At the recent “Heat Treat 2025“ exhibition in Detroit, Michigan, USA “Gord & Jordan Montgomery“ of “The Monty Heat Treat News” ran across DMP of Texas a supplier of +1200 to -300 thermal processing systems. During our conversation we learned that Jim Wells, part of the original DMP team recently returned to the company after a brief “hiatus”.
“For more than three decades, Durable” Metal Products (DMP) has been a trusted leader in the design and manufacturing of cryogenic and thermal-cycling systems used throughout the heat-treating industry. With over 250 installations worldwide, DMP’s reputation for precision, reliability, and Made in the USA craftsmanship continues to set the benchmark for quality.
Founded on the principles of innovation and integrity, DMP has remained dedicated to building durable, high-performance equipment such as the CryoFurnace™, CryoTemper™, and CryoFreezer™—machines known for delivering accuracy within ±10°F and years of dependable service.
After a brief hiatus to explore new opportunities, Jim Wells—a familiar and respected name in the heat-treating community—has returned to DMP, bringing renewed energy and insight to the company’s next phase of growth. His leadership and technical expertise are once again helping to guide the team toward advancing cryogenic technology and enhancing production efficiency.
Today, DMP is proud to announce that it is actively developing a new system that promises to push the boundaries of thermal cycling performance even further”.
Today we speak with “Mr. Francesco Pieropan”, CEO of Italian furnace builder “Meapforni“.
We are indeed fortunate today to have an interview with an individual who we have known for a number of years and one whom we have a very high opinion of, Mr. Francesco Pieropan, of furnace builder “Meapforni” of Italy. Francesco, I appreciate the time, lets start off with your personal background, in particular how you ended up in the heat treatment industry.
“After my university studies I met a family friend who introduced me to the world of furnace producers, this was 1984, and at the time I worked for a company called “Elsima”, which produced mainly mesh belt furnaces for brazing and sintering. My first goal was to expand the market and it was a pleasure for me to start travelling to countries such as France, Spain, USA and Canada.
Earlier this year I was able to visit your facility, the original article can be found at “Furnace Builder “Thrives” Over the Past 8 Years”, however perhaps you could in your own words tell us the history of the company?
“After many years with other larger furnace builders, some colleagues and myself, decided to group together and transform our experience in a new challenge- “Meapforni” was the result.”
What is your position with the company-I believe you have partial ownership of the company.
“Yes that is correct, I have shares of Meapforni and my position is CEO”.
My impression of “Meapforni” is that you can offer many different furnace designs, more than the average furnace builder it would appear. This is a rather “round about” way of asking what types of furnaces have you built over the years?
“When we started we decided to concentrate on the products and applications we were very familiar with and had a great deal of expertise in so we could deliver a high quality product. This is why we started with automated batch and mesh belt lines for fasteners. At the same time we were receiving requests from our customers for different applications which means we have built and delivered vacuum furnaces, nitriders , rotating and roller furnaces.”
Do you have standard product offerings, or would you consider yourself more of a “custom” design firm?
“Definitely we are a custom producer although we try to use standard assemblies and sub assemblies, but our strength is the capacity to deliver a highly tailor-made product.”
You are based in Italy but is that your largest market? Historically where have the majority of your furnaces shipped to and do you see this shifting in the short or medium term? For instance, do you see North America becoming a larger market for you?
“Yes we are based not far from Venice in the northeast part of Italy. The Italian market is not our largest, we work mainly abroad, and Europe and Switzerland are our main markets. We are concentrating on becoming more global, and for this reason we are working a lot to find agreements and alliances. North America is for sure a very important market for us and we hope to have more possibilities to start there also”
Are there any new technologies you are looking at that you have not offered before?
“For the moment we are too busy with our existing products, our focus now is to expand our applications to various fields, for example medical, aerospace and defence.”
Earlier this year you mentioned you that you had received some very interesting orders, one in particular which involved salt quenching I know you were very proud of. Are you able to share any details about this project now? Are there any other “intriguing” projects which you can tell us about?
“Yes we recently delivered a fully automatic mesh belt line to a European leader when it comes to producing garden appliances and products. The line was built using the latest concepts of carbon reduction technologies, has a capacity of 1 ton per hour, and was designed from scratch to fit into an existing area. We are also working on some new projects where argon is the atmosphere but at the moment we cannot say more”
The heat treat industry is seeing challenges these days but this is hardly unusual. In North America the number one issue is a shortage of good, experienced people. Is this an issue in Europe or are you facing other “problems”?
