In May of 2020 “The Monty Heat Treat News” posted a very interesting press release about Ipsen supplying the largest horizontal vacuum furnace in the UK, a unit with working dimensions of 1200mm X 1200mm X 2400mm (48″ X 48″ X 96″). Next week we will be seeing this system in person and will be able to provide some more details. This is in addition to visiting a number of other captive heat treaters and industry suppliers.
“May 2020 Posting, Krohne UK Installs Largest Horizontal Vacuum Furnace in the UK; Captive heat treater and supplier of industrial process instrumentation Krohne has just installed the largest horizontal vacuum furnace in the UK. The furnace which was supplied by Ipsen, has working dimensions of 1200mm x 1200mm x 2400mm with an all moly hot zone and 6 bar quenching. It was installed by Vacuum & Atmosphere Services who have just completed the installation with commissioning planned for next week. Mike Long of VAS has these comments;
We are proud to announce the delivery, install & build up of the UK’s largest horizontal vacuum furnace! VAS furnace engineers have completed the build up within 6 days & now ready for commissioning. We would like to thank all of our engineers for their hard work completing the build up & install during these challenging times. For all furnace requirements, both vacuum & atmosphere, please feel free to enquire by email at [email protected] or via telephone on +44 (0) 121 544 4385. Alternatively check out our website for all services & products provided including refurbished vacuum furnace, furnace spares & furnace servicing. https://www.vacat.co.uk/
Darren Hawes, Production Engineering Manager at Krohne has this to say; Excellent work from VAS to get the furnace installed during the Pandemic after being asked to take over full control due to travel restrictions by Ipsen. Getting the largest lorry into the factory was something to behold. Looking forward to seeing VAS fully commission the furnace and to continue working with them for years to come. Mike has ensured a very smooth process between Krohne and Ipsen from the offset.”
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From the ongoing ASM Heat Treat show in St. Louis, MO we have these images.
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“Furnace manufacturer McLaughlin Furnace Group was awarded a complete IQ rebuild and two smoke incinerators with heat treater Dependable Metal Treating located in Kendallville, IN., USA. The Batch IQ has a load size of 30″ x 48″ x 30”. This is the fifth IQ rebuild that McLaughlin has completed for Dependable in the last seven years. Dependable has a great team in place that makes projects run seamlessly. McLaughlin looks forward to continuing this relationship for years to come.
“For businesses, downtime can be a stressful time. You need service providers and suppliers you can trust to keep your equipment up and running. For the last 7 years McLaughlin Furnace Group has been a solid supplier for us at Dependable Metal Treating. Through many existing rebuilds and completely remanufactured IQs; McLaughlin Furnace Group is definitely a supplier we can trust. The brand-new McLaughlin Tru-Mix Generator has made everything simple for us; once set up, our crew only has to monitor it, it’s just wonderful. The Tru-Mix has been a great addition to our shop. From the word go; the team at McLaughlin is with us every step of the way. We are very pleased with the high level of quality service provided by McLaughlin and this is a partnership we look forward to having for years to come.”-Dependable Metal Treating
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The 31st Heat Treating Society Conference & Exhibition being held in St. Louis, MO., USA opened today and will span 2 1/2 days from September 14th to the 16th. ASM always does a fine job of organizing these events and in our opinion this bi-annual event is the premium heat treating exhibition in North America. However this year the Exhibition has opened to very disappointing attendance, which can largely be attributed to the rising COVID cases in MO.
However another recurring theme which we have heard from a number of attendees (or potential attendees) has to do with the timing of the event. It is being held at the same time as several other shows in Chicago and Detroit, Rapid, Fab Tech and Battery show each of which attracts some of the same visitors as ASM.
This was only the first day of the exhibition and things can change, however history tells us the first day of these events is generally the best attended.
