“Poland continues to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s key aviation production hubs. One of the pillars of this position is advanced heat treatment technologies, such as SECO/WARWICK solutions used by global component manufacturers. The latest example is the signed contract for the supply of a horizontal CaseMaster Evolution dual chamber vacuum furnace with oil quenching for the aerospace sector.

The new system will increase the heat treatment capacity of the Polish plant for aircraft landing gear components manufactured for the world’s largest civil and military aircraft producers. The CaseMaster Evolution furnace on order is the largest standard dual chamber oil quenching unit in the SECO/WARWICK portfolio. It combines a heating chamber with a loading/unloading vestibule equipped with a quench tank enabling cooling in either an inert gas or oil, depending on the requirements of a given part.

“This contract clearly shows how far Poland has come in the global aviation sector. From a supplier of simple components, we have become a significant producer of advanced landing gear and airframe structures, and our vacuum furnaces operate in facilities that manufacture parts for aircraft flying on every continent,” says Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK.

“CaseMaster Evolution is a design that combines a large working space, reliability and high energy efficiency, which today is just as important as the metallurgical parameters themselves,” he adds.

The furnace enables the heat treatment of large dimension landing gear components while maintaining excellent temperature uniformity of the load. Graphite insulation and heating elements ensure stable operation in demanding serial production conditions, and the heating system provides fast, uniform heating across a wide temperature range, shortening the total cycle time. High efficiency oil circulation ensures excellent load penetration and fast, uniform cooling, both of which are crucial for the fatigue strength of critical components.”

A key distinguishing feature of this design is the ability to cool in inert gas inside the quench vestibule above the oil level, at pressures up to approx. 1.5 bar absolute, with forced gas circulation via a fan in the chamber ceiling. This allows the cooling path to be adjusted to the geometry and requirements of a given part — from classic oil quenching to combined sequences that minimize distortion while maintaining the required mechanical properties. A dew point sensor at the inlet of process gases eliminates the risk of moisture condensation and unwanted oxidation, while convection heating significantly improves efficiency during the heating phase.

“This Partner knows SECO/WARWICK solutions very well and has its own operational experience with CMe vacuum furnaces. On one hand, this facilitates technical discussions because we speak the same process language; on the other hand, it sets the bar very high, as each new investment must genuinely increase production quality, efficiency and production economics. The new unit addresses a specific operational challenge – the growing number of landing gear components that require heat treatment, with very high process repeatability. The additional furnace will increase the capacity of the existing hardening department, allow better workload distribution between lines, and create a safe buffer of production capabilities for new programs or peak order periods,” says Jędrzej Malinowski, Sales Manager at SECO/WARWICK.

December of 2025 bearing manufacturer “JTEKT North America Corporation” announced that it would be closing its Telford, TN, USA facility by August 31, 2026-in actual fact the facility is now closed. The closure is worth mentioning on “The Monty Heat Treat News” due to the fact this location had a substantial in house heat treating department which consisted of 4 Continuous Carburizing Furnaces. Few details are available about what happened to these furnaces; auction, scrapping or moving to another location.

“WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — More than 100 workers at a manufacturer in Telford will be impacted by a permanent closure starting in April 2026. JTEKT North America Corporation filed a WARN Notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), stating it will begin its permanent closure on or around April 30, 2026. The notice comes more than a year after JTEKT, whose plant is commonly called Koyo, told News Channel 11 of its shutdown plan.

The closure will continue through Aug. 31, 2026, the WARN Notice states. JTEKT’s affected location is at 146 Cutting Edge Court in Telford at the Washington County Industrial Park.

“The total number of affected workers is 136 Tennessee employees,” the notice states.

The TDLWD stated it was notified by JTEKT on Thursday. In 2024, JTEKT announced it would be ceasing its manufacturing operations at the Washington County Industrial Park in 2026. Another manufacturing plant that directly supplies the JTEKT facility, Nakatetsu Machining Technologies (NMT), also revealed it would cease operations at the industrial park in 2026.

JTEKT’s Scott Craig told News Channel 11 in August 2024 that 192 people worked at the Koyo plant, indicating close to 60 already had left since then. Craig said JTEKT would offer chances for Koyo workers to transfer to plants in Morristown and Vonore, Tenn. and Greenville, S.C. as available and provide severance packages and full job transition assistance to those who stay until they’re laid off or the plant closes.

JTEKT manufactures components for the automotive industry. In 2024, JTEKT leadership said the changing landscape of the automotive industry and the emphasis on electric vehicles caused a decline in demand for the parts used in conventional engines. The Koyo and Nakatetsu plants began production in Telford in 2006.”

Construction and refurbishment are moving forward as the future home of Solar Atmospheres Connecticut continues to take shape. Several vacuum furnaces have been set in place, the office areas are nearing completion, and work is actively progressing on the facility’s piping, electrical systems, and supporting infrastructure.

