BUYER'S GUIDE 2021 COMPANY PROFILE - Thermal Processing Magazine
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Technologies and Processes for the Advancement of Materials THERMAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE 2021 BUYER’S 2021 BUYER’S GUIDE GUIDE COMPANY PROFILE /// Rex Heat Treat NOVEMBER 2020 NOVEMBER 2020 thermalprocessing.com
QUICK DELIVERY VACUUM FURNACES HL-5748-2IQ THE MENTOR® HL-5748-2IQ Ready for Quick Delivery! • Graphite insulated hot zone: 36”W x 36”H x 48”D • Operating temperature up to 2400°F • Temperature uniformity ±10°F, AMS 2750F Compliant • Weight capacity up to 5000 pounds • Internal gas quenching up to 15 PSIG (2 Bar) 267.384.5040 • Furnaces available now: (1) pre-owned, (3) New sales@solarmfg.com solarmfg.com THE MENTOR® Ready for Quick Delivery! • Compact, front loading design to accommodate small to mid-size work loads • Mounted on a single, portable platform for easy shipment and maneuverability Give us a call to learn • Graphite insulated hot zone: 12” W x 12” H x 18” D more about our vacuum • Operating temperature up to 2600°F furnace ingenuity. • Weight capacity up to 250 pounds THE BRIGHTEST SOLUTIONS THROUGH INGENUIT Y PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA
SCIENCE EBRATING CEL VERDER SCIENTIFIC INC. CELEBRATES YEARs 20TH ANNIVERSARY FOR SOLIDS HEAT TREATMENT The GPCMA modified atmosphere chamber furnaces are equipped with a retort, temperatures ranging from 1000 °C – 1150 °C, depending on the retort material, to CARBOLITE GERO provide a heated volume with a controlled atmosphere with oxygen levels as low as Modified Atmosphere Chamber Furnace - 30 ppm. Perfect for stress relieving additive manufactured components, particularly GPCMA those produced via DMLS and can be optionally specified for compliance to AMS2750E Nadcap class 1 for aerospace applications. ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS ELTRA The Elementrac series of analyzers are an ideal solution for your quality control Carbon / Sulfur Analyzer needs for any Heat Treatment applications, providing accurate C/S/O/N/H analysis, by ELEMENTRAC CS-i combustion or inert gas fusion techniques, with highly sensitive I.R. and T.C. cells. Phone: +1 866-473-8724 · info-us@verder-scientific.com · www.verder-scientific.com
CONTENTS /// NOVEMBER 2020 VOLUME 9 / NUMBER 11 2021 BUYER’S GUIDE When it comes to heat treating, it’s not just about what you do, but also who you know. Identifying quality sources for contract heat treating, equipment, services, and testing is a critical component of your overall business plan, but it can be a time-consuming task. That’s why we’ve put together this Thermal Processing Buyer’s Guide: to help you partner with the suppliers you need as well as to steer companies who require these services. We have compiled the most complete source listing available and have presented this information in a way that is accessible, convenient, and informative. 21 HEAT TREATERS 46 MARKETPLACE 36 EQUIPMENT 56 SERVICES COMPANY PROFILE /// Q&A /// REX HEAT TREAT TREVOR JONES President, Solar Manufacturing With more than 30 services, the company serves a “The Mentor Pro is unique in that it offers the same range of industries from aerospace and automotive ruggedness, quality, and advanced control system of to construction and defense. 6 large production furnaces, but in a compact design.” 64 RESOURCES /// Marketplace 62 Advertiser index 63 COVER PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Thermal Processing is published monthly by Media Solutions, Inc., 266D Yeager Parkway Pelham, AL 35124. Phone (205) 380-1573 Fax (205) 380-1580 International subscription rates: $105.00 per year. Postage Paid at Pelham AL and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Thermal Processing magazine, P.O. Box 1210 Pelham AL 35124. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503 RPO West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill, ON L4B4R6. Copyright © 2006 by Media Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage-and- retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the staff on Thermal Processing magazine, or who are not specifically employed by Media Solutions, Inc., are purely their own. All “Update” material has either been submitted by the subject company or pulled directly from their corporate website, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome and can be submitted to editor@thermalprocessing.com. 2 NOVEMBER 2020
LEGENDARY P E R F O R M A N C E WHEN JACK BEAVERS DESIGNED THE BEAVERMATIC INTERNAL QUENCH FURNACE (IQF) ALMOST 60 YEARS AGO, HE CREATED THE SIGNATURE TECHNOLOGY IN AN INDUSTRY WORKHORSE THAT STILL SETS THE STANDARDS TODAY. The BeaverMatic IQF's rugged design combined with a unique load transfer mechanism for high-production output is the reason for so many successful installations around the world. • World’s largest Internal Quench Furnace with 15,000 pound workload • Users experience substantial improvement in work flow • Simplified designs for ease of operation and maintenance • Reliable, performance proven equipment • Excellent and efficient processing results Today Premier Furnace Specialists builds the BeaverMatic IQF incorporating modern process controls and materials, keeping the legend alive and reliable as ever. The legend doesn't end there, 248-596-9000 Premier Furnace Specialists offers a complete range of furnaces premierfurnace.com • beavermatic.com to suit any industrial heating process. sales@premierfurnace.com thermalprocessing.com 3
FROM THE EDITOR /// David C. Cooper PUBLISHER EDITORIAL The 2021 Buyer’s Guide: Your go-to source Kenneth Carter EDITOR hermal Processing has been working hard this year to bring you the latest informa- Jennifer Jacobson T tion on heat treating, and as we develop plans for 2021, we’re not expecting to slow down any time soon. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Joe Crowe To help you make your business decisions for the coming year, we offer our 2021 Buyer’s CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Guide. It’s a comprehensive resource of company listings for the heat-treating industry. I encourage you to keep this special issue of Thermal Processing close at hand as your go-to SALES guide for connecting with these quality companies offering equipment, services, testing, Dave Gomez and other supplementary products to help with your continued success. NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Over the years, we’ve made exceptional contacts in the heat-treating industry. We value these connections — whether it’s for advertising opportunities or for contributed articles Ben Keaten REGIONAL SALES MANAGER highlighting the latest technology, applications, products, and trends. To help enhance this information-packed issue, we’ve included a company profile featur- ing Rex Heat Treat. In it, I talked with General Manager Johnathan Rex, whose enthusiasm CIRCULATION for heat treating was hard to conceal as he shared his company’s storied eight-decades-old Teresa Cooper history. MANAGER And speaking of company profiles, Thermal