IVR, a large furnace manufacturer in Italy recently became an approved furnace supplier to FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles). The company recently delivered to FCA a continuous chamber furnace designed to stress-relieve and temper heat treat crankshaft motor parts. IVR offers a wide range of furnace types www.ivrsrl.it
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Recently we had several news items talking about how the firearms industry is booming these days and consequently the heat treating associated with it. Germany based firearm manufacturer Heckler & Kock is known around the world as a top end gun manufacturer and most or all of their locations feature in house heat treating departments as does their location in Ashburn, Virginia, USA. While we don’t have any photos of their heat treating department we do have this rather cool picture of their “Grey Room” at this facility which has to be one of the most interesting meeting rooms we have ever seen (although the Remington Arms location in Utica, NY also has a very impressive museum of gun history. We mentioned Remington earlier this year as the plant and their captive heat treating department will be moving to the southern USA).
While we are speaking about firearm heat treating we should mention gun manufacturer Glock in Smyrna, Georgia, USA. This facility is also booming and we have these photos of part of the heat treating department. What you are looking at are Rubig built Plasma and vacuum nitriders in a very clean, in house heat treating department.
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Today starts the 2020 Furnaces North America show which of course like every other show is “virtual”. We are into “uncharted waters” on this format and it will be interesting to see what the response is. At “The Monty” we have been treated to a preview by a couple of the exhibitors and it is obvious that a lot of work has gone into this, but a show where you can’t actually meet in person doesn’t feel right. We will attend and give you our impressions later this week.
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September 24th we had a news item entitled “Heat Treating Mexico-Globalization to Regionalization”. The item was about a commercial heat treater in Mexico who was finding business to be very good partially because US manufacturers appear to be bringing their supply chains closer to home-namely reducing their reliance on Chinese companies. The company is HT-MX and the founder and CEO of the company, Mr. Humberto Ramos Fernández is providing us with these comments. It is interesting to note that he is also looking at partners to help him expand the company.
Around 8 years ago, having identified a gap in northern Mexico´s supply chain, two local industrial companies joined forces and founded the region´s first heat treat supplier-HT-MX. Since then, HT-MX has been working on establishing a reliable operation. That included getting its AS9100D certification and just last year becoming Mexico’s only commercial NADCAP heat treat plant for controlled atmosphere heat treatments. Additionally, HT-MX is Honeywell´s only approved heat treat in the country and are currently very close (last stages) to finishing a couple of other OEM approvals.
Additionally, HT-MX recently became Latin America’s first Hot Isostatic Pressing supplier with the acquisition of a brand new HIP press which will be added to its NADCAP scope in a couple of months. HT-MX is currently validating the HIP process while working along side the OEM it will be supplying, (this marks the first time that this process will be done outside the US for them). But HT-MX´s markets go beyond aerospace, it also serves the automotive industry as well as the Oil & Gas industry among others. HT-MX is currently processing a large volume of manufactured parts for fracking components for the Odessa/Midland market, in addition HT-MX supplies Tier1 automotive companies as well as serving the local tooling market.
With all that is happening in the world right now with the pandemic and the current global trend away from globalization and towards regionalization, some manufacturing industries are turning away from Asia and looking at Mexico for suppliers. This puts HT-MX in a great spot to catch some of that national growth. HT-MX has been quoting several interesting projects and is are looking for ways to secure its ability to continue to grow as a company and add to its NADCAP heat treat and HIPing (including new locations). There are opportunities that require additional funding and HT-MX is looking for potential joint venture partners in the US that bring value to our vision. Any inquiries please email directly at [email protected]
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Even after all these years of publishing “The Monty” we are still puzzled why some articles attract so much attention and others do not. For instance September 23 we had an article entitled Why Would Anybody Run a Nitrogen/Methanol System-the basis of the article was that Endo generators are a much more cost effective way of creating a furnace atmosphere as compared to a Nitrogen/Methanol system. Well as it turns out this is a hot topic for many, and we have received a very substantial number of comments, two of which are below. The first which comes from a fellow in the UK by the name of Rob Wilcox of Super Systems Europe, makes the point that you have to be running an Endo Generator to be competitive. The second from Joe Greene of Boeing in the US looks at the two technologies more from a technical aspect-both make for interesting reading.
