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May 2011 - New VALVE-TRONIC PLUS™  Flow Controller


The Valve-Tronic Plus from Waukee Engineering www.waukeemeters.com, a member of United Process Controls, is a next generation flow controller developed for demanding industrial applications that require accurate measurement and flow control. It is designed for practically maintenance- free reliability and can operate as a stand-alone solution for basic applications or integrated with a process control system or SCADA for automatic flow control.
One innovative feature is the built-in web interface for easy access to parameter settings, event logs and troubleshooting. Other features include a proprietary magnetic flow sensing technology that makes the flow controller insensitive to dirty oil, standard Modbus TCP for easy integration with control systems, and advanced polynomial calibration for high accuracy over the entire range of the meter.
Valve-Tronic Plus™ also offers built-in PID control between the flow sensor and the valve control unit for immunity from incoming gas supply pressure fluctuations, as well as a flow totalization feature that provides total gas consumption of a process, and an optional Temperature / Pressure compensation that ensures real-time correction for optimum accuracy of flow measurement at all times.

May 2011 - General Dynamics European Land Systems Upgrades Carburizing/Nitriding Systems

Process-Electronic, a member of United Process Controls, completed phase two of a furnace controls and automation upgrade for General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag, a manufacturer of light tactical vehicles based in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.
The second phase modernized the control systems of an IQ carburizing chamber furnace and two nitriding chamber furnaces, and expanded the automation platform already in place at the plant to support the new upgrades. The carburizing system now features a Protherm 500 programmable controller for monitoring and control of process parameters and a new electrical system. The nitriders are also outfitted with Protherm 500s, as well as H2Smart™ hydrogen analyzers and oxygen probes.
Phase one of the project, which was completed in 2008, involved automating the nitriding cell consisting at that time of four furnaces with the implementation of Protherm 9800 production management software. The software application gives users online access to real-time data from the furnace control systems, and enables users to manage all devices, view and analyze historical data from each furnace, and monitor and address alarms.

March 2011 - Baldor Electric Unifies Heat Treat Operations

United Process Controls completed a turnkey project for Baldor Electric to upgrade furnace controls and automate heat treat operations at the company’s Greenville, SC plant. After many years of satisfactory service, MMI legacy controller-based systems of tempering and carburizing furnaces used for heat treating gearbox components had become obsolete. Reliability and downtime were becoming a serious concern, and the old control systems had limitations in meeting the company's new automation strategy and traceability requirements. To optimize and centralize control, UPC scrapped the old control consoles and replaced them with compact, state-of-the-art control systems based on the Protherm 600 programmable controllers for monitoring and controlling all furnace process parameters. The scope of the control upgrade also included PLCs, motor controls for fans, conveyors, oil and agitators, VRT controls, supervisory flame pilots, SCR heater controllers, and Waukee's AccuBlendor™ endothermic generator systems with turndown control for just-in-time delivery of mixed gases. All controllers and control systems are interfaced with the Protherm 9800 production management software, which performs data acquisition, data analysis, alarms and recipe management, monitoring, and much more. The Protherm 9800 also allows live, real-time remote viewing and control of furnace control systems, and it incorporates modules for laboratory documentation and process design. The 'Quality Control Lab' documentation module lets operators review and assess laboratory and testing information. The Diffusion module provides two-part functionality. First, it takes the complexities out of the creation, modeling and optimization of carburizing processes; and second, it can execute and control a carburizing treatment in a fully automatic self-correcting mode.

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March 2011 - MMI China's breakthrough in the Energy and Environmental Solutions Field

Marathon Monitors and Control System Corp (Beijing), LTD. (MMI China) began collaborating with China National Offshore Oil Corp, CNOOC. CNOOC is the largest offshore oil and gas producer in China and currently employs over 65 thousand people around the world generating over $30 billion in annual revenue. The installation of Marathon's combustion control system at CNOOC's Huizhou plant enables CNOOC Huizhou to achieve the high efficiency and working stability that is critical in its daily operations. This collaboration represents MMI China's emergence in the local Energy and Environmental field and its first installation at a Petrochemical plant in China. With the successful result of this first installation, MMI China and CNOOC have already agreed to terms with additional installations at Huizhou with future plans to introduce Marathon control systems to other CNOOC plants across China. We look forward to building on the initial success of our first project together with CNOOC in the petrochemical field.

