East Aurora, N.Y., February 6, 2009 – Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) has acquired 70 percent of the stock of Insensys Ltd. for US$15.7 million in cash. As part of the transaction, Moog has an option to purchase the remaining 30 percent within one year
Insensys is a leading supplier of pitch control and rotor blade monitoring systems for wind turbines.
Pitch control systems adjust the inclination angle of the blades, thus controlling the loads and efficiency of the turbine. With this acquisition, Moog will have additional functionality in pitch control to improve the efficiency and increase the lifetime of the turbine.
“The acquisition of Insensys strengthens our technology product portfolio, domain expertise and relationships with customers in the alternative energy sector,” said Steve Huckvale, president of Moog’s International Group. “The use of real-time data improves turbine performance and lowers a wind turbine’s total cost of ownership. Fiber optic sensing systems from Insensys add advanced measurement capabilities and data intelligence that will be a differentiator for turbine manufacturers, blade manufacturers and wind park operators.”
The individual pitch control solution from Insensys allows the operator to reduce the load on each blade, which optimizes efficiency, improves reliability and saves material and construction costs. By precisely monitoring loads, the rotor monitoring system improves the turbine’s life span as well as safety and maintenance costs.
Predictive maintenance is vital to wind park operators because the cost of a shutdown and subsequent turbine repairs are high. The necessity for predictive maintenance is only surpassed by the need to protect the multi-million dollar wind turbine from catastrophic failure. Insensys can do both with its rotor blade monitoring technology. With over 1,000 systems and 20,000 sensors delivered to leading global and regional wind turbine manufacturers, Insensys’ proven solutions for ice detection, lighting strike, rotary imbalance and damage detection prevent costly shutdowns, ensure safety and lower maintenance costs.
“We believe that we can significantly enhance the value we bring to wind turbine manufacturers around the world by integrating our solutions with Moog’s pitch control systems. There are a number of challenging engineering problems turbine makers are facing today, and we can help solve some of them with our offerings,” said Martin Jones, co-founder and chairman of Insensys. “In addition to pitch control and predictive maintenance technology, Insensys also offers a measurement system for design verification and rotor blade qualification that fits perfectly with Moog’s current solution for static and dynamic blade testing.”
Moog has designed and built products and systems for the wind power industry for over ten years. In 2008, Moog further enhanced its offerings by acquiring 40 percent ownership of the wind energy business of LTi REEnergy GmbH, which provides electric pitch control systems and components.
Source: http://www.emg.nl/