Johnson Controls announced today that it will acquire Synchrony, a global leader in the development of Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) technology. Based in Roanoke, Virginia, Synchrony is part of Siemens Gas and Power.

The acquisition, which closed Nov. 1, will enable Johnson Controls to improve the performance of its centrifugal chiller products, which rely on magnetic bearings to boost energy efficiency, improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs, among other benefits.

“This acquisition will allow us to access untapped benefits in performance and efficiency that will competitively position our chiller products for years to come,” said Ian Casper, vice president, product engineering, global chiller products, Johnson Controls.

Casper added that magnetic bearing chillers are the fastest-growing chiller product family for Johnson Controls and that the HVACR industry is rapidly adopting AMB technology.

“Owning this technology will enable deeper integration of chiller system development, which will further enhance customer value,” he said.

“Synchrony, Inc.’s advanced magnetic bearing technology has enabled Siemens’ oil and gas business to deliver world-class products and solutions to our customers,” said Rainer Theisen, head of Global Solutions at Siemens Oil & Gas. “Johnson Controls’ acquisition will enable Synchrony’s technology to access new markets, while still playing a role in our manufacturing supply chain for our global energy business. We thank all Synchrony employees for their dedication and look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the team as a part of Johnson Controls in the future.”

As part of the acquisition, Johnson Controls will obtain all of Synchrony’s products and intellectual property. In addition to magnetic bearings, those products include motors and drives, generators and advanced AMB monitoring software.

In 2016, Johnson Controls and Synchrony partnered to develop the YORK® YZ magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller. Launched in early 2018, the YZ is the first chiller fully optimized for ultimate performance, with a next generation low-global warming potential refrigerant, R-1233zd(E). Since its launch, the YZ chiller has won several industry awards, including the 2019 AHR Innovation Award in the cooling category.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

For more information about the Johnson Controls family of chiller products, go to https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/hvac-equipment#Chillers.