By Alexander Franklin – Managing Director, Ranheat Engineering Ltd.
At Ranheat, we don’t just build industrial biomass boilers. We build relationships that last as long as the systems we make. And that means supporting every machine we’ve ever built, regardless of its age or where it’s installed.
This approach comes from being a UK family-owned business—a business where the same people who design your system are still there to answer your questions years later.
Our story started when my father, Chris Franklin, worked as an export consultant for Ranheat Energy A/S in Denmark—a pioneering biomass boiler manufacturer established in the 1950s. When Ranheat Denmark ran into financial difficulties and folded under new ownership, Chris saw an opportunity to continue developing this technology in the UK.
In 1990, he and my mother Barbara Franklin founded Ranheat Engineering Ltd, based in Northampton, to design and build biomass boilers and warm air systems tailored to the UK market—especially the woodworking and joinery industries.
Over time, our systems evolved to handle a range of fuels, including MDF, MFC, OSB, chipboard, and more, keeping pace with changing regulations and emissions standards. Today, Ranheat remains a 100% privately owned, family-run company, with all systems built at our UK factory. I am, taking car of most of the day to business but Chris’ throughts are never too far away from the perfect combustion of biomass.
We continue to support every Ranheat system we’ve ever built. That means:
Drawings and parts remain available for decades
Our engineers understand how each system works, even the early models
We can retrofit new technology into old systems
Our control systems and software remain supported
This isn’t an add-on or a marketing line—it’s how we design. Our machines are built to be maintained, not thrown away. And that’s why they’re still running.
Ranheat systems are designed with modularity and serviceability in mind:
Fire chambers can be swapped in a day
Fans, filters, and controls are accessible and upgradeable
Parts are sourced and built in-house in the UK
This design philosophy means our customers aren’t stuck with a system that’s obsolete. Instead, they have a boiler that can be updated and improved as technology and regulations change.
Every Ranheat system is designed and built in Northampton. This means:
Faster response times
Parts that match your machine exactly
Direct contact with the people who designed and built your system
While our roots are here in the UK, we now supply systems across Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and India. But every system—no matter where it ends up—starts in our UK factory.
For larger systems—typically 725kW and above, or for higher temperatures and pressures (above 95°C in European heating circuits)—we work closely with Danstoker, a leading European boiler manufacturer. This partnership goes back more than 50 years, to the days of the original Danish Ranheat. By collaborating with Danstoker, we can focus on combustion systems, fuel storage, and conveying, while pairing them seamlessly with Danstoker’s high-performance pressure vessels. This approach allows us to deliver complete solutions from 4MW to 20MW, at 3–43 bar, offering customers the confidence of integrated systems for more demanding heating applications.
Being family-run means continuity. When you call us, you’re not dealing with a call centre or an outsourced service line. You’re talking to the people who build the systems, design the controls, and support the machines in the field.
This is why so many of our customers come back to us for new systems. Because they know that when they invest in a Ranheat system, they’re investing in a relationship that lasts.
Ranheat’s approach is simple: build systems that last, and stand by them for life.
We’re not chasing short-term sales. We’re building for the long term—systems that your business can depend on, and support that won’t disappear when the warranty does.
📞 Talk to Ranheat about a system that will still be running in 20 years
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 www.ranheat.com