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February 2011 - United Process Controls Upgrades Analyzers in Western India

Marathon Monitors Inc., a member of United Process Controls, recently supplied the sensors and instruments for upgrading the oxygen monitoring and control system on a spent acid recovery unit in Gujarat, India. This system upgrades the production units with state of the art, real time control capability to improve product quality and reduce overall emissions and fuel consumption. In-situ oxygen analyzers are used to control combustion process for the sulphur burner reactor. Continuous oxygen monitoring improves the consistency of the final product, reduces fuel consumption, allows for consistent temperatures and reduces emissions in the exhaust gas. Controlling excess air in combustion processes also reduces lowers maintenance cycles and costs by extending the life of equipment and refractory. While monitoring has its benefits, the true Return on Investment is realized when oxygen is accurately controlled for optimized combustion. For more information please contact +1-513-772-1000 or oxyfire@group-upc.com.

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November 2010 - What a Difference a Haircut Makes

On October 6, 2010, Nitrex and United Process Controls hosted a 'shave off' at Furnaces North America in Orlando, Florida in aid of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. The goal was to help spread awareness and make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer.
Together with our customers, sales representatives, friends and employees we raised over $6000. Although our fundrazor campaign has concluded, you can still make a donation till December 31 at www.stbaldricks.org/events/HEATTREATING. Together we can help ensure that MORE children and young people diagnosed with cancer are cured of their disease.

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July 2010
HEAT TREATERS - BE BRAVE, $HAVE TO SAVE

DID YOU KNOW? Every 3½ minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer, and every 4 hours a child loses their battle to cancer. The good news is that with current treatments approximately 75% of children diagnosed with cancer are expected to become long-term survivors.

When we at United Process Controls (UPC) and Nitrex Metal heard of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and its commitment to childhood cancer research, we wanted to share this incredible cause with the heat treat community, solicit your participation and make a difference in the lives of children with cancer.

HOW? Six people from UPC and Nitrex have volunteered to go “topless” this October at Furnaces North America in Orlando, Florida to raise awareness and money for children fighting cancer. They will shave their heads in exchange for donations towards research. Their goal is to raise at least $50,000 in support of the St. Baldrick’s foundation, and when certain dollar targets are reached one-by-one the following persons will proudly face the clipper:

$5,000	Pat Torok (UPC)
$10,000	Jack Kalucki (Nitrex)
$15,000	Nikola Dzepina (Nitrex)
$20,000	Eric Boltz (UPC)
$30,000	Paul Oleszkiewicz (UPC)
$50,000	Yvonne Boltz (UPC)

Please go to www.stbaldricks.org/events/HEATTREATING and pledge a donation or become a shavee yourself and raise money. Then join us at Furnaces North America in stands 515-519 for the clip off on October 5-6, 2010. Together we can help ensure that MORE children and young people diagnosed with cancer are cured of their disease.

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June 2010
UNITED PROCESS CONTROLS COMPLETES 2 MORE SUCCESSFUL WORKSHOPS


United Process Controls wrapped up two more successful workshops this past May in Indiana, USA and Korea. These free technology seminars are designed to broaden heat treaters’ knowledge of new product developments and technologies used in the industry.

The Indiana workshop, co-hosted by SMA Systems and Techniheat Engineering, was held at the Indiana Gun Club in Fortville. Attendees from the Indiana heat treat community learned first hand about improving carburizing processes, new sensor technology and generator turn-down systems. At the close of the workshop, the venue served as the perfect escape for participants to unwind with a couple of rounds of skeet shooting.

