Chad worked with alloy supplier Wirco for over 13 years, most recently as Direct of Sales-great guy, during our very brief relationship with Wirco the entire team at “The Monty Heat Treat News” came to have a high respect for Chad.

Chad recently made a change and is now Sales Manager for a firm by the name of “Coronado Steel Co.” where we have no doubt but that he will do a great job. He will certainly be missed by all of his customers in the heat treat industry.

“I’m pleased to share that I recently joined Coronado Steel Co., a member of the Canerector family of companies, as Sales Manager. The onboarding experience has been outstanding, and I’m grateful for the warm welcome from the entire Coronado team. I’m excited to continue building strong relationships and serving as a strategic partner to our customers, drawing on nearly 13 years of experience in heat- and wear-resistant castings and tubular products.”

Coronado Steel is a full-service foundry headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, offering an integrated range of manufacturing capabilities including static sand casting and centrifugal casting for radiant tube and furnace roll assemblies. Our centrifugal capabilities offer a library of dies from 3-1/2 inch OD up to 32.5 inch OD. The fabrication of high-temperature assemblies (radiant tubes, furnace rolls, calciners, etc), precision CNC machining, and metal recycling services are all performed in-house by a team of skilled teammates. The company has built its reputation on producing heat- and corrosion-resistant alloy castings, including stainless steels, cobalt alloys, tool steels, and other specialty metals engineered to withstand extreme heat, corrosion, and wear, manufactured to ASTM A297 “H-Series,” A351, and A494 standards as well as proprietary grades.

Coronado Steel serves a broad base of industrial customers across commercial heat treat, steel mills, petrochemical, refineries, industrial machinery, power generation, and glass and ceramics markets, supplying mission-critical components to manufacturers throughout North America and around the world. With decades of metallurgical expertise and a commitment to quality and reliability, Coronado Steel continues to be a trusted partner for companies that depend on high-performance castings and fabricated parts in the most demanding operating environments.

“The Monty Heat Treat News” Background. UK based Bodycote plc is generally considered the largest commercial heat treater in the world. The publicly traded company has been the target of several “takeover” offers in 2026 as reported by “The Monty” “Globe’s Largest Heat Treater Valued at $2.1 Billion USD?”, “World’s Largest Heat Treater Target of a “Takeover” Offer”.

According to this press release from “AD HOC News” shares in Bodycote have jumped over 30% in 2026; “Bodycote stock advances during takeover offer period as shares gain over 30 percent in 2026”-part of the story can be found below;

“Bodycote plc (GB00B3FLWH99) stock is trading higher in 2026, with the shares up more than 30 percent since the start of the year as the company remains in a formal takeover offer period as of August 17, 2026.

The UK Takeover Panel has listed Bodycote as an offeree company with CVC Advisers Limited identified as a potential offeror, and set a Rule 2.6 deadline of 5:00 p.m. on September 2, 2026 for a possible bid to be announced or withdrawn, according to the Disclosure Table updated on August 17, 2026. The Takeover Panel Disclosure Table shows that the offer period for Bodycote commenced at 4:12 p.m. on August 5, 2026.

Market data from a share price overview indicates that Bodycote stock was trading at GBX 698 on January 1, 2026 and has increased by 31.3 percent to trade around GBX 916.50 as of August 17, 2026, highlighting a strong year-to-date performance for the shares. A detailed market overview also shows a recent quote near GBX 913.50 with a small daily change and a first-January change of more than 30 percent, indicating that the stock is trading within a relatively narrow daily range while maintaining substantial gains for 2026.

Takeover panel sets early September deadline

The takeover situation around Bodycote has crystallized in August 2026 as the UK Takeover Panel formally placed the company in an offer period and identified CVC Advisers Limited as a potential bidder, creating a clear timeline for strategic decisions.

According to the Disclosure Table update dated August 17, 2026, Bodycote is recorded as an offeree with its ordinary shares, ISIN GB00B3FLWH99, and 170,187,993 securities in issue under the offer period entry. The disclosure entry notes that the offer period for Bodycote commenced at 4:12 p.m. on August 5, 2026 and that CVC Advisers Limited was identified as the offeror at the same time, providing clarity on both the start of the process and the interested party.

