On a regular basis “The Monty” offers “Heat Treatment Names in the News”, a compilation of individuals in the heat treatment industry who have made recent changes. These names make our list for the week of July 30, 2024.
Glenn Ottinger, ThermoFusion. After 16 years with the company Mr. Glenn Ottinger, President & CEO is leaving ThermoFusion for new opportunities. ThermoFusion is a heat treating and brazing company located in Hayward, California, USA. https://thermo-fusion.com/
Bruno Cardoso, Braddock Metallurgical. Mr. Bruno Cardoso has just been appointed General Manager of the Braddock Metalurgical facility in Atlanta, Georgia. Bruno is an experienced heat treater having worked at various Bodycote facilities including interestingly enough one of the Bodycote plants in Brazil (which is no longer part of Bodycote). Braddock is one of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America-find out where they rank at https://themonty.com/articles/the-montys-50-largest-north-american-commercial-heat-treaters-2024/
Eduardo Hernandez, CRIO Heat Treat. Crio Heat Treat one of the larger commercial heat treaters in Mexico and they have just hired Mr. Eduardo Hernandez for a “Materials & Applications” position. Crio has two locations in the country and the President is none other than “Mr. Carlos Torres”, host of the wildly popular “Heat Treat Podcast” which appears regularly on “The Monty Heat Treat News”.
Paul Westcott, Ipsen USA. Paul has been with vacuum furnace builder Ipsen in Rockford, IL, USA for over 20 years in a variety of positions. Very recently he was appointed Production Manager at the company. Ipsen is rated by “The Monty Heat Treat News” as the largest new furnace builder in North America https://themonty.com/articles/10-largest-north-american-heat-treat-furnace-builders/
Bob Brock, AFC-Holcroft. In the world of furnace manufacturing, we see that Mr. Bob Brock has been promoted to Technical Sales Manager at furnace builder AFC-Holcroft. AFC, based in Wixom, Michigan, USA is a division of Aichelin in Modling, Austria.
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Furnace builder ROHDE Schutzgasöfen GmbH of Hanau, Germany is pleased to announce the shipment of two pit nitriding furnaces to a customer in Switzerland. The furnaces are models TSG 150/200 and SG 70/100, the fully equipped and tested units shipped earlier this week on 3 transport trucks. Natasha Rohde had this to say about the shipment; “We were very proud earlier this week to ship two tested pit nitriding units to a customer in Switzerland. The job site is ready for the furnaces and it is expected that installation will be carried out next week with production to start shortly after that.” https://rohdetherm.de/
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UK based “Bodycote” is without a doubt the globe’s largest commercial heat treater, the firm just released their interim financial results for the six months to 30 June 2024. While the full details are available at https://www.bodycote.com/investors/
Discover Bodycote’s investor resources: financials, stock info, and corporate governance. Learn about our commitment to sustainable growth
www.bodycote.com
we have this summary from “Alliance News”;
“(Alliance News) – Bodycote PLC on Tuesday announced a profit fall as revenue declined, though it raised its dividend. The Cheshire, England-based supplier of heat treatments and specialist thermal processing services said pretax profit dived 53% to GBP26.2 million in the first half of 2024, from GBP55.2 million a year prior.
Revenue fell 5.0% to GBP399.0 million from GBP420.1 million. Bodycote however highlighted that Aerospace & Defence had “very strong growth” in the first half, with revenue in the unit up 9.9% to GBP115.7 million from GBP105.3 million. Revenue in Automotive meanwhile declined 9.8% to GBP94.4 million from GBP104.7 million.
Exceptional items costs came in at GBP28.3 million, compared to none a year prior, also hurting the bottom-line.
Despite the decline in profit and revenue, Bodycote declared an interim dividend of 6.9 pence per share, up 3.0% from 6.7p a year prior.
The company left its outlook unchanged, noting it was “well positioned with strong foundations and further opportunities to drive value”.
Chief Executive Officer Jim Fairbairn said: “I am excited by the considerable opportunities I see to unlock further value. These include fine-tuning our plant footprint, driving further improvements in operational excellence, optimising our strategy, and simplifying our reporting structure. I look forward to sharing more detail around these plans in due course.”
In a separate release, the company said it completed the first tranche of a share buyback programme last week Tuesday. Bodycote said it bought back 4.2 million shares between March 15 and July 23 for a total of GBP30.0 million. The company announced the second tranche of the share buyback programme started Tuesday and will run until maximum January 30 next year. The maximum amount of shares to be bought back under the second tranche will be 17.7 million. The only purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the company’s share capital, with the repurchased shares being cancelled.