Across the globe to South Korea, over 100 engineers and top managers from local manufacturing companies participated in the workshop. The 2-day event was organized in partnership with Nitrex Metal Inc. (www.nitrex.com) and co-hosted by Aerotech and focused on nitriding/nitrocarburizing control, process design, instrumentation, equipment, and retrofitting.

United Process Controls and Nitrex Metal are serious about arming heat treaters with information that matters the most, and since December have conducted 6 multi-city workshops throughout the USA, Mexico and Asia.

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May 2010
UPC Installs Oxygen Controls for Consteel® Line in Knoxville, Tennessee


Marathon Monitors Inc., a member of United Process Controls, recently completed the installation of a new oxygen monitoring and controlling system for a Consteel® line in Knoxville TN. This system replaces the existing system with state of the art, real time control capability.

In-situ oxygen analyzers are used to measure and control the correct amount of air addition to the pre-heat section. Continuous oxygen monitoring improves the consistency of scrap throughput, helps in controlling the final temperature of the scrap, reduces emissions in the exhaust gas, and reduces excessive maintenance costs. While monitoring has its benefits, the true Return on Investment is realized when oxygen is accurately controlled for optimized combustion.

May 2010
UPC Awarded Contract by US Gear


United Process Controls has been awarded a contract by transmission components company US Gear, a division of AxleTech International, to supply new state of the art furnace controls and data acquisition.

A pusher furnace will be outfitted with CQI-9 compliant furnace controls based on Protherm 600 controller, FurnaceDoctor® infra-red multi-point gas analyzer and Waukee Flo-Tronic electronic flow meters.

The Protherm 9800 software application will integrate the control systems of the pusher and other batch furnaces and streamline heat treating operations at the company’s Chicago, Illinois plant. Protherm 9800 performs data acquisition, recipe management, monitoring and analysis. This upgrade investment made by the parent company, General Dynamics, will bring an older piece of equipment in to CQI-9 compliance, providing greater accuracy in the heat treat cycles as well as providing the company with comprehensive process documentation.

April 2010
New Nitriding Tools by United Process Controls


Need to comply with AMS 2759/10A? Need to convert % dissociation (PD) to Nitriding Potential (Kn) and vice versa? A handy new calculator courtesy of United Process Controls is available free online at www.group-upc.com/MF/Eng_MF/DOWNLOADS/Downloads.ASP. From this link, visitors can also download a printable pdf of our Hardness Conversion Chart.

April 2010
Technlogy Seminar Heads Midwest


Following the successful launch of its Technology Seminar, which began in Mexico and presented later in the Carolinas, United Process Controls and Nitrex Metal Inc. will hit the road again to continue their North American city tour by heading midwest to Indiana in May. Now more than ever, heat treating businesses need to think strategically and act practically about investing in operations to sustain future growth. The series is designed to help organizations increase efficiencies through new technological advancements shaping atmosphere measurement and control of nitriding, nitrocarburizing, and carburizing processes. Attendees will gain insight into process optimization for specification compliance and improved process control. Co-hosted by UPC representatives, TechniHeat Engineering and SMA Systems, the Indiana event will convene in Fortville on May 20th, and will include a fun afternoon of skeet shooting and instruction. Pre-registration is required to guarantee sufficient seating for all attendees. For more information, please go to www.group-upc.com/mf/eng_mf/seminar/indiana/UPC_SEMINAR.htm.

December 2009
UPC Consolidates its Probe/Sensor Manufacturing Operations


In a move to streamline operations, United Process Controls (UPC) has consolidated its probe/sensor manufacturing and testing facilities in the USA. Operations at Furnace Control Corp. (FCC) in Milwaukee were relocated and integrated into UPC’s North American Automation Hub in Cincinnati, OH. FCC will continue to work, develop, and market their individual brand from this new locale, and take full advantage of the advanced capabilities of the Cincinnati ISO certified facility. This move will improve on the service quality and timeliness of FCC probe/sensor testing and repairs. The drop-off and pick-up point in Milwaukee however will be maintained. In addition to providing a fast turnaround, FCC probes/sensors are now manufactured, tested and certified under the specifications of ISO 9001:2009, 17025, TUV, and CE. This cohesive relationship has also led to an expanded team of technical service personnel cross-trained to handle all UPC sensor/probe lines.

