Blog
August 25, 2026
Discussions about which is more advantageous, a round chamber or a square chamber, have been going on for ages. What is interesting is that even though
August 22, 2026
The International Monetary Fund released a report that surprised me. It’s long, 65 pages long, and it basically says that: Global energy and materials are essential
August 20, 2026
The world is full of coincidences. This one led to my meeting ing. Antonín Fejfar, Ph.D., from the Institute of Physics at the wedding of my
August 17, 2026
Microsoft Fabric is an analytics platform that supports end-to-end data workflows, including data ingestion, transformation, real-time streaming, analytics, and reporting. It provides integrated environments such as
August 10, 2026
VIM stands for Vacuum Induction Melting. What is it good for? To put it in layman’s terms, for everything. Virtually any material can start with this
August 7, 2026
Bodycote shares have jumped by a staggering 30%. Shock. So I looked into the matter. Two large investment companies have made an offer to buy all
August 5, 2026
The use of AI in heat treatment operations can fundamentally change the way we look at our industry. I have already outlined a model that allows
August 2, 2026
Thomas Wingens published a very interesting article on the topic of AI in heat treatment here on Linkedin. Similarly, Janusz Kowalewski often mentions this issue with
August 1, 2026
The second model of the quenching room is a vacuum heat treatment plant used for hardening tools. The type of product is indefinable, it is always
August 1, 2026
Another question is how much data do I need to give the AI room for its activities. I tried to work with ChatGPT with two types
August 1, 2026
Is what was said in the previous parts tempting? In my opinion, yes. The ability to see the status of the offers, their volume, potential profitability,
July 31, 2026
So how about the RFQ process, the commercial offer? It’s a few steps that a salesperson, a receptionist or a technologist or metallurgist, the quality department,
July 31, 2026
To tell the truth, it is no longer easy for our generation to understand this. So an example is needed. Start with something simple and then
July 31, 2026
And what might it actually look like? ERP receives a request for quotation. It contains data: material: 16MnCr5, requirement: CHD = 0.8 mm, customer, deadline, quantity.
July 31, 2026
Thomas Wingens published an interesting article on the topic of “THE AUTONOMOUS THERMAL PLANT: HOW AI AND ROBOTICS ARE CHANGING HEAT TREATMENT”. For those who don’t
July 27, 2026
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/luca-greco-991641275_volkswagen-group-ordered-new-9000-ton-gigacasting-share-7487480506146648064-FUsD/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAwiV-YBIX5g8bPKcpmec63IDHkjRKgHkbw This discreet message was posted on Linkedin: VW is buying 16 × 9,000-ton GIGA presses from Bühler. Possible allocation: 8 Volkswagen, 4 Audi, 4 Škoda-Auto.
July 25, 2026
And the last shock came today. Another Elon Musk mission took off again, a Falcon 9 rocket with 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites. There would be
July 25, 2026
Another pearl of my arrival is the new, the launch of the new DESIRE heat treatment plant in southwestern Bohemia. SecoWarwick is proud of it on
July 25, 2026
Another event last week was the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in England. I have never been there and probably never will be again. Otherwise, probably everyone
July 25, 2026
So I’m back home after my vacation and I’m experiencing one shock after another. The first is ZETOR and the definitive end of production. That doesn’t
July 8, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
July 7, 2026
When we started writing about the development potential for commercial quenching plants by 2035, I neglected to emphasize the position of ISO 20431. Whether it is
July 5, 2026
ECM has developed a new type of annealing furnace for ammunition manufacturers, designed primarily for brass cartridges. The ideal solution for small caliber sizes If you
July 3, 2026
Fig. 1 – Pillars of strategic development for commercial heat treaters Fig. 2 – Automotive ecosystem in CZ The last chapter I want to write about
July 1, 2026
Fig. 1 –Pillars of strategic development for custom hardening plants At the second level, rated as a stable pillar of heat treatment, is aerospace. This is
June 29, 2026
AM technologies have enormous development potential, but they come up against a supply chain where securing any part means logistical hell (AM → HIP → HT
June 28, 2026
Nuclear energy is a closed sector. The main players like Škoda JS, Doosan Škoda Power, Rolls-Royce SMR, Westinghouse, Framatome, EDF, Rosatom have their own equipment: they
June 26, 2026
The Defence & Military sector has great growth potential, but it also has its pitfalls. The logic of this industry, at least for now, differs from
June 25, 2026
I am constantly asked about my vision for the future of heat treatment. In a way, it is an honor, but in another way, it is
June 24, 2026
I published an infographic on Linkedin (see Fig. 1) on the topic of ECM ICBP Flex. However, I found that my view is not entirely identical
June 22, 2026
It is still claimed that, unlike classical carburizing, where we control the carbon potential Cp with an oxygen probe, or using a dew point or via
June 20, 2026
A reason to celebrate? Yes, a little — but it’s also a commitment. The audience keeps growing, and as I can see, not only in the
June 19, 2026
There has been a boom in various infographics generated by artificial intelligence. But no AI is the same as AI. Some don’t speak Czech, some don’t
