The Meet at the Machine initiative, a partnership between Siemens and Trak Machine Tools, is intended to let part manufacturers to start production preparation before machine delivery. Elsewhere in the industry, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. and ASC Engineered Solutions have merged into a new entity, Reliable Safety & Flow Corporation. In this edition of It's Just Business, we've rounded up recent deals and commitments. 

Acquisition: Milwaukee Cylinder, a manufacturer of hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders for industrial applications, has acquired Pneumatic Cylinders & Couplers (PCC), a manufacturer of industrial aluminum and stainless-steel pneumatic NFPA tie-rod cylinders. The acquisition expands Milwaukee Cylinder’s pneumatic cylinder offerings and combines PCC’s manufacturing capabilities and product portfolio with Milwaukee Cylinder’s hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder business. 

“This acquisition is a natural fit for Milwaukee Cylinder,” said Douglas Lacina, President of Milwaukee Cylinder, in a Sept. 16 press release. “PCC has excellent products, strong manufacturing capabilities, and a respected reputation in the marketplace. By combining those strengths with Milwaukee Cylinder's brand, engineering resources, and distribution network, we see significant opportunities for growth.” 

Acquisition: Hawk Ridge Systems, a provider of engineering and manufacturing technology, services and training, has acquired the manufacturing division of TPM, a technology provider based in South Carolina. The acquisition expands Hawk Ridge Systems’ software presence across the Southeast, particularly in SOLIDWORKS, DriveWorks and design automation.  TPM’s manufacturing team will retain their jobs, joining Hawk Ridge Systems. 

“By bringing our teams together, we can extend that impact to more customers, while building greater scale and capability in our software business,” said Dale Ford, CEO of Hawk Ridge Systems, said in a September press release.

Partnership: Siemens has launched Meet at the Machine, an initiative bringing together machine builders, software and automation technologies to address manufacturing challenges across the machine tool industry. The first phase, developed with Trak Machine Tools, will allow part manufacturers to program, simulate and validate production while a machine is itself still being assembled.

“Manufacturing truth has always ultimately been at the machine,” said Mark Hindsbo, head of operations software at Siemens, said in a September press release. “By bringing together engineering software, automation hardware and machine expertise, we enable our customers and users to be productive faster, accelerate return on investment and reduce ramp-up time by up to 50 percent.” 

Partnership: VulcanForms and Specter Aerospace have formed a strategic partnership to produce next-generation airbreathing hypersonic munitions at scale, combining additive manufacturing, design and physical AI capabilities. The companies are preparing to search for a site for a new production facility, while at the same time building a manufacturing operation in their existing facilities. 

“The Defense Industrial Base 2.0 must be resilient,” said Matthew Rose, executive vice president of VulcanForms, in a September press release. “VulcanForms is unique because it serves all industries, which has allowed us to learn and share faster with our customers. Partnerships that win embrace physical AI and leverage lessons from commercial industries. Our north star is to bridge the digital and physical worlds.” 

Merger: As of Sept. 2, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. and ASC Engineered Solutions have combined into Reliable Safety & Flow Corporation. The merger brings their fire protection, mechanical and engineered flow product portfolios under one company. The new company serves markets including critical infrastructure, commercial construction, water infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, transportation, advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure. 

“The built world is changing quickly,” G. Jason Hild, chief executive officer of Reliable Safety & Flow Corporation, said in a September press release. “Projects are more complex, schedules are tighter, and the built world need partners who can solve more than one piece of the system. Reliable Safety & Flow brings together two strong companies with the scale, expertise, and commitment to innovate around those challenges.”