“Meapforni is facing the same scenario, although we are lucky because we are in an area where there are a lot of small and medium companies very skilled in what we produce who can help us as required. At the same time our company is working to add young, talented people that will help our existing staff.”
North Americans look at energy costs in Europe with absolute shock, how do these high energy prices effect furnace design and what solutions is “Meapforni” offering?
“You are right, Europe, especially during and after the Covid period, has faced an incredible increase of costs not only regarding gas and electrical supply for furnace heating but also for all technical gases used for heat treatment. This is why a lot of “old furnaces” are no longer competitive and have been scrapped. We have worked a lot on insulating materials quality and the way they are applied along with software modes to optimize the use of the furnace heating during every moment of production and non production time.”
Francesco how do you see 2026 shaping up for your company in particular and the heat treatment industry in general?
“Europe has faced an important deceleration over the last couple of years for reasons which are known around the world. Our company is trying to work on special niche markets and offering super personalized solutions, this we believe will help us to face a very good 2026 which is to say we are excited about the future.”
Alessandro Lorusso (COO and Shareholder), Sonia Pellizzon (CFO and shareholder), Francesco Pieropan
In the US Southeast everybody knows Jennifer because of her long association with the heat treatment industry. President of American Heat Treating, Alabama-check. Sales Manager Accurate Brazing-check. Business Development Manager, Bodycote-check. President Suncoast Heat Treat-check. Jennifer has done it all. Now it would appear she is Sales Manager for vacuum furnace experts VESCO-congratulations.
“We’re excited to welcome our new Sales Manager, Jennifer McPeek! Jennifer brings a wealth of experience in the heat-treating industry and a strong commitment to customer partnerships. She’ll be your go-to contact for VESCO’s service and solutions—focused on keeping your operations running efficiently and reliably.”
“This installation marks the second all-metal hot zone vacuum furnace added to the climate-controlled processing area at Solar Atmospheres’ Hermitage, Pennsylvania facility. The new system significantly expands the company’s capacity to heat treat highly sensitive materials such as precipitation-hardened stainless steels, nickel-chrome-based superalloys, titanium, and niobium.
Engineered for precision and performance, the furnace incorporates strategically placed isolation valves, an oversized main valve, a high-capacity diffusion pump, and a polished stainless-steel chamber. Together, these features create an ultra-clean processing environment that meets the stringent demands of the aerospace and medical industries. Capable of achieving vacuum levels below 5 x 10⁻⁶ Torr, the system ensures bright, contamination-free results.
Michael Johnson, Sales Director at Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania, stated: “The all-metal vacuum furnace plays a critical role in delivering the purest possible processing environment. This level of cleanliness and control results in pristine end products that meet the most demanding industry standards. We’re proud to partner with the engineers at Solar Manufacturing to bring this advanced technology to fruition.”
For additional information about Solar Atmospheres, contact Mike Johnson at 855-934-3284 x2223, email at [email protected], and visit us at solaratm.com.”
Earlier this year it was announced that Austrian furnace builder “Aichelin” was acquiring the NTS & UPC business divisions of NITREX ”Blockbuster Acquisition in the Global Heat Treat Furnace Industry” .
Everybody in the heat treat industry knew that this would lead to changes in the structure of the company in North America, the only question was-what shape will these changes take? We are now getting a glimpse.
According to this press release each of the component companies will now operate under the name “Aichelin Americas” which we assume means that over time the “AFC-Holcroft”, “Atmosphere Heat Treating, Inc.”, “Austemper, Inc.”, “Nitrex NTS” (Nitrex, G-M Enterprises, and UPC-Marathon) names will all slowly disappear.
We also see some changes in the North American management structure with Tracy Dougherty (formerly CEO of AFC-Holcroft) now “President of Sales & Service, Aichelin Americas and Paul Oleszkiewicz, now President of Operations.
The fact that Mr. Oleszkiewicz is now President of Operations is very interesting. Paul is a long time Nitrex Manager in Montreal, Canada who is very experienced and very professional, this marks a major promotion for him, one which we would consider well deserved.
While it is too soon to know for sure our bet would be that the next step in this acquisition will means changes in the sales network of each division. We will keep you posted.
In the meantime, we would suggest that readers interested in this story reference this story from earlier this year when “The Monty Heat Treat News” visited the newest Aichelin facility in Europe; “Furnace Builder Shows Off Newest Facility”.
