According to this press release HÄRTHA GROUP, one of the larger commercial heat treaters in Europe has made yet another acquisition. Over the years Gord Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News” has been fortunate enough to visit a number of the HÄRTHA locations including Aldenhoven, Germany. The attached photo shows the facility, Mr. Sven Killmer is on the left in this photo.
“Acquisition bolsters market position in southern Germany and strengthens HÄRTHA GROUP’s position in the competitive surface and coating technology segment.
Their strategic purchase in southern Germany allows the company group from Alsdorf (NRW) to augment their position in the attractive hardening market in southern Germany and to strengthen their core business in the field of heat treatment and coating. The transaction was put into effect in October of 2024.
Based in Neu-Ulm, Donau-Härterei GmbH is an established company in the heat treatment business and has been operating in this area since 1989. With the acquisition, the HÄRTHA Group widens their geographical presence in southern Germany while further enlarging their network for metal refining in this key industrial region. DonauHärterei GmbH boasts a broad portfolio that includes such processes as heat treatment under protective gas and in a vacuum, salt bath nitriding, salt bath hardening and inductive hardening. The company supplies customers from many areas, including mechanical and plant engineering, construction and agricultural machinery, toolmaking and mobility. This acquisition allows the HÄRTHA GROUP to expand their capacities and gives them the ability to now offer customers in southern Germany even more comprehensive services in the field of heat treatment.
“I warmly welcome to the HÄRTHA family the workforce of the Donau hardening plant, and the tremendous professional expertise they bring with them. We are particularly grateful that the experienced management of the Donau hardening plant, Mr. Stefan Schiele and Mrs. Ingrid Schiele, will remain on board. The integration of Donau-Härterei GmbH is making it possible for the HÄRTHA GROUP to fortify our position in southern Germany and to grow our service network in another important region of Europe. With this acquisition, we are adding another logical building block to our growth strategy,” explains Sven Killmer, CEO of the HÄRTHA GROUP.
And, Stefan Schiele, Managing Director of Donau-Härterei GmbH, adds: “We are overjoyed that we managed to secure both my succession and the continuation of the business for the long term by joining forces with the HÄRTHA GROUP. The aspects that won us over were the advantages of a medium-sized group of companies combined with a corporate culture that is marked by exceptional entrepreneurship and agility. What this means for us is that we can request targeted support in the future, while simultaneously retaining the freedom of decision for our own activities.”
“Over the last 35 years, Mr. and Mrs. Schiele have successfully poured their heart and soul into building this company. I have the utmost respect for this magnificent business achievement. I am delighted that both will remain with us and that we can jointly offer continuity for customers and employees alike,” adds Sven Killmer.
Since its founding in 1990, the HÄRTHA GROUP has been a leading supplier in the field of metal refining. Head-quartered in Alsdorf, the Group specializes in heat treatment processes and coating solutions. Operating with 12 locations in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, HÄRTHA employs a workforce of approx. 500. Customers from various industries, such as electro mobility, toolmaking, railway transportation, wind energy, medical technology and aviation, benefit from the state-of-the-art and resource-saving production processes provided by the HÄRTHA GROUP. The investment follows HÄRTHA’s clearly laid-out strategy for growth in attractive industrial regions of Europe. Thanks to the expansive scope of their activities, Donau-Härterei GmbH will henceforth make a direct contribution to the advancement of the HÄRTHA Group.
In this transaction, the attorneys of the ARQIS law firm acted as legal advisers to the HÄRTHA GROUP, while PwC financial services served as financial advisers and tax consultants.
Contact HÄRTHA GROUP GmbH, Thomas Jahn, Director of HR, communications & advertising Phone +49 2404 92223-10 I Email [email protected] I Web www.haertha.de”
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to The Monty.
Earlier this week we mentioned the unfortunate passing of one of the most experienced “chain” heat treat engineers we have ever met, Dr. Troy Greene. This obituary provides details of a gathering to remember Troy.
“Dr. Troy A. Greene, age 56, of Dixon, died Thursday, October 24, 2024 at Loyola Medical Center. Troy was born March 4, 1968 in Detroit, MI, the son of Ben and Iva Jean (Robbins) Greene. He was employed at Reynold for 30 years and later at Allied Locke in Dixon for 5 years. Troy enjoyed gardening and landscaping.
He is survived by his daughters, Faith (Alex) Smith of Morrison and Hope Greene of TN; his mother, Iva Jean Greene of Arthur, TN; one sister, Kay (Dennis) Miracle of Arthur, TN; one brother, Kevin (Darlene) Greene of Arthur, TN; and his dog, Poppy. He was preceded in death by his father and his first wife, Paula.
A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at the McDonald Funeral Home in Rock Falls.”
