NEW FACILITY
Altra Industrial Motion, South Beloit, Ill., is building a 90,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Changzhou, China (near Shanghai). The new plant will be home to Altra Industrial Motion Changzhou (AIMC). Altra is multinational designer, producer, and marketer of mechanical power-transmission products, as well as the largest selection of industrial couplings.
ACQUISITION
Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, Calif., will acquire the test and measurement business of Centellax, Santa Rosa, Calif. Centellax designs and manufactures biterror ratio testers and signal generators used for testing high-speed digital-communication systems and components. Agilent offers measurement product for chemical analysis, life sciences, electronics, and communications.
AWARDS
3V Fasteners Co. Inc., Corona, Calif., a subsidiary of PennEngineering Co., received the prestigious “2011 Platinum Supplier Award” by Spirit AeroSystems Inc., Wichita, Kans. The award recognizes overall customer satisfaction and excellent performance. 3V Fasteners, one of only 13 companies – and the only fastener manufacturer – selected from Spirit’s entire worldwide supplier base to win the award. Spirit designs and manufactures aerostructures for commercial aircraft. 3V Fasteners manufactures precision aerospace fasteners.
AGREEMENT
Dunkermotor, Elgin, Ill., a manufacturer of intelligent servomotors, has expanded its distribution agreement with Axis New England, Danvers, Mass., to include Dunkermotor’s complete line of rotary motor products. Axis provides manufacturing solutions in the motion-control and machine-automation fields.
PARTNERNETWORK PROGRAM
New suppliers and machine builders have joined the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork Program.
New Automation Encompass members in the Americas region are 3M Cogent, a wholly owned subsidiary of 3M Co. within 3M’s Security Systems Div.; General Cable, a developer, designer, manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of copper, aluminum, and fiberoptic wire and cable products for the energy, electrical infrastructure, and communications markets; RF IDeas Inc., a provider of card readers. A new Asia Pacific member is InHand Networks, a machine-to-machine technology company. Control Station Inc., a manufacturer of Loop-Pro software, has expanded its membership.
New members of the Rockwell Automation OEM Program (formerly the Machine Builder Program) include Aagard Group LLC, Alexandria Minn., which designs, engineers, and manufactures automated packaging machinery; and Tennessee Rand, a provider of engineering, machining, and robots.
RADIOTRONIX PRODUCTS
Linx Technologies, Merlin, Oreg., a developer and manufacturer of wireless products including radiofrequency modules, is shipping the product lines it acquired from Radiotronix earlier this year.
ANNIVERSARY
TÜV Rheinland, Boxborough, Mass., is celebrating 140 years of independent certification, testing, and assessment services to businesses worldwide. The company began as an entrepreneurial endeavor to inspect boilers in the districts of Elberfeld and Barmen in Germany.
NAME CHANGE
Thermadyne Holdings Corp., St. Louis, has changed its name to Victor Technologies Group Inc. and the name of its wholly owned subsidiary Thermadyne Industries Inc. to Victor Technologies International Inc. Victor Technologies provides cutting, welding, and gascontrol equipment.
RETIREMENT
Punita Pandit, cofounder of Animatics, has retired after 24 years. Punita started Animatics upon graduating from San Jose State Univ. and was instrumental in establishing operations and processes of the company including finance, distribution, manufacturing, and marketing. Moog acquired Animatics in 2011, at which time the company became Moog Animatics.
PERSONNEL
Wilbrecht LEDCO Inc., St. Paul, a subsidiary of Microprecision Electronics SA, has appointed Robin Lindorfer as Switches and Foil Resistors Product Manager.
ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Exlar Corp., Chanhassen, Minn., awarded $1,000 scholarships to four high-school graduates planning to pursue engineering degrees. In its second year, the Exlar Scholarship Program is awarded to students planning to pursue engineering degrees. Exlar designs and manufactures linear and rotary-motion products.