Courtesy of furnace builder “SECO/WARWICK” we have a photo of the largest vacuum furnace we at “The Monty” have ever seen. This unit is capable of loads of over 100 tons and has a diameter of 12′ (4 meters). The furnace (which was installed a few years ago at a location in California) is designed to heat treat coils for a very specialized energy application. Pretty cool looking furnace.
(Editors Note; Yes, the name of the commercial heat treater mentioned in this SECO/WARWICK press release really is “More Heat Treatment A.S.”-threw us off also).
“It took just four weeks from the moment the order was placed for SECO/WARWICK to deliver one of its most versatile products, the single-chamber Vector vacuum furnace, to the Turkish service hardening plant, More Heat Treatment A.S. This device will not only expand the range of heat treatment services offered but will also serve as a showroom piece for future clients in Turkey. More Heat Treatment has become SECO/WARWICK’s official business partner in the Turkish market.
This is the third SECO/WARWICK device delivered to this hardening plant. The new furnace will allow the Turkish Partner to increase its processing capacity while maintaining high precision and quality of treated components. The collaboration between SECO/WARWICK and More Heat Treatment A.S. is strategic—the Turkish company serves as a showroom for potential SECO/WARWICK customers in the region. Prospective partners can witness SECO/WARWICK furnaces in action under real production conditions, further strengthening the Group’s position in the Turkish and Middle Eastern markets.
“Our partner approached us after signing a contract for a very large volume of processed components. Thanks to the very short delivery and production implementation time of the single chamber vacuum furnace, More Heat Treatment will be able to meet this new challenge and immediately ramp up its production and hardening processes. Additionally, we have entered into a long-term cooperation. More Heat Treatment will make our equipment available to potential customers as a demonstration furnace, enabling us to have a stronger presence in this part of the world,” commented Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.”
In a heat treatment industry exclusive “The Monty Heat Treat News” regularly publishes a list of the “15 Largest Captive Heat Treats-North America” . Currently we are in the process of putting together our 2026 rankings, a list which will see some substantial changes from our 2024 list in that we will be seeing a number of new entries.
In a very interesting note we see that this list is dominated by firms which are heavily focused on “LPC” (Low Pressure Carburizing)-to narrow this down even further we see that this means the furnaces in all cases come from one of only two suppliers.
The basic criteria for our rankings are explained below, keep your eyes open for our 2026 rankings which will be presented the week of January 26th, 2026.
“In 2022 “The Monty Heat Treat News” published a heat treatment industry exclusive, a list of the “10 Largest Single Location Captive Heat Treats” in North America. Since that time changes have occurred and in 2023 we published our list of the “11 Largest Single Location Captive Heat Treats in North America” We are now pleased to offer our 2024 list which has expanded to the “15 Largest Single Location Captive Heat Treats in North America”.
- Our criteria is simple in that this list only includes single locations and not total heat treating capacity in North America. As an example the ZF Transmission facility in South Carolina makes this list but overall this plant is only a small percentage of the heat treating capacity ZF has in North America.
- Our estimates are based upon a combination of number of furnaces and throughput. For instance vacuum carburizing cells have a much small throughput than a large pusher furnace-we have tried to take this into account.
- It is interesting that out of this list of 15, eleven are in the USA, three in Mexico and one in Canada
- While we do not for a second claim this list is 100% accurate we do claim that it is the most complete list which we have ever come across.
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As always we appreciate the input we received from each company on this list and we look forward to your thoughts and comments.”
ProfiTherm is a modular arrangement of bell furnaces and quench tanks with direct, rapid transfer from furnace to quench—positioned as a practical alternative to traditional integral quench batch furnaces.
Why ProfiTherm is different for North American heat treaters
1) Compact layout with minimal infrastructure ProfiTherm’s bell-furnace modular layout supports a more compact system footprint and simplifies installation requirements, reducing plant disruption and the infrastructure scope (no need for pits) often associated with conventional batch systems.