“Ayer, MA – August 1, 2024 – AVS has partnered with the national laboratory for engineering, Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, to provide two Horizontal Vacuum Furnaces for one of their production labs. Both systems integrate wet and dry Hydrogen process gas along with all refractory metal hot zones. The HMI interface and controls allow for countless combinations of recipes and selectable functions. This allows for fine tuning process parameters and data logging which is essential for analysis to coincide with the process payload run results.
The systems were specifically designed to be skid mounted for easy shipment and installation along with the ability to move to other locations with ease. The systems were built in tandem and recently delivered to Sandia for use in their facility.
About AVS, Incorporated, LLC; AVS has been providing custom vacuum and pressure furnaces to customers around the world since 1967. Their manufacturing facility in Ayer, Massachusetts is vertically integrated with in-house capabilities that include furnace design, engineering, ASME-certified welding, controls programming, complete integration, and full-function testing of complex, fully customized furnace systems. From concept to manufacturing, final assembly, and technical support, every AVS employee is dedicated to delivering your complete furnace solution. Our collaborative partnerships with customers worldwide have resulted in thousands of success stories. AVS can apply more than 50 years of experience to solve your high temperature material processing challenges.”
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to The Monty.
The link below will take you to the November 2024 issue of “The Monty Heat Treat News“, for 30 years the most well recognized brand in the global heat treatment industry. This months issue includes these top stories;
Letter of Intent to Buy “Metals Technology Corporation (MTC)”
Agricultural Firm Invests in Heat Treatment Department
Heat Treating as it Should Be-SFS Group AG, Switzerland
Dana Inc., Lafayette, IN- “Top 15” Captive Heat Treater
Parker Trutec-One of the Largest Commercial Heat Treaters in North America
In addition to the most up to date news and trends in the heat treatment industry we have also added some very desirable used equipment listings including these;
Item # VF455 10 Bar Quenching Vacuum Furnace 36″ X 48″
Item # VF450 ALD “Modultherm” LPC System (Gas/Oil Quenching)
Item # M496 Hunterdon 220 KVA VTR Variable Reactance Transformer
Item # BOX 476 Large Box Furnace
Item # B494 Car Bottom Furnaces (2 available) 10′ X 8′ X 22’/2100F
As always the entire team at “The Monty Heat Treat News” looks forwards to your thoughts and comments-we guarantee that all e mails will be promptly answered.
AFC-Holcroft and TOKAI KNETSU KOGYO CO., LTD. Announce Strategic Partnership in Electronics Part and Battery Material Processing Industrial Furnace Business!
“Wixom, Michigan, October 25, 2024 – AFC-Holcroft, a prominent North American industrial furnace manufacturer and TOKAI KONETSU KOGYO CO., LTD., a leading designer and manufacturer of industrial furnaces in Japan and China, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing their industrial furnace business for electronics part and battery material (anode/cathode) processing in North America.
About AFC-Holcroft: AFCH specializes in designing and manufacturing a wide range of industrial furnaces, with a strong presence in North America. The company has built a robust customer base in North America and other regions, known for its innovative solutions and reliable products.
About TOKAI KONETSU KOGYO CO., LTD.: TKK has a long-standing reputation for designing and manufacturing high-quality industrial furnaces, primarily in Japan and China. The company has successfully supplied battery material processing furnaces to customers across North America, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as Asia. “AFC-Holcroft is thrilled to join forces with TKK,” said Tracy Dougherty, COO of AFCH. “Together, we will drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to our EV customers in the anode and cathode materials industrial furnace market.”
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to The Monty.
It is with true regret that we mention the passing of Mr. Troy Greene, one of the most experienced “chain” heat treat engineers we have ever met. Over the course of his working life Troy worked with two manufacturers of chain products, Renold Jeffrey in Morristown, TN and most recently at Allied Locke in Dixon, IL, Troy also worked with commercial heat treater Bodycote for a period of time. To say Troy was passionate about his work would be an understatement-Troy lived and breathed heat treating. While we have no details on his passing he had, had some health issues over the past few years. We will truly miss him.
Auto Parts giant “Linamar Corp.” has been named to the list of the “15 Largest Captive Heat Treats-North America” by the “Monty Heat Treat News” for almost 10 years running now and their heat-treating capabilities keep increasing. Their location in Guelph, Ontario, Canada is now in the process of adding their 5th vacuum nitrider. The firm added vacuum nitriding to their capabilities a few years back with the acquisition of 2 ALD units, since that time the company has added two new systems from KGO of Germany with the third system about to be installed.
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to The Monty.
