Pentair, maker of systems and solutions that safeguard industrial controls, electrical components and other equipment, is using Rockwell Automation’s Automation Fair to announce plans for an acquisition. The Minnesota-based company is acquiring Steinhauer Elektromaschinen AG, a German producer of enclosure machining and related technologies.
The planned acquisition will expand the service capability of Pentair’s Hoffman brand of cabinets enclosures by expanding its services capabilities. Hoffman will now be able to provide tools for customers to design and select the right electrical protection solutions for their applications, and automate the panel-building process.
“With the addition of Steinhauer to the Pentair family, Hoffman will be able to better serve our customers with a new solution that reduces customer lead time and increases their productivity,” said Alok Maskara, president of Pentair Technical Solutions. Steinhauer technology helps panel builders and system integrators reduce labor-intensive manual work, increase overall productivity and, more importantly, enable them to deliver a complete solution to end users much more quickly, Maskara said.
The ModCenter, which can accommodate a range of global enclosure dimensional standards, is a machine that provides programmed automated modifications for a variety of materials. The range of materials includes mild carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, die cast aluminum, copper, or any machinable composite materials including PVC, polycarbonate, thermoplastic and fiberglass. It also features easy-to-use, onsite software that integrates with industry-standard CAD DXF files to ensure precise holes and cutouts.
“From modifying one-off panels to performing complex modifications, Steinhauer ModCenter provides efficient, quality solutions for our enclosures,” said Maskara. It incorporates up to 21 precision machining tools and automates all the drilling, tapping, milling and processing steps required for enclosure modifications—significantly reducing labor-intensive manual work and increasing overall productivity.
Pentair is a Rockwell Automation Solution Provider Partner, so it will be debuting ModCenter at the Rockwell Automation Fair in Anaheim this week. Steinhauer will also be exhibiting at the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg November 25-27.
Hermann Nagel, senior executive officer of Steinhauer, said, “Together with the Hoffman brand of enclosures, we can redefine the way panel shops and integrators create custom enclosure solutions. We are looking forward to joining the Pentair family.”
In addition to the capabilities of the ModCenter, Steinhauer provides other automation solutions for panel shops, integrators and OEMs, said Nagel. These include a Personal Wiring Assistant for reduced wiring time, NC-Cut machines for exact cutting of panel components, and ergonomic enclosure integration fixtures for adaptable and safe working conditions.
With 2013 revenues of $7.0 billion, Pentair plc employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide.The terms of the planned acquisition were not announced and closing of the transaction, currently expected to occur in the first quarter of 2015, is subject to certain regulatory and other approvals and reviews.
For other Automation World information on Pentair products and activities, click here, or visit
