Solar Manufacturing, Inc. recently announced the hiring of Nicholas Max, BSME Drexel University, as its Chief Mechanical Engineer to head up its vacuum furnace mechanical design group. Nick is also pursuing an MBA at Lehigh University in Bethlehem PA.
Nick will be tasked to lead the further development of Solar Manufacturing’s energy efficient hot zones, vacuum vessels, high pressure gas quenching systems, and vacuum pumping systems. Nick was a Program Manager in his last position and led a team of design engineers who were focused on the development of specialty battery technologies for space and defense applications.
Bob Wilson, VP of Engineering stated, “Nick will be an excellent addition to our design team from his rich, multi-disciplinary industrial experience of the past 10 years. He will work alongside me for the next couple of years as I prepare for eventual retirement. The company will be well-positioned to continue its excellent reputation as an industry leader of robust vacuum furnace designs.”
Solar Manufacturing designs and manufactures a wide variety of vacuum heat treating, sintering, and brazing furnaces. They also offer replacement hot zones, spare parts, and professional service. To learn more about Solar Manufacturing visit us at solarmfg.com or call 267-384-5040.
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“Solar Atmospheres’ newest acquisition, Solar Atmospheres of San Diego, is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Constable as their new Vice President of Operations. Chris brings with him nearly 25 years of Heat Treating experience that includes quality, operations, management, plant safety, business development, and sales. Chris is well suited to understanding the customers’ needs and providing effective solutions to their most difficult challenges. Coupled with the Solar Atmospheres knowledgeable and dedicated team, Solar Atmospheres of San Diego stands ready to provide high-quality heat-treating services with a focus on honesty and integrity and a reliable customer service experience.
Derek Dennis, President of Solar Atmospheres of California, states, “We are very fortunate to introduce Chris into the Solar Family of companies. As a highly disciplined business leader, Chris has the experience and knowledge to lead the Solar San Diego team through the new acquisition and establish a solid foot hold in the Southern California heat treat and brazing market. I enthusiastically welcome Chris to the Solar team and look forward to working with him in the growth of the Solar San Diego operation. Truly exciting times for Solar Atmospheres!” For more information about the Solar Atmospheres of San Diego facility, visit solaratm.com, or contact Chris directly at 619-593-3636 ext. 1933, or [email protected].”
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“T.Ş.T Lift Amortisör recently upgraded its gas spring manufacturing in Bursa, Türkiye, by integrating a Nitrex nitriding/nitrocarburizing system. This move signifies the company’s commitment to adopting environmentally sustainable practices within its operations. Through this upgrade, T.Ş.T Lift replaces traditional salt bath nitrocarburizing with Nitreg® technology to enhance both the quality of its spring products and the efficiency of its manufacturing facility using a greener alternative.
The Nitrex system offers a comprehensive solution featuring three advanced heat treatment technologies that enhance the customer’s production capabilities: Nitreg® for controlled nitriding, Nitreg®-C for controlled nitrocarburizing, and ONC® for in-process post-oxidation, tailored specifically for treating gas spring rods for automotive, industrial, and furniture applications. These technologies ensure precise control over uniform case depths and nitride / nitrocarburizing layer formation, enhancing the mechanical properties of the gas spring rods. While Nitreg® and Nitreg®-C enhance surface hardness and fatigue resistance, ONC® improves corrosion resistance and the aesthetic appeal of the finished product.
The batch-type furnace, equipped with an accelerated cooling system, is a nod towards efficiency. It shortens process times, expediting lead and delivery times while optimizing furnace utilization to drive cost savings. Additionally, since the system operates at lower temperatures compared to salt bath nitrocarburizing, it minimizes part distortion and eliminates the need for post-finishing operations by delivering a cleaner surface, streamlining the manufacturing process.
Utku Inan, Nitrex sales representative in Türkiye, emphasized, “In my experience with numerous Turkish clients, we prioritize delivering solutions that enhance manufacturing efficiency and sustainability. The successful startup in March 2024 allowed T.Ş.T Lift Amortisör to transition seamlessly to new production, and we’re dedicated to supporting them as they phase out their reliance on salt bath treatments.”
Marcin Stoklosa, Technical Sales Manager – EMEA region at Nitrex, shared, “The need for today’s manufacturers to improve product performance while keeping sustainability in mind has never been more apparent. T.Ş.T Lift Amortisör’s adoption of Nitrex nitriding and nitrocarburizing technologies exemplifies this imperative. This transition isn’t just about technological upgrades; it’s about aligning production standards with global sustainability initiatives for a greener future.”
