1000 Mermaid Lane • Wyndmoor, PA 19038 • 800-319-7359 • 215-233-2600 • Fax:215-233-5653

Since it's pioneering contribution to the treatment of aircraft components in the 1930's, Metlab Co., Wyndmoor PA, has been a leader in a series of developing processes which have been integral to the advancement of U.S. aircraft and military technology. These processes include the treatment of rocket cases, dry hydrogen annealing of nuclear elements, ausbay treatment of D6AC aircraft components for the TFX and F111 fighter aircraft, and carburizing, hardening or nitriding of high strength gearing. 

Due to the company's unique facilities and market niche, work is processed for customers as far west as California and as far east as Israel.

The company was established in 1928, as a manufacturer of aircraft components such as engine mounts, wing beams and struts, landing gear, etc. Because of the unique nature of these light-weight delicate weldments, mostly fabricated of thin wall 4130 tubing, Metlab created it's own in-house heat treating capabilities. The company invented and patented the "drop-bottom" furnace, a concept that allowed long slender tubes and weldings to be hung in the furnace to minimize distortion, and lowered into a quench tank located directly below the furnace, in a matter of seconds, so as to prevent thin-walled tubes and light sections from cooling off during the transfer from the furnace to the tank.  

During the 1930's, due to a slump in the aircraft manufacturing industry, Metlab discontinued its fabricating operation and devoted its efforts solely to commercial heat treating. In 1937, Metlab moved from its 5000 sq ft facilities in Philadelphia to a 40,ooo sq ft operation in its present suburban location. During World War II, Metlab was a major heat treater of military hardware, nitriding millions of pounds of tank tread elements for the Sherman Tank, as well as many other highly specialized components. 

Metlab was awarded the Army-Navy "E" 
for excellence five times.

In 1966, Metlab increased its plant to 80,000 sq ft and has continued to do a wide variety of heat treating processes including normalizing, hardening and tempering, atmosphere annealing, stress relieving, age hardening, carburizing and nitriding, particularly of very large parts and to very deep case depths. Metlab also built a dedicated facility for press quenching of armor plate for the turet of the Abrams A1 tank.

Metlab has specialized in providing unique facilities when none were available, as in the case of its pit furnace built to nitride the main propulsion gears for the Seawolf submarine. The furnace is 15 ft. in diameter and 10 ft. deep, and easily accommodates the 43,000 lb gear, as well as other very large components for a variety of treatments.

Metlab has been a member of MTI since 1941 and a sustaining
member of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter of ASM International for more than 50 years.  Horace Knerr was President twice during the Institutes early years.