A fully automated, electrically heated “Ipsen” chamber furnace line (size M) has been installed at fastener manufacturer “Hassmann S.A.” in record time.

The system consists of two complete, chamber (sealed quench) furnace lines. The furnaces have been installed with commissioning having already started-it is expected the furnaces will enter production shortly.

About Hassmann S.A.; Hassmann S.A. is one of Brazil’s leading fastener manufacturers and supplies customers in the automotive, agricultural, truck and construction machinery sectors, among others. It produces over 40,000 different screws, rivets and custom parts, and exports to more than 25 countries.

Earlier this year “The Monty Heat Treat News” reported an explosion of a “Hipping” furnace (an abbreviation for hot isostatic pressing) at a commercial heat treater in Canby, Oregon, USA-the story can be found at “Massive “HIP” Explosion at USA Commercial Heat Treater”.

While this incident happened back in early February of this year, details and conclusions remain very vague. We know that the two furnaces at this location use argon gas under extreme heat and high pressure (up to 30,000 PSI) to process aerospace and medical components. We also know that the explosion occurred in the furnace and was directed upward by the pit it was installed in, which blew the roof off the building.

We also have learned that while the general cause was a failure of the pressure vessel, the specific reason for that failure—such as equipment fatigue or a procedural error—remains under official investigation.

It is also unclear at this point who originally manufactured the furnace.

Interestingly enough news reports say that the second furnace was eventually stabilized by submerging it in water for 16 hours to cool.

“The Monty” will keep you updated as this investigation continues.

For more information on “Hipping” accidents we would suggest this more in-depth article from “The Monty Heat Treat News” “Are Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) Accidents Common”?

“AICHELIN Group holds its ground in a challenging environment in 2025 – strong growth expected for 2026

Mödling, Austria. The AICHELIN Group, a company of Berndorf AG and one of the world’s leading providers of industrial heat treatment solutions, looks back on a challenging but strategically successful financial year 2025. In a still volatile market environment – particularly in Europe – the Group achieved a stable annual result and implemented key growth initiatives. Revenue amounted to EUR 180 million, remaining at the previous year’s level (2024: EUR 182 million). For 2026, the Group expects a significant growth boost, primarily driven by the full consolidation of the NITREX acquisition.

Solid business performance in a differentiated market environment; Regional market development in 2025 showed a clearly differentiated picture. While Asia continued to develop very dynamically and North America recorded solid growth, Europe fell short of expectations. Continued investment restraint, structural uncertainties, and an overall subdued economic environment shaped the European business. The Group responded with a strong focus on efficiency and by strengthening local structures. “2025 was a year of clear strategic decisions. Despite headwinds in Europe, we were able to set important course directions for sustainable growth and consistently implement the strategy we presented a year ago,” says Christian Grosspointner, CEO of the AICHELIN Group.

NITREX: Consistent integration, clear step forward; One of the most important strategic steps in the past year was the acquisition of NITREX, which was completed in the fall. NITREX brings deep technological expertise in nitriding and nitrocarburizing, as well as a global network of production and service locations. With subsidiaries such as GM Enterprises, a long-standing and renowned partner of the aerospace industry, the Group is successfully positioned across various industrial segments. Integration into the AICHELIN Group is progressing according to plan.

The realization of synergies – in the product portfolio, market presence, and customer support – will be a key focus in 2026. The goal is to position the AICHELIN Group as a full-service provider in industrial heat treatment, serving customers worldwide with one of the most comprehensive technology portfolios in the industry – from large-scale industrial furnaces to highly precise vacuum and nitriding systems.

International expansion: Focus on India and China; A key pillar of the growth strategy is the consistent expansion of the international presence following the principle “think global, act local.”

In India, the AICHELIN Group opened a new office in Pune on April 1, 2026. In addition, another site with production and office space is currently under construction, with commissioning planned for the second half of 2026. India is one of the most dynamic growth markets worldwide, and the Group is specifically strengthening its local presence there – with its own teams, technical expertise, and a strong on-site organization.

The AICHELIN Group has also expanded its activities in China: last year, the Group moved into its new headquarters in Future Science City in Beijing. With AICHELIN Metal Heat Treatment, Ma’anshan, a new production site was opened, and another new site for the production of NITREX systems in Wuxi is about to be launched. These expansion steps underline the strategy of serving customers locally with regional value creation, high technological expertise, and short response times.

