One Minute Mentor: Austenitizing of Water-Hardening Tool Steels

Austenitizing temperatures for water-hardening tool steels normally vary from 760 to 845 °C (1400 to 1550 °F), as indicated in Table 2. Higher temperatures are sometimes used for special purposes (Fig. 2). Hardenability increases as austenitizing temperature increases. The optimum time at austenitizing temperature is from 10 to 30 min. Preheating is unusual except for very large tools or those with intricate cross sections. It is particularly important to protect shallow-hardening steels against scaling and decarburization. Severe scaling can interfere with heat transfer during quenching and slow the required high rate of cooling. Decarburization will produce a soft surface on any tool steel, but in a deep-hardening steel it can be ground off until the underlying hard high-carbon area is reached. Grinding a shallow-hardening steel will frequently expose the soft core.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 2.

Rafael Agnelli Mesquita; Reinhold Schneider; Cristiane Sales Gonçalves, Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels — Low- and Un-Alloyed Water and Oil Hardening Steels, ASM International, 2014. https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005972

Wallwork doubles aerospace HIP capacity with second Quintus hot isostatic press

Wallwork Group, Manchester, England, installed a second Quintus Technologies hot isostatic press (HIP) at its UK operations, doubling the company’s HIP capacity for aerospace customers and strengthening process continuity across the UK and European supply chain. The investment will be a centerpiece of the company’s presence at Farnborough International Airshow 2026 (Hall 1, Stand 1000, July 20–24), where Wallwork will showcase how the expanded HIP capability combines with one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of NADCAP- and AS9100-accredited thermal processing and hard coating services. “Farnborough 2026 is the ideal platform to show how Wallwork is investing in the future of aerospace manufacturing,” said Simeon Collins, group director at Wallwork. “Our second Quintus HIP significantly expands capacity for customers, while our full range of accredited thermal processing, surface engineering, and brazing services gives manufacturers a dependable single-source partner.” HIP is a critical post-process for high-integrity aerospace components — particularly castings, additive-manufactured parts, and powder-metallurgy products — closing internal voids and improving tensile strength and fatigue performance in turbine and compressor blades, blisks, disks, structural casings, and engine parts. Wallwork is the United Kingdom’s largest independent aerospace thermal processing and hard coatings specialist, with over 60 years of industry experience, ITAR compliance, major aerospace prime approvals, and operations across Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, and Cambridge. Quintus Technologies, headquartered in Västerås, Sweden, is the global leader in high-pressure technology for hot isostatic pressing, sheet metal forming, and high-pressure processing.

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Bodycote opens new heat treatment facility in Monterrey, Mexico

Bodycote, Macclesfield, England, plans to open a new heat treatment facility in Apodaca, in the Monterrey metropolitan area of Mexico. The new site will expand Bodycote’s North American footprint and provide additional regional capacity to support customers across Mexico and the southern United States, helping reduce logistics complexity and strengthen supply-chain resilience for OEMs and tier suppliers operating in the region’s automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets. The Apodaca facility will offer precision heat treatment capabilities including case hardening and nitriding processes such as carburizing, carbonitriding, and nitrocarburizing, technologies widely used to improve wear resistance, fatigue performance, and dimensional stability in critical drivetrain, gearing, and structural components. The new site complements Bodycote’s existing North American network and reflects continued investment by the group in geographic capacity expansion and customer-proximate service. Bodycote is the world’s largest provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, operating more than 165 facilities across 22 countries with capabilities spanning vacuum heat treatment, hot isostatic pressing, surface engineering, and advanced thermal processing technologies. The company serves a broad customer base across aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, medical, and general industrial markets, and continues to invest in both new geographies and decarbonized process technologies to support its customers’ performance and sustainability goals.

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Constellium signs multi-year aluminum extrusions agreement with Airbus

Constellium, Issoire, France, announced a multi-year agreement with Airbus for the supply of aluminum alloy extrusions, reinforcing the company’s role as a long-term supplier of advanced aluminum solutions to the European airframer’s commercial and defense programs. Under the agreement, Constellium will provide Airbus with bars and a range of small and large extrusions manufactured in advanced aluminum alloys, including the company’s proprietary aluminum-lithium solution Airware®, all engineered to meet stringent quality requirements and optimized for the strength-to-weight performance demanded by aircraft structural applications. The extrusions will be produced at Constellium’s Issoire and Montreuil-Juigné facilities in France. “This agreement reflects Airbus’ trust in our advanced aluminum products and solutions, and in our quality performance, industrial reliability, and consistent supply continuity to support long-term aerospace programs,” said Philippe Hoffmann, president of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit. “We are committed to continuing to grow our outstanding relationship with Airbus, leveraging our comprehensive product portfolio, proprietary solutions, unique manufacturing capabilities, and recycling expertise.” Constellium is a leading supplier of advanced aluminum products and solutions to the global aircraft, defense, and space markets, with proven industrial and recycling capabilities and an extensive portfolio of high-performance alloys, including the heat-treatable Airware® family used in next-generation airframe structures.