“Endothermic Gas against Nitrogen Methanol – your competitive edge. Your service and quality are comparable to your heat treat competitor, so why is a potential customer going to choose you over them – PRICE. Heat treatment is a high energy process and there is a constant battle for efficiency while maintaining quality. You have streamlined your process flow, automated everything possible, highly maintained your equipment and your furnace utilisation is a dream. So where do you go next? Well, if you are using nitrogen methanol / propane as a process gas, then you could be at a huge disadvantage to your competitor. You may have seen articles which mathematically show that endothermic gas, is on average, 3-4 times less expensive than using nitrogen.
To illustrate this in the real world, we recently had a customer running several sintering furnaces using nitrogen / methanol and their average monthly spend was £16,000, including the tank rental and other costs. Fitting two refurbished endothermic gas generators, reduced this cost down to £3,500! The main concern we run across has to do with PPAP-will you have to re-PPAP components due to a process change? However, this can be overcome by installing a generator while the nitrogen is still in place. By changing some settings, it is then possible to switch process gases to run trials as required. A well refurbished generator will give years of service at a fraction of the cost of a new one. Customers’ staff can be involved in the project to enable them to familiarise themselves with the plant and features of its operation. Please contact me at [email protected], for a no obligation look at your options.”
“Nice cost analysis on endothermic atmosphere. Ipsen had one of these in spreadsheet format, back in the old days. Lotta folks wouldn’t know how to perform this analysis so as to trust the results. Recognizing that the intent was not to make this a lifelong endeavor, I would like to compare also the relative maintenance and capital costs. Endo should still win, but the ratio could change somewhat. It seems to be not all that well known that because N-M contains more carbon dioxide in the gas, it produces more intergranular oxidation. This tends to be of greater significance for higher alloys, especially those higher in manganese or silicon, and for deeper cases – which may be moot for components that are final ground after hardening.
N-M also is known for producing more soot, and because methanol cracks slowly at carbonitriding temperatures, N-M is more challenging to apply and consumes proportionally more methanol. Finally, consider that N-M is not the only direct-feed atmosphere. At an automotive plant, I remember seeing Holcroft pushers that used a direct-feed atmosphere, but the trade name of the atmosphere escapes me. Ipsen has marketed a fuel-air direct-feed atmosphere called Supercarb, with the fuel being flexible, but typically acetone, propane, or isopropanol. I have heard of Chinese companies skipping the air or nitrogen altogether and using pure acetone for direct-feed atmosphere. This results in greater carbon monoxide concentration, so hypothetically enhanced carbon transfer rate, but also more intergranular oxidation. I have no idea how they control carbon potential, if at all. Joe Greene, Boeing.”
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Remember the large fire at Colfor Manufacturing which we mentioned last week? Well it had nothing to do with the in house heat treating department as you can see in the press release; “The fire that ripped through the Colfor Manufacturing plant earlier this week did “multi-millions” of dollars worth of damage, Great Trails Fire District Chief Ralph Castellucci said Thursday. “This was the biggest fire in Carroll County,” he said. “I’m quite sure it’s the biggest dollar-value loss in the county and likely in surrounding counties.” No one was hurt and, he said, “We are blessed by that.”The fire began about 5 a.m. Tuesday. The chief cited a malfunctioning press as the cause. “They had been operating as normal. A press malfunctioned, spraying hydraulic oil down onto the hot parts which immediately caught fire and flashed,” Castellucci said.”
