From spark to finish.
Get to market faster and more efficiently with Harper’s Ignite™ process. Harper enables companies in the development of advanced materials, from the lab to full commercialization, helping make their innovations a reality. Utilizing our depth and breadth of experience in thermal processing, we partner with our customer to ensure success as they scale up their process operations.
Harper’s support to emerging industries begins in early stages of research and development, whether at corporate R&D centers, universities, government institutions, or start-ups. Our mission is to assist these customers in turning the next generation of material innovations into profitable new markets. Just like our experience in the Carbon Fiber market, we help customers develop unique thermal processes and efficiently and effectively progress them into complete production lines. Learn more about our thoughtful process that helps ensure the customer’s idea gets out of the lab and into the world.
Read about some of our Ignite success stories for customers in the activated carbon, high purity alumina and powdered metals markets, as well as our editorial feature in Materials World magazine on success in scale up.
Feasibility and Testing
Optimization of process parameters is critical prior to investment in thermal processing equipment to ensure capacity and quality requirements are achieved. At our Technology Research Center, customers utilize Harper’s systems and expertise in their process development and process optimization for use in commercial scale-up and for those systems with unique specifications. Harper also provides a variety of additional analytical services such as gas analysis (critical to ensuring compliance with environmental regulations) electron microscopy, XRD, BET, and other thermal and elemental analysis.
Learn more – Research Center & Pilot Facility
Engineering Studies
Count on our extraordinarily experienced engineering staff to conduct in-depth studies to determine equipment requirements and help define process parameters for optimal plant design to assist with technical and business strategy and financial planning. Our vast capabilities in thermal processing engineering studies include, but are not limited to:
- process cost models
- economics of increased production capacity with current and future state technologies
- analysis of best-suited thermal process technology system for new material innovations
- identification of opportunities for improved product quality and cost reduction
- investigation of solutions for transition from batch to continuous processing
- engineering of material handling solutions for unique processing systems
Pilot Scale Systems
As customers ramp up their operations, Harper offers a range of solutions in thermal regimes beyond what others can, including furnace technologies and oxidation ovens in lab scale and pilot scale sizes. We have the building blocks to design even for the most challenging thermal process, using our years of practice to devise a first-of-a-kind, custom system every time.
Learn more – Furnace and Oven Technologies
Full Production Scale Systems
A complete solution for your advanced material process plant. From material handling to final product collection and everything in between, Harper is focused on helping customers link the process steps to achieve greater efficiencies in reduced operating costs, increased quality and productivity, and strategic risk mitigation. From first point of engagement, Harper rigorously designs thoughtful operations sequences that ensures a comprehensive perspective is maintained.
Learn more – Complete Process Lines