The link below will take you to the January 2026 edition of “The Monty Heat Treat News” the longest running heat treat industry news source in the world. Some stories we are looking at in this issue include these;
“The Monty” is continuously adding quality, surplus heat treat equipment, these are some of our most recent additions;
The entire team at “The Monty Heat Treat News” looks forward to your thoughts and comments. Sincerely, Gord, Jordan and Dale Montgomery.
“The Monty Heat Treat News” is a division of “WG Montgomery Ltd.”, a family owned business serving the heat treatment industry since 1969.
“Richard James Gagnon, affectionately known as “Butch,” passed away on January 2, 2026. He was 77 years old.
Butch was born on January 1, 1949, in Medford, Massachusetts, to Paul and Mary Gagnon. He graduated from Medford High School in 1967 and went on to attend college in Boston. Throughout his professional life, Butch worked as a heat-treating engineer with Atmosphere Furnace and later with Dietrich’s Heating and Cooling, where he was known for his strong work ethic and technical skill.
Beyond his career, Butch’s true passion was roller skating—a love that defined some of the happiest years of his life. He skated daily and found particular joy in pairs and partner competitions, as well as freestyle skating. His dedication and talent led him to win a National Championship with the U.S. Roller Skating Association. From 1975 until 2005, Butch was the owner of the Ambassador Roller Rink in Clawson, Michigan, where he helped shape generations of skaters and created a welcoming community centered on the joy of the sport. He also served as past president of the Roller-Skating Teachers Association of Michigan, forming deep friendships and lifelong bonds along the way.
Family was central to Butch’s life. He was a devoted father and a proud grandfather who cherished his grandchildren. He attended as many cheerleading events and hockey games as possible, always eager to support and encourage them.
Butch is survived by his children, Steve (Ramona Rushing) Gagnon, Angie (Scott) McInerney, and Kyle Gagnon; his grandchildren, Sophia, Blake, and Dillon; and his siblings, Joan Gagnon Hagstrom, Joyce Barry, Sandra Gasbaro, Lisa Gagnon Maurer, and Jimmy Gagnon. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Mary Gagnon, and his brother, Paul Gagnon.
A gathering of friends and family will be held on Wednesday, January 7, from 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., with a Celebration of Butch’s Life beginning at 3:30 p.m., at Gramer Funeral Home, 705 North Main Street (Livernois, between 14 and 15 Mile Road), Clawson, Michigan 48017. For convenience, a covered, no-step entrance is available on the north side of the funeral home under the carport.”
Quality engineer Helen Ellis, who was part of the team that supported the accreditation application, noted, “We are constantly working to extend the scope of our aerospace quality approvals to give clients confidence that our manufacturing processes conform to the highest standards.”
Manchester is the largest aerospace processing location in the Wallwork group and has seen significant investment in recent years. The site already has extensive approvals for mainstream heat treatment processes from many UK and international aerospace primes such as BAe Systems, Airbus, Safran, Bombardier, Moog and others. Common treatments to improve metal component performance and endurance include case hardening, carburising, hardening and tempering, nitriding and more.
Vacuum brazing is a process for joining metal components, sometimes made from different metals, that is equally suited to small assemblies and to
more complex fabrications made up from many components. It is a process that offers design engineers a high degree of flexibility to produce engineered parts to meet differing technical and environmental challenges. Assemblies made by this process are exceptionally strong, shock and vibration proof. Wallwork technicians work with clients through the full design and development cycle form prototyping and testing through to volume production with total quality control and traceability.
Sales manager Howard Maher concluded, “Vacuum brazing is a relatively new addition to the range of metal improvement services available at this site. Achieving this additional Rolls Royce approval so soon after commissioning the new vacuum brazing area is a tribute to the skills and in-depth technical capability in the company and will help attract more high value aerospace work.””
“London, UK – [December 16 2025] – Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of advanced heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has achieved independent validation by Bureau Veritas for its proprietary product carbon footprint (PCF) calculators across nine core processes representing approximately 80 percent of Group revenues.
Customers can now request carbon-footprint data for the heat treatment of their products from a Bureau Veritas-validated calculator tool with the confidence that the methodology and tool used have been independently assured and calculations follow recognised best practice. This data will enable customers to:
● Measure and report product carbon footprints with confidence
● Compare the carbon performance of different thermal-processing routes
● Select lower-carbon options such as vacuum processing or low-pressure carburizing (LPC)
The validation was performed by Bureau Veritas, one of the world’s most respected providers of environmental verification services, in accordance with ISO 14064, the internationally recognized standard for greenhouse-gas accounting, validation, and verification.
