United States. Johnson Controls announced it will acquire Synchrony, renowned for its development of active magnetic bearing (AMB) technology. Headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, Synchrony is part of Siemens Gas and Power.
The acquisition, which closed Nov. 1, will allow Johnson Controls to improve the performance of its centrifugal chiller products, which rely on magnetic bearings to increase energy efficiency, improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs, among other benefits.
"This acquisition will allow us to access untapped benefits in performance and efficiency that will competitively position our chiller products for years to come," said Ian Casper, vice president, product engineering, global chiller products, Johnson Controls.
Casper added that magnetic bearing chillers are the fastest growing family of chiller products for Johnson Controls and that the HVACR industry is rapidly adopting AMB technology.
"Owning this technology will enable deeper integration of chiller system development, which will further enhance customer value," he said.
"Synchrony, Inc.'s advanced magnetic bearing technology has enabled Siemens' oil and gas business to offer world-class products and solutions to our customers," said Rainer Theisen, head of global solutions at Siemens Oil & Gas. The acquisition of Johnson Controls will allow Synchrony's technology to access new markets while continuing to play a role in our manufacturing supply chain for our global energy business. We thank all Synchrony employees for their dedication and look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the team as part of Johnson Controls going forward."
As part of the acquisition, Johnson Controls will obtain all of Synchrony's products and intellectual property. In addition to magnetic bearings, those products include motors and units, generators, and advanced AMB monitoring software.