Processing features companies, both large Jamie Willett and small, throughout the year, and the Buyer’s Guide has become the perfect oppor- ASSISTANT tunity to remind you of what those businesses offer the industry. Following our main feature shining a spotlight on Rex Heat Treat, you’ll find summaries of profiles from past DESIGN issues. If what you read whets your appetite, you can find the companies’ full profiles at thermalprocessing.com/category/company-profile. RIck Frennea I hope you find the articles interesting and informative and see our Buyer’s Guide for CREATIVE DIRECTOR the useful resource we intended it to be in order to help you with your purchasing decisions. Michele Hall And if your company isn’t listed, email me at kenneth@thermalprocessing.com with GRAPHIC DESIGNER your information and category, and we will make sure you get added. And as you can see by the bottom of this page, this issue also includes our 2021 edito- rial calendar to help you further pinpoint future issues that can aid you in sharing your message with our readers. As always, thanks for reading and letting us be a valuable source for you and the rest of the heat-treating industry. KENNETH CARTER, EDITOR editor@thermalprocessing.com (800) 366-2185 x204 2021 EDITORIAL CALENDAR Vertical Logo JANUARY MAY SEPTEMBER Vacuum Heating, Medical Applications, Heat Treat 2021, Nitriding, Cryogenics Thermocouples Additive Manufacturing FEBRUARY JUNE OCTOBER Insulating Materials, Powdermet Preview, Aerospace Applications, Coop w Burners & Combustion Sintering Certifications, Ceramics PUBLISHED BY MEDIA SOLUTIONS, INC. MARCH JULY NOVEMBER P. O. BOX 1987 • PELHAM, AL 35124 (800) 366-2185 • (205) 380-1580 FAX Process Control, Induction Heating, Quenching Annual Buyer’s Guide Pyrometry David C. Cooper Teresa Cooper AUGUST DECEMBER PRESIDENT OPERATIONS APRIL Heat Treat 2021 preview, Gear Applications, Industrial Gases, Ceramics Forging, Maintenance Inspection & Metrology 4 NOVEMBER 2020
Our leading edge vacuum technology provides precise control and repeatability for consistently superior parts. 9001:2015 9100D AS Vacuum Heat Treating & Brazing Services Annealing • Aging • Carburizing • Nitriding • Stress Relieving • Degassing • Brazing • Harden and Temper Sintering • Solution Treat and Age (STA) • Homogenizing • Creep Forming • Hydriding / Dehydriding Solve your toughest thermal processing challenges by utilizing our brain-trust of metallurgists, chemists and engineers. • Over 60 vacuum furnaces – lab-sized to 48 feet long • Argon, nitrogen and helium quenching up to 20 bar • Operating range of -320°F to +3,600°F • On-site metallurgical testing lab • 24/7 Operations For more information or a quote, call 1-855-WE-HEAT-IT or visit solaratm.com Eastern PA California Western PA South Carolina VACUUM PROCESSING Heat Treating • Brazing • Carburizing • Nitriding thermalprocessing.com 5
COMPANY PROFILE /// REX HEAT TREAT HEAT TREATING OUTSIDE THE BOX Endothermic atmosphere load being oil quenched. (Courtesy: Rex Heat Treat) 6 NOVEMBER 2020
With more than 30 services ranging from austempering and martempering to vacuum heat treat and cold straightening services, Rex Heat Treat serves a range of industries from aerospace and automotive to construction and defense. By KENNETH CARTER, Thermal Processing editor ANTICIPATING INDUSTRY NEEDS R ex Heat Treat has been involved in projects that have plumbed the depths of the Gulf and explored the land- What has driven Rex Heat Treat in its developments is a desire to think scapes of Mars, and yet, the company is still considered outside the box and anticipate what the industry needs in order to one of the best-kept secrets of the heat-treating industry. move it forward. However, a quick look at what Rex Heat Treat offers reveals the “I think this new vertical vacuum furnace is a really good example wide range of the company’s heat treat services, especially for the of that,” Rex said. “We built this furnace without any commitments aerospace, defense, energy, and nuclear industries, as well as many from any customers. We just knew that there was a gap in the indus- other commercial involvements. try, and we knew that we were able to design it and have a piece of “We just thermally process the metals,” said Johnathan Rex, gen- equipment that could suspend parts that were 14-and-a-half feet long eral manager of Rex Heat Treat. “And that involves anything from and vacuum oil quench them or gas quench them. And, we also knew, solution annealing of titanium or aluminum on up to carburizing with the kind of aerospace work that we do, that it’s pretty inefficient or clean hardening or vacuum processing. We pretty much run the at times. You’re sitting there; you’re conditioning a furnace for eight gamut. It’s almost easier to say what we don’t do. We don’t do plasma hours, then you’re taking two hours to verify the carbon potential, nitriding or traditional nitriding. We don’t do induction hardening maybe doing that again if you’re not good. Whereas, with the vacuum or flame hardening. Besides that, we pretty much do it all.” furnace, you just simply turn it on, and you’re running. It has really And Rex is quick to point out that it’s part of that extensive service helped us to streamline our processes and make it a bit more efficient menu that keeps Rex Heat Treat fulfilling a myriad of jobs. for us. And now, we’re not consuming the energy, the gases, or the “I fell in love with this industry because there are so many dif- labor to verify the carbon potential.” ferent materials, and then there are so many configurations of the Even for aerospace, the sheer variety of jobs can be vast, accord- parts within those materials. You can have a 4340 part or 300M part ing to Rex. and have different configurations, and it changes the entire game,” “We support the mills who are producing metals for the industry; he said. “It’s a part-by-part basis, and it’s always changing. There are there’s several of those that will ship their material to us — it could always complexities to that.” be for commercial aerospace; it could be for military aerospace,” he This philosophy allows Rex Heat Treat to focus on the particular said. “We also do parts. We do a lot of titanium components for a beta requirements of a job, according to Rex. solution treat and overage, or just a straight solution treat and age. We “We focus on unique needs while leaving high production to oth- may even do some fasteners; one of our top customers makes fastener ers,” he said. “And, that’s a really important point. We don’t have belt components; we anneal that material and return it to them. It’s an furnaces; we’re not trying to get into the automotive industry.” in-process step that we’re doing; as they draw the material down to a smaller diameter, it hardens; they send it to us; we anneal it, and then VERTICAL PROCESSING they can continue with their processing of reducing that wire size.” What has especially made Rex Heat Treat a major player in the heat- Rex Heat Treat is even involved in heat-treating ordnance and mis- treat arena is its focus on vertical