Grenzebach acquired the assets and intellectual property (IP) of annealing lehr manufacturer New Hudson on September 30th.
New Hudson has been a manufacturer and maintenance service provider for annealing lehr rollers for over 60 years, installing thousands of rollers in over 250 float glass lines globally.
With this acquisition, Grenzebach aims to strengthen its position in the hot end and expand its service portfolio.
John Fluker, CEO of the Grenzebach Corporation, said: "This strategic acquisition is fully aligned with our 'From Hot to Cold' strategy.
"Building on our expertise as a manufacturer of annealing lehrs, we aim to provide customers with a powerful range of solutions from a single source – offering reliable support throughout the entire cooling channel process."
Grenzebach will continue to provide New Hudson’s services, which involve the entire service cycle of annealing lehr rollers, from cleaning and refinishing to maintenance, and the supply of spare parts.
The offering will include the on-site roller cleaning service.
The process removes SO₂ and tin deposits from stainless steel lehr rollers without interrupting production.
This method is an efficient way to restore roller performance and improve glass quality during ongoing operation.
In addition, stainless steel lehr roller refinishing will be carried out at Grenzebach’s Newnan facility in Georgia, USA, where roller surfaces are restored to their original condition.
Mr Fluker said: “Through the combination of New Hudson’s long-standing experience and Grenzebach’s global infrastructure, customers benefit from a complete service solution that enhances operational reliability.
"For existing New Hudson customers, we will continue to deliver the same trusted quality and reliability with which our customers have become accustomed."
Grenzebach said the integration of New Hudson would be driven forward in the coming weeks and months, although it was prepared to accept customer inquiries and service requests.
