“Fort Worth, Texas — November 17, 2025 — Southwest Metal Treating Corp (SWMT), a leading provider of precision heat-treating services and an AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 and NADCAP-accredited facility, is proud to announce the addition of a new TRU-CRYOTHERM 36x48x36 system from “McLaughlin Furnace Group”.
The new unit has been delivered and is currently installed as part of SWMT’s ongoing expansion of its Integral Quench (IQ) department. This investment further enhances SWMT’s ability to provide advanced, consistent, and high-quality heat-treating and cryogenic processing solutions for aerospace, defense, and precision manufacturing partners.
“The TRU-CRYOTHERM expands our thermal processing capabilities and strengthens our ability to meet demanding specifications with precision and reliability,” said Ryan Fussell, CEO of Southwest Metal Treating Corp. “As we continue to invest in state-of-the-art equipment, our goal remains the same — to provide our customers with unmatched quality, turnaround, and technical excellence.”
The TRU-CRYOTHERM’s robust design, advanced temperature control, and uniformity standards make it an ideal complement to SWMT’s growing IQ and vacuum processing operations. With this addition, SWMT continues to set a higher standard for metallurgical performance and process consistency across its full range of services. According to “Jeff McLaughlin”, founder and owner of the company this -300F to +1400F unit is the first gas fired system on the market.
About Southwest Metal Treating Corp; Founded in 1985 and based in Fort Worth, Texas, Southwest Metal Treating Corp (SWMT) provides a full range of heat-treating and cryogenic services to aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. SWMT maintains NADCAP accreditation and AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 certification, ensuring compliance with the highest quality and process standards in the industry. For more information, visit www.southwestmetaltreating.com or contact [email protected].”
Back in 2009 furnace builder JL Becker, Co., (acquired by “Gasbarre” in 2011) working with commercial heat treater “Woodworth, Inc.”, in Flint, Michigan, USA revolutionized the automotive brake rotor sector by offering FNC (ferritic nitrocarburizing) in large tip-up furnaces.
The benefits of the process were readily apparent and combined with the economy of scale offered by the very large volumes (50,000 pound loads as an example) the tip up furnaces were capable of meant that the process was quickly adopted by most of the large automotive companies. This success propelled Woodworth into one of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America “52 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treaters 2025”.
This success lead another other commercial heat treaters to enter this market, US based “Paulo”(now part of “Aalberts Surface Technologies”) set up a plant in “Monterrey, Mexico”in 2018 offering the same process in the same furnaces. The subject comes up today as “Aalberts” has recently been “showcasing” the plant, this includes these very interesting pictures showing one of the furnaces both empty and full.
“Aluminium extrusion company Extrutec North America, has acquired Induction Professionals, leading to the formation of the new company Induction Professional Solutions (IPS). The acquisition will combine Extrutec’s energy efficient technology with Induction Professionals extensive experience to provide customers with advanced heating solutions.
Uwe Günter, managing partner of Extrutec, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Induction Professionals assets and expertise into the Extrutec family, “This is an exciting and strategic step for our company. By integrating Induction Professionals’ capabilities into our North American operations, we are well-positioned to offer a comprehensive portfolio of the most modern, energy-efficient induction heating solutions.
“We are committed to building on the foundation of trust and quality that Tom Kearney and his team have established.” Kearney, the former owner of Induction Professionals, will serve as general manager of IPS. As well as heating systems, IPS will also provide comprehensive service repair, and upgrade solutions. The new company will be situated in Induction Professionals former facility in Youngstown, Ohio.
Kearney added: “By joining forces with Extrutec to form IPS, I am confident that we are entering an exciting new chapter that will bring you even greater value. “Combining our local expertise with Extrutec’s global resources and cutting-edge technology will enable us to offer a broader range of products and services.”
Rockbreaker Tools Prior to Oil Quenching
“Rockbreaker” is a trade name for a steel hydraulic hammer tool used in the construction, mining, quarrying and demolition industries to literally break rock and concrete. The name is owned by “Caldervale Group Ltd”., of Airdrie, Scotland who manufacturers and ships the tools around the world with North America being their largest market.
“All Rockbreaker steel tools are manufactured from top quality steels, machined and heat treated in the company’s own production facilities in Calderdale, Airdrie ensuring that each breaker tool has the consistent impact, strength, hardness and ductility needed in the rugged conditions experienced in the construction, mining, quarrying and demolition industries.