Nitrex Webinar. Thursday, October 8 at 9:30 am EDT Nitrex will be offering a webinar entitled “The impact of Nitriding on Die life, Performance and Cost Control. The webinar is being presented by Mr. Jack Kalucki, Senior International Account Executive @NITREX-a fellow who knows his stuff. Registration is at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iJ0Zn-9YR1SqBLamjNjQAA The last time we ran across Jack was earlier this year at the ASM event in Mexico. In this picture Jack is on the left with Pete Reh and Rick Jones of Solar on the right.
Last week we posted an item called; “Why Would Anybody Run a Nitrogen/Methanol System?” It generated a great deal of feedback including this response which is quite interesting because while the author is not disputing the fact that in most cases heat treaters prefer endo generators, he is saying that Nitrogen/Methanol systems are still being purchased.
“Gord and Jordan, In a quick response to your nitrogen-methanol article, we have personally sold/shipped 6 nitrogen-methanol systems out this year, and a 7th possibly might happen at the end of this year or early next. One of our major customers is in a major overhaul of replacing 16 nitrogen-methanol systems between two facilities (of which 5 of the systems that will ship this year will go to them). The one large customer and their reason for keeping nitrogen methanol- consistent atmosphere with the ability to dial the atmosphere up or down (CO, CO2) that a generator cannot do (without sooting or making water). Additionally, tied down processes that are very very hard (years of testing and paperwork) to modify.
The other customer has equipment installed from the early 1970’s and they did originally have an endothermic generator. Of course, you are aware that generators that that time were not that great, and they got tire of it and switched to nitrogen methanol. They now have a “bad taste in their mouth” of endothermic generators. However, reviewing there process and there atmosphere readings (that they constantly take and trend with multi-gas analyzers), and understanding the facility (and the caustic atmosphere), the nitrogen-methanol system makes sense for them.
I agree, endothermic is the way to go for 95% of heat treating, assuming natural gas supply is good and constant, the conditions in the facility are not detrimental to the operation of an endothermic generator (of which there are almost an ulimited amount of variables that can affect performance and operation), and the need for the atmosphere is not something that is out of the typical range of the capability of an endothermic generator. Chris Davidson, Sr. Project Engineer, SSi”
Braddock Metallurgical has a new Territory Manager in the US Northeast region as you can see in this press release. Braddock is one of the largest commercials in North America and is extremely strong in the Southeast. “We are proud to announce the addition of a new Territory Manager for the Northeast region. Mike Sorrentino has many years of experience in sales and marketing of industrial products. He has worked with engineers, contractors, distributors, and end users to solve problems and build relationships. We are excited to have Mike join our growing team. He will be an integral part in our ongoing pursuit to provide the best quality and service for our customers. In the UK Jamie Payton recently became the Works Manager at the Hauck Heat Treatment facility in Telford, England, previously he was Technical and Quality Manager with the company. Hauck is on both our list of the largest commercial heat treaters in Europe and also in the USA. Both lists can be found at https://themonty.com/articles-interviews/ Below you will find a picture of Jamie and a picture of a new TAV vacuum furnace being installed at Hauck in Letchworth, UK in 2018.
Solar Atmospheres Preferred Aerospace Supplier. In August, 2020, Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania (SAWPA) participated in a Boeing Supplier Assessment. The on-site, preventative engagement resulted in zero findings and Solar, once again, achieving preferred status for Heat Treating, Hardness, and Non-Destructive Liquid Penetrant Testing. Notably, SAWPA added a state-of-the-art metallurgy lab, since Boeing’s last visit, and will be seeking D1-4426 approval for process codes 802 and 803 by end of 2020. Quality Manager, Melissa Gruszka states, “Adding a full-time metallurgist, technicians, and in-house lab capabilities gives us many significant advantages. We can provide more expertise, better quality, and shorter lead times; enabling us to better serve Boeing and all others.”
