 emissions in conjunction with the “Aichelin Group“.

In conjunction with the “Aichelin Group”, “The Monty Heat Treat News” has an ongoing series about CO2 emissions and the heat treatment industry. In this summary we look at how much CO2 is generated to produce both a large mass part and a small mass part. You will note that this comparison looks at the emissions generated in France, USA, Germany, China and Poland and comes to the conclusion that due to the fact that most energy in Poland and China comes from coal, these two countries have far and away the highest emissions.

Large Mass Part;

The heat treatment required to produce 2.2 pounds of larger steel parts (about 1 kg) requires about 1 – 2 kg of CO2 (depending on the use of recycled steel)
If the part is forged this would add about 0.1 – 0.2 kg of CO2
The machining process would result in a loss of material of about 5-20%
The really interesting part is how much CO2 the final heat treatment process adds to the entire process whether it is Carburizing, hardening or annealing. Typically this would be about 0.05 – 0.5 kg of CO2. Obviously heat treatment is adding a relatively small amount of CO2 emissions as compared to producing the part, this ranges from 5 to 50% depending upon the process.

Small Mass Part;

The heat treatment required to produce 2.2 pounds (1kg) of smaller steel parts during the product life cycle creates from 1.7 to 2kg of CO2.
Machining & Stamping processes would cause a loss of about 5-20%
The most interesting thing is what final heat treatment would add assuming this is one on a mesh belt furnace. This has been broken down by European country depending upon where their energy comes from. Heat Treatment (typical on mesh belts):
In France approximately 0.05 – 0.1 kg CO2 would be added, a very small amount due to the fact that most electricity in France is generated through nuclear power.
In the USA and Germany typically 0.1 – 0.2 kg of CO2 would be added
Poland & China (assuming electric heat) 0.25 – 0,35 kg of CO2 would be added which reflects the fact that much of their power is generated through coal.

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Jessica Maier, Sr. Recruiter at recruiting firm International Search Partners is a regular contributor to “The Monty Heat Treat News”. Today she answers a question posed by a large furnace OEM-Should we implement the use of testing to make hiring decisions or otherwise utilize assessments during my hiring process?

“The Monty Heat Treat News has worked closely with International Search Partners, a US search firm which is known for being the only recruiting agency in the world working exclusively in the heat treatment industry, for many years now. In 2023, The Monty is pleased to announce that this relationship will continue with ISP offering a regular exclusive feature where they will answer questions about salaries, interviewing, negotiations, and a host of other topics related to recruiting and job searching for companies and/or individual professionals in the heat treat industry.

Jessica Maier, Sr. Recruiter, recently tackled this question from the HR Manager of a large furnace OEM: Should we implement the use of testing to make hiring decisions or otherwise utilize assessments during my hiring process?

Jessica: Generally, my advice is that assessments should not be used exclusively to make a hiring decision, however, they can, sometimes, be used as a tool.

Let me explain, there are a ton of different testing varieties out there but, assessments break down to 2 general categories: skillset & personality.

Skillset. When I say skillset, I’m talking the hard skills. AutoCAD, calculations, thermodynamic principles. Think something akin to a math test to assess your algebra skill level. These tests often work well in the engineering space but not much else. Often created by the employer, these are used to see what level of a certain skillset a candidate has. If you are hiring someone that needs to bring a very specific knowledge to the table, these assessments can be used to determine a candidate’s specific skill level. If a candidate cannot pass to a certain level, they may not be a good fit or may require additional training. For certain technical or niche roles, these types of tests are a good determinator of how well a prospective candidate will perform in a role.

The other benefit of skills testing vs personality testing is that they make more sense to the candidate and are more likely to be accepted as a reasonable part of the interview process. In fact, most prospective employees will be happy to show off their abilities. Personality tests, however, can be a turnoff and we’ve seen several strong candidates remove themselves from consideration because they just don’t believe in them.

