A research organization recently awarded a contract to a North American furnace manufacturer for the supply of a rapid-heating furnace to be used for product development of lightweight hot-stamped and formed aluminum automotive components. This organization will integrate the aluminum-sheet heating furnace with existing equipment to support both automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers throughout North America.
Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., of Niagara Falls, Ontario, was chosen for this project because it has significant experience in the development of lightweight, thin-walled automotive structural components. Can-Eng provided the customer with a unique rapid-heating furnace system that offers significant reduction in floor space requirements, flexibility for processing a wide range of product sizes, and the flexible operating temperatures required for various stamped and formed products. The system will be fully integrated with flexible robotic handling and material handling automation.