processing, according to Rex. sile components, and Rex emphasized that work is mainly due to the “We currently have two vertical gantries here in Lansdale,” he said. company’s vertical vacuum services. “One is a 20-foot gantry, with the other being a 15-foot gantry, and “These missile cases are thin-walled, and if there’s any kind of we’ve been running these furnaces since my grandfather installed decarb on them, then they’re done, and they’re pretty expensive them back in the ’50s. And so, for over a half century, we’ve been parts,” he said. “We’re able to quickly quench those and keep them honing our skills on suspending parts and allowing gravity to help in a vacuum environment.” support our efforts. That skill has led us into going with a vertical vacuum oil quenching furnace, which is a nice, easy, clean extension, STORIED HISTORY except that the technology is far greater than an element-lined verti- Just a quick look at some of Rex Heat Treat’s past jobs can drive home cal gantry furnace.” the importance of what the company has been offering industries With the addition of a vacuum system, there’s no carbon depletion for decades. in the process, according to Rex. The company was involved in the heat treating of a wrench used “There’s no need to burn shims,” he said. “If we’re doing clean, to help stop the leaking well from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill neutral hardening of aerospace components that are near-finished in 2010, according to Rex. machined, the tolerance for allowable decarb is very low. So, with the “When they finally figured out what they were going to do and vacuum process, as long as you’re conforming with what’s required how they were going to go about doing it, they made us quite a large by the AMS specs, we have no decarb.” wrench,” he said. “It was plate steel that was cut-out, and we hardened thermalprocessing.com 7
treating, you have no idea what the part is, but all I knew was that, in my mind, it was of national security to get this thing through as fast as possible; it was the most important job in our company. It was only a handful of parts, but it didn’t matter. We were told by our country that they needed those parts, so we did that.” SUPPORTING AMERICAN INDUSTRY That’s just a small part of why Rex loves what Rex Heat Treat can do for American industry. “I love supporting our country in this unique way, because most people don’t know about heat treating, but it is a very important piece of our industry and the security of our country,” he said. “Just from that standpoint, we do a lot of Department of Defense-rated compo- nents, and each and every one of those, we believe, are helping support our troops and our allies’ troops.” And Rex Heat Treat has been up for that task — and many others — since it opened its doors in 1938. Post-World War II, the company, then known as J.W. Rex Company, became a major resource for heat-treating and manufacturing mili- tary ordnance shells for the U.S. Army and Navy. The company continued to expand through the coming decades, adding manufacturing capabilities for missile cases, tooling for Chinook helicopters, and contracting with Boeing on several proj- ects, to name a few. In 1999, the company officially became Rex Heat Treat with facili- ties currently in Lansdale and Bedford, Pennsylvania, as well as a facility in Anniston, Alabama. Through an ever-changing and expanding marketplace, the com- pany has been recognized as one of the largest heat treaters in the Northeastern United States, according to Rex. Fifteen-foot gantry furnace and traditional Sauder furnaces quenching at the Lansdale facility. (Courtesy: Rex Heat Treat) KEEPING THINGS DIVERSE But it’s part of that project diversity that Rex said has kept things interesting throughout the company’s 80-year history. “We’ve done components that are “We’ve tended to be involved in new and unusual projects,” he said. “And so, I expect those kinds of things to continue to happen. I really on Mars now, and those parts, as we do think that vacuum processing will continue to grow, and we’ll all know, will always be on Mars.” continue to grow vacuum processing here as well. Being a standard atmosphere heat treater for most of our history, we’re going to, prob- ably, primarily focus on oil quenching and those kinds of operations it. We got that done quickly, as we knew what it was for, and then that we believe are superior to gas quenching. Gas quenching is great shipped it down and they used that tool, along with a rover down on in many ways, because if you’re just cooling the parts, you don’t have the sea floor, to stop that well leak.” to go into oil. Plus, you minimize distortion. But, I think with our Rex Heat Treat was also responsible for heat-treating the drill bits capabilities, we’re able to have a blend between gas quenching and that freed the 33 miners in the 2010 Capiapo mining accident in Chile. oil quenching. If we have a forgiving material, we’re able to stagger “One of our customers is the prime that worked on that,” Rex said. that operation a little bit and minimize distortion.” “They were sent down to free those miners. They rushed those drill bits With all of Rex Heat Treat’s capabilities, not to mention its history through our facility out in Bedford, Pennsylvania, and we’re proud of important jobs, it’s still surprising that the company’s name isn’t of that.” as well-known as it should be. And it’s not every company that can boast that they have worked “We’re not a very vocal company about ourselves; we don’t do on equipment that’s sitting on another planet, but Rex Heat Treat has press releases, I feel like we’re almost one of the best kept secrets in heat-treated components that are part of the Mars Exploration Rover heat treating,” Rex said. “I’ve had customers of ours contact us and mission that began in 2003, according to Rex. they’re like, ‘You guys have awesome equipment, awesome services, “We’ve done components that are on Mars now, and those parts, as and awesome capabilities, but I haven’t heard about you.’ Our sales we all know, will always be on Mars,” he said. are driven to us by the specifications, by the equipment we have, and But perhaps one of Rex Heat Treat’s proudest moments, according the approvals we carry. We are very creative, and we think outside to Rex, is the company’s involvement in equipment used immediately the box. We’re always going to keep on pushing, keep on driving and after 9/11. fighting to support our customers, and grow and build this business “I got a call from Boeing, and they had this job coming through to into the niche that we are.” us, and the employee from Boeing told me, ‘This is straight from the President; we need these parts as fast as possible,’” he said. “To this day, I don’t know what those parts were for. A lot of times, in heat MORE INFO www.rexht.com 8 NOVEMBER 2020
Pyrometry technician Frank Rapine prepares a temperature uniformity survey (TUS) on a Bell tempering furnace that supports the new Vertical Vacuum Furnace. (Courtesy: Rex Heat Treat) thermalprocessing.com 9
