Since our founding in 1982 as a heat technology specialist, Thermo Riko has developed and sold heat treatment equipment used in the heat treatment processes that are essential to the research and development of new materials. Our products are proudly made possible by proprietary heat technologies unmatched by competitors.

Our infrared guide heating systems have attracted particular interest for their new method of heating test samples in ultra-high vacuums. They are currently used throughout Japan by science and technology universities, independent government research institutes, as well as private-sector R&D departments. They are also widely used by a large number of foreign universities and other institutions.

We pride ourselves in delivering 700 of these systems, and over 3,000 heat treatment systems of all types to date. Some of our new products have been developed with the help of subsidy systems provided by sponsors such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center and the Mitaka City municipal government. We have also been at the forefront of several joint research projects led by groups of public, private, and academic organizations. Examples include projects with the University of Electro-Communications (1993), the Nagoya Institute of Technology (1996), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (2003), and Tohoku University’s Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (starting in 2015). In 2008, our infrared guide heating systems were selected for support as promising exports by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

In December 2012, our management innovation plan was approved by the governor of Tokyo under the Keiei Kakushin Keikaku program (a support program aimed at helping small and medium-sized companies grow their business). In 2013, we began a full-scale expansion into overseas markets by creating a general agency in Liverpool, UK. Despite our small size, Thermo Riko has accumulated an impressive array of superior heat-related technologies over our 38 year history. We hope to draw on our unique identity to continue developing ever-more advanced products that make small but important contributions to science and technology while meeting the needs of the modern world.