In North America the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) is the organization representing the commercial heat-treating industry, in Germany we have the IWT. The organization just celebrated 75 years with an event which we understand was a tremendous success. We have this photo from the event, a photo which shows from the left Natasha & Joern Rohde along with Vincent and Konstantine all of furnace builder “Rohde” and to their right Mr. Thomas Wingens, a well-known fellow in both the Germany and North America heat treat industry.
“We are celebrating three quarters of a century of research, transfer and innovation! This journey began with the founding of the Institute for Hardening Technology (IHT) in Bremen-Lesum in 1950. Years of further development and growth followed: from the conversion into a foundation, to the growth of the Materials Testing Institute Bremen (MPA), a move to the Technology Park and the cooperation with the University of Bremen, to the admission to the Leibniz Association in 2018 as the “Leibniz Institute for Material-Oriented Technologies – IWT”. These are just a few milestones in our history, there have also been many small significant events and also remarkable moments, but always the special people who made them possible.
A lot has changed since our founding 75 years ago – technologies, issues, methods. But one thing has always remained the same: our curiosity and our aspiration to do excellent research that sets impulses and provides answers to the questions of tomorrow.”
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“Doha, Qatar — DELTA H® and Phillips Federal Division have commissioned a state-of-the-art Defender Series heat treating furnace at Al Udeid Air Base, providing the U.S. Air Force with mission-critical capability to heat treat all aviation-grade metals used in aircraft maintenance.
The dual-chamber system features:
· A radiant heat lower chamber (1,000°F–2,000°F, 12”W x 12”H x 48”D TUS volume) with inert atmosphere
· A convection heat upper chamber (200°F–1,200°F, 18”W x 12”H x 48”D) capable of rapid cooling from 1,000°F to below 200°F in under 30 minutes, allowing solution heat treating and aging (T6) in the same chamber before part freezing is required
· A dual-bath quench tank supporting both water and oil quenching
· Honeywell controls with MiniTrend recording, Instrumentation Type C (upgradeable to Type A & B), and secure batch data logging including soak times and quench delay recorded to 0.1 second to ensure full compliance and accountability
Commissioning included hands-on training and qualification of USAF Metals Tech personnel in system operation, AMS2750 compliance, TUS/SAT execution (via SuperSystems SDS 8120), pyrometry recordkeeping management, and heat treating fundamentals for aviation grade metals. Five outstanding Airmen were certified as Trainers to support ongoing instruction as well as many Airmen Operators.
Final testing confirmed AMS2750 compliance with the convection chamber achieving Class 1 (±5°F) and the radiant chamber Class 3 (±15°F) uniformity. PMEL completed all calibrations, certifying the system for immediate aircraft parts processing.
DELTA H Director / CTO Richard Conway shares: “Mary and I were honored to work directly with the outstanding Airmen at Al Udeid – true professionals whose determination to master heat treating reflected their deep commitment to the mission. It was humbling to see our furnace system play a small part in supporting their readiness. In a time of growing uncertainty, DELTA H is proud to stand with our Warfighters on the front lines, providing the tools they need to defend freedom.”
Phillips Federal Product Manager, USAF Retired, SMSgt, John (JD) Murray shares: “As a Retired USAF Aircraft Metals Technician with multiple deployments to my credit, I am overjoyed to see the deployed location receive the best equipment possible. DELTA H furnaces are essential to keep our aircraft flying, fighting, and winning.”
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Cherry Valley, ILLINOIS (June 26, 2025) – Ipsen USA launched its 2025 Summer Internship Program, welcoming seven interns from regional universities to its Vacuum Technology Excellence Center. The interns – Payton C., Elija S., Logan A., Eli D., Ella C., Kennedy B., and Abigail J. – are engaging in hands-on roles across several departments, including engineering, marketing, controls, finance, human resources, and retrofits.
Over the course of the summer, each intern will complete a department-specific project, culminating in a final presentation to Ipsen department heads and executive leaders. These projects are designed in collaboration with departmental leadership and supported by working professionals, offering real-world contributions in areas ranging from internal process optimization to customer data management.