Crucially for investors, the same table sets a Rule 2.6 deadline of 5:00 p.m. on September 2, 2026, by which CVC must either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Bodycote or confirm that it does not intend to make an offer, unless the Panel agrees to an extension. The Rule 2.6 timetable is a key structural feature of UK takeover rules, and in this case it gives market participants a clearly defined event date at the start of September that could materially affect Bodycote stock’s valuation depending on whether a formal bid emerges.

The disclosure also lists Bodycote’s legal entity identifier, confirming the company’s identity within the Panel’s framework, and places it alongside various other offeree companies in ongoing UK offer periods. This context underscores that Bodycote is now part of a broader wave of corporate activity monitored by the Panel, where potential acquirers are working against specific deadlines.”

(Editors Note; When thinking about heat treatment in Mexico the obvious thought is automotive heat treating which is of course the correct answer. However Aerospace heat treatment in Mexico has seen substantial growth over the past few years-this is yet another example).

“The British company Doncasters (DPC Holdings) in Mexico has confirmed that Mexicali will take over the critical work that is usually performed in the U.S., including post-casting processes and specialized heat treatments. This decision would lead to a reconfiguration of the supply chain and enhance Mexico’s role in the manufacturing of aerospace components.

During a conference call to discuss its second-quarter results, the company noted that the transformation of the Mexicali facility is proceeding in three phases. The first two phases have already been completed, while the installation of heat treatment capacity and NADCAP certification (the global quality accreditation program for the aerospace and defense industries) will soon begin the qualification process.

As a result, Mexicali could complete the production cycle without relying on third parties, while also avoiding the need to ship parts back to the United States—a key step toward reducing costs and delivery times. The introduction of advanced processes and specialized certifications points to increased demand for technical talent and deeper integration with global OEMs.

The expansion comes at a favorable time for Mexico, as the aerospace industry generates more than US$9 billion in annual exports. The country has more than 300 companies in the sector, concentrated in three main hubs: Baja California—where Doncasters already operates—which is the largest cluster with more than 80 companies and a growing specialization in precision manufacturing, engine components, and high-value-added processes; as well as Chihuahua and Querétaro.

The company has confirmed that Mexico is a participant in two strategic partnerships with original equipment manufacturers in the aerospace industry; these contracts are a key driver of Doncasters’ growth, with projections of more than US$200 million in additional revenue for the coming periods.

With global demand for engines reaching historic highs, driven by requirements from Boeing and Airbus as well as fleet renewal, Mexico is establishing itself as a strategic hub for the company. The strategic plan would begin in 2027, accelerate in the following period, and reach full capacity by 2029.”

About Doncasters; “Doncasters Group is a leading international manufacturer of high-precision alloy components and superalloys engineered for demanding environments. The company primarily serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across the aerospace and industrial gas turbine (IGT) markets.

Notably, in June 2026, Doncasters went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DPC, raising $919.3 million USD in its initial public offering.”

(Background; Vacuum furnace builder “G-M Enterprises” mentioned below is part of “Aichelin Americas”, formerly the company was part of “Nitrex” before being acquired by “Aichelin”. While it was rumored earlier this year that the former owner of “G-M Enterprises”, “Mr. Suresh Jhawar” was going to get back in the business it appears that this is not the case. While Mr. Jhawar in June 2025 assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at High Vacuum Technologies (HVT), a supposed new vacuum furnace builder nothing has been heard since then. Rumor has it that that the company sold their knowledge and drawings to a very large commercial vacuum heat treater in the Cleveland area).

“We’re proud to announce the promotion of Roger Birdseye to General Manager of Operations at G-M Enterprises.

Roger’s journey is a great example of leadership built through dedication, experience, and continuous growth. Since joining G-M Enterprises in 1989, he has progressed through multiple leadership roles while helping shape our manufacturing operations and supporting customers across the thermal processing industry.

