The piping systems division of Georg Fischer (Schaffhausen / Switzerland; www.georgfischer.com) has acquired the 50% stake owned by Simona (Kirn / Germany; www.simona.de) in the joint venture Georg Fischer Simona Fluorpolymer Products (Ettenheim / Germany). Financial details are not to be disclosed. The two companies will continue to supply each other with specialty components for piping systems. Georg Fischer expects the acquisition to strengthen its position in microelectronics piping systems while Simona plans to extend its fluoropolymers business upstream.

The joint venture was set up in 2002 to produce high-purity piping systems for the manufacture of semiconducors and photovoltaic cells. The Ettenheim facility is claimed to have one of the world's most modern clean room systems.