Contour Hardening, Inc. recently announced the ISO/TS certification of its heat treating service facility in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. The company's U.S. heat treating facility has been certified since 2004.

The rapid expansion of vehicle and related component manufacturing in Mexico has resulted in a local deficit of TS-certified suppliers in general, and induction heat treating process service providers specifically. With its new TS certification, Contour Hardening will have in-country capabilities to deliver direct-to-line parts, components and assemblies that meet the industry's mandated heat treating standards.

“Because we were one of the first ISO certified heat treating operations in the U.S. and were among the first HT process service providers to achieve ISO/TS certification as well, we are uniquely suited to immediately serve the needs of a wide range of customers in Mexico,” said John Storm, president and CEO of Contour Hardening. “We've already solved the technical problems that will hinder others and have formed solid, longstanding relationships with all major OEMs and their tier-one and tier-two suppliers. We've also processed more than 12 million parts in our Mexico facility alone.”

Patented Micropulse induction heat treating equipment is built to ISO standards. Today, the company's Micropulse equipment continues to process parts for virtually every major automotive manufacturer in the world.

Contour Hardening offers their services to many one, two and three suppliers as well. By offering ISO/TS certified contract processing, the company enables suppliers to meet stringent OEM heat treating requirements while avoiding the initial capital expenditures associated with equipment and staffing. Once mature production volumes have been realized, suppliers can purchase the same Micropulse equipment that has been successfully processing their parts.

“Contour Hardening can help companies in the U.S. and in Mexico supplement heat treating capabilities and defer capital investment, while assuring parts are always delivered with a certified level of quality,” Storm said. “Both our U.S. and Mexico facilities have staff with advanced degrees in metallurgy and electrical engineering backgrounds, each have state-of-the-art metallurgical laboratories, and both now have the most comprehensive inspection credentials available.”