SECO/WARWICK will supply a Vector vacuum furnace to the Marle Group, a global manufacturer of orthopedic prosthetics headquartered in Europe. The equipment will be installed in France at Marle Nowak’s facility, which specializes in the production of orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, spinal devices, and OEM manufacturing for the medical sector. The single-chamber furnace will be used for heat treating implants and surgical tools. The contract was secured thanks to successful reference trials conducted at SECO/WARWICK’s R&D department.
 

Marle Nowak faced a technological challenge—the need for rapid cooling of large implant loads. They required equipment capable of cooling a full load (800 kg) from 1200°C down to 400°C in a very short time. After completing a reference trial in the R&D division with a full load, SECO/WARWICK achieved the best rapid cooling results.

Following successful laboratory trials at SECO/WARWICK, the client decided to purchase the device that delivered the best performance among competing solutions. The SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace will not only increase production independence but also facilitate the certification of heat treatment processes in line with ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 standards—crucial requirements in the medical industry.

“Hardening cobalt alloys requires processes that achieve extremely high temperatures, and the heating processes for these materials demand high purity, temperature uniformity, and very fast, efficient cooling. The Vector vacuum furnace meets these criteria, guaranteeing the highest quality of treated components. This is the third SECO/WARWICK device operating at the facilities of the European leader in medical manufacturing. Our equipment will allow our partner to become independent from external hardening services, providing greater control over the entire production process,” said Maciej Korecki, Vice President of the Vacuum Furnace Segment at SECO/WARWICK Group.

 
(AI Overview; Vacuum heat treating is a critical process for orthopedic implants—such as hip, knee, and spine replacements—to ensure they meet the rigorous mechanical and biocompatibility standards required for long-term human use. By 2026, this technology has become standard for processing advanced materials like titanium, cobalt-chromium, and 3D-printed alloys. 
Core Benefits for Orthopedic Implants

(Editor’s Note; According to Google Burst capacity refers to a system’s or service’s ability to temporarily exceed its normal, committed limits to handle sudden, short-term spikes in demand, like traffic surges or increased data usage, without failing or slowing down, essentially using “unused” headroom or pre-allocated reserves for a quick performance boost. It allows for flexibility in handling unpredictable loads, common during game launches or sales, preventing service degradation until normal capacity can catch up or scale. Find out where Bluewater ranks in sales compared to other North American commercial heat treaters “52 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treaters”)

“Bluewater Thermal Solutions’ Saint Marys Facility Delivers Burst Heat Treating Capacity for Tier 1 Automotive Supplier During Planned Maintenance; Greenville, SC — January 12, 2026 — Bluewater Thermal Solutions announced that its St. Marys, Pennsylvania facility provided rapid Burst Capacity to a Tier 1 automotive supplier during a planned maintenance shutdown of the customer’s in-house heat treating operations. Scaling production over the extended holiday season, Bluewater ensured uninterrupted deliveries for the customer while generating more than $1,000,000 in revenue tied to the outsourcing program.

“Our ability to scale quickly while meeting stringent automotive requirements highlights the strength of our operating model and our commitment to customer success,” said Jason Hanes, General Manager at Bluewater Thermal Solutions. “We’re proud to serve as a reliable partner when customers need flexible capacity without compromising quality.”

To discuss Burst Capacity outsourcing support, visit www.bluewaterthermal.com or contact [email protected] or +1-877-990-0050.

About Bluewater Thermal Solutions; Bluewater Thermal Solutions is a leading provider of heat treating, surface enhancement, and metallurgical engineering services for the energy, automotive, aerospace and industrial sectors. With multiple locations across North America, Bluewater delivers innovative solutions that enhance performance and reliability of critical metal components.”

Since 2007, the MTI Educational Foundation has awarded more than $455,000 in educational scholarships to attract and support young talent in the heat treating industry. Continuing this commitment, the Foundation is thrilled to announce the opening of its 2026 scholarship application process, offering a total of $123,000 in scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for both technical school and college students.MTI Educational Foundation CEO, Tom Morrison states, “With the labor shortage and changing dynamics of the workforce, the MTI Educational Foundation is committee to attracting in new talent from the next generation through scholarships.”

