Advanced solutions for heat treat furnace atmospheres can have a powerful effect on product quality, safety and profitability, according to industry experts.

During a one-day Atmospheres and Quenching Seminar on Nov. 11, advanced atmosphere options for heat treating materials will be presented by top engineers from two leading voices in the heat treating and surface engineering community: Air Products and Surface Combustion.

Kaiser Aluminum Newark Works has purchased a traveling log homogenizing furnace for their plant in Heath, Ohio. The system will process 2xxx/6xxx/7xxx alloy aluminum logs of diameters typically ranging from 6 to 29 in. (152 to 727 mm). The furnace will be equipped with SECO/WARWICK's patented adjustable airflow baffling system to control airflow distribution throughout the load and improve temperature uniformity.

Following the model of the ASM Board of Trustees Student Member Program, the ASM Heat Treating Society is initiating a Student and Young Professional Board Member program to add two new positions to the board—one young professional and one student. Nominations for candidates are now being solicited and are due by March 1, 2009.

The ASM Heat Treating Society established the Best Paper in Heat Treating Award in 1997 to recognize a paper that represents advancement in heat-treating technology, promotes heat treating in a substantial way, or represents a clear advancement in managing the business of heat treating. The award is endowed by Bodycote Thermal Process-North America.

Defying the area's economic downturn, Kolene Corporation reports it received more than $1.5 million in new equipment orders from aerospace companies.

ASM’s Heat Treating Society (HTS) is currently seeking nominations for the George H. Bodeen Heat Treating Achievement Award, which recognizes distinguished and significant contributions to the field of heat treating through leadership, management, or engineering development of substantial commercial impact.

ALD-Holcroft of Wixom, Mich., has been awarded a contract to provide a ModulTherm system to a Midwest based manufacturer.

Ipsen Inc., Cherry Valley, Ill., delivered a H5448 2-bar quench TurboTreater horizontal vacuum furnace to Nevada Heat Treating Inc., Carson City, Nev.

Consolidated Engineering Co. (CEC), Kennesaw, Ga., received an order from Guizhou Anda Aviation Forging Co. Ltd., an aerospace-forging company, to build two gas-fired tip-up heat treating furnaces with traversing manipulator for its Guiyang, China, facility.

Nitrex Metal Inc., Montreal, Canada, a member of United Process Controls, supplied several turnkey nitriding systems to four large automotive parts manufacturers.

Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, N.Y., replaced a 120-ft (36.5 m) long water-cooled roller hearth section on a 15,000 lb/h (6,820 kg/h) tube normalizing furnace at major American based mechanical-tube production facility.

United Process Controls (UPC), an alliance of five companies within the heat treating industry including Furnace Controls, Marathon Monitors, Nitrex Metal, Process-Electronic, and Waukee Engineering, supplied Bodycote Thermal Processing (Huntington Park, Calif.) with three gas-nitriding installations based on the UPC Protherm 500 programmable controller and the H2Smart hydrogen analyzer.

The ECM group subsidiary, Furnaces Nuclear Application Grenoble SAS (FNAG), received a Shaw Areva MOX Services contract to design and install two vacuum sintering furnaces for the production of MOX (mixed oxide) fuel at the Savannah River site, Aiken, S.C. FNAG has proven success in the fuel recycling process industry built on technical expertise gained since 1995, including the delivery of a MOX fuel sintering furnace and equipment to the MELOX works.

Hi Temp, Northlake, Ill., a Bluewater Thermal Services company, upgraded four roller-hearth furnaces with Super Systems Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio) state-of-the-art controls and SCADA systems.

Despatch Industries, Minneapolis, Minn., sold a solution heat treat furnace to Aernnova Componentes Mexico for its new Queretaro, Mexico, facility for heat treating aluminum components for the aerospace industry.

Vac Aero Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada, received an order for two large vacuum furnaces from Bodycote plc (headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK)

Seco/Warwick Corp., Meadville, Pa., received an order from Danville Metal Stamping, Danville, Ill., for a mesh-belt conveyor-type annealing furnace for the continuous process-annealing of nickel-base alloy strip.

Marathon Monitors Inc. (MMI), West Chester, Ohio, a member of United Process Controls (UPC) upgraded furnace controls with advanced controls and SCADA from UPC at Mahle Engine Components USA Inc.’s North Plant in Russelville, Ark.

Ipsen Inc., Cherry Valley, Ill., delivered a TurboTreater model H6660 2-bar vacuum furnace to Leading Edge Turbine Technologies Ltd., Houston, Tex., an industrial steam and gas turbine repair company for the power-generation, pipeline, petrochemical and paper-mill industries.

