From time to time “The Monty Heat Treat News” searches through our archives for photos of some of the most interesting heat treats from around the world. Today’s edition comes from Istanbul, Turkey and features what is quite possibly the highest heat treat department in the world. Donusum Isil Islem in Istanbul, Turkey is a captive heat treater who does heat treating for their parent company who offers various types of steels.  This location provides hardening, vacuum hardening and gas nitriding all on the 6th floor of their warehouse and office building near Istanbul. Why on earth the heat treat is located on the top floor of the building is beyond us as is how they even got the furnaces up there in the first place. When we visited the facility a few years back it was in the company of Matt Cross of SSi Europe-you can see Matt in the one photo. Other photos also show a very impressive and fairly new Schmetz 10 bar vacuum furnace, the outside of the building with the heat treat on the top floor and another hardening system already in place. So if you are ever asked what is the highest captive heat treat department in the world you can proudly hold your hand up high and say with a high degree of certainty “Donusum Isil Islem in Istanbul, Turkey on the 6th floor”.

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“L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. has delivered a high-uniformity box furnace to a worldwide, leading valve manufacturer located in the southeastern United States. The L&L model XLE 244 is a front-loading, refractory-lined box furnace and has an effective work zone of 22” wide by 22” high by 20” deep. There is a horizontal double-pivoted door with a safety power cutoff switch. A ceramic hearth and standoffs are provided as a workspace.

The XLE 244 is equipped with solid-state relays for fast, quite cycle times to offer good control. These are housed in a NEMA 1 control panel with single-point power connection. All required fusing and interconnections are included. The control system is driven by a Honeywell program control with an overtemperature control to prevent the furnace from overfiring. A digital round single-input chart recorder keeps accurate recordings of the furnace process temperature. The Kanthal Iron Aluminum Chrome coiled elements located on the sides, back and door are controlled in two zones for balancing of temperature gradients from top to bottom.”

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Don Jessome, Maintenance Manager for the past 10 years with H & S Heat Treating has retired. H & S is based in Port Robinson, Ontario, Canada and is one of Canada’s largest commercial heat treaters. The company has a mix of equipment which includes batch IQ furnaces, continuous furnaces and Induction hardening equipment to name a few. “The Monty Heat Treat News” worked with Don a fair bit over the years and can say he is a good man and his experience will be missed.

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Want to know how large commercial heat treater Paulo is? “The Monty Heat Treat News” ranked the firm as one of the largest in North America https://themonty.com/project/50-largest-north-american-commercial-heat-treats-2021-2/

“Chris Manago Joins Paulo as Kansas City Plant Manager Paulo is proud to announce Chris Manago joining the Paulo team as Kansas City Plant Manager. Chris is a Wisconsin native and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout for both of his bachelor and masters degrees. Chris has a background in thermal management manufacturing including areas of Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Leadership.

Tee Rassieur, VP of Operations, remarked, “I am excited to have Chris’ energy and operations leadership join the team and Paulo family.  He has had a strong track record of implementing lean practices, committing to superior customer service, and developing teams.” Chris completed his onboarding at the St. Louis Plant with guidance from Tim Mohr, Senior Director of Operations & Strategy, and has joined the Kansas City team. Chris added, “I am excited to be part of the Paulo team and look forward to working with the many dedicated and knowledgeable members for years to come!”

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Paulo, Cleveland, Ohio

​Since 1999 “The Monty” has been publishing annually a list of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America based upon annual sales, our 2021 list can be found at https://themonty.com/articles/50-largest-north-american-commercial-heat-treats-2021-2/ This year readers will see we became much more ambitious and expanded the list to the 50 largest. In our 21st spot we have Hansen Balk, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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

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Advanced Heat Treat Corp., based in Waterloo, Iowa, USA recently posted to their website an interesting little article about how manufacturers can save a few dollars when sending heat treating out to a commercial heat treater. Some of these thoughts are relatively obvious but others we would not have thought of. We would consider it a good, quick read.  5 Cost Savings Tips for Heat Treat (ahtcorp.com)

“We continue to see costs rise – the cost of material, the price of oil, the expense of chrome plating, etc. Due to this, many businesses are assessing their bottomline and trying to figure out additional ways to reduce expenses and save money. In this blog, we’ll offer five tips to help you save money as it relates to heat treating. As always, please contact your AHT representative for details and quotes.

COST SAVINGS TIP #1: Lot Size / Price Per Piece

Most heat treatment is specified with a piece-price and/or a minimum lot charge. The piece price is the cost to treat an individual part. The minimum lot charge is the smallest transaction the heat treater is quoting, regardless of the number of pieces you are sending. How the minimum lot charge works, for example, if a part is priced at $6.00 each and the minimum lot size is $900:

It is usually in the buyer’s best interest to maximize the number of pieces in a lot.

