The joint venture involves Denmark-based Danfoss Group and the Japanese company Saginomiya Seisakusho. The agreement is the initial step in what the two companies hope will grow into “a global cooperation of their refrigeration and air conditioning activities.”

The joint venture establishes a company in Poland, Danfoss Saginomiya, which will be responsible for distribution of Saginomiya’s refrigeration and air conditioning controls to the European market. In addition, the company will manufacture and distribute disc-type small pressure controls (cartridge controls) for the air conditioning industry in Europe on the basis of a license from Saginomiya.

Officials said the joint venture will initially not directly affect operations in the United States. It was noted that Saginomiya and Danfoss “share a vision of an expanded cooperation of their activities (but) have no specific plans for further activities. Future plans will be developed in accordance with the experiences the present joint venture will generate.”

The first venture by Danfoss Maneurop into refrigeration scrolls consists of RM and RL models, set to debut in mid-2003. They are designed to work with R-404A and R-507. According to the company, “With a wide evaporating temperature range (-30 to 5 degrees C), the RM compressor is the perfect choice in medium-temperature applications for supermarket, food processing, and cold storage installations, while the RL series will address low-temperature system needs.”

— by Peter Powell

Publication date: 11/18/2002