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CM News
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Software Order PlacedHERZLIYA, Israel SCI Systems Inc. placed a $3.8 million order for combined Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. and Fuji Machine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. software and services. Tecnomatix will receive $2.1 million, with $1.7 to go to Fuji. The order is comprised of Tecnomatix UNICAM software for assembly planning, production monitoring, documentation and for interfacing with non-Fuji PCB assembly equipment, and a jointly developed brand of the UNICAM software, FujiCam, that allows engineers to program, optimize and monitor Fuji assembly machines directly from the engineering application.
SCI selected the two companies after a year-long evaluation of the software packages at three SCI sites. The company has been using the software to program Fuji assembly machines and create visual assembly aids from a number of printed circuit board (PCB) design systems. The software will be implemented at 26 SCI facilities.
"The implementation of Tecnomatix/Fuji software is an important component of SCI's globalization efforts," said Gene Sapp, president and chief executive officer of SCI Systems. "We are very satisfied with the initial results and anticipate continued im-provements as the system is fully deployed."
Nick Kimura, vice president of Fuji America Corp., commented, "We are pleased with the successful relationship we have developed with Tecnomatix. SCI's purchase of FujiCam is the largest implementation to date, and will allow SCI to be more flexible and responsive to their customers."
Ohio Companies Team UpPERRY, Ohio APSCO International, Perry, Ohio, and Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, announced a manufacturing partnership agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, APSCO will provide electronics manufacturing services for Lincoln's new line of PowerWave welders and the Multi-Weld System. The company will manufacture PCB assemblies to perform control, power supply and peripheral management functions for the new products.
"We are extremely pleased with the opportunity to serve Lincoln, with their reputation for quality and market leadership," said Chris Mather, APSCO president and CEO. "Lincoln's needs and APSCO's capabilities are an outstanding match. It's also gratifying that two Northeast Ohio companies and market leaders can partner for mutual benefit."
George Blankenship, vice president of equipment process development for Lincoln, commented, "APSCO has the expertise and capability to support the surface mount technologies, which are part of our ever increasingly complex and newer designs. We look forward to a productive partnership."
Dii Announces Recent DevelopmentsNIWOT, Colo. The Dii Group Inc. recently made several announcements. The first concerned its PCB-producing subsidiary, Multek, which hired Dr. Craig Davidson to lead Multek's research and development effort and to head the new Dii Technology Center on the Multek campus in Irvine, Calif. Davidson has a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Virginia and many years of experience in advanced packaging and assembly process development.
Second, Dii announced that the letter of intent to sell Cencorp, a subsidiary that produces depaneling equipment for fully assembled PCBs, was terminated. Cencorp will remain part of the Dii Group until a suitable purchaser is identified.
Ronald R. Budacz, Dii Group chairman and CEO, said, "Cencorp has always been a profitable contributor to the Dii Group, and will remain so until a sale can be consummated. Our intention to sell this subsidiary was solely related to our desire to hone our strategic focus on our three core competencies of design and semiconductor services, [PCB] fabrication, and systems assembly and distribution."
Finally, Dovatron Colorado, the Dii Group's contract manufacturing operation in Longmont, Colo., was certified to the ISO 14001 environmental standard. The certification and related improvements in controls at Dovatron are expected to increase operational efficiency, reduce waste, streamline permitting and compliance requirements, and meet growing international demand for environmentally responsible companies.
Global Acquires ECSFREMONT, Calif. Global Electronics Manufacturing Inc. acquired Electronic Components & Systems Inc. (ECS). Along with its wholly owned subsidiaries Elan Manufacturing and Pruzin Technologies, ECS will operate as a majority-owned subsidiary of Global Electronics and will continue to operate under the ECS name. James Pruzin, president and founder of ECS, entered into a three-year employment agreement and will remain its president; he was also elected to Global's board of directors.
Founded in 1988, ECS specializes in high-tech contract manufacturing and assembly of PCBs, phone and cable wires, coil winding and plastic injection. The company operates out of five facilities, including a 65,000 sq. ft. facility in the Maquiladora free-trade zone in Sonora, Mexico. Additional facilities are in Nogales, Tucson and Chandler, Ariz., as well as Fremont, Calif.
"The market demand for electronic contract manufacturing is at an all-time high," said Pruzin. "Our largest customer recently increased its orders by more than 30 percent, and we have acquired several very important new accounts. We anticipate strong sales growth in the next two fiscal years."
Solectron Acquires, AppointsMILPITAS, Calif. Solectron Corp. completed its acquisition of Sequel Inc., a privately held corporation specializing in notebook computer and liquid crystal display (LCD) repair service and support. Solectron will take responsibility for Sequel's business operations in San Jose, Calif.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Reading, U.K., as well as assume Sequel's ownership in joint venture operations in Japan and Taiwan.
