Horb-based press maker Lauffer Pressen has combined with Chinese press manufacturer HFM (Hefei Metalforming Intelligent Manufacturing), which will become a strategic partner. Lauffer reported 2017 order intake of about EUR 50 million and sales of EUR 45 million, and says it will remain independent.

HEROSE has started operating three new CNC lathes at its Bad Oldesloe site, two replacing outdated machines, to expand prefabrication capacity and reduce delivery bottlenecks.

Ardagh Group and Henkel collaborated on what they claim is the world's lightest three-piece steel aerosol container, produced at Ardagh's aerosol plant in Germany for Henkel's hairspray range. The can has a 0.13mm wall thickness and saves 15 per cent in materials and water.

Effective January 1, 2018, WIKA acquires Hirschmann MCS, a business unit of Hirschmann Automation and Control owned by Belden, which becomes WIKA Mobile Control with sites in Ettlingen, Chambersburg and a China joint venture.

Auer Packaging GmbH is adding injection molding capacity at its Amerang, Germany site, with a second hall running 14 machines since 2016 and a third hall planned to reach 35 machines. The company produces about 35 million plastic containers per year.

German firm Vetter has begun expanding its secondary packaging capacity, adding nearly 32,000 ft² on the second floor of its existing VSP facility. The expansion serves growing demand for complex packaging of pens, auto-injectors and similar products.

The private owners of Spitznas Maschinenfabrik in Velbert, Germany, and Transtools in Lublin, Poland, agreed to sell their entire shareholding to an investment vehicle managed by ARCUS Capital AG. Clairfield advised the sellers.

VARIOVAC PS SystemPack is building 3,000 square meters of additional production, assembly and office space at its Zarrentin site, creating about 25 jobs. Construction is planned to start at the end of 2017.

ACTEGA DS is investing around 18 million euros to expand its Bremen research and manufacturing site, adding 8,000 square meters and growing manufacturing capacity by 50 percent. Construction is slated for spring 2018.

Circor International agreed to buy Colfax's fluid handling pump business, which includes the Allweiler site in Radolfzell, Germany, for $855 million, of which $542 million is cash and the rest Circor shares. Colfax will hold 16% of Circor after closing, expected in Q4 2017.

Pump maker Lewa has completed two new production halls, totalling about 3,000 square meters, at its Leonberg headquarters, investing over EUR 25 million, mainly for final assembly of large pumps and systems.

HQ Equita agreed to sell ROVEMA GmbH, a German maker of vertical form-fill-seal food packaging machinery based in Fernwald, Hesse, to Franz Haniel & Cie, subject to regulatory approvals; Alantra advised the seller.

Bayer sold a further 6.9 percent of Covestro shares for EUR 1 billion, reducing its direct stake to 24.6 percent and ending control via a control termination agreement effective September 30, 2017.

Thimm Verpackung officially opened its new Holledau corrugated packaging plant in Wolnzach, Bavaria, on 15-16 September 2017 after investing 60 million euros. The plant uses rotary and flat-bed die-cutting and a high-tech corrugator.

Aliaxis Group sold SED Flow Control GmbH, a valve maker based in Bad Rappenau, Germany with 100 employees, to Samson AG. EC M&A advised Aliaxis on the deal, and no value was disclosed.

Swiss family office Zobel Values AG acquired flexible packaging specialist RCP Randstadt from Dutch investor nimbus hands-on investors; RCP has about 150 employees and 2016 revenue of about EUR 30 million.

Rheinmetall Automotive's Pierburg unit won a first small-series contract to deliver heater/cooler modules for electric vehicles to Dutch bus maker VDL Bus & Coach, for its VDL MidCity Electric minibus due in 2018; the units are assembled in Neckarsulm, Germany.

Danfoss has acquired the Kavlico thin-film sensor technology and a 6,000 sqm building with a clean room near Hannover, Germany, from Sensata Technologies, with up to 40 new employees.

Constantia Flexibles has invested around EUR 6 million in new technology to make film-based flexible packaging at its Weiden site in Germany.

Kongsberg Maritime won a roughly EUR 20 million EPCI contract from Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft for an LNG-fuelled RoPax ferry for Brittany Ferries. The integrated scope covers LNG fuel gas supply, electrical, automation and control systems.

Bischof + Klein is adding production capacity for flexible packaging and technical films in 2017, including two new blown film lines and an extrusion coating line at its Lengerich main plant, plus a new hall with converting lines at Konzell.

Nidec Corporation completed the acquisition of 100% of Secop Holding GmbH and other Secop entities, German compressor manufacturer, from Aurelius on July 31, 2017. The companies are being renamed Nidec Global Appliance entities.

Packaging maker Karl Knauer KG has acquired a 75% majority stake in HEPACK druck+verpackung GmbH of Neuenstein, Germany, which has about 100 employees and specializes in food, confectionery and sanitary packaging. The managing director keeps 25%.

WMF Group inaugurated a new production hall, its sixth, at its Hayingen knife plant, boosting knife output by about one third and adding around twenty jobs, with a target of about one million knives per year at the site.

