SPIE Hotwork

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

Refractory dryout is more than another step in the commissioning process. It's about protecting the long-term performance of your furnace, boiler, kiln, or processing unit.

Moisture trapped inside refractory linings can expand during rapid heating. Without engineered ramp rates and combustion control, that can lead to structural cracking, spalling, refractory failure, production delays, and costly shutdowns.

We don't just provide burners. We engineer successful startups.

If your facility has an upcoming refractory installation, furnace commissioning, or startup, talk to the team with more than 20,000 successful projects worldwide.

09/01/2026

We’re hiring. Join the SPIE Hotwork team.

Looking for a career that’s anything but ordinary?

SPIE Hotwork is looking for motivated individuals to join our team of industrial technicians. Our technicians travel 160–200 days per year, work at major industrial facilities across the country, support critical outage schedules, and operate specialized combustion equipment.

We're looking for people who are:
- Safety-first in their mindset
- Willing to travel
- Mechanically capable
- Comfortable working in demanding industrial environments
- Motivated to learn and grow

And you don't need to walk in knowing everything. Our technicians receive structured training, including in-house training, field training, ongoing annual training, and OSHA/MSHA certifications.

If you're ready for a specialized industrial career with travel, training, and opportunity, we want to hear from you.

Learn more and apply on our website.

08/28/2026

A glass furnace shutdown doesn't end with removing the molten glass.

Glass furnace draining may be required to allow maintenance, repairs, or refractory work to take place. Once that work is complete, the furnace must be carefully prepared for its return to operation.

SPIE Hotwork supports glass manufacturers through multiple stages of the furnace lifecycle, including glass furnace draining, refractory heatup, furnace expansion supervision, cullet filling, and sulfate burnouts.

From draining to heatup, SPIE Hotwork provides specialized expertise for critical glass furnace operations.

08/27/2026

When you’re planning a glass furnace shutdown, experience matters.

SPIE Hotwork has been providing glass furnace draining services since 1965 and currently conducts approximately 40 furnace taps each year.

Our team has developed and refined specialized techniques for safely and efficiently draining molten glass, including systems utilizing cold water, recycled water, and other engineered draining methods.

That experience is backed by more than 20,000 successful projects across industries and decades of expertise in industrial furnace services.

For glass manufacturers, furnace maintenance and repair can mean significant downtime. Having an experienced team involved in the draining process can help facilities plan and execute these critical operations with a solution engineered around their specific furnace.

08/26/2026

Not every glass furnace drain has the same requirements.

SPIE Hotwork has developed multiple glass draining techniques to help glass manufacturers address the specific conditions of their furnace and facility.

Two approaches include cold water glass furnace drains and recycled hot water glass furnace drains.

A cold water drain uses water in a “once-through” process to quench and transport molten glass. A recycled hot water drain collects the water after it is separated from the cullet and recirculates it through a continuous closed-loop system.

The right approach depends on the specific conditions and objectives of the project, which is why SPIE Hotwork engineers its glass draining services around each client’s needs.

08/25/2026

When a glass furnace needs to be emptied for maintenance, repair, or refractory work, the draining process requires specialized expertise.

Since 1977, SPIE Hotwork has provided glass furnace draining services designed to safely and efficiently remove molten glass from furnaces of different types and sizes.

Our proprietary glass draining process uses a controlled furnace tap, trough system, and high-pressure water jet to quench and transport molten glass to a cullet collection area. The water and cullet are then separated, allowing the cullet to be collected for potential reuse.

SPIE Hotwork can engineer the draining process around each facility’s specific requirements, including systems capable of transporting glass and water around bends and uphill slopes. Depending on furnace conditions and size, drain rates exceeding 20 tons per hour—and in some applications, more than 40 tons per hour with dual furnace taps—have been achieved.

Glass furnace draining. Furnace shutdown services. Molten glass removal. Industrial furnace services.

08/21/2026

When you think of SPIE Hotwork, furnace heatup may be the first thing that comes to mind.

But our capabilities extend well beyond traditional furnace startup services. SPIE Hotwork provides specialized heating solutions for a wide range of industrial applications, including:

🔥 Refractory Dryout: Controlled heating to help prepare newly installed refractory for service.
🔥 Furnace Heatup: Uniformly heating industrial furnaces from ambient conditions to operating temperature.
🔥 Furnace Hold Hot: Maintaining equipment at temperature while another section of a production process is shut down for repair.
🔥 Specialized Combustion Services: Including sulfate burnouts, meltouts, temporary boiler heating, and other specialized applications.
🔥 Post Weld Heat Treatment: Combustion heating for post weld heat treatment of large vessels.

With more than 20,000 successful projects worldwide, SPIE Hotwork brings decades of experience to complex industrial heating challenges.

If your project requires controlled industrial heating, there may be a Hotwork solution for it. Have a specialized heating challenge? Contact SPIE Hotwork to discuss your project.

08/20/2026

Refractory dryout is a critical step between installation and putting industrial equipment into service.

New refractory materials can contain moisture. If that moisture is heated too quickly, it can expand rapidly and potentially cause cracking, spalling, or other damage to the lining.

That's why controlled refractory dryout matters.

For industrial furnace commissioning, refractory installation startups, and maintenance projects, proper dryout can help protect the investment you've already made in your refractory system.

Planning a refractory dryout project? Talk with the SPIE Hotwork team.

08/19/2026

No two industrial facilities are exactly alike.

That's why SPIE Hotwork doesn't rely solely on general training when technicians arrive at a project site.

Before work begins, technicians complete site-specific safety training based on the environment and requirements of that facility.

Depending on the project, this can include: lockout/tagout procedures, confined space entry, fall protection requirements, emergency response plans, and facility-specific hazard protocols.

This approach helps ensure our technicians understand the environment they're entering and the procedures they'll need to follow before work begins.

Whether we're working in steel manufacturing, glass production, cement manufacturing, hydrocarbon processing, or chemical and petrochemical facilities, preparation has to account for the specific job site.

Because industrial safety isn't one-size-fits-all. It's site specific and it’s project specific.