2) Lower operating and maintenance cost — by design ProfiTherm incorporates a metallic retort that supports fast furnace conditioning and quicker process changeovers, while helping protect refractory from process-gas exposure to improve refractory life. In addition, the design eliminates many traditional internal nickel-alloy material handling wear items (roller rails, chain guides, handler heads) that drive consumable spend and downtime in conventional systems—helping prevent furnace jams and simplifying service access.
Process coverage and applications
ProfiTherm supports key heat treat processes including austempering, marquenching, carburizing, carbonitriding, neutral hardening and more, with quench options including water/polymer, oil, and salt. Target applications include captive heat treat departments and commercial shops supporting general industry, aerospace, defense, and bearing markets.
About Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems; Based in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems designs and manufactures thermal processing equipment and provides service and aftermarket support for heat treating operations.
About SOLO Swiss SA; SOLO Swiss SA, headquartered in Porrentruy, Switzerland, designs and manufactures bell furnace systems, including the ProfiTherm product line. Learn more / Inquiries: www.gasbarre.com | www.soloswiss.com:
Jeff McLaughlin President and founder of the company had this to say; “We are tremendously excited to have John join us-his vast experience in both sales and operational positions in the commercial heat treatment industry is already proving to be a tremendous asset to our company”.
(Editors Note; For more recent news about Bodycote, the world’s largest commercial heat treater we would suggest these recent updates courtesy of “The Monty Heat Treat News” “Bodycote” Report-Recent Changes”, “Bodycote Achieves Independent Validation of Carbon Footprint Tools for Heat Treatment Processes” & “Bodycote “Optimise Programme” Leads to Changes at 10 French Locations”)
● Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of advanced heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has acquired Spectrum Thermal Processing
● The acquisition will expand Bodycote’s North American footprint and capacity to support customers across aerospace, defence, space and industry
● Spectrum will bring Nadcap-accredited and ITAR-compliant capabilities across vacuum heat treatment, Low Pressure Carburising, and gas nitriding services
“January 16, 2026 London, U.K. – Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of advanced heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, today announced the acquisition of Spectrum Thermal Processing, a respected heat treatment provider based in Cranston, Rhode Island. The acquisition expands Bodycote’s North American footprint, enhances regional capacity in critical process categories, and reinforces the company’s ability to support aerospace, defence, space and industrial customers across the Northeast.
Spectrum brings established Nadcap-accredited and ITAR-compliant capability, including vacuum heat treatment, Low Pressure Carburising, and gas nitriding services. The site’s strong technical reputation, highly skilled team, and strategic position within one of the nation’s most dense aerospace and defence corridors make it a natural fit for Bodycote’s growing U.S. network.
The addition of Spectrum complements Bodycote’s broader network of Nadcap-accredited facilities across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania – creating a tightly connected regional platform of high-integrity thermal-processing capacity. This expanded footprint provides customers with improved proximity, shorter ramp-up times, and enhanced supply chain resilience.
Spectrum will be integrated into Bodycote’s Aerospace, Defence & Energy (ADE) division, with no immediate changes to customer contacts or service levels. Existing customers will continue to work with the same Spectrum team and will benefit over time from access to Bodycote’s broader global network and specialist technologies.
The transaction closed on January 14 and integration activities are now underway.”
(Background; Back in October of 2024 in a heat treat industry exclusive “The Monty Heat Treat News” announced that fastener manufacturer “Simpson Strong-Tie” would be setting up a manufacturing facility in Gallatin, Tennessee, USA which would include a new heat treat department. Details of the new department can be found further down this page. It would appear that the facility had a grand opening just last week.)
“California-based Simpson Strong-Tie marked the grand opening of its newest manufacturing plant, located in Gallatin, Tennessee, with a ribbon cutting, celebration and tours on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The 500,250-square-foot, $125 million facility will test and manufacture a range of anchors, fasteners and Quik Drive fastening tools. The facility opened with 227 employees, including machine operators, maintenance technicians, heat treat techs, and process and product engineers, and is expected to create an additional 20 jobs in 2026.