As General Manager of Operations, Roger will provide strategic leadership for our daily operations, helping drive operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and continued growth.

Congratulations, Roger, on this well-deserved promotion! We look forward to seeing your continued leadership and the positive impact you’ll make in this new role.”

In 2022 we published what was then and still is a heat treatment industry exclusive-a list of the “10 Largest Single Location Captive Heat Treats in North America”. We have continued this tradition and are proud to present what is now the “15 Largest Single Location North American Captive Heat Treats 2026”. However, before we do, we would like to explain our criteria and add some thoughts about this year’s list;
 
  • Our criteria are simple in that this list only includes single locations and not total heat-treating capacity in North America. As an example, the “ZF Transmission” facility in South Carolina makes this list but overall, this plant is only a small percentage of the heat-treating capacity ZF has in North America.

1) Ford Motor Company Sharonville, Ohio Transmission Facility, (64) ECM LPC Cells. 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

2) JATCO Aguas Caliente, Mexico, (60) ECM LPC Cells. A brand-new entry on our list is JATCO” (Japan Automatic Transmission Co., Ltd.) in Aguas Caliente in Mexico. The firm supplies continuously variable transmissions and maintains a very large vacuum carburizing (LPC) department which consists of 60 carburizing cells with hot and cold oil quenching along with gas quenching. 

3) GKN Driveline, Newton, North Carolina, (39) ECM LPC Cells. In our third 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.

4) Allison Transmission, Speedway, Indiana, (38) Atmosphere Furnaces (various suppliers).  In our fourth 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 batch IQ furnaces in one location in North America, (25) 36”x 48” IQ Furnaces and (5) 30” x 48” IQ Furnaces. These furnaces are spread out over 4 locations on the same campus with a total of over 80,000 square feet. In total the heat treat department at Allison includes this equipment, sourced from a few different furnace builders including “Surface Combustion”. 

  • (30) IQ Furnaces
  • (36) Temper Furnaces
  • (6) Pit Nitride Furnaces
  • (2) Rotary Furnaces
  • (12) Induction hardeners

5) “Dauch Corporation” (Formerly Axle & Manufacturing Holdings), Silao, Mexico (approximately 31 atmosphere furnaces).  In 2012 auto parts supplier American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) formally opened a new plant in the city of Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. Since that time this facility has grown to encompass roughly 10 different plants, 7 of which offer heat treatment. This posed an issue for “The Monty” in terms of ranking-does this qualify as a single location heat treat? At the end of the day, we decided that as this is one complex it will for our purposes be considered a single location. The amount of heat treating in this complex is staggering, 6 pusher furnaces (2 single row, 2 two row and 2 four row), almost 20 batch IQ units, 36″ X 48″ X 36″, several normalizing lines, two mesh belt carburizing lines and multiple tempering units, washers and endo generators. Furnace suppliers include AFC-Holcroft. For sheer throughput in terms of pounds per hour this must be one of the largest captive heat treats in North America-in terms of number of furnaces we are going to rank “Dauch Corp.”, in Silao as the fourth largest in North America. 

6) John Deere Waterloo, Iowa, Approximately (31) Atmosphere Furnaces. 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 is substantial with a total of 31 furnaces which are a mixture of batch IQ’s, rotary hearth and continuous. The equipment comes from a variety of furnace suppliers including Ipsen, AFC-Holcroft & Surface Combustion. We have to add that this is a very clean, well organized facility which comes as no surprise. 

7) Allison Transmission (Formerly Dana Fairfield Manufacturing), Lafayette, Indiana, Roughly (26) Atmosphere Furnaces. The heat treat department of this facility covers over 65,000 square feet (6,000 square meters) and in it we find 9 pusher lines, 2 nitriding systems, 2 large annealers, several pit carburizing systems, multiple batch IQ lines and a very substantial induction hardening footprint. Incidentally while this is a very impressive heat treat facility it represents only a fraction of the over 700 heat treating systems which Dana operates around the globe.

