In today’s heat-treatment industry, we are faced daily with the challenges of complying with the regulatory standards that are relevant to our specific markets and products.

A supplier of agricultural and lawn equipment based in the Midwest purchased a complete batch austemper facility from AFC-Holcroft. The complete line consists of two AFC-Holcroft UBQA (universal batch quench-austemper) units along with ancillary equipment including pre-treatment spray dunk wash and post-treatment multi-stage washer, preheat temper furnaces, salt reclaiming system and salt holding tank. An AFC-Holcroft EZ 4500 endothermic gas generator was also purchased to provide endo gas to the furnace units.

Bodycote is expanding its hot isostatic pressing (HIP) capability in Greenville, S.C. The new HIP capacity, which will be online by the end of 2022, will focus on developments in additive manufacturing (AM) and advanced materials. The two additional vessels further extend the company’s range of installed capacity around the world. Bodycote’s Nadcap-accredited Greenville site, which holds several OEM approvals, consists of numerous vacuum furnaces and other capabilities suited to support AM customers. The Greenville site serves aerospace, defense, medical and general industrial customers throughout the southeastern region.

The North American CertiFire is an IIoT device for automatic combustion system tuning. 

Lindberg/MPH shipped a gas-fired exothermic atmosphere generator to a manufacturer. The unit is equipped with a mixing control system for exothermic gas generation that includes a touchscreen LCD color display and paperless chart recorder. The maximum exothermic gas output for the generator is 1,000 ft³ per hour. The combustion chamber is designed with a reinforced, water-jacketed steel shell insulated with a high-temperature refractory lining. The chamber includes UV flame detection and peep sight for observation of main burner operation. There is a fire-check at the burner inlet that will automatically block the mixture line in the event of a backfire. An electrically latched manual reset valve in the gas inlet line will shut down the generator in the event of low gas pressure, high gas pressure or electric failure.

On July 6, Solar Atmospheres hosted over 40 high-school students enrolled in the Summer Engineering Institute (SEI) at Lehigh University. The SEI program, under the guidance of Director Dr. Laura Moyer, is a two-week residential program running two sessions back to back. Students are nominated by faculty of local high schools. The program specifically targets under-represented groups, including girls, first-generation students and students who might otherwise have limited opportunities to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

OWZ Ostalb, a commercial heat treater in Aalen, Germany, purchased an electrically heated endothermic gas generator to replace its old generator. The EndoFlex S, manufactured and supplied by UPC-Marathon, one of Nitrex’s business units, includes an air cooler, an automatic nitrogen purge system and additional CH₄ monitoring to meet the highest safety standards. OWZ Ostalb has been using the EndoFlex S since September 2021, and it has been running nonstop ever since. At start-up, UPC checks that all safety features function perfectly and provides detailed training to users.

Quintus Technologies supplied a hot isostatic press (HIP) to Israel’s T.A.G. Medical Products Corp. The HIP, which was installed in May 2022, will ensure the production of implants and surgical tools with the optimal material properties required by the exacting environments in which they are used. Proprietary features such as high-pressure heat treatment (HPHT) and uniform rapid quenching (URQ) enable the press to produce finished MIM parts with maximum theoretical density, ductility and fatigue resistance. According to T.A.G., the Quintus press will serve for implants and minimal cutting tools production, where high material uniformity and good mechanical properties are required.

Safety in the workplace regarding heat treatment connects each and every person who works in either a captive or a commercial shop. We all have an obligation to one another to minimize the risk of accidents and injuries (no matter how minimal or extensive that injury might be).

Lindberg/MPH shipped a gas-fired cyclone pit furnace to a manufacturer. The furnace has a maximum operating temperature of 1400°F (760°C) and a gross load capacity of 2,750 pounds. The medium-velocity burner and combustion train is estimated at 355,000 BTU/hour. The furnace’s load space is 25 inches in diameter and 36 inches high. The outer shell is constructed of industrial steel and has an alloy liner backed up with insulating brick and block insulation.