Thermcraft Inc., a designer, manufacturer and marketer of high-quality custom and standard industrial and laboratory heaters, acquired Contemporary Kilns Inc. of Novato, Calif. Contemporary Kilns has specialized in the engineering and manufacturing of high-quality custom kilns and ovens since 1964. The company is best known for the design and manufacture of annealing kilns for the quartz fabrication industry. This acquisition complements Thermcraft’s existing equipment line, adding a new industrial market and further increasing its customer build-to-spec product line. Thermcraft has already begun the integration of Contemporary Kilns’ capabilities into their manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem, N.C.

One such addition made possible by the acquisition is a front-loading box furnace that operates at temperatures up to 1350°C, using silicon-carbide heating elements. Because of its counter-balanced, vertical lift door, the door can be opened using only one hand and keeps the hot face of the door away from the operator, which is an important safety feature. All product-specific support will now be handled directly through Thermcraft and its worldwide team of sales representatives.