8) Linamar, Guelph, Ontario, Canada (31) Atmosphere Furnaces In our eighth  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 25 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. This plant now has twenty five AFC-Holcroft 36” X 48” X 36” batch IQ furnaces in place combined with five KGO & ALD vacuum nitriders and a rotary hearth furnace.

9) General Motors Ramos Arizpe, Mexico (30) ECM LPC Cells. The heat treating department of this engine and transmission components plant consists of 2 ECM systems with gas quenching for a total of 30 cells. 

10) Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. (27) vacuum furnaces. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma is one of the largest US Air Force bases in the USA-to give you a perspective on the size with, 9,000 employees it is the largest single location employer in the state. This site at last count had 27 vacuum furnaces in various configurations which includes horizontal, bottom loading and oil quenching. Furnace suppliers include Ipsen. 

11) Stellantis, Kokomo, Indiana. (27) Furnaces, 20 ALD LPC w HPGQ, (7) gas Nitriders (Aichelin and Nitrex). 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 with a total of (20) ALD LPC Cells and (7) gas nitriders. 

12) Dana Toluca, Mexico. (24) Batch IQ Furnaces.  The Dana facility in Toluca, Mexico is one of three Dana facilities in North America which makes our list. This plant produces transmission components and has one of the largest batch IQ installations in North America. This facility is approximately 16 years old and has a total of 24 Surface Combustion batch IQ furnaces, each with working dimensions of 36″ X 48″ X 36″-this makes them the third largest in North America in terms of number of IQ’s, behind Allison Transmission in Indianapolis and auto parts supplier Linamar. All of the furnaces rely on an endothermic atmosphere with some of the furnaces incorporating press quenching. For a number of reasons Toluca has always gone the route of batch furnaces as opposed to continuous, most probably because of tighter control and more flexibility. 

13) Detroit Diesel, Redford Michigan, (24) ECM LPC Cells. Detroit Diesel, a major American engine manufacturer, is headquartered in Redford Township, Michigan where it operates its massive 3-million-square-foot flagship manufacturing plant. The plant produces approximately 400 engines, 250 transmissions, and 1,300 axles every single day. Their heat treatment department consists of 24 ECM LPC cells with gas quenching for heat treating large truck axle rings and pinions.

14) ZF Transmission, Grey Court, South Carolina. (16) ALD Carburizing Cells and (2) Ipsen Pusher lines. 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. 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.

15) Dana Corp., Queretaro, Mexico, (Approximately (17) Atmosphere Furnaces). Number 15 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).

(Editors Note; This article provided by GE Aerospace in Lynn, Massachusetts USA is entitled “A Lean, Clean, Heat-Treating Machine: FLIGHT DECK Helps Lynn Root Out Problems and Solve Them”. The heat treatment department they are referring to consists of 10 bottom loading vacuum furnace).

“AUGUST 10, 2026 By Chris Norris; A large steel-alloy inverted half dome descends from the ceiling in Plant 2 on the Lynn Component Manufacturing (LCM) campus — one of 10 ovens that treat parts made at GE Aerospace’s sprawling complex in Lynn, Massachusetts.

It’s imposing, massive, and enduring.

This particular “heat-treat” oven generates vacuum heat up to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit to braze or alter the properties of metal parts so that they can withstand the intense heat inside a jet engine. A critical piece of equipment supporting multiple production lines in Lynn, the heat-treat oven has been a key process step for decades. Its operators have had to manage idiosyncrasies that sometimes led to unplanned downtime, jeopardizing on-time delivery of critical components for defense engines produced at the site.

That is, until earlier this year, when a cross-functional team at Lynn staged a kaizen built around total productive management (TPM), preventive maintenance (PM), and operator-performed maintenance (OPM) on the massive oven.

TPM is aligned with FLIGHT DECK, the company’s proprietary lean operating model, and it’s focused on improving equipment and process effectiveness through proactive ownership, loss elimination, and continuous improvement. The team chose to focus on the Lynn Plant 2 (LP2) heat-treat oven because a high volume of parts pass through it and any downtime caused by maintenance issues can result in delivery slowdowns. By using it as a “model cell,” the team aimed to develop a TPM standard process that they could then scale to other parts of the site. And so they set out to restore the machinery to its original specifications, reduce the need for corrective maintenance, and standardize maintenance practices and management of spare parts. After decades of intensive use, the team saw an opportunity to strengthen and sustain this key piece of equipment.

