Edwards Vacuum

Edwards Ltd is a British, multinational vacuum and ultra-high vacuum pump manufacturer. It is based in Burgess Hill and has been a subsidiary of Atlas Copco since 2014.[13][14][1]

Edwards Ltd
IndustryEngineering[1]
Founded1919[2]
FounderFrederick David (F E) Edwards[2][3]
Headquarters
Burgess Hill
,
England[1]
Products
Revenue
  • Decrease £829 million (2021)(company)[12]
  • Increase £865 million (2020)(company)[1]
  • Decrease £307 million (2021)(company)[12]
  • Increase £446 million (2020)(company)[1]
Number of employees
  • Increase 490 (2021)(company)[12]
  • Decrease 417 (2020)(company)[1]
  • 3,800 (2012)(incl. subsidiaries)[4]
ParentAtlas Copco AB[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Edwards holds 1,700 patents, including for dry (oil-free) vacuum pumps, and produces equipment used for manufacturing semiconductors; scientific research; freeze drying, and in other industries. Its pumps remove contaminants at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.[15][16][1][17]

Manufacture is predominantly by subsidiary businesses in Czechia, South Korea and China. Edwards' global research and development facilities remain in the UK.[4]

Major customers in 2012 included Samsung, Hynix, Agilent and LG.[4]

Edwards two stage rotary vane vacuum pump

History

Independent

In 1919, physicist Frederick David (F E) Edwards and his father William founded their eponymous business in Camberwell as Edwards Equipment and Services, importing vacuum equipment from Germany's Leybold.[18][3][2]

Cut off from its supplier because of World War II, and with German patents voided in the UK, independent manufacturing began in 1939. The firm was renamed W Edwards and Co in 1940, then Edwards High Vacuum International Ltd in 1950, and moved to Crawley in 1953.[2][19][3][20]

Edwards purchased Italian freeze drying equipment manufacturer Alto Vuoto SpA in 1954, followed by the Shoreham factory of former subcontractor J H Holmes and Son Ltd in 1958.[19][21]

In the 1960s the firm listed as a public company; suffered from strike action; F E Edwards died, and after financial difficulties it was sold to BOC.[18]

BOC

BOC Group's purchase of Edwards in 1968 was followed by international expansion, particularly into Asia, and investment at the Crawley, Eastbourne, Shoreham and Burgess Hill sites.[22][2][23][24]

In 1984, Edwards developed and patented the first practical high vacuum dry (no-oil) pumps. The design was taken up by the fast growing semiconductor manufacturing market.[18]

1992 Purchased Electrotech Ltd's semiconductor manufacturing exhaust gas management systems to add to Edwards' semiconductor manufacturing environmental abatement technology.[21]
1997 BOC merged its electronics gases business with Edwards as BOC Edwards.[19][21]
Purchased Systems Chemistry Inc, a supplier of management systems for ultrapure chemicals used in semiconductor manufacture, from Submicron Systems Corp of Allentown. Became Edwards' chemical management division.[25][lower-alpha 1]
1999 Purchased the Minneapolis chemical management division of FSI International Inc for US$38 million.[25][lower-alpha 1]
2001 Purchased the Hick Hargreaves vacuum ejector and deaerator units; Wilhelm Klein GmbH; Stokes piston pump operations, and Hibon Inc for £12.8 million from Smiths Group.[27][lower-alpha 2]
2002 Purchased Seiko Industry's turbomolecular pump manufacturing business for £70 million.[29]
  1. Edwards sold its chemical management division to Air Liquide in 2008.[21][26]
  2. The Hibon, Hicks Hargreaves and Wilhelm Klein low pressure compressor businesses were sold on to Ingersoll Rand in 2006.[28]

Linde and CCMP Capital
Edwards turbomolecular pump

Linde AG purchased BOC in 2006 for €12.4 billion, selling Edwards to CCMP Capital, and its Asian fund, in 2007 for US$901 million becoming Edwards Group Ltd, and then Edwards Group plc. New, Cayman Islands holding company Edwards Group Ltd listed on NASDAQ, in 2012 via ADS under ticker symbol EVAC, with a US$100 million IPO. It delisted in 2014 when Atlas Copco purchased operating subsidiary Edwards Ltd for £1 billion.[13][2][16][15][30][31][24][4]

In 2011, manufacturing sites were opened in Czech Republic and South Korea for industrial / pharmaceutical / chemical / scientific, and semiconductor markets respectively. Most of Edwards' UK manufacturing capacity was closed, completing plans proposed under BOC in 2005.[4][32]

Edwards was awarded its seventh Queen's Award in 2012.[33]

Atlas Copco
2018 Purchased Brooks Automation's CTI-Cryogenics and Polycold branded cryopump operations based in Chelmsford and Monterrey for US$675 million.[6][34]
2022 Purchased HHV Pumps Pvt Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of vacuum pumps located in Bengalaru, for £10.9 million.[12]
Atlas Copco agreed to purchase the assets of Chinese, liquid ring vacuum pump manufacturer Shandong Jinggong Pump Co Ltd, to join the Edwards vacuum pump business.[35]

Controversies

Domain registration

In 2005, Nominet determined the domain name bocedwards.co.uk had been abusively registered by Eaton Engineering (Herts) Ltd and ordered that it be transferred to The BOC Group Ltd, the then owners of Edwards.[23]

Hoffman Instrumentation Supply Inc

In 2019, Hoffman Instrumentation Supply Inc was a component vendor to Edwards' US, subsidiary Edwards Vacuum LLC, and held talks about becoming exclusive supplier for some items. It was also proposed that Hoffman would construct subassemblies and complete systems, but only for Edwards.[36]

