April 5/2026 “The Monty” had an exclusive story entitled; “Boeing Invests $7 Million in 2 Bottom Loading Vacuum Furnaces”. The story made for fascinating reading for anybody in the heat treatment industry, this prompted “The Monty” to dig a little deeper into the story and get a few more details about the equipment and the order.
To this end we approached “Mr. Dave Farmery”, President of “Vac Aero” with a few questions-here are his answers;
  2. The press release had very few technical details about the furnaces themselves. Can you share with us some information about the size of the furnaces, capacity hot zone etc?
    Both systems are designed for high-performance aerospace applications and long-term operational reliability.
  3. Why Vac Aero? Certainly I know that few vacuum furnace builders have the aerospace experience that your company has but at the end of the day the competition for this order must have been fierce. What made Boeing decide to go with your company?
    One telling example is that Boeing is still operating a Vac Aero furnace that has been running at peak performance for over 35 years. We’ve supported that system throughout its life with hot-zone replacements, control upgrades, and spare-parts support. Customer service and lifecycle support are core to how this Vac Aero grows.
    Additionally, our expertise in vacuum oil quenching is truly second to none. On the service side, Vac Aero has processed more than 50,000 shipsets of Boeing landing gear, and that legacy performance was a key differentiator in this decision.
  4. Will these be the largest bottom load vacuum furnaces Vac Aero has ever built?
  5. My impression is that 2026 is shaping up to be a very good year for you, how many new furnace orders are you forecasting for 2026?
Who would have thought that Artificial Intelligence centers would cause new vacuum furnace orders to go through the roof? That is exactly what has been happening recently-“The Monty” has run across several vacuum manufacturers who report having received orders due to this increased demand. 
AI centers required massive, continuous (24/7), and highly variable power which in many cases leaves only one solution, gas turbines. The advantages of gas turbines are obvious; they can be deployed in 12-24 months and can ramp up to full power in a matter of minutes, claims which most other power sources can’t boast of.
 
Gas turbine manufacturers such as “Siemens”, “GE” and “Mitsubishi” all maintain large in-house heat-treating departments, primarily focused on vacuum brazing furnaces. As demand grows for gas turbines so to does the need for vacuum furnaces.
 
As an example of increased demand “Siemens Energy” nearly doubled its gas turbine sales from 100 units in 2024 to 194 in 2025.
 
Not to be outdone “Mitsubishi” is planning on doubling it’s production capacity by 2027 to meet this increasing demand.
 
While new gas turbines can be on line within 12-24 months the increased demand is causing a “bottleneck” in the production of new turbines with deliveries inching up to 6-8 years for some models.
 
A good example of a gas turbine supplier and their heat-treating requirements is “GE Gas Turbine” in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. In 2024 “The Monty Heat Treat News” rated this location as the 14th largest captive heat treater in North America; “15 Largest Captive Heat Treats-North America” with a total of 16 vacuum furnaces at that time. 
 
You will be hearing more on this subject in the near future from “The Monty”. 
“One device instead of four. A European manufacturer from the defense sector chooses SECO/WARWICK vacuum technology; 

This Partner has decided on a groundbreaking modernization of its heat treatment processes by placing an order with SECO/WARWICK for a Vector (HPGQ) vacuum furnace equipped with high-pressure gas quenching at 15 bar abs. Importantly, the selected solution will replace four separate technological installations originally planned.

Thanks to consultations and process trials conducted jointly with the SECO/WARWICK team, the Partner became convinced that all required operations can be performed in a single, versatile vacuum furnace. This translates into significant investment cost savings, simplified production and higher process efficiency.

The technology selection process was consultative in nature and included a series of technical meetings and technological trials. Initially, the customer planned to purchase a vacuum furnace with oil quenching, being convinced that only such a solution would meet their technological requirements.

