Last week, Josh Isaak, Vice President of Information Technology & Security, presented 鈥淔rom Chaos to Control: Cybersecurity, Ransomware & CMMC鈥� at the California Metals Coalition鈥檚 53rd Annual Metals Industry Conference.

Key takeaway:

CMMC is no longer theoretical鈥攊t鈥檚 here, and it鈥檚 already shaping the future of doing business.

But this isn鈥檛 just about compliance. It鈥檚 about survival in an evolving threat landscape.

Companies that treat CMMC like a checklist to pass an audit are missing the point. At its core, CMMC is a framework designed to strengthen your defenses, reduce risk, and protect the country and your business from real-world cyber threats that already exist today.

The biggest shift? Moving from reactive security to a culture of security鈥攚here every employee plays a role, and protection is built into everyday operations.

Even if you don鈥檛 support DoD programs, CMMC provides a powerful starting point to evaluate and improve your cybersecurity posture.

Start early. Make it part of who you are鈥攏ot just something you do for an audit.

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Last week, Bob Hill President of 91传媒 of Western PA and Michigan, presented a talk on the聽鈥淕lobal Trends Shaping the Heat Treating Industry鈥澛爓hich explored where our industry is headed. The discussion highlighted key drivers like sustainability, electrification, smart technologies, employee safety, and cybersecurity鈥攁nd how they will transform the heat treating plant of the future. With over 45 years of industry experience behind the insights, it was a forward-looking perspective on the challenges and opportunities ahead for commercial heat treating.

The ASM Pittsburgh Chapter hosted the dinner event at the Community College of Allegheny.

Abstract:

There are ever increasing environmental, processing, employee welfare and cybersecurity demands placed upon the commercial heat treater in business today. Commercial heat treaters today face a growing list of pressures that go well beyond simply meeting metallurgical specifications. Environmental regulations continue to tighten, requiring careful control of emissions, waste handling, and energy use. At the same time, customers expect faster turnaround and consistent quality, which puts strain on processing efficiency and equipment reliability.

Employee welfare has also become a central concern. Traditional heat-treating environments involve flames, smoke, explosive atmospheres, and potential exposure to hazardous materials. Companies must invest in processing equipment that not only protects their workforce but also meets regulatory standards. This author predicts the vacuum furnace will gain in popularity due to these pressures.

On top of that, cybersecurity is now part of daily operations. As furnaces, controls, and monitoring systems become more connected, the risk of data breaches or operational disruptions increases. Protecting sensitive customer data and ensuring system integrity requires new expertise and ongoing vigilance.

Taken together, these demands create a complex operating environment. Success in modern heat treating depends not just on technical skill, but on the ability to balance compliance, efficiency, safety, and digital security in a coordinated way.

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This weekend, our 91传媒 of Michigan employees and their families enjoyed a beautiful day at Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers. The food and camaraderie were incredible鈥攁nd the game was even better! The Tigers beat the Miami Marlins by a score of 6鈥�1.

Bob Hill President reflects, 鈥渨e are sincerely appreciative of every one of our Michigan employees. They have built this company into what it is today in just four short years. We are deeply humbled by everyone鈥檚 hard work and dedication. Our weekend shift will hopefully bring our Tigers another win versus the Kansas City Royals, when they are able to visit Comerica Park on Thursday.鈥�

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91传媒, the largest American-owned heat treater in the United States, is proud to support NASA鈥檚 Artemis II mission. Our expertise spans thermal processing of raw materials, nickel-based tubing, and critical aerospace components鈥攑laying a vital role in bringing next-generation space technology to life. At the core of some of these components is the 6Al鈥�4V titanium Launch Abort System (LAS), one of the most complex safety systems ever engineered. The LAS aboard the Orion spacecraft functions as a rocket capable of outrunning another rocket in an emergency. In the event of a catastrophic launch anomaly, its manifold enables the abort motor to ignite and safely propel the crew module away from the rocket. Designed to endure extreme conditions with zero margin for error, the LAS represents the pinnacle of aerospace safety and performance. 91传媒 is honored to contribute to this mission-critical technology, providing the precision, reliability, and advanced thermal processing that space exploration demands.

The success of Artemis II is set to energize this month鈥檚 Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Visit us at Booth 705 to discover how 91传媒鈥� advanced thermal processing solutions are helping shape the future of space exploration.

Space Symposium Information

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Chesterfield, MI, December 15, 2025 鈥� 91传媒 of Michigan Inc. is proud to announce that it has earned Nadcap 18-Month Merit Status for heat treating and brazing鈥攁n honor awarded only to organizations that consistently demonstrate the highest levels of quality, process control, and specification compliance. With this achievement, every 91传媒 location nationwide now holds Nadcap merit status.

We appreciate PRI鈥檚 recognition of our team鈥檚 dedication to stringent process discipline, precise processing, and an unwavering commitment to quality in every operation.

91传媒 President Bob Hill stated: 鈥淲ith the purchase, name change, and relocation of our Michigan business in 2022, the PRI Nadcap standards reverted back to annual audits. The achievement of zero major findings over the past three (3) years of audits has allowed us to once again join all of our other Solar facilities across the country with Merit standing. This accomplishment further strengthens 91传媒鈥� promise to deliver reliable, world-class thermal processing solutions to our customers in Michigan and across the nation.鈥�

About 91传媒 of Michigan Inc.

91传媒 of Michigan Inc. is part of the 91传媒 family of companies, offering a wide range of vacuum heat treating and brazing services. With a focus on quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, 91传媒 serves industries including aerospace, defense, medical, power generation, and more.