Rockbreaker Steels are totally manufactured under a strict quality control management system certified to British Standard BS EN ISO 9001, 2008 ensuring the production of superior quality breaker steels. We are committed to research and development as an integral part of our existence to produce the world’s finest most versatile hydraulic breaker steels deserving the world-wide earned reputation. Continual improvement in process`s and procedures.”
Rockbreaker Tools Prior to Heat Treatment
Monday November 10th, “Gord Montgomery” of “The Monty Heat Treat News”had the privilege of a guided tour of the facility, courtesy of Mr. Jim Hamilton, Technical & Sale Manager for the company.
This being our first experience with hydraulic hammer tools we weren’t entirely sure what to expect, as it turns out the heat treatment process for hammer tools is very similar to rock drills-carburizing in pit furnaces using an endothermic atmosphere with oil quenching-in the case of “Caldervale” the company has two reasonably large pit furnaces.
The pit furnaces form only a small part of the firm’s heat-treating capacity as “Caldervale” also operates as a commercial heat treater-the largest in Scotland as it turns out. To compliment the pit carburizing furnaces we found two induction systems (one a very long vertical scanning system, the other a dual spindle scanner) and several stress relieving, annealing and normalizing furnaces.
The centerpiece of the entire department is a substantial “salt” system offering the “QPQ” process-for those not familiar with this process we have this brief summary;
Nigel Troth, Sales Manager, SSi Europe, Jim Hamilton, Technical Sales Manager Caldervale Group
“QPQ” is a thermochemical surface treatment process that uses “quench, polish, quench” to significantly improve a metal’s wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and fatigue strength. It involves three main steps: an initial quench (nitrocarburizing) to form a hard compound layer, followed by a polish to improve the surface finish, and a final quench (oxidation) to create a corrosion-resistant oxide layer. This process results in a durable, black surface that can replace other treatments like chrome plating and minimizes distortion in the treated parts.”
Joining us in our tour was Mr. Nigel Troth, Sales manager for furnace controls company “SSi Europe”.
We thank Jim Hamilton for his time and his openness about the company.
“QPQ-Tuffride”; Gord Montgomery, “The Monty Heat Treat News”, Jim Hamilton, Technical Sales Manager, Caldervale Group
August 19th of the year we had this news item about a new commercial heat treating facility in Fairfield, Ohio, USA “Bodycote Opening New Facility in Fairfield, Ohio, USA”–we now have this update about the location achieving Nadcap Accreditation (Editors Note: while vacuum carburizing is not mentioned in this press release about being offered at this location the furnace picture sures looks to us like a multi chamber vacuum carburizing system).
“Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of advanced heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has announced that its new facility in Fairfield, Ohio, has achieved Nadcap accreditation for heat treating, vacuum brazing, and TIG welding, marking a key milestone in the site’s progression toward full operations.
This investment strengthens Bodycote’s North American footprint and supports growing demand for high-specification thermal processing in the aerospace, defense, and industrial manufacturing sectors.
Construction of the 55,000-square-foot facility began in March 2024, with initial production trials underway since March 2025. Strategically located in Fairfield, just north of Cincinnati, the site offers proximity to key customer hubs across Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky—enabling faster turnaround times and enhanced logistics efficiency for regional manufacturers.
With Nadcap accreditation secured, Bodycote is now entering the final stages of customer qualification and production ramp-up. The facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art braze department, vacuum furnaces, aluminum furnaces, TIG Weld, FPI, and is designed to meet the most demanding performance and quality standards required in critical industries.
“This accreditation underscores our commitment to quality, consistency, and service excellence for our customers,” said Heidi McNary, President, Global ADE and Surface Technology at Bodycote. “Fairfield represents a key addition to Bodycote’s North American network, providing increased capacity and proximity for customers in this important industrial corridor.”
The Fairfield site is now accepting customer qualifications and new production work, with full-scale operations expected by January 2026. A formal customer open house and ribbon-cutting event is planned for Q1 2026, where guests will have the opportunity to tour the facility and meet the local and corporate leadership teams.
The facility is also expected to create 10 new skilled jobs in the Fairfield region, reinforcing Bodycote’s continued investment in advanced manufacturing and workforce development across the state of Ohio.
Bodycote’s expansion in Fairfield continues the company’s investment in world-class facilities and sustainable technologies to support customers’ long-term growth and performance needs.