NOTE: If you have a high minimum lot charge, it likely means your work is running by itself. If it can be included with other parts, it may save you money. This may not be an option for very specific orders.

COST SAVINGS TIP #2: Masking

While induction hardening can selectively treat (and not treat) specific areas of a part, other heat treatments require masking (or tooling) to do this. You can save money on this added labor a couple different ways:

a.) you can avoid the expense altogether by masking the part yourself

b.) consider what actually needs to be masked and specify with simplicity in mind.

TIP: If you want your parts to be returned with or without the masking paint, please specify this on your purchase order. This may impact the price.

COST SAVINGS TIP #3: Freight

Heat treatment is often the last operation prior to assembly. Instead of shipping back to you, we can often drop ship directly to your end customer. This saves time and freight cost.

Communicating when your parts will arrive can also help to reduce your costs. For instance, if your work can run with something else, we might be able to delay that run until your parts arrive.

COST SAVINGS TIP #4: Set-Up Fees

Induction hardening is not a batch process, and similar to a machine shop, when you change jobs, you are “breaking set-up.” Because of this, set-up fees are common in induction hardening. You can often reduce your per-piece cost by increasing the number of parts you send.

COST SAVINGS TIP #5: Packaging

Unless specified, it is assumed that parts will be returned in the same packaging they are received. Using reusable dunnage can be a great cost saver as there are fewer boxes to dispose of and fewer damaged parts. Pre-racking can also be a significant cost savings.

We continue to see costs rise – the cost of material, the price of oil, the expense of chrome plating, etc. Due to this, many businesses are assessing their bottomline and trying to figure out additional ways to reduce expenses and save money. In this blog, we’ll offer five tips to help you save money as it relates to heat treating. As always, please contact your AHT representative for details and quotes.

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May of 2021 we posted a very interesting rumor which was floating around the North American heat treatment industry, basically the rumor stated that a North American based company was investing well over $10 million dollars in new furnaces. “The Monty Heat Treat News” did some investigating and found that the rumor was indeed true and involved a Canadian company by the name of Exco Technologies, a manufacturer of precision dies. This news item can be found at Exco Technologies to Make Large Investment in Captive Heat Treat Dept.-Find Out Why | The Monty We now have a footnote to this story, a footnote which provides a very interesting connection with one of the largest commercial heat treaters in Europe.

The press release below states that Exco Technologies has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the extrusion die business of Halex Holdings in Germany. Halex Holdings has two divisions, the extrusion die division and a commercial heat treat division which goes under the name Haertha Hardening Industries. Haertha is ranked by “The Monty Heat Treat News” as the 6th largest commercial heat treater in Europe Largest European Commercial Heat Treaters | The Monty Over the years we have had several press releases about Haertha Hardening Industries, which from experience we can say is a progressive, forward looking company with some very impressive heat treatment technologies. We certainly can’t speculate about the company’s future plans but it would appear that the company is in a strong cash position.

We are going to leave you with photos from two of the Haertha facilities in Germany which “The Monty Heat Treat News” has been privileged to visit over the years.

“TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Exco Technologies Limited (TSX-XTC, OTCQX-EXCOF) a global supplier of innovative technologies servicing the die-cast, extrusion and automotive industries, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the extrusion dies business of Halex Holdings GmbH (“Halex® Extrusion Dies”). The transaction is expected to close in the spring of 2022. “This acquisition will provide us with well-established and high-quality operations, manufacturing complex extrusion dies in Europe and will also allow us to better support our global customers”, said Nick Gnatyuk, Vice President and General Manager of Exco’s Extrusion Group. “We have been looking to expand into Europe for some time and we see Halex as the perfect fit”.

Halex Extrusion Dies was founded in 1990 and operates four key manufacturing locations – two in Germany and two in the northern industrial region of Italy. The company is the second largest manufacturer of aluminium extrusion dies in Europe and the continent’s leading supplier of complex extrusion dies. Halex will complement Exco’s six existing extrusion die operations, located in Canada, USA (2), Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. The transaction is valued at €40 million (C$58 million equivalent) on an enterprise value basis and will be funded with a combination of cash on hand and available bank lines. Halex will add almost €40 million in annual sales and is expected to be immediately accretive to Exco’s earnings per share. Exco will report the results of Halex within its Casting and Extrusion segment.

“The acquisition of Halex is a unique opportunity to add a strategic asset that will accelerate Exco’s growth and sustainability objectives”, said Darren Kirk, President and CEO of Exco. “We look forward to welcoming all Halex employees to Exco”.

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One of the world’s largest new furnace builders, AICHELIN Holding GmbH has just appointed a new CEO as we can see in this very interesting press release.