Personality. These are anything and everything pertaining to someone’s personality: management style, conflict resolution, workplace strengths & weaknesses. These types of assessments are where I most often see an employer lose out on an amazing candidate due to a “red flag” shown in a personality assessment. This is because these assessments are often geared towards showing faults not strengths. Think about who gains from these assessments: if you purchase one assessment and hire one candidate, the company that you purchased from is not going to get your repeat service immediately. If the assessment shows you faults and you don’t make a hire, you’re going to purchase another assessment to test the next candidate. Who gains here? Additionally, when assessments are being taken, candidates will often answer questions in ways they think a perspective employer wants to hear. This is even done subconsciously and completely on accident. So, while a “red flag” might pop up, it may not directly correlate to a candidate’s flaw.

So where does a personality assessment make sense? These assessments are great at showing managers how to best manage a new employee after they’ve been hired. They can also show where a company might invest in some extra training for their employees.

Bottom line, I am a firm believer that a candidate should not be dismissed solely because of the results of a personality quiz. I have seen too many companies lose out on top candidates due to a failed assessment that excel with their competitors who did not use one. I encourage my clients to look at the whole picture when it comes to the hiring process. Does the candidate match the skillset needed? Does the candidate mesh well with the company culture? Does the candidate meet the logistics (compensation range available, open to relocation, etc.)? Looking at the whole picture and understanding that assessments can be a tool will help you make the most informed decision on who to hire.

Jessica Maier has specialized in talent acquisition for the heat treat industry since being hired by Josh Hale at International Search Partners in 2015. Since then, she’s helped make hundreds of industry hires, while maintaining a love for the thrill of the search and passion for putting “good people in front of good companies.” For more information email [email protected] or call 619-465-9621.”

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The Monty Heat Treat News-Finding and Retaining Good People

The #1 issue in the global heat treatment industry these days is finding and retaining good people. In an effort to find out how this was affecting the industry we went to an expert, Mr. Josh Hale of International Search Partners, the foremost recruiting firm in the heat treat field. This is what Josh has to tell us;

The number one concern for heat treaters these days has to do with the difficulty in finding and retaining good people. You know this better than anyone out there, care to share a few comments?

International Search Partners has been providing recruiting solutions exclusively to the thermal processing industry since 1998 and I’ve been in the human capital business almost as long (focused primarily on finance prior to getting into heat treat with ISP almost a decade ago), and this market is CRAZY! The demand for talent has never been as strong as it is now, with literally every company vying to hire and keep good employees. In our business, we sometimes use the term “a candidate’s market” to describe times where unemployment is low and there are more available jobs than there are potential employees… well, what we’re experience now is a candidate’s market x 100!

What factors do you attribute to these current market conditions?

There are several broader socio-economic factors at play that are affecting all business right now, but specifically for the heat treat industry, two key issues stand out: 1) This is an older industry and many of the experienced workers from the Boomer generation with institutional, homegrown knowledge are retiring early. This is partially due to a multi-year bull run in the stock market and real estate that has afforded them this option, and, of course, there’s still COVID scares or other lifestyle factors that are removing many 50+ year–olds from the pool of potential candidates. 2) This is related, but the older workers aren’t being replaced by the younger generation at a rapid enough clip. 20-somethings just aren’t getting enticed into factory jobs anymore, and college students are less likely to study metallurgy or materials science. Plainly speaking, the industry suffers from a marketing problem. We need to find a way to attract young people into this business earlier in their careers.

With the shortage of people are salaries and wages rising?

YES! They’re rising and rising fast! We’ve seen upticks on starting salaries for all positions this year versus last and it seems to be going up every month... whereas previously a “good” offer was 10-15% above a candidate’s current salary, we’re now seeing 20-25% and up to 40% in some cases for niche skill sets. As mentioned before, this is truly the definition of a “candidate’s market.”

Do you see firms hiring individuals with no experience on the basis that they will train them?

This not something we get involved in much, because, if a company is going to pay our fee for a hire, they usually want experience. However, I have heard of companies being willing to lower their requirements for hourly production jobs and hiring with little-to-no experience and/or being more willing to take a flyer on someone with a “jumpy” job history or even those who might interview poorly but are otherwise capable and willing to be trained.

