ITW Rocol North America added to its stable of machining lubricants this month when parent company Illinois Tool Works purchased Metal Mates Inc., a manufacturer of water-based stamping and forming fluids.
ITW described Metal Mates as an attractive extension of its business. The Glenview, Ill., company already owns Cedar Lubricants, a line of oil-based stamping and forming lubes, along with lines of coolants, tapping fluids, aqueous cleaners and environmentally safe lubricants for near-dry machining. Metal Mates and Cedar Lubricants cater primarily to tier one and two suppliers of the auto industry, while ITWs other product lines are sold to other metalworking industries.
Metal Mates was formed in 1975 and is based in Waterford, Mich. While declining to disclose financial data about the company, an ITW spokesman said it is similar in size to ITW Rocols other lines. The price of acquiring Metal Mates was not disclosed.
ITW said it will maintain Metal Mates as an independent product line but that manufacturing will shift to ITWs blending plant in DeWitt, Iowa.