“The discussions with Robert were always very constructive. We share the same vision of entrepreneurship and know what our customers expect from us. I am therefore delighted to welcome Robert to our team,” says Uwe Günter, owner and managing director of the extrutec Group.

All previous extrutec activities and employees in the field of automation technology will be consolidated under the leadership of Robert Liese. The new department will be responsible for programming and the associated automation technology for heating, heat treatment and melting systems across the group. The new department is assigned to the Electric heating and Induction Technology division at the Menden site, which is managed by Stefan Beer.

Stefan Beer adds: 'I've known Robert for decades, and we have a shared understanding of modern production technology. I´m fully convinced doing this step, and I'm thrilled that the idea and motivation behind Run Automation will remain intact, even if the setup changes.”

Run Automation

Over the past decades, Robert Liese and his company Run Automation have become an established name in the field of software development and commissioning of industrial equipment. In recent years, the focus has increasingly shifted to the extrusion industry, particularly in the area of induction technology. However, the large customer network, which spans the entire spectrum of different industrial manufacturers, has continued to be served and expanded.

While extrutec focuses primarily on heating and cooling in the extrusion process, Run Automation was at home throughout the entire process chain. Among other things, numerous extrusion presses were optimized. The areas of runout systems, pullers, and logistics were also covered. This portfolio will therefore continue to be available under the extrutec umbrella in the future.

Looking to the future

Another important aspect of setting up the new department is the future-oriented development of the programming and operating concept for Extrutec equipment. 'The future lies in the intelligence of our equipment. We are focusing on standardized program structures and uniform, intuitive operating concepts. The final stage of expansion will naturally focus on connectivity and digitalization,' explains Uwe Günter.

The immediate goal is also to strengthen the service department. This means that the high demand for services can increasingly be met in-house. Inquiries that threaten potential production downtime or system shutdowns, in particular, can now be handled much more efficiently. This is partly thanks to the remote maintenance module installed as standard in all extrutec systems.

We can also now offer a much broader range of services. These range from improving entire system processes and replacing electrical components, such as HMIs, to new programming tasks, including those for foundries, in cooperation with the extrutec subsidiary TCT Induktionstechnik.

The acquisition is a testament to extrutec's commitment to the North American market as well as to continued innovation and growth in the industrial heating sector. By combining the strengths of both companies, Induction Professional Solutions (IPS) is poised to become a dominant force in the North American induction heating technology market.

"We are thrilled to welcome Induction Professionals assets and expertise into the extrutec family," said Uwe Günter, Managing Partner of extrutec GmbH.  “This is an exciting and strategic step for our company. By integrating Induction Professionals' capabilities into our North American operations, we are well-positioned to offer a comprehensive portfolio of the most modern, energy-efficient induction heating solutions. We are committed to building on the foundation of trust and quality that Tom Kearney and his team have established."

To ensure a seamless transition for customers and employees as well as maintain continuity of service, Tom Kearney, the former owner of Induction Professionals, LLC will serve as General Manager.

A Note from Tom Kearney to Our Valued Customers

To our cherished customers,

It has been my great pleasure to serve you and provide the highest quality induction heating solutions for over two decades. I am incredibly proud of our work together and the relationships we have built.

By joining forces with extrutec to form Induction Professional Solutions (IPS), I am confident that we are entering an exciting new chapter that will bring you even greater value. Combining our local expertise with extrutec's global resources and cutting-edge technology will enable us to offer a broader range of products and services.

As I transition into my new role as General Manager of Induction Professional Solutions (IPS), my commitment to you remains my top priority. I look forward to working with the new team to ensure that you continue to receive the exceptional service and support that you have come to expect from us.

Thank you for your loyalty and trust over the years.

Sincerely, Tom Kearney

About extrutec group
Headquartered in Moos, Germany, extrutec GmbH is a global leader in providing plant systems for aluminum extrusion manufacturers. The company specializes in the energy-efficient heating, heat treatment, and targeted cooling of metals. Focusing on innovation and customer satisfaction, extrutec GmbH has earned a reputation for delivering high-quality, reliable, and energy-efficient solutions.

About extrutec North America, Inc.
extrutec North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of extrutec GmbH.  It provides advanced plant systems for the aluminum extrusion industry in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

About TCT Induktionstechnik GmbH
TCT Induktionstechnik GmbH is a German company founded in 2021 as a wholly owned subsidiary of extrutec GmbH.  It specializes in servicing and repairing technical foundry equipment. TCT is also a key manufacturing partner that produces inductors, re-cooling systems, and other components for inductive billet heating.