This year’s program builds on the success of Ipsen’s 2024 intern class, which resulted in one full-time hire and the return of a previous intern for a second summer. Drake Buss, Ipsen Mechanical Engineer and graduate of the 2024 intern program, reflected on his experience. “The internship at Ipsen played a huge role in my decision to return as a full-time employee. I was able to gain valuable experience about what occurs in the workplace. The structure of Ipsen’s internship program allows interns to learn and grow as industry professionals.”
Abigail, a 2025 Mechanical Engineering Intern, explained what appealed to her about Ipsen’s internship program. “The products that Ipsen creates and their applications in the real world was the most interesting aspect of the opportunity to me, particularly their use in the fields of medical and aerospace applications.” The 2025 internship program will conclude in August with final presentations and a celebration luncheon at Ipsen’s Cherry Valley Vacuum Technology Excellence Center. For more information about the Ipsen internship program, contact Amanda Skidmore, Talent Acquisition Manager, at [email protected] or call 815-332-2547.
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Few heat treat industry suppliers have the name recognition that SBS Corporation of Sarasota, Florida, USA have. Since 1974 the firm has been supplying fluid cooling, heating, filtering and controlling of quench oil-the best known of their products being “Quench Airs”, an air cooled system for cooling quench oil. We at “The Monty” have literally seen their products in over 30 countries around the world including Chile, China, Peru, South Africa and a host of others.
Now we understand that the company is entering the water cooling market-specifically water cooling systems for vacuum furnaces. For quite some time this market has been dominated by another US supplier who holds a near monopoly on these systems. We believe that SBS now has a viable, competitive product and is now actively promoting it to the industry. We will keep you updated.
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In this episode of “The Heat Treat Podcast” our charming host, Mr. Carlos Torres speaks with “Mr. Sefi Grossman” of “Combustion OS”about Artificial Intelligence & the Heat Treat Industry.
“Exciting morning at Stack Metallurgical Services! Fire🔥and Ice 🧊 was the theme as we welcomed two brand new pieces of equipment to our facility today, marking another major step forward in our ongoing investment in growth and customer support. On hand for the arrival were Stack’s owner, Mr. Dave Ederer, and Jeff McLaughlin, the owner of McLaughlin Furnace Group — a powerful symbol of the strong partnerships that help drive our success. With this new equipment, we’re increasing capacity, improving efficiency, and reinforcing our commitment to delivering best-in-class thermal processing solutions. I look forward to sharing our new capabilities as the equipment comes online this week.”
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Cherry Valley, ILLINOIS (June 23, 2025) – Ipsen USA President and CEO Patrick McKenna has announced his decision to leave the company to pursue another opportunity. Ipsen Group CEO Geoffrey Somary will assume the responsibilities of Ipsen USA CEO in addition to his current role leading the global organization.
“We would like to thank Patrick for his dedication and many contributions to Ipsen’s success as CEO over the last eight and a half years,” Somary said. “His efforts have supported the continued momentum of Ipsen’s 77-year legacy of innovation, service, and excellence.”
Somary, who previously served as CEO of Ipsen USA from 2009 to 2017, has been working closely with McKenna over the past several weeks to ensure a smooth transition for employees and customers. By stepping in to oversee the U.S. organization, he provides consistency and alignment with Ipsen’s global strategy.
“We regret that Patrick is leaving but look to leverage a flatter organizational structure to speed up innovation and customer responsiveness,” Somary said. “I look forward to the inspiring and exciting days ahead, working with the best team in the industry.”
Editors Note; Rumor has it that Pat will be remaining in the heat treat industry although not in a position where he would be competing with Ipsen. “The Monty Heat Treat News” has known Pat for many years and have long had a high opinion of his abilities. In the photo below you see Pat along with Dale Montgomery at Lake Tahoe, Nevada in 2006 when Pat was working with commercial heat Treater Nevada Heat Treat.