William E. Mitchell, president of Solectron Global Services, will manage the combined enterprise. All Sequel business operations will be integrated into Solectron Global Services within six to 12 months.
With this acquisition, Solectron's goal is to expand its global services capabilities by offering its OEM customers direct end-user support through customer service call centers.
In other company news, Solectron appointed G. Fred Forsyth, corporate vice president and president of Solectron Americas, and Daniel Perez, corporate vice president and chief administrative officer, as corporate officers. Forsyth joined the company in March 1999 with more than 30 years of experience in electronics, engineering, manufacturing and high-tech management. Perez joined Solectron in November 1991 and held numerous roles in materials, operations and senior management within the company.
Verifying Y2K Preparation SuccessSAN JOSE, Calif. Sanmina Corp. released a Year 2000 (Y2K) Readiness Disclosure indicating that, to the best of the company's knowledge, its internal business and manufacturing systems are Y2K compliant. Several independent consulting firms, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, reportedly said that Sanmina's internal methodology for obtaining Y2K readiness represents "best of practice," and that they would recommend the company's approach to other clients.
"Sanmina launched a comprehensive four-phase project plan in March 1998," said Steve Paszkiewicz, the company's vice president and chief information officer. "The plan included the inventory and assessment of our internal manufacturing and business systems, external supplier base and environmental systems, followed by remediation as necessary and testing."
Jim Hume, corporate vice president of materials, added, "We have taken preventive measures to ensure that all future technology and material purchases from our key suppliers are fully Y2K compliant by assessing their internal Y2K readiness plans. We will also include specific Y2K contract language on our purchase orders and other service contracts."
New VP NamedCONCORD, Mass. Manufacturers' Services Ltd. named Margit Elo vice president and general manager of its U.S. center for high-mix, low- to medium-volume, high-complexity PCB and systems assembly in Arden Hills, Minn. Drawing on more than 20 years of engineering and manufacturing experience in the telecommunications industry, Elo will direct new programs designed to streamline manufacturing processes and improve overall efficiency. Her first task is to implement a demand/pull system that streamlines the supply chain and reduces total cost.
The Arden Hills site serves as the company's center for new product introduction support and advanced packaging technologies, including μBGA, CSP and flip chip packaging. It also offers RF and functional test services.
Canadian CM Adds CustomerEDMONTON, ALBERTA, Canada Continuing to reinforce its sales and market share across Canada, especially in Alberta, Mitronix Inc. recently added BJ Process and Pipeline Services (BJPPS), Calgary, Alberta, to its list of customers. BJPPS, a subsidiary of BJ Services Co., provides process and pipeline commissioning and maintenance applications services. Mitronix provides surface mount and through-hole assembly for the electronic modules used in BJPPS pipeline inspection tools.
"This deal is yet another step in our establishment as the electronics contract manufacturer of choice in Alberta," said Brian Plester, president of Mitronix. "We plan to grow along with our customers, and our work with BJPPS is another example of our commitment to growth."
Partners in Performance Awards GivenTORONTO Celestica Inc. announced the recipients of its Partners in Performance awards, given in recognition of outstanding achievements and support of the company's electronics manufacturing services goals. This year's winners are: AVX Corp., Cypress Semiconductor, DEK USA Inc., Fairchild, Hewlett-Packard Co., KOA Corp., Motorola, ROHM Electronics, Texas Instruments, Universal Instruments Corp. and Yamamoto.
The awards are presented to suppliers based on their ability to support Celestica's supply chain management objectives in the areas of flexibility and responsiveness, impact on asset management, effectiveness and efficiency, and overall supplier performance.
"Each of the recipients has demonstrated support of Celestica's [CM] offerings in the consistent delivery of global sup-port and competitive pricing structure," said Eugene Polistuk, president and CEO of Celestica. "We're proud to partner with companies that share our commitment to customers."
Benchmark Acquires AVEXANGLETON, Texas Benchmark Electronics Inc. reached an agreement with J.M. Huber Corp. under which Benchmark will acquire AVEX Electronics, Huntsville, Ala. The transaction was expected to close by early August.
"This transaction provides a tremendous opportunity for Benchmark to recognize the benefits afforded by scale and global presence in the electronics manufacturing services industry," said Don Nigbor, president and chief executive officer of Benchmark.
AVEX provides contract electronics design, manufacturing and testing services to OEMs primarily in the telecommunications, networking/server, computer and high-end video/audio/entertainment industries. The company has nine manufacturing facilities throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, and has a workforce of approximately 4,440 employees. Benchmark provides electronics manufacturing and engineering services to OEMs in industries including enterprise computer, telecommunications, medical device, industrial control, and testing and instrumentation. The company operates facilities in Angleton, Texas; Beaverton, Ore.; Hudson, N.H.; Winona, Minn.; and Dublin, Ireland, with a workforce of approximately 2,500 employees.