Patrick Fox is a degreed
Metallurgist with over 35 years experience in the Heat Treating Industry.
Growing up in his Father's heat
treating plant in Detroit Michigan, he started working there summers at 10
years of age.
Beginning at the "bottom of the
ladder" cleaning carburize compound, sweeping floors and running the shot
blast machine, by the time he was 18 years old he was an accomplished tool
and die hardener and straightener.
Having "caught the heat treating
bug" he attended Bowling Green State University on a Hockey scholarship and
earned a B.A. He then continued his education at Wayne State University and
earned his B.S. in Metallurgy. All the while working in his Father's heat
treating plant.
At 23 (1981) he founded the
FluidHeat Division of Fox Steel Treating and purchased two new Fluidized Bed
Furnaces from Procedyne Corporation. Thus began his passion for the field of
Nitriding and Ferritic-nitrocarburizing.
He began experimenting, utilizing
the Fluidized Bed Furnaces and after many hours of trial and error he
developed and patented (Patented
Technology) two unique
Ferritic-nitrocarburizing/oxidizing technologies.
Those processes greatly improved
the wear and corrosion resistance of carbon, alloy and cast iron components.
His vast knowledge in the field of Nitriding and Ferritic-nitrocarburizing
have helped many commercial and captive Heat Treaters grow their businesses
and expand into areas that have a much higher margins.
In 1989 Mr. Fox left Fox Steel
Treating to form Fox Sales Inc., a contract sales company that represented
and consulted for Woodworth Heat treating and Erie Steel Treating.
Erie Steel Treating was
purchased by FPM Heat Treating, Chicago IL in 1997. FPM's management made
him an “offer he could not refuse” and he joined FPM.
Following his tenure at FPM
Mr. Fox formed a new company with the Hynes family MicroTect®. MicroTect
would specialize in Nitriding and Nitro-carburizing and installed one of the
largest Nitriding furnaces in the world.
In 2005 Mr. Fox formed
HeatTreatInfo, Inc a metallurgical consulting and contract sales company
which brought him full circle when he again began representing The Woodworth
Group and it’s five plants.
Mr. Fox has written and presented several papers for
the ASM Heat Treating Div. covering:
Mr. Fox has Designed, Engineered, Installed and
Launched several “Turn Key” Nitride and FNC operations for both commercial
and captive heat treating companies.
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