The 28,000-square-foot facility, located in Spruce Brook Industrial Park, remains on schedule for a fourth-quarter 2026 opening and will significantly expand Solar Atmospheres’ vacuum heat treating capabilities throughout the Northeast.

This newest location represents another important investment in our continued growth and commitment to serving customers with advanced vacuum heat treating technology, increased capacity, and the reliable service that has defined Solar Atmospheres for decades.

Which Technology Suits Your Heat Treatment Process?

Behind every consistent heat treatment cycle is a vacuum system operating under demanding conditions. The choice of vacuum pump technology can have a significant impact on process stability, system uptime, maintenance requirements, and energy consumption, making it a critical factor in overall operational performance.

Screw and piston vacuum pumps are both well-established technologies in heat treatment applications, yet they differ considerably in their operating principles, performance characteristics, maintenance demands, and total cost of ownership. In this article, we compare the strengths and limitations of each technology, examining how these differences influence efficiency, reliability, and operating costs to help you determine the most suitable solution for your heat treatment process.

Working Principle of Screw pumps:

Screw vacuum pumps operate using two intermeshing screw rotors housed inside a cylindrical chamber. Their operation can be broken down into three main stages:

Inlet

The process begins as the gas enters the pump through the inlet.
Inside the cylindrical housing, two screw-shaped rotors rotate in opposite directions, drawing the gas inward.

Compression

The incoming gas is trapped in spaces between the screws and the cylinder wall.
Due to variable pitch screw design, as the screws rotate, the volume gradually reduces.
This reducing volume compresses the gas without any contact between the rotors or between the rotors and housing – reducing wear and increasing efficiency.

Outlet

Once compressed, the gas is discharged through the outlet.
The twin-screw design ensures a short path from inlet to outlet, allowing for fast, efficient compression and reduced cycle times.

Working Principle of Piston pumps:

Piston vacuum pumps also operate on the principle of positive displacement. Though originally developed for pumping liquids in agricultural and domestic settings, they have been adapted for vacuum generation in a range of industrial processes.

The pump is driven by an electric motor connected to a crankshaft and connecting rod assembly, which converts rotary motion into the reciprocating movement of a piston within a cylinder. The pumping cycle consists of the following phases:

Suction Phase

Vacuum generation begins as the piston moves downward (away from the cylinder head), the volume inside the cylinder increases.
This creates a pressure drop, and now pressure inside the cylinder is lower than that of the vacuum furnace, drawing in gas through the inlet (suction) valve, which opens as the chamber pressure falls.

Compression Phase

When the piston moves upward (toward the cylinder head), the chamber volume decreases, compressing the gas, raising its pressure.
The Suction valve closes to prevent backflow of gas.

Discharge Phase

Once the gas pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, the outlet (exhaust) valve opens to release the compressed gas.
The piston completes its stroke, and the cycle repeats.

By such reciprocal back & forth movement of the piston, gas is evacuated from the furnace, generating vacuum.

A common variation is the double-acting piston pump, where the cylinder is divided into two chambers on either side of the piston, each with its own suction and discharge valves. As the piston moves in one direction, one chamber draws in gas while the other simultaneously compresses and expels it. When the piston reverses, the roles of the chambers switch.

Performance of Screw and Piston Vacuum pumps on key factors:

Energy Efficiency:

Piston vacuum pumps operate using a crankshaft-driven reciprocating mechanism, which introduces mechanical losses due to friction, valve actuation, and inertia which further translates to increased energy consumption. Additionally, these pumps often run at fixed speeds and are thus less efficient at partial loads.

Screw vacuum pumps, by contrast, feature a dry, contact-free compression mechanism that minimizes internal friction. These can further be equipped with variable frequency drives (VFDs) such as the Busch ECOTORQUE, allowing them to adjust speed based on demand which significantly improves energy efficiency, especially in processes such as heat treatment where loads can fluctuate.

Maintenance

Piston vacuum pumps contain several reciprocating components, including pistons, valves, and crankshafts, that are subject to continuous mechanical stress and wear. To maintain optimum performance, these components require regular servicing, such as oil changes, valve replacement, and seal inspection or replacement. As a result, piston pumps typically incur higher maintenance costs and experience more downtime than screw vacuum pumps.

Screw vacuum pumps, by contrast, feature a simpler design with non-contacting, dry rotors. The dry compression mechanism minimizes internal wear and contamination, allowing for longer service intervals – with only periodic gearbox oil changes and routine checks.

Noise and Vibration

The reciprocating motion of piston vacuum pumps inherently generates pulsations, mechanical impacts, and vibration, often resulting in higher noise levels during operation. Over time, these dynamic forces can also accelerate wear on mechanical components.