June 16, 2026
The Heat Treatment Forum in Wroclaw will take place on October 28th & 29th, 2026 https://heat-treatment-forum.pl/homepage/ This year the focus will be on aerospace and military. Karol
June 15, 2026
There is still a debate about how to 3D print critical parts. This infographic provides a partial answer, showing our results. But if you are going
June 11, 2026
Internal stress is an intangible quantity. People keep talking about it, but no one has actually seen it. So we tried it. Results of XRD stress
June 8, 2026
Thanks to the Moravian Aviation Cluster, I was able to attend the press conference of the Czech government today on the topic “The Czech Journey to
June 5, 2026
On Wednesday, June 3, a presentation of the results of individual tasks within the NCK was held in Prague. For our task 3D printing and HIP,
June 2, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 30, 2026
Sometimes you see things but don’t put them into context. Today I received a new blog from Euroguss in my inbox on the topic “A bond
May 29, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 27, 2026
For GIGA casting, Luca Greco and her weekly reports on this topic are a very interesting source.https://www.industryarsenal.com/p/weekly-gigacasting-news-55?utm_source=www.industryarsenal.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=weekly-gigacasting-news-55 Source: https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/luyuan-unveils-global-ecosystem-strategy-2026-shanghai-fair-marking-new-era But what caught my eye this time
May 26, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 25, 2026
In April, the largest conference on AM technologies in the USA, RAPID + TCT 2026, took place. One of the outputs is an article published on
May 22, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 17, 2026
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-premo-aero_you-cannot-buy-a-new-gas-turbine-until-2030-share-7455578094926630912-G0t2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAwiV-YBIX5g8bPKcpmec63IDHkjRKgHkbw This beautiful post was published on LinkedIn. If we want energy for data centers, we need gas combustion turbines, and for this we also need
May 14, 2026
Yesterday, not far from my house, in Lázně Libverda, a spring meeting of the Expert Committee 06 for Die Casting took place. I have already had
May 11, 2026
An interesting list of standards related to HIP and AM technologies is published on the Quintus website. (https://quintustechnologies.com/partnership/application-center/material-densification/hip-standards/). These are split into categories: PM-HIP MIM EQUIPMENT CAST
May 10, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 8, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 8, 2026
======================================================================================================= Are you solving a similar problem? I will help you with the analysis… 40+ years of experience in the field 30+ years of experience… HT-PROGRES,
May 7, 2026
The world is still full of innovations. ECM has started to supply vacuum furnaces with oil quenching up to 250 C. There are two variants: ECO
May 7, 2026
I’m sure you’ve missed me here, but I just have to relax too. And how else than rock climbing. And so I went for a week-long
May 7, 2026
If we want to work for the aerospace industry, we have to accept that AMS 2750 for temperature control is a mandatory process. According to AMS 2750,
May 7, 2026
If you order a vacuum furnace today, you may have a problem. This furnace can be made not in Europe, but in China. This is not
May 7, 2026
It is interesting to observe how everyone is rushing into military production. But I’m not sure if they have any idea what they’re getting into. When
March 29, 2026
In the first part, I thought about calculating the dwell time at the austenitization temperature. (https://intelligent-kalam.80-240-27-133.plesk.page/nadca-207-a-soaking-time/) The basis is the interpretation of aerospace standards, e.g. AMS
March 27, 2026
Yesterday, Galvamet posted this news on Facebook, along with several photos of the new partners. The plans are grand, but only time will tell. Jiří
March 18, 2026
Those who know me know that I have been rock climbing for more than 45 years. It started in 1979, when I started working as the
March 15, 2026
A particular problem in the assessment of furnace records is the assessment of the correct soaking time and temperature of the austenitization segment. According to NADCA
March 4, 2026
TAČR (Technology Agency of the Czech Republic)– I have been an evaluator of R&D projects for several years now. It is an interesting activity because it
March 3, 2026
So I expanded my portfolio again. This time I was approached by someone from India. It’s a bit out of hand, but we’ll see. After my
February 28, 2026
When you think of 3D metal printing, everyone imagines a printer. This simplified thinking has become dominant. However, the reality in practice is different and is
February 23, 2026
In 2021, I prepared a study for Czechimplant on the application of 3D printing in implantology. I also gave a lecture on this topic at the
February 21, 2026
ON the website “The Monty.com” was published this aticle https://themonty.com/15-largest-captive-heat-treats-north-america-2/ In total, there are 193 carburizing cells from ECM in the TOP 15 hardening plants in
February 16, 2026
So I counted that we have 181 vacuum furnaces in Czechia and Slovakia. That’s my number, the reality will probably be slightly higher, because I can’t
February 15, 2026
February 11, 2026