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Based in the Netherlands, Aalberts Industries is one of the largest commercial heat treaters in Europe and North America, (to find out how they compare in size in North America to other commercial heat treaters this link will take you to “The Monty Heat Treat News” ranking for 2021 https://themonty.com/project/5
This brings us to Mr. Geert Janssen who was recently appointed Managing Director Europe Heat Treatment. Geert has a long, distinguished career in the commercial heat treatment industry which includes over 10 years with Aalberts and previous to that a number of years with Bodycote.
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For 25 years “The Monty Heat Treat News” has published a list of the most influential people in the North American Heat Treating Industry, the 2021 list can be found at 40 Most Influential People in The North American Heat Treating Industry 2021 | The Monty At #4 on our list we find a young fellow by the name of Mr. Shlok Sundaresh who at the time of publication was working with TS USA in Ohio (he is now with Tosoh SMD). As it turns out we are not the only organization to recognize his abilities, according to this report Shlok will be receiving the 2021 ASM HTS/Surface Combustion Emerging Leader Award at this weeks ASM event.
Mr. Shlok Sundaresh Engineering Manager – North America Techniques Surface USA (TS USA – HEF Group)
Dear Shlok:
I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as the recipient of the 2021 ASM HTS/Surface Combustion Emerging Leader Award. Established in 2013, the award recognizes an outstanding early to mid-career heat treating professional whose accomplishments exhibit exceptional achievements in the heat treating industry.
The award acknowledges an individual who sets the “highest standards” for HTS participation and inspires others to dedicate themselves to the advancement and promotion of vacuum and atmosphere heat treating technologies. The award is sponsored by Surface Combustion Inc. and includes a check for $4,000.
You are being recognized for “For outstanding leadership and technical expertise in heat treatment, especially in development and application of nitriding/nitrocarburizing technologies across diverse market segments such as automotive, industrial machinery and oil & gas.” The award presentation will be made at the HTS General Membership Meeting, scheduled in conjunction with the ASM Heat Treating Society Conference and Exposition, to be held in St. Louis, MO, September 13-16, 2021.
Sincerely, Eric L. Hutton President, HTS
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“The Monty Heat Treat News” has been very clear about why heat treating around the world is languishing these days-the chip shortage which has resulted in a massive slow down in automotive heat treating, the largest heat treating segment in the world. This article from the “Detroit Free Press” explains what the strategy of auto makers is to combat this issue, an issue which has resulted in short and medium term shut downs of captive and commercial heat treaters around the world.
Along the same lines while Japanese automakers had the foresight to stockpile chip parts, that stockpile has largely dissipated leaving them in the same situation as all other auto companies around the world.
“GM build-shy strategy has tens of thousands of vehicles parked awaiting chip parts; In late January, retired General Motors employee Joseph Jones bought a 2021 GMC Sierra full-size pickup after having driven his 2004 Sierra for 17 years. Jones, 68, tracked the production of the new light-duty pickup in cherry red from his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He saw that it was built on Feb. 15 at GM’s Silao Assembly Plant in Mexico, so he eagerly awaited its arrival any day.
But as of May 5, Jones’ pickup remained in Mexico, parked alongside thousands of other GM pickups built shy of the final parts needed to complete them because of a global semiconductor chip shortage. “I am getting more aggravated by the day,” Jones said. “The customers are stuck in the middle and I would love better communication through General Motors. I know everybody has been in the same situation, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Nissan … everybody has been held hostage by the shortage of this chip.”
GM is running what the industry has called a build-shy strategy, where it builds as much of its vehicles as it can, less the parts that require the chips. It is storing tens of thousands of incompletely-built pickups, SUVs and vans in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Texas and Mexico, several people familiar with GM’s production told the Free Press.
“We’ve been doing (build-shy) for a few months,” said UAW Local 2209 Shop Chairman Rich LeTourneau at Fort Wayne Assembly in Indiana, where GM also builds full-size light-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. “We have about 15,000 trucks parked now.”
