AFC-Holcroft to Expand Aluminum Heat-Treat Furnace Capabilities

From left to right: AFC-Holcroft's Ron Waligora, COO of project management, engineering, manufacturing and field services; AFC-Holcroft's Tracy Dougherty, COO of applications engineering, sales and aftermarket; Sanken Sangyo's Yuichiro Miura, president; and Sanken Sangyo's Kosei Daida, chairman (courtesy of AFC-Holcroft)

AFC-Holcroft, a member of the Aichelin Group, announced a strategic partnership with Sanken Sangyo, a Japan-based provider of thermal-processing equipment, to expand its aluminum heat-treat furnace capabilities. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanken Sangyo will provide its technology in rotary-hearth aluminum heat-treating equipment to AFC-Holcroft in the United States and Canada. According to the companies, the partnership will enable AFC-Holcroft to offer a more sophisticated energy-efficient design than what the market currently has available.

“This partnership will allow us to continue our growth in the aluminum heat-treating market by complementing our current product offering (roller hearths, chain conveyors, pushers and mesh belts) with Sanken Sangyo’s energy-efficient rotary-hearth technology while reducing floor space, operating costs and carbon footprint,” said Tracy Dougherty, COO of AFC-Holcroft.