09 February 2017
Owner of Panalytical buys Pixirad 09 February 2017
Italy: Spectris, the company that owns Panalytical, has acquired Pixirad, a technology company that develops and distributes X-ray detectors. The business will be integrated into Panalytical within Spectris’ Materials Analysis division.
Pixirad was established in 2012 under the spin-off programme of the Instituto Nationale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN). The detector technology was originally developed through research into advanced particle physics and space research technologies and has been improved by Pixirad for use with high energetic X-rays. Before the purchase, Panalytical solds the Pixirad detectors as a high-end option for its Empyrean X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument used for various materials analysis applications. Following the acquisition the combination of Pixirad’s technology with Panalytical’s experience in products using X-ray detectors is expected to allow expansion of the range applications addressed by existing and future instruments.
Denmark: FLSmidth’s revenue for its cement division has risen by 10% year–on-year to Euro576m in 2016 from Euro526m in 2015. Its order intake rose by 63% to Euro615m from Euro377m. The equipment manufacture said that orders had picked up in the second half of 2016. Although it added that the market for new cement capacity remains largely unchanged with supply outweighing demand on a global level. Overall, both order intake and revenue declined for the company as a whole in 2016.
"After a weak first half, activity picked up, finishing the year on a strong note. Rising commodity prices positively impacted sentiment in the mining industry in 2016, although it has yet to translate into higher capital investments. The cement industry is showing early signs of recovery," said Group chief executive officer Thomas Schulz.
Birla Corporation blames demonetisation for poor third quarter 09 February 2017
India: Birla Corporation has blamed demonetisation for falling cement sales in the quarter to 31 December 2016. The Indian cement producer reported that the revenue from its cement business declined by 3% to US$113m in the quarter to 31 December 2016 from US$117m in the same period in 2015. It blamed this on currency shortages negatively affecting rural construction and a localised embargo on sand and aggregate mining, according to the Economic Times newspaper. For the nine months to 31 December 2016 it said that its income had risen slightly year-on-year to US$415m from US$412m in the same period in 2015. Its net profit more than doubled to US$23m from US$9.3m.