Creating Standard Work; One of the primary purposes of a kaizen event is to get everyone on the same page. In this case, that meant using the principles embodied in TPM to engage operators, engineers, and leaders in creating a safer, more reliable, and more efficient operating environment around the LP2 heat-treat oven that would better support safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC). Teams are able to move from a position of reactive response to proactive management by developing new processes that make abnormalities visible, strengthen daily care, and drive structured problem-solving at the source. This is how TPM helps to reduce downtime, prevent defects, improve flow, and, most important, sustain gains over time.

A dozen people attended the weeklong kaizen in early 2026. “We created a checklist for every morning,” says Adam Baran, site leader of LCM Plant 2, standing by a large blue panel of meters, gauges, and switches that monitor and control the different zones of the heat-treat target area.

“We created standard work for doing checks, cleaning, and maintenance,” he continues. “We considered what types of parts they need to have readily available and created a standard part list so that when needed we can replace parts immediately and keep operations moving. We also developed a ‘swim lane’ process map for corrective and preventive maintenance transactions, which helped us create standardized maintenance processes for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly time activities.”

“Any part at Lynn that needs heat-treating goes through here, which means that a lot of people and businesses rely on the oven,” says Cam Forgitano, a cell leader in LP2. “We needed a preventive maintenance program to stay ahead of issues” — meaning, to prevent breakdowns that could lead to production delays. Standardizing maintenance and spare part management required a collaborative problem-solving approach between cell leaders and the frontline operators.

“The kaizen really brought to light how important it is to connect maintenance to operators on the floor,” says Forgitano.

Two operators, Todd Langlais and Joe Dithomas, have some 64 years at the Lynn site between them — and Dithomas, who has worked at Lynn a bit longer than Langlais, has developed something of a relationship with the heat-treat ovens.

“They’re all different personalities in a way, and you have to get used to each one,” says Dithomas, standing by a screen displaying the part’s heat-treatment parameters, referred to in cell parlance as “the recipe.” (The parts that get heat-treated in these ovens run the gamut of military and commercial engines, including the F404, F414, F110, T700, T408, and CF6.) A lot of the TPM kaizen was about documenting these recipes, which a metallurgist designs for a whole suite of processes that can take up to 21 hours. “This kaizen was an opportunity really to address everything we’ve been looking to do,” says Langlais.

LCM Plant Leader John Russell nods, pointing to Dithomas and Langlais. “These guys know the process better than we ever will. They know the questions to ask and the improvements we can make to deliver for our customers.”

Sustaining the Improvements; Langlais says bringing this firsthand experience to the kaizen had a transforming effect on his end, too. “There’s a lot of integrity in having us sit down with management and influence what’s going on,” he says. “We started prep work late last year, and every week the FLIGHT DECK team would come down and check in with us: ‘How’s it going? What do you think? Is there some better way we could do this?'”

Dithomas nods. “Just knowing that everybody’s on board really makes a big difference,” he says. “And there’s just so many improvements we’ve made already.”

And they keep coming. Following a TPM kaizen event in May focused on preventive maintenance, the team saw a dramatic jump in LP2 heat-treat compliance from about 15% to 100% — a key indicator of improved equipment discipline, stronger follow-through on preventive maintenance, and a more stable foundation for sustaining oven health and increasing reliable production capacity. Indeed, before that kaizen event, only four of the 10 ovens were considered reliable, which put a significant constraint on production capacity; since then, the team has achieved stable, repeatable performance on six ovens and is aiming to get to eight by the end of 2026, which would mark the highest number of consistently operational ovens in several years.

These process updates are already making a difference to those who work close to the ovens, as well as those who work farther downstream. Which is good, because the plan for further implementation of total productive management at Lynn is ambitious. The target for 2026 is to repeat this same approach dozens of times as the team rolls out the TPM process more broadly across the site.

