Houghton International has entered a joint marketing agreement to distribute high-performance automotive body forming fluids manufactured by lubricant blender Rock Valley Oil and Chemical Co., the companies announced last month.
The agreement covers oil- and water-based blank washes, stamping fluids and heavy-duty drawing, stamping, forming and hydroforming compounds used in the manufacture of critical exterior body components. Some of the fluids are also used in making structural and interior parts.
Houghton said the deal will broaden the range of fluids that it offers to the auto industry and will complement its existing expertise in metalworking fluids and metallurgic processes.
“The metals industry is a mature industry with a deeply interconnected value chain, facing heightened competitive pressure,” said Joe Wintsch, Houghtons vice president of sales and marketing. “Metals processing facilities, particularly those serving the automotive sector, increase profits by finding product or process improvements that increase quality and yields while reducing scrap and defects.”
The marketing agreement covers the United States and Canada at this time, but the companies said they expect it to be expanded to Europe and Asia in the future.
Rock Valley is based in Rockford, Ill., and supplies industrial lubricants and chemicals. Houghton is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., and provides lubricants, specialty chemicals and maintenance services to the automotive, metalworking and steel industries.