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In that story we mentioned how the company was very close to bringing a 1,000 ton straightening press online-it is now a reality as you can see in this press release;
“Specialty Heat Treat, Inc. Houston Texas now provides straightening capability to 1000 Tons. Pictured here is our new press at work on a 13” solid 8630 bar. Surface hardness is 341 BHN. Yield strength is 153,000 at mid wall!! Specialty now provides our customers with finish straightening operations for the larger material sizes that are becoming more common in the energy sector. Specialty offers straightening for small bars on a super fast 18 ton press, a 150 ton press handles the 2” to 3” range, mid sized bars and tubes are straightened on one of two 250 ton presses, and heavy bars and tubes run on one of two 400 ton presses, and now 1000 tons is available.”
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Regular readers of “The Monty” will need no reminder of how crucial heat treating is to the manufacturing process, however here is another example.
According to this press release a supplier of ball studs to truck suppliers Mack and Volvo used an experimental heat treat process which resulted in defective parts. We have no idea what the process was but we do know somebody is in trouble.
“Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks are recalling certain models of new trucks after discovering an issue with the steering system.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, Mack Trucks is recalling nearly 800 model year 2025 Anthem, Granite and TerraPro trucks. Volvo Trucks is recalling nearly 500 model year 2025 VHD, VN and VNR Electric trucks.
In trucks affected by the recall, the drag link may contain an improperly heat-treated ball stud that can fail, resulting in a sudden loss of steering control. A sudden loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash. There is no warning that may indicate ball stud failure.
Both Mack and Volvo Trucks are urging owners of affected trucks not to drive the vehicles until dealers inspect and fix the issue.
Recall reports indicate a supplier mixed improperly hardened ball studs, resulting from an experimental heat treatment process, with production-ready ball studs shipped to manufacturers. Mack was notified of the experimental ball studs on May 25, immediately prompting an investigation.
There have been no accidents or injuries associated with the recall issue. No warranty or customer complaints have been filed. Only one occurrence of a ball stud failure at a Volvo Group factory has been reported.”
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Recently “The Monty Heat Treat News” had an in-depth article about commercial heat treater “Haerterie Reese”, a firm in Germany who has the ability to heat treat gears up to 100,000 pounds-a truly remarkable feat. The article can be found below and also at https://themonty.com/carburizing-of-large-gears-haerterei-reese/
As an update to this article we now have approval to post these photos of what are fairly typical parts for Haerterei-typical for them perhaps but not for 99% of captive and commercial heat treaters around the world.
Carburizing of Large Gears – Haerterei Reese; Carburizing of large gears has been much in the news recently due to the closing in the USA of commercial heat treater Metlab who offered the largest commercially available pit carburizing furnaces in North America (https://themonty.com/metlab-ht-closing-giving-gear-suppliers-headaches/) As you can read in our original story it is quite possible that manufacturers of very large gears who lack the capability in house to heat treat might be forced to look as far afield as Germany which brings us to commercial heat treater Haerterei Reese.
“The Monty Heat Treat News” has been very familiar with the company for at least 15 years both as one of the largest commercial heat treaters in Europe but also due to the fact that they offer some of the largest pit carburizing furnaces in the world ( https://www.haerterei.com/ by the way Haerterei literally means “heat treater”). The company was originally formed as a gear manufacturer who incorporated heat treating in house, over the years this evolved to become strictly a commercial heat treater-Reese is a privately owned family business now in it’s third generation with co owners Philip and Julian Reese.
Reese has 300 employees in 4 locations, the headquarters is in Bochum, Germany (which “The Monty” visited) with two facilities in eastern Germany largely involved in the auto industry and a fourth plant in southern Germany catering to the tool and die industry.
The centerpiece of the gear heat treatment department is a gas fired pit furnace with working dimensions of 5 meters in diameter and 5.5 meters deep (approximately 15’ X 16.5’ deep), working in conjunction with this system is a 400,000 litre quench tank 21’ in diameter and 21’ deep and pit temper units. Weight capacity is over 100,000 pounds. While this is the largest furnace Reese also has other pit furnaces capable of handling shafts up to 18’ long.