Emerson enlarged the cleanroom at its Ölbronn-Dürrn plant in Germany, where miniaturized ASCO valves are produced for analytical and medical applications. The new cleanroom covers 720 square meters and is part of the expansion of the Analytical & Medical centre of excellence in Stuttgart.

Henkel completed its acquisition of the Germany-based Sonderhoff Group, which makes foamed-in-place gasketing solutions and customised dosing equipment. The price was undisclosed.

Covestro started operations at a new coextrusion plant for high-quality multilayered flat films at its Dormagen site in Germany. The investment is around EUR 20 million and creates 15 new jobs.

Frischpack GmbH, a subsidiary of the family-owned Alpenhain and ALPMA companies, took over Baackes & Heimes GmbH of Viersen, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2017. The combined group generates about 250 million euros in turnover and employs around 600 people.

Siemens Gamesa will supply 16 SWT-7.0-154 direct-drive turbines and an offshore transformer module for EnBW's Albatros offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, with commissioning expected in 2019.

Neste Jacobs has signed an EPCM services contract for an upgrade and expansion of Haltermann Carless's production site in Speyer, Germany, including a NExSAT hydrogenation unit targeted for production by end-2018. The value was not disclosed.

MAN Diesel & Turbo is investing in a 3D printing centre at its turbomachinery works in Oberhausen, Germany, to make gas turbine components such as guide vane segments.

Rolls-Royce Marine Deutschland sold its Intering business to Hoppe Marine of Hamburg, Germany.

Thimm Group invested a total of 62 million euros in 2016, including a new corrugated cardboard plant in Bavaria, a digital web press at Ilsenburg and expansions of packaging plants in Germersheim and Puebla, Mexico.

Emerson Automation Solutions inaugurated a new production building in Ölbronn-Dürrn, Baden-Württemberg, its center of excellence for miniature valves for analytical and medical technology and industrial proportional valves. The building has a 720 square meter cleanroom and about 100 employees work there.

Japanese motor maker Nidec plans to fully acquire the Secop group, a German refrigerator components maker, in a deal valued at $227 million. The move aims to capture demand from tightening environmental regulations.

Emerson opened a new Asco production building in Ölbronn-Dürrn near Pforzheim on April 20, 2017. It houses a 720 m2 ISO class 8 cleanroom and is the center of excellence for miniature valves.

Folmeg Engineering of Eschwege has taken over Schuy, an insolvent maker of filling and packaging machines in Hünfeld, Germany. Schuy will remain independent and its site will stay open.

Flowserve entered a conditional sale and purchase agreement to sell Gestra AG and associated businesses to Spirax-Sarco Engineering for EUR 186 million. Gestra makes steam and boiler control valves and systems.

Thimm Verpackung has started series production at its new Holledau corrugated packaging plant in Wolnzach, Bavaria, after a test run since February 2017. The plant has a capacity of 120 million square metres, has received a total investment of EUR 60 million, and employs 150 people.

Rondo Ganahl AG is taking full control of Walz Verpackungen in Langenenslingen, Germany, a specialist in special packaging solutions with about 100 employees and turnover of €22 million. Bernd Walz remains CEO. The deal value was not disclosed.

Koenig & Bauer laid the foundation stone on 14 March 2017 for a new Demo Center for digital and flexo presses at its Würzburg headquarters, with about 2,100 square metres of usable area. The investment totals about 16 million, covering 6 million for building and infrastructure and about 10 million for demo presses.

Festo is investing about EUR 30 million over 2017 and 2018 to expand its Esslingen-Berkheim headquarters, with labs and offices returning after production moved to Ostfildern.

Ball Corporation intends to end production at its Recklinghausen beverage packaging facilities at the end of July 2017, subject to negotiation with the Works Council.

Colfax Corp entered a binding agreement to purchase Siemens Turbomachinery Equipment GmbH from Siemens AG for €195 million.

Moog agreed to acquire the global Rotary Transfer Systems business from Morgan Advanced Materials for €40 million in cash, including its manufacturing sites in Antweiler, Germany and Chalon-St-Memmie, France. Closing is expected within 60 to 90 days, subject to German regulatory approval.

Atlas Copco will acquire Erkat Spezialmaschinen, a 40-person drum-cutter attachment maker based in Hämbach, Germany, for its rock excavation, tunnel and demolition products. The deal value was not disclosed.

Hytorc, rebranding its HydroWer hydraulic pump business as Hytorc Technologies, is moving into a new and larger facility in Sprockhovel, Germany to bring all departments together and increase output.

Linhardt GmbH & Co. KG of Viechtach is building its first laminate tube plant in Pausa in the Vogtland, Germany, investing EUR 20 million in a standalone factory beside its existing aluminium tube plant.

Multivac and TVI plan to build a new production site and office building with a demonstration and customer centre in Bruckmühl, southern Bavaria, with construction due to finish in 2018.

Multivac's German unit bought a 49.9% stake in TVI Entwicklung und Produktion GmbH for an undisclosed sum, to offer complete production lines from a single source.