Seco/Warwick, Swiebodzin, Poland, announced its first contract with a European defense manufacturer. The company will deliver a customized single-chamber vacuum furnace equipped with advanced low-pressure carburizing technology and high-pressure gas quenching for heat treatment of steels used in firearm manufacturing. The contract represents a shift by the defense client from traditional gas carburizing to modern […]
Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, DuBois, Pennsylvania, and SOLO Swiss SA, Porrentruy, Switzerland, announced an exclusive licensing agreement granting Gasbarre the rights to promote, sell, and manufacture the SOLO ProfiTherm heat treating system in North America. The agreement was announced on January 21, 2026. The ProfiTherm system features a modular arrangement of bell furnaces and quench […]
Bodycote, Macclesfield, UK, announced the acquisition of Spectrum Thermal Processing, a heat treatment provider based in Cranston, Rhode Island. The transaction closed on January 14, 2026. Spectrum brings established Nadcap-accredited and ITAR-compliant capabilities to Bodycote’s North American operations, including vacuum heat treatment, low-pressure carburizing, and gas nitriding services. The acquisition strengthens Bodycote’s regional capacity in […]
Stainless steel is widely known for its corrosion resistance. But when it is exposed to environments containing chloride ions, such as seawater, the risk of corrosion increases. Manufacturers typically grind the surface to smooth it. However, this finishing process reduces corrosion resistance even further. Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have recently shed light on why this occurs.
Blacksmiths fire metals before hammering them, as heat always softens metal, making it more malleable and easier to reshape. Or does it? In a surprising new study, engineers from Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) discovered that, in extreme conditions, heat does not soften pure metals—it strengthens them.