ABBOTT FURNACE COMPANY EXCELLING IN ATMOSPHERIC FURNACE PRODUCTION Abbott Furnace’s Abbott Furnace Company is an industrial vice, and we’re ISO 17025 certified for doing temperature Vulcan System can calibrations,” he said. “We’re also capable of doing onsite perform the furnace manufacturer with more than 35 training on our equipment and thermal processes. We de-lubrication process years of experience designing and producing can do that several different ways: We can provide that of powder metal components more some of the industry’s most reliable and high via the web through WebEx-type applications or come effectively. (Courtesy: performing industrial continuous belt furnaces. to your facility and present it one-on-one. We’re very big Abbott Furnace) into the sintering market in the PM fields.” A good measure of success is repeat business. Abbott also offers brazing furnaces, according to For a company that builds industrial fur- Reardon. naces, repeat customers become even more Abbott has a variety of pusher furnaces with tem- impressive. peratures up to 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit, according to For Abbott Furnace Company, that repeat business is Reardon, and the company can produce roller hearth fur- “Our philosophy is indicative of just what kind of company it is. naces with a variety of atmospheres. Abbott also makes “We have several customers who have purchased sev- lab-scale furnaces, atmosphere generators, box furnaces, to be the market eral dozen furnaces from us,” said Dan Reardon, director and car bottom furnaces, according to Reardon. leader in the of technical sales for Abbott Furnace. “We have many “We also offer some specialized batch furnaces, par- design, production, more that have purchased multiple furnaces. To me, this ticularly if they require some kind of atmosphere con- and service illustrates how well our furnaces perform and that we trol,” he said. have a very good commitment to our customers to pro- Abbott has come a long way since it began in 1982 as of continuous vide excellent service after the sale.” Abbott Control Systems when it was primarily providing process industrial Abbott has, to date, produced 875 furnaces that are service for other manufacturers’ equipment while build- furnaces.” currently in service in a variety of industries, according ing some control panels, according to Reardon. When to Reardon. the owner realized there were hardly any new advance- “Our philosophy is to be the market leader in the ments in furnace technology, he began to manufacture design, production, and service of continuous process them himself, building its first one in 1986. industrial furnaces,” he said. “And we do this by focusing Now, Abbott Furnace has about 80 employees work- our resources on the development of new technology to ing in a 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in St. meet our customer’s specifications.” Marys, Pennsylvania, and is still privately owned and Abbott’s furnaces run a gamut of applications, but for operated. heat treating, Reardon said Abbott excels in atmospheric furnaces. “We have very good troubleshooting skills, field ser- SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com 10 NOVEMBER 2020
CAS DATALOGGERS INDUSTRIAL MONITORING SOLUTIONS The dataTaker DT80 is CAS DataLoggers is a distributor of That process may be driven by how the measurements are made or how the data is handled and archived or a versatile, intelligent dataloggers, data-acquisition equipment, data logger with how the customer wants to be made aware of those out- and customized data acquisition systems of-tolerance conditions, whatever they may be, according internal battery and universal input for virtually every industry and a wide range to Martin. channels. It is an ideal of applications. And within the heat-treat industry, temperature solution for industrial measurement is of paramount importance, according applications. (Courtesy: CAS F or decades, data logging has been an ardu- to Martin. ous and tedious process. And when done “old “Our general business is as a distributor of data DataLoggers) school” with pen and paper, it can also be logging, data acquisition, and paperless recorders, and a process where errors can be easily made. temperature is the most widely measured parameter,” CAS DataLoggers can not only streamline that pro- he said. “By doing that, we can provide alerts or alarms cess but make sure problems due to human error are for out-of-tolerance conditions and give you the abil- “Our real focus is virtually eliminated. ity to actually recover from problems that may exist to eliminate the “Our real focus is to eliminate the need for pencil and whether it’s the heating or the cooling part of your paper in the manufacturing, plant floor, research, and operation.” need for pencil development environments with respect to data logging,” The devices used to collect the data have features in and paper in the said Pete Martin, president of CAS Dataloggers. “We’re the hardware and software that can be configured by manufacturing, providing options to automate that process of collect- the user for measuring virtually any parameter, accord- plant floor, ing data, if it’s purely for quality, if it’s for regulatory — ing to Martin. The devices can communicate alerts whatever the driver is — to give you the ability to do that via email, text message using a network connection research, and without paper so that it’s all automated.” through the internet, or the devices can be hardwired development And although CAS Dataloggers works with many to signal PLCs or other controlling instruments in the environments industries, the need to keep track of data is especially plant. with respect to important in the heat-treat arena. CAS DataLoggers has been in business since 2000, data logging.” “I think there are a lot of similarities and need for according to Martin. The company was started by a what we do across all the industry segments that we manufacturer’s rep company. One of the manufactur- service,” Martin said. “But in the end, many of the cus- ers decided to change how it went to market in the U.S., tomers really have some unique, specific needs when it and CAS DataLoggers was formed. comes to their temperature data, or we deal with any other kinds of data acquisition that’s required in their process.” SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com thermalprocessing.com 11