“Validating our product carbon footprint tools through Bureau Veritas reflects Bodycote’s commitment to scientific integrity and leadership in sustainable manufacturing,” said Jim Fairbairn, Chief Executive Officer of Bodycote. “By providing robust, credible carbon data at the product level, Bodycote is helping manufacturers accelerate their journey to net-zero while also advancing our own strategic priorities — to optimise operations, perform efficiently, and grow revenues in lower-carbon service lines.”
“This initiative is a cornerstone of Bodycote’s sustainability and commercial strategy,” said Lily Heinemann, Chief Sustainability Officer at Bodycote. “The validated calculators represent a major step forward for a sector that has historically faced challenges in quantifying process-level emissions due to the technical complexity of thermal processing.”
“Sustainability and corporate strategy go hand in hand,” added Heinemann. “As we expand our low-carbon process portfolio, validated carbon measurement becomes a powerful enabler for both.”
“Mark Hemsath joins our team as a distinguished leader in aerospace heat treating and advanced furnace technologies. With more than 30 years of experience driving innovation in vacuum systems, nitriding processes, and high-performance thermal equipment, Mark has shaped the industry through both his engineering expertise and executive leadership. Recognized among the “25 Most Influential People in the North American Heat Treating Industry,” he has played a central role in advancing modern furnace design and metallurgical processing. Mark’s background includes guiding global operations for leading furnace manufacturers and overseeing the development of cutting-edge aerospace vacuum furnaces, Low-Pressure Carburizing (LPC) systems, Ferritic Nitrocarburizing (FNC) technologies, and large-scale gas and ion nitriding installations.
He has contributed to major aerospace programs, directed multimillion-dollar system deployments, and authored widely referenced papers and presentations that continue to shape best practices in the field. As Executive Consultant, Mark brings exceptional technical perspective and problem-solving capability to our team, supporting clients with expertise that spans advanced furnace engineering, nitriding, hydrogen and vacuum processing, and complex heat-treating methodologies. His strategic insight strengthens our ability to deliver highly specialized, reliable, and efficient solutions across demanding applications. Mark holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Toledo and a B.S. in Business from Miami University, complementing his technical depth with strong business and operational acumen.”
Over the years Mr. Mark Hemsath has held a variety of high-profile positions in the global heat treatment industry-making his a very well-known name in the industry. Most recently he was President, “Nitrex/UPC-Marathon/GM Enterprises” before parting ways with the company earlier this year after Austrian furnace builder “Aichelin” acquired the Nitrex/UPC-Marathon/GM Enterprises brands.
Since then, many have wondered where Mark would resurface, this photo offers us a suggestion. Mark can be seen second from the right in this picture posted shortly before Christmas which shows Mr. Thomas Wingens (second from the left) and his team at “Wingens Consultants” , a heat treat consultant firm located in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. While this photo did not include any details at all, it certainly points to Mark possibly joining the firm.
We are sure there will be more to this story.
New Commercial Heat Treater located in Tennessee
Vulcan Thermal has officially opened a new commercial heat treating operation in Surgoinsville, Tennessee, expanding capacity and shortening turnaround times for manufacturers across Northeast Tennessee and the surrounding region. The facility is located at 390 Phipps Bend Road in the Phipps Bend Industrial Park, positioning Vulcan Thermal close to a growing concentration of metalworking and manufacturing activity.
Announced in March 2024 with state and regional leaders, the project represents a $5 million investment and is expected to create approximately 30 new jobs in Hawkins County. The site totals 15,000 square feet, and supports Vulcan Thermal’s strategy of providing responsive commercial processing and value-added services for customers who need consistent results and dependability.
Built to serve regional manufacturers with faster lead times
Vulcan Thermal is a subsidiary of EHT, Inc., founded in 1984 and headquartered in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. In Tennessee and Pennsylvania, the organization provides heat treatment and related services to major suppliers in industrial segments including automotive and agricultural manufacturing, with the combined organization expected to employ nearly 100 people across both states.
Vulcan Thermal’s website emphasizes a “more than one operation under the same roof” approach—helping customers reduce lead times and transportation costs by consolidating steps that often require multiple vendors.
Equipment and capacity: installed today, room to grow tomorrow
- Two batch furnaces are currently installed.
- The site is planned to add a third batch furnace.
- The facility is also planned to add a 48-inch continuous mesh belt line, currently located on-site.
- Importantly, the foundations for the planned installations have already been built, enabling a straightforward expansion path as customer demand grows.
This combination of current capacity plus “ready-to-install” expansion is designed to help regional manufacturers secure processing slots with confidence—especially when production schedules tighten.
Quality systems and metallurgical support
To support demanding manufacturing requirements, the Tennessee facility includes a full metallurgical lab and is continuously monitored for process control and traceability. The operation is fully CQI-9 compliant and ISO 9001 certified, aligning with the expectations of quality-driven customers in automotive and other critical supply chains.
