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Maxwell divests sealing businesses
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NEWS
Oxygen leak delays Endeavour’s launch A sudden and puzzling leak in the astronauts’ oxygen supply forced NASA to delay the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, which was scheduled for early November 2002, according to a report in the US press. With just two hours remaining in the countdown, NASA called off the flight to the International Space Station. The report says that the oxygen leak is believed to be somewhere deep in the mid-body of the Shuttle, beneath the payload bay. It is in one of two systems that feed oxygen into the crew’s cabin for breathing and into the astronauts’ pressure suits during the launch and landing. The concern was that the leak, while small, could worsen. This is the latest in a series of problems that have plagued NASA’s shuttles during 2002 — most notably, fuel line cracks grounded the entire fleet all summer. NASA says that the recent problem could be associated with a loose seal or tube fitting.
Maxwell divests sealing businesses Maxwell Technologies Inc of San Diego, California, USA, has separately divested its non-core glass-to-metal seals and computing systems businesses, as part of its strategy to focus exclusively on proprietary power and microelectronics products. Carl Eibl, Maxwell’s CEO, says that the company has sold its TeknaSeal glass-to-metal seals business to a group of private investors in a deal that will generate net proceeds of approximately US$5 million in cash. 16
Maxwell received an immediate net cash payment of approximately US$4 million for TeknaSeal, while the remaining US$1 million of the purchase price has been deposited in an escrow account and will be paid out quarterly, beginning in 2003. For more information, contact: Maxwell Technologies Inc, 8888 Balboa Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123, USA. Tel: +1 858 279 5100, Fax: +1 858 277 6754.
John Crane employs Comshare software John Crane Inc has chosen Comshare MPC software to centralize, standardize and automate the budgeting, forecasting and reporting functions of its North American operations. The company will also use the software to improve forecasting, and for its variance analysis, charting, graphing and exception reporting capabilities. It will use the application’s production reporting capabilities to disseminate information to a large user-base. According to John Crane, its existing budgeting and forecasting system was too cumbersome for its crucial business process. Data had to be moved manually from one system to another and was difficult to access by the variety of personnel who needed current, accurate information from a centralized source. The Comshare application provides a single-source, closedloop system that is accessible across the company’s North American facilities. For more information, contact: John Crane Inc, 6400 West Oakton, Morton Grove, IL 60053, USA. Tel: +1 847 967 2400, Fax: +1 847 967 2857.
Or contact: Comshare Inc, 555 Briarwood Circle, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. Tel: +1 734 994 4800, Fax: +1 734 994 5895.
PerkinElmer supplies Airbus parts US-based PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences, a producer of precision valves, seals, bellows, pneumatic ducting and other subassemblies, has been selected by Airbus to develop and supply high-pressure hydraulic accumulators for the A380 aircraft. PerkinElmer says that its accumulators use welded metal bellows technology to eliminate elastomeric separators that limit the service life on other types of accumulators. The programme will be handled at PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences facility in Coignieres, France. Customer service for the equipment will be provided through PerkinElmer’s worldwide support network. PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences, a business unit of PerkinElmer Inc, joins other companies in the USA and worldwide as a source of parts for the A380 ‘superjumbo’. The first version of the aircraft, a 555seat passenger plane, is scheduled to enter airline service during 2006. For more information, contact: PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences, PerkinElmer Coignieres, 2 rue Lavoisier, 78310, Coignieres, France. Tel: +33 130 69 3000, Fax: +33 130 69 3056.
Net earnings rise at Rohm and Haas Rohm and Haas Co of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, has reported a strong set of results for its third quarter ended 30 September 2002. Net earnings of US$73 million, reflect a 38% increase over US$53 million which was posted for the third quarter of 2001. Sales of US$1454 million were 8% higher than the figure posted for the equivalent period of 2001, reflecting solid improvement in key market segments for the company.
The company says that each year sales growth continues to show solid improvement, reflecting the strength of its portfolio to generate higher sales, despite uncertain economic times. It says that this growth, combined with the implementation of cost reduction initiatives, which are essentially complete, is demonstrated in the solid earnings improvement. Sales of adhesives and sealants totalled US$146 million, which reflects an 8% decline compared with the corresponding period a year earlier. Rohm and Haas says that earnings of US$6 million for this segment are down from US$9 million because of the effects of it exiting the liquid polysulphide business at the end of 2001, and costs associated with the restructuring of the businesses manufacturing network. While many of its businesses are showing solid year-on-year growth, the company is now seeing evidence of this growth slowing in some key markets, such as adhesives. For more information, contact: Rohm and Haas Co, 100 Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA. Tel: +1 215 592 3000, Fax: +1 215 592 3377.
Burgmann sets up new subsidiary in Hungary German sealing specialist Burgmann Dichtungswerke GmbH is investing 300 000 in a new subsidiary in Hungary. Headquartered in Budapest, Burgmann Hungaria GmbH will open for business on 1 January 2003 and will focus on sales and advisory services for the company’s range of mechanical seals, packings and expansion joints. For more information, contact: Burgmann Dichtungswerke GmbH & Co KG, Äußere Sauerlacher Straße 6-10, D82502 Wolfratshausen, Germany. Tel: +49 8171 23 0, Fax: +49 8171 23 12 14.
