Hardly anyone is familiar with it, yet it is an important material. Boron nitride is used in many industrial processes and, thanks to its unique properties, can also be found in numerous applications. Henze Boron Nitride Products AG, based in Lauben in the Allgäu region, supplies its customers with precision components made of sintered boron nitride, as well as suspensions, sprays, and lubricant additives—all of the highest quality.
“One of our greatest strengths is advising our customers,” says Christoph Henze, who serves on the board of Henze Boron Nitride Products AG alongside his brother Matthias. “This is important because we want customers to get exactly the product they need to solve their problem. Added to this are the quality we offer, a fair price, and our comprehensive product support.” Boron nitride is mostly used as an intermediate product in industrial manufacturing processes and can be applied at temperatures up to 900°C, and even up to 2,000°C under a protective gas atmosphere. The range of applications is broad and diverse, spanning aluminum extrusion, aluminum and metal casting, the construction of high-temperature furnaces, and the production of thermally conductive plastics, as well as PVD and plasma systems, sintering technology, powder metallurgy, solar technology, and photovoltaics, all the way to welding and brazing technology, as well as lubricant and forming technology.
Versatile Applications
“We source boron nitride in powder form,” explains Christoph Henze. “We use the powder to produce suspensions that have a consistency similar to wall paint and are used, for example, to coat casting channels. We also have sprays manufactured according to our own formulas, which are used as release sprays during welding, for instance. Our other activities include the purchase and manufacture of sintered bodies. These sintered bodies consist of boron nitride powder compacted under pressure. We use these sintered bodies to produce machine components through sawing, turning, and milling. Boron nitride is generally used whenever other materials fail. Thus, our customer base includes manufacturers of machines and systems as well as automotive suppliers and industrial companies. “We deliver to wherever production takes place—for example, where there are sintering furnaces and coating systems.” Most of our customers are located in European Union countries, though we occasionally receive orders from Asia or the United States.
A Family-Owned Company
In 1993, Peter Henze—the father of the two current board members, Matthias and Christoph Henze—founded the company in his own home. “Back then, our father not only had the courage to take the leap into self-employment, but also the patience to weather lean periods with few orders,” emphasizes Christoph Henze. In 2004, the company developed its first proprietary products; in 2012, the two sons joined the management team; and in 2014, the company moved into its own facility, which today spans approximately 3,500 square meters. The most recent investment was the purchase of a hot press used to manufacture custom materials. The shares of the company, which is structured as a stock corporation with 57 employees and annual revenue of 14 million EUR, are all family-owned: 25% belong to founder Peter Henze, with 15% each held by his wife and their four children. “It was important to us that even the siblings who are not part of management have the same share of the company and that no one feels disadvantaged,” emphasizes Christoph Henze.
Products Requiring Extensive Consultation
In sales, providing expert advice to customers plays a crucial role. Christoph Henze: “We have products that aren’t available everywhere and that require a great deal of consultation. We nurture and support our customers and, drawing on our extensive expertise, offer them different grades tailored to various applications.” Since this is a very specialized market segment, prospective customers often approach the company on their own initiative, some following recommendations from satisfied existing customers. In addition, Henze Boron Nitride Products AG promotes itself through its website, on social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn, and via advertisements in trade journals. Furthermore, the family-owned company has a booth at the ceramitec trade fair in Munich and at other trade shows.
Sustainable and Social
For years now, Henze Boron Nitride Products has been increasingly embracing digitalization and new ways of working. “Our employees can access our servers from anywhere, and all relevant data is also directly available on our machines,” explains the CEO. “In addition, we have developed a cockpit solution for a business intelligence system in collaboration with Kempten University of Applied Sciences.” Company leaders also devote significant attention to the topic of sustainability in a comprehensive sense. This encompasses ecological, economic, and social sustainability as well as the common good, with values such as human dignity, solidarity, justice, and transparency. Against this backdrop, a five-year plan has also been developed that examines various future scenarios, which form the basis for decisions regarding products, markets, and human resources management. The top priority, however, is to preserve the company’s social character well into the future.