About Bodycote: Bodycote plc is the world’s leading provider of precision heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, delivering vital metallurgical solutions that improve the performance, reliability, and longevity of critical components. Serving customers across aerospace, automotive, energy, defence, medical, and other industrial sectors, Bodycote combines global scale with local expertise to meet demanding technical and sustainability requirements. Through its global scale (with more than 150 facilities worldwide), the company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that advance performance, sustainability and competitive advantage for its customers.”
60 Years ago “Clyde Fasteners” of East Kilbride, Scotland set out to produce fasteners for a variety of industries including oil & gas, defense, and heavy equipment.
From day 1 in house heat treatment was considered a crucial part of the firm’s success-the end result is that the company continues to this day to do all heat treating in house and recently the company invited Gord Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News” to tour the company’s manufacturing facility in Scotland.
The tour occurred Monday, November 10, 2025 and the host was Mr. Gordon Russell, Production Manager and owner of the company who gave “Gord Montgomery” of “The Monty” and “Nigel Troth”, Sales Manager of furnace controls company “Super Systems Europe” his undivided attention for several hours.
“Clyde Fasteners” , East Kilbride, Scotland
What was witnessed was a small to medium sized fastener manufacturer who has survived, prospered and indeed thrived over the years and one has always believed in having all parts of the manufacturing process kept in house.
Generally, fastener manufacturers use continuous style heat treat furnaces and in the past “Clyde Fasteners” went the same route, however “Clyde’s” specialty is in smaller lot sizes and over time they have adopted batch IQ (Sealed Quench) furnaces because of their versatility.
Currently the company operates two hardening furnaces, two tempers, a batch washer and two endothermic generators (this heat-treating equipment is complimented by Induction heating systems also).
Nigel Troth, Sales Manager, “SSi Europe”
A new addition to the heat treat department which represents a sizeable investment is a “Neotherm” Endothermic generator which came on line just one week ago-the unit can be seen in one of these photos.
We thank “Mr. Gordon Russell” for his time and appreciate the fact that he was so willing to share all the details of his heat treating expertise with “The Monty” and indeed the entire global heat treating community.
Later this week “The Monty” will be profiling a captive/commercial heat treater also in Scotland who supplies “rock breaking hammers”.
Left to Right; Gordon Russell, Production Director, “Clyde Fasteners”, Nigel Troth, Sales Manager, SSi Europe, Gord Montgomery “The Monty Heat Treat News”
The team at “The Monty Heat Treat News”constantly looks at heat treating around the world-our latest efforts take us to Scotland where the team visited several captive heat treaters.
Detailed profiles of these firms will follow but we can share with our readers these photos of two different in house heat treating departments, one a supplier of fasteners to the wind energy, defense and energy industries the other a major supplier to the mining industry.
Stories will follow shortly.
“The 5,000th technological solution has just rolled off SECO/WARWICK’s production line, confirming the Group’s ongoing growth and global standing as one of the leading names in metal heat treatment.
This symbolic moment is the result of decades of innovation, investment and global expansion. The five-thousandth SECO/WARWICK device is a unique, powerful line of atmospheric electric furnaces designed for bright annealing of high-alloy tubes. The partner –Alleima, a global manufacturer of high value-added products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys– has previously ordered vacuum and retort devices from SECO/WARWICK. The current order will be used in the production of components for nuclear solutions.”
Today, SECO/WARWICK is a global organization, comprised of seven companies across three continents, employing over 900 people, of whom as many as 60 percent are engineers. The company supplies its technologies to customers in 70 countries worldwide, supporting strategic industries – from aerospace, energy, and automotive, to nuclear and medical sectors, and now, with its five-thousandth solution, boasts an impressive track record of achievements.
“SECO/WARWICK Group solutions are manufactured in five production plants with a total area of nearly 50,000 m² (538195 sg ft) – in Poland, the USA, China and India. That’s an area equivalent to seven full-size soccer field. In Asia and North America, production spaces have reached an impressive combined area of 13,500 m² in India and China, 23,350 m² in America, and 12,000 m² in Europe. Our brand’s five-thousandth solution is a source of pride, a commitment, and proof of continuous development and growth, today measured by the number of solutions produced,” said Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group.
