Harris Calorific, Airgas Join Forces for Laser Offering, Including New Configurator

This press release comes from Business Wire.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2005---In a joint press conference at the 2005 FABTECH International(R)/AWS Welding Show today, Gainesville, GA-based Harris Calorific, Inc. and Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) announced an agreement to jointly market gases and gas control equipment for carbon dioxide lasers used in materials processing.

With this agreement, Airgas has chosen to exclusively market Harris Calorific laser gas control equipment. Airgas, in turn, will have exclusive use of a new customized Airgas Laser Gas Configurator developed by Harris Calorific. The Configurator will help Airgas' nearly 1,000 sales force select the right gases and gas handling equipment for their customers' laser equipment.

The Configurator is programmed with data on more than 600 different carbon dioxide lasers and can quickly determine the required lasing, purge and assist gases, pressure, flow, and gas control equipment, based on the laser, the types of materials being worked and the laser runtime.

"Our combined knowledge of the laser marketplace will help Airgas and Harris better serve laser cutting operators, so they can be more productive U.S. manufacturers," said Tom Thoman, vice president - gases, for Airgas, Inc. "This will be an important element in the full product offering that we bring to our laser cutting customers."

"We are excited about joining forces with Airgas," said David Bell, manager - Special Products Group for Harris Calorific, Inc. "Based on Airgas' extensive customer base, we know they work with many existing laser customers. Our new Airgas Laser Gas Configurator will help laser owners optimize their performance."