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From time to time we look back on our top ranked news items for the previous week-this is based upon reader feedback, website visitors and social media views. It would appear that the “Top 3” news stories for last week all generated a great deal of interest-certainly more than average. In particular it would appear that long time USA heat treater Brent Davis is a very popular fellow as his news item ranked #1. In order these are the “Top 3”;
Where Are They Now-Brent Davis (Part1); Brent is a pretty well-known fellow in the North American Heat Treat Industry with over 40 years’ experience in the industry and having been; “President, Aalberts Surface Technologies, Accurate Brazing” just a few years back. In a very surprising move, it turns out that he very recently became President & COO of “Vac Aero U.S. Inc.” a short while ago-the details are below;
If you recall a few weeks ago “The Monty Heat News News” published a rumor about “Vac Aero” entering the US market-obviously this rumor is now being proved correct.Tomorrow we will be updating this story with details about Vac Aero U.S. and their rather interesting foray into the US heat treating market. “With over 40 + years of hands-on experience in brazing, heat treating, and operations, I have dedicated my career to mastering the intricacies of Brazing and providing Quality, Service, and Communications expected by our customers. Currently, I am leading the expansion of our parent company, Vac Aero International, into the United States, establishing a new subsidiary focused on delivering advanced Vacuum Brazing, Heat Treating and Coating solutions.
As President & COO of Vac Aero U.S., I combine deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to drive innovation and operational excellence. This endeavor reflects Vac Aero International’s commitment to serving the U.S. market with the same quality and reliability that have defined our operations throughout Canada and Europe for the last 65 years.”
Another very popular individual in the industry, Mr. Matt Clinite of furnace builder Ipsen offered “The Monty” an in depth interview which really excited the industry;
Mathew Clinite, Ipsen – The Monty Interview; We are very pleased to be speaking with Mr. Matt Clinite, Sales Director of furnace builder Ipsen-we start off with this background;
Matt Clinite joined Ipsen in the summer of 2014 as a sales engineer, quickly moving into the Midwest Territory sales manager role in 2015. In 2019, he was promoted to Ipsen Customer Service (ICS) Sales Manager and recognized in Heat Treat Today’s “40 Under 40” class. Clinite was promoted again to Director of ICS Sales and Retrofits in 2023 and advanced to his current role in 2025, after consistently demonstrating his passion for heat treating and dedication to outstanding customer service. Clinite is also a lead instructor for Ipsen U, Ipsen’s comprehensive training on vacuum furnace technology. His extensive knowledge of vacuum furnaces comes from years of experience with hot zone rebuilds and furnace retrofits. Clinite holds a bachelor’s degrees in business administration and Spanish from Illinois State University and is a 2018 graduate of the Metal Treating Institute YES Management Training Program.
Matt that very impressive background we just read came from part of the “Ipsen Team” in Rockford, Illinois who helped arrange this interview-what would you like to add to that summary?
Gord, I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in many different areas of our business. Moving through the organization in different capacities has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of our vacuum furnaces. I have enjoyed my time spent on the new furnace side of our business, as well as the aftermarket side. I’ve also been able to collaborate with our Ipsen Germany partners on several exciting atmosphere furnace projects over the years. All of these experiences have been invaluable, and I have enjoyed ever minute of it.
Rounding out our 3 most popular news items of last week is this one;
VAC AERO International Opens First US Operation-Part II May 14th of this year “The Monty Heat Treat News” posted this rumor about commercial heat treater and vacuum furnace builder “VAC AERO International” entering the US market “Vac Aero Expanding Into The USA?” The rumor did of course prove to be true and below you will find the formal press release from the company about this very interesting development. We mention this as “Part II” of this story as just yesterday we announced that Mr. Brent Davis recently became “President & COO” of the new entity VAC AERO US Inc.
VAC AERO invests $5.8M to open its first US operation in Greenville, SC, partnering with Meyer Tool to deliver advanced heat treating solutions.
We are excited to bring our expertise in vacuum heat treating directly into the heart of one of North America’s most respected regions for power generation and aerospace component manufacturing” — Brent Davis, President and COO of VAC AERO U.S. Inc. GREENVILLE, SC, UNITED STATES, June 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — VAC AERO International Inc., a Canadian owned global leader in vacuum heat treating and advanced thermal processing solutions, is proud to announce a $5.8 million investment in Greenville, South Carolina. VAC AERO will establish a new “shop-in-shop” facility within Meyer Tool Inc.’s Greenville location. Together, the two companies bring over 140 years of special process expertise to deliver industry-leading capabilities and results to customers.
