Just last week “The Monty” again had the chance to visit and we found out that the company has been pressing ahead with their ambitious plans and that they most certainly have the largest capacity plasma nitriding furnaces in North America-at least one has a weight capacity of 60,000 pounds! Like most heat treating firms in North America the company finds business to be good but not record breaking, however Sun is obviously a very healthy company which means they are continuing to invest and grow. “Jim McGuirk”, Owner had this to say; “I truly enjoy coming to work every day, to work with our dedicated work force where complacency is not an option”.
We took this photo of part of the Sun Team; on the left we have Mr. Jim McGuirk, Jr., Owner, third from the right we have Jim McGuirk III, COO, Mr. Eric Nordin, VP Sales and on the far right Mr. Jeff McLaughlin, McLaughlin Furnace Group.
2022 POSTING; Sun Steel Treating Opens Their Doors to “The Monty Heat Treat News”; Last week we profiled a successful commercial heat treater in Indiana by the name of “Dependable Metal Treating” and pointed out that while the company was successful for a number of reasons, a substantial factor in the company’s success was that they have standardized on one particular type and model of furnace. Today we look at another successful commercial heat treater which has thrived for slightly different reasons-“Sun Steel Treating Inc.” in South Lyon, Michigan, USA.
Founded in 1958 Sun has prospered over the years, so much so that the company is ranked as one of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America as ranked by “The Monty Heat Treat News” 50 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treats 2021 | The Monty Sun operates out of two buildings totaling 60,000 square feet, located on 5 acers in South Lyon, Michigan just a few miles from Detroit. With 50 employees the company focuses on just 2 heat treating processes, Ion (Plasma) Nitriding and Vacuum hardening (we lied a little bit, the company is also strong in “straightening”) with nitriding contributing roughly 70% of sales and vacuum hardening approximately 30%.
With just two processes the best way to summarize the company is to say that as a commercial heat treater treater the firm can best be described as a specialty heat treater. One of the more unusual features of Sun is that they build their own nitriders and they build them big. As an example the nitriders you find in these photos have a weight capacity of 25 tons each. The same philosophy holds true for their vacuum furnaces with most having a capacity of 8,000 pounds with 12 bar quenching.
Going back to our original statement that most successful heat treats have a formal for success brings us to the fact that while this company has grown for a number of reasons, one of the main ones is that they have focused on just two processes and with both have gone BIG leading to an economy of scale. We will take this opportunity to point out that this is a privately owned company and the owner, Mr. Jim McGuirk has a friendly relaxed demeanor which has lead to a very loyal and long serving work force who seem to generally like what they are doing.”
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“Eltro Services” is a division of Germany based “Eltropuls”, both an equipment supplier and commercial heat treater (to find out more about the company we would also suggest this Interview with Ms. Kirsten Baston, CEO of the firm). Located in Oxford, Michigan, USA this plant has been offering plasma nitriding services for almost 30 years from a variety of “Eltopuls” designed and built furnace systems.
Quite obviously this is a small facility, however over the years it has serviced a number of different customers in industries such as automotive and medical and has proven to be a long term player in the North American commercial plasma nitriding industry.
“Production in the aviation industry is accelerating. The year 2024 was record-breaking for aviation. Therefore, it is not surprising that the largest manufacturers of aircraft parts are investing in devices that increase production efficiency. CPP has been a long-term partner of the SECO/WARWICK Group, having placed numerous orders for metal heat treatment equipment over the years.
Consolidated Precision Products, an international producer of aircraft parts with two production plants in Poland, has purchased their seventh furnace from SECO/WARWICK Group.
Aviation is booming. Last year was record-breaking in terms of operating profits, but also the number of available flights. This leads to increased efficiency and production in the aircraft industry, resulting in growing investment expenditures. To meet this demand, Consolidated Precision Products purchased an additional SECO/WARWICK vacuum furnace.
Single-crystal blades; CPP has purchased a vacuum furnace with 1.5 bar abs. gas cooling and a molybdenum chamber. This solution is based on the standard design of a vacuum furnace with a working space of 900x900x1200 mm, screen insulation, and metal heating elements that perfectly fits the characteristics and needs of this manufacturer of cast blades.
Aviation requires quality and precision; This is another SECO/WARWICK device that goes to manufacturers of complex jet engine parts. It is a very demanding group of partners under enormous pressure to produce products of the highest quality and reliability, as they operate in harsh conditions where safety and reliability are priceless.