“Atmosphere Group Announces Rebranding to Aichelin Americas; The Atmosphere Group has been an operating holding company in the USA for its subsidiaries: AFC Holcroft, Atmosphere Heat Treating, Inc., and Austemper Inc. (Previously, Austemper Inc. was announced to be consolidating with Atmosphere Heat Treating.) With the addition of new subsidiaries—Nitrex NTS (Nitrex, G-M Enterprises, and UPC-Marathon)—from a previously announced acquisition, we are pleased to announce that our operations for Region Americas will henceforth operate under a strengthened and unified identity: Aichelin Americas.
Marty Poljan will continue to lead the region as President and CEO of Aichelin Americas. Poljan began with the group in 2021 at Atmosphere Heat Treating and, in 2023, assumed the role of President and CEO of the Atmosphere Group.
Aichelin Americas is proud to announce that Tracy Dougherty has been promoted to President of Sales & Service, Aichelin Americas, and Paul Oleszkiewicz to President of Operations, Aichelin Americas. Together, Tracy and Paul bring more than 50 years of leadership experience in the heattreating industry. Both leaders have distinguished careers in leading high-performing teams and fostering positive company culture. This level of embedded industry experience sends a clear message: while corporate structures and brands evolve, the people responsible for delivering performance, service continuity, and technical accountability remain deeply rooted in the realities of this industry.
With the strategic alignment of Nitrex NTS, AFC-Holcroft, and Atmosphere Heat Treating, Aichelin Americas is not simply expanding—it is reinforcing its long-standing commitment to serve as a trusted technical partner to OEMs, commercial heat treaters, and specialized processors across North and South America.
The team at Aichelin Americas is passionate about providing industry-leading solutions to our equipment and service customers.
“Our customers don’t simply buy equipment—they make a long-term decision about who they can rely on,” says Poljan. “This leadership structure reflects that reality. We are here to be a consistent, service-driven partner—not just at installation, but through every maintenance cycle, modernization, and capacity expansion that follows.”
On the commercial front, Tracy Dougherty, now President of Sales & Service, brings over 17 years of direct sales and customer lifecycle experience from AFC-Holcroft, navigating both OEM furnace projects and aftermarket service partnerships.
“This industry has shifted,” notes Dougherty. “Customers expect more than a transaction—they expect responsive service, modernization support, and clear accountability over the lifespan of their equipment. That’s where our focus is, and where it will remain.”
Delivering on that promise operationally is Paul Oleszkiewicz, President of Operations, whose three decades at Nitrex have been dedicated to engineering execution, process reliability, and technical precision.
“Engineering leadership in heat treating comes down to repeatability and trust,” says Oleszkiewicz. “A furnace isn’t just a product—it’s a long-term production system. Our responsibility is to deliver with consistency and to stand behind that equipment with real technical support.”
As Aichelin Americas continues to align its manufacturing capabilities, aftermarket service network, and engineering resources across its combined brands, customers can expect more than just broader product coverage—they gain access to a leadership team that has lived the operational realities of all things thermal processing”.
The November 2025 edition of “The Monty Heat Treat News” the world’s largest source of news and trends in the heat treatment industry is now available. A few of our top stories include these;
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What Is Going on at One of North America’s Largest Commercial Heat Treaters?
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Aerospace Giant Adding Vacuum Heat Treat Capacity
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Special Alloys in the Heat Treatment Industry-“Radek Houdek, Cronite Group”
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Bodycote Merging Two Michigan, USA Facilities
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Let’s Talk About Vacuum Heat Treat Furnaces-“Jay Jefsen”
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Material Change Forces Closure of Heat Treat Department
Meanwhile our used equipment listings keep growing by leaps & bounds. Recent additions include these;
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Item # IQ 526 Surface Rebuilt 36 X 72 Batch IQ-Save Over $250,000 USD Vs; New
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Item # IQ523 AFC-Holcroft UBQ 36″ X 48″ X 36″
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Item # VF472 Edwards Vacuum Pumps (2 Available) Brand New
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Item # VF469 2 Bar Quenching Vacuum Furnace-Excellent Condition 36″ X 22″ X 22″
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Item # VF468 1 Bar Quenching Vacuum Furnace-New Condition 24″ X 24″ X 36″
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Item # C419 14″ Wide Mesh Belt Brazing Furnace-2020
Even after 30 years of publishing “The Monty Heat Treat News” we still look forward with eager anticipation to your thoughts, comments, press releases and questions. Sincerely, Gord, Jordan and Dale Montgomery.