Giorgio Valsecchi presented this blog on Linkedin, which really interested me. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tav-vacuum-furnaces-k9-fat-ugcPost-7424083253575397376-tiFk?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAwiV- What does the abbreviation CVI stand for and what is it for? Chemical Vapor
February 7, 2026
V The Monty byla publikována zpráva o explozi HIP ve firmě Kittyhawk”. Zkuste se podívat na to video .. https://themonty.com/auto-draft-31/ https://www.kittyhawkinc.com/ A report was published in The
February 3, 2026
With the increasing demand for LPC, it is crucial for the choice of equipment whether to quench in a gas stream or into oil. And if
January 29, 2026
https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/judikat/msph/18-af-17-2021-212 Expertise brings me new surprises every day. In this case, it was an opinion in a case where I had to study Czech law and
January 25, 2026
So I started to look into quality management systems in hardening plants, especially from the perspective of Contract Review. A term that not everyone knows, but
January 22, 2026
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/david-howard-350125201_i-am-personally-looking-forward-ugcPost-7419404009838641152-NNOC?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAwiV-YBIX5g8bPKcpmec63IDHkjRKgHkbw An interesting news was published on Linkedin. Based on a license, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems will produce Profitherm furnaces for the American market. Since this
January 20, 2026
Heat treatment affects all industrial sectors. So it cannot miss the production of weapons. ECM is aware of this and therefore offers the application of vacuum
January 16, 2026
So I went to Nuremberg for Euroguss 2026. I was curious about where we had moved with GIGA Casting, but especially with the production of GIGA
January 14, 2026
A special category of vacuum heat treatment is high-speed steels, whether conventionally produced or from powder metallurgy (PM). Although these processes are seemingly simple, their complexity
January 10, 2026
It’s a strange topic. When I started at ZEZ Praha, VVZ Liberec, I was in charge of the development of PVD technologies and the Leybold device
January 6, 2026
Probably the right question, but the answer will not be easy. If we use the PMI index, we have swung over 50 after a long time,
December 26, 2025
Dear readers, friends, since I won’t be here until the end of the year, I wish you all the best for the rest of the year,
December 25, 2025
Although it is seemingly not related to my metallurgical topics, the opposite is true. On Saturday, December 20, the reconstructed building of the former factory in
December 22, 2025
Elon Musk continues to amaze. The fact that he flies into space is already taken for granted, and I have the impression that we are moving
December 20, 2025
This video is a great example of how things can be implemented in reality. It looks great and you can see that the owner of this
December 18, 2025
When I learned that we have another HIP from Quintus in the Czech Republic, I didn’t hesitate and went there. Just old curiosity. A big surprise
December 12, 2025
My article on the topic of Energy Savings in Heat Treatment was published in the fourth issue of the Slévárenství magazine. Jiří Stanislav December 12,
December 5, 2025
When I finished my career at Bodycote, I was wondering what to do next. Anyone who knows me knows that I am incapable of doing nothing.
December 5, 2025
There was a report in The Monty magazine that Bodycote had sold 10 plants in France. One of those plants was Lagny sur Marne. I imported
November 29, 2025
On Thursday, an important event took place in Prague, Rolls Royce SMR (Small Modular Reactors) was getting acquainted with potential suppliers for its supply chain. There
November 26, 2025
The ECM Flex system has so far enabled all types of processes, except nitriding and nitrcarburizing. But because the word FLEX offers flexibility, a new nitriding
November 24, 2025
Yesterday I launched my YouTube channel. It features videos from my e-learning courses in English. This time, however, they are spoken by AI from Illeven Labs,
November 20, 2025
“Hidden defects” is a term that expresses our uncertainty about the outcome. If we are not aware of their seriousness, sooner or later we will end
November 17, 2025
The world of GIGA casting is constantly evolving and has its own information channels. One of them is this website https://www.industryarsenal.com/ Here you can read that
November 14, 2025
Yesterday, the Prague Security Dialogue took place in Prague. Because I was interested in what would happen in the heat treatment sector if we did not
November 13, 2025
Great news, the presentation from the Holeček conference on Giga Tools for Giga Casting has been published. Many thanks to Ms. Ing. Barbora Bryksí Stunová, Ph.D.
November 11, 2025
I already wrote about carbonitriding under reduced pressure last year. https://intelligent-kalam.80-240-27-133.plesk.page/nitrocementace-jak-na-to-v-lpc/. My conclusion that the LPCN process is feasible is valid, but I have been instructed
November 7, 2025
As I have already described in the previous sections, in order for the LPC to work properly, both with regard to the layers and the condition
November 3, 2025
So we have already learned why it sometimes works and sometimes it doesn’t. Because I started with LPC in the socialism time, in ZEZ VVZ Liberec,
November 1, 2025
I’m still wondering how it is possible that some LPC systems need a batch surface area, others don’t, some LPC systems produce soot and others don’t,