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SECO/WARWICK USA delivers second vacuum tempering furnace to aerospace manufacturer

SECO/WARWICK USA, Meadville, Pa., announced that a leading international aircraft motion-control manufacturer has placed a repeat order for an identical low-temperature vacuum tempering furnace, following the success of the first unit installed at the customer’s facility. The new furnace is designed for tempering, ageing, and other sub-critical heat-treat processes, with a maximum operating temperature of 1380°F, a 24-by-24-by-36-in. work zone, and a load capacity of 1750 pounds. It meets AMS2750F Class 2 temperature uniformity requirements (±10°F) and supports nitrogen convection heating and cooling, with final cooling handled by an internal recirculation blower and a water-cooled heat exchanger. The repeat unit adds to the customer’s existing SECO/WARWICK installed base, which includes multi-chamber CaseMaster Evolution furnaces in double- and triple-chamber configurations and a Vector single-chamber high-pressure gas-quench vacuum furnace deployed across multiple sites. “This customer’s continued investment in SECO/WARWICK equipment reflects their trust in the quality and reliability required for aerospace applications,” said Piotr Zawistowski, managing director of SECO/WARWICK USA. “Their repeat business underscores the strength of our technology and our long-term customer relationships.” SECO/WARWICK Group is a global manufacturer of vacuum and atmosphere heat-treatment equipment, with headquarters in Świebodzin, Poland, and US operations based in Meadville, Pennsylvania, serving aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, and tool steel markets.

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One Minute Mentor: Type W1 Tool Steels

W1 steels are capable of hardening to high surface hardness and soft core, which is useful in some shock applications. They are low-cost tool steels with fair to good wear resistance as carbon content increases. As they are water quenched and have poor dimensional stability, their use is limited to fairly uniform sections with a minimum amount of stress risers; in other applications quench cracking can occur. Figure 1 shows an isothermal transformation diagram for a W1 steel.

For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll to Figure 1.Rafael Agnelli Mesquita; Reinhold Schneider; Cristiane Sales Gonçalves, *Heat Treating of Cold-Work Tool Steels — Low- and Un-Alloyed Water and Oil Hardening Steels*, ASM International, 2014 [https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005972](https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v04d.a0005972)

Boeing commits $7 million CAD to Vac Aero for vacuum furnace purchase

Boeing announced a $7 million CAD commitment to Vac Aero International Inc., a Canadian aerospace and defence supplier with operations in Ontario and Quebec, as part of the CP8A Poseidon Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) program. Boeing will purchase two vacuum furnaces for its Tube, Duct and Reservoir Center in Algona, Washington, where they will heat treat tube and duct assemblies critical to various Boeing airplane programs and select space and defense work. “This ITB investment underscores Boeing’s commitment to Canada following the CP8A Poseidon selection and to modern manufacturing and Canadian small businesses,” said Al Meinzinger, Boeing Canada President. Vac Aero CEO Michael Miasek noted the purchase commitment will allow the company to further expand its Canadian manufacturing capacity.

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Wisconsin Oven ships draw batch oven to the military

Wisconsin Oven Corp., East Troy, Wisconsin, announced the shipment of an Electrically Heated Standard Draw Batch Oven (SDB Series) to a United States Military Base. The industrial oven will be used for heat treating aerospace components and features combination-style airflow delivering both horizontal and vertical upward flow for optimal heating rates and consistent temperature distribution. Temperature uniformity of ±5°F was verified at set points of 200°F, 700°F, and 1200°F in accordance with a Class 1 Temperature Uniformity Survey per AMS 2750H. The oven incorporates CAN-style construction with a heavy plate exterior and 6 inches of high-temperature industrial insulation, a 15,000 CFM recirculation system with variable frequency drive, and a UL508A-certified control panel.

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Harper International promotes new CEO and COO

Harper International, Buffalo, New York, announced the promotion of Janelle Camesano to Chief Executive Officer and John Schenk to Chief Operating Officer. Camesano, who holds an MBA and PHR certification, has been with Harper for 13 years, rising through human resources and administration roles before assuming the top leadership position. Schenk has been part of the Harper team for over 14 years, most recently serving as Vice President of Operations. The leadership transition reflects an internal succession at the global thermal processing equipment manufacturer, which provides customized furnace, kiln, and oven systems for production of advanced materials including carbon fiber, battery materials, and technical ceramics.

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Solar Atmospheres expands California operations with new 10-bar vacuum furnace

Solar Atmospheres, Fontana, California, announced the installation and commissioning of a new 10-bar vacuum furnace at its California facility. Manufactured by sister company Solar Manufacturing, the horizontal furnace features a hot zone measuring 48-in. wide by 48-in. high by 96-in. deep, with a maximum load capacity of 12,000 pounds and an ultimate vacuum level of 1×10⁻⁶ Torr. The furnace expands the facility’s high-pressure quenching capabilities for processing titanium and high-performance alloys serving the aerospace, defense, medical, and power generation markets. “This investment gives our customers another regional solution for high-pressure quenching of large components and heavy workloads,” said Derek Dennis, President of Solar Atmospheres California.

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