While the Bochum plant is best known for the size of their pit furnaces their induction heat treat is comparably impressive and able to handle shafts up to 11 meters (33’) in length. Currently the company is investing in a brand-new Induction facility which will be located in a new adjacent building, when finished in 2 years this will be in total a 20 million Euro investment. Also in the works is a new induction facility in eastern Germany slated for January of 2025.
These photos don’t really do justice to the size of the pit carburizing facility but they at least give you an idea about how very large gears are heat treated.”
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“Since its establishment in 1987, Topçesan Topbaş Çelik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. has stood as a pillar in the Turkish steel forging industry. Operating from its facility in Nilüfer/Bursa, the company has solidified its position as a leading integrated steel processing manufacturer, supplying forging, molding, and machining components to various industries.
As part of their strategic efforts to enhance forging capabilities, Topçesan recently invested in a Nitrex system. Specifically, they acquired the NXK-812 compact batch-type furnace with a 1,200 kg capacity, designed for nitriding and nitrocarburizing forging dies. These dies are utilized in the production of engine parts, transmission components, and chassis parts for vehicle manufacturing, catering to automotive clients like BMW, Tofaş, Fiat, and ZF Group across Europe and Türkiye.
By integrating nitriding and nitrocarburizing processes into their operations, Topçesan aims to prolong the lifespan of their forging dies, increasing component production while reducing tooling costs. The system includes an ammonia dissociator, which is essential for precision control over nitriding potential, particularly when treating specific alloys that must align with AMS 2759/10 and AMS 2759/12 specifications.
Topçesan opted for Nitrex based on their favorable experience with a local commercial heat-treating company providing Nitrex nitriding services. Encouraged by the resulting performance improvements, they made the strategic decision to harness these advantages internally, integrating them into their operations.
Utku Inan, the Nitrex sales representative in Türkiye, commented, “This marks the first collaboration between Topçesan and Nitrex, and we’re truly excited to embark on this journey together. Our shared goal is to pursue operational excellence and maximize product potential within the forging and automotive supply chain industries. Nitrex is committed to delivering innovative solutions that enable our clients to achieve their operational objectives efficiently and sustainably.”
Topçesan is making a strategic investment that will not only enhance its in-house capabilities and cost efficiency but also contribute to a more efficient and sustainable future. According to Marcin Stoklosa, Nitrex Technical Sales Manager, “The operating software of the Nitrex system ensures optimal production media and utility consumption throughout the process, providing the customer with detailed analysis after each operation. This technological advancement underscores our commitment to customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, ensuring superior performance.”
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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From UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company we have this press release about a control system upgrade at Italian commercial heat treater Trattamenti Termici dei Metalli Srl.
“Italian commercial heat treater T.T.M. Trattamenti Termici dei Metalli Srl has built its reputation on precision and reliability. To maintain these high standards, the company leverages the latest technological advancements to enhance their heat-treating operations. Despite the robustness of their three batch IQ furnaces, T.T.M. identified an opportunity to improve the industrial controls to ensure that operations, service quality, and efficiency remain at the forefront of precision and reliability.
Recognizing the need for modernization, T.T.M. embarked on a research mission to find the right partner for this critical overhaul. After careful consideration, they selected UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company, to breathe new life into their aging furnace controls. This marked the start of a transformative journey that saw the partnership with UPC-Marathon redefine T.T.M.’s approach to furnace controls and automation. The project entailed the installation of control cabinets equipped with the latest Protherm 470 controllers, the integration of the controllers into a SCADA system for advanced monitoring and control capabilities, allowing for real-time data analysis and more efficient management of the carburizing processes. The improved oversight helped minimize downtime and optimize furnace performance, ensuring that T.T.M. could meet clients’ demands more effectively.
To complement the technological upgrades, UPC-Marathon also installed a new gas cabinet designed for superior efficiency, reducing operational costs while also contributing to a more environmentally friendly footprint, aligning with T.T.M.’s commitment to sustainable practices.
Daniel Panny, Product Manager and Head of UPC-Marathon Europe, summarized the success of this project: “With these comprehensive upgrades, T.T.M.’s furnaces were not just repaired; they were revitalized. This strategic investment in modernizing the furnace controls with UPC-Marathon proved not only highly effective in resolving immediate challenges with aging controls but also more cost-effective than replacing the three furnaces. By investing in modern controls and digitalization, T.T.M. has transformed its carburizing operations for a more efficient, sustainable, and profitable future, ready to face the demands of tomorrow with renewed vigor.”