(Editors Note; Metallizing Service Company, MSC’s primary customer is Pratt & Whitney. In 2025 MSC had sales of approximately $19 million USD)

“NEW YORK, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Behrman Capital (“Behrman”), a private equity investment firm based in New York, today announced that it has acquired the assets of Metallizing Service Company Holdings, (“MSC” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered thermal spray coatings and finishing services for military, commercial aerospace, and industrial gas turbine applications. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut, MSC has served the aerospace and industrial markets for more than 80 years. The Company provides highly engineered thermal spray coating and surface treatment solutions for critical engine components, utilizing advanced processes such as plasma spray and high-velocity oxygen fuel (“HVOF”). These capabilities enable MSC’s customers to meet critical component performance requirements, including thermal protection, wear resistance, and sealing. MSC supports customers across commercial aerospace, military, industrial gas turbine, and business aviation platforms through a qualification-driven service model backed by extensive OEM and customer approvals, NADCAP and AS9100 accreditations, and in-house metallurgical capabilities.

Grant G. Behrman, Managing Partner of Behrman Capital, said, “MSC is a highly attractive business with deep process know-how, a market-leading reputation for quality, and serves a critical role in the aerospace and defense supply chain. The Company’s technical capabilities, long-standing customer relationships, and qualification-driven positions create a durable foundation for growth. We look forward to partnering with the management team to support MSC’s next phase of evolution, including through continued investment in existing capabilities, capacity, and strategic expansion into adjacent surface technologies and finishing services organically and through M&A.”

MSC’s management team, including Doug Chappel, Vice President of Business Development, Engineering & Quality, and Charles Cavanagh, Vice President of Operations & Administration, will continue to lead the Company under Behrman’s ownership.

Mr. Chappel commented, “This is an exciting milestone for Metallizing Service Company. Behrman Capital’s experience building highly technical aerospace and defense companies makes them an excellent partner to assist the Company and our experienced team with capturing significant growth opportunities on the horizon.” Mr. Cavanagh added, “Together, we plan to build on MSC’s reputation for quality and responsiveness, broaden our capabilities, and continue delivering mission-critical solutions to better serve customers across our core end markets, while preserving a workplace that values and supports our employees.”

About Behrman Capital; Based in New York City, Behrman Capital was founded in 1991 by Grant G. and Darryl G. Behrman. The firm invests in management buyouts, leveraged buildups and recapitalizations of established growth businesses. The company’s investments are focused in three industries: Defense and Aerospace, Healthcare, and Specialty Industrials. The firm has raised $4.3 billion since inception and is currently investing out of its seventh fund. For more information, please visit www.behrmancap.com.

About Metallizing Service Company; Founded in 1940 and headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut, Metallizing Service Company is an OEM-qualified provider of highly engineered coating solutions for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. Using advanced processes such as plasma spray and HVOF, the Company helps customers meet critical component performance requirements, including thermal protection, wear resistance, and sealing. MSC serves commercial aerospace, military, industrial gas turbine, and business aviation end markets. For more information, please visit www.mscplasma.com.”

To this story about aerospace company “Pratt & Whitney” making a major investment in their Rzeszów, Poland location-an investment which includes more in-house heat treating capacity we can add this background.

When “Pratt & Whitney” first started manufacturing in Poland in roughly 2000 they contracted Canadian commercial heat treater and vacuum furnace builder “Vac Aero” to provide the heat treatment. This resulted in “Vac Aero” building a heat treatment facility adjacent to the P & W location in Poland. “Vac Aero” eventually had two locations in Poland; in 2026 the two locations were acquired by “MB Aerospace” and rebranded “MB Aerospace Technologies (Poland)”. “MB” continues to providing heat treating services to “Pratt & Whitney”.

“KATOWICE, Poland, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, is investing $100 million in its facility in Rzeszów to expand production capacity, add advanced capabilities and meet growing global demand for its commercial and military engines, including the Pratt & Whitney GTF™, F135, and F100 engines.

At its Rzeszów site, Pratt & Whitney will construct a new facility that will house specialized capabilities for processing isothermally forged parts, including heat treatment, sonic machining and inspection operations. This expansion follows and supports the recently announced $200 million investment in a seventh isothermal forging press at Pratt & Whitney’s Columbus Forge facility in Georgia, U.S. These capital projects, expected to be fully operational by 2028, will enable a 30% increase in output of critical engine parts, such as rotating compressor and turbine disks.