Contact:
Tom Kearney, General Mgr.,
t.kearney@inductionprofessional.com ,
+1-330-779-3456

Michael Werner, Key Account Mgr.,
m.werner@inductionprofessional.com ,
+1-616-290-6006

Homepage of IPS

To support this momentum, the management team has been expanded with two new leaders. Michael Schindler now heads the Commercial Division. He joined extrutec in mid-2024 and moved from a similar position to the global technology leader in extrusion heating systems. His current focus is on HR and recruitment – a response to the rising demand for qualified professionals driven by our growing order volumes.

“I see great potential at extrutec not just in extrusion engineering but especially in innovation. And that requires motivated and dedicated people. Recruiting and supporting them is key to ensuring our long-term competitiveness,” says Michael Schindler.

Jan Günter takes on responsibility for Sales and Business Development as Business Unit Manager. His role includes oversight of our sales and aftersales teams, as well as the IT department – where he is driving forward digitalization initiatives.

“We’re noticing that many industry peers are cutting back on service. This creates frustration for customers – both new and existing. We’re taking a different path: investing heavily in our service department, especially to meet growing demand in regions like Asia,” explains Jan Günter.

Managing Partner and owner Uwe Günter is delighted with both additions to the management team: “We must continue evolving across all areas – and that’s only possible with committed, qualified employees.”

The appointment of Michael Schindler and Jan Günter also reflect extrutec’s long-term succession strategy as authorized signatories. Uwe Günter will continue to accompany the business as managing partner until 2030, ensuring a smooth handover to the next generation of the family business.

Unlike other electrical stand-alone solutions, this new furnace type can be integrated into an existing  process without additional handling and can therefore replace an existing furnace one-to-one.

Existing extrutec standards are used to implement this new type furnace. The template for each EHKO furnace zone is the preheating section of the extrutec gas furnaces, which extrutec has been using for many years. Based on the extensive experience with this system some minor improvements were incorporated to optimize the flow dynamics. The electrical heating elements are derived from similar elements used in previously supplied ageing or die ovens.

Green - the new heat for extrusion: Focusing on green technologies.

ever since the company was founded, extrutec has focused on the continuous improvementand further development of itsequipment. Improving consumption in particular is an essential part of the technology development. Under themotto: "Green - the new heat for extrusion", technologies are bundled that enable heating solely with electricity and thus without fossil fuels. The goal of the development efforts is to make existing technologies more energy-efficient and to develop new equipment types and combinations.

The extrutec subsidiary, TCT Induction Technology, and its new location in Menden play  a pivotal role for new furnace concepts

By establishing the business unit Electrical Furnaces and Induction Technology in 2019 and founding  the extrutec subsidiary TCT Induktionstechnik in early 2021, the course was set for a stronger focus on electrically operated heating systems. Both business units work closely together. While extrutec is responsible for the development and implementation of the heating systems, TCT Induktionstechnik is responsible for manufacturing key components such as induction coils. Close integration of development, manufacturing and commissioning is particularly important in this context and guarantees  the highest quality.

EHKO test furnace in operation in the new plant in Menden in November 2023

Due to the positive business development and the resulting need to expand the site, TCT Induktionstechnik GmbH will move into its newly built manufacturing and administration building starting in September. The new location in Menden will  accomodate the entire TCT team as well as some extrutec employees.

The new plant will also serve for testing the new EHKO furnace.  A test furnace, consisting of a 2.5 meter zone for 12 inch logs, with a power of 280 kW will be put into operation. Various production scenarios will be tested. This testing will ensure the successful introduction of this new technology to our customers. The test furnace will also be available for presentation to interested customers.

Purso becomes first customer to buy newly developed EHKO-heating furnace

The extrutec long term customer Purso oy from Siuro Finland is widely known for their aluminum profile production of sustainable solutions for a wide range of uses from industrial applications and building facades to lighting. The company pursues an ambitious goal to reduce their CO₂ emissions with every new investment.

extrutec will deliver the new EHKO heater with hot log saw as a replacement for an old gas fired furnace. The installation will start at the beginning of 2025. Purso is the first customer worldwide to buy such a heating system.