November 2009
UPC Appoints New Representative for California


US-based industrial process control and automation provider, United Process Controls (UPC), has named Exim Engineering Inc. based in Anaheim, CA as its newest representative. Exim Engineering Inc., which will represents UPC in California, joins ten other U.S. representatives in offering UPC products to the heat treating industry.

Exim Engineering, whose experience includes supplying commercial and captive heat treaters with insulation materials and other components for high temperature furnaces, is diversifying its business operations by offering value-added process control equipment and solutions. In addition to local access and support for California’s heat treaters, Exim Engineering will help its customers increase the efficiency of their furnaces, lower operational costs and reduce pollutants with better process controls, technology and know-how.

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November 2009
Waukee Engineering Opens Sales & Service Centers in China


Waukee Engineering Company, a leader in flow meters and controls and a member of United Process Controls, has recently made substantial investments to boost its presence in China. The investment is directly tied to United Process Controls’ strategic initiatives to build a diverse portfolio of heat treating and combustion solutions to this increasing growth area. The company’s Beijing center provides full service and repair of flow meters and control equipment, while both the Beijing and Shanghai offices offer field engineering services for on-site assistance and calibrations. These two locations will help to better serve customers throughout Southeast Asia by offering faster service turnaround and reducing overall maintenance costs.

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July 2009
New Gas Analyzer Measures Both Endothermic and Exothermic Atmospheres


Furnace Control Corp, a member of United Process Controls, has released a new upgrade of the FurnaceDoctor®-CE, a portable infrared gas analyzer for heat treatments.

The new FurnaceDoctor®-CE features extended measurement ranges for both endothermic and exothermic furnace atmospheres. Users can switch between ranges on-the-fly with the confidence that the system performance will be unaffected. The unit maintains calibration data for both ranges. This development also means that customers require only one analyzer for all heat treating processes.

In addition to being an industry standard tool used in carburizing or hardening applications, this new capability allows the FurnaceDoctor®-CE to be used for verifying any process that uses “lean” or “rich” exothermic atmospheres such as bright annealing, brazing, or lamination annealing.

The FurnaceDoctor®-CE is available as a stand-alone analyzer or as a “system control analyzer”.

May 2009
Macsteel Nitrosteel Division Implements United Controls


Gerdau MACSTEEL's NitroSteel Division has implemented a control system upgrade supplied by United Process Controls. NitroSteel, based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, replaced the ageing controls of its 12’ nitrocarburizing pit furnace to provide automatic control of the Nitrotec® process and to extend the furnace's processing abilities to a wider range of controlled processes including nitriding.

The process automation solution based on the Protherm 400 programmable controller and H2SmartTM hydrogen analyzer provides a high precision of nitrocarburizing control. Additionally, United installed a new gas panel with Waukee Flo-MetersTM for all process gases. The new controls increase the furnace's effectiveness by reducing maintenance and calibration time, increasing equipment availability, improving control performance as well as information display and data acquisition.

To avoid future maintenance problems, United designed the system using off-the-shelf controls so that spare parts are readily available. In addition, the Protherm 400 controller features a useful backup utility that does scheduled backups of process data with the ability to save to a USB flash drive. The control system will also reduce operator errors through better access to information, resulting in a more rapid diagnosis and correction of problems.

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Sept 2008
Torok to join United Process Controls as Vice-President


United Process Controls is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Torok to the position of Vice President of Sales & Marketing - Heat Treat for the UPC group.

Pat joins us with over 25 years of experience in the design, marketing and implementation of metals heat treat process controls and sensors. Pat’s previously held positions within the group companies include a 13 year tenure at Marathon Monitors where he co-authored the industry's first heat treat specific data acquisition system-Process Master. He held various other positions within MMI including VP of sales and marketing. Pat was President/Owner of Triadx manufacturing where he developed the Furnace Doctor® heat treat gas analyzer, and later became VP of Polineering and Technology for Furnace Control/Waukee. Pat recently joins us from Danaher Industrial Controls (West/Partlow/PMA) where he was Director of NA Systems Business.