“This investment reflects our continued commitment to increase production capacity for our customers and deliver more, faster,” said Piotr Owsicki, general manager of Pratt & Whitney in Rzeszów. “Expanding our presence in Poland allows us to build the strategic capabilities needed to produce key technologies for advanced commercial and military aircraft engines across both current and future platforms.”

Poland represents RTX’s largest investment and employee base outside the United States, with more than 9,400 employees across its Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon businesses in country. Pratt & Whitney’s sites in Poland provide advanced manufacturing and technology development capabilities for commercial and military engines, turboprops and auxiliary power units. This includes the manufacture of critical engine components such as the GTF fan drive gear system and F100 static structures and critical F135 parts.”

(Editors Note; the announcement below from “Skuld LLC” of Piqua, Ohio could potentially revolutionize heat treat castings as the company is researching how this technology can be applied to heat treat alloys such as HU, HK, etc.).

See an example of a part we’ve regularly cast in 6061. Regarding things that may be of interest for the average heat treater, first the development of cast alloys that are wrought will likely require new heat treat recipes since the base material is not the same starting microstructure. Second, since we have developed the ability to lost foam cast steel, we are doing a lot of work in casting steels including getting into casting heat treat equipment alloys like HU, HK, etc. The AMEC process can also be used to make these without tooling such as for spares.

“Skuld Advances Material Conversion Research Under DARPA’s Rubble to Rockets (R2R) Program

Piqua, OH – 2026 – Skuld LLC announces it is leading a project in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Rubble to Rockets (R2R) program, which seeks methods to convert scrap metal into usable components through advanced manufacturing approaches. Skuld contributes research in alloy characterization, casting evaluations, and AI-supported design methodologies.

Research Focus Areas The work within the R2R program includes:

· AI-assisted spark-testing for alloy identification and composition measurement.

· AI prediction microstructure and mechanical material behavior prediction led by WPI and MatMicronia.

· Ability to produce a wide range of aluminum and steel alloys from scrap including in thin walled geometries and pressure vessels.

Recent research results demonstrated the elimination of cracking in complex geometries and the ability to achieve typical wrought strength from material that had only been cast and heat treated. A patent application has been filed related to aspects of this work for the ability to cast typical wrought grades such as 6061 and 7075.

Additive Manufacturing Evaporative Casting (AMEC) Skuld’s Additive Manufacturing Evaporative Casting (AMEC) process uses additive patterns for rapid investment casting without tooling. The research explores opportunities to support production of components when conventional supply chains are limited.

Field-Deployable Manufacturing Concepts As part of its R2R contributions, Skuld is developing small, portable casting systems intended to enable on-demand part production in constrained environments. These early prototypes aim to support greater flexibility in defense and emergency operations.

Program Collaboration The R2R program includes contributions from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Foundry Casting Systems, MatMicronia LLC, and other research partners working across materials science, AI/machine learning, and advanced manufacturing.

“Through the R2R effort, we are evaluating casting approaches, alloy behavior, and the use of AI tools that expand options for producing components in challenging environments,” said Sarah Jordan, CEO of Skuld LLC.

About Skuld LLC; Skuld LLC is an advanced materials and manufacturing technology company focused on 3d printing and casting processes. The company operates a full-scale facility in Piqua, Ohio, equipped for melting, mold production, machining, and metallurgical analysis. Its leadership team includes CEO Sarah Jordan and CTO Mark DeBruin.

Skuld’s work includes the development of its Additive Manufacturing Evaporative Casting (AMEC) process, an indirect additive manufacturing approach that uses printed patterns to create molds for near-net-shape castings. AMEC is being evaluated for its potential to reduce tooling requirements, support rapid iteration, and expand casting options across multiple alloy systems.

Media Contact Sarah Jordan, CEO [email protected] 330-423-7339″

April 5th of this year the world’s largest commercial heat treater “Bodycote” announced a new heat treat facility in Monterrey, Mexico “Bodycote Announces New Heat Treatment Facility in Monterrey, Mexico“.

“The Monty Heat Treat News” is now in a position to provide an update on this exciting project. The attached photo shows the new facility, albeit empty.

