Chain Manufacturer Continues to Expand Heat Treat Department
Earlier this week Gord Montgomery had the chance to see in person the updates since our last visit earlier this year. Updates include an expanded metallurgical lab with more equipment, updated controls for another of the batch IQ furnaces, a completely rebuilt and modernized endothermic generator and a 1500 pound per hour mesh belt furnace line with polymer quenching which will be in production just a couple of months from now.
Almost undoubtedly all captive heat treat departments go through similar updates, expansions and upgrades on a regular basis but seldom do we get to see such a “catalogue” as can be seen in these photos.
In related news Allied has shared with “The Monty Heat Treat News” a number of photos of some of their recent additions which includes more batch IQ capacity and a third mesh belt furnace line. These will be upcoming.
“JANUARY 2023; In House Heat Treater Expands-Allied Locke Update; Last week we had an interesting item about a US firm by the name of Allied Locke in Dixon, IL expanding their in house heat treat department (the original story can by found at this link In House Heat Treater Continues to Expand Heat Treat Department | The Monty and also below). As it turns out what your read was only part of the story, we can now add these further details;
We will also issue a correction, it would appear that the company will have 3 mesh belt furnace lines as opposed to 4. All in all an extremely impressive investment.
”NOVEMBER 13th 2022. In House Heat Treater Continues to Expand Heat Treat Department; Headquartered in Dixon, Illinois, USA Allied Locke is a manufacturer of chain and chain products. Founded in 1965 as Allied Chains the company has grown and prospered over the years and now has five divisions: Agricultural Chain, Precision Roller Chain, Industrial Chain, Sprockets, and Environmental Products. The primary manufacturing facility (Plant 1) in Dixon, IL covers nearly 675,000 square feet. Home – Allied-Locke Industries (alliedlocke.com)
The firm has always considered heat treating to be a “core competency” and to that end they have continued to invest and expand their heat treat department, to the point that it is becoming one of the larger captive heat treaters in the US. Currently Allied has 6 batch IQ furnaces, each 36″ X 72″ X 36″, 3 Can Eng mesh belt furnace lines and related equipment including endothermic generators. As we speak a 4th Can Eng mesh belt line is being installed and plans include one more batch IQ line.
At the same time the company has recently installed what was described to us as an “amazing, new” metallurgical lab and is working towards CQI-9. So often heat treating is an afterthought in manufacturing firms and is relegated to that dark dirty area at the back of the plant. It makes our day at “The Monty Heat Treat News” to see that some companies rightfully understand the importance of heat treating-Allied Locke is certainly one of these.”
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