Gord Montgomery [email protected]
Jordan Montgomery [email protected]
Dale Montgomery [email protected]
PHONE; 705 259-3650
For the background on this very interesting heat treat story we would suggest “VAC AERO International Opens First US Operation-Part II”
“On Tuesday, our team celebrated the official opening of VAC AERO’s first operational facility in the United States, located within Meyer Tool’s Greenville, South Carolina operation.This new “shop-in-shop” facility represents a $5.8M investment in expanding advanced vacuum heat treating, brazing, and coating capabilities directly into one of North America’s key aerospace and power generation hubs. With more than 185 years of combined experience onsite from day one, we are bringing unmatched expertise, innovation, and customer value to the region.
A heartfelt thank you to our partners at Meyer Tool, Inc. and to everyone who helped make this milestone a reality. We are excited for what’s ahead and proud to continue strengthening our global footprint.”
“Number 10 American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings (AAM), Silao, Mexico. In 2012 auto parts supplier American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) formally opened a new location in the city of Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. The Silao facility was AAM’s second manufacturing facility in Mexico, joining the Guanajuato Manufacturing Complex. The opening of these facilities marked a real change in the firms philosophy as previous to this most manufacturing was in the USA including a large facility in Buffalo, New York which featured 5 single row pusher lines. Each AAM facility (including Poland) has a varied mix of heat treating equipment which includes pusher furnaces, batch IQ’s and Induction to name a few. Each of the AAM heat treating departments is very impressive, mainly because they are relatively new and obviously no expense was spared. AAAM globally can be considered one of the larger captive heat treaters in existence.”
According to this press release from the company it would appear that the company is continuing to expand. These photos show some of the pusher furnaces at one of the AAM plants in Mexico. “American Axle & Manufacturing-15 Largest Captive Heat Treats North America”
According to reports, improvements will be made to the plant structure and HVAC system, the wastewater treatment systems, as well as new machinery and updated production lines.
AAM did not detail the schedule for the expansion project.
“These investments are necessary to ensure our plant infrastructure and advanced manufacturing processes remain competitive, while supporting our highly skilled workforce,” stated Tolga Oal, president of AAM’s driveline division.
The Three Rivers plant produces front and rear axles, steering linkages, and AAM’s EcoTrac all-wheel drive system. The 123-acre plant has hot-, warm-, and cold-forging process lines, along with precision machining, heat-treating, and assembly operations.
Detroit-based AAM manufactures driveline and drivetrain systems, and related components at 11 U.S. locations and dozens more in Asia, Europe, and South America. The company is in the process of completing a $1.44-billion takeover of Dowlais Group, the engineering group that includes GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy.”
“Hestia Heat Treat: Leadership Continuity and Commitment to Excellence; Jill Szczekocki, the wife of Hestia Heat Treat founder Darius Szczekocki, has assumed leadership of the company since his passing. Darius’s craftsmanship and leadership established the company as a trusted name in precision heat treating across the Midwest.
Thanks to the professionalism of the Hestia team, led by its seasoned manager Glenn Strehlow with his more than 30 years of heat treating experience, operations continued seamlessly through this transition, culminating in a record year of performance and customer satisfaction. Jill emphasizes that the company remains firmly committed to outstanding customer service, competitive pricing, and continued investment in advanced processes and technology to serve manufacturers throughout Southeast Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and beyond.
“Darius built Hestia on relationships, trust, and quality work,” said Jill Szczekocki.” “Our team continues to honor that foundation every day, and we look forward to serving our customers with the same dedication that defined him. I’m deeply proud of how our team has come together. They have upheld Darius’s standards of excellence while embracing the responsibility to move the company forward with the same heart and commitment he brought to work every day.”
Jill asserts that, “Hestia’s success is built on people—our employees, our customers, and the relationships Darius formed over decades. As we look ahead, we remain committed to the same values of craftsmanship, service, and integrity that will continue to define Hestia’s future.”
Greenville, SC, October 28 – Solar Atmospheres is proud to announce the installation and commissioning of a new 10-bar vacuum furnace at its Greenville, South Carolina facility.
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Steve Prout, President of Solar Atmospheres Southeast, commented: “We’re proud to offer our customers another regional option for high-pressure quenching of large components and workloads, while also providing the opportunity to reduce processing costs through economies of scale. This addition reinforces our ongoing commitment to innovation, quality, and customer value.” For more information about the Solar Atmospheres Greenville facility, visit www.solaratm.com, or contact Mike Paponetti at (864) 970-0111 ext. 1406, or [email protected].
(Editors Note; While this is a very impressive furnace it “pales” in comparison to a 48-foot long, 150,000-pound capacity vacuum furnace, commissioned in 2016 at the Hermitage, PA Solar Atmospheres location-a picture of which can be found here).
