Smiths Aerospace is set to see its detection revenues rise still further after the takeover of German X-ray specialist Heiman Systems from Rheinmetall Group for £235 million ($385 million). The acquisition will boost Smiths Detection, already responsible for 15% of Smiths Aerospace's total sales. Heiman posted sales of £104 million in 2001. General Electric has bought the non-destructive testing division of the Belgian photography specialist Agfa for €400 million ($426 million). The unit will be rolled into GEAircraft Engines' expanding Engine Services arm, which contributed $4 billion of the Aircraft Engines division's $11 billion sales in 2002 and the bulk of the unit's $2.1 billion profit. BAE Systems and Hispano-Suiza have merged their civil aircraft engine control businesses to form FADEC International. The company will produce full authority digital engine controls (FADEC) for 18,000lb-thrust (80 kN) engines and above.
Source: Flight International
