In Business

Pepperl+Fuchs (Twinsburg, OH) recently announced that it has acquired the Enclosure Protection Systems (EPS) division of Bebco Industries. Bebco EPS features a portfolio of purge and pressurization panels and control units for hazardous areas. Pepperl+Fuchs will retain the Bebco EPS brand name for the newly acquired product line.

To complete its transition into a pure analog semiconductor company and strengthen its finances, Intersil Corp. (Milpitas, CA) recently sold its Wireless Networking Product Group to GlobespanVirata Inc. for $250 million in cash and more than 15 million shares of Globespan’s stock. In connection with the sale, Intersil implemented several cost reductions, which included reducing its workforce by 8%.

To help system designers improve industrial network reliability, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI, Dallas, TX) has introduced its new Profibus transceivers that offer low signal distortion and are compliant with EN 50170 and TIA/EIA-485 standards. TI reports that its SN65HVD1176 and SN75HVD1176 transceivers provide improved output transition skew of less than 1 nanosecond, typically 0.2 nsec, giving system designers the ability to tighten the timing budget of networked applications.

To help manufacturers increase uptime and improve production efficiencies, Rockwell Automation (Milwaukee, WI) has introduced assessment tools to help identify opportunities for process improvement in maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) practices. These “Manufacturing Performance Assessment” programs identify performance issues; establish baseline metrics; and outline recommended corrective actions to increase machine availability, reliability and safety. The assessment tools include the Machinery Condition Evaluation, Plant Baseline Evaluation, Installed Base Evaluation and Integrated Performance Assessment tools.

Eaton Corp. (Cleveland, OH) announced Sept. 22 that it has renamed its Industrial and Commercial Controls business and its Cutler-Hammer organizational unit as Eaton Electrical. Due to its acquisition and integration of Delta plc’s electrical division in January 2003, Eaton Electrical has increased its ability to serve multinational customers.

SatCon Technology Corp. (Cambridge, MA) reports that it recently delivered a prototype power conditioning system (PCS) for a 75-kW fuel cell power generation unit at a petrochemical plant application, and adds that a second SatCon unit will be delivered to the plant later this month. Hydrogen by-products from the plants chemical and plastic production will power a planned 35-megawatt fuel cell power generation system.