• 1931
AB Kanthal was founded by Hans von Kantzow, Hallstahammar, who invented the FeCrAl resistance heating alloy. The Kanthal alloy outperformed the existing NiCr alloys.
• The 40's and 50's
The first subsidiaries were set up in Italy, USA and Brazil. Kanthal was establishing a network of subsidiaries and representatives all around the globe.
Bimetal and strip production started in Hallstahammar.
The R&D laboratory was built.
A workshop for production of metallic elements for industrial furnaces was set up in Hallstahammar.
• The 60's
Kanthal Super was launched on the market – for the first time it is possible to use resistance heating up to 1700ºC. First applications are in the Glass Industry.
Kanthal Machinery is established as “Kanthal Oakley”, representing the American Oakley company.
The Hallstahammar plant is completed with hot rolling, modern wire drawing and other facilities. The production was integrated from raw material to finished products. Wire drawing was also done in USA, Brazil, Italy and Australia.
• The 70's
A restructuring of the global network was started – representatives were replaced by own subsidiaries in Germany, Japan, Great Britain and the Nordic countries.
• The 80's
Fibrothal and Silicon carbide is added to the product range.
Kanthal alloys are available in new brands – AF, AE, APM.
Kanthal re-launches Nikrothal.
Kanthal APM tubes and Tubothal heating elements were launched as well as Kanthal Super 1900 and Superthal.
• The 90's
Acquisitions: Driver Harris, HP Reid (Kanthal Palm Coast), and MRL. New products were added:
Copper-Nickel, Thermo-couple and special alloys (Driver Harris)
Manufactured Precision Wire (HP Reid)
Heating cassettes and furnaces for the semi-conductor industry (MRL)
Kanthal AB was acquired by Sandvik AB in 1996.
The production in Hallstahammar was heavily modernised.
• The latest years
The global production flow was restructured and concentrated into fewer units. |