Consolidated Precision Products specializes in the production of highly precise, geometrically complex systems, parts, and components for the aviation industry. CPP has a global network of production plants in the United States, Mexico and Europe.”
Consolidated Precision Products Poland has a precision production plant in Rzeszów with two departments that supply parts for aircraft engines using the latest technologies for the world’s largest aircraft engine manufacturers. The strength of the company lies in high quality standards, knowledge, and experience, enabling them to adapt to changing needs, and effectively respond to customer requirements. CPP Poland is also a member of the Aviation Valley.”
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Martin Poljan, President/CEO of Atmosphere Group, Inc.
“Atmosphere Group, Inc., a division of AFC-Holcroft” (part of Aichelin Group of Austria) has for many years maintained two commercial heat treating facilities in the Detroit, Michigan, USA area-“Austemper Inc.” and “Atmosphere Heat Treating” both of which specialize in austempering. The two companies are amongst the largest commercial heat treaters in North America when it comes to austempering and they draw their customers from around the US and Canada-included amongst their customers are a number of firms such as auto parts supplier ZF for whom they process seat belt components. According to this press release the two companies will shortly be merged into one location.
These photos show the Atmosphere Heat Treating facility in Wixom, Michigan as “The Monty Heat Treat News” last saw it.
“Atmosphere Group, Inc. Announces Consolidation of Austemper Inc. into Wixom-Based Atmosphere Heat Treating Facility.; Atmosphere Group, Inc. today announced the planned consolidation of its subsidiary, Austemper Inc., into the Atmosphere Heat Treating facility in Wixom, Michigan. The transition is expected to be completed by mid-October 2025 and reflects a strategic response to significant market shifts and supply chain dynamics affecting the automotive sector. This decision follows a prolonged period of reduced production volumes, particularly within the automotive supply chain, which continues to face pressure from vehicle electrification, high interest rates, global tariffs, and macroeconomic uncertainty. As a result, Atmosphere Group has taken proactive steps to streamline operations and reinforce its commitment to quality and customer service. All current production activities and customer orders handled by Austemper Inc. will be gradually transitioned to the Wixom facility.
“This consolidation is a strategic move to ensure long-term service stability and improved operational focus”, says Martin Poljan, President/CEO of Atmosphere Group, Inc. “The Wixom facility has demonstrated both the capacity and the capability to support our customers with the high standards they are accustomed to. This transition allows us to adapt to market realities while safeguarding the quality and reliability of our services.” While customers may experience modest increases in turnaround times during the consolidation period, the company is committed to maintaining consistent communication and minimizing disruptions wherever possible. Atmosphere Group, Inc., thanks its customers for their ongoing partnership and support as it executes this important transition.”
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Now this press release will certainly catch people’s attention in the global heat treatment industry-“Aichelin Acquires NTS & UPC business divisions of NITREX” as explained futher down.
The whole team at “The Monty Heat Treat News” and indeed many in the industry look forward to seeing the details about how this marriage will work-as an example how sales efforts will be coordinated.
As an adder to this story we have to say that the current CEO of Aichelin “Mr. Christian Grosspointner” has certainly put his mark on the company in his 3 ½ years at the helm. From acquiring the ability to offer vacuum technology through a partnership with a very experienced Turkish manufacturer, to making long needed personal changes in management and now a very significant furnace builder acquisition he has put the company on a very interesting trajectory.
We include this photo taken earlier this year showing Mr. Grosspointner along with part of his management team along with Gord Montgomery taken at the company’s location in Slovenia.
“AICHELIN Group signs agreement to acquire NITREX (NTS & UPC), becoming leading global furnace manufacturer group
- Strategic acquisition expands global reach and strengthens product portfolio
- Strategy 2030 in execution
Mödling / Austria. The AICHELIN Group, a global provider of industrial heat treatment solutions, has signed an agreement to acquire the NTS & UPC business divisions of NITREX, a manufacturer of industrial furnaces focused on nitriding solutions. Headquartered in Canada, NITREX has around 250 employees in five countries. Note: The business unit Heat Treating Services is not included in the scope of the acquisition.
With this step, AICHELIN Group will become the largest global furnace manufacturer in its industry of heat treatment solutions, reaching combined sales of more than EUR 230 million and employing over 1,350 people across 23 locations in 11 countries throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. The Group is additionally represented by a global network of sales partners. The transaction represents the largest acquisition in AICHELIN Group’s history.
