History

Almost 80 years

For over 75 years, B.M.I. designs and manufactures industrial vacuum furnaces for the heat treatment of high value-added metal parts and sub-assemblies. Our vacuum furnaces are used in very diverse sectors such as aeronautics, military, medical, tooling, watch making or R&D centres.

With over 1500 working furnaces all around the world, B.M.I. has proven its capability to adapt its technologies and to meet the specific needs of the most demanding industrial processes. Today, our facility is equipped with more than 4000m² of workshops, a metallurgical laboratory and around eighty qualified employees, who participate in making B.M.I. the specialist of vacuum heat treatment.

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Milestones

  • 1947: The Baudassé brothers create the Baudassé company in Lyon.

  • 1974: The company decides to specialize on vacuum and plasma technologies.

  • 1977: The company merges with the Martin company, thus becoming Baudassé Martin Industries (B.M.I.).

  • 1986: Creation of H.I.T. Group by Philippe Le François.

  • 1990: H.I.T. Group is floated on the stock market.

  • 1997: H.I.T. becomes part of BODYCOTE Group for 3 years.

  • 2002-2003: BMI launches laboratory furnace type BMICRO and Ion Vapor Deposition Furnace IVD.

  • 2011: B59T700 is delivered to China. With 7m lenght in useful volume, it is the largest furnace ever built by BMI.

  • 2017: Celebrating 70-year Anniversary and the 150th furnace commissioned in Taiwan.

  • 2022: BMI delivers a custom-made vacuum machine to be integrated in the ITER project.

  • 2024: BMI reaches 40% energy independance thanks to solar trackers installation.

Baudassé furnace in the 1950s
Baudassé furnace in the 1960s
BMI furnace in the 1970-1980s