In contrast, screw vacuum pumps use rotating, non-contacting screw rotors that continuously compress gas along the length of the screws. This smooth, continuous compression process minimises pulsation and vibration, resulting in quieter operation, reduced mechanical wear, and enhanced long-term reliability.Tolerance to Contaminants and Reactive Gases

Piston vacuum pumps rely on oil-lubricated, mechanically contacting parts with multiple sealing surfaces that are exposed to process gases. When exposed to dust, vapors, condensation, or reactive gases, contaminants mix with the lubricant, leading to oil degradation, corrosion of internal components, residue build-up, and accelerated wear. This accelerates oil contamination, necessitating more frequent oil changes.

Screw vacuum pumps, by contrast, use a dry, oil-free compression mechanism with non-contacting rotors. This design eliminates the risk of oil contamination and significantly reduces sensitivity to particulates and condensables. The absence of internal lubrication also allows for the use of corrosion-resistant coatings tailored for aggressive or reactive gases and vapors, making screw vacuum pumps better suited to demanding process environments.

Cost of ownership

Screw vacuum pumps typically have a higher initial cost due to their advanced dry, oil-free technology and precision manufacturing. However, this upfront premium is offset by lower maintenance and operating costs over time. Piston vacuum pumps typically have lower initial purchase prices but incur higher maintenance and lubricant expenses, increasing total cost of ownership.

Summary

When selecting a vacuum pump for your heat treatment process, it is important to consider more than just the initial purchase price. Factors such as energy consumption, maintenance requirements, process stability, uptime, and total cost of ownership can have a far greater impact on long-term operational performance.

While piston vacuum pumps remain a proven technology and may be suitable where minimising upfront investment is the primary objective, screw vacuum pumps offer clear advantages for most modern heat treatment applications. Their dry, contact-free design delivers higher energy efficiency, reduced maintenance requirements, quieter operation, improved vacuum stability, and greater tolerance to contaminants and reactive gases. Together, these benefits help maximise equipment availability, improve process consistency, and reduce operating costs throughout the life of the system.

If your goal is to optimise productivity, reliability, and long-term value, screw vacuum pump technology is often the preferred choice.

New capability helps meet rising demand for metallurgical services from aerospace and defence customers

Two new large-format Hot Isostatic Pressing vessels installed at Magny-Cours facility in France
Haag-Winden plant in Germany also expands HIP and powder metallurgy capacity
Investments support customers’ ability to produce mission-critical components for extreme environments

“London, United Kingdom [July 14, 2026]: Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of advanced heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has made multi-million-euro investments in additional advanced thermal processing capacity across its European network to support growing demand from aerospace and defence customers and help strengthen critical manufacturing supply chains across Europe.

The programme includes new Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) equipment and expanded specialist powder metallurgy capabilities, increasing capacity for the processing and manufacture of critical, high-performance components.
“These investments enhance our network of quality-accredited European facilities, expanding proven metallurgy support and expertise across a wide range of defence and aerospace applications,” says Heidi McNary, President, Global Aerospace, Defence and Energy at Bodycote. “The new and upgraded sites will help deliver increased capacity for thermal processing at a time when demand from aerospace and defence customers is growing at a double-digit annual rate.”
Bodycote has invested more than €20 million at its Magny-Cours facility in France. Magny-Cours is a major European hub for HIP, a process that uses a combination of high temperature and isostatic gas pressure to eliminate internal porosity and improve the mechanical properties of critical metal components.
The investment includes installing multiple large-format HIP vessels. These units substantially increase available processing volumes, enabling larger components to be treated while increasing capability and energy efficiency. Once fully operational by the end of 2026, the expanded installation will give Magny-Cours several HIP units, providing additional capacity to support production ramp up across the aerospace, industrial gas turbine (IGT) and defence sectors in Europe.
The expansion will also create additional employment opportunities at the site.
Bodycote has also expanded HIP capacity at its Haag-Winden facility in Germany by adding two new HIP vessels. The site is a specialist centre for both Hot Isostatic Pressing and its specialist Powdermet, product fabrication, enabling near-net-shape components to be manufactured and HIP-processed on-site, while also providing standalone HIP services for customer-supplied parts.
The investment increases processing availability and throughput, helping meet growing demand from aerospace, defence and general industrial customers.
“These investments reflect Bodycote’s ongoing commitment to aerospace and defence,” adds Heidi McNary. “With decades of experience in these markets, we will continue to expand our range of performance metallurgy solutions, enabling leading companies to produce mission-critical components for extreme environments. Our focus remains on delivering assured quality, cost-effective processing and on-time completion, while helping customers improve repeatability, increase throughput and meet demanding programme schedules.”
Bodycote will be discussing these expanded capabilities with aerospace and defence customers at the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow, which takes place from 20-24 July. Visitors can meet the Bodycote team in Hall 4, Stand 41111, to learn how the company’s thermal processing and specialist technologies support the performance, reliability, and efficiency of critical aerospace components.

