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A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
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P R O C E S S E S |
M A R C H
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CHTE UPDATES
CHTE member, Steve Fer-
don, director of engineering
services, fuel systems business,
Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind.,
seconds this notion. Ferdon says
he is passionate about his com-
pany’s membership in the or-
ganization. “We joined because
of the dynamic resources avail-
able. No other consortium pro-
vides hands-on assistance with
the challenges the heat treating
industry is facing.”
As the recently appointed
chair of CHTE’s board of direc-
tors, Ferdon’s vision is to get
more companies engaged in the
center, expand its global foot-
print, and advance manufactur-
ing technology, which will help
bring jobs back to America.
He would also like to give back to the industry and to
this organization. “Materials science is based on apprentice-
ship andmentorship, andwewant to do our part to help pre-
serve what we have here at CHTE, and to expand its benefits
to the rest of our profession,” he says.
CHTE’s research projects are selected by members.
Most focus on technology that will help industry control the
microstructure and properties of metallic components, re-
duce energy consumption, process time, production costs,
achieve zero distortion, increase furnace efficiency, achieve
zero emissions, and improve quality.
CHTE CELEBRATES 16 YEARS OF BRINGING
INNOVATION TO THE HEAT TREATING INDUSTRY
In 1999, Diran Apelian, Alcoa-Howmet Professor of
Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(WPI) and director of the Metal Processing Institute had a vi-
sion of bringing industry and academia together to pursue
research that would further innovation in the heat treating
industry. With two founding organizations, the Metal Treat-
ing Institute (MTI) and the ASM Heat Treating Society (ASM-
HTS), he established WPI’s Center for Heat Treating Excel-
lence (CHTE). As it celebrates 16 years of success this year,
the center has grown to 21 members in North America and
Europe and continues to growunder the guidance of Apelian
and Richard Sisson, George F. Fuller Professor of Mechanical
Engineering and director of CHTE.
In 1999, Surface Combustion Inc., Maumee, Ohio, be-
came CHTE’s first member. William Bernard Jr., the com-
pany’s president and CEO recalls, “At the end of Diran’s in-
troductory presentation, I walked up and handed him our
check. That brought a big smile. Many in the industry ques-
tioned how industry and academia could work together, but
we saw CHTE as a great new opportunity.”
Bernard became CHTE’s first chairman, and the com-
pany has been a member ever since. “We’ve continued our
membership with this outstanding organization because it
is a good way to network and learn what is going on in the
industry. The academic backgrounds of members and facul-
ty are impressive, and the synergy of talent is unsurpassed,”
says Bernard. He also stresses that CHTE is a well-managed,
hardworking organization that generates R&D ideas that im-
pact the industry.
Steve Ferdon of Cum-
mins Inc., whose fuel
systems enable engines
to meet increasing
emissions regulations
while maximizing fuel
economy and perfor-
mance. To learn more,
visit
ABOUT CHTE
The CHTE collaborative is an alliance between the indus-
trial sector and university researchers to address short-term
and long-term needs of the heat-treating industry. Member-
ship in CHTE is unique because members have a voice in se-
lecting quality research projects that help them solve today’s
business challenges.
MEMBER RESEARCH PROCESS
Research projects are member driven. Each research
project has a focus group comprising members who provide
an industrial perspective. Members submit and vote on pro-
posed ideas, and three to four projects are funded yearly.
Companies also have the option of funding a sole-sponsored
project. In addition, members own royalty-free intellectual
property rights to precompetitive research, and are trained on
all research technology and software updates.
CHTE also periodically undertakes large-scale projects
funded by the federal government or foundations. These
endeavors keep members informed about leading edge
technology.
CHTE projects now in progress include:
• Improving Alloy Furnace Hardware Life
• Induction Tempering
• Gas Quench Steel Hardenability
• Cold Spray Nanomaterials (supported by ARL)
CHTE is located in Worcester, Mass., on WPI’s New En-
gland campus. The university was founded 150 years ago this
year.
For more information about CHTE, its research projects,
and member services, visit call 508.831.5592,
or email Rick Sisson at or Diran Apelian at