“Hubbard-Hall Inc., welcomes Joshua McClellan as Application Engineer-Cleaning and Becky Cavazuti as Customer Engagement Key Accounts Manager. These roles are critical in expanding Hubbard-Hall’s services in metal finishing operations and achieving customer’s goals with less cost, complexity, and chemical consumption. Hubbard-Hall is known for providing tank side expertise that takes into account a customer’s entire process. In his role as Application Engineer-Cleaning, McClellan will focus on educating Hubbard-Hall’s customers on water base cleaners and processes out of the Inman, SC facility. Cavazuti joins the team to support Hubbard-Hall’s commitment to a responsive 24-hour turnaround and 100% issue resolution. As Customer Engagement Key Accounts Manager, Cavazuti will provide support to strengthen customer relationships and responsiveness to the company’s Northeast customers.”
Going through some of our file photos we came across this one which is one of the coolest, heat treating pictures we have seen. It shows flame hardening of a large part at Penna Flame in Pennsylvania, USA and we took it last year.
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The press release below tells us about a devastating fire at Colfor Manufacturing in Ohio and the effect that it might have on it’s automotive customers. We mention this today as our understanding is that this facility has an in house heat treatment department consisting of Batch IQ equipment.
“American Axle and Manufacturing’s Colfor Manufacturing plant in Malvern, Ohio, caught fire Tuesday, September 22, 2020 in a blaze that could impact General Motors operations. “Our thoughts are with the local community and everyone who has been affected by this tragic event,” a GM spokesman said in an e-mailed statement. “GM?s supply chain team is working closely with American Axle to develop contingency plans to mitigate any impact to parts supply and on our manufacturing operations.” It is unclear how many employees were at the driveline and drivetrain systems supplier’s plant at the time, but there were no injuries, according to news outlet The Repository. Local fire authorities told The Repository that multiple presses had been burning at the plant. The blaze required firefighters from three local counties to assist. The local school system closed because of concerns over water pressure and smoke from the fire.
American Axle did not immediately respond to Automotive News’ request for comment regarding what it produces at its Colfor plant and whether production would be moved elsewhere. It wasn’t clear which automakers beyond GM rely on the American Axle plant. GM accounted for 37 percent of American Axle’s business last year, according to an SEC filing. “In the early morning of Sept. 22, AAM?s Malvern Manufacturing Facility experienced a significant fire,” the company said in a statement sent to the local Free Press Standard newspaper. “The building was evacuated, and no injuries were reported. Local fire departments responded to the scene to contain the fire. AAM is working with local authorities to investigate this accident and will assess the facility once the investigation is complete. Because of the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.” Andrea Knapp, media relations leader for AAM, told the Free Press Standard the facility employs 276 hourly and salary associates. American Axle & Manufacturing, of Detroit, ranks No. 41 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide parts sales to automakers of $6.53 billion in 2019.”
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Within the next few days we will be “profiling” a commercial heat treat facility in Mexico, a facility which has made some major investments recently and for some very interesting reasons. Their feeling is that with all that is happening in the world right now with the pandemic and the current global trend away from globalization and towards regionalization, some manufacturing industries are turning away from Asia and looking at Mexico for suppliers. This particular company has already seen signs of this and they are so convinced that they are putting their money where their mouth is. More on this shortly.
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The largest heat treat exhibition in North America in 2020 is the MTI sponsored Furnaces North America show scheduled for September 30th to October 2 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. As most in the industry are aware this show has gone the route of all trade shows in 2020-it is now virtual. Perhaps though all things happen for a reason as you can see in the story below.
“LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Police put up concrete barriers and fencing. The mayor declared a state of emergency. More businesses nailed plywood to their storefront windows. Downtown Louisville’s preparations and closures seemed more reminiscent of an approaching hurricane than a grand jury decision. Louisville is bracing for an anxiously awaited decision on whether any police officers will be charged in the March 13 shooting death of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old unarmed Black woman fatally shot by police who has become a national symbol of racial injustice. Downtown streets were eerily empty after police erected barricades Tuesday in a 25-block perimeter to limit car traffic, including around a park that’s been home to nearly four months of protests over the fatal shooting. Protests in the city, since they began the last weekend in May, have remained largely peaceful, occasionally marred by violence, tear gas and pepper balls.