The furnace will be used to heat treat components used in the production of high-precision small arms, intended primarily for the civilian market (sport shooting, hunting), as well as in versions adapted for uniformed services.
According to the original assumptions, the production process would have required four separate devices: an oil quenching furnace, a tempering furnace, a cryogenic unit and a washing system to clean parts after oil quenching.
However, a joint technological analysis conducted by SECO/WARWICK’s sales team and research and development department demonstrated that all these processes can be performed in a single device. Successful trials in a vacuum furnace with gas quenching confirmed that the proposed solution meets the customer’s technological requirements while significantly simplifying the entire production process.
“Projects like this clearly show how important technological consulting and a partnership-based approach to the customer are. Initially, several separate devices were considered, each handling subsequent stages of the process. After analysis and technological testing, it turned out that all these operations can be carried out in a single vacuum furnace with gas quenching. This means not only substantial investment savings but also simplified production, shorter process times and reduced labor requirements. For the Partner, it is also the first step toward modern vacuum processes and moving away from the atmospheric technologies previously used,” said Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK.”
“Solar Atmospheres, the largest American-owned heat treater in the United States, is proud to support NASA’s Artemis II mission. Our expertise spans thermal processing of raw materials, nickel-based tubing, and critical aerospace components—playing a vital role in bringing next-generation space technology to life. At the core of some of these components is the 6Al–4V titanium Launch Abort System (LAS), one of the most complex safety systems ever engineered.
 
The LAS aboard the Orion spacecraft functions as a rocket capable of outrunning another rocket in an emergency. In the event of a catastrophic launch anomaly, its manifold enables the abort motor to ignite and safely propel the crew module away from the rocket. Designed to endure extreme conditions with zero margin for error, the LAS represents the pinnacle of aerospace safety and performance. Solar Atmospheres is honored to contribute to this mission-critical technology, providing the precision, reliability, and advanced thermal processing that space exploration demands.”
Welcome to the April, 2026 edition of “The Monty Heat Treat News” for 30 years the most up to date heat treatment industry news source on the planet. Some news and trends we are following in this edition include these;
 
Our news section is always complimented by a very complete and up to date list of quality surplus heat treatment equipment. As few recent additions include these;
 
 
As always the entire team at “The Monty” looks forward to your thoughts and comments. Sincerely, Gord, Jordan & Dale Montgomery.
“The Monty Heat Treat News” is part of WG Montgomery Ltd., a family owned business serving the heat treatment industry since 1969. We can be reached at 705 259-3650. [email protected]
Advertising inquiries can be addressed to; Jordan Montgomery, [email protected] 
In 2025 commercial heat treater “Vacu Braze” of Quakertown, PA, USA was named as one of the “52 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treaters”  by “The Monty Heat Treat News”. In spite of this very impressive achievement the firm is not “sitting on their laurels”, rather this achievement seems to have spurred the company on to even bigger and better things-“Gord Montgomery” of “The Monty” was able to witness first hand some of these new investments just last week. 
 
Founded in 1981 by “Mr. Ralph Puerta” (who remains on the board of directors) the company has followed a fairly typical path followed by most commercial heat treaters in that from rather humble beginnings the company has invested and grown over the years to their current size which includes over 40 employees in an almost 60,000 square foot building (we do feel compelled to add that while this path is common for many commercial heat treaters, few are as successful at it as Vacu Braze). 
 
While the name “Vacu Braze” suggests a facility focused almost entirely on vacuum work this is not entirely the case. It is certainly true that the company has a very impressive number of vacuum furnaces (24 at last count with up to 12 bar quenching) but it also boasts a number of atmosphere furnaces, complimented by several nitriding furnaces. 
 
While “Vacu Braze” has been successful for a number of reasons, a top one is that the company has chosen to service what are “growth” industries these days, Defense, Medical and Power Generation-all industries showing robust growth these days. To be able to service these industries “Vacu Braze” has NADCAP, AS9100 and ISO 13485 certifications. 
 

                         New Pit Nitrider

“Vacu Braze” saw a change of management in 2026 with “Mr. Kirk Palermo”, who has 20 years’ experience in the industry taking the position of President earlier this year. As previously mentioned, the founder of the company “Mr. Ralph Puerta” has moved on to the board of directors. Ralph has this to say about Kirk’s new position;
 
“I can’t be prouder of the job Kirk has done over the years for this company. He has shown initiative, ambition and incredible foresight, all of which has lead the company into a very strong growth position”.
 