The acquisition brings together two highly complementary portfolios: NITREX adds renowned expertise in nitriding furnaces to AICHELIN’s broad technology offering. The geographic fit is equally compelling, with NITREX’s operations in the USA, Canada, Poland, Germany, France and China integrating seamlessly into AICHELIN’s regional structures.
Part of Strategy 2030: global proximity and diversification
The acquisition marks an important milestone in the implementation of AICHELIN’s Strategy 2030, which focuses on sustainable growth through regional proximity, diversification, and technological progress. AICHELIN is expanding into new markets and customer segments, both through internal innovation and targeted acquisitions. Integrating NITREX strengthens AICHELIN’s positioning, enhances its technological offering and deepens its presence in key industrial regions. The Group is thus advancing its goal of becoming a lifecycle partner for heat treatment customers worldwide, supported by digital services and localized operations.
For customers, this means access to a broader range of technologies and stronger local support. For employees, the acquisition opens up new perspectives within a strategically focused industrial group.
Financial details of the transaction are subject to confidentiality and thus not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter 2025.
About the AICHELIN Group
The AICHELIN Group is one of the world’s leading providers of heat treatment solutions and is part of Berndorf AG, headquartered in Mödling near Vienna (Austria). Products include industrial furnaces, industrial heating systems, control and automation systems, Industry 4.0 solutions and after sales services. The company’s roots date back to 1868. In addition to the renowned AICHELIN brand, the group includes AFC-Holcroft, SAFED and NOXMAT. With more than 1,100 employees, the group is one of the leading treatment companies worldwide. AICHELIN has subsidiaries in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, France, Turkey, China, India and the USA. A sales network in another 22 countries completes the Group’s global presence. www.aichelin.com
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From Heat Treat Australia, the largest commercial heat treater in the country we have this press release;
“HTA Group is excited to announce the arrival of a second Rubig Plasma Nitrider at our Melbourne branch! With this addition, we now proudly operate two Rubig plasma nitriding systems in Australia, further solidifying our dedication to providing advanced thermal processing solutions to Australian manufacturers.
Plasma nitriding is a game-changer for treating components like gears, shafts, and dies, enhancing their surface hardness, wear resistance, and overall performance. This technology is ideal for industries demanding precision and durability, such as automotive, aerospace, and tooling.
Our strong partnership with Rubig has been key to this achievement. Thomas Muller from Rubig shared his enthusiasm for this milestone:
“HTA now operates 2 Rubig plasma nitriding systems in Australia—what an incredible step forward! They are true forward-thinkers, equipping Australian manufacturers with the tools they need to thrive.”
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When posing the question of; “how is business these days” to most commercial heat treaters in North America elicits a typical response of: “OK, could be better could be worse” it is a breath of fresh air when one actually says; “business is great!”
Such was the case though with “Darby Metal Treating” in Plainwell, Michigan, USA. Today “The Monty Heat Treat News” had the chance to visit this facility and what we found was a vibrant, growing family owned firm who is making tremendous investments in new equipment in an effort to keep up with their thriving business.
One of these investments was in a brand new 4500 CFH “TruMix” Endothermic generator provided by “McLaughlin Furnace Group” of Avilla, Indiana which came on line just two weeks ago. Apparently “Darby” was unexpectedly presented with the need for more “endo” capacity, the end result was a brand new generator which was delivered within one week in the form a stock unit, with install and start up occurring within 48 hours-the final result can be seen in this photo.
Later on this week we will present a full “profile” about the company along with a very interesting rumor about the company investing in what will be one of the larger capacity vacuum furnaces in the region-stay tuned.
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From Left to Right; Ron Childs, Process Manager, Adrien Darby, Director of Quality, Maxwell Darby, Lead Operator, Dave Bates, Sales Manager
Over the decades, B & D has built long-lasting strategic partnerships with suppliers and processors and assembled a dedicated team of professionals. We continuously invest in our business systems and processes in search of value for ourselves and our customers.”
While the firm had long considered bringing heat treating in house the “spark” that ignited this decision was the rapidly dwindling number of local commercial heat treaters who could handle their very substantial heat treatment volumes.
The past year has seen the closure or upcoming closure of several commercial heat treaters in the area with continuous lines which can handle this type of fastener work, “AMAC Industries” of Cleveland, “Elm Plating” of Jackson, Michigan, “Commercial Steel Treating” of Madison Heights, Michigan and shortly to be announced two facilities in the Chicago area are all on this list.
