TA Instruments to buy rubber instrument unit

NEW CASTLE, Del. (Oct. 21)—TA Instruments Inc. plans to purchase the assets of the Rheology Division of Rheometric Scientific Inc. for an undisclosed amount to expand its rubber instruments operation. The sale, which needs the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the shareholders of Rheometric Scientific, is expected to close in December. Once the deal is finalized, the New Castle-based firm intends to combine the acquired division with TA Instruments and create a single global organization, a spokesman said. Rheometric Scientific's Piscataway, N.J., facility ultimately will be closed and all manufacturing will be relocated to TA Instruments' New Castle site. The consolidation, which will include all sales and service units, likely will take about nine months to complete, the spokesman said.