GSI Group to acquire Excel Technology
Provider of precision motion products and lasers for medical, electronics, industrial, and semiconductor applications, GSI Group (Rugby, England) agreed to acquire Excel Technology (East Setauket, NY), producer of laser systems and electro-optical parts, with subsidiaries including Quantronix, Continuum, and Synrad. The companies have entered into a definitive agreement for GSI to acquire Excel in an all-cash transaction for $32 per share, or approximately $360 million before fees and transaction costs. “This acquisition constitutes a major step in the execution of our strategy to expand our presence in our most attractive markets,” said Sergio Edelstein, president and CEO of GSI. “GSI and Excel have a set of uniquely complementary products, technologies, and distribution channels, which will enable the combined company to provide customers with a significantly broader set of solutions.”
LightMachinery acquires excimer line from GSI
Manufacturer of lasers and precision optical components LightMachinery (Ottawa, ON, Canada) concluded an agreement with GSI Group to purchase the Lumonics brand excimer laser product lines. The acquisition follows LightMachinery’s recent acquisition of the TEA CO2 infrared laser product lines from GSI Group. John Hunter, president of LightMachinery, said, “The Lumonics excimer lasers have a well-established reputation for being reliable industrial lasers and we are very excited to acquire this technology.” In April 2008, LightMachinery acquired the Impact and LaserMark product lines from GSI Group. As a result of these product-line acquisitions and a rapidly expanding business, LightMachinery is more than doubling its production operations and relocating to an expanded manufacturing and laboratory facility.
Aculight to be acquired by Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, MD) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aculight (Bothell, WA), a privately held company primarily focused on providing laser-based solutions for national defense and medical customers. The new business unit will report to Lockheed Martin’s Maritime Systems & Sensors business in Akron, OH. “This transaction is consistent with Lockheed Martin’s focus on acquiring companies with strategic capabilities that strengthen our core offerings and create potential for adjacent market expansion,” said Chris Kubasik, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems business area. “Aculight’s expertise in countermeasures, laser radar, and high-power directed energy will be of tangible benefit to Lockheed Martin’s customers in areas such as guided munitions, airborne self-protection and advanced sensors.” Terms have not been disclosed.
Boeing and others form ‘direct’ laser center
With the goal of developing large-scale layer-by-layer part manufacturing processes that often consist of sintering or melting of plastic or metal powders using an industrial laser, the University of Paderborn (Paderborn, Germany) joined with EOS Electro Optical Systems (Krailling, Germany), Evonik Industries (Marl, Germany), MCP HEK Tooling (Luebeck, Germany), and Boeing’s Berlin branch to form the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC). Others are invited to join the research effort. The DMRC will be located at the University of Paderborn and the four founding companies will invest a total of $3.1 million dollars into the DMRC over the five-year contract period, while the University of Paderborn will contribute $935,000 dollars.
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Also in the news . . .
Gigaphoton (Oyama, Japan), a lithography light-source manufacturer for the semiconductor industry, installed its 100th GigaTwin argon-fluoride light-source platform at a major semiconductor foundry in Taiwan. . . . Cymer (San Diego, CA), supplier of light sources used in semiconductor lithography, reached a significant multi-unit agreement with Toshiba for Cymer’s krypton fluoride and argon fluoride light sources for Toshiba’s future 300 mm memory fab in Japan. . . . Synova (Lausanne, Switzerland), pioneer and patent holder of water-jet-guided laser technology, announced a milestone follow-on order for 25 of its Laser MicroJet systems from a European-based solar-cell manufacturer. . . . Chromogenex (South Wales, U.K.) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market and sell its Chromolite EP in the U.S. The system is an intense pulsed-light system for the treatment of unwanted hair, and for photo rejuvenation and active acne. . . . Lighting and display developer Universal Display (Ewing, NJ) received a $1.9 million, two-year U.S. Department of Energy contract to develop a ceiling-based white organic-light-emitting-diode lighting system. . . . High-power laser manufacturer QPC Lasers (Sylmar, CA) completed the $1 million technology development phase of a $12 million laser television contract with a major Asian manufacturer of consumer electronics for red, green, and blue lasers.