Freudenberg Group acquires and expands
As of April 1, 2012 Freudenberg Filtration Technologies India Private Ltd. (member of German Freudenberg Group) is to acquire the business of Pyramid Filters Private Ltd. (60 employees, several million Euro turnover), a company developing air filter elements and systems for clean room applications in the pharmaceutical, medical, food and chemical industries In North America Freudenberg NOK Sealing Technology is expanding and the professional household range of Freudenberg has been bestowed with the Oscar of Design
Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, Pune, India provides high-efficient industrial and automotive filter elements and systems, as well as system solutions for capacity and efficiency enhancement in gas turbines and compressors. The company serves not only India but also Pakistan and Bangladesh with sales offices in several cities in close proximity to its customers. Its management directors Gnanasekharan Ramesh and Rakesh Nathwani will be joined by Dr. Kirti Kelkar, Founder and Director of Pyramid Filters India Pvt. Ltd.
It is noteworthy that American Freudenberg NOK Sealing Technology (FNST is a joint venture between Freudenberg, Germany and NOK corporation in Japan) with headquarter in Plymouth, Michigan, with facilities throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Malaysia with an annual turnover of nearly USD one billion and employing around 4200 people. FNST is launching its latest group of seals in North America with diameters as small as five mm and thicknesses down to 40 microns or the size of a match stick head destined to solve micro-technology challenges of the most exacting standards. FNST is – according to in house information – the world’s largest producer of elastomeric seals and custom molded products and the company is using its materials expertise, global innovation and market analysis to introduce a ling of custom-developed micro-seals to build increasingly complex systems in tiny packages. The seals are expected to have a broad application range in the medical, chemical and automotive industries, among others. In Europe such micro-seals are established since five years and the technology is now being brought to North America. The micro-seals need to meet stringent specifications and require a specialised robber-to-metal bond. To date, most rotary micro seals available are made from Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Perfluorelastomer is formulated for stringent environments and is more elastic than PTFE and also better suited for longer life cycles. FNST’s has strong capabilities in molding techniques for manufacturing parts with microscopic tolerances.
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Europe have successfully manufactured micro-seals capable to seal rotating shafts with a diameter of only one millimetre spinning at over 100000 rpm. These Micro-Simmerrings® are available through Simrit, FNST’s general industry channel. Micro-seals are currently produced at two locations in Europe and the company plans to expand production by two, yet undisclosed Special Sealing Products Division manufacturing sites in 2013 in North America and their timing will depend on logistics such as building clean rooms, setting up manufacturing equipment and assessing demand from customers.
Freudenberg Household products (Vileda) will receive in Essen, Germany on July 2, 2012 the International Oscar for Design (red dot design award) from the Design Center in North Rhine Westpahlia (D). In total 4500 products, 1800 companies and 58 countries participated in the competition. Vildea products competed with “1,2 spray floor mop system, for “ViRobi” the robotic duster as well as with “Geo” the waste disposal system from Vileda’s Professional range and The 1,2 spray mini” was now bestowed with the award.