Bodycote shares were 0.1% higher at 716.00 pence each on Tuesday morning in London.”
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“More medium- and heavy-duty trucks have been recalled due to a potentially faulty ball stud in tie rods or drag links after a third-party supplier inadvertently supplied experimental parts that used an unapproved heat-treating process. Recalls from two truck makers now total nearly 8,000. In June, Paccar recalled nearly 3,900 medium- and heavy-duty trucks with diesel powertrains for a steering issue that could cause a loss of control. That number recently grew to 7,400.
In addition, Navistar has now recalled more than 500 International trucks due to incorrectly heat-treated ball studs from the same third-party supplier, USK International. USK mixed ball studs with an unvalidated heat treat process into normal production flow. Ball studs that have been incorrectly heat-treated can fracture. If the ball stud fractures, the driver may experience a loss of steering and reduced vehicle control, which may increase the risk of a crash. So far it appears that the faulty ball studs have potentially made their way into Dana, Meritor, and Paccar components.
Navistar Recalls More than 500 International Trucks; More than 500 International trucks have been recalled due to the potentially faulty ball studs. Navistar estimates 20% of the recalled trucks have the defect. The recall, dated July 26, affects certain 2025 model year International HV, HX, LT, MV, and RH vehicles.
Certain ball studs supplied to Meritor by a third-party supplier, USK International, which Meritor incorporated into certain steer axles and replacement tie rod assemblies, did not meet case hardening specifications, and there is a risk that the ball studs could be more brittle than intended. If a ball stud is more brittle than expected, it could break, which could affect steering and increase the risk of a crash.
The recalled components were experimental parts manufactured using an unapproved heat treat process that the supplier inadvertently introduced into production. The remedy components will be produced to intended specification, according to the recall notice. Meritor understands that the supplier is initiating an internal review to implement corrective actions and avoid reoccurrence when handling experimental materials and processes.
Dealers will replace the tie rod end and re-align the front axle, free of charge. When parts are available, remedy instructions and owner notifications will be distributed. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 9. Owners may contact Navistar customer service at 1-800-448-7825. Navistar’s number for this recall is 24511.”
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“The Monty Heat Treat News” Team constantly monitors the levels of interest for each of our news items, through our website and monthly magazine and also views on social media. Based upon this we are able to tell you, our readers, the most popular news items for each week. For the week starting Monday July 22, 2024 our top 3 news items included a rumor about a very large Hot Isostatic Press order in Europe, a story about a captive heat treater in the US Northwest adding a new Gasbarre, continuous annealing furnace and a “Heat Treat Podcast” with one of our favorites in the industry, Mr. Bob Hill of Solar Atmospheres.
New Hot Isostatic Press Order? For many years Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) occupied a fairly small but stable portion of the heat treatment market-when we think of the process, we think of castings for the aerospace industry. “Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) is a proven process for heat treatment, consolidation of powder, densification of products – such as castings, sintered materials, and ceramic parts – or for diffusion bonding applications. While HIP has been around for decades, we are seeing new applications in high-performance parts.” A more detailed description can be found at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_isostatic_pressing
While the market for HIP remained relatively unchanged for many years, this slowly starting changing a few years back and it now represents a very fast growing segment of the heat treat market with a number of very large installations over the past 5 years-this brings us to today’s “rumor” about a new large installation.
Our understanding is that a Western European commercial heat treater will be investing in a system from Quintus, a Swedish company and one of the larger players in this highly specialized arena. The rumor we are hearing is that the system will be a QIH 286 model, one of the larger presses that Quintus offers and that it is an investment of well over $20 million USD. The photo attached shows a typical Quintus QIH 286 press. https://themonty.com/new-hot-isostatic-press-order/?no_cache=1721915013
Chromalox Expansion Includes Gasbarre Continuous Annealing Furnace; In October 2023 “Chromalox” announced that they were making a major investment in their manufacturing facility in Ogden, Utah, USA an investment which includes more heat treat capacity-this announcement can be found further down. Part of this investment included a mesh belt annealing furnace from furnace manufacturer Gasbarre, a furnace which has just been received at the plant;
“Our Chromalox facility in Ogden, Utah has just taken delivery of a new state-of-the-art annealing furnace from GASBARRE in Pennsylvania. We are excited about this latest investment in new equipment, which is part of a multi-year modernization plan for our current furnace inventory worldwide and supports our goal to decarbonize our manufacturing processes, aligned with the Spirax Group One Planet Sustainability Strategy. Construction is underway to expand and modernize our facility in Ogden and the upgrades we are making to the furnaces will significantly reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the plant.” https://themonty.com/chromalox-expansion-includes-gasbarre-continuous-annealing-furnace/
The “Heat Treat Podcast” Speaks With Bob Hill of “Solar Atmospheres”; This week our intelligent, handsome and witty host Mr. Carlos Torres of the “Heat Treat Podcast” speaks with Mr. Bob Hill, President of commercial heat treat “Solar Atmospheres of Western PA” and “Solar Atmospheres of Michigan”. The entire team at “The Monty Heat Treat News” have known Bob for a number of years and have always had a very high impression of the man-we have been looking forward to hearing him share his knowledge about heat treating Titanium and “Super Alloys” which he does today.