Are retired individuals being dragged back into the industry kicking and screaming?

No – they’re all too rich! Seriously, though, we have seen some companies pay consulting rates equivalent to 1.5-2x salaries to former employees, just to get them through certain key projects. This is obviously unsustainable long-term but can provide a temporary band-aid for the company and prove very lucrative for the former employee in specific instances. Overall, though, this is not a trend we see taking hold.

If a company is unable to find somebody to fill a position, what innovative ideas have you seen to handle this?

We advise companies to think outside the box and look for ways to duplicate previously successful hires. This is especially true for hourly production workers who can come in with light experience but get up and running quickly with the right training. For example, if the best mechanical technicians tend to have a hobby of tinkering on motorcycles, maybe advertising open jobs in the local dirt bike newsletter instead of an online job porta would be better.

Also, this market demands flexibility. If a job can potentially be work-from-home or offer flexible hours, even part of the time, that’s a huge selling point. The best candidates have options and it’s not always money that’s going to be the main lure, so companies need to get creative on what else they can offer to attract talent.

And then, there’s always the direct recruiting approach, which this is where we come in. A business is like a sports team, and the champions are the ones that aggressively go after recruiting the all-stars. Our specialty is engaging with companies who want to WIN and helping them build out the right team by selectively going after the best possible resources for every key position on the team.

Josh Hale has been collaborating with companies to identify, engage, and hire top performers as a professional “headhunter” and human capital consultant since the early 2000’s. He’s focused exclusively on the thermal processing industry since acquiring International Search Partners in 2015. ISP was originally founded in 1998 and is the only search and placement firm to specialize exclusively in heat treat.

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The Monty’s 50 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treats 2022

Since 1999 “The Monty Heat Treat News” has been publishing annually a list of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America based upon yearly sales, our 2021 list can be found at 50 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treats 2021 | The Monty Before we get into the list we will make a few points;

Rankings are based upon anticipated sales for the calendar year of 2022.
While the turmoil of the past two years affected most companies on our list the pain was by no means evenly distributed. Hardest hit were those companies almost exclusively tied to the aerospace industry while firms specializing in the medical industry saw little change and heat treaters related to the firearms business couldn’t keep up with demand.
Automotive heat treating has been a roller coaster ride for the past 2 years and the ride isn’t over. Those firms concentrating on this market segment have found sales going from record highs to record lows in just a few months.
The oil and gas industry has seen a tremendous upside in 2022 and the result is that there are now more commercial heat treaters in Texas on our list than in 2021.
We would estimate that on average most firms see their anticipated sales for 2022 increasing anywhere from 5% to 7 ½%.
The vast bulk of companies on this list are privately held which means exact sales figures can be difficult to find. So while we are quite proud of our efforts and consider this list to be the most accurate available anywhere we do not for a second claim that it is 100% correct.
Over the years some readers have pointed out that our rankings are not always in line with MTI figures (Metal Treating Institute is the largest organization of commercial heat treaters in North America and they rank their members in each geographic region). We would concur with this for two reasons. The first is that not all commercial heat treaters belong to MTI which “skews” the numbers. Second MTI tracks members in a particular region. For instance Specialty Steel Treating does not rank as the largest in Michigan which is where they are headquartered but when you factor in their facility in CT (a different region for MTI) the overall picture changes.
We are always asked where the information for our rankings comes from, a very fair question. The largest on our list, Bodycote is a publicly traded company and sales figure are freely available. Solar Atmospheres, #6 on our list is very open and said that we could post their sales figures, Most of the companies on this list did share sales figures with us on the basis that they not be printed, a very reasonable request. Further verification came from knowing the number of locations, the physical size of each, number of employees and the processes each offers.
We appreciate the help and guidance everybody provided us with.
All figures quoted are in US Funds.

#1 Bodycote

For the purposes of this report we are only looking at Bodycote’s North American sales and operations. The company reported 2021 sales in North American to be $300 million USD, with 72 plants in the USA, 3 in Canada and 4 in Mexico. We are not privy to anticipated sales in 2022, however we would assume there will be some increase.