“We’ve come up with some really good ideas for down the road,” Langlais adds. “It’s exciting. Now, we’re all focused on sustaining what we’ve accomplished.”

“SEW-EURODRIVE” a global supplier of drive technology and drive automation recently received new CFC-Fixtures to be used in the firm’s Low Pressure Carburizing (LPC) furnace line provided by “High Temperature Concept (HTC)”. This new generation of racks has a unique design being modular and 100 % CFC (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon) and will be used for large gears and pinions. The photos show two Racks, one each for gears and pinions, and one each loaded and unloaded.

Interesting enough just yesterday “The Monty Heat Treat News” had a news item about a “SEW-Eurodrive” facility in Germany with one of the photos showing similar parts but with cast fixturing.

About SEW-Eurodrive; “SEW-EURODRIVE is a global German-based family-owned company specializing in drive engineering, motion control, and factory automation. Founded in 1931, it is a world leader in manufacturing gearmotors, frequency inverters, decentralized drive systems, and heavy-duty industrial gear units.”

About HTC; HTC based in the USA provides CFC Racks and Fixtures. For more information about “High Temperature Concepts”.

“Oak Creek, Wisconsin — August 10, 2026 — United Process Controls (UPC), a global leader in industrial process control, automation, and sensing technologies for the thermal processing industry, is pleased to announce the promotion of Bill Ulrich to Technical Sales Manager, effective August 10, 2026. In his new role, Bill will play a key role in supporting the company’s continued growth and commitment to customer success.

Since joining UPC as a Technical Sales Engineer, Bill has quickly established himself as a trusted advisor to customers and colleagues alike. His extensive background in industrial equipment, thermal processing, aftermarket services, technical sales, and customer support has enabled him to make an immediate impact across the organization while helping customers solve complex operational challenges.

Throughout his career, Bill has built a reputation for developing long-term customer relationships, delivering practical technical solutions, and leading initiatives that improve customer satisfaction and business performance. His experience spans technical proposals, aftermarket operations, customer support, and cross-functional leadership, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of both customer needs and industrial manufacturing operations.

As Technical Sales Manager, Bill will help lead UPC’s sales organization by supporting strategic sales initiatives, business development, customer engagement, and team performance. Working closely with the company’s sales, engineering, service, and leadership teams, he will help strengthen collaboration across departments while ensuring customers continue to receive the technical expertise and responsive support that have become hallmarks of United Process Controls.

“Bill has consistently demonstrated the technical expertise, professionalism, and customer-first mindset that defines our organization,” said Tracy Dougherty, President of Sales and Service. “His ability to understand our customers’ challenges, develop practical solutions, and build lasting relationships make him an outstanding choice for this leadership role. We are excited to see Bill continue contributing to the growth of UPC while helping our customers succeed.” Bill’s promotion reflects United Process Controls’ ongoing commitment to investing in talented leaders who understand both the technical and business aspects of the thermal processing industry. By developing leadership from within, UPC continues to strengthen its ability to deliver innovative products, technical expertise, and exceptional customer support to manufacturers throughout North America and around the world.

As manufacturing continues to embrace greater automation, digitalization, and process optimization, experienced technical leaders play an increasingly important role in helping customers improve efficiency, product quality, and operational performance. Bill’s knowledge of industrial processes and customer applications will further enhance UPC’s ability to support manufacturers as they navigate these evolving challenges.

Please join everyone at United Process Controls in congratulating Bill Ulrich on this well-deserved promotion and wishing him continued success in his new role.”

Recently furnace builder “Aichelin” offered a press release about upgrading the controls on one of their furnaces located at “SEW-Eurodrive” in Bruchsal, Germany. As it happens, “Gord Montgomery” of “The Monty Heat Treat News” had the opportunity to visit this facility in 2020 at which time we did a profile of this impressive heat treat facility-a profile which can be found below along with the “Aichelin” press release;

“AUGUST 2, 2026The AICHELIN dual-chamber continuous furnace at SEW-EURODRIVE Germany has been operating reliably in continuous service for many years. Regular maintenance and targeted modernization measures by AICHELIN Service GmbH ensure that the system always remains at the cutting edge of technology.

