On November 4, 2026, Aalberts Surface Technologies announced that it is integrating its hot isostatic pressing (HIP) with heat treatment, vacuum processing, and other thermal processing technologies to provide integrated post-processing services for powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing components. The company operates HIP facilities in Europe and North America, with a total of six HIP units in its network: two QIH232 systems in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and four QIH122 systems in Greenville, Windsor, and Cleveland in the United States. The HIP process applies high temperature and isostatic gas pressure to components to reduce internal porosity and defects, with equipment operating at maximum temperatures of up to 1,250°C and maximum pressure of 200 MPa (2,000 bar). In addition to HIP, the company's thermal processing capabilities cover heat treatment processes such as vacuum quenching, solution and age hardening, stress relieving, annealing, and nitriding. Applicable materials include nickel-based alloys, steel and tool steel, copper alloys, titanium, and aluminum, with target industries spanning aerospace and defense, energy, medical, and space. By coordinating these processes within the same supplier network, components can move directly from HIP densification to subsequent heat treatment. This combined process is directly relevant to metal additive manufacturing: HIP is typically used to reduce internal porosity generated during the additive manufacturing process, followed by heat treatment to achieve the desired microstructure and mechanical properties. The company says its network enables customers requiring multiple post-processing steps to coordinate these processes through a single organization, without having to transfer components between separate HIP suppliers and heat treatment suppliers.