While the exact composition of the new equipment is still unknown (except for hints below), “The Monty” has been led to believe that it will include three new UBQ batch IQ furnace lines. This would certainly not be unusual for a “Bodycote” facility and if their usual model holds true, we would assume the facility would also include vacuum nitriding units. We will though stress that this is a guess on our part.

APRIL 5th 2026: “Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, today announced plans to open a new facility in Apodaca, in the Monterrey metropolitan area, expanding its capacity to support customers across Mexico and the southern United States.

The expansion will help customers reduce logistics complexity, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and support localization and near-shoring strategies, while maintaining access to Bodycote’s global technical expertise and consistent quality standards.

The new site will complement Bodycote’s existing operations in Mexico, which include locations in Silao, San Luis Potosí and Guaymas, strengthening the company’s regional network and providing customers with greater flexibility and choice

Scheduled to open in 2026, the facility will increase local processing capacity and improve regional support as manufacturing activity in Mexico continues to grow. It will serve customers in the automotive, general industrial, and medical sectors, supporting both new programs and existing operations.

Operations will use modern, high-efficiency technologies and standardized operating practices to deliver consistent process quality, improved operating efficiency, and optimized energy performance.

The site will offer a range of precision heat treatment capabilities, including case hardening and nitriding technologies such as carburizing, carbonitriding, and nitrocarburising processes. These treatments enhance surface hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue performance while maintaining core strength in critical automotive and industrial components.

Bodycote is engaging with customers early to support future capacity planning and qualification activities, with site tours planned for Q2 2026. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2026, with capacity ramping in phases as customer demand grows. Further announcements will follow as the project progresses toward operational readiness.”

As a result of the recent “ASM” heat treat event in Monterrey, Mexico “The Monty Heat Treat News” has had a number of stories about the booming heat treat market in Mexico including these;

Mexico Heat Treat Market Through the Eyes of an Expert

Heat Treater Has Great 2025-Starts Expansion

“Dana” Apodaca, Mexico Opens Their Doors to “The Monty”

“Amsted” Automotive Shows a Clean, Efficient “In-House” Heat Treat Dek

We now have one final heat treat to look at-“taUSA” in García, N.L. México. Two things about this commercial heat treat struck us as interesting’

What we saw at this location was a medium sized commercial heat treater, very clean and well organized. The facility is largely dedicated to fasteners although we did see a number of high precision gears being processed.

Slightly out of the ordinary were two rotary retort furnaces (which have largely fallen out of fashion) but which make perfect sense for processing fasteners.

The balance of the equipment included mesh belt lines and a number of batch IQ furnaces.

The General Manager of this facility is an individual by the name of “Emmanuel Ponce” and he has to be one of the happiest heat treaters we have ever met. If you ever happen to be in the Monterrey, Mexico area and want to talk heat treating give Emmanuel a call-we guarantee he will be happy to talk to you.

Oscar Comacho, SSi Mexico, Emmanuel Ponce, GM, Salvador Alvarado, GM, SSi Mexico

We reached deep into our “Heat Treat Podcast” archives and pulled out this “oldie but goodie”. In this episode our charming host, “Mr. Carlos Torres” speaks with industry legend, “Mr. Bob Fincken” of controls company “SSi” for a discussion about where furnace controls are going and where they have come from.

April 29th there will be an auction in San Antonio, Texas featuring some older vacuum furnaces, coating systems, machining centers and metal working equipment. The equipment is located at the “Meyer, MT, Texas” location, the site of a large fire August of 2025; “Massive fire near San Antonio Airport prompts second alarm response”

According to the auction notes, all of the equipment has been professionally cleaned since the fire.

While the furnaces are older models, vacuum furnaces generally sell at auction.

It is not clear whether this location is still in operation or not but it certainly appears that all of the equipment at this location is up for sale and this facility is no longer mentioned on the “Meyer” website.

About Meyer; “Meyer is a privately held, high-tech manufacturing company supplying a variety of precision components to the aerospace and gas turbine engine industries. The company began as Meyer Tool & Die in 1951, and has evolved over the years into an industry leader in turbine technologies, vertically integrated and offering all post casting processes as the trusted manufacturing partner. Meyer currently has over 1,400 electrical discharge machining (EDM) machines (wire, ram, and fast hole drilling). Meyer not only specializes in EDM, but also waterjet machining, conventional machining, abrasive grinding, laser machining and welding, EB welding, coating, airflow testing and other processes required to be the trusted manufacturing partner for airfoils and other hot section turbine components.”