CoorsTek, the world’s largest engineered ceramics manufacturer headquartered in Golden, Colorado, USA, has acquired Philips’ Ceramic Injection Moulding (CIM) operation in Uden, The Netherlands. Through this acquisition CoorsTek is expanding its ongoing strategic partnership with Philips and will serve both Philips’ and other regional customers from Uden.

“The integration of Uden’s people, equipment and technology into CoorsTek extends our regional presence and capabilities even further – a natural fit and complement to our advanced ceramics expertise,” explained Timothy Coors, Co-CEO of CoorsTek.

Adding Uden extends the CoorsTek footprint to a dozen European manufacturing locations in the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland and Sweden. “The Uden team will help support our expanding customer base across Europe and around the world,” stated Andreas Schneider, Executive VP of CoorsTek in Lauf, Germany. CoorsTek serves over 10,000 technology and manufacturing customers in seventy countries, delivering local service from its network of fifty locations on four continents.

High density polycrystalline alumina (PCA) translucent burners by made by Ceramic Injection Moulding are shown on the left for application in advanced HID lighting applications. The pre-CIM designs, made by extrusion, are shown on the right. CIM technology allowed a much greater design freedom than the previous extrusion process and the CIM burner also significantly improved the quality of light produced by these lamps. (Courtesy Philips Lighting Uden)

“CoorsTek has known and respected Philips and Uden for decades,” added Schneider. “Combining Uden’s sixty years of engineering know-how and manufacturing capabilities with the ceramics expertise CoorsTek has developed over the past century – it is a great opportunity to push the frontiers of technology and help make the world measurably better.” Using advanced Ceramic Injection Moulding and automated volume manufacturing, Uden can produce millions of high-purity ceramic parts each year.

As a part of Philips, Uden was focused primarily on supporting the company’s market-leading global lighting business. In addition to securing an exclusive, long-term agreement to supply Philips Lighting, CoorsTek will use these capabilities to serve a broader set of customers and applications beyond lighting – including automotive, electronics, and medical.

“Together with our Uden colleagues, the CoorsTek team will help even more companies create and deliver amazing solutions to some of their toughest challenges,” concluded Timothy Coors.

www.coorstek.com

PIM International magazine visited Philips Ceramics in 2012. Download our free to access five-page report in the December 2012 issue of PIM International