BLOG POST
September 2026
By Aymeric Goldsteinas, Ipsen Vice President of Digital Technologies
For years, furnace controls evolved through incremental improvements to existing systems. But Ipsen saw an opportunity to take a different approach:
What if furnace controls were redesigned around the way people actually work?
That question became the starting point for ICON™, Ipsen’s new vacuum furnace controls platform, officially launched in August 2026.
ICON is the result of extensive customer collaboration, cross-functional teamwork, and a commitment to solving real-world challenges. More than a software upgrade, it represents a new approach to furnace controls, one designed to simplify operation, improve visibility, and evolve alongside customer needs.
Recognizing the Need for Change
The idea for ICON began taking shape in mid-2024, when Ipsen leaders began examining customer pain points and operational friction.
Ipsen’s existing controls platforms, including CompuVac and VacuProf, have provided dependable furnace operation for users for many years. But expectations were changing. Heat treaters increasingly wanted greater connectivity, data access, and automation, creating an opportunity to rethink what furnace controls should look like.
“The goal wasn’t to add more screens or more features. The goal was to make it easier for customers to get the information they need, when they need it, and help them operate their equipment with more confidence.”
– Aymeric Goldsteinas, Ipsen Vice President of Digital Technologies
Before writing a single line of software code, Ipsen looked outside its own industry. The team benchmarked advanced human-machine interface (HMI) technologies used in high-tech industries, studying how modern software platforms improved usability, decision-making, and performance.
That research reinforced an important insight: Operators don’t think in terms of screens. They think in terms of workflows.
As teams evaluated customer feedback, operational challenges, workforce trends, and emerging technologies, it became clear that the next generation of furnace controls would require more than a simple update.
Designing with Customers in Mind
Development officially began in January 2025, building on months of research and direct customer engagement.
Ipsen formed a cross-functional core team consisting of representatives from Engineering, Field Service, Technical Support, Customer Service, Sales, and Project Management. But some of the most valuable insights came from outside Ipsen.
Team members visited heat-treating facilities and spent time observing furnace operators, maintenance personnel, and quality teams as they performed their everyday responsibilities. Together, they examined existing control systems to understand what customers valued, where improvements were needed, and which day-to-day challenges were creating unnecessary friction.
The result was a design philosophy centered on user experience.
ICON was organized around operational workflows such as startup, monitoring, troubleshooting, reporting, and maintenance rather than disconnected screens and menus. Customers helped define workflows, tested prototypes, validated functionality, and provided feedback during pilot installations. Their input shaped each stage of the process, helping the team refine features and ensure the platform addressed real challenges.
This iterative approach is what helped ICON evolve based on real-world operational needs rather than assumptions.
Transforming Daily Furnace Operations
Those insights ultimately shaped ICON around two guiding principles: Simpler Controls. Better Insight.
Guided startup workflows simplify furnace preparation and reduce uncertainty before production begins. Real-time monitoring brings recipe progression, process trends, and furnace status together in a single view. Smart alarm guidance provides likely causes and recommended troubleshooting steps, reducing dependence on manuals and tribal knowledge.
“ICON has made it easier for our team to stay informed and make better operational decisions,” said Cy Balk, furnace operator at Hansen/Balk Steel Treating. “The alarm guidance helps operators quickly understand and respond to issues, and the analytics provide valuable insight into furnace utilization, including idle time, helping us identify opportunities to improve efficiency.”
“The customer is literally getting decades of furnace service and troubleshooting knowledge simplified and laid out in front of them with step-by-step instructions on the most likely resolutions. To me, that’s a game changer for increasing uptime, throughput, and equipment longevity.”
– Josh Hinkemeyer, Ipsen Engineering Manager
Automated reporting evaluates cycle performance based on user-defined criteria and can generate reports automatically. Furnace health dashboards provide visibility into availability, downtime, performance, and energy consumption.
“ICON has been very easy to use, with an intuitive interface that puts critical furnace information at a glance and makes day-to-day operation simpler,” said Marc Trombley, Metallurgical Engineer for GE Aerospace. “The KPI (key performance indicator) dashboard has been especially valuable for predictive maintenance, particularly by helping us monitor pump-down times and catch performance trends earlier.”
These capabilities are designed to address challenges many heat treaters face today, including labor shortages, workforce turnover, knowledge transfer, and the need for faster decision-making.
Customer Impact
Early user feedback suggests automation capabilities significantly reduce administrative workload.
*Customer-reported results.
“By providing customers with more operational information and troubleshooting tools, ICON helps users resolve common issues more quickly on their own. That allows our technical support team to spend more time helping customers solve complex challenges and optimize furnace performance.”
– Tom Sepaniak, Ipsen Software Engineer and Technical Support
More Than a Controls System
While usability was the starting point, Ipsen views ICON as something larger than a traditional controls system designed primarily to operate the furnace. ICON was built as a flexible digital platform capable of supporting a broader view of furnace performance while adapting as customer requirements and technology change.
ICON provides greater visibility into furnace performance, while creating opportunities for future enhancements, including machine learning applications, advanced analytics, and broader enterprise integration capabilities.
“ICON isn’t just a controls system. It’s a platform for continuous improvement,” said Goldsteinas. “We intentionally built a foundation that can grow with our customers for decades.”
A New Standard for the Industry
What ultimately makes ICON unique is not a single feature.
It’s the combination of workflow-driven design, customer involvement, operational visibility, automation, and future-ready architecture.
ICON was designed to support the entire organization, from operators and maintenance technicians to supervisors and plant managers. By delivering the right information to the right people at the right time, it helps improve efficiency, reduce manual effort, and create greater confidence in daily operations.
As customer expectations continue to evolve, Ipsen sees ICON as the foundation for future innovations in heat treatment technology.
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