#2 Aalberts Industries

www.accuratebrazing.com

www.appliedprocess.com

www.ionic-tech.com

www.premierthermal.com

#3 Paulo

#4 Woodworth Heat Treating

The fourth largest North American commercial heat treater on our list is a company which operates 4 facility in two countries and specializes in large volume automotive work. “Woodworth Inc. provides a wide range of heat treatment services through our four facilities. We are currently located in Pontiac, Homer, and Flint, Michigan, as well as Puebla, Mexico. The company operates 40 large furnaces in North America. Woodworth Inc. has installed capacity to run 16 million + rotors per year. (2.2 million Lbs / Day).” Woodworth is similar to many heat treaters on our list in that they are almost exclusively dedicated to the automotive industry, albeit on a very large scale.

http://www.woodworthheattreating.com/index.html

#5 Bluewater Thermal Solutions

#6 Solar Atmospheres

Solar Atmospheres Heat Treating Operations. The Solar Nation heat treating plants includes Souderton PA, Hermitage PA, Fontana CA, and Greenville SC, and have in total 357,000 square feet of plant space. This does not include Solar Manufacturing division which produces vacuum furnaces. Solar recorded 2021 sales of approximately $56 million USD, 2022 sales are expected to increase by 5% to a total of $59 million USD. The company reports strong sales to the aerospace, space, defense, medical petrochemical and electronics industries with very little exposure to the auto industry. The company has a very strong emphasis on vacuum heat treating. Vacuum Heat Treating and Brazing Services | Solar Atmospheres

#7 Braddock Metallurgical

https://www.braddockmt.com/our-history/

#8 Thermal Process Holdings

www.thermalprocessholdings.com

#9 Advanced Heat Treat Corp

“Established in 1981, Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) is a recognized global leader in providing heat treat services and metallurgical solutions. Between its locations in Alabama, Iowa and Michigan, AHT offers over 20 surface treatments such as UltraGlow® Ion & Gas Nitriding, UltraOx®, Nitrocarburizing, Induction Hardening, Carburizing, Quench & Temper and more.” What makes Advanced such a fascinating company is that it is the creation of Mr. Gary Sharp who started off with the idea that there was a place in the North American heat treating industry for Plasma (Ion Nitriding). Gary started off with a small investment and has never looked back.

www.ahtcorp.com

#10 Parker Trutec

Parker Trutec is a North American subsidiary of Nihon Parkerizing, a world leader in metal improvement technology. The Parker Trutec Group operates 6 facilities in the United States and Mexico which specialize in metal treatments and products that improve the resistance to wear, corrosion and fatigue of metal components. The company offers heat treating processes such as Gas Carburizing, Carbonitriding, Salt Batch Nitriding and Neutral hardening at two of it’s locations, Springfield, Ohio and Guanajuato, Mexico (note all processes are available at both locations). The Ohio location alone has over 20 furnaces. In March of 2022 the company announced that business was good enough to warrant investing $12 million USD in a new facility and additional heat treating equipment. Their business largely relies on the Japanese automotive transplants.

www.parkertrutec.com

#11 Dowa Thermotech

https://www.dowa.co.jp/thermo-tech/en/about-tht/global/mexico.html

#12 Rex Heat Treat

Rex Heat Treat is a family owned-and-operated business that began the year of 1938 in Pennsylvania making it one of the oldest commercial heat treats in North America. In its beginning, Rex Heat Treat supported the United States military efforts during World War II. Since then, Rex has also managed heat treating plants in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Through a combined 190,000 square feet, between the Alabama and Pennsylvania facilities, Rex Heat Treat is able to effectively serve industries, such as Mining and Drilling, Energy, Aerospace and Defense, and Transportation. With the installation of the world’s largest Vertical Vacuum Oil Quenching Furnace, Rex Heat Treat is primed for continued growth.

https://www.rexht.com/

#13 Nitrex

www.nitrex.com

#14 Heat Treating Services Corporation of America (HTS)