Over the years “The Monty Heat Treat News” has had the chance to visit commercial heat treater “Wallwork Heat Treatment” in the UK several times-everything you ever wanted to know about the company can be found at “Wallwork Group. Bury, UK”
Today we have this press release from the company stating that they were so overwhelmed by customer demand for their first “Hot Isostatic Press” that they have moved up installation of their second system as can be read below;
“Wallwork Heat Treatment have announced their second Quintus Technologies hot isostatic press will soon be fully operational. Currently going through its final phases of testing, the company brought forward the investment by two years. This makes a total of £20 million now invested in the Wallwork HIP Centre.
“The demand for HIP has blown us away. We expected it from the UK. Now we are also servicing customers across Europe in France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and further afield. Advanced hot isostatic pressing technology offered on the Quintus HIPs is driving demand. Typical is uniform rapid cooling. This enables component manufacturers to push their product designs to the next level. In Wallwork they find an experienced partner, available 24/7 and with the knowhow to apply the HIP process to best effect.” explained Howard Maher, Wallwork HIP Centre and group sales manager.
“The second HIP is identical to the first one supplied by Quintus in 2023. Besides doubling capacity, this has many advantages. It allows the use of interchangeable rigging and mantles. It provides redundancy contingency planning during scheduled maintenance. And also ensures repeatable processes across both units. The Wallwork HIP Centre is now Nadcap and EN9100 accredited,” added, James Bailey, site director.
Like the first HIP, the new one can reach pressures from 40 to 207 MPa (5,800 to 30,000 psi). Temperatures range up to 1250°C, and it has the latest uniform rapid cooling technology. Increased cycle pressures at elevated temperatures, complements engineering advances in metal 3D printing. It is also suited to processing castings, near-net shape powder metallurgy and more. User industries include aerospace, automotive, autosports, medical devices and other precision high-value manufacturers.
Wallwork has four UK sites offering over 117 heat treatment processes, vacuum brazing, a range of standard and bespoke PVD coatings.
“This is not the end of our journey of investment in hot isostatic pressing. Discussions are in progress for ring-fencing further funds for a third HIP. We are looking into what this should be. How it will expand the depth of HIP services we can offer customers. It might be something quite specialized,” hinted group director, Simeon Collins.”
Want to know more about “Wallwork“-follow these really cool links provided by “The Monty”, including a daredevil motorbike rider on top of the furnaces:
A number of years back “The Monty Heat Treat News”, did a summary about the heat treatment market in South Africa, included in this summary was one of the largest commercial heat treaters in the country “Harchris Heat Treatment”.
It would now appear that the firm is under new management-“Erindale Holding” to be exact:
“With the imminent retirement of Managing Director Errol Preston, Harchris Heat Treatment has been acquired by Erindale Holdings (Pty) Ltd, new owners that have a background in the agriculture and mining sectors. As part of the agreement, which was signed just over a year ago, Errol Preston has remained on in a consulting capacity to oversee he handover and mentor the new owners.
“The acquisition of Harchris Heat Treatment is an important milestone for us as the new owners and provides significant end market diversification and additional reach, both of which are key strategic drivers for our business. We are pleased with this recent development and look forward to furthering our core values of customer service, quality, technical expertise, and providing solutions to our customers,” said Shane Potgieter, who is the new Managing Director.
“It was decided to purchase Harchris as a going concern, and therefore, the majority of the original staff have stayed on. Additionally, we have appointed a Business Development Manager, a Junior Production Manager and a Processing Plant Engineer.”
“The services that Harchris Heat Treatment, one of South Africa’s oldest heat treatment companies, offer includes stress relieving, annealing, spherodising, sub-critical annealing, solution heat treatment, normalising, water and oil quenching and we also specialise in annealing and hardening of chrome iron. The services include both the non-ferrous and ferrous sectors.”
“As part of constantly improving our customer service, we have endeavoured to turn Harchris into a one-stop manufacturing shop. Therefore, we have partnered with a local shot blasting company and can now offer shot blasting, corrosion protection, and painting services. In addition to this, we have a 500-ton press on the premises and a 30-ton, 14-ton and 7-ton truck for any transport requirements.”
“Future expansion plans include the commissioning of a brand-new pit furnace with recuperative burners by the end of 2025, as well as the commissioning of a muffle furnace in the second quarter of 2026.”
60 Years ago “Clyde Fasteners” of East Kilbride, Scotland set out to produce fasteners for a variety of industries including oil & gas, defense, and heavy equipment.
