A History of Cannon Boiler Works, Inc.

1972 – Foundational Roots

Cannon Boiler Works, Inc. was founded on November 7, 1972, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We started as a custom manufacturer and service company.

1976 – ASME Certification

In 1976, we launched an ASME Code program to manufacture custom boilers and pressure vessels. These technical skills kept our business strong through several deep recessions.

1978 – Adapting to the Energy Crisis

The global energy crisis prompted us to focus on energy recovery products. Our field construction and service experience helped us design long-lasting, easy-to-service equipment.

This equipment could be added to existing boilers or sold directly to leading boiler manufacturers for new systems. At the same time, rising natural gas prices created a massive market for our heat recovery systems on firetube boilers.

1980 – Custom Finned Tubing Innovation

While developing a compact heat recovery unit, we built a facility to produce finned tubing—the heart of energy recovery systems.

Making our own tubing made us self-reliant. It also allowed us to manufacture custom finned tubing for other companies. Our unique brazing process quickly made us a national leader in finned tube products.

1985 – Scaling Up Waste Heat Boilers

In 1985, we began designing, building, and installing forced circulation waste heat boilers. Key early milestones included:

Municipal Projects: Two 35,000 #/hr waste heat boilers for the Pittsburgh municipal sanitary authority.
Co-Generation Plants: Ten waste heat boilers for Duke Power’s Mobile Bay Plant in Alabama.

We have built waste heat boilers for gas turbines, diesel engines, and incinerators, with projects ranging from $100,000 to $2,500,000. Today, our field services include installing massive pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and full boiler rooms.

1995 – Launching Environmental Systems

We introduced the Cannon LTO Environmental System in 1995. This system combined a new, low-temperature chemical process with our waste heat recovery technology.

Since then, our patented system has been installed on many applications to reduce flue gas emissions to zero. These custom units cut pollution from industrial boilers while lowering operating costs.

1998 – Facility Expansion

In 1998, we purchased and expanded our current facility. We continue to find new market opportunities and develop advanced products while maintaining our tradition of excellence.

2000 to 2004 – Partnerships & New Tech

2000: We became the exclusive U.S. supplier of Spinheat boilers. We supplied two 15,000 #/hr waste-coal units, followed by a complete 500 PSIG plant the next year.
2003: We began developing fuel humidifier units for fuel cells. We also introduced extended surface designs to preheat blended natural gas and superheated steam.
2004: We partnered with a top heat exchanger company to offer combined manufacturing and repair services at our facility.

2014 – Case Study: A Critical Steam Plant Turnaround

In 2014, we designed, procured, and commissioned a new steam plant for a Western Pennsylvania manufacturer. The project had demanding requirements:

Total steam flow over 100,000 pph.
Load swings over 50% with full recovery in under five minutes.
Use of 100% cold water make-up.
Less than eight months to go from proposal to fully online.

We met this challenge with a highly reliable system that delivered 88% to 92% efficiency. The setup required minimal operator attention. Once selected, we worked closely with the client, engineers, and contractors to deliver all equipment in record time.

Our complete scope of supply included:

(12) Miura LXH Boilers
(2) Industrial Steam Deaerators
(2) Condensing Heat Recovery Units (with full exhaust system)
(1) Wet Steam Accumulator
(1) Penn Separator Blow Down Heat Recovery system
A complete water treatment system (softeners, bulk brine system, storage tanks, and pumps)

We provided dedicated field service through startup and commissioning to ensure the project succeeded.

Continuing Our Momentum

Following that success, we completed a similar 90,000 #/hr system with excellent results, followed by an even larger co-generation system in 2018.

Growing public awareness has driven a high interest in condensing economizers. We have built in-stack economizers for 25 years. Now, we also offer standalone, On-Demand automated systems. These custom units recover heat without affecting your existing boiler setup.

We will continue to invest heavily in energy efficiency, finding new ways to optimize performance for all current and future products.