Currently the heat treat department consists of a single 4,000 pound/hour, gas fired, mesh belt furnace line built in 2003, completely rebuilt with automated loading, oil quenching with an SBS air to oil heat exchanger. The line entered production Friday August 8/2025.
September of this year the company will be starting installation of a second line very similar to this one with the same capacity and again completely rebuilt-it is expected that this second line with be in operation May of 2026.
Total investment for the department will be upwards of $3 million USD and we understand that while this was certainly a group effort a great deal of credit needs to go to “Mr. Gary Harrison” who orchestrated the entire project.
It bares repeating that the company made this substantial investment to be able to offer their customers timely deliveries while controlling quality and their supply chain. In the experience of “The Monty” this is far and away the #1 reason why manufacturers bring heat treating in house.
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Left to Right; Gord Montgomery, David Doyal, Metallurgy, Damon Fowler, Project Manager, Gary Harrison, Heat Treat General Manager, Dennis Doyle, Owner, Tim Quick, CEO
Tim Quick, CEO had this to say; “Our number 1 reason for bringing heat treat in house was about servicing our customers. We learned lessons coming out Covid and knew that we needed to mitigate risks to our supply chain.”
Their application is remarkably similar to “Wallwork” in that they also invested in a robot for racking of one particular high volume part. The system can be seen in one of these photos along with parts and fixturing, other photos show the entire shop along with Mr. Jean-Sebastien, Lemire (President and part owner) of the company and Mr. Pierre-Luc Bouvrette ing., Technical Sales
Founded in 1982 “Thermetco” is a privately held company with 3 locations in Quebec; the main plant in Châteauguay (near Montreal), a smaller heat treat facility in Granby, Quebec and a third NDT location in Montreal.
In terms of processes offered there are few that the company doesn’t offer in that they have vacuum hardening (3 furnaces at the main location with one have a diffusion pump), 4 batch IQ units offering carburizing and neutral hardening, salt processing, stress relieving, Plasma nitriding and annealing to name a few all operating 24/7.
What caught our eye during the visit was a brand-new robot designed for racking parts for an automotive customer. The system will come on line in the coming weeks and the reason for it is the usual-an inability to find and keep operators willing to rack loads.
The 150 employees spread out over the 3 plants service a wide variety of industries including automotive (15% of total sales), aerospace and “general industry which includes a wider variety of gears. This diversity is probably why the company is reporting that business in 2025 is quite good for them.
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From commercial heat treater “Wallwork Group” in the UK we have this press release about how the firm recently added robotics to a vacuum braze line at the firm’s Cambridge UK facility.
There are exceptions to these rules though and over the next few days we will give you examples of a few captive and commercial heat treaters have found it advantageous to invest in robotics.
“In a £100 thousand investment, Wallwork Group has introduced a UR Cobot to their vacuum braze line in Cambridge. This will make high-volume braze components a commercially viable option for many manufacturers.
“Cost-effective, high-volume vacuum braze components have been out of reach until now. Largely due to the amount of assembly and labour time required. This investment brings the advantages of vacuum brazing to components that were previously uneconomic to process. It also means we can develop the quality of customer products,” said group director, Simeon Collins.
Chris Osborne and Odhran Mcbride of Wallwork oversaw the installation. “The medium-sized cobot is capable of manipulating a 12.5kg payload, with a 1300mm reach. It will work alongside our skilled braze operators and has the ability to learn as it goes along via a continuous improvement process. Customers will enjoy higher quality levels not seen before. Accuracy, consistency and repeatability are assured,” explained Chris.
The use of robotics also makes 24-hour braze application a reality, increasing service availability. Success with the UR Cobot is likely to spark further investment in the technology. “We are looking forward to vacuum brazing the first batch of customer components with the cobot. This is scheduled for the beginning of October,” added Odhran.
Preparing components for vacuum brazing requires great skill and attention to detail. The cobot is able to replicate this manual process. It creates complex components by joining simpler parts made from similar or dis-similar materials. A braze metal with a lower melt-point flows by capillary action into the space between the parts. The filler metal or alloy is heated to a temperature above 750ºC. This forms an exceptionally strong, sealed and leak-proof joint.
The cobot process is clean and flux-free. It produces high strength components with excellent dimensional stability. These are free of voids or inclusions, resistant to shock and vibration and able to withstand high pressures.”
Want to know more about “Wallwork Group” ? You can find a summary of the company from when “Gord Montgomery” of “The Monty” last “Visited in 2022”.
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