In an emailed press release, Mo-Sci Corporation (Rolla, Missouri, USA), a leading provider of advanced, high-tech glass development and manufacturing, announced it had acquired the assets of 3M’s Advanced Materials business. Previously known as 3M Ceradyne, this Seattle, Washington-based business includes more than 350 pieces of specialized equipment and all related intellectual property. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The technology, intellectual property (IP), and asset acquisition significantly expands Mo-Sci’s capabilities and manufacturing capacity for customers in its five core markets, which include:
- Healthcare – specialty and bioactive glasses for bone and wound care applications, as well as hemostatic devices
- Energy – engineered proppants for oil fracking, hydrogen storage via porous glass shells and nuclear waste vitrification
- Industrial – precision glass microspheres, sealing glasses and frit powders, bond line spacers, and silane coatings
- Automotive – ultra strong and lightweight transparent glass/polymer composites for windows
- Defense – light sensor applications and non-toxic, near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) night vision technologies
According to Mo-Sci President Joe Bales, customers were the driving force behind the acquisition.
“We aggressively pursued this opportunity because 3M’s Advanced Materials business was a highly respected, major player in our industry,” says Bales. “The new equipment will enable Mo-Sci to produce a variety of new products and serve a wider customer base, including previous 3M and Ceradyne customers. The addition of their equipment, technologies, and IP is going to mean new glass melting capabilities, increased manufacturing capacity, and shorter lead times.”
The ability to rapidly accelerate innovation was a major consideration for the acquisition, claims Mo-Sci Chief Technology Officer Dr. Steven Jung.
“Mo-Sci has always prided ourselves on tackling our customers’ most complex specialty glass challenges,” says Jung. “Adding 3M’s Advanced Materials IP to our existing R&D portfolio will serve as a catalyst to help move their development projects from the research lab into real-world production.”
Jung also notes that Mo-Sci is currently working with prior customers on validation projects, adding “as we continue to integrate the technology and equipment into our company, we expect to add even more of these projects.”
Mo-Sci expects all of their acquired equipment and technology will be fully operational at its Rolla, MO, headquarters by FY23. New employees in operations are being onboarded as part of the manufacturing expansion, according to the company.