Can-Eng Furnaces (Niagara Falls, N.Y.; http://www.can-eng.com) announced that Nippon Furnace Kogyo (NFK) Kaisha (Yokohama City, Japan) has been contracted by Mazda Motors to design and build a solution treating, air quench and artificial ageing system for the processing of precision sand cast aluminum engine blocks. Can-Eng has been a licensee of NFK technology since the 1990s. This order follows many months of development work, which focused on NFK's Basketless Heat Treatment Systems (BHTS) design. This system reduces energy consumption by 30% and floor space requirements by 30% when compared to linear roller hearth systems while also eliminating the need for costly part containers. This project follows two successful patent-pending BHTS installations for the processing of forged steering knuckles.