Believe it or not, the holidays are again upon us! In fact, as you read this (but not as I write), Thanksgiving is already a memory, and Christmas is almost here. This season of the year is a good time to be a bit more reflective on our blessings and what matters most in life.

As of late, it seems everyone is seeking change. Change can certainly be a good thing, but there are times when change – for change sake – is not good. Research for our recent editorials on global warming and China have provoked thought in this area.

With the 2007-2008 school year in full swing, it seemed an appropriate time to address a recurrent challenge. The challenge – in our industry and all industries – is a shortage of engineering graduates.

It’s hard to escape the latest news stories from China. Unfortunately, much of the news is not good. The four “Cs” mentioned above help to frame this news and how it affects us.

The 2007 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards were presented during May’s 2007 International Conference on Powder Metallurgy and Particulate Materials in Denver. The winning parts are examples of conventional press and sinter powder metallurgy (PM) processing, metal injection molding (MIM) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP).

Summer has no doubt spawned renewed media rhetoric about global warming. This is in spite of the fact that 2007 has seen the third coldest February on record and the coldest April in the last decade.

A newly released international report indicates that 2006 revenues for the Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing Industry in the U.S. were approximately $1.96 billion. The gross profit was 25.5% - just under $500 million. It was a very good year to be in this business.

Have you ever considered how your car-buying habits affect the thermal-processing industry in this country? The simple answer is that if you are not buying American-made cars, our industry suffers. The more difficult question is: What is an American-made car? This used to be simple when you could say that anything coming from the Big-3 was an American car. In our global economy, however, it is not quite so simple.

One of our focus areas this month is consulting. What is a consultant? According to the definition, consultant comes from the Latin word consultus, meaning “legal expert.” Certainly some consultants are experts in the law. Lawyers themselves are consultants as are tax and investment professionals. All of these consultants have an expertise in the law.

Anyone heat treating material for automotive applications is familiar with CQI-9 Special Process: Heat Treat System Assessment (HTSA). For others, however, an explanation is in order.