MR component biz changes hands

On March 31, MTS Systems of Eden Prairie, MN, sold its gradient amplifier product line. Details of the transaction, including the name of the buyer, were not publicly disclosed. The business focuses on enhancing the scanning capabilities of MR systems machines. The MR-specific technology was a byproduct of MTS' automation amplifier activities and, as such, was no longer a strategic fit, according to company executives. MTS sold the product line to concentrate on its core force and motion control products and markets. The gradient amplifier product line, which was reported as part of the MTS Factory Automation Segment, had revenues of $6 million in fiscal year 2002.