Eligibility Criteria are as follows:

The scholarship program is open to students pursuing studies in:

Applicants must be enrolled, or recently accepted, as full- or part-time students at nationally accredited colleges or technical schools.

Key Dates:

If you or someone you know who is interested in applying for an MTI Educational Foundation Scholarship, visit MTIEducationalFoundation.com for detailed submission criteria and application process.

For additional questions, please contact DeAnna Morrison at [email protected].

In a heat treat industry exclusive “The Monty Heat Treat News” regularly publishes a list of the “15 Largest Captive Heat Treats-North America”–the topic comes up today because “The Monty” team is in the process of updating our list for 2026.
 
Our 2026 list will see some changes-as a matter of fact we mentioned one change just last week; “Acquisition Effects Largest North American Captive Heat Treaters”.
 
Another change will see the addition of a location which has never made our list in the past, “JATCO” (Japan Automatic Transmission Co., Ltd.) in Aguas Caliente in Mexico. The firm supplies continuously variable transmissions, CVTs (more details below) and maintains a very large vacuum carburizing (LPC) department which consists of 60 carburizing cells with hot and cold oil quenching along with gas quenching. This makes them one of the largest single location captive heat treaters in North America without a shadow of a doubt. Stay tuned for our final list.
 
“AI Overview; JATCO Mexico operates its own captive heat treatment facilities as part of its manufacturing process for continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). This allows the company to perform the necessary treatment for components like gears and pulleys in-house at its plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico. 
Key details regarding JATCO Mexico’s heat treating operations:

Just before Christmas, 2025 “The Monty” mentioned how one of the better known individuals in the North American heat treat industry, “Mr. Mark Hemsath” (formerly with firms such as UPC/Nitrex/GM Enterprises and SECO/WARWICK) had made a change and joined up with heat treat consulting firm “Wingens Consultants”. Mark provided us with this summary about what “Wingens Consultants” offers the industry-later this year Mark and Thomas will be featured in a “Monty” exclusive interview. 

“Hi Gord, I used to do thermal consulting work in my early years with my father.  I really enjoyed it and Thomas Wingens has created a great company, so I am excited to join Thomas and Wingens Consultants. You can find our full profile at www.wingens.com, but I’ve summarized our core capabilities below. What sets us apart in the Thermal and Heat Treating industry is our ability to provide immediate, senior-level impact without a learning curve. We specialize in two distinct areas:

 

Strategic & Executive Leadership

  • Interim Executive Roles: Serving as Interim CEO/COO for thermal and heat treat organizations.
  • Market Strategy: North American market entry for international firms and specialized sales/marketing strategies.
  • Supply Chain: U.S.-based sourcing and manufacturing for thermal products.
  • Specialized Training: Providing expert-led training in Metallurgy, Heat Treat Processes, and Sales.

Technical Engineering & Metallurgy

  • Furnace Systems & Design: Full-cycle furnace procurement, custom design, and installation project management.
  • Specialized Processing: Powder metallurgy (Titanium, Tantalum, Niobium, Rare-Earths, Specialty Metals), Diffusion/Bonding, and Hydrogen processing.
  • Operational Excellence: Efficiency studies, process simulation, and metallurgical consulting.
  • Investment Support: Technical due diligence for investors in the thermal sector.

Wingens Consultants and I are ready to hit the ground running to make our customer operations more competitive. I’d love to discuss how we can apply our specific strengths for anyone who may see this and who has aggressive goals and needs. You can reach me at [email protected]“ 

“Berea, Ohio — [Insert Date] — AECO Corp proudly announces the promotion of Maryann Remner to President, effective immediately.

In her new role, Maryann will lead AECO Corp and its three operating subsidiaries — Alloy Engineering, Mach3 Machining, and Thermcraft — driving strategic growth and operational excellence across the organization.