We have to add that “Solar Atmospheres of Western PA” is a very unique in that they have the largest car bottom vacuum furnaces we have seen anywhere in the world; this photo shows one of them when it was inaugurated a few of years back. In this picture we see Mr. Gord Montgomery and Mr. Bill Jones CEO of Solar Atmospheres and Solar Manufacturing. https://themonty.com/the-heat-treat-podcast-speaks-with-bob-hill-of-solar-atmospheres/
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“The Monty Heat Treat News” is rather proud of the fact that for a number of years now we have been offering a heat treat industry exclusive in the form of an annual list of the largest single location captive (in-house) heat treaters in North America https://themonty.com/articles/15-largest-captive-heat-treats-north-america/
The criteria are simple in that this list only includes single location manufacturing facilities and not total heat-treating capacity in North America. As an example the ZF Transmission facility in South Carolina makes this list but overall this plant is only a small percentage of the heat treating capacity ZF has in North America.
As you would expect this is a work in progress as facilities close, others add more heat treat capacity, some reduce the number of furnaces they have-all of this means that our list is constantly being modified which brings us to our story for today-American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM).
This is what Wikipedia has to say about the company; “American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (AAM), headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is an American manufacturer of automobile driveline and drivetrain components and systems. AAM was founded in 1994 when a private investor group, led by Richard E. “Dick” Dauch, James W. McLernon, Raymond Park and Morton E. Harris purchased the Final Drive and Forge Business Unit from GM’s Saginaw Division. In 1999, AAM went public, and is traded as “AXL” on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). AAM has grown to supply various OEM manufacturers around the globe in the passenger car, light truck, and commercial vehicle segments.”
The firm has in-house heat-treating capacity at various facilities around the world, the USA, Poland and Mexico all come to mind and usually it takes the form of Batch IQ (Sealed Quench) or pusher furnaces-usually a combination of both. If you refer to our list of the largest you will see that we have the AAM location in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico in the number 10 position-however we have reason to believe that it should be ranked much higher than that. Since the last visit by “The Monty” in 2020 we understand that more heat-treating capacity has been added and that this facility should now be rated in the 5 largest in North America-we hope that at some point we will be able to offer more details.
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“Nitrex successfully completed a second nitriding system installation with Balexco, a leading aluminum extrusion company based in Bahrain. This marks a significant achievement in our enduring partnership, which began in 1995 when Balexco became our very first aluminum extrusion customer in the Middle East to invest in a Nitrex system.
Balexco’s decision to expand its collaboration with Nitrex was driven by their satisfaction with the initial equipment and support received over the years. “The original installation exceeded our expectations,” said Jassim Seyadi, Chairman at Balexco. “The reliability and performance were unparalleled, making our choice to invest in another Nitrex system an easy one. It will also support our commitment to deliver better products to our customers, faster and more reliably,” emphasized Seyadi.
Faced with rising demand for its extrusion profiles, Balexco recognized the need to enhance its heat treatment capacity. The company opted for a second nitriding system from Nitrex, designed to match the specifications of the original NX-811. This decision ensures seamless integration with existing infrastructure, allowing for interchangeable handling and racking between the two furnaces, and streamlining the upgrade process
The new turnkey nitriding system, which has already been installed and is fully operational, significantly increases Balexco’s production capabilities. The system features Nitreg® technology for precision nitriding of extrusion dies, providing superior treatment that boosts die throughput and end-quality of the profiles. It allows for more consistent die treatments, giving Balexco greater control and care over the process. Nitreg® technology not only enhances the consistency and quality of die treatments but also significantly improves the maintenance and longevity of extrusion dies, leading to lower tooling costs and greater operational efficiency.