“Simpson Strong-Tie is excited to open our state-of-the-art facility in Gallatin, enhancing our ability to serve our customer base and strengthening our distribution network while delivering even greater value and product innovation,” said Mike Olosky, CEO of Simpson Strong-Tie.
“OCTOBER 20/2024; Fastener Manufacturer Investing in New Heat Treat Department; Simpson Strong Tie, is a global supplier of fastening systems for the building industry-this is how they describe themselves; “Simpson Strong-Tie is the world leader in structural solutions — products and technology that help people design and build safer, stronger homes, buildings, and communities. As a pioneer in the building industry, we have an unmatched passion for problem solving through skillful engineering and thoughtful innovation. Our structural systems research and rigorous testing enable us to design code-listed, value-engineered solutions for a multitude of applications in wood, steel, and concrete structures. Our dedication to pursuing ever-better construction products and technology and to surrounding our customers with exceptional service and support has been core to our mission since 1956.”
Back in late 2023 the company announced a major investment at a facility in Tennessee, USA and it appears that this includes a new, in-house heat treatment facility. “The Monty” has been led to believe that this will include two brand new batch IQ lines and 2 mesh belt furnace lines with the orders placed recently. If this is true it would mean that production in the heat treat department would commence roughly 1 year from now.”
According to Solar Manufacturing of Sellersville, PA, USA they have a self-cleaning vacuum furnace-read on;
“Before any vacuum heat treatment can begin, components must be thoroughly cleaned to remove both organic and inorganic contaminants. Standard cleaning methods—such as solvent immersion, drying, and vapor degreasing—are essential for eliminating residues that might volatilize during processing. Left unchecked, these contaminants can redeposit inside the vacuum furnace, degrade part quality, and even damage the hot zone or cold wall.
For years, achieving consistent cleanliness in vacuum heat treating has been a persistent industry challenge, often requiring significant labor, expensive chemicals, and the use of stainless steel or titanium foil. Solar Atmospheres’ innovative dual-pump vacuum cleaning system changes that dynamic. Integrated directly into a standard heat treatment cycle, this technology establishes a new benchmark for cleanliness and process efficiency.
This “self-cleaning furnace” approach not only produces exceptionally bright, clean parts—it also enhances safety, minimizes environmental impact, and lowers operating costs. In a time when precision, cleanliness, and sustainability matter more than ever, this advancement delivers meaningful value across the board.”
“Grammer Vacuum Technologies” of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA has been around for many years as a manufacturer’s representative to the heat treatment industry and also as a growing supplier of Molybdenum products. Recently the company announced that they has hired Luke Glendening to assist in all aspects of the company while concentrating on Molybdenum products, fixtures and grids.
Ben Grammer had this to say; “Luke has been helping us on a part time basis for some time now and due to increased business volumes, it was a perfect time to add Luke on a full time basis. While he will be involved in all aspects of the business I am especially excited about Luke helping us grow our “moly” business” which for some time now has been expanding at a very rapid rate.” The world’s largest commercial heat treater and the only truly global one with 165 facilities across 22 countries is UK based “Bodycote”. “The Monty” has long said that if you want to know how the heat treat industry is doing overall, which markets are growing and shrinking and which manufacturing sectors are healthy or not, look no further than a Bodycote financial statement.
With this background out of the way lets look at some recent “Bodycote” changes in personnel and locations mainly in this report in North America.
The firm also continues to consolidate plants with plans in the works for 3 USA locations to be merged or closed (this is in addition to others which were merged earlier in 2025). These include the Athens, Alabama, Columbus, Ohio and Greensburg, Indiana plants-at least one of which is already closed. Plans call for the equipment to be relocated to other facilities.
As always, the team at “The Monty” will keep our readers updated on all developments in the North American commercial heat treatment industry.