One of Hoffman's key customers enquired whether it could provide a vacuum system that would work with pumps other than Edwards'. Hoffman informed Edwards whose response was to suggest purchasing Hoffman. Information was provided about Hoffman to Edwards for due diligence, under a non disclosure agreement, in order to progress the acquisition. It included technical specifications for the pump agnostic vacuum system and Hoffman's cost structures.[36]

The parties did not agree terms to purchase Hoffman and Edwards withdrew from the process.[36]

A group of employees left Edwards to work for Hoffman and in 2020, Edwards sought an injunction against Hoffman to prevent misuse of the ex employees's trade secrets.[37][36]

Hoffman counter claimed Edwards used the confidential due diligence information to pitch their products to Hoffman's key customer at prices just below Hoffman's own intended level, and to demand cost reductions from suppliers to match those obtained by Hoffman.[36]

Hoffman alleged Edwards employed monopoly practices in breach of the Sherman Act because it had 70% share of the integrated vacuum pump frame systems market in the US and suppressed competition, imposing non-compete covenants on its suppliers and engaged in employee intimidation; customer threats, and bad faith litigation.[36]

In May 2021, Edwards was granted a partial, interim injunction against Hoffman selling a bellows component. Judgement declined to accept Edwards' application of Noerr–Pennington doctrine to dismiss Hoffman's [38]anti competition counterclaim. [37][39][40]

In June 2022, the parties entered into a Confidential Settlement Agreement through which both parties' claims were dismissed with prejudice.[41]

Patents

Edwards makes many patent applications which are opposed, and frequently challenges those made by its competitors.[4][42]

References
  1. Edwards Limited Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020, Companies House, 2021
  2. "Edwards Timeline". Edwards. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  3. "Frederick David Edwards - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  4. SEC. "Edwards Group Ltd 2012 Annual/Transition Report 20-F/A". Securities Exchange Commission. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  5. "Edwards opens vacuum pump plant in Czech Republic". World Pumps. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  6. "Edwards acquiring Brooks Automation's cryogenic business". www.semiconductor-today.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  7. "Gamma Vacuum pumps: ultra-high vacuum technologies Edwards". Edwards. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  8. "Diffusion Pumps Edwards". Edwards. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  9. "Small Dry Pumps Edwards". Edwards. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  10. Edwards. "Industrial Dry Pumps Edwards". Edwards. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  11. "Oil Sealed Pumps Edwards". Edwards. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  12. Edwards Limited Annual Report and Financial Statements year ended 31 December 2021 (Report). Edwards. 2021 – via Companies House.
  13. "Atlas Copco completes acquisition of Edwards Group" (Press release). Atlas Copco. 9 January 2014. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  14. "EDWARDS LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  15. "Vacuum pump maker Edwards snapped up in a £1 billion deal". Herald Scotland. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  16. "CEA-Leti and Edwards Demonstrate Energy-Saving System For Subfab Process-Support Equipment". www.businesswire.com. 15 February 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  17. "Vacuum maker says markets suck as float pulled". The Guardian. 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  18. "Transcript of a conversation between Henry Wycliffe and Andrew Chew", Vacuum Science World, archived from the original on 22 July 2022, retrieved 22 July 2022
  19. "Edwards High Vacuum International - Science Museum Group Collection". Science Museum. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  20. "EHVIL DISSENTIENTS LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  21. "Edwards High Vacuum - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  22. "Redundancy hits factory workers". BBC News. 13 January 2010. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  23. "BOC Group Plc & BOC Ltd v Eaton Engineering (Herts) Ltd [2005] DRS 2829 (22 September 2005)". www.bailii.org. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  24. "EDWARDS HOLDCO LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  25. Dorsch, Jeff (14 June 1999). "Deals Bloom in Capital Equipment". EDN. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  26. "Proposed Merger between Air Liquide Electronics US LP and Chemical Management Division of Edwards Vacuum Inc". CCCS. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  27. "Regulatory News Item - Smiths Group plc". Smiths Group. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  28. "Ingersoll Rand Acquires the Global Low-pressure Air Business of BOC Edwards". investors.tranetechnologies.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  29. "BOC to acquire turbomolecular pump business from Seiko Instruments Inc". www.chemeurope.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  30. "BOC Edwards Unit Sold to Private Equity Firm". www.photonics.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  31. Edwards HoldCo Ltd Group of Companies Accounts 2013, Companies House, 2014
  32. "Investegate |BOC Group PLC Announcements | BOC Group PLC: 1st Quarter Results". www.investegate.co.uk. 8 February 2006. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  33. "Edwards Group Shows Why Working in a Vacuum Can Pay Off". Stevie Awards. 16 May 2022. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  34. "CMS advises Atlas Copco on acquisition of cryogenic business of Brooks Automation". cms.law. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  35. "ATLAS COPCO TO ACQUIRE A CHINESE MANUFACTURER OF INDUSTRIAL VACUUM PUMPS AND SYSTEMS". Impeller. 4 July 2022. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  36. "Edwards Vacuum, LLC v. Hoffman Instrumentation Supply, Inc., Case No. 3:20-cv-1681-SI - Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  37. "Docket for Edwards Vacuum LLC v. Hoffman Instrumentation Supply, Inc., 3:20-cv-01681 - CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  38. "CM/ECF - USDC Oregon-Confirm Request". ecf.ord.uscourts.gov. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  39. Simon, Michael H. (10 May 2021). "EDWARDS VACUUM v. HOFFMAN". Leagle. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  40. "Noerr-Pennington Doctrine Does Not Shield Litigants Bringing "Bad Faith" Trade Secret Claims from Antitrust Liability". Trade Secret Tracker. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  41. "CM/ECF - USDC Oregon-Confirm Request". ecf.ord.uscourts.gov. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  42. "T 1054/16 of 27.11.2019". European Patent Office. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
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