The heat treatment and surface engineering community concentrates applied research and vendor developments in dedicated meetings. In mid-October 2026 this activity converges in Cologne with multiple technical and commercial tracks running together.
Practical information for visitors and exhibitors
Heat Treatment Congress (HärtereiKongress) 2026 runs from 13 to 15 October at Köln Messe. Conference and exhibition hours are 9:00 to 18:00 on 13 and 14 October and 9:00 to 15:00 on 15 October. AWT holds its membership meeting on Monday 12 October. Tickets for congress sessions and exhibition visits are available via the event ticket shop and student and trainee admission is free for both congress and exhibition.
Exhibitor profile and market focus
Organizers indicate around 150 exhibitors will present equipment, operating materials, services and process technologies for heat treatment and surface engineering. The exhibition is structured to show furnaces, atmosphere control systems, industrial process materials and measurement or control solutions alongside vendor services.
Scientific programme and opportunities for young researchers
The event bundles the 82nd HeatTreatmentCongress with the 31st IFHTSE World Congress, ECHT and Steel Innovation 2026. There is a poster award with a submission deadline for announcement on 15 August 2026 and specific support measures for students and early career researchers within the congress framework.
Practical B2B preparation for Cologne
- Use the exhibitor directory to shortlist suppliers and pre-book stand meetings.
- Prepare technical dossiers and examples of in-service failures or required specifications to focus technical discussions.
- Agree internal evaluation criteria before attending so vendor presentations can be scored objectively.
- Request demonstrations of process control or atmosphere generation where possible and document acceptance criteria.
- Follow up the same week of the event with technical minutes and next steps to keep momentum.
These steps turn stand visits into actionable procurement leads and technical trials.
Numbers and organising partners
The exhibition will include roughly 150 exhibitors. The congress is organized by AWT and Steel Innovation is run in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde e. V. and Stahlinstitut VDEh.
Closing note and official link
Combining the international congress with a concentrated exhibition at Köln Messe creates an efficient environment to compare furnaces, process gases and surface treatment services. Check the full programme, exhibitor list and ticket options on the event website https://www.hk-awt.de and schedule key meetings before you travel.
