Mahle headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

Mahle Industry GmbH, in Stuttgart, Germany, acquired InnoWa Membrane GmbH in Schwaikheim, Germany on Jan 31.

InnoWa Membrane specializes in the development, application and manufacturing of high-performance filter systems based on membrane technology. The company emerged from the former EBG GmbH.

InnoWa Membrane will operate under the name Mahle InnoWa GmbH, which will be headquartered in Stuttgart.

InnoWa Membrane, a technology leader, manufactures hollow fiber membranes for ultrafiltration.

Ultrafiltration is used for the treatment of drinking water from the rivers, surface waters, or springs, while taking preliminary steps in seawater desalination. The technology allows even minuscule particles such as germs, viruses, and bacteria to be filtered and opens up additional areas of applications in home and building services engineering.

With its industrial filtration division, Mahle Industry is an established manufacturer of filtration solutions for a broad spectrum of industrial applications.

"By acquiring InnoWa Membrane, we are opening up new areas of applications for our company in the field of filtration, such as the important segment of water treatment," said Dr Michael Matros, corporate executive vice-president and general manager of Mahle Industry.

"This acquisition strengthens our core markets of food & beverages, power generation, and general industrial applications," added Matros.

Mahle Industry enjoys a globally active sales network with an excellent reputation. The integration of InnoWa Membrane into the industrial filtration division creates a new business opportunity for Mahle Industry to focus on water treatment.

The Mahle Group is one of the 30 largest companies in the automotive supply industry worldwide.

With its two business units - engine systems & components and filtration & engine peripherals, Mahle ranks among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for piston systems, cylinder components, as well as valve train, air management, and liquid management systems.

The industry business unit coordinates industrial activities of Mahle Group, which includes the areas of large engines, industrial filtration, as well as cooling and air-conditioning systems.

The aftermarket business unit serves the independent spare parts market with Mahle products in OE quality.

In 2011, sales of Mahle were expected to reach approximately 6 billion euros ($7.83 billion).

It has more than 47,000 employees working in over 100 production plants and eight R&D centers.