In the introduction to this story, we spoke about the firm making major investments in 2026. One obvious one is the brand new 18,000 square foot addition. Another one is the addition of a new pit, gas nitriding system with working dimensions of 48″ X 108″ deep-a photo of which is included in this press release. What we have not mentioned is the fact that the company has also made very impressive investments in other thermal processing systems-investments which we have to mention down the road a bit. Look forward to an update of this story. 
Gord Montgomery Kirk Palermo
Kirk Palermo, Ralph Puerta
(Editors Note; February 19th of this year “The Monty” had a news story entitled “North American Furnace Builder Changing Sales Direction”. In this story we spoke about how furnace builder “Aichelin” has been making changes to their outside sales network. According to this press release the firm recently hired “Mr. Damon Bizuka” formerly with vacuum furnace builder “Furnacare” to handle their sales efforts in the US southeast. Formerly this area was covered by the very competent team at independent sales rep firm “CF Thermal”).  “Aichelin Americas welcomes Damon Bizuka as Business Development Manager – Southeast.
 
In this role, Damon will be responsible for supporting customers across Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, focusing on the sale of:
 
• Large, custom-engineered heat treatment systems
• Advanced automation solutions
• Equipment rebuilds, modifications, and relocations
• Products and projects across the full Aichelin Americas portfolio Damon brings over a decade of experience in technical sales, sales engineering, and business development, with deep expertise in vacuum furnaces, metallurgy, and complex engineered systems. His background includes successfully growing new territories and delivering strong results in highly technical, consultative environments.”
(Editors Note: This press release comes from “Mr. Dave Farmery”, President of vacuum furnace builder and commercial heat treater “Vac Aero”. Dave is justifiably very proud of this recent order from “Boeing”). 
 
“Boeing is committing $7 million CAD to VAC AERO International Inc. through the CP8A Poseidon Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) program. This investment supports the purchase of two advanced vacuum furnaces for Boeing’s Tube, Duct and Reservoir Center in Algona, Washington—strengthening heat‑treat capability for critical tube and duct assemblies across multiple Boeing aircraft programs.
 
At the award ceremony, we were pleased to be joined by Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry; Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North—Burlington; Adam van Koeverden, MP Burlington North; Karina Gould, MP Burlington; and Al Meinzinger, President of Boeing Canada Operations Limited. Their presence highlighted the importance of collaboration between industry, government, and international partners in delivering outcomes that matter for Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the continued support of Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC)Association des industries aérospatiales du Canada, Ontario Aerospace Council (Natasha Gagnon), Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) (Phil Arthurs), and valued partners Carpedia International and Gord Montgomery
 
Our relationship with Boeing dates back to 1965, beginning with the original 737 program. Today, every Boeing aircraft includes landing‑gear components heat treated at our Oakville facility using vacuum furnaces manufactured in our Burlington facility. With more than 50,000 landing‑gear units processed to date, this work supports thousands of safe takeoffs and landings daily worldwide, enabled by Canadian manufacturing excellence, precision, and reliability. We are proud of the trust placed in us by Héroux-Devtek, Collins Aerospace, and Safran Landing Systems.
 
This CP‑8A Poseidon–linked ITB investment directly supports Canada’s Defence Procurement Strategy by anchoring advanced manufacturing, highly skilled jobs, and critical expertise in Canada. It strengthens allied supply chains, supports NATO interoperability, and reinforces Canada’s role within trusted transatlantic defence frameworks, including the European Union’s SAFE program while enabling partner like Boeing to meet defence readiness and sustainment objectives.
 
This investment represents far more than new equipment. It reflects enduring partnerships, proven capability, and confidence in Canadian advanced manufacturing. Most importantly, it reflects the dedication and expertise of the Vac Aero team, whose commitment makes achievements like this possible.
 
We are proud to support the CP‑8A Poseidon program and to continue contributing to Canada’s leadership in global aerospace and defence.”
(Editors Note; Bodycote is the world’s largest commercial heat treater and this new facility will strengthen their already strong position in the Mexican heat treatment market). 
 
“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.”
Due to the “Good Friday” Easter Holiday the offices of “The Monty Heat Treat News” will be closed on Friday April 3/2026. Regular news updates will resume Monday, April 6th/2026.