Services designed to reduce handoffs and simplify finishing
Vulcan Thermal markets itself as a full-service operation supporting manufacturing customers, with core services including heat treating, steam treating, tumbling (mass finishing), and inspection.
The company also highlights additional support services—such as packaging and assembly—to help customers streamline outbound logistics and reduce vendor lead times.
In steam treating specifically, Vulcan Thermal positions itself as a long-time leader in the process, stating that with over 35 years of experience it remains the largest commercial steam treater in the United States.
Why Surgoinsville
In announcing the project, Vulcan Thermal cited the strong cooperation from state and local officials and the advantages of locating in Phipps Bend Industrial Park as key factors in the decision.
For customers, the benefits are practical: closer proximity to processing capacity can reduce freight cost, improve responsiveness, and create a more reliable path from production to shipment-ready parts.
Request a quote / contact
Vulcan Thermal is actively seeking new business relationships across Tennessee and neighboring states. For quoting, capability discussions, or to schedule a tour, visit.
- Tennessee: 390 Phipps Bend Road, Surgoinsville, TN 37873
- Pennsylvania: 316 Battery Street, Saint Marys, PA 15857
- Phone: (814) 834-0056
- Email: [email protected]
Updated photo captions (for your two images)
- Interior heat treat area:
“Inside Vulcan Thermal’s Surgoinsville, Tennessee facility—commercial heat treat capacity supported by on-site metallurgical resources, continuous monitoring, and an expansion-ready layout.”
Exterior building at dusk:
“Vulcan Thermal’s 15,000-square-foot Surgoinsville, Tennessee operation, located in the Phipps Bend Industrial Park and built to expand with additional furnace and mesh belt capacity.”
To start off one of the final weeks of 2025 lets look at some well known individuals in the global heat treatment industry who have been making career changes;
“The Ford Motor Company is recalling certain heavy-duty pickups for right rear axle shafts that may have been improperly heat-treated by the supplier. According to Ford, the shafts may break unexpectedly, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power or a risk of rollaway when placed in park.
“Mid-West Forge Corporation” is listed as the supplier of the suspect axle shafts, which the supplier failed to properly quench after heat treating. Affected trucks are specified with single rear wheels and 10.5-inch rear axle shafts. Their production dates range from October 2, 2025 through November 5, 2025.
(Editors Note; on their website Mid-West Forge Corporation emphasizes the fact that their heat treatment department offers Induction heat treating combined with mesh belt tempering furnaces).
An estimated 6,334 units of the F-250 are being recalled stateside, along with 485 units from the F-350 line of workhorses. The safety boffins at FoMoCo started investigating this concern back in early November 2025, prompted by failures identified by Ford Driveline Engineering during impact testing.
Ultimately, the supplier put the blame on malfunctioning equipment for the recall condition. Ford isn’t aware of any field reports or warranty claims attributed to the described problem. As you might have already guessed, Super Duty retailers have been instructed to inspect all suspect axle shafts.”
“Aichelin Group recently held a groundbreaking ceremony in Talegaon, Pune, for a new production facility for its subsidiary Aichelin Unitherm. The site will manufacture the Group’s full range of atmospheric furnace types in India, serving customers across the automotive sector, bearing manufacturing and contract heat treatment providers.
Located on a plot of approximately 11,500 square metres, the new facility will comprise a modern production and office complex that brings all manufacturing activities together under one roof. The site will include a 6,500-square-metre production hall and 1,300 square metres of office space spread across two floors.
The new location will support AICHELIN Group’s ambitions to strengthen its market leadership in India and continue to grow revenues. It will also enable the company to develop new heat treatment segments, beginning with aluminum heat treatment, while further expanding its export activities.
Through the relocation, Aichelin Unitherm is investing in long-term stability, modern working conditions and improved infrastructure for its employees. Completion of the new site is scheduled for mid-2026.
“India is one of the fastest-growing markets for industrial heat treatment worldwide, and we see enormous potential for sustainable growth and technological innovation,” said Christian Grosspointner, CEO of the AICHELIN Group. “With our new site in Talegaon, we are creating the foundation to further expand our market share, serve our customers even better and provide a modern working environment.”
In addition to its expansion in India, the company has moved into a new, modern office in the Future Science City in Beijing’s Changping district. Offering 3,000 square metres of office space, the facility brings together development, sales, service and training functions, making it a central pillar of AICHELIN Group’s regional growth strategy.
“China has always been more than just a sales market for us; it is a partner for development and innovation,” Grosspointner added. “The new site in Beijing symbolizes our long-term commitment to the Chinese market and to our dedicated local team.”
The company said the investments form part of its long-term Strategy 2030, which focuses on sustainable growth, technological innovation and close regional customer relationships”.