CERAMATERIALS DELIVERING ELITE SERVICE AND COST PERFORMANCE Multi-Tiered CFC CeraMaterials is a global manufacturing, mass, and excellent resistance to distortion, CFC is an Fixture with removable ideal material for fixturing.” posts engineered distribution and engineering outfit specializing CeraMaterials also has a wide range of products for by CeraMaterials. in high-temp refractory materials including: atmosphere heat treaters and steel manufacturers, accord- (Courtesy: CFC, graphite insulation, machined graphite, ing to Opitz. CeraMaterials) ceramic fiber, sintered ceramics, and more. “We stock a myriad of refractory brick chemistries — ceramic blanket, ceramic paper, ceramic modules, C eraMaterials opened its doors 12 years ago, ceramic fiber textiles, mortars, and castable mixes” he and during that time, has become a major said. “Basically, any material or part inside a furnace, player for the heat-treat industry. A key we’re supplying.” ingredient to that success can be reduced to Opitz stressed that CeraMaterials is extremely custom- a simple concept: listening. er-centric. “Our primary mission is providing service to “When a customer “What we try to do that I think a lot of companies miss, our customers,” he said. and it’s very basic, is actively listen,” said Jeff Opitz, presi- CeraMaterials was founded by Dr. Jerry Weinstein, who comes to us with dent of CeraMaterials. “When a customer comes to us with was originally hired to consult with a company making a problem or a a problem or a material request, we’re very intentional body armor. The company, Ceradyne, was having diffi- material request, about understanding what our customer is asking for, and culty sourcing some of the raw materials it needed, so it we’re very then rapidly responding with an appropriate solution.” hired Weinstein to source the material. And that quick response time is crucial to CeraMaterials’ Once Weinstein had found it, he convinced Ceradyne intentional about effectiveness and success as well. to allow him to sell the material outright instead of deal- understanding “In many cases we’re dealing with a maintenance man- ing with consulting fees. And Ceradyne agreed, according what our customer ager or production engineer who has equipment down,” to Opitz. is asking for, and Opitz said. “In the heat-treating business, down time is In 12 years, however, Opitz points out that then rapidly toxic, so we work fast.” CeraMaterials has become a major player. CeraMaterials offers a full range of products for vacu- “We have a diverse roster of high-profile ‘household- responding with um and protective atmosphere environments. name’ customers, government branches, national labs an appropriate “Speaking broadly, we offer any aftermarket compo- and universities, and have affiliations with most of the solution.” nent utilized in a moly or graphite hot zone — this ranges big names in the North American heat-treating world; from insulation packages, to heating elements, to hearth it’s been a decade of growth,” he said. rails and everything in between” he said. “We are also heavily involved with fixturing — the shelves or grids that hold the work. Because of its light weight, low thermal SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com 12 NOVEMBER 2020
GRAPHITE METALLIZING CORPORATION SOLVING THE TOUGHEST BEARING PROBLEMS With more than 150 grades of GRAPHALLOY, works where traditional bearing materials often fail. Pillow blocks. Self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY withstands high tem- (Courtesy: Graphite Metallizing Corporation is Graphite Metallizing peratures, performs well under cryogenic conditions, and uniquely suited to offer submerged or can survive dry running in pumps, according to Ford. It Corporation) high-temperature products functioning maintains its integrity even when submerged in hostile where oil, grease, and plastics fail. liquids such as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor, and natural gas liquids (NGL). GRAPHALLOY can be cus- H eavy-industrial machinery is often submitted tom designed for specific application dimensions and to harsh environments capable of damaging tolerances. or destroying equipment and components, as “When customers come to us with a challenge — which well as a company’s bottom line. happens every day — they work one-on-one with our engi- With that in mind, it is in a company’s best interests to neers,” he said. “The first thing we do is make sure they invest in products that can keep equipment performing understand what GRAPHALLOY is, and what it can do. “When customers for a long time. We want to make sure they understand the loads it can come to us with a The experts with Graphite Metallizing Corporation handle, the speeds, the temperatures — everything — so (GMC) have been committed to this goal for more than that it can meet their application, exactly.” challenge — which a hundred years. GMC has a staff of engineers that are always at the happens every The company has done this by developing a method for ready to speak with customers about their specific applica- day — they work putting molten metal into graphite to create a new mate- tions, according to Ford. one-on-one with rial called GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy that is a The concept of GRAPHALLOY began in 1913 when two proprietary material with exceptional mechanical, chemi- engineers developed a method to combine graphite with our engineers.” cal, and tribological properties. metal to make electrical contacts for elevators, according “It’s not an easy process; it’s actually a foundry process to Ford. where you impregnate the molten metals into the graph- And that was a big part of the business until the 1940s, ite substrate to make it all the way through; it’s a uni- when GMC began to make the product into bushings form form product of graphite and metal,” said Eric Ford, vice and sold to the high-temperature and industrial areas. president of sales and marketing at Graphite Metallizing “Over the years, Graphite Metallizing developed addi- Corporation. “The graphite makes it self-lubricating, so tional grades of GRAPHALLOY to address new applica- you don’t need any grease or other lubricants. And the tions,” Ford said. metal actually pulls heat away from the shaft.” This can become essential for furnaces that operate at a very high temperature, according to Ford. GRAPHALLOY SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com thermalprocessing.com 13
HARROP INDUSTRIES, INC. A COMPLETE SERVICE TO THE CERAMIC INDUSTRY View of electric- and For more than a hundred years, Harrop cation needs of our clients,” he said. “We don’t profess to gas-fired kilns for development and Industries has designed industrial kilns that be a materials research company. We leave that to the scientists, but we’ve evolved in our designs as we’ve seen toll firing. (Courtesy: can be constructed on-site or delivered pre- the need of more nontraditional ceramic products being Harrop Industries, Inc.) built and installed at its clients’ facilities. developed around the country.” Metal heat-treaters, according to Houseman, are a big I ndustrial kilns are an important component part of the industries that Harrop serves. in the heat-treat industry, so it’s imperative Harrop doesn’t have a product catalog. The company’s that they are designed and built to exact goal is to build to specs exactly what its customers need. specifications. To help customers accomplish their goals, Harrop “We are strictly a Ceramics is the quintessential building block of many maintains a 12,000-square-foot developmental and industries, and Harrop Industries, Inc. has been supply- testing laboratory in its Columbus, Ohio, facility, kiln designer and ing kilns and other ceramic products to a