The Harris Products Group has a firm foundation in the equipment and alloys used in brazing, soldering, welding, cutting, heating and gas control. In 1899, John Harris discovered the oxy-acetylene method of cutting while researching the manufacture of synthetic rubies. By accidentally cutting the metal plate beneath the ruby, he discovered the world’s first flame-cutting torch.
After exhibiting the torch at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, he started Harris Calorific in 1905. As well as refining his gas torches, Harris started manufacturing related accessories, including gas pressure regulators. In 1926, the company was purchased by the U.S. Welding Co., and became part of Emerson Electric Co. in 1973.
Meanwhile, in 1914, Joseph W. Harris founded the J.W. Harris Company, specialising in the distribution and repair of specialised parts for automotive and farm vehicles and later expanding into welding alloys and accessories. In 1984, the company purchased Unibraze Corp., another welding and brazing filler metals company, and continued the expansion with the acquisition of Thermacote Welco Co. in 1993. Autobraze, a manufacturer of precision brazing rings and return bends, was acquired in 2005.
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