ALD-Holcroft Vacuum Technolo-gies Co. will host a two-day technical symposium at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan September 23–24, 2008. Expected attendees include business executives, design engineers, manufacturing engineers, drivetrain engineers, metallurgists and current and prospective users of vacuum carburizing processes and equipment.

“Although the symposium is a learning experience, we’ve found that equally important are the socializing opportunities in which far more detailed experiences are shared and informational networking opportunities are developed,” says William Gornicki, vice president of sales and marketing at ALD-Holcroft. “It’s always interesting to see how lessons learned in one particular industry can help those in another and vice versa.”

The symposium will bring together individuals from a variety of organizations to speak on the trends and recent advancements in low pressure carburizing (LPC). Topics covered in the symposium include the economics of converting from atmosphere processing to vacuum processing, case studies providing actual process experiences and expectations, new standards in workload fixtures and the advantages of LPC in the design process.

“Over this past decade, we’ve seen the development of several different methods for applying this technology,” Gornicki says. “It’s only now that the weaker methods are falling to the wayside and the more viable methods are rising to the top.”

Technical papers will be presented at the symposium by industry experts from Bodycote, Dana, General Motors, Praxair, Timken, the Herring Group, Vac-u-Heat, SGL Carbon and ALD-Holcroft Vacuum Technologies. All papers are related to the practice of LPC, and the speakers will be available for question-and-answer sessions as well as open discussions.

While most technical conferences are relegated to hotel banquet centers, the vacuum symposium will take place in Lovett Hall—a renowned 1930s ballroom within the Henry Ford Museum complex.

“We felt it was time to raise the bar and make the event a little more fun,” Gornicki says. “Given our proximity to the Henry Ford Museum, and the irony of Ford’s mainstay (the automotive industry) and our leading industry (gear carburizing), we felt the match was a natural.”

The complimentary dinner provided on the first evening will take place on the grounds of Greenfield Village, a 240-acre facility that features nearly 100 historic buildings from colonial America. The supper will be served at the Eagle Tavern as guests are treated to true 1851 cuisine and hospitality by the innkeeper and his family.

“This two-day symposium is shaping up to be the technical exchange of the year regarding LPC,” Gornicki says. “We’ve lined up a dynamic list of topics and an all-star roster of presenters, and we’re excited to bring this learning and networking opportunity to the market.”

The cost for the symposium is $295 and includes lunch each day as well as the 1851-style dinner. Pre-enrollment is necessary by September 8, 2008. For more information regarding the symposium, visit www.ald-holcroft.com or call (248) 668-4004.