wide range of according to Houseman. This laboratory has about 19 kiln builder for the areas for more than a century. different types of kilns used for prototyping work and ceramic industry. “We are strictly a kiln designer and kiln builder for test firings for clients to help them develop the profile We want to be a the ceramic industry,” said Dr. Jim Houseman, CEO of or the process needed to make products on a commer- Harrop Industries, and the third in the company’s sto- cial scale. high-class supplier ried history. “Our primary product line, if you want to Houseman is quick to point out that Harrop is not of application- call it that, or services, is we’re a design-build contractor only well-established, but it is consistent and reliable on engineered kiln of industrial kilns for commercially producing ceramic many levels. It’s been a private company since the begin- systems.” products. We want to be a high-class supplier of applica- ning, and its roots have been in the same city, but he said tion-engineered kiln systems. We’ve been a supplier to Harrop’s best accomplishments rest in having satisfied the industry for over 100 years, and we enjoy the part- clients and repeat business. nerships we’ve developed with established traditional Harrop Industries began life in 1919 as Carl B. Harrop companies as well as new startups.” Engineers when it was founded by Carl Harrop, a profes- The company prides itself in knowing everything pos- sor in the ceramic engineering department at The Ohio sible about drying and firing ceramics, and Houseman State University. said that has sparked an organic growth through the years. “Our growth has really come from the different appli- SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com 14 NOVEMBER 2020
INDUSTRIAL HEAT TREATING OFFERING HONESTY AND EXPERIENCE Industrial Heat Treating — one of the largest power generation, musical instruments, food industry, Industrial Heat Treating’s large aluminum heat treaters in the New England safety and alarm systems, electronics, and many more. capacity aluminum Industrial Heat Treating takes pride in its ability to area — has been offering commercial heat- furnaces can offer quality and service, but Fisher likes to add one more treating services to a myriad of industries item to that list: efficiency. accommodate a wide variety of customer for more than 75 years. “I know we can get it done faster than a lot of people, needs. (Courtesy: because the guys here have been here so long,” he said. Shutterstock) I ndustrial Heat Treating has been heat treat- Being located near Boston, Massachusetts, Industrial ing metal for decades, and the company is Heat Treating began its long history in 1942 when they packed with experience to make sure jobs used to aid in building ships for the U.S. Navy. The com- are done right, done efficiently, and done pany set up shop on the Neponset River, which empties “I know we can get quickly. into the Atlantic Ocean. In the beginning, barges would it done faster than And Industrial Heat Treating has made quite the bring the ships’ massive gun barrels in to be treated. And reputation for being able to tackle just about any job, since the parts were so large, the company had to treat a lot of people, according to Brian Fisher, CEO and CTO of Industrial the metal using sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide, because the guys Heat Treating. according to Fisher. here have been Industrial Heat Treating offers a diverse selection of “If you had a part that you couldn’t get in a furnace, here so long.” processes to meet today’s growing industry and technol- you made a bed of this sodium or potassium cyanide, and ogy. The company’s large capacity aluminum furnaces you put the metal in it and you just kept turning it,” he can accommodate a wide variety of customer needs, and said. “And the reaction made the metal hard.” it is one of the largest aluminum heat treaters in the Industrial Heat Treating is a third-generation, family- New England area. owned and operated business that reaches customers The company does a lot of aluminum heat treating throughout the U.S. The company has continued to build and has a car bottom furnace for treating big orders of on that reputation in the decades that followed World steel such as billets. It has atmospheric furnaces, induc- War II, and Fisher said since he has taken over the com- tion furnaces, and vacuum furnaces. Essentially, no part pany, he has strived to make improvements that will only is too big or too small for Industrial Heat Treating to help make the services he offers even more lucrative. process. Industrial Heat Treating’s customer base encompass- es many industries such as medical, auto, government, SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com thermalprocessing.com 15
JOFRA CALIBRATION CALIBRATIONS WITH QUALITY & REPEATABILITY JOFRA is one of the JOFRA Calibration manufactures and To that end, JOFRA is one of the world’s leading manu- world’s leading facturers and developers of calibration instruments for manufacturers develops calibration instruments for temperature, pressure, and process signals for tempera- and developers of temperature, pressure, and process signals, ture sensors both from a commercial and a technologi- calibration instruments for temperature, as well as temperature sensors for both cal point of view, including the portable dry-block tem- pressure, and process operations and R&D. perature calibrator, which the company invented in the signals for temperature 1980s. I sensors. (Courtesy: t goes without saying that in order for an JOFRA’s temperature calibrators can range from JOFRA Calibration) oven to function correctly, it’s crucial that minus 100 degrees C up to 1,200 degrees C for its high- it is reaching and maintaining the proper temperature calibrator, according to Hansen. temperatures throughout. Without the cor- JOFRA’s philosophy is basically to ensure its custom- rect temperatures, batches of product could be ruined, ers achieve consistent quality and avoid downtime, “What resulting in lost production, lost time, and — most impor- according to Hansen. The company also is involved with tantly — lost revenue. customized work when the need arises. distinguishes For JOFRA Calibration, being able to supply accurate As JOFRA heads into the future, Hansen said the com- JOFRA is that and repeatable results with ease is what makes the com- pany continues to invest in the most innovative ways to it’s always been pany’s high-precision calibrators an important tool in serve its customers all around the globe. about portability the heat-treat industry. “Heat treat is a very important industry for us,” he “What distinguishes JOFRA is that it’s always been said. “We are investing in our presence and our ability and ease-of-use, about portability and ease-of-use, where the user can to service our customers. For example, in the U.S., we’ve where the user can save time,” said Thomas Hansen, vice president of sales established an ISO 17025 certified calibration labora- save time.” and marketing for AMETEK Sensor, Test and Calibration. tory at our Crystal Engineering facility in California “When you do these calibrations, they can often take to make sure we can turn around these dry blocks quite a long time. To calibrate a sensor accurately, the cal- quickly for calibrations or repair. We’ve had that for ibrator has to heat up to different temperatures during many years in Europe and relied on third-party labora- the calibration, then stabilize and take measurements. tories in the States, but our users have a preference for When doing this repetitively, it is imperative the process manufacturer calibration, and we are investing in our is repeatable so you get confidence in the results. What presence in the American market to provide a higher we incorporate into our instruments is to eliminate the service level.” human error and any environmental factors, for exam- ple if ambient temperatures vary, combined with speed and accuracy. Time is money to our users.” SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com 16 NOVEMBER 2020
