Siemens` Automation and Drives group is buying the US process instrumentation and control specialist Moore Products for around $170m.Moore employs around 1,200 people and achieved sales of $168m in 1998.

The purchase "will considerably strengthen our position in process automation and enable us to further improve our market position in the USA," says Dr Klaus Wucherer, president of the A&D group.

"We will sharpen our competitive edge and further close the gap between us and the leaders in the field of process automation."

Last year Siemens bought Applied Automation, another US company in this sector, and it has recently taken over parts of the German magnetoinductive measurement specialist, Turbo-Werk Messetechnik.