“AUGUST 10, 2021; Busch Vacuum Solutions Acquires Vacuum Furnace Engineering (VFE). Busch (UK) Ltd, part of the global Busch Vacuum Solutions group, has acquired Vacuum Furnace Engineering (VFE). Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Busch (UK), the move enables both VFE and Busch (UK) to strengthen their leading vacuum solutions and services for UK metallurgy and composites manufacturers.
Cincinnati Steel Treating enjoys a long and very impressive history in the commercial heat treating industry which goes back to 1941. Their capabilities include nitriding, hardening, induction, carburizing and aluminum processing to name just a few CST: Heat Treating Services & Metal Treating of Large Gears (steeltreating.com)
Their name comes up today as they have just appointed a very experienced heat treater as Operations Manager. Mr. Brian Bishop is taking over this position after most recently being Heat Treat Manager at gear manufacturer Overton Chicago Gear. We have no doubt but that Brian will do a tremendous job. More on this story in the near future.
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The L&L model FB435 has an effective work area of 48” wide by 32” tall by 60” deep and has certifiable temperature uniformity of ±10°F from 500 to 1,850°F. The furnace has elements that are very evenly spaced around the chamber. It is lined with ceramic fiber on the sides and top. The door is a pneumatically operated vertical door with a counterbalanced lift system. Included is a NEMA 12 control cabinet with fused disconnect switch, digital program controller, high-limit backup system, thermocouples, fusing, and all interconnection wiring.
The control is a Honeywell DC2500 control with Ethernet capabilities with separate overtemperature protection. The power control is accomplished with six-zone SCRs with digital biasing and one control loop. The floor is composed of castable sections with insulating firebrick backup insulation. There is an 18” diameter, air-cooled fan to promote uniformity at lower temperatures. A 6” 600 CFM venturi cooling system is included with an outlet portalong with a variable speed drive for controlled cooldown rates.
The furnace case is sealed internally for atmosphere control. An inert blanketing gas such as nitrogen is used to displace oxygen present within the work chamber. This provides a better surface finish as oxidization is less likely to form on the part. The atmosphere is delivered automatically through a flow panel that is automated by the furnace control. All L&L furnaces can be configured with various options and be specifically tailored to meet your thermal needs. We also offer furnaces equipped with pyrometry packages to meet the latest revision of ASM2750.”
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Dana Liebelt, an established sales professional in the Midwest who represents UPC, is working closely with the Obsidian and UPC technical teams to ensure that the project is completed to the highest standards. “I am excited to collaborate with fellow sales representative Obsidian to ensure that my customer receives the best service and experience possible,” Liebelt said. “Between UPC and the Jossart brothers, Jason and Eric, they have unique experience in the heat treat industry, and I trust them to deliver the perfect solution.” The project is set to be delivered in the first quarter of 2023. Overton Chicago Gear has been producing gears for over 130 years and is a Hall of Fame member of the American Gear Manufactures Associations (AGMA).”
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Last week “The Monty Heat Treat News” had a press release about an acquisition within the global heat treatment community. We are now in a position where we can mention the names of the companies involved. Below you will find the official press release.
“Busch Vacuum Solutions U.S. has announced the acquisition of the business of VESCO-McLaughlin, Inc. (VESCO) in East Windsor, CT, a leading industrial service company specializing in heat treating and metallurgy industries.
VESCO was formerly part of the McLaughlin Furnace Group (MFG), a U.S. market leader in engineered vacuum solutions for thermal processing and surface preparation applications. MFG’s major customers operate in the aerospace and defense; automotive; energy and environment; metalworking and fabrication; and semiconductor fabrication industries.
With the addition of VESCO, Busch Vacuum Solutions expands its business by adding complementary services to its already broad offering of global field service, overhaul, repair, and installation.
In a strategic move, VESCO will be rebranded and will expand its current business operations under the brand name of VESCO – A Company of the Busch Group, while continuing uninterrupted service for existing customers by maintaining relationships with existing suppliers and transitioning existing VESCO employees to Busch Vacuum Solutions.”
