We are pleased to announce that Mr. Norihiro Nagamine, Corporate Officer of the Sales Development Department at TOYO-RO, has received the “Contributor to New Technology Development” presented by the Governor of Osaka.

This award is presented to individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the economic development of Osaka Prefecture by dedicating themselves to the research and development of new technologies and products over many years and thereby helping to raise the technological standards of small and medium-sized enterprises and other organizations.

Background of the Award

In 2011, with the aim of fundamentally streamlining our mesh belt-type continuous heat treatment furnaces, we established a development team led by Corporate Officer Norihiro Nagamine. Focusing on areas for improvement that had previously been dismissed as impossible, we devised solutions for each one. At the same time, we focused on the sustainable utilization and application of waste energy, particularly combustion exhaust heat, and began developing a next-generation, high-efficiency mesh belt-type continuous heat treatment furnace. Then, we developed proprietary radiant tubes using advanced materials and incorporated a total of seven new technologies, including optimized combustion efficiency, a waste heat recovery system, and a more compact furnace design. As a result, we achieved over 30% energy savings compared to conventional models.

This achievement was recognized with the 2018 Energy Conservation Grand Prize for realizing 30% energy savings through the introduction of new technologies and advanced waste heat utilization. Our next-generation high-efficiency continuous furnace is highly recognized, leading to this prestigious award.

We hope that, through the provision of environmentally friendly heat treatment equipment that helps reduce CO2 emissions, we can continue to contribute, even in a small way, to the development of the industry.