Maryann joined AECO nearly seven years ago as Vice President of Sales & Marketing, where she strengthened customer relationships, expanded market presence, and delivered consistent commercial growth. She later advanced to Chief Operating Officer, broadening her leadership across AECO’s operating companies and playing a pivotal role in improving operational performance and organizational alignment. Her proven leadership, industry insight, and track record of results position her to guide AECO into its next phase of growth.

As President, Maryann will oversee AECO’s three operating companies:

  • Alloy Engineering (Berea, OH) – Custom engineered metal fabrications for high-temperature and corrosive industrial applications.
  • Mach3 Machining (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) – Large-diameter turning and precision machining services.
  • Thermcraft (Winston-Salem, NC) – Thermal-processing equipment including industrial furnaces and ovens.

“I’m honored to lead AECO and its exceptional team into the future,” said Maryann Remner “As an ESOP company, our success is shared by every employee-owner, and I’m committed to upholding the values that make AECO unique. Together, we’ll continue to deliver innovative solutions, strengthen customer partnerships, and create opportunities that benefit both our people and our customers.”

Lee Watson will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer full-time through 2027, maintaining oversight of Finance/Accounting and Human Resources while focusing on long-term strategy and preparing AECO’s ESOP for a strong and sustainable future. Following his retirement at the end of 2027, Mr. Watson intends to remain an active member of AECO’s Board of Directors.”

(Editors note; “Kepston Limited” is a 110 year old, Nadcap approved commercial heat treater in the UK. The managing director of the firm says that due to the shockingly high energy costs in the country their future is in jeopardy. Read the entire article at “Businesses say Britain’s ‘jam tomorrow’ energy plans threaten their survival” and in particular pay attention to the graph of energy costs around the world). 
 
“One City veteran said that the UK’s “exorbitant” energy costs were top of the agenda in most boardrooms when it came to deciding where to invest in new facilities. Brent Millage, managing director at Kepston Limited which specialises in heat treating metal components, said the 110-year-old company was in “jeopardy” as a result of rising energy costs. “We’ve seen three recessions, survived Covid but we’re now facing the biggest crisis we’ve ever faced,” he said. Kepston, which employs a team of 56 in the West Midlands, has already had to axe staff as it braces itself to absorb higher energy bills on top of increased staffing costs caused by last year’s changes to national insurance contributions. Millage said Kepston, which pays £17,000 a month for energy, is now facing an extra £100,000 a year in transmission costs and an extra £13,500 to fund Sizewell C.”
We are indeed privileged today to be speaking with “Mr. Max Stormo”, “Ipsen Customer Service (ICS) Operations Manager”. In this interview Max shares with us details about how Ipsen Souderton, PA focuses on hot zone related fabrication, machining and assembly, retrofits and aftermarket parts;
 
Max we always like to start our interviews with a bit of personal background, for instance could you please share with us how you ended up in this new position.
 
“In early 2024, the timing was right as I was looking for a new opportunity. I was contacted by Ipsen regarding the open site leadership position in Souderton, and I quickly realized this could be a good fit for both myself and Ipsen. As I continued through interview process, I was very impressed with the company, product and people I met. I got the opportunity to tour both facilities, see the processes and meet many people and was very excited about the potential of joining the Ipsen organization. Ipsen matched the opportunity I was looking for, and I knew I could join the organization and be a key contributor to the vision the organization had in place for the Souderton location.
 
I am new to the thermal processing equipment industry but having spent a career in manufacturing, was very familiar with heat-treating and heat-treating processes. The knowledge I had was all in the atmospheric heat treating. Vacuum heat treating was new to me, and I found the technology incredibly intriguing having spent most of my career in aerospace and oil & gas manufacturing.
 
Significant selling points for me deciding to join Ipsen were the leadership and the employees I met throughout interview process. Ipsen’s leadership team was open and transparent and transparent throughout the process. I trusted opportunity that presented itself with Ipsen and was excited when I accept the role.”
 
You have a very impressive title “Ipsen Customer Service (ICS) Operations Manager” – what are your responsibilities in this position?
 