About Bodycote: Bodycote plc is the world’s leading provider of specialist thermal processing services, delivering vital metallurgical solutions that improve the performance, reliability, and longevity of critical components. Serving customers across aerospace, automotive, energy, defence, medical, and other industrial sectors, Bodycote combines global scale with local expertise to meet demanding technical and sustainability requirements. Through its global scale the company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that advance performance, sustainability and competitive advantage for its customers.” For more information, visit www.bodycote.com“

In “Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA” we find “MED-TEK, Inc.” a 50 year old commercial heat treater operating out of a 48,000 square foot facility. The firm has a long and impressive history but alas, the company recently closed the doors for good. There is no drama or unhappy creditors in this situation, rather the owner saw business slowly declining and being of retirement age he decided to slowly and methodically wind the company down.

“MED-TEK” has always been a full-service supplier offering austempering, vacuum hardening, carburizing, induction hardening, carbonitriding and a number of other processes. The doors are now closed for good and the remaining equipment is being offered for sale by “The Monty Heat Treat News”. Feel free to contact us if you would like more details; [email protected]

June 23rd, we had this story about “Texas Heat Treating” becoming “ITAR” registered earlier this year; “USA Heat Treater Now “ITAR” Registered“. As it turns out “Texas Heat Treating” is the second commercial heat treater in the state to become “ITAR” Registered, “Lark Heat Treating” in Houston became the first when it achieved this important accreditation January of 2026.

Why is this important-“Wikipedia” has this summary of “ITAR”; “The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is a strict set of U.S. Government regulations that controls the manufacture, export and import of defense-related articles, services and technical data. Enforced by the U.S. Department of State it ensures that military and space technologies do not fall into unauthorized hands.”

What this means is that commercial and captive heat treater without this registration are unable to bid on any defense or space related services. Congratulations to both “Lark Heat Treat” and “Texas Heat Treating” for achieving this valuable accreditation.

The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) has announced that its 2028 YES (Young Executives Society) Leadership Development Program sold out in just five days after registration opened on July 1, making it one of the fastest-selling classes in the program’s history.

The overwhelming response underscores the growing commitment of heat treating companies to developing the next generation of leaders. As the industry faces increasing technological change, workforce challenges, and succession planning needs, companies are recognizing that investing in leadership development is essential for long-term success.

Since its launch in 2007, the YES Leadership Development Program has become the industry’s premier leadership training experience for emerging leaders. More than 600 graduates have completed the year-long program, with many advancing into key leadership positions, including plant managers, general managers, company presidents, and business owners.

“The fact that this program has sold out two years in advanced the last 10 years speaks volumes about the value companies place on leadership development,” said Tom Morrison, CEO of MTI. “The technical skills that drive our industry are critical, but it’s strong leaders who build great teams, navigate change, and position companies for long-term success. We congratulate the 2028 class of 45 participants and look forward to helping them become the future leaders of our industry.”

The year-long curriculum combines practical leadership education with real-world application through four in-person training sessions. Participants develop skills in leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, strategic thinking, team development, business acumen, and personal effectiveness while building lasting relationships with peers from heat treating companies throughout North America.

One of the program’s greatest strengths is the network participants build with fellow emerging leaders. Many graduates describe the relationships formed during the program as one of its most valuable and enduring benefits.

With demand continuing to grow each year, companies interested in future YES classes are encouraged to register early when the next enrollment period opens. For more information on the MTI YES Program, go to www.HeatTreat.net.

Solar Atmospheres is pleased to announce the addition of Ava Conolly to its Research & Development team as a Metallurgical / R&D Engineer. Ava recently earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University, with a concentration in materials science and metallurgy. Her academic background and passion for metallurgical engineering make her a valuable addition to Solar’s technical team. “We are excited to welcome Ava to Solar Atmospheres,” said Jamie Jones. “Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and fresh perspective will strengthen our R&D capabilities as we continue to develop innovative thermal processing solutions for our customers.” In her new role, Ava will support research and development initiatives, process optimization, and metallurgical analysis, helping advance Solar Atmospheres’ commitment to technical excellence and continuous innovation. For more information about vacuum heat treating services at Solar Atmospheres, visit solaratm.com, or contact Mike Moyer at 215-721-1502 ext. 1207, or [email protected]

Welcome to the July/2026 edition of “The Monty Heat Treat News”, for over 30 years providing the most up to date news and trends about the global heat treatment industry. Some stories in this edition include these;

Our surplus heat treat equipment listings continue to surge with a number of recent additions including these;

The entire “Monty Heat Treat News Team” looks forward to your thoughts, comments and feedback. Sincerely, Gord, Jordan and Dale Montgomery

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