Mäkelä becomes the first Inline-EHKO customer

The production line modernization of Mäkelä Alu in Finland will reduce its co2 emission by 960 tons. This is made possible by the complete electrification of the heating process. The so called electrically heated high speed convection furnace (EHKO), developed by extrutec, combines the highest possible energy efficiency with a pure electrical heating source. Special about the EHKO für Mäkele is the patented Inline-Version. This combines the resistant heated base heating with a directly connected induction oven. This saves additional energy and is extremely space saving, in that way that old gas/LPG furnaces can be replaced without major modifications of the equipment setup.The officiel report can be found here.

First EHKO ready for delivery to Finland

The worldwide first electrically resistance-heated highspeed-convection oven (EHKO) in inline design for the continuous heating of aluminum logs is ready for delivery. The newly developed furnace type has been put into operation and intensively tested at extrutec's site in Menden over the last few weeks. The system configuration consists of an EHKO for base heating, an induction furnace arranged directly in line for tapering the billet and a downstream hot log saw. The induction furnace is manufactured in-house by extrutec subsidiary TCT Induktionstechnik. The tests carried out on the system once again confirm the calculated and simulated values such as heat transfer and the extremely high efficiency of 87%. The system will be put into operation in Finland in the next few weeks.

First hot billet with EHKO in Finland

The first hot billet was heated at Mäkelä in Finland. The newly developed inline EHKO (electrically resistance heated high convection oven) plays a key role in Mäkelä's decarbonization plans. The concept combines two electric heating
methods. The decisive factor is the extremely high overall efficiency of the system, which is achieved by base heating with heating elements and final taper heating with induction. As the new equipment will be replacing an old gas heater, Mäkelä will save 960 tons of CO2 per year.

The approx. 2,000m² production area will be equipped with partly self-developed machines and testing equipment, as well as a specially designed custom-made drying oven. Furthermore, it will be possible to set up complete extrutec systems for pre-commissioning. The new production site will be aligned to the high internal as well as external customer requirements and will be significantly expanded. The good freeway access and central location in Menden make the new site additionally attractive for employees and customers.

In the adjoining three-story office and administration wing, there will be recreation rooms as well as office workplaces for TCT and extrutec employees distributed over two floors. The employees will have a wide range of options for working and taking breaks. In addition to ergonomic workplaces, special emphasis is placed on the sustainability of the building, so the self-generated electricity from the PV system is used directly for heating the building and for charging vehicles. "We want to offer our employees the best. Those who deliver top performance for the company every day also deserve to do so in a workplace with the latest standards," says Tobias Manka, Managing Director of TCT Induktionstechnik GmbH.

extrutec site in Menden also geared for growth

In addition to TCT's ambitious plans, the office space for extrutec employees is also geared for growth. The positive development of the business unit for electric furnace engineering and induction technology not only makes it necessary to increase the number of qualified personnel, but also to align the team and the entire work content with new market requirements. "In this regard, the new building offers us all the freedom and development opportunities that we need today and in the future," says Stefan Beer, business unit manager for electric furnace engineering/induction technology. The latest heating product from extrutec, the electrically resistance-heated high convection furnace, or EHKO for short, was developed by Beer's business unit and brings together existing expertise in hybrid heating systems. "With the addition of the EHKO to the product portfolio, we are able to supply a wide variety of heating concepts from a single source and fully exploit the potential of the business unit and the entire extrutec Group," says Beer.

TCT Induktionstechnik is a fully owned subsidiary of extrutec GmbH

TCT Induktionstechnik has been part of the extrutec Group since 2021. TCT specializes in the manufacture and maintenance of induction furnaces and equipment. In addition, the subsidiary complements the core areas of extrutec GmbH. Thus, the entire know-how in the field of induction technology can be bundled in one company and at one location. In the future, everything from development and production to pre-commissioning and service can be offered from a single source.

Günter: “We are very pleased that we were able to add an experienced expert like Michael to the team. Michael and I started our journey in the extrusion industry straight out of college at the same company in Germany. He eventually moved to the USA but remained true to the industry. Having him back in the team is great and at the same time an endorsement for the work we do at extrutec”.

Highly efficient modern equipment increasing plant throughput is in high demand worldwide. The American markets, in particular the US-market, is also increasingly demanding such equipment. Establishing a subsidiary in the USA is therefore a strategically important step. In order to support the customers and the equipment uptime, the location will be expanded in steps to include a service and a spare parts department.

Werner: “I am looking forward to the new task at extrutec. The longstanding friendship with Uwe, and more so the energy efficient and modern equipment technology, made the decision to join extrutec very easy for me. No supplier to the American market offers a similarly refined level of technology as extrutec does. Combined with the high energy efficiency/low energy consumption, we have a product that the extruders need to compete in these competitive market conditions.".