Air Liquide, Houston, Tex., will invest about Euro100 million to expand the company’s presence in Poland to meet the growing demands of the industrial gas market.

Rolled Alloys, Temperance, Mich., acquired Clama Trade, Melegnano (Milan), Italy, an independent service center providing the Italian and southern European market for more than 25 years.

Induction Atmospheres (IA), Rochester, N.Y., a manufacturer and system integrator of customized industrial heating equipment, moved to a larger facility to meet increasing demand for its products.

Kaiser Aluminum, Foothill Ranch, Calif., plans a $19-million expansion at its Tennalum facility in Jackson, Tenn., to increase capacity and capabilities through the addition of an extrusion press, heat treat furnace, drawbench, and other ancillary equipment.

Seco/Warwick Corp., Meadville, Pa., patented a hydrogen closed-cycle hardening system (U.S. Patent No. 7,361,299 B2) where the heat treatment process is performed in vacuum, and the hydrogen atmosphere is recycled.

Zenergy Power plc, a manufacturer and developer of commercial applications for high-temperature superconductive (HTS) materials, announced it has commenced a major extension of its manufacturing facility based in Rheinbach, Germany.

Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, N.Y., recently completed the replacement of a 120 ft long water cooled roller hearth section on a 15,000 lb/hr tube normalizing furnace at major American based mechanical tube production facility.

Ipsen Inc., Rockford, Ill., delivered a new state-of-the art TurboTreater model H6660 2-bar with a work zone size of 48 in. wide x 48 in.high x 60 in. long and gross load weight capacity of 3,500 lb, the first TurboTreater in the Houston area serving the power generation market.

SECO/WARWICK, Meadville, Pa., has recently patented a hydrogen closed-cycle hardening system (Patent #US 7,361,299) where the heat treatment process is performed in vacuum, and the hydrogen atmosphere is recycled. This system produces excellent process results because the cooling cycle is performed in hydrogen. The most useful application is for steels that are difficult to harden in other gases, and the user does not want to use an oil quench for environmental reasons. Gas quenching consistently provides superior metallurgical results in terms of uniformity and low part distortion.

Advantages of combining local volunteer leadership and action with ASM’s advanced IT infrastructure include:

The ECM group has announced that its subsidiary, Furnaces Nuclear Application Grenoble SAS (FNAG), has been awarded a Shaw Areva MOX Services contract for the detailed design of an installation comprised of two vacuum sintering furnaces for the production of the fuel known as MOX (mixed oxide).

Despatch Industries, Minneapolis, Minn., announced the sale of a solution heat treat furnace to Aernnova Componentes Mexico. Aernnova is a new customer that has chosen a Despatch furnace for utilization in their new Queretaro, Mexico, facility where they will be heat treating aluminum components for the aerospace industry.

Hi Temp, Northlake, Ill., a Bluewater Thermal Services company, upgraded 4 roller-hearth furnaces with Super Systems Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio) controls and data acquisition systems. Bluewater Thermal Services has facilities in 15 locations in Canada and in 10 states in the U.S. The control and SCADA upgrade is part of Bluewater’s commitment to technology providing the necessary tools for meeting today’s industry certifications and responding rapidly to customer requirements.

Milwaukee Gear Co. and its sister company, Treat All Metals, have been acquired by High Road Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. Milwaukee Gear is a manufacturer of custom precision spur and helical gears utilized in a number of markets including energy, compressors, mining and other general industrial applications. Treat All Metals is the heat-treating arm of Milwaukee Gear and offers a line of heat treating services to Milwaukee Gear, as well as outside customers.

Later this year, ASM International will bring its brand of Lifelong Learning and Training to Global Suhaimi with Custom On-Site Training on Oilfield Metallurgy, Introduction to Heat Treating, and Advanced Heat Treating.

According to a market study entitled “World Industrial Gases” by The Freedonia Group Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, an industry market research firm, China will surpass Japan as the world’s second largest market in the forecast for industrial gas demand.

Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC), Kennesaw, Ga., will design and manufacture an integral quench furnace system for a manufacturer of business-jet aircraft at its new heat treat facility in Mexico.

Solar Atmospheres R&D Technology Group, Souderton, Pa., is conducting a test program for high-temperature solution nitriding of martensitic stainless steel at vacuum partial pressure nitrogen.

GETRAG Transmission Manufacturing LLC, Wilmington, Del., ordered three complete ModulTherm heat treatment lines from ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH, Hanau, Germany, for the heat treatment of gear parts for its PowerShift transmissions.

Bodycote's Senior Operating Board created a corporate level position of Global Director of Research and Development to be filled by Dr. Stephen J. Mashl.