ABOUT UPC-MARATHON, A NITREX COMPANY; UPC-Marathon, a Nitrex company, pioneers industrial process control, automation, and digitalization for heat treatment and combustion markets. Our mission is to support furnace OEMs and equipment end-users with innovative solutions, enhancing profitability and reliability while optimizing operational efficiency. End-to-end control solutions encompass probes, analyzers, controllers, flow control systems, upgrades/retrofits, SCADA, and engineered solutions for various heat treat processes. Leveraging our digitalization platform QMULUS, customers gain a deeper understanding of their assets and production processes. Dedicated to our customers’ sustainable growth, UPC-Marathon delivers localized service with a global approach to excellence and care. Let us bring our expertise to your project!
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“François Studer SA, a Swiss commercial heat treater with 45 years of experience on the market, has chosen two SECO/WARWICK furnaces. The solutions on order include a vacuum furnace with 15 bar abs high-pressure gas hardening, and a furnace for tempering with vacuum purging.
Swiss companies are famous for precision. The François Studer SA hardening plant is an example of Swiss quality and high efficiency (on average, they process two truckloads of charges every day). Two new solutions will help increase processing capacity while maintaining the processed element’s high precision and quality.
“TheVector furnace will streamline and increase the hardening process capacity and improve process efficiency. The advantage of this product is a large working space which can be adjusted to an oversized load, using the round heating chamber’s advantages. This is the so-called golden mean for many commercial heat treaters, also because it can be equipped with numerous additional options. With limited production areas, multifunctional, failure-free furnaces are worth their weight in gold for commercial heat treatment,” – commented Maciej Korecki, Vice-President of the SECO/WARWICK Group’s Vacuum Furnaces Team.
The vacuum furnace on order by the hardening plant enables efficient processes to be carried out at a very good vacuum level, in both medium and high ranges. The round heating chamber allows the placement of oversized loads. Combined with dedicated LPC, HPGQ technology and a high vacuum system, the furnace will fully meet the customer’s requirements for hardening and carburizing a wide range of various parts. The solution has a large number of options – it is equipped with FineCarb® vacuum carburizing, pre-nitriding for PreNitLPC® carburizing technology, and LPCN low-pressure carbonitriding.
The partial pressure system used helps to prevent evaporation and sublimation of alloying elements from the load surface during the vacuum heat treatment or vacuum brazing process. Partial pressure control is important when processing many materials to prevent the heating chamber evaporation and contamination. Isothermal quenching provides better control of the cooling process by automatically managing the load temperature and the gas blower motor control using a frequency converter. The carburizing and low-pressure carbonitriding LPCN options, which the furnace for François Studer SA is equipped with, enables precision processing to increase the steel surface hardness during the entire thermal process.
“Newington, CONNECTICUT (June 7, 2024) – Sousa Corp., based in Newington, CT, recently installed its second Ipsen Turbo²Treater vacuum furnace to its production line, expanding its capacity to meet a steady demand for metal treating services.
Andrew Sousa, Vice President of Sousa Corp., explained why the added capacity was so important: “We’ve had three large vacuum furnaces running twenty-four hours, seven days a week. We had the workload to support purchasing another furnace, and there are always new customers coming out of the woodwork, finding us by word of mouth. Demand remains strong.”
Sousa Corp. chose to add the second Ipsen Turbo²Treater to their line because of their confidence in and success with their first Turbo²Treater, purchased in 2016. The Ipsen Turbo²Treater provides users with a square hot zone design, reaching temperatures of up to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, handles a capacity of up to 1,800 pounds, and is designed for energy efficiency with uniform heating and cooling. Ipsen Turbo²Treater vacuum furnaces also provide users with high-pressure gas quenching up to 12 bar.
“Ipsen makes a really nice furnace. The Turbo²Treater does a lot of things really well. Ipsen’s support has been very good for us, and we like to have spare parts that are interchangeable between the first and second furnace,” Sousa explained. “Our operators didn’t have to learn the ins and outs of a completely new machine. When you start with something familiar, you’re ahead of the game when you already know how to run and maintain (the new furnace.)”
Sousa Corp. does heat treating for a variety of industries, including aerospace, medical, fasteners, defense, automotive, and machine parts. The Sousa Corp. is a third generation, family-owned business that traces its company’s history back to its predecessor Bennett Metal Treating Co that was incorporated in 1915.