AICHELIN Group – Change in Holding management

“An experienced industry manager, Dipl. Ing. Christian Grosspointner will take over from Dr. Peter Schobesberger in the coming weeks, taking charge of the future shaping of the global player specializing in heat treatment. Dr. Schobesberger will resign after over 23 years with the company, during which he held various management positions at AICHELIN. Under his leadership, the group has advanced to one of the largest international heat treatment specialists in the industry.

It’s the end of an era at AICHELIN. Dr. Peter Schobesberger, who has overseen the long-established company for 23 years, and who was acting most recently as CEO of AICHELIN Group since 2011, will go into well-earned retirement in summer 2022. He will, however, remain connected to the company, by becoming part of the advisory board of AICHELIN Holding as of March 2023. His place as CEO of AICHELIN Holding GmbH will be taken by Dipl. Ing. Christian Grosspointner, a trained industrial engineer with a wide range of experience in the management of manufacturing companies in the international mechanical and plant engineering industry as well as in metal processing.

“With Christian Grosspointner, we were able to find an expert with experience in the industry and with proven management qualities, who will continue our successful international path. This succession has been thoroughly planned, and I am very happy to pass on the company to such capable hands,” says Peter Schobesberger, outgoing CEO of AICHELIN Group.

Christian Grosspointner has joined the company in early March; the hand over will be a continuous transition until the summer. “I am very excited to be taking over the management of such a long-established company, and to foster the advancement of AICHELIN Group and its subsidiaries together with such an experienced team,” says Christian Grosspointner.

Like his predecessor, the designated CEO is from Upper Austria; he is married and has three children. In his free time, he enjoys sports; he is a passionate marathon runner and loves going on ski tours.”

Christian Grosspointner will take over the management of AICHELIN Group from Peter Schobesberger, who will retire in summer 2022 (from left to right).

After 23 years with the company, Peter Schobesberger will hand over the management of AICHELIN Group to Christian Grosspointner (from left to right).

 Christian Grosspointner, Msc, will become the new CEO of AICHELIN Group.

About AICHELIN Group.  As part of Berndorf AG, AICHELIN Group is a leading provider of heat treatment solutions, such as industrial furnaces, induction hardening plants, industrial gas burners systems, control and automation systems, industry-4.0 solutions as well as services. The AICHELIN headquarters are located in Mödling near Vienna. The company’s roots date back to 1868. The long -established brand AICHELIN, as well as AFC-Holcroft, EMA Indutec, SAFED, BOSIO and NOXMAT, make up the group and together employ more than 1,000 people. AICHELIN Group ranges among the world’s top 3 heat treatment companies. AICHELIN’s subsidiaries in Europe are located in Austria, France, Germany, Slovenia and Switzerland; the worldwide presence of the company includes subsidiaries and branch offices in China, India and the US, as well as a sales network in 22 more countries. www.aichelin.com

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In this edition of “The Heat Treat Podcast” our ever enthusiastic and charming host Mr. Carlos Torres talks about “Energy & Burner Technologies” with one of the world’s experts. Mr. Thomas Dopler is Chief Technology Officer for quite possibly the world’ largest furnace builder “Aichelin” of Moedling, Austria.

Just yesterday we spoke of Thomas CO2 Emissions and the Heat Treatment Industry | The Monty and how “The Monty Heat Treat News” will be working with Thomas closely on the subject of CO2 emissions in the global heat treatment industry.

Remember all of our “Heat Treat Podcasts” can be found archived Magazine & Podcasts | The Monty

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For years CO2 emissions have been a very hot topic in Europe but little talked about in North America. However under the current US and Canadian administrations emissions are being discussed more and more. “The Monty Heat Treat News” would be derelict in our duties if we did not look into what impact CO2 emissions will have on the heat treatment industry and so we turned to one of the foremost experts in the heat treatment industry, our good friend Mr. Thomas Doppler of furnace builder Aichelin. Thomas recently moved into a position where he will be in charge of CO2 emissions for the entire company;

“Thomas Dopler, who has been working within AICHELIN Group in many different functions for over 13 years, is the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AICHELIN Holding GmbH. In this role, he is responsible for positioning AICHELIN Group as a technology partner of the industry to contribute to a further reduction of CO2 emissions in heat treatment. In addition Thomas also recently became Chief Executive Officer at Berndorf Innovations & Technology GmbH (Berndorf Group is the parent company of Aichelin and Berndorf Innovations & Technology).”

Over the course of the next few months Thomas will be providing us with a number of articles about the subject which will include;

In addition we are looking forward to hearing Thomas in person when he joins us for another “Heat Treat Podcast” with our host Mr. Carlos Torres.

1) Human Breathing: How much CO2 is emitted on average per person each year through Breathing?