Based in Pontiac, Michigan HTS is a privately owned commercial heat treater founded in 1978.Being in Michigan the company is heavily involved in the auto industry and the Hynes family have done a tremendous job of guiding the company through the ups and downs of the last few years. HTS has 4 plants in Michigan and serves the ferrous metal industries with thermal process and clean capabilities, which exceed sixty-four (64) million pounds per month. In total HTS had over 200,000 square feet under roof and 250 employees.

https://www.htsmi.com/about

#15 Stack Metallurgical

www.stackmet.com

#16 ThermTech Inc

https://www.thermtech.net/

#17 ALD Heat Treat Services

ALD Heat Treat Services is considered to be one of the premier heat treat organizations in the world specializing in distortion control through its specialization in Low Pressure Carburizing (LPC) and High Pressure Gas Quenching (HPGQ). ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH., operates two facilities in North America; each ideally located in the manufacturing heartland of the United States and Mexico. ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc., located in Port Huron, MI, opened in 2006 and the sister plant in Ramos Arizpe, Coah. (Mexico), launched in 2008, have both earned the prestigious General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award for six consecutive years. ALD is proud to note that they are the only outside heat treat facilities in the GM supply base who can claim this honor. ALD also operates another state of the art facility in Saxony, Germany and are on track for a fourth facility in Suzhou China in early 2021.

We are the solution for superior quality vacuum heat treating services, with a strong international presence and worldwide operation which includes furnace sales and furnace equipment servicing offered by our world-renowned ALD affiliates. Our Quality System, automation controls, Research & Development Team, in-house Laboratory, and other internal processes are robust and second to none. We are IATF 16949, AS9100, and ISO 9001 Certified, and we are also ISO 27001 and ISO 14001 compliant. We are currently seeking NADCAP certification and look forward to servicing the Aerospace Community with the highest degree of quality and precision available in the market today. Our processes minimize the distortion of precision manufactured components, such as the gears and thin walled parts found in major automotive (trucks and off-road vehicles), energy and aerospace applications. Often, our customers can reduce or totally eliminate post heat treat processing resulting in total part cost optimization.

www.ald.com

#18 Flame Metals

#19 FPM Heat Treating

https://www.fpmht.com/.

#20 Continental Heat Treating

https://www.continentalht.com/

#21 Specialty Heat Treating, Houston

www.specialtyheattreat.com

#22 Hansen Balk

Since 1955, Hansen/Balk in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA has built a reputation as a state-of-the-art provider of steel heat-treating services. Our 85,000-square-foot facility features a full cohort of best-in-class batch vacuum and batch atmosphere furnaces, capable of processing orders of all sizes. We offer a variety of services, but are best known for the breadth and depth of our vacuum heat-treating capabilities-including high-pressure quenching up to 15 Bar-as well as unique services such as cryogenic treating, flame hardening and induction heat-treating services. We adhere to the most technologically advanced heat-treating methods with modern equipment to ensure your parts meet the required specifications-from hardness tolerance to surface finishes. We also bring customers a deep well of metallurgical knowledge, formed over six decades of work on millions of parts.

https://hansenbalk.com/

#23 East Carolina Metal Treating

East Carolina Metal Treating was founded in 1976. Through a commitment to continual improvement and reinvestment, ECMT has garnered a reputation for providing high quality service with great turnaround and the best customer service. ECMT has a state-of-the-art metallurgical lab and maintains Nadcap, ISO 9001, AS9100, and Appendix B certifications with the goal of achieving the automotive certification – IATF 16949.

