We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog post to talk about next week’s ASM Heat Treat Show and Gear Expo at the Cobo Center, Detroit Michigan. Yes, Detroit. I used to live there back in the day, and still follow the Tigers (well, not so much this year). If anyone gets brownie points for trying, it’s Detroit. Come meet us at Booth #722 so we can talk about what kind of heat treating solutions you’re looking at for your gears or any other parts you may have.

Flame Treating Systems, Inc. has been attending the ASM Heat Treat Show for twenty years – I can’t believe it’s been that long! A lot of changes have happened in those twenty years. Heat treating used to be its own expo, but with industry downsizing the organizers combined it with the gear show. We kind of like it better this way. The combination of gear manufacturers and heat treaters spurs a good exchange of information and the latest in evolving methods and best practices.

Sometimes I’ve wondered whether all the effort and expense of trade shows are worth it. But every time I’ve left one, I’m convinced that face-to-face time with existing customers, potential customers, and just folks interested in the industry and flame hardening’s role in it always gives me a boost personally and professionally. There might be more relaxing ways to have a conversation than standing in a trade show booth, but there’s something about the space that folks have at trade shows – where they aren’t trying to push a project to completion, but just explore options and get more information – makes for some great conversation and exchange of ideas.

If you haven’t seen it, the Metal Institute’s YouTube video about the impact of heat treating on everyday life is a fun and entertaining look at the reach of the industry. See if you can spot the segment in their video which is taken from one of ours. Email me the correct time segment and you could win a special prize!

Around our shop we sometimes comment on how heat treating is kind of like a stepchild of production lines, and flame hardening might be the red-headed stepchild. But we like it that way. When people don’t really understand how we provide value, it gives us a good starting point for conversation and perhaps a connection that will solve someone’s problem elegantly and more cost-effectively than they thought.

Yes, there is a lot to know with heat treating in general and flame hardening in particular. We keep learning every day – but that means you don’t have to. You can spend your time learning what you need to make your business better and more profitable, and let us help with the details on achieving the right hardness patterns and depth with the most sensible solution.

Don’t just email me at mark@flametreatingsystems.com. Come by and see me at Booth #722 in Detroit, Oct 21-22.