A faculty of 14 engineers involved in the design and manufacture of combustion equipment offered insights on topics such as the types of burners available and how they are applied for efficient operation; supply and control of the fuel and air for these systems, including piping design and valve selection; flame safety requirements of combustion systems; process and ratio controls with exposure to microprocessor equipment; and the causes of NOX and other emissions and how to minimize them.

Immediately following the first day of presentations, representatives from combustion and other industrial heating equipment suppliers were present to discuss their line of products, systems and technology during a reception/table top exhibit. Those participants included: Asco General Controls, Westmont, Ill.; Bloom Engineering Co., Pittsburgh; Eclipse Inc., Rockford, Ill.; Eurotherm Inc., Leesburg, Va.; Fireye Inc., Derry, N.H.; Hauck Manufacturing Co., Lebanon, Pa.; Ipsen International, Cherry Valley, Ill.; Karl Dungs Inc., Lino Lakes, Minn.; Kromschroder Inc., Hudson, Ohio; Maxon Corp., Muncie, Ind.; North American Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Cleveland; Protection Controls Inc., Skokie, Ill.; Pyronics Inc., Cleveland; Seco/Warwick Corp., Meadville, Pa.; Surface Combustion Inc., Maumee, Ohio; and WS Thermal Process Technology Inc., Elyria, Ohio.

IHEA offers this seminar once a year in the fall. The association's safety seminar is in spring, and the association reports that progress is continuing in the development of a home study course on heat processing technology. The new course will be an updated and enhanced version of the previous IHEA/ASM course that was offered in the 1970s and 1980s. Currently, updating of the chapters by member company representatives is complete and the chapters are ready for final editing and layout. Upon completion, the program will be available as a web-based training course. No completion date is set.

IHEA, IREA Vote to Merge

At its annual meeting in Las Vegas in early October, the members of the Infrared Equipment Association (IREA) voted unanimously to merge with the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA), Arlington, Va. The following week, the executive board of IHEA met and accepted IREA as a new division of IHEA. The membership body of IHEA must still confirm the merger via a mail vote. The merger is expected to take effect January 1, 2003.

Following the merger, the Infrared Equipment Association will become the Infrared Equipment Division (IRED) of IHEA. IRED will be led by an executive committee and will have two members serve on the executive board of IHEA. IRED executive committee members for 2003 are Ron Vinyard of BBC Industries, Fenton, Mo., who will serve as chair; David Boone of Alabama Power, a Southern Co., Birmingham, Ala., who will serve as vice chair; Bob Beattie of Process Thermal Dynamics, Brandon, Minn., who will serve as secretary; and Steve Fruth of Fostoria Industries Inc., Fostoria, Ohio. Executive committee members-at-large are Jill Blasdel of Blasdel Enterpises Inc., Greensburg, Ind.; Bob Narang of Radiant Energy Systems, Hawthorne, N.J.; Sara Madugula of Tennessee Valley Authority, Nashville, Tenn.; and Ed Eckhart of ITW BGK Finishing Systems, Minneapolis.