An experimental apparatus was set up to simulate co-deposition of Al and Fe on copper by pack cementation. The thermal history in the coating processes has been measured by K-type thermocouples. The effect of the pack mixture, holding temperature and heating rate on the temperature change on a copper surface were examined. The experimental results showed that a high Al and Fe mass fraction in pack mixture causes an obvious temperature fluctuation while the NH4Cl mass fraction and the Al2O3 mass fraction only slightly affect the temperature change. Two distinct jumps in the temperature of the sample occurred for all the experimental runs, which are strongly affected by the holding temperature. The heating rate of the pack mixture has a significant effect on the temperature change of the substrate surface. High heating rates cause an unsteady temperature change on the substrate surface. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.