Company news

Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin Corp. is expanding its offerings in electromechanical automation technology with the acquisition of Bayside Controls Inc., a Port Washington, N.Y.-based manufacturer of integrated solutions for industrial and precision automation applications. Bayside employs 139 people and has operations in the U.S., Germany, and Singapore.

Bayside will be integrated with Parker Automation Group's Electromechanical Automation Division, which manufactures a complete line of motion control products including controllers, servo and stepper drives, servomotors, CTC human machine interfaces (HMI), and PC-based machine control. Bayside Controls provides electromechanical automation subsystems that combine servomotors and controls, geared drives, linear positioning systems, and integrating software for semiconductor, electronics, automotive, medical, and machine tool applications.

RBC Bearings Inc. has consolidated its operations to a 44,000 square foot facility in Oxford, Conn. Now under one roof are the company headquarters, formerly in Fairfield, Conn.; a manufacturing operation, formerly in Waterbury, Conn.; and several other business operations, including finance, engineering, R&D, business development, and customer service.

Extending its commitment to its operations in China, Bosch Rexroth AG will invest 83 million Euros over the next three years to expand its production capabilities in China. The expansion begins with construction of a new factory in Beijing in 2005, which will produce axial piston machines. In addition, new production lines for hydraulic, pneumatic, linear and assembly technologies will be added at a factory in Wujin, where the company currently produces hydraulic cylinders and units.

Misumi USA Inc., a supplier of custom mechanical components for factory automation, has entered into a strategic agreement with Pacific Bearings Inc. to distribute the company's Simplicity line of self-lubricating bearings, linear slides, pillow blocks, sleeve bearings, flange mounts, and die set brushings. The products are available through Misumi's Custom Mechanical Components for Assembly Automation inch catalog or via www.misumiusa.com.

OMAC (The Open Modular Architecture Controls User Group) and ISA (The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society) are joining forces. The merger, which will be complete in the first half of 2005, will make OMAC a subsidiary of ISA, and will allow both organizations to build on their respective strengths: OMAC in discrete manufacturing and ISA in the process and batch industries. OMAC's guidelines combined with ISA's accredited process will help both organizations move towards adoption of ANSI and IEC standards.

Omron Electronics LLC, Schaumburg, Ill., has named Kaman Industrial Technologies Corp., Windsor, Conn., a national distributor of its electronic sensors and industrial products, including Omron timers, counters, temperature controllers, power supplies, photoelectric sensors, proximity sensors, and limit switches. This will help Omron reach its goal of doubling its value in the next three years.

Lee McGillivray has been named North America Sales Manager for Bijur Lubrication Group, a global manufacturer of centralized lubrication systems and components. He will be responsible for all sales-related functions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for all brands in the Bijur Lubrication Group. He has more than 20 years sales experience in the industrial and fluid power markets.