Dow, DuPont receive MOFCOM approval for proposed merger
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) granted conditional regulatory approval of DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company’s proposed merger of equals. The approval is conditional on DuPont and Dow fulfilling commitments to MOFCOM in connection with the clearance, and falls in step with the progress the companies have made in securing regulatory clearances around the world for their pro-competitive merger. The European Commission granted conditional regulatory clearance in Europe in March. By combining, the companies expect to see cost savings of approximately $3 billion with the potential for $1 billion in growth synergies.
Merger creates new global player in the process engineering industry
The merger between Danish companies NIRAS and ALECTIA is complete and creates a new player in the global process engineering industry. The companies say the merger brings more service lines, a wider field of experience and expanded presence in the Nordic countries as well as in African and South East Asian countries.
Ritter Technology acquires Fluid Systems Engineering
Ritter Technology LLC acquired Clinton Township, Michigan-based Fluid Systems Engineering, strengthening the company’s engineered hydraulic and pneumatic products offerings to customers in the greater Detroit area. Fluid Systems Engineering has been serving automotive, industrial and government markets for nearly 56 years. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
OTC acquires NWTS, resulting in OTC Solutions
Offshore Technical Compliance (OTC) acquired Northwest Technical Solutions (NWTS) as a wholly owned subsidiary, enabling OTC to provide more offshore services with a smaller footprint and cost. As part of the acquisition, NWTS will be renamed OTC Solutions.
Hexagon’s completes acquisition of MSC Software
Hexagon AB completed the previously announced acquisition of MSC Software, having obtained regulatory approvals and meeting other customary conditions. The acquisition enables Hexagon to better integrate real-world data generated on the production floor with simulation data to further improve a customer’s ability to reveal and correct design limitations and production problems before manufacturing.
Smartware Group, 5ME partner on IIoT asset monitoring
Modern Bigfoot CMMS software producer Smartware Group selected 5ME as its preferred asset monitoring partner to provide enhanced asset visibility and automation across the manufacturing enterprise for predictive maintenance in the industrial internet of things. Interested and potential users can learn more about implementing Bigfoot CMMS with Freedom eLog and the benefits of asset monitoring and CMMS integration by attending a webinar cosponsored by Smartware Group and 5ME called, "Freedom eLog + Bigfoot CMMS: 24/7 Asset Visibility for Automatic PdM." The webinar is at 11 a.m. ET, May 16, and 2 p.m. ET, May 25 at For more information, visit http://www.bigfootcmms.com/company/partners/.
SwRI adds extreme high-pressure high-temperature facility
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will add a new 5,000-square-foot Extreme High-Pressure High-Temperature facility in July 2017. The facility is designed to house a series of 13-inch diameter pressure chambers that can accommodate up to 30,000 pounds per square inch gauge and temperatures up to 650 °F. The facility will complement SwRI’s variety of facilities and equipment dedicated to testing and evaluating a range of offshore and subsea components.
https://www.swri.org/high-pressure-high-temperature-facility
Uganda, Sudan sign agreements with Siemens
Uganda and Sudan signed a Memoranda of Understanding at the World Economic Forum 2017 enabling Siemens to work more closely with the African countries in the areas of power supply, industry, transportation and healthcare. With these agreements, Siemens wants to drive infrastructure investments in Africa and support the countries in their industrialization efforts.
Siemens to build cogeneration plant in Berlin
Siemens will act as general contractor in the building of a new cogeneration plant in the Marzahn district of Berlin for the energy utility company Vattenfall Europe Wärme AG. The project involves the erection of a natural-gas fired combined-cycle power plant with district heat extraction. The cogeneration facility will produce electric power while simultaneously supplying the east side of the German capital with district heating. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2020.
Yokogawa, Dover team up on ‘Well Managed’
Yokogawa Electric Corporation subsidiary Yokogawa Corporation of America, and Dover Energy Automation joined forces to create the "Well Managed" product portfolio to help operators monitor, control and enhance well-site performance in order to improve productivity and return on investment. The strategic collaboration will increase performance from a single well to an entire field.
Molex collaborates on new M12 push-pull standard
Molex and Phoenix Contact, Murrelektronik and Binder, announced a cooperation agreement to drive the standardization of M12 push-pull connectors. The connector, which can be used without tools, offers advantages during mounting work, especially in confined spaces.
AspenTech acquires rights to Operator Training Simulator
Aspen Technology Inc. acquired rights to Operator Training Simulator (OTS) framework software from Barcelona, Spain-based Inprocess Technology and Consulting Group. The acquisition of rights enables AspenTech to offer a complete set of OTS software, adding technology that provides the end user environment for plant operators and training instructors and helps to connect to the various process control systems that may be used in the real plant.
LANXESS invests in Lillo/Antwerp production site
LANXESS is investing more than $27 million in 2017 to strengthen its integrated production complex for polyamide and precursors for plastics in Antwerp, Belgium. The investment is primarily intended to enhance efficacy. In total, the company has invested more than $325 million in its integrated production complex in Lillo since 2004.
