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LONDON (July 9, 2013)—The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), the global network for professionals in the materials cycle, has awarded Luxfer Gas Cylinders its prestigious 2013 gold medal for making “a significant contribution to the industrial application of materials.”
The award was presented July 9 during ceremonies in London. Representing Luxfer were Peter Haslehurst, Non-Executive Chairman of Luxfer Group (NYSE: LXFR), the parent company of Luxfer Gas Cylinders; Brian Purves, Luxfer Group Chief Executive; David Rix, Managing Director of Luxfer Gas Cylinders, Europe; and Dr. Michael Clinch, Director of Innovation for Luxfer Gas Cylinders, Europe.
Peter Haslehurst, who is also a former officer of IOM3, accepted the medal on behalf of Luxfer Gas Cylinders. During his remarks, he said: “When you see news coverage of a fireman entering a burning building wearing breathing apparatus, anywhere in the world, there is a two in three chance that the cylinder strapped to his back was made in one of our factories. You don’t achieve that sort of global market share, and by the way achieved with premium pricing, without having something special to offer your customers. In our case it is the lightest, safest, heavy-duty composite cylinder in the world. We are proud of our company’s achievements, and we are delighted to receive this recognition from the Institute.”
About Luxfer Gas Cylinders
Founded in 1897 as a manufacturer of patented glass prisms and panels that increased lighting levels in buildings, Luxfer began making metal products during the First World War and went on to become the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure aluminum and composite cylinders.
Luxfer invented the cold-extruded, seamless aluminum cylinder in England in 1958. Initially used to dispense beverages, these lightweight, corrosion-resistant cylinders quickly grew in popularity, and the company expanded its product range to include cylinders for other applications, including industrial gases, medical oxygen, fire extinguishers, life-support for firefighters and rescue personnel, and a variety of automotive and aviation requirements. In 1972, Luxfer Gas Cylinders opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Riverside, California, and use of Luxfer products quickly spread throughout the Americas. In 1976, the company introduced fiber-reinforced, hoop-wrapped composite cylinders that could be filled to even higher pressures than all-aluminum cylinders. A decade later, Luxfer added fully wrapped, ultra-lightweight composite cylinders to its worldwide product line. Over the years, these products have been progressively redesigned and improved by the use of more advanced alloys and materials, including patented aluminum alloys. In recent years Luxfer has greatly expanded its global presence in the growing market for containment of compressed natural gas, including cylinders used on alternative fuel vehicles.
Luxfer Gas Cylinders currently operates manufacturing facilities in England, France, Germany, the U.S., Canada and China, as well as a joint venture in India. Luxfer Gas Cylinders is a member of Luxfer Group (www.luxfer.com), an advanced materials technology company with headquarters in Salford, England.
About IOM3
The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (www.iom3.org) is a major UK-based, global engineering institution with activities encompassing the entire materials cycle from exploration and extraction through characterization, processing, forming, finishing and application to product recycling and land reuse. Serving as a leading authority in the worldwide materials and mining community, IOM3 exists to promote and develop all aspects of materials science.