Kobe Steel, Ltd., has acquired Swedish company Quintus Technologies AB, from private shareholders led by U.S. private equity firm Milestone Partners on April 5, 2017. The purchase price was USD 115M (about Yen 13B). Quintus is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Kobe Steel, and manufactures Isostatic Presses (IP).
IP applies high pressure from all directions at high temperature or room temperature to press-sinter and form metal, ceramic and carbon materials. The presses are widely applicable in the manufacture of high-performance products, such as aircraft parts, power generation turbine blades and semiconductor materials.
The acquisition of Quintus enables Kobe Steel to broaden its lineup of IP products and enter new growth markets. Furthermore, Kobe Steel expects to benefit from the interchange of product menus and from the synergy of manufacturing efficiency and cost reductions through the joint procurement of parts. Targeting the world market, Kobe Steel plans to significantly expand its IP business.