According to this press release from furnace builder SECO/WARWICK they recently landed an order from a semi conductor industry supplier on the US west coast;
“SECO/VACUUM’s new partner required an extra-large 2-bar vacuum furnace specific to their unique high-temperature process. Over the years, they had found that their existing fleet of furnaces were difficult to service and replace through the original equipment manufacturer. They explored alternative options and were pleased to find that SECO/VACUUM was able to improve on their existing furnace designs. Not only is the new design more specifically tailored to their needs than their old system, but the custom equipment from SECO/VACUUM could be delivered far sooner than other options.
SECO/WARWICK Group companies are well known as heat treatment equipment manufacturers, but they also have the capabilities and expertise to engineer custom solutions for many other less common thermal processes, particularly those requiring controlled-atmospheres, positive and/or negative pressures and high process purity “Not every thermal process calls for a solution that falls neatly into one of our traditional furnace categories. This one is oversized, has a hot-zone equipped for unconventional features, and will serve an application with different process considerations than most of our furnaces,”- says Piotr Zawistowski, SECO/VACUUM Managing Director.”
Did you like this article? Click here to subscribe to The Monty.
One area of strength for the Metal Treating Institute over the years has always been its line of leadership, and 2025 is no different. At the Fall Meeting’s Final Night Awards Dinner on October 16th in Columbus, OH, 2024 President Ryan Fussell from Southwest Metal Treating passed the gavel to the new 2025 President, Paul Armitage from Service Heat Treating in Milwaukee, WI.
With Service Heat Treating being a Member since 1977, and Paul’s 14 years of Board service, Paul brings a wealth of knowledge, vision, and history to the table as President.
Paul stated, “Being MTI President has always been a dream of mine and I’m honored to serve as President and continue the great work that President’s before me put in motion.”
MTI also announced the new slate of 2025 officers who will join Paul, as well as newly elected Board Members for 3-year terms:
2025 OFFICERS
President
Paul Armitage – Service Heat Treating – Milwaukee, WI
President-Elect
Deidre Minerd – Euclid Heat Treating – Euclid, OH
Treasurer
John Quaglia – Bennett Heat Treating – Newark, NJ
Immediate Past President
Ryan Fussell – Southwest Metal Treating Corp – Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS
Atlantic Coast Chapter
Bob Lyman – Eastern Metal Treating – Springfield, OH
At Large
Dave Secrist – Induction Heat Treating Corp – Crystal Lake, IL
Andrew Orr – Penna Flame Industries – Zelienople, PA
Martin Balk – Hansen Balk Steel Treating – Grand Rapids, MI
Roy Adkins – Braddock Metal Treating – Daytona Beach, FL
The Metal Treating Institute is a non-profit trade association representing the largest network of heat treaters in the world. MTI helps heat treaters succeed by driving prosperity through innovation and collaboration.
FPM Heat Treating is thrilled to announce the acquisition of a cutting-edge vacuum furnace from Solar Manufacturing, representing a significant investment in FPM’s growing capabilities to serve the manufacturing community, especially in the automotive and aerospace sectors. This advanced furnace is fully compliant with NFPA, NADCAP, AMS, CQI-9, and other critical industry standards.
This acquisition is driven by an increasing demand for a specialized family of parts, projected to rise steadily through the end of the decade. The new furnace boasts an impressive operating temperature of up to 2400°F and a weight capacity of 5,000 pounds, making it ideal for specialized heat treatment cycles critical for automotive components. Its versatile design can also handle precise specifications for applications within consumer products and the military/aerospace sectors, all while eliminating intergranular oxidation.
With flexible programmability, the Solar vacuum furnace enables a wide range of thermal cycles, perfectly suited to meet the demands of a dynamic commercial heat treating operation.
“We are committed to meeting the growing demands of our clients in the manufacturing community,” said Bob Ferry, Vice President of Quality and Engineering. “The new Solar furnace enhances our capabilities and enables us to maintain the highest standards of quality and efficiency in our operations.”
FPM and Solar Manufacturing remain committed to advancing the manufacturing capabilities and enhancing service quality for our valued customers. The addition of this advanced vacuum furnace is a testament to the dedication to innovation and excellence in the manufacturing sector for both companies.
Solar Manufacturing designs and manufactures a wide variety of vacuum heat treating, sintering, and brazing furnaces. They offer replacement hot zones, spare parts, and professional service. To learn more about Solar Manufacturing contact Pete Reh, VP of Sales, at 267-384-5040 x1509, or via email [email protected] or visit us at solarmfg.com.
“Dr. Troy A. Greene, age 56, of Dixon, died Thursday, October 24, 2024 at Loyola Medical Center. Troy was born March 4, 1968 in Detroit, MI, the son of Ben and Iva Jean (Robbins) Greene. He was employed at Reynold for 30 years and later at Allied Locke in Dixon for 5 years. Troy enjoyed gardening and landscaping.
