Our continued investment in advanced plasma nitriding controls gives manufacturers a better tool for improving wear resistance, durability and component life.

A component can be precisely machined, properly designed and made from the right material, but if its surface can't stand up to wear, friction and repeated use, its performance and service life will fall short. That's where Kowalski Heat Treating's K-Glow plasma nitriding process truly delivers. Investments in technology and advanced process controls behind K-Glow is giving our team greater ability to tailor nitriding cycles. And the goal is straightforward: help parts perform better, resist wear and last longer, all while maintaining critical dimensions and core material properties.

"Our customers aren't bringing us the easy jobs. They're bringing us the parts that are wearing too quickly, failing prematurely or simply aren't performing the way they need them to," said Steve Kowalski, President of Kowalski Heat Treating. "Those are exactly the PIA (pain in the @%$) Jobs we like to solve."

Greater Control Where It Counts
K-Glow uses pulsed plasma nitriding to modify the surface of a component, creating a hard, wear-resistant layer without the higher processing temperatures associated with some conventional heat treating methods. The real advantage, however, is control. By precisely managing variables such as gas composition, temperature, pressure, voltage and treatment time, KHT can develop a process specifically suited to the material, geometry and performance requirements of the component.

That control translates into increased surface hardness, improved wear and abrasion resistance, enhanced fatigue performance and longer component life. Because K-Glow operates at relatively low temperatures, it is particularly valuable for precision components where dimensional stability is critical.

Solving the PIA Behind the Part
KHT's investment in K-Glow is also part of a larger philosophy that has driven the company for decades: Understanding why a difficult part or process isn't working and then find a better way to do it. "We hate failure, especially when it's our customer's part," Kowalski said. "If something isn't performing the way it should, we want to understand why. We'll research it, test it, retest it and work through the variables until we find the right solution. That's what our PIA Jobs promise is all about."

K-Glow is well suited for alloy and stainless steels and for demanding components such as tooling, dies, gears, shafts, molds and hydraulic components. Applications extend across power transmission, automotive, stamping and forming, firearms, machine tooling, gear manufacturing, wind and energy, and other industries where wear resistance, precision and reliability are essential.

For KHT, the continuing investment isn't simply about adding technology. It's about expanding the number of ways the company can help manufacturers solve difficult parts performance problems.

Have a part that needs to perform better or last longer? Have another "PIA Job?" Just give us a call at 1-888-KHT-HEAT or contact Peggy Andrews at pandrews@khtheat.com to discuss your application.

CONTACT: 
Mr. Steve Kowalski
President
Kowalski Heat Treating
skowalski@khtheat.com
1-888-KHT-HEAT