Sealing Technology December 2002
17/12/2002
18:03
Page 16
NEWS
Oxygen leak delays Endeavour’s launch A sudden and puzzling leak in the astronauts’ oxygen supply forced NASA to delay the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, which was scheduled for early November 2002, according to a report in the US press. With just two hours remaining in the countdown, NASA called off the flight to the International Space Station. The report says that the oxygen leak is believed to be somewhere deep in the mid-body of the Shuttle, beneath the payload bay. It is in one of two systems that feed oxygen into the crew’s cabin for breathing and into the astronauts’ pressure suits during the launch and landing. The concern was that the leak, while small, could worsen. This is the latest in a series of problems that have plagued NASA’s shuttles during 2002 — most notably, fuel line cracks grounded the entire fleet all summer. NASA says that the recent problem could be associated with a loose seal or tube fitting.
Maxwell divests sealing businesses Maxwell Technologies Inc of San Diego, California, USA, has separately divested its non-core glass-to-metal seals and computing systems businesses, as part of its strategy to focus exclusively on proprietary power and microelectronics products. Carl Eibl, Maxwell’s CEO, says that the company has sold its TeknaSeal glass-to-metal seals business to a group of private investors in a deal that will generate net proceeds of approximately US$5 million in cash. 16
Maxwell received an immediate net cash payment of approximately US$4 million for TeknaSeal, while the remaining US$1 million of the purchase price has been deposited in an escrow account and will be paid out quarterly, beginning in 2003. For more information, contact: Maxwell Technologies Inc, 8888 Balboa Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123, USA. Tel: +1 858 279 5100, Fax: +1 858 277 6754.
John Crane employs Comshare software John Crane Inc has chosen Comshare MPC software to centralize, standardize and automate the budgeting, forecasting and reporting functions of its North American operations. The company will also use the software to improve forecasting, and for its variance analysis, charting, graphing and exception reporting capabilities. It will use the application’s production reporting capabilities to disseminate information to a large user-base. According to John Crane, its existing budgeting and forecasting system was too cumbersome for its crucial business process. Data had to be moved manually from one system to another and was difficult to access by the variety of personnel who needed current, accurate information from a centralized source. The Comshare application provides a single-source, closedloop system that is accessible across the company’s North American facilities. For more information, contact: John Crane Inc, 6400 West Oakton, Morton Grove, IL 60053, USA. Tel: +1 847 967 2400, Fax: +1 847 967 2857.
Or contact: Comshare Inc, 555 Briarwood Circle, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. Tel: +1 734 994 4800, Fax: +1 734 994 5895.
PerkinElmer supplies Airbus parts US-based PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences, a producer of precision valves, seals, bellows, pneumatic ducting and other subassemblies, has been selected by Airbus to develop and supply high-pressure hydraulic accumulators for the A380 aircraft. PerkinElmer says that its accumulators use welded metal bellows technology to eliminate elastomeric separators that limit the service life on other types of accumulators. The programme will be handled at PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences facility in Coignieres, France. Customer service for the equipment will be provided through PerkinElmer’s worldwide support network. PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences, a business unit of PerkinElmer Inc, joins other companies in the USA and worldwide as a source of parts for the A380 ‘superjumbo’. The first version of the aircraft, a 555seat passenger plane, is scheduled to enter airline service during 2006. For more information, contact: PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences, PerkinElmer Coignieres, 2 rue Lavoisier, 78310, Coignieres, France. Tel: +33 130 69 3000, Fax: +33 130 69 3056.
Net earnings rise at Rohm and Haas Rohm and Haas Co of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, has reported a strong set of results for its third quarter ended 30 September 2002. Net earnings of US$73 million, reflect a 38% increase over US$53 million which was posted for the third quarter of 2001. Sales of US$1454 million were 8% higher than the figure posted for the equivalent period of 2001, reflecting solid improvement in key market segments for the company.
The company says that each year sales growth continues to show solid improvement, reflecting the strength of its portfolio to generate higher sales, despite uncertain economic times. It says that this growth, combined with the implementation of cost reduction initiatives, which are essentially complete, is demonstrated in the solid earnings improvement. Sales of adhesives and sealants totalled US$146 million, which reflects an 8% decline compared with the corresponding period a year earlier. Rohm and Haas says that earnings of US$6 million for this segment are down from US$9 million because of the effects of it exiting the liquid polysulphide business at the end of 2001, and costs associated with the restructuring of the businesses manufacturing network. While many of its businesses are showing solid year-on-year growth, the company is now seeing evidence of this growth slowing in some key markets, such as adhesives. For more information, contact: Rohm and Haas Co, 100 Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA. Tel: +1 215 592 3000, Fax: +1 215 592 3377.
Burgmann sets up new subsidiary in Hungary German sealing specialist Burgmann Dichtungswerke GmbH is investing 300 000 in a new subsidiary in Hungary. Headquartered in Budapest, Burgmann Hungaria GmbH will open for business on 1 January 2003 and will focus on sales and advisory services for the company’s range of mechanical seals, packings and expansion joints. For more information, contact: Burgmann Dichtungswerke GmbH & Co KG, Äußere Sauerlacher Straße 6-10, D82502 Wolfratshausen, Germany. Tel: +49 8171 23 0, Fax: +49 8171 23 12 14.
Sealing Technology December 2002