METAL TREATING INSTITUTE ENHANCING THE IMAGE OF HEAT TREATERS MTI strives to fulfill its mission of enhancing things that we still do today.” FNA, sponsored by Heat treating is often essential, but it also can be com- MTI, focuses heavily on the image and value of the heat-treating the technical programs plicated and expensive. That’s why one of MTI’s goals is industry through advocacy, training, and to advocate outsourcing jobs to commercial heat treaters and connecting attendees to the latest business intelligence. that are equipped to handle it, instead of attempting to developments in do jobs in-house, according to Morrison. technology. H eat treating is an important and essential “When manufacturers have an opportunity to heat (Courtesy: MTI) part of so many industries that it only made treat, the question is: Do you heat treat it in-house, sense that heat-treaters would see the need or out of house?” he said. “MTI spends a fair amount of to come together to advance their standing resources in publications and on the web trying to do and widen their recognition. two things: 1) Educating captives on the benefits of out- A group of seven heat treaters did just that when they sourcing heat treating, due to the fact that heat treating met in Detroit, Michigan, in 1933 and formed the Metal is a very capital-intensive environment, with labor, EPA, “It’s imperative Treating Institute, more commonly referred to as MTI. OSHA, and equipment. So, we spend a lot of time try- that companies try Since then, the group has been a driving force in the ing to educate captives on the benefits of outsourcing world of heat-treating, helping to enhance the image the heat treating to a commercial heat treater. And 2) and figure out how and the value proposition that heat treaters bring to the MTI is heavily involved in performing tasks that are they can automate marketplace, according to Tom Morrison, CEO of MTI unproductive for members, such as online technical as much of their Management. training.” processes as soon “The founding group wanted to be able to do the Morrison said that businesses will need to take advan- things that we do today, which is, they wanted to be tage of the growing need for the Internet of Things and as they can.” able to coordinate their efforts together, and not have other areas of Industry 4.0. any of those efforts rely on any one person. Then they “It’s imperative that companies try and figure out how are able to share those costs, which is what we call our they can automate as much of their processes as soon membership dues,” he said. “The key behind all that is, as they can,” he said. “Between changes in the market- since 1933 we’ve got several strategic plans. When you place and things like the coronavirus, the more you’re go back to all of them, you see the same thing. Their key automated, the easier it is to dial back production. When challenges were with government regulation, healthcare you’ve got 100 employees, it’s much more difficult to dial costs, costs of doing business, forecasting the future, and back than someone with 50 employees or less.” things like training, and professional development. MTI was created to be able to do those things effectively and together, for their members. Those are all the marquee SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com thermalprocessing.com 17
NITREX OFFERING A WORLD OF STRENGTH The new UPC control Having recently ushered in a comprehensive product,” he said. “Because most of the time, when cus- system based on tomers come to us, sometimes it’s to buy a component or the Protherm 710 rebranding strategy, Nitrex continues to be buy a furnace.” controller includes a global partner offering modern nitriding/ To that end, Nitrex is able to offer its customers services chart recording and recipe control with nitrocarburizing and vacuum heat-treat and products that run the gamut of heat treating, which specific programming solutions, technologies, equipment, and include a wide variety of applications, heat-treatment pro- for automatic leak test services. cesses, and industries. The company’s potential-controlled cycles and guaranteed gas nitriding and potential-controlled gas nitrocarburiz- soak for medical N itrex, a leading global provider of fully ing (ferritic nitrocarburizing-FNC) heat-treatment tech- industry requirements. integrated heat-treating solutions and tech- nologies are applied in the precision parts, automotive, (Courtesy: Nitrex) nologies, has experienced rapid growth and aerospace, aluminum extrusion tooling, defense, gears, expansion in its 35 years in the industry, and tool and die, machinery, and more. “It allows us and with that growth, the company has been able to offer a With its multiple acquisitions, Nitrex has been able to substantial range of services. expand globally in the U.S., Asia, and in Europe, and with our people to go With all that it has to offer, Nitrex CEO Jean-Francois the addition of G-M Enterprises, Nitrex has been able to beyond selling the Cloutier essentially defines the company as a “solutions grow stronger in the aerospace sector, as well as MIM, 3D product. Because provider.” printing, and defense. most of the time, It might be a simple phrase, but what Nitrex has accom- As Nitrex continues under its newly branded portfolio, plished is anything but as it rolls out efforts designed to the CEO said he sees the need to continue to keep a close when customers present itself under one brand. eye on what the OEMs are doing since heat-treating is a come to us, “It was mainly to support the growth, and where we larger part of the supply chain. That will more than likely sometimes it’s to want to go,” Cloutier said. “Because we want to keep grow- involve more digital implementation and the Internet of buy a component ing.” Things, according to Cloutier. or buy a furnace.” Now, the company’s various brands will operate under “When it comes to supply chain improvements and one umbrella company. Along with Nitrex, the new brand increased velocity in the supply chain, companies are will include UPC-Marathon, but legally operating as connecting their assets and trying to make their equip- United Process Controls, and G-M Enterprises, which is the ment more intelligent so they can better predict main- newest addition to the Nitrex Turnkey Systems portfolio. tenance, avoiding disruptions, and improving efficiency Cloutier stressed that these three divisions help the of those assets,” he said. company stand out among others in the heat-treating industry. “It allows us and our people to go beyond selling the SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com 18 NOVEMBER 2020
