BIETIGHEIM-BISSINGEN (dpa-AFX) - Mechanical engineering company Dürr wants to expand its automation technology business with an acquisition. The 440 million euro to 480 million euro purchase of BBS is expected to more than double sales in automation technology to about half a billion euros next year. This was announced by the MDax-listed company in Bietigheim-Bissingen on Tuesday. The seller is a consortium led by the financial investor EQT. The exact enterprise value of BBS Automation would depend on the development of earnings in the current year. "The transaction will be financed from cash flow as well as through existing financing instruments and bridge financing." Dürr was last valued on the stock exchange at just under two billion euros and is targeting sales of between 4.5 billion euros and 4.8 billion euros this year./zb/stk