“As the site leader for Ipsen in Souderton, Pennsylvania, I’m responsible for all operational activities that include leading the manufacturing, purchasing, production control, shipping and receiving, and warehousing. Safety, quality and continuous improvement are critical aspects of our core values and vision for Ipsen, so I take personal ownership of these aspects. Trust, collaboration, communication and employee engagement are critical to achieving these core values and are reflective of our culture and the way we lead at Ipsen. This has been the gateway to realizing the transformational improvements that we’ve made in 2024 and 2025.”
 
Ipsen North America is based in Rockford, Illinois which is where furnace assembly is located, and you are in Souderton, PA. What does your facility offer? In fact, lets elaborate on that a bit, could you please tell us the size of your plant and the number of employees?
 
“Ipsen Souderton’s team is focused almost entirely on hot zone related fabrication, machining and assembly, serving the new equipment, retrofit, and aftermarket parts side of Ipsen. Hot zone retrofits and aftermarket parts ship directly from our factory to our customers. We also support non-hot zone aftermarket parts for our VFS customers.
 
(Ipsen merged with Vacuum Furnace Systems in 2007.)
 
Ipsen Souderton is approximately 60 employees including factory workers and support staff.”
 
Is it ever an issue the geographical distance between the two plants?
 
“The advantage of having this location is that it gives Ipsen strong representation on both the east coast as well as the Midwest. The two plants complement each other by focusing on two unique elements of our total business. In Souderton, we are heavy fabrication, machining and hot zone manufacturing focused, while the Cherry Valley, Illinois plant is primarily focused on engineering and assembly, from a manufacturing perspective. Because our focus is so different, the geographic distance works in our favor for many reasons.”
 
My understanding is that you have made some very substantial investments in new equipment in Souderton, please give us some details.
 
“Our CapEx investment strategy has been focused on automating equipment and processes. In 2024-25, we’ve added additional CNC machining centers, CNC fabrication work centers, and a fiber laser system. The driver behind this CapEx strategy is to improve quality, increase throughput, reduce lead times and improve the overall experience for our current and future customers.
 
We’ve also invested significant time and resources in OpEx (operational excellence) by enhancing processes, looking for opportunities to reduce steps, handling, time and travel in the manufacturing process. We want to minimize the number of times a part is touched, reduced travel times both within our factory and to our facilities and customers. We’ve also made a major investment on the system side, rolling out enhanced ERP tools and adding real-time MES capability on the shop floor.
 
Let’s talk a bit about hot zones. Are you able to share with us how many hot zones per year you are producing and how many you would like to be building? In other words, do you have a goal that you would like to reach?
 
“In both 2024 and 2025 we doubled our hot zone output. We anticipate an additional 10-15% volume growth in 2026 based on our trends and outlooks. We also fulfilled over 4,000 parts orders out of our Souderton location last year. We make all critical components in house which allows for quick turnaround to customers.”
 
Continuing the topic of hot zones, do you provide units for competitors furnaces, or do you focus on replacement hot zones strictly for Ipsen furnace systems?
 
“Approximately 90% of our business for retrofit hot zones is made of a mix of Ipsen style and VFS style hot zones. VFS continues to be a significant part of retrofit hot zone business. 10% or less of our retrofit hot zone business is comprised of hot zones for competitor’s furnace but we are always willing to review new opportunities.”
 
Are you limited geographically to North America or do provide your products and services to the entire globe as required?
 
“Because Ipsen furnaces are operating around the world, we ship all over the globe – both parts and retrofits. On any given day, we may have orders from North and South America, Europe, and Asia. We serve a global market.”
 
My understanding is that while you certainly have a very impressive manufacturing background, this is your first foray into the world of thermal processing equipment. After 19 months in the industry what are your impressions about heat treating equipment, Ipsen and the industry in general? Is it much different from other industries you have been involved with?
 