#24 Metex Heat Treating

https://metexht.com/

#25 Accurate Steel Treating

#26 Industrial Steel Treating, Jackson, Michigan

https://www.indstl.com/

#27 Specialty Steel Treating, Michigan, CT

www.sst.net

#28 Lake City Heat Treating, Warsaw, Indiana

https://lakecityheattreating.com/

#29 Century Sun Metal Treating, Traverse City, Michigan

#30 Thermal Vac, Orange, California

Founded in 1985 by Steve Driscol and based in Orange, CA, Thermal-Vac Technology now has two locations, the first in CA, the second brand new facility in Arizona. The company offers brazing, heat treating and finishing much of it destined for the aerospace industry. The company continues to be privately held and is run by Steve Driscol’s son and daughter. With almost 100 employees it is one of the larger heat treats on the US west coast.

https://www.thermalvac.com/

#31 Texas Heat Treating

www.texasheattreating.com

#32 Thermetco, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Thermetco located near Montreal, Quebec, Canada is the second Canadian commercial heat treater on our list. Thermetco is a second generation heat treat founded by Mr. Andre Houle. The firm has over 150 employees, 4 locations and offers Carburizing, Vacuum Hardening, Austempering, Plasma Nitridng and Carbonitriding. Thermetco has seen tremendous growth over the past several years which includes acquiring two competitors, a new location and a number of new furnaces. It is ranked as the second largest in Canada.

Home – Thermetco

#33 Lone Star Heat Treating Houston, Texas

Home (lsht.com)

#34 ETSA, Mexico

https://www.especialidadestermicas.com/

#35 Byron Products, Fairfield, Ohio

https://www.byronproducts.com/

#36 Sun Steel Treating South Lyon, Michigan

Since 1958, Sun Steel Treating has specialized in providing our customers exceptional quality, expertise, and timeliness. Whether it’s hardening alloys, carbon steels, tool steels or high speed specialty steels, our engineers know the precise metallurgical processes to apply. In 1981, Sun Steel Treating pioneered the use of plasma Nitriding as a viable surface hardening treatment. Sun Steel Treating has Trade-marked and registered this process as Ionitriding®. Sun Steel Treating has also pioneered combining the benefits of Ionitriding® and Steam Treating to develop IonWear®. Sun Steel is privately owned by Mr. Jim McGuirk and operates out of large facility close to Detroit, Michigan. The company concentrates on two areas, vacuum heat treating and Plasma Nitriding.

#37 Pinson Valley Heat Treat, Pinson, Alabama

#38 Voestalpine AG

https://www.voestalpine.com/group/en/

#39 Southwest Metal Treating Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Southwest Metal Treating Corp., (SWMT) Heat Treating Texas – Southwest Metal Treating is a family owned commercial heat treater in business for over 40 years run by Mr. Ryan Fussell. The company is full service in that it offers most heat treating processes including but not limited to; vacuum heat treating, carburizing, nitro carburizing, flame hardening, normalizing, stress relieving and Plasma Nitriding. Plasma Nitriding is a relatively new addition to the company in that it was added just a year ago. The company operates out of a 50,000 square foot facility located on 7 acres.

#40 Applied Thermal Technologies, Warsaw, Indiana

Applied Thermal is our second company based in Warsaw, Indiana to make our list of the 50 largest commercial heat treaters in North America. Like many of the companies on this list it is a family owned and run business started by Mickey Bradican-this is how the company describes themselves; “Applied Thermal Technologies Inc. is a metal processing company specializing in bright vacuum heat treating and brazing of stainless steel and exotic alloys. Founded in 1992 to service the medical and specialty products industries in Northern Indiana and has grown to over 30,000ft² with international sales. Our specialty furnaces feature temperatures to 2800°F, levels to 10-6 Torr, all metal hot zones and extremely rapid cooling.” Applied Thermal is NADCAP approved and works very closely with with the aerospace and medical industries.

https://www.appliedthermaltechnologies.com/

#41 Vac Aero, Canada

https://vacaero.com/www.vac-aero.com

#42 American Steel Treating

American Steel Treating | Steel Treatment | Perrysburg, OH

#43 Metal Finishing Company, Wichita, Kansas

Making our list of the “Largest Commercial Heat Treaters in North America” for the second time is “Metal Finishing Company” based in Wichita, Kansas, USD who bill themselves as the largest family-owned aerospace processing company in North America. This third generation company, formed in 1940 has a total of 9 locations in the US and Mexico, two of which are dedicated to heat treating, one for aluminum parts and the second for “hard metals”. Processes offered include Hot Forming, Straightening, Tempering, Normalizing, Annealing, Carburizing, and Carbo-Nitriding as well as Aluminum Solution Furnaces and aging ovens. This is in addition to the company’s plating, coating and NDT offerings.

