History of AGC Ceramics

1900s

1907

• Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. Established

1910s

1916

• Started production of chamotte bricks at Amagasaki Plant (beginning of ceramics business)

1920s

1921

• Started production of silica bricks at Amagasaki Plant

1930s

1932

• First production of fused cast refractory (CB) in Japan at Amagasaki Plant through technical partnership with Corhart, USA

1939

• Absorbed Showa Chemical Industry, became Iho Plant

1950s

1954

• Started production of fused cast refractory (ZB) at Amagasaki Plant

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1956

• Transferred fused cast refractory production from Amagasaki to Makiyama Plant

1960s

1961

• Furnace Materials Division established

1962

• Started production of fused cast refractory (MB) at Makiyama Plant
• Installed No.1 & No.2 tunnel kilns at Iho Plant, shifting from batch kilns to tunnel kiln firing

1964

• Exclusive distributor contracts signed (Asahi Furnace Club established)

1966

• Transferred fused cast refractory production (ZB, MB) from Makiyama to Iho Plant

1969

• Renamed Iho Plant to Takasago Plant
• Acquired monolithic refractory division from Nippon Steel Pipe Co., Ltd., started centralized production of fused cast, bonded, and monolithic refractories at Takasago Plant

1970s

1976

• Renamed Furnace Materials Division to Ceramics Division
• Established Asahi Glass Youro Service Co., Ltd.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1980s

1982

• Started production of high zirconia fused cast refractories (now ZB-X950 series)

1983

• Started centralized production of fine ceramics at Takasago Plant

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1984

• ZrB₂ (CERABOREX) received Nikkei Annual Excellent Product Award and Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Top 10 Products Award

1990s

1991

• Acquired Plibrico Japan Co., Ltd.
• Renamed Asahi Glass Youro Service to Asahi Furnace System Co., Ltd.

1993

• Established Zibo Asahi Glass Fused Materials Co., Ltd. (Shandong, China)

　　　　　　　　　　　　

1994

• Established Plibrico（Dalian）Industries Co., Ltd.

1996

• Obtained ISO 9001 certification

1999

• Obtained ISO 14001 certification

2000s

2000

• Established Zibo Asahi Glass Alumina Materials Co., Ltd. (Shandong, China)

2001

• Launched non-chromium bricks (BNC) for cement kilns in response to environmental needs

2002

• Integrated Asahi Glass Ceramics Division and Asahi Furnace System Co., Ltd. to form Asahi Glass Ceramics Co., Ltd.
• Acquired capital in Zibo GT Industrial Ceramics Co., Ltd. (Shandong, China)

2007

• Renamed Asahi Glass Ceramics Co., Ltd. to AGC Ceramics Co., Ltd.
• Merged Zibo Asahi Glass Fused Materials Co., Ltd. and Zibo Asahi Glass Alumina Materials Co., Ltd. (surviving company: Zibo Asahi Glass Alumina Materials Co., Ltd.

2010s

2011

• Established Yixing AGC Ceramics Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu, China)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

2013

• Renamed Plibrico Japan Co., Ltd. to AGC Plibrico Co., Ltd.
• Established AGC Ceramics Singapore Pte. Ltd.
• Renamed Plibrico（Dalian）Industries Co., Ltd. to AGC Plibrico (Dalian) Industries Co., Ltd.

2016

• High thermal insulating ceramic wall called “THERMOTECT WALL™”, won the Director General Prize of Agency of Natural Resources and Energy at the Energy Conservation Grand Prize.
• 100th anniversary of ceramics business

2017

• Started production and sales of BRIGHTORB™, a material for 3D printers

2019

• Three group company name changes in China
• Zibo Asahi Glass Alumina Materials Co., Ltd. changed to Zibo AGC Alumina Materials Co., Ltd.
• Yixing Asahi Glass Industrial Ceramics Co., Ltd. changed to AGC Industrial Ceramics (Yixing) Co., Ltd.
• Zibo GT Industrial Ceramics Co., Ltd. changed to Zibo GT New Material Group Co., Ltd.

2020s

2022

• Established CERAWEI TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD, a joint venture (Jingdezhen, China)

2023

• Transferred part of AGC Industrial Ceramics (Yixing) Co., Ltd. shares to Jiangsu Hengnai Refractory Group Co., Ltd., making it an affiliate. Company name changed to Jiangsu Hengnai AGC Industrial Ceramics Co., Ltd.

2024

• Launched support services using digital technologies to improve the efficiency of glass container manufacturing furnaces