“Having spent my entire career in operations, specifically in the manufacturing industry, I’ve been associated with thermal processing of the manufactured components in every organization I have been a part of. It is a process that was either done in house in small batch quantity, or we outsourced to a third party. Ipsen has been my OEM experience in thermal processing equipment.
 
Thermal processing is a vital global industry and has been for generations. It continues to advance as emerging technologies and an ever-evolving industrial landscape place new demands on manufacturing. From aerospace and energy to medical and beyond, thermal processing is an essential service that supports virtually every manufacturing sector and continues to expand each year. This growth is fueled by the need to support increasingly complex applications and new product development.”
 
Care to make some comments about the coming year? Predictions are always tricky and I am probably being very unfair even asking the question but what are you forecasting for 2026?
 
“For 2026, from an operations perspective, we’re going to continue our focus on OpEx and CapEx, concentrating on quality, continuous improvement, system utilization, automation, people and culture development. These investments continue to drive our business to the next level.
 
Our goal is to exceed customer expectations for service, quality, and timeliness – at Ipsen we refer to it as “Quality at Speed.” Internally, we are constantly asking the questions: How do we better serve our customers? How do we push to be the benchmark that competitors have to compare themselves against?
 
From a customer service perspective, quality must come first in our industry. Lead time and quality expectations matter. Systems, processes and investments are all being driven from that point of view.
 
To that end, we are pursuing the processes of Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement to remove non-value-added activities out of the process and streamline process flow. We want a continuing effort towards 5S, streamlining process flow, minimizing transportation waste, and diversifying our supply chain.
 
We have several new capital investments online and ready to serve our customers and our organization, with a continued focus on optimization.
 
The passion and pursuit of excellence is booming in Pennsylvania.”
(Editors note; for more background on this story we would suggest “Aerospace Supplier Adds Heat Treating Capacity” from “The Monty Heat Treat News”)
 
“Kencoa Aerospace has begun expanding its defense and space business in the North American market.
 
On January 6, Kencoa Aerospace announced that it had completed the acquisition of Aremac Heat Treating, a U.S.-based heat treatment specialist, through its American subsidiary, Kencoa Aerospace LLC.
 
Lee Minkyu, CEO of Kencoa Aerospace, stated, “This acquisition marks a significant turning point in our global growth strategy centered on the space and defense sectors. By acquiring a heat treatment specialist located near our existing U.S. production base, we will further expand Kencoa’s role within the North American space and defense industry supply chain.”
 
He added, “Through continuous technological advancement and strategic investment, we aim to become a trusted company for global space and defense customers and partners.”
 
Kencoa decided to acquire the heat treatment specialist as part of its ongoing strategy to expand its global space and defense business. Through this acquisition, the company has strengthened its local heat treatment production base targeting the North American space and defense markets and established a production system capable of reliably meeting the stringent quality standards and delivery requirements unique to the defense and space sectors. The company plans to further reinforce its business foundation within the U.S. defense and space industry supply chain.
 
The company explained that by securing additional heat treatment processes essential for manufacturing core components for space launch vehicles and defense aircraft, it has enhanced its competitiveness in the North American market. With supply chain stability emerging as a key issue across the global space and defense industries, Kencoa expects strong demand for its local production system.
 
To respond to the North American defense market, Kencoa Aerospace has built a local production system by acquiring an aerospace and defense company with over 20 years of experience in Georgia, U.S. This has drawn attention as a case of a Korean company acquiring a U.S. defense firm. Kencoa continues to expand its production of defense and space components and its customer base in the United States.
 
Aremac Heat Treating, founded in 1968, is a heat treatment specialist located near Georgia. Prior to the acquisition, it operated a factory of approximately 5,300 square meters on a site of about 43,000 square meters, carrying out heat treatment processes for the space and defense industries.
 
Kencoa Aerospace plans to gradually expand its production capacity, focusing on the North American market. Centered on the space and defense sectors, the company will expand its Georgia production facility to about 33,000 square meters, strengthen its precision machining capabilities, and enhance its specialized workforce to establish a foundation for mid- to long-term growth.
 