#44 Zion Industries

Zion Industries based in Ohio is rather unique in that it is part of a very select group of commercial heat treaters, a group which focuses on Induction Heat Treating. “Zion Industries is an induction heat treating company that has been an industry leader since its founding in 1977. We provide high quality both in heat treating services and handling equipment for induction heating applications. Zion, like so many others, strives for excellence in service and quality. What distinguishes us is our primary motivation: Excellence that brings glory to God. We care about our customers, and are committed to the services we provide. Our goal is to meet the outsourcing needs of the manufacturing industry by delivering unmatched customer service and enhancing value for all stakeholders. Today Zion’s 100+ employees serve customers nationwide with facilities in Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan. We also serve clients from Pennsylvania (PA), Indiana (IN), Tennessee (TN), and Kentucky (KY).”

#45 Winston Heat Treating, Dayton, Ohio

In 1959 Winston Heat Treating was formed to service the local tool & die market. Since then the company has always focused on moving forward with new technologies and in the 1970’s the firm became a real pioneer in vacuum hear treating which resulted in Winston becoming one of the first to achieve both ISO and NADCAP status. Like so many on this list this is a family owned business with David Reger acting as President and his father John remaining very active. We have watched Winston grow and more importantly invest and it is a fine example of a modern commercial heat treater.

Dayton, Ohio Heat Treating | Winston Heat Treating (winstonht.com)

#46 Metallurgical Processing Company, Warren, Michigan

Metallurgical Processing Company, Warren, Michigan. Located in Warren, Michigan, USA Metallurgical Processing in Warren, Michigan, USA has been in business since 1954. Being located next door to Detroit it is absolutely no surprise that the company is almost exclusively dedicated to the auto industry. To take it one step further the company almost exclusively runs batch IQ furnaces offering processes such at carburizing, nitrocarburizing, carbonitriding and Ferritic Nitrocarburizing. Under the direction of long time heat treaters Jeff Pyne and Kevin Brown the company has been thriving over the past number of years.

MPC, Metallurgical Proccessing Company, Engineered Heat Treating (metallurgicalprocessing.com)

#47 Akron Steel Treating, Akron, Ohio

#48 Euclid Heat Treating, Euclid, Ohio

As are so many commercial heat treaters in North America, Euclid Heat Treat is another family owned business in this case the Vanas family. “The Monty Team” has had the opportunity to visit this facility a number of times over the years and have always been impressed with the variety of processes the company offers. “The Euclid Heat Treating Company was established in 1946 in a garage building at 1408 E. 222nd St. with salt furnaces and open fired furnaces. Since our inception we have expanded to include endothermic atmosphere furnaces, an entire building devoted to induction hardening, an array of vacuum furnaces including a vacuum oil quench and two 10 bar vacuum furnaces, pit furnaces, nitriding equipment and much more.”

#49 Hi TechMetal Group (HTG)

Since 1943 Hi TechMetal Group (HTG) has been one of the largest commercial heat treaters in the Ohio, USA area. The firm has several locations in the Cleveland, Ohio area which offer Induction Hardening, Brazing, Vacuum Hardening and Brazing amongst other processes. President is Mr. Cole Coe, son in law of the founder Mr. Terry Profugi. The company recently took over the customer base of another local heat treat who suffered a devastating fire recently, this will certainly have a positive effect on the firm’s sales.

#50 Contour Hardening, Indianapolis, Indiana

Contour Hardening, Indianapolis, Indiana. Contour was established in 1986 with the goal of providing a cost-effective solution to difficult heat treatment applications-specifically induction hardening systems. However the company is also known as a substantial commercial heat treater. Contour is located in Indianapolis, Indiana with a second location in Sialo, Mexico. While primarily known for their Induction hardening expertise Contour also offers gas nitriding and Nitrocarburizing.