TAYLOR-WINFIELD ‘OUR CUSTOMERS’ SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS’ As an original equipment manufacturer treating needs, according to Marketing Manager Katie Induction coil being Denno. used in TWT’s R & D of automated assembly systems, welding “For example, our heat-treating solutions might piggy- lab for testing & proof machines, induction heating power back on a resistance welding system or a linear-friction of concept. (Courtesy: Taylor-Winfield) supplies, and more, Taylor-Winfield welding system,” she said. “Our customers come to us for brings more than a century of machine design our expertise in many material joining applications com- and process solution experience bined with our heat-treatment products and machines to achieve their parts-production goals.” to its customers worldwide. Taylor-Winfield’s goal is to offer the customer a full- service manufacturing solution, according to Denno. W hile watching a movie, most people don’t Sitting down with the customer and finding out give a second thought to the hundreds of exactly what they want to accomplish is important, but companies and technicians who worked finding innovative ways to conquer the challenge is key, “Our customers tirelessly behind the camera to turn Chris according to Neiss. come to us for our Evans into Captain America. And then there is Taylor-Winfield’s innovative inroads The same can be said for the expertise and technology into predictive maintenance or smart manufacturing — expertise in many that Taylor-Winfield brings to a wide range of products interpreting the data from either an automated system material joining through its heat-treating capabilities. or stand-alone machine, according to Rhein. applications “You could walk through a company like Lowe’s or The traceability of parts becomes paramount combined with our Home Depot, and you will walk by a dozen or more prod- within certain industries, particularly aerospace and ucts that have been made on our systems, but they’re automotive. heat-treatment marketed under names like GE, Whirlpool, or Stanley And that data can run the gamut depending on what products and Black & Decker,” said Blake Rhein, Taylor-Winfield’s vice the customer needs, according to Rhein. machines to president of sales and marketing. “You’ll never see our “The data, the quality assurance, the repeatability, achieve their name, but we’re behind the scenes to help our customers and the access to having all that information at your fin- parts-production succeed in their markets.” gertips is really important to our customers,” Denno said. Those products and services include induction power In an industry where materials are constantly evolv- goals.” supplies, coils, turnkey systems, rebuilds, spares, and ing and changing, Taylor-Winfield’s experts are up to the lab services, according to Ryan Neiss, Taylor-Winfield’s challenge to literally keep things moving, Denno said. induction heating product manager. Many of Taylor-Winfield’s customers are looking to integrate their material-joining needs with their heat- SEE FULL PROFILE thermalprocessing.com thermalprocessing.com 19
2021 BUYER’S GUIDE 21 HEAT TREATERS 46 MARKETPLACE 36 EQUIPMENT 56 SERVICES COMMUNITY STOREFRONT /// In the following company listings, the special shaded boxes around some listings denote a company that participates in our ThermalProcessing.com community storefront. You can visit the community page on ThermalProcessing.com to find more information about these companies, including a brief profile, social media integration, and videos. 20 NOVEMBER 2020
COMMERCIAL HEAT TREATERS /// Bodycote Vernon ALABAMA /// Refrac Systems 7201 West Oakland Street 2900 South Sunol Drive Advanced Heat Treat Corporation Vernon, CA 90058 Chandler, AZ 85226 1545 County Road 222 800-473-3722 323-264-0111 www.refrac.com www.bodycote.com Cullman, AL 35057 256-739-2775 Bodycote Westminster www.ahtweb.com 7474 Garden Grove Road ARKANSAS Westminster, CA 92683 Bodycote Athens Bodycote K-Tech 714-893-6561 105 West Sanderfer Road 111 K-Tech Lane www.bodycote.com Athens, AL 35611 Hot Springs, AR 71913 256-233-1147 Burbank Steel Treating Inc www.bodycote.com 501-760-1696 415 South Varney Street www.bodycote.com Burbank, CA 91502 Pinson Valley Heat Treating Coleman Heat Treating 818-842-0975 6179 Sunrise Drive 2500 West Main Street www.burbanksteel.com Pinson, AL 35126 Jacksonville, AR 72076 205-681-8595 501-982-3148 Byington Steel Treating Inc www.pvht.com www.colemanheattreating.com 415 South Varney Street Santa Clara, CA 95050 Rex Heat Treat Parker Trutec - MMI Inc 408-727-6630 3008 Red Morris Parkway 2609 North 12th Avenue www.byingtonsteel.com Anniston, AL 36207 Paragould, AR 72450 256-835-3370 870-236-6920 California Brazing www.rexht.com www.parkertrutec.com 37955 Central Court Newark, CA 94560 510-790-2300 ARIZONA CALIFORNIA www.californiabrazing.com Axian Technology Accurate Steel Treating Certified Metal Craft Inc 21622 North 14th Avenue 10008 Miller Way 877 Vernon Way Phoenix, AZ 85027 South Gate, CA 90280 El Cajon, CA 92020 800-466-3131 800-622-4328 619-593-3636 www.axiantech.com www.accuratesteeltreating.com www.certifiedmetalcraft.com Controlled Thermal Technology Bodycote Fremont Continental Heat Treating Inc 2617 West Cypress Street 4240 Technology Drive 10643 South Norwalk Boulevard Phoenix, AZ 85009 Fremont, CA 94538 Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 602-272-3714 510-492-4200 800-622-6624 www.cttaz.com www.bodycote.com www.continentalht.com Die-Bond LLC Bodycote Huntington Park Cook Induction Heating Company 6141 West Erie Street 3370 Benedict Way 4925 East Slauson Avenue Chandler, AZ 85226 Huntington Park, CA 90255 Maywood, CA 90270 480-940-0024 323-583-1231 323-560-1327 www.die-bond.com www.bodycote.com www.cookinduction.com Bodycote Rancho Domiguez Delta Heat Treating F & B Mfg LLC 515 West Apra Street 4245 North 40th Avenue 4925 East Slauson Avenue Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 Phoenix, AZ 85019 Huntington Beach, CA 92649 310-604-8000 602-272-3900 714-890-4893 www.bodycote.com www.fbmfg.com www.deltaht.com Bodycote Santa Fe Phoenix Heat Treating Inc Galaxy Brazing Company Inc Springs - Romandel 2405 West Mohave 10015 Freeman Ave 9921 Romandel Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85009 Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 602-258-7751 562-946-1717 562-946-9039 www.phoenix-heat-treating.com www.bodycote.com www.galaxybrazing.com thermalprocessing.com 21
You can also read