During the process of expanding its production base in the Georgia region, Kencoa Aerospace discussed cooperation plans with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. The company expects that, with support from the U.S. government, it will further enhance its competitiveness in the North American space and defense markets and positively impact the expansion of global orders linked to the Korean space industry.
 
Kencoa Aerospace LLC is Kencoa Aerospace’s key subsidiary responsible for space and defense manufacturing in the United States. Based in Georgia, it produces engine-related parts and precision-machined products for the space and defense aviation sectors, handling local customer needs and manufacturing functions in the North American space and defense market.”
January 2, 2026 it was announced that Allison Transmission had acquired the Off-Highway Drive & Motion Systems business of Dana Incorporated-read the press release below and we will then tell you why a heat treatment publication such as “The Monty Heat Treat News” cares; 
 
“INDIANAPOLIS, January 2, 2026 — Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ALSN, “Allison”, “the Company”) today announced it has completed its acquisition of the Off-Highway Drive & Motion Systems business of Dana Incorporated, a leading provider of drivetrain and propulsion solutions, for approximately $2.7 billion. The combination of industry-leading products and advanced technologies will accelerate Allison’s growth and broaden the Company’s position as a global provider of commercial duty mobility and work solutions that Improve the Way the World Works.”
 
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”. In 2024 we updated the list to the “15 Largest Captive Heat Treats North America” and currently “The Monty” is in the process of updating the 2026 list with a number of new additions. 
 
A quick scan of the list reveals “Dana Fairfield Manufacturing”, Lafayette, Indiana as the third largest single location captive heat treater in North America with “Allison Transmission”, Speedway, Indiana in the fourth position. While nothing physically changes with this acquisition some names will change.
 
In an industry exclusive Gord Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News’ was granted permission to tour and photograph the “Dana Fairfield Manufacturing” facility in 2023-a rare honor indeed. The result was this article and photos. 
 
“Dana Inc., Lafayette, IN- “Top 15” Captive Heat Treater; Each year “The Monty Heat Treat News” puts together a list of the largest and most impressive single location, captive (in-house) heat treats in North America (the list and our criteria to be considered can be found at https://themonty.com/articles/15-largest-captive-heat-treats-north-america/).
 
It is interesting to note that 3 of the locations on this list are represented by Dana Inc., facilities, 2 in Mexico and 1 in Lafayette, Indiana, USA-it is the Indiana facility which is our focus today. Just last week Gord Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News” had the chance to visit this location for the first time and what we found was very impressive. (At this point I would like to thank my hosts, Bryce Tanner, Manufacturing Engineering Project Manager, Aaron Flesher, Metallurgist and Zenah Baker, Control Metallurgist).
 
Our experience with visiting Dana facilities over the years lead us to think of large volume auto and truck components. However this location is quite a bit different, we will let Dana summarize this facility. “Dana Fairfield® engineers, manufactures, tests, certifies, and supplies precision-made gears and gear drives for an expansive range of industrial and mobile applications.” https://www.fairfieldmfg.com/
 
The result is that the facility can be considered High Mix/Low Volume in that typical orders might be 100-200 high precision gears which are destined for such various industries as agriculture, oil & gas, power generation and defense. 
 
There is no way to describe the heat treat department other than by saying it is mammoth. 80,000 square feet houses 7 two row pusher furnace lines, a large roller hearth hardening line, 2 annealers, 7 batch IQ furnaces, 2 nitriders, 5 induction hardeners (scanning and tooth to tooth), 4 pit carburizing furnaces, 6 endothermic generators and 21 press quench systems. Datalogging and state of the art controls round out the picture of this clean heat treat.
 
In terms of capabilities the company can process gears up to 36” in diameter, with a weight of up to 900 pounds, shafts up to 2,000 pounds while the Induction systems can handle up to an 80” internal diameter.
 
In summary anybody with an interest and knowledge of in-house heat treating would find this a fascinating tour and after our visit we have no doubt but that Dana, Lafayette, Indiana deserves to be on our list of “The 15 Largest Single Location Heat Treats in North America”.