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2005
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The 1st
international NITRIDING SYMPOSIUM took place May 26-27, 2005 in
Montreal, Qc, Canada. The inaugural event brought together an
international audience of 96 academic researchers and industry
professionals representing 15 different nations.
US and Canadian participants made up 70% of the registered
attendees, whereas international participants accounted for 30%.
Foreign visitors came from as far as Argentina, Brazil, Denmark,
Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand. Attendees
represented academia (11%), industrial manufacturing sector (30%),
heat treating services supplier (33%) and equipment supplier (25%).
The symposium focused on the technical and commercial advancements
in controlled nitriding / nitrocarburizing and successfully
integrated two contrasting tracks. On the one hand, the theoretical
track represented by academia presented recent scientific
developments such as the technological possibilities of nitriding
stainless steel, friction and forms of wear, morphology and surface
layer properties of various applications treated with different
processes, computational modeling, and process simulations.
On the other,
the commercial track presented practical applications of nitriding
technologies and associated processes, as well as equipment
developments that reduce manufacturing costs and increase
profitability, ranging from sensors, to process controls, washing
systems and plant automation systems.
Visitor response at the symposium was overwhelmingly positive with
100% of respondents in a poll evaluating the event as necessary and
worthwhile. In their comments, participants were grateful to the
organizer for a symposium marked by fairness, where an overall view
of competing approaches was encouraged. Participants similarly
praised the quality of the sessions and organization of the event.
All sessions of the program were highly rated – from 96% for
Nitriding & Nitrocarburizing Processes, to 86% for Applications &
Cases and Process Controls, 80% for Equipment Developments, 70% for
Plant Integration & Automation, and 67% for Modeling & Simulation.
The main purpose of attending was to improve knowledge of available
technologies and to make meaningful relationships with
industry/academic players. The social part of the symposium was
light-hearted, a magnificent culinary journey that truly contributed
to the strengthening of strategic relationships.
The symposium
also formed the perfect backdrop for the debut of the Hephaestus
Award for honoring outstanding experts in the heat treating
community and their scientific contribution in theory and practice.
Mr. Michel J. Korwin, President of Nitrex Metal Inc., presented the
award to Professor Jan Tacikowski of Institute of Precision
Mechanics Poland, whose accomplishments in the last 50 years have
demonstrated clear, progressive views, breaking new ground in
controlled nitriding.
The organizers of NITRIDING SYMPOSIUM are sincerely grateful to all
symposium participants, the chairmen and speakers for bringing their
knowledge to the event, and to all of our sponsors for their pivotal
support. The success of this year’s event marks the starting point
for the development of future editions.
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