​Longtime Metlab employee Robert J. (Bob) Swanlund of Philadelphia passed away suddenly at his residence last week. Bob was the beloved husband of Sharon, married for over 30 wonderful years. He was the loving father of Anthony and Brianna. He will be sadly missed by his grandchildren, Alexander, Autumn and Aiden, and his brother Arthur, and all his coworkers at Metlab where he was a foreman.

Bob came to came to Metlab when the company acquired the John V. Potero company in 2002. All told, he worked in heat treating over 35 years. He was skilled in all phases of the small parts heat treating particularly operating Metlab’s Sunbeam Case Master’s and Surface Combustion Integral Oil Quench furnaces, as well as responsible for flame and induction hardening, and straightening. Bob was more than a manager at Metlab – he was a metallurgist and understood the interaction of heat treating and material properties, often modifying recipes and heat treatment cycles to ensure customer parts met or exceeded specifications while making sure shipments were always on time. He also was expert in our black oxide processes.

Bob was a family man, enjoying time with his wife, daughter, and his grandchildren. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle, and unfortunately was banged up badly several years ago, swerving to avoid hitting a cat and hitting a parked car instead. When he wasn’t spending time with his family, he loved to play pool and watch western movies. No question – Bob was a “manly man”, and he will be missed by his friends, family, and coworkers.

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