UK safety technology company Halma has acquired manufacturer SphereOptics for $2.5 million (£1.5 million).

SphereOptics produces appliances for measuring light. The New Hampshire-based company generated revenue of $4.3 million in 2009 and will be merged with Halma subsidiary Labsphere, a US light engineering business.

Andrew Williams, chief executive of Halma, said that the combination of SphereOptics and Labsphere strengthens the company's market position in the growing light metrology sector.

In the six months to September, Halma generated revenue of £222.1 million, while pre-tax profits were down by 2 per cent to £38.1 million.