Cleaning Technologies Group Inc. in West Chester, spun off in a management-led buyout from CAE Inc. earlier this year, has expanded into Europe by acquiring CAE's plant in Bradford, England, for $1 million.

        Though small, the British company, to be renamed Ransohoff Ltd., gives Cleaning Technologies a foothold in Europe, said Stephen Temple Cleaning Technologies CEO.

        Cleaning Technologies acquired the West Chester-based Ransohoff Inc. and Blackstone-Ney ultrasonics in Jamestown, N.Y., from Toronto-based CAE in February for $23.4 million in cash and subordinated notes.

        The British company, formerly Tempest and Dibb Ltd., was founded in 1947 and is one of the United Kingdom's leading suppliers of custom engineered cleaning, surface coating and finishing equipment, specializing in both spray and ultrasonic cleaning technologies, officials said.
       

PLM aids effort to break speed record

               An effort by a Seattle group to break the 24-year-old water speed record of 317 miles an hour could some day owe a debt to Electronic Data Systems PLM Solutions.

        PLM Solutions, created by the merger of Milford's SDRC and Unigraphics last year, is supplying product management software to American Challenge Inc., the Seattle consortium, attempting to design a vehicle to attack the speed record.

        ACI is using SDRC's I-DEAS and Unigraphics CAD/CAM/CAE software and Teamcenter collaboration software supplied by EDS PLM Solutions. The I-DEAS and CAD/CAM/CAE software has already been used in preliminary structural layouts of the craft.

        The new craft's pilot will be Russ Wicks, who recently broke the world water speed record for propeller-driven boats.

        “The EDS product lifecycle management software allows our virtual team to create, simulate and manufacture designs as well as to collaborate on the technical and business decisions that must be made,” Mr. Wicks said.

        The I-DEAS and Unigraphics software will continue to support efforts to refine the design concept and develop structural layouts for major areas of the craft such as the cockpit and engine bay.
       

New screen frame cuts down on time

               Cincinnati's Rotex Inc., a maker of screening for the chemical, food and mineral processing markets, has introduced an improved automatic tensioning screen frame, reducing the time for screen changes.

        Wire and seal changes are quick and easy because tension clips stay in place while changing the wire and new seals simply slide into place, the company said.

        The new frame is available with wire or perforated plate ball support for all new or existing Rotex Screeners, the company said.
       

New version of sales software

               Cincom Systems Inc., the Springdale business software developer, has introduced a new version of its Knowledge Builder application which offers the option of a built-in sales configuration system for sales quote creation and management.

        Knowledge Builder is the foundation for Cincom's Customer Relationship Management software for complex manufacturers. The new product can be tailored and deployed via the Web, a business network or laptop, Cincom says.

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