The acquisition of Imaginant will allow ALTANA to expand its BYK division through a patented technology for handheld and robotic measuring instruments.
ALTANA AG has recently announced that it has completed the acquisition of Imaginant
Inc., an international company based in the United States of America that has been developing and manufacturing test and measurement instruments based on ultrasound since 1986. The production facility located in Rochester (New York) and its 34 employees will be integrated into the BYK-Gardner division of ALTANA.
The test and measurement systems manufactured by Imaginant are employed for quality assurance tasks in several industrial applications, as they allow to detect and determine the thickness of each individual layer in a multilayer coating system through non-destructive testing.
“The technological expertise of Imaginant in the development and manufacturing of high-frequency ultrasonic measuring instruments complements the strengths of BYK-Gardner as a specialist in innovative high-tech instruments for testing colour, gloss, and physical properties. By integrating these measurement technologies into our software and services, we intend to further simplify the production processes of our customer and drive the digitalisation of the industry,” has stated Tammo Boinowitz, a member of the Management Board of ALTANA AG and the president of the BYK-Gardner division.
As a matter of fact, the patented PELT® technology can be used to determine whether the film thickness of the automotive e-coat, primer, basecoat or clearcoat layers have each been applied within specifications. The ultrasound-based technology – available in handheld measuring devices and as a robotic-controlled system in an automated measurement cell – can be used on metallic as well as non-metallic materials such as carbon fibre, plastics, glass, wood and composites.
“The acquisition of Imaginant by BYK-Gardner will enable us to develop new and innovative test and measurement instruments that realise the full potential of our ultrasound technologies. This will be beneficial to both our customers and our employees,” has also added Todd Jackson, the CEO of Imaginant Inc.