For more information about the 91传媒 Michigan facility contact Chris Molencupp at (586) 264-8100 ext. 1620, or chrism@solaratm.com.

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91传媒 of Michigan employees once again showed incredible generosity in support of the Shop with a Cop program. Organized by our driver, Larry Smith, and supported by the Chesterfield Township Police, the Macomb County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, and Meijer, this initiative pairs local officers with underprivileged children for a special holiday shopping experience. The program not only brings joy to families in need but also fosters positive, meaningful connections between kids and law enforcement.

This year, we were proud to present Larry with a check for $2,100 to help make the event a success. We鈥檙e truly grateful to play a part in bringing holiday smiles to so many children.

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The 7th Annual 91传媒 Sales & Marketing Summit took place this year near our Souderton, PA facility, bringing together sales managers from all six 91传媒 commercial heat-treating locations. The team collaborated on sales forecasts, shared updates on new processes and plant developments, and aligned on key strategies for the year ahead. Following the meeting, the group enjoyed a team-building outing at Topgolf.

No matter the region鈥擭orth, South, East, or West鈥攐ur mission remains the same: deliver exceptional customer service and provide meaningful value to every customer we serve. With over 200 years of combined experience in thermal processing and metalworking, our sales team is equipped to support your most demanding heat treating needs.

Reach out to any of our sales managers to discuss your next project.

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Hermitage PA, October 6, 2025 鈥� At the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) fall meeting, Bob Hill, President of 91传媒 of Western PA and Michigan, received the prestigious Heritage Award鈥攖he highest honor presented by MTI. This award recognizes an individual鈥檚 lifetime commitment and significant contributions to advancing the commercial heat treating industry.

Congratulations, Bob, on this well-deserved achievement!

For additional information about 91传媒, contact Mike Johnson at 855-934-3284 x2223 or email at mikej@solaratm.com.

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Chris and Ryan enjoyed a fantastic day on the course at the 8th Annual Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan Golf Outing, held at the beautiful Hawk Hollow Championship Golf Course in Bath Township, MI.

A special thank you to Craig Yeomans and David Leal of Tecomet for joining the 91传媒 team鈥攚e appreciated the great company and camaraderie!

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1. What are some of the first steps I should take before sending parts out for vacuum heat treating?

Before vacuum thermal processing, ensuring the parts are free of foreign object debris (FOD) is essential. This includes removing contaminants like manufacturing oils, coolants, and machining residue. It’s also important to communicate whether the coolant used was water-based or oil-based鈥攖his helps your heat treater select the most effective cleaning method.

Many vacuum heat treaters use solvent degreasers for oil-based coolants and hot water/soap-based rinses for water-based coolants. Providing this information up front helps determine how to best prepare your parts for heat treatment.

Bottom line: Failing to address FOD can result in spotting, discoloration, or worse鈥攕urface contamination.

2. You made sure the parts are clean; now, how about the vacuum furnace?

Much like a home oven, vacuum furnaces require periodic cleaning鈥攔eferred to in our world as a 鈥渂ake-out.鈥� This process removes residual FOD or contaminants left from previous runs.

Typical bake-out temperatures:

• Austenitic (300-series) steel grids, fixtures, and baskets: ~2150掳F
• Furnace-only bake-out: ~2300鈥�2400掳F

Reaching these temperatures ensures even entrapped moisture in graphite components is eliminated鈥攃rucial for maintaining a clean process environment.

3. Okay, so the parts are clean and the furnace is clean. Are we ready to run?

Almost! One final but critical step: check the furnace leak rate.

• For most steels, aim for 20 microns/hour or less
• For reactive metals (like titanium), 5 microns/hour or less is ideal

Remember, all vacuum furnaces leak to some degree鈥攑erfection doesn’t exist in commercial heat treating. But keeping leak rates low is key to producing bright, shiny, contamination-free parts.

4. Now for the easy part: the thermal cycle. Right?

Well鈥� not quite!

If you’re using partial pressure gas or backfill gas (nitrogen, argon or helium), you must also monitor the dew point and oxygen content of the process gas. When treating alloys that oxidize easily鈥攅ven small traces of water vapor or oxygen can cause surface issues.

While dew point measures moisture, it does not measure oxygen. Using oxygen sensors alongside dew point monitoring provides a more complete picture of gas purity, ensuring optimal conditions for clean, bright results.

Also, consider the vacuum level:

• For 300/400 series stainless steels or PH alloys, a vacuum in the 10鈦烩伌 Torr range (graphite hot zone) is typically sufficient.
• For titanium or reactive alloys, you鈥檒l need a 10鈦烩伓 Torr vacuum, which usually requires an all-metal (molybdenum) hot zone.

While graphite furnaces are capable, all-molybdenum systems offer superior part cleanliness for highly reactive materials.

Lastly, ensure proper thermocoupling of the load. Use contact thermocouples directly in a part or in a heat sink that represents the maximum cross-section. Poor thermocoupling can lead to a false sense of temperature stability鈥攜ou may think the load is cool, but when the door opens, parts could still be hot enough to oxidize instantly (turning blue).

5. I followed all your recommendations, and the parts are still discolored! Why?

Even with every precaution, discoloration can still occur鈥攁nd it鈥檚 understandably frustrating. But it’s important to distinguish between:

• Discoloration, which is superficial and doesn鈥檛 impact performance
• Surface contamination, which is detrimental, as it alters the surface microstructure

To confirm the difference, consider sending a representative part to a metallography lab. These labs can characterize the near-surface condition, helping you determine next steps鈥攔anging from simple Scotch-Brite cleaning, to a chemical or mechanical etch that removes a few thousandths of material.

And featured in Today’s Medical Developments Magazine:

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