GM declined to confirm figures, but said its build-shy strategy benefits customers, dealers and employees because it keeps the assembly lines humming, building its most in-demand and profitable vehicles. But some, including dealers and Wall Street, worry about the impact of the chip crisis on business if it continues much longer. On Wednesday, when GM reported strong first-quarter earnings, GM CEO Mary Barra assured investors that GM is managing the crisis and foresees it resolving during the third and fourth quarters.”
Article continues at; GM build-shy strategy has hordes of vehicles parked awaiting chips (freep.com)
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“Ismail Vahora joins ZF Axel Drives Marysville, LLC as a “Principal Engineer – Metallurgical” effective September 08, 2021” “The Monty Heat Treat News” can add that this location has a large in house heat treatment department consisting primarily of a number of “Williams” pusher lines.
In February 2009, he joined Dayton Lamina Inc. / Dayton Progress Corporation, Inc OH USA (MISUMI Japan based company) as a Chief Metallurgist and he introduced different types of PVD coatings to extend tools’ life that resulted into high profitability. In May 2016, he joined ALD Thermal Treatment Inc. Port Huron, MI USA (ALD Germany base company) in the capacity of a CHIEF METALLURGIST and earned recognition as a most competent metallurgist in the area of Thermal Treatment, Research and Development, Product Development, Process Development, Quality Systems and Technical Sales and Marketing. He introduced Vacuum Nitriding and FNC treatment and developed a new market for automotive sector and secured a long-term contract from GM.
Today September 08, 2021, he has joined ZF Axel Drives Marysville, LLC, MI USA as a “Principal Engineer – Metallurgical” and going to render his services as a Heat Treatment Specialist. ZF Axel Drives Marysville, LLC is a very large facility in the automotive sector, having a work force of over 900 employees in a 600,000 square feet area facility with annual business revenue of $700M. This is IATF 16949, ISO140001 and ISO 180001 certified facility of very high reputation. Ismail’s email is [email protected] and mobile 810-824-7003.
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To go with this very interesting press release we have this photo of Mr. Thomas Crafton, the former President & CEO of Thermcraft along with Gord Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News”. Thomas unfortunately passed away in 2020.
“Alloy Engineering, a diverse fabricator specializing in high[1]temperature & corrosion-resistant alloys, has acquired Thermcraft Inc., a leading manufacturer of high[1]quality thermal processing equipment. The official announcement was made when Nancy Crafton, widow of former President & CEO, Thomas Crafton, shared the details of the acquisition with the Thermcraft family and introduced them to the new Thermcraft owners.
“Selling Thermcraft was easier knowing it’s going to a company that respects it’s history and values it’s employees like Alloy Engineering does. Tom would be happy to know there is a bright future for Thermcraft,” said Nancy Crafton. The acquisition of Thermcraft Inc. fits into Alloy Engineering’s strategy to expand their high temperature product offering. By purchasing Thermcraft Inc., Alloy Engineering can leverage their expertise in high temperature alloys along with Thermcraft’s expertise in ceramics and heaters to deliver some innovative products to both existing and new customers and markets. “I am excited and eager to take the reputation built by the Crafton family along with the Thermcraft employees and grow it to the next level.
By merging the core competencies of both companies and taking innovative solutions to market, we will provide a solid future for both of our companies,” said Lee Watson, President & CEO of Alloy Engineering. About Alloy Engineering Since 1943, Alloy Engineering, located in Berea, Ohio, has been an innovative leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality alloy equipment for high-temperature and corrosive industrial applications in installations around the world. Built on a foundation of engineering, fabrication and high-temperature materials expertise, Alloy serves customer in a variety of applications and industries including Aerospace, Chemical Processing, Heat Treat, Powder Metals, Steel & Metal Process, and Power Gen. Media Contact: Maryann Remner Vice President, Sales & Marketing Alloy Engineering.”
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In this weeks episode of “The Heat Treat Podcast” our host Mr. Carlos Torres talks oil cooler technology with Mr. George Smith of SBS Corp. If you have an interesting topic that you feel would be of interest to heat treaters please let Gord Montgomery know [email protected]
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