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Lets start with some background on commercial heat treater Cincinnati Steel Treating one of the largest in the Ohio area; “The Cincinnati Steel Treating Company was founded in 1941 to accommodate the gear industry’s metal treating needs in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. By 1950 CST had diversified and moved to 5701 Mariemont Avenue. Through two major expansions it has remained at the same location and now boasts of a 45,000 square foot facility and provides heat treating services to Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and beyond.
Throughout it’s 70 year history CST has recognized the need to maintain a modern, full service facility to meet the requirements of its diverse customer base. This has been achieved through the continued upgrading of existing equipment and the installation of new. Some of our more recent updates include a fully computerized furnace temperature and atmosphere control system for carburizing, a nitriding department consisting of four 57 in. diameter furnaces from 70 to 107 inches deep, a multi-station induction machine for hardening small high production parts and shafts up to 36 inches long, as well as newer laboratory and office complex. CST is fully equipped to provide complete heat treating services.” CST: Heat Treating Services & Metal Treating of Large Gears (steeltreating.com)
With this background out of the ways lets have a look at a brand new development at the company. The company has just completed installation of a new batch IQ line, one which is expected to come on line as early as this week. The AFC-Holcroft batch IQ furnace has working dimensions of 72” X 48” X 40” high with a weight capacity of 5,000 pounds (incidentally the 40” high dimension is not a standard height for a batch IQ, it must be sized for a particular part). It features top cool option and controls being provided by local company SSi. All in all this represents a very significant investment for the company.
We are looking forward to having some further news about the company in the very near future.
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Josh Longenette was recently appointed Vice President of Operations at heat treating giant Bodycote. Josh previously worked at Bodycote before taking a brief hiatus outside of the heat treating industry. He follows in the footsteps of his father Don Longenette who after a long career with companies such as Bodycote started his own firm A+ Heat Treating Services in the Cleveland, Ohio, USA area.
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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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KIMS conducts a wide range of technological R&D activities, including process improvements, application development, material enhancement, testing, and evaluation, to advance Korea’s scientific and industrial research and the country’s industrial capabilities. The new NITREX vacuum furnace will support domestic companies, including Hanwha Aerospace, Doosan Enerbility, Sung-il Turbine, and Samjeong Turbine, in a development project that aims to improve the cycle efficiency of industrial land-based gas turbines.
The NITREX vacuum furnace is a horizontal type 2-Bar external quench equipped with a curved Moly wide band heating element arranged in a circular configuration around the main hot zone. This exclusive free-floating design ensures optimum temperature uniformity throughout the chamber. Since the heating elements are in free movement during thermal expansion, there are fewer instances of breakage, twisting, or premature failures. Its work area measures 15″ in width by 15″ in height by 24″ in length (381 x 381 x 610 mm), and it has a heavy-duty “TZM” Molybdenum hearth assembly that supports high temperatures.
The furnace’s ability to process superalloy and high-performance alloy components and enhance their structural and surface integrity is especially important for KIMS. “The NITREX system not only offers this metallurgical advantage but is also robust, capable of running for years, and can support a wider range of R&D projects and metals,” said Nikola Dzepina, NitrexRegional Manager – Asia. “With the ability to achieve higher vacuum levelswith 10-6 Torr ultimate range, the furnace can heat-treat parts at temperatures up to 1,371°C (2,500°F), making it an excellent choice for processing parts that operate in extreme environments such as those found in the aerospace and precision part industries.” The installation and startup were overseen by NITREX’s local representative, Aerotech. The vacuum furnace has been in operation since December 2022.”
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“The Monty Heat Treat News” is very confidently looking forward to an exclusive and very interesting press release about an acquisition of a North American firm involved in the heat treatment industry by a global and very well known European firm with a strong emphasis on the vacuum furnace industry. This story has been long in the making but we expect we can tell you the entire story by the end of the week. Stay tuned-we will get back to you.
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