This latest investment supports Balexco’s four extrusion press lines, ensuring continuous, high-quality output and protecting the integrity and lifespan of their extrusion dies. Moreover, it aligns with Balexco’s commitment to support the Kingdom of Bahrain’s vision to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2030. The Nitrex system contributes to more efficient use of production media and reduces electricity consumption, reflecting Balexco’s dedication to sustainable practices.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Balexco,” said Marcin Stokłosa, Technical Sales Manager for the EMEA region at Nitrex. “Our advanced nitriding technology and expertise align perfectly with Balexco’s goals of efficiency, sustainability, and quality. This project underscores our commitment to supporting our clients’ growth and highlights the significant advantages of our nitriding technology. The new Nitrex installation ensures that Balexco remains at the forefront of the aluminum extrusion industry in the Middle East.”
ABOUT NITREX; NITREX is a global leader in providing turnkey heat-treating solutions and cutting-edge technologies since 1984. Pioneering advancements Nitreg® controlled nitriding and Nitreg®-C controlled nitrocarburizing enhance application reliability and performance while upholding stringent standards in quality, safety, and environmental sustainability. Our expanded technology portfolio includes Nitreg®-S and Nano-S™, optimizing stainless steel applications for greater wear resistance and durability, as well as Smart ONC®, which elevates corrosion resistance to new heights. Supported by superior technical expertise, every NITREX turnkey system ensures optimal performance throughout its lifecycle, safeguarding your investment for years to come. Let NITREX bring expertise and excellence to your project!”
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For many years Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) occupied a fairly small but stable portion of the heat treatment market-when we think of the process, we think of castings for the aerospace industry. “Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) is a proven process for heat treatment, consolidation of powder, densification of products – such as castings, sintered materials, and ceramic parts – or for diffusion bonding applications. While HIP has been around for decades, we are seeing new applications in high-performance parts.” A more detailed description can be found at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_isostatic_pressing
While the market for HIP remained relatively unchanged for many years, this slowly starting changing a few years back and it now represents a very fast growing segment of the heat treat market with a number of very large installations over the past 5 years-this brings us to today’s “rumor” about a new large installation.
Our understanding is that a Western European commercial heat treater will be investing in a system from Quintus, a Swedish company and one of the larger players in this highly specialized arena. The rumor we are hearing is that the system will be a QIH 286 model, one of the larger presses that Quintus offers and that it is an investment of well over $20 million USD. The photo attached shows a typical Quintus QIH 286 press.
We look forward to updating this story in the near future.
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Solar Manufacturing shipped two identical Mentor® Pro vacuum furnaces to a customer developing advanced alternative renewable energy technologies for large-scale industrial applications. The Research and Development team of Solar Manufacturing’s affiliate, Solar Atmospheres, assisted the customer’s engineers to verify the process in the Mentor® Pro. The customer was impressed with the furnace capabilities and the added benefit of its compact footprint.
The Mentor® Pro features a molybdenum shielded hot zone measuring 18” wide x 18” high x 36” deep, capable of temperatures up to 2500°F, and a workload weight capacity of up to 1,000 lbs. The SolarVac® Essentials PLC-based control system includes the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC, Eurotherm digital recorder, and an HMI/industrial PC utilizing Wonderware supervisory software. The internal gas quenching system with a 50 HP motor and Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) allows workloads to be quenched at 2 bar positive pressure in either nitrogen or argon gas. This flexibility was crucial for the customer in achieving optimal results across a wide range of metallurgical applications.
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.
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This week our intelligent, handsome and witty host Mr. Carlos Torres of the “Heat Treat Podcast” speaks with Mr. Bob Hill, President of commercial heat treat “Solar Atmospheres of Western PA” and “Solar Atmospheres of Michigan”. The entire team at “The Monty Heat Treat News” have known Bob for a number of years and have always had a very high impression of the man-we have been looking forward to hearing him share his knowledge about heat treating Titanium and “Super Alloys” which he does today.
We have to add that “Solar Atmospheres of Western PA” is a very unique in that they have the largest car bottom vacuum furnaces we have seen anywhere in the world; this photo shows one of them when it was inaugurated a few of years back. In this picture we see Mr. Gord Montgomery and Mr. Bill Jones CEO of Solar Atmospheres and Solar Manufacturing.
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