Flame Treating Systems

Name

Flame Treating Systems

Legal name

Flame Treating Systems, Inc.

Website

https://flametreatingsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heat Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing (333994), Metal Heat Treating (332811)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Treatment & Thermal Processing Furnaces (Hardening, Annealing, Induction) (IMAHADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Furnaces, Kilns & Thermal Processing Equipment (IMAHAEAE)

Keywords

• Flame hardening equipment
• Heat treating services
• Industrial hardening machines
• Surface hardening systems
• Custom flame hardening

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Flame Hardening Machine Sales: Design, manufacture, and installation of custom flame hardening machines built to client specifications. Machines are built to order based on part drawings, material specs, hardness patterns, and production quotas. Pricing is quote-based. Machines include components such as torches, quench tanks, PLC controls, and pyrometers.
2. Flame Head and Torch Maintenance/Repair Services: Regular maintenance, cleaning, assessment, and repair/replacement of flame heads and torch fronts for customers with in-house flame hardening machines. Keeps production lines running smoothly.
3. Onsite Troubleshooting and Consulting: On-site facility visits to diagnose flame hardening machine malfunctions, recommend repair or replacement, and provide consulting on equipment performance.
4. Prototype Hardness Pattern Development: Collaborative design work to develop hardness patterns and flame hardening processes for prototype parts, including proof-of-concept hardness testing and production-level documentation.
5. Equipment Retrofit and Rebuild Services: Retrofit and rebuild services for old flame hardening equipment, as well as supply of replacement parts to keep existing systems operational.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Flame Treating Systems designs and manufactures custom flame hardening machines (oxy-fuel torch-based equipment for surface hardening of metal components such as gears, shafts, crane wheels, traction motor shafts, and other large industrial parts up to 48 inches in diameter and 3,000 lbs). The company also delivers related heat treating services, including maintenance, consulting, troubleshooting, retrofit/rebuild of older machines, and prototype hardness pattern development for customer parts.

Product overview

Flame Treating Systems is a manufacturer of precision flame hardening machines and provider of related services. The company offers a portfolio of five distinct machine types (Standard Spin Flame Hardening Machine, Tooth-at-a-Time Flame Hardening Machine, Standard Progressive Flame Hardening Machine, Standard Combination Flame Hardening Machine, and Stationary Flame Hardening Machine) designed for different part geometries and hardening requirements. These machines work with various flame hardening methods including stationary, progressive, spin, and combination hardening. The product line is complemented by Flame Hardening Services (maintenance, consulting, prototype development) and Parts & Components for equipment upkeep. The machines share common elements including water-cooled flame heads, quench tanks, and PLC-based controls while serving specific applications: spin machines handle circular parts like gears and wheels; progressive machines address flat surfaces; combination machines process shafts and rolls; tooth-at-a-time machines enable precision hardening of individual gear teeth; and stationary machines accommodate large or irregularly shaped workpieces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Spin Flame Hardening Machine A flame hardening machine that rotates the workpiece on a lathe-style mechanism while oxy-fuel torch heads apply a controlled hardening pattern. Designed for industrial manufacturers needing surface hardening of round, symmetric components such as shafts, crane wheels, and traction motor shafts.
• Tooth-at-a-Time Flame Hardening Machine A flame hardening machine that hardens gear teeth one at a time, enabling case-hardening of individual gear tooth surfaces on large industrial gears. Built for gear manufacturers and heavy-equipment OEMs requiring selective hardening of large gear geometries.
• Standard Progressive Flame Hardening Machine A flame hardening machine that progressively traverses the workpiece under oxy-fuel torches to apply a continuous hardened zone along the part. Intended for industrial manufacturers requiring linear or pattern-hardened zones on shafts, bars, and similar elongated components.
• Standard Combination Flame Hardening Machine A flame hardening machine that combines multiple hardening processes (e.g., spin and progressive) into a single system to handle complex part geometries. Built for industrial manufacturers whose parts require more than one hardening mode in a single setup.
• Stationary Flame Hardening Machine A flame hardening machine where the workpiece remains stationary while oxy-fuel torch heads apply the hardening pattern. Intended for industrial manufacturers hardening large, heavy, or irregularly shaped components that cannot easily be rotated.
• Flame Hardening Services Engineering and support services including equipment maintenance, process consulting, troubleshooting of flame hardening operations, and prototype hardness pattern development for customer parts. Available to industrial manufacturers purchasing equipment from the company as well as operators of existing flame hardening equipment.
• Flame Hardening Parts and Components (Replacement, Retrofit, and Rebuild) Replacement parts along with retrofit and rebuild services for existing flame hardening equipment, enabling customers to upgrade, repair, or modernize their installed machines. Targeted at the company's global installed base.

Quantifiable outcome

• Custom-built machines delivered within 4 months of purchase order
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Applied Thermal Coatings (ATC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Applied Thermal Coatings (ATC) acquired Flame Treating Systems in 2025. The acquisition combines Flame Treating Systems' decades of thermal processing experience with ATC's global reach, engineering capabilities, and advanced metallurgical expertise. The partnership aims to deliver greater value, reliability, and performance to customers, with ATC providing expanded resources and international presence while Flame Treating Systems contributes specialized flame hardening technology and industry expertise.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Seco/Warwick: Manufacturer of heat treatment furnaces and vacuum metallurgy equipment serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial heat-treating customers globally. Comparable as a diversified thermal processing equipment incumbent.
• Surface Combustion: Established US manufacturer of industrial heat treatment furnaces and atmosphere processing equipment. A broader incumbent serving overlapping thermal processing end markets, including metallurgical heat treatment for automotive and industrial customers.
• Ipsen: Global manufacturer of vacuum and atmosphere heat-treating furnaces for aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical markets. Comparable as an established thermal processing equipment peer with broader portfolio than FTS.
• AFC-Holcroft: Global supplier of heat treatment furnaces and turnkey thermal processing systems for automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets. Comparable as a broader heat-treating equipment incumbent with overlapping end customers.
• Bodycote: World's largest commercial heat treatment services provider. Comparable on the services side (FTS also offers heat treating and consulting), though Bodycote does not manufacture flame hardening equipment.
• Paulo Products: US commercial heat treating and brazing services provider with multiple plant locations. Comparable as a heat-treating services peer serving overlapping industrial customers, although Paulo is not an equipment manufacturer.

Direct peers

• Ajax Manufacturing: Erie, PA-based manufacturer of induction heating and hardening equipment for industrial applications. Closest direct competitor to FTS in the custom metal heat-treating equipment space, serving overlapping end markets such as gears, shafts, and heavy industrial components.
• Inductoheat (Inductotherm Group): Leading global manufacturer of induction heating and heat-treating equipment. While FTS competes with induction via flame technology, Inductoheat is the primary alternative technology supplier for the same surface hardening applications.

Regional players

• ECM USA (Electrochemical Machining/Metalizing): Specialty thermal processing and surface treatment services company serving US heavy industrial customers. Comparable as a heat treatment services peer with overlapping industrial end markets.

Others

• Applied Thermal Coatings (ATC): Parent company of Flame Treating Systems since 2025, specializing in thermal spray coatings and metallurgical services. Comparable as an adjacent thermal processing company now directly coupled to FTS via ownership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flame-treating-systems-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flame Treating Systems