As part of the scheduled annual maintenance, the previously used KS98 compact controller was 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗦𝟳 – 𝟭𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗟𝗖 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.”

“MAY 18, 2020; If you’re in the gear business you know SEW Eurodrive. If you’re in the heat treating business you probably also know SEW because their plants around the world generally include substantial heat treating departments. For these reasons we are very lucky to give you an in depth glimpse of the heat treat department at one of their larger facilities which is located in Bruchsal, Germany.”

The overall facility covers many acres, the heat treat department is relatively new-the furnaces you see below are approximately 10 years old were built and installed by Aichelin. What you see are multi chamber batch furnaces with oil quenching designed for case hardening of gears and shafts along with washers, tempers, charge cars, shotblasting equipment and a very complete lab-in short everything required to run a state of the art heat treating department. Even a cursory glance at these pictures will show you that this is a meticulously maintained heat treat which is very much in line with the whole plant. While this installation is fairly typical of the heat treat department of a major gear manufacturer we will also say that this is a finer example than many. May 18, 2020″

Aalberts Surface Technologies – HIP | Braze | Heat Treatment is pleased to announce that Adam Tabor has joined the company as Vice President of Operations, effective August 3, 2026. Based at the company’s Livonia, Michigan headquarters, Adam will serve as a key member of the Executive Management Team, leading the organization’s operational strategy and driving continued excellence across its manufacturing operations. Adam will report to Steve Wyatt, President of Aalberts Surface Technologies – HIP | Braze | Heat Treatment.

As Vice President of Operations, Mr. Tabor will be responsible for leading and optimizing the company’s operational functions, with a focus on operational excellence, process optimization, product quality, and customer satisfaction. He will oversee all aspects of manufacturing and quality management while helping expand the company’s market presence and strengthen strategic partnerships that support long-term growth.

Mr. Tabor brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in the steel and industrial manufacturing sectors. A dynamic and results-oriented manufacturing executive, he has built an impressive career leading manufacturing operations, plant performance, cross-functional teams, and strategic initiatives in high-volume, safety-critical environments. His expertise includes strategic planning, lean manufacturing, process and product development, capital project execution, and developing high-performing teams and cultures.

Prior to joining Aalberts Surface Technologies, Mr. Tabor spent nearly 20 years with Gerdau, most recently serving as Vice President of HR, IT & Downstream Operations. During his last eight years with Gerdau Special Steel North America, he held executive leadership roles and helped advance operational performance and organizational effectiveness.

“We are excited to welcome Adam to Aalberts Surface Technologies,” said Mr. Wyatt. “Adam is an outstanding addition to our team. His combination of operational expertise, strategic leadership, and passion for building high-performing organizations makes him an exceptional fit for our business. We are confident his experience and vision will help accelerate our continued growth, strengthen our operational capabilities, and deliver even greater value to our customers and employees. We look forward to the leadership and fresh perspective he brings to our organization.” Mr. Tabor expressed his enthusiasm for joining the company and contributing to its continued success.

“I am excited to join Aalberts Surface Technologies and become part of an organization known for its commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and customer partnerships,” said Mr. Tabor. “I look forward to working alongside our talented teams to build on the company’s strong foundation, continue enhancing our operational capabilities, and support the next phase of growth for the business.”

Mr. Tabor earned a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering (Metallurgy) from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College.

About Aalberts Surface Technologies. Aalberts Surface Technologies – HIP | Braze | Heat Treatment is a global leader in advanced heat treatment, brazing, and hot isostatic pressing (HIP), providing innovative solutions that enhance the performance, durability, and reliability of customer components across a wide range of industries. Aalberts Surface Technologies is part of the industry segment of the worldwide leading and globally positioned technology company Aalberts N.V., which has 123 locations worldwide and 13,000 employees. With a commitment to quality, innovation, and operational excellence, Aalberts Surface Technologies partners with customers to solve complex manufacturing challenges and create lasting value.