VMA Member Honored for Best
Corporate Blog
Emerson Process Management has earned the
2010 “Best Corporate Blog” award from BtoB
magazine for the “Emerson Process Experts”
blog, led by chief blogger Jim Cahill.
The Emerson Process Experts blog at
www.EmersonProcessXperts.com features technology and
application specialists throughout the company—and sometimes customers—sharing their experiences, suggestions and
tips on applying process control and monitoring technologies
in plant operations to improve safety, reliability and performance.
Jim Cahill
ACQUISITIONS & AGREEMENTS
Curtiss-Wright Establishes Qual Tech NPy
Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Company (CWFC) has established a new business unit, Qual Tech NP, to serve the unique
needs of the nuclear power industry. Qual Tech NP will combine three of the company’s nuclear power businesses: Trentec
(Cincinnati, OH), Scientech’s EGS Products Division
(Huntsville, AL) and NETCO (Kingston, NY). It will become
part of CWFC’s Nuclear Group.
Qual Tech NP will provide aftermarket parts, innovative
and comprehensive testing, environmental qualification and
commercial-grade dedication services. It will also be a services and manufacturing platform for continuing growth of technical solutions for both the aging fleet of operating nuclear
plants, as well as qualification of equipment to be installed in
new reactor designs. Kurt Mitchell, formerly with Scientech,
will serve as Qual Tech NP’s general manager.
Rotork Acquires Ralph A. Hiller Company
Rotork has acquired the Ralph A. Hiller Company Inc., a
designer and manufacturer of nuclear actuators and distributor of related products based in Pittsburgh, PA.
The total consideration for the acquisition of the entire
issued share capital and facility of Hiller is $7.8 million
payable in cash. Approximately $1.3 million of the consideration is deferred and payable over the next 19 months.
Hiller’s financial year-end accounts for the year ending
Sept. 30, 2009, shows turnover of $14.6 million and profit
before tax of $421,000.
Weir Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sign
Agreement
The Weir Group PLC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
(MHI) have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop
activities in the UK nuclear new build market under the brand
WEIR-MHI.
Under the joint cooperation agreement, MHI will design
and manufacture nuclear pumps for nuclear power genera-
tion, as well as pumping equipment across the “conventional
island” of a nuclear power plant. Weir will provide project
management, installation and commissioning and after sales,
and will also be responsible for the implementation of site
health, safety and environmental systems.
Spirax-Sarco Buys 51% Stake in Spirax-Sarco
Mexicana
Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC has acquired from its local
partners the remaining 51% voting equity in its Mexican
operating company, Spirax-Sarco Mexicana S.A., which was
previously 49% owned by the group and accounted as an
associate. The purchase consideration for the 51% of Spirax
Mexico not previously controlled by the group will be settled
in installments over an expected five-year period.
OTHER MEMBER NEWS
AUMA-USA Enhances Manufacturing Facility
A $1-million upgrade of its Canonsburg, PA manufacturing
facility enables AUMA-USA to machine cast iron housings
onsite for its multi-turn valve actuators and worm gearboxes.
AUMA installed a Heller MCH250 horizontal mill with
HSK tooling instruments and a Siemens control system. The
new mill, operating with twin 630 by 630 mm pallets at a
speed of 58m per minute, enables AUMA to also increase
productivity over the previously installed equipment.
Cameron Completes Major Restructuring of Valves
& Measurement Group
The restructuring of Cameron’s Valves & Measurement
Group (V&M) includes the formation of a new division, Flow
Management Solutions (FMS), and combines two existing
divisions, Engineered Valves and Process Valves, into one
(EPV). The Distributed Valves Division (DSV) and the
Measurement Systems Division (FLO) remain unchanged
as separate divisions within V&M.