Answer; 840 Pounds. The average human exhales about 2.3 pounds of carbon dioxide on an average day, so per year this is roughly 840 pounds.

2) CO2 absorption per tree (assuming a lifespan of 40 years); What is the average CO2 absorption of a single tree during their lifetime?

Answer: 2 Tons. The CO2 absorption capacity depends on the type of tree and the resulting density. With a few exceptions, deciduous wood has a higher density than evergreens and can therefore absorb a greater amount of CO2 over their life cycle. However a good average is that a single tree will absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. This means it will sequester approximately 2 tons of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old (note that this is a very variable number depending upon whether the tree is mature or not and the type of tree).

3) A 2021 Dodge Ram pickup truck has an average CO2 emission of 352 grams. What is the annual impact for a mileage of 15,000 miles per year?

Answer: 7 Tons of CO2. 20.000 km * 352 g/km = 7 tons of CO2

4) What is the average CO2 emission per person per year around the world? This would include all factors including breathing, manufacturing, driving, eating and travelling to name a few. 

Answer: 4 Tons. The global average is 4 tons per person but this varies geographically . The frontrunner is the state of Qatar, which recorded a value of 31.27 tons/capita in calendar year 2019. Austria emits about 6.96 tons/person, which is above the global average. USA – 16,14 tons/person. Germany – 9,15 tons/person. China – 7,95 tons/person

5) What are the approximate total CO2 emissions of a Mercedes E220d? This includes car production, fuel production, driving operation, and the end-of-life cycle.

Answer: 36 Tons. 10 years of 3 tons + 6 tons production footprint = 36 tons

6) The CO2 tax is an environmental tax on the emissions of carbon dioxide and, if applicable, other climate-relevant greenhouse gases. The aim is to reduce emissions and the resulting negative effects through levies and penalties. What is the current tax per ton of CO2 in Canada? (note that the USA and Mexico do not have carbon taxes).

Answer: Canada has a tax of $40 USD per ton. Canada currently charges $40 USD per ton with plans to raise it to $135 USD per tonne by 2030.

7) How many tons of CO2 emissions are created in the building of a typical Batch IQ (MPCF Multi Purpose Chamber Furnace)? We will use the example of a furnace with working dimensions of 36” X 48” X 36” (900 mm X 1200 X 900) , with a 3500 pound capacity (1587 kg) and which will operate at 1700F (950C). A typical furnace this size would incorporate 20 tons of steel and about 10 tons of brick insulation.

Answer: 50-60 Tons of CO2. 20 tons of steel and 10 tons of insulation equals 50 – 60 tons of CO2

 8) Using the furnace example above, a batch furnace with a weight capacity of 3500 pound capacity (1587 kg) and operating at a temperature of  1700F (950C), what would be the average CO2 emissions per year at full capacity utilization and 90% availability?

Answer: 400 Tons per Year. Depending on the process and the load size the average Batch IQ Furnace emits around 250 tons/year. However depending upon efficiency of the furnace and size of the loads this could increase to 400 tons per year.

9) By what factor is the price per kWh of electricity higher than that of gas on the Michigan market?

Answer: Michigan: [2021] industrial electricity rate industry .122 USD per/kWh industrial gas rate industry $7.58 USD per Thousand Cubic Feet.

10) What is the percentage of renewable energy in the Chinese electrical mix?

Answer: 30%. The amount of renewable energy in China has risen sharply in recent years. Currently renewable energy accounts for just under 30% of China’s energy system. By comparison, Austria has a share of just under 75% renewable energy.

11) How much CO2 does the entire global steel industry emit per year? [2020 production was 1.9 million tons of steel]

Answer: 3.9 million Tons Per Year. 2020, about 1.900 million tons of steel were produced worldwide. With an emission factor of 2, this results in 3.800 million tons of CO2 per year. Austria’s voestalpine produced  around 7.42million tons of crude steel at its production site in Linz (2019). With an emission factor of 1.678 t(Co2)/t, this results in emissions of 12.45 million tons. The national steel industry is responsible for around 10% of Austria’s CO2 emissions.

12) How many tons of CO2 emissions do all installed Aichelin industrial furnaces produce per year? (hint; in multi chamber furnaces alone Aichelin has over 3000 multi chamber furnaces installed) 150 mio. t CO2 per year

Answer: 150 million tons per year. simplified 3000 multi chamber furnaces + 600 pusher-type furnaces + 50% rest (3000*250+600*400)*1,5 = 1,485*10^6

13) How many tons of CO2 would an average user reduce their emissions by annually by converting the above-mentioned furnaces to the latest generations of Noxmat Etamat burners? (The associated increase in efficiency is around +10%)

Answer: 150,000 tons per year. With a 10% increase in burner efficiency a user would see on average a savings of 150,000 tons/year of CO2 emissions.

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