Louisville Metro Police interim Chief Robert Schroeder said the restrictions, long planned amid “unprecedented times,” were meant to protect public safety, property, protesters and avoid conflicts between drivers and demonstrators. Protesters will still be able to access downtown on foot to demonstrate, he said. “In the community, we’ve all heard the rumors. We all know something is coming. We don’t know what it is,” said Schroeder, whose spokesman said Tuesday there had been no viable threats of violence. “I hope all of this is not needed.”
Mayor Greg Fischer issued two executive orders Tuesday. One declared a state of emergency due to the potential for civil unrest, which allows him to exercise such emergency powers as enacting a curfew, and a second one restricts access to five downtown parking garages and on-street parking. If large protests do erupt, police won’t use tear gas unless approved by the chief or deputy chief, or if gunfire erupts, police said — among several policy reforms enacted since the March 13 shooting of Taylor.”
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“Custom Electric Manufacturing was acquired by Sweden-based Kanthal in 2018 and will now go to market under the Kanthal brand. The transition will be effective as of January 1, 2021
Custom Electric Manufacturing (CEM) will as of January 1, 2021 be fully integrated into Kanthal. According to Jon Hartmayer, Sales Area Manager NAFTA at Kanthal, going to market under the same brand will come with benefits for their customers: “CEM customers will get access to the complete portfolio of Kanthal products and services which means that they will get more done with one supplier. For Kanthal customers it means added resources and a better geographical spread of our service organization.”
The background to the acquisition is that Kanthal has the ambition to strengthen its footprint in the North American market. “CEM is known for providing excellent service and this is a way for us to get closer to the market and being able to serve more customers, faster”, Hartmayer says. Headquartered in Wixom, Michigan, CEM has been supplying original equipment and replacement heating elements for both electric and gas furnaces for more than 35 years.
Victor Strauss, Vice President and Director of Operations at CEM, says that the companies have co-existed for decades, both as competitors and partners. “The business model of CEM has been more about providing services and customized solutions rather than product development. In fact, we’ve often used Kanthal products in our solutions so there was already an overlap. Our design skills and excellent service together with the industry-leading R&D that Kanthal stands for, make a perfect match and will give our customers access to some of the world’s best heating solutions.”
Kanthal and CEM will exhibit at the Furnaces North America 2020 Virtual Trade Show where both Jon Hartmayer and Victor Strauss together with their sales and engineering team will be available to answer questions. For further information, contact Jon Hartmayer, Sales Area Manager NAFTA, Kanthal, tel: 1-209-728-7971, or Victor Strauss, Vice President and Director of Operations, CEM, tel: 1-248 305-7700. View a video with Jon Hartmayer and Victor Strauss about the brand transition: https://youtu.be/yQSSfNH2iQo
About Kanthal. Kanthal® is a world-leading brand for products and services in the fields of sustainable industrial heating technology and resistance materials. The company is part of the Sandvik Group and has a strong tradition in innovation and extensive investments in R&D.
The company revolutionized the heating industry in 1931 by introducing the iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloy. Since then, Kanthal has launched game-changing materials and products, such as the corrosion-resistant materials Kanthal® APM and APMT and the high-power molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) Kanthal® Super heating elements. In 2019, Kanthal launched their additive manufacturing services with Kanthal® AM100, the world’s first alloy for heating application that is specially developed for 3D-printing.
Electric heating for the future. Ever since the start, Kanthal has provided electric heating solutions as an alternative to gas burners with benefits such as better power to heat ratio, better controllability and uniformity and a safer and more quiet working environment. In recent years environmental aspects have become more and more important and electrification is now a top priority among governments and industries. Kanthal helps companies converting their heating processes from fossil fuel to electric heating and so far the company together with its customers has saved 167,000 ton of CO2.”
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