Smiths Group Ltd. (UK) is acquiring Sartorius Bearing Technology GmbH [website] from parent Sartorius AG (Germany; website).

Originally founded in 1948, Sartorius Bearing manufactures large hydrodynamic bearings -- tilting pad journal/thrust bearings, multilobe, and combined.

The bearings are customized and largely application-specific, for high-speed applications such as steam turbines, generators, grinders, horizontal boring equipment, atomizers, compressors, and gearboxes.

Sartorius shop floor in Goettingen [click here].

Example of hydrodynamic bearing in turbomachinery [click here].

In moves widely interpreted as presaging its sale, the division was spun off from Sartorius in 2005 and in 2006 moved to a separate facility in Goettingen. Sartorius has been moving away from bearings as a non-core technology, refocusing resources to biotechnology and mechatronics ventures, "as well as on its major groups of customers, the biopharmaceutical, chemical and food industries."

Another issue for Sartorius had been the bearing division's localized clientele. The operation's customer base was primarily limited to Germany and western Europe.

Sartorius Bearing will become part of Smiths Group's John Crane business division. John Crane primarily focuses on designing and manufacturing seals and related products for the oil & gas, chemical, pharma, pulp & paper, and mining sectors. John Crane currently has 20 facilities worldwide, employing over 6,000 people.

Sartorius said the bearing division will achieve 2007 sales of approximately €15 million (USD $21.5 million); the selling price is approximately €20 million ($29 million).

The divestiture includes only Sartorius' Goettingen bearing manufacturing plant; approximately 100 workers there will transition to Smiths Group.

The acquisition is curious for Smiths Group, which has previously sold off John Crane's lubrication systems and marine bearing operations.

In 2001, John Crane divested its marine bearings and propulsion business to Wartsila NSD Corp.

article: Smiths divests John Crane bearings to Wartsila
In mid-2006, John Crane sold off its Safematic lubricant systems division to SKF's Lubrication Systems division.

article: SKF acquires John Crane Safematic
Sartorius CEO and Chairman, Joachim Kreuzburg said: "We carefully weighed all options for the future and ultimately chose the best prospects for employees, customers and shareholders. Our successful hydrodynamic bearings business will be optimally promoted in John Crane and will gain the opportunity to rapidly take the necessary steps for globalization. This would not have been possible in this way for the business as a rather marginal activity at Sartorius."