“Bringing into UPC such a knowledgeable and energetic person as Pat Torok is a boost to our already very strong management team,” said Paul Oleszkiewicz, Vice President of UPC, “Our global position of leader in heat treatment controls is enhanced by his experience.”

Pat will be charged with development and implementation of a unified market strategy for North America. United Process Controls member companies include Furnace Control, Marathon Monitors, Process-Electronic, and Waukee Polineering.

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Aug 2008
United Process Controls Delivers Nitriding System for Extrusion Dies


United Process Controls completed earlier this month the startup of a state-of-the-art nitriding system for Service Extrusion Die Co. in Comstock Park, Michigan. The Protherm 400 based control system provides automatic control of nitriding processes and includes built-in recipe and alarms management as well as data archiving required by industry quality standards. The installation supports a batch furnace with a work zone of 15¾” x 35½” (400mm x 900mm) for nitriding aluminum extrusion dies in fully automated cycles.
The new production equipment will help Service Extrusion Die to develop its internal nitriding capability at its Michigan, USA plant in order to improve the quality of extrusion dies and provide faster turnaround to customers.

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Aug 2008
United Process Controls Upgrades MAHLE Heat Treat Facility

Marathon Monitors Inc., a member of United Process Controls, recently upgraded the North Plant at MAHLE Group's Russellville, Arkansas plant. MAHLE, a leading designer and manufacturer of automotive parts, updated the plant with advanced controls and SCADA from United Process Controls.
The system upgrade is based on the industry tested and established MMI DualPro controller and a custom-designed SCADA system. "United Process Controls sent the MMI field guys out and did the whole upgrade in just a couple days," says heat treat maintenance supervisor, Rodney A. Moore.
"At UPC we work with the customer on a virtual prototype of the SCADA system over the Internet so we can dial in the customer requirements before we ever step foot in the plant" said Marathon's Polineering Director, Paul Barker.
MAHLE plans to extend this upgrade to their South Plant in the near future.

July 2008
WELLMAN PRODUCTS UPGRADES FIVE NITRIDING FURNACES WITH UNITED PROCESS CONTROLS


Following the successful pilot installation in 2006 of a fully automatic nitriding control system at the Tulsa, OK facility of Wellman Products Group, the company has recontracted Process-Electronic (a member of United Process Controls) to supply control systems for four additional nitriding furnaces. During the initial phase, Process-Electronic redesigned the nitriding recipe to shorten the cycle time by 60%, thus permitting Wellman to reduce the number of furnaces needed from 6 to 5. Additionally, the new atmosphere flow controls reduced process gas consumption and eliminated an expensive catalyst needed to carry out the previous nitriding operation.

All systems include gas control panels complete with Protherm 400 programmable controllers, hydrogen analyzers, and preprogrammed nitriding recipes. Installation and startup were completed in the first quarter of 2008.

July 2008
UPC UPGRADES BODYCOTE NITRIDING OPERATIONS


Bodycote Thermal Processing (Huntington Park, CA) has acquired three gas nitriding installations based on the UPC Protherm 500 programmable controller and the H2Smart hydrogen analyzer from United Process Controls. These include two pit-type NP-1020 turnkey systems complete with furnaces and one upgrade for an existing furnace. All three systems will be primarily used for nitriding stainless steels. In addition, an IN-500 exhaust gas neutralizer will assure the furnaces’ environmental friendliness.
Installation and start-up are scheduled for the last quarter of 2008.

Sept 2007
Four Companies join to form United Process Controls


UNITED PROCESS CONTROLS is a new alliance of four recognized companies within the heat treating industry (Furnace Controls, Marathon Monitors, Process-Electronic and Waukee Polineering) that share a common vision: first, to fill the needs of customers for industry-leading control solutions, and second to enable customers to get easy-to-access support through our worldwide sales and services network.