This strategic partnership marks VAC AERO’s first operational presence in the United States and underscores its renewed commitment to global expansion. The “shop-in-shop” model enables VAC AERO to operate a fully integrated vacuum heat treating, brazing, and coating operation within Meyer Tool’s advanced manufacturing environment. These services will also be provided to third party customers.“We are excited to bring our expertise in vacuum heat treating directly into the heart of one of North America’s most respected regions for power generation and aerospace component manufacturing,” said Brent Davis, President and COO of VAC AERO U.S. Inc.
Dan Godin, Executive Vice President of Meyer Tool, “This collaboration is leveraging our combined expertise to offer the customers better control of their Value Stream.” The new facility will initially feature VAC AERO’s industry-leading vacuum furnaces, with a defined roadmap to introduce advanced coating technologies. The Greenville team brings a combined 185 years of experience in vacuum heat treatment and brazing from day one. This facility will serve as a model for future embedded partnerships, setting a new standard in aerospace, power generation, and high-tech manufacturing.
Vac Aero’s expansion is supported by RBC Global Capital Markets. About VAC AERO; Founded in 1959, VAC AERO is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer, vacuum heat treating and coatings service provider to aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide. Recognized by major aerospace prime contractors, VAC AERO is one of the world’s largest subcontractors for landing gear processing. With decades of experience and a commitment to innovation, the company delivers high-performance, cost-effective solutions backed by expert engineering and technical teams”.
Since 1968 “Haven Steel Products”of Haven, Kansas has been producing steel spring components for the agricultural industry (tillage components), the construction industry (landscaping and mowing components) and the trailer industry (leaf springs). The firm has always believed in “in-house” heat treating and the end result is that it currently has batch furnaces, induction heating systems as well as continous line.
“Haven” has just announced that they are installing a new batch IQ line which can be seen in these photos. This installation is in “Haven’s” second facility located in McKenzie, TN.
Manufacturing of leaf springs and tillage tools has always involved a great deal of heat treating and in most cases this heat treating is done in house as the furnaces are reasonably specalized. As an example we would refer our readers to this exclusive news item from “The Monty” late in 2024 in which we announced a USA “Agricultural Firm Investing in Their Heat Treating Department”.
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“The Ford Motor Company has identified an issue affecting certain Escape, Bronco Sport, replacement 1.5-liter EcoBoost RFF cylinder heads, and replacement 1.5-liter EcoBoost RFF long blocks. According to the Dearborn-based automaker, suspect heads may have been produced with loose ball plugs. If any ball plug makes its way out of the cylinder head, the subsequent oil leak could result in a fire. Ford put the blame on the supplier of the cylinder head, Nemak Monterrey, for the incomplete heat treatment that led to below-specification cylinder head hardness.
The improper heat treatment came as a result of power failures at the supplier’s production facility, power failures that interrupted the heat treatment process. Based on documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Ford Motor Company started looking into this matter on March 20, 2025.
It all started with a warranty claim for a US-market 2025 Ford Escape specified with the 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo powerplant. The claim in question cited a large oil leak cause by a missing head ball plug, which resulted in engine seizure. Another warranty claim followed suit on April 14, 2025 over a newly produced Escape at the Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky.
Although said crossover had only zero miles on the clock, the engine was found to leak oil due to a missing cylinder head ball plug. Both failed cylinder heads were sent to Ford’s Central Labs for analysis, where the improper heat treatment condition was confirmed. As far as the US-market Escape and Bronco Sport are concerned, an estimated 404 vehicles were produced with 1.5-liter EcoBoosts equipped with suspect heads.”
About; Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Nemak, is a global automotive parts manufacturing company headquartered in García, Nuevo León, a municipality next to the City of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. The company manufactures a wide range of automotive parts and systems with primary focus on aluminum auto parts, mainly engine blocks, cylinder heads, and transmission components. It is a Tier 1 supplier to major OEMs and is among the 60 largest auto industry suppliers worldwide.[1]
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