INDUSTRY NEWS

EXPANSIONS AND ACQUISITIONS

Swiss firms buys Lepco

One of the largest cleanroom design-and-build companies in the United States has been purchased by a Swiss firm specializing in ventilation and air-conditioning design, construction, and management. The $17.3-million acquisition merges the cleanroom activities of Houston-based Lepco and Zellweger Luwa of Uster, Switzerland. Called LuwaLepco, the new company will be based in Houston. Gary Devloo, the president of Lepco, stays on as president of the company, which becomes a subsidiary of Luwa Bahnson. The Zellweger Luwa group of companies is a $700-million global conglomerate with expertise in high-tech manufacturing, engineering, construction, and service.

LuwaLepco says it will offer the most complete range of cleanroom-related services in the electronics industry. These will include helping customers with fab layouts, programming, site selection; providing turnkey design and construction; offering in-house manufacturing of HEPA filters and related air-handling components; and providing air-balancing services. LuwaLepco has a U.S.-based engineering and construction staff of more than 800 employees and offices in more than 26 countries.

Prior to the merger, Lepco was awarded a contract to design and build a trace-metal analysis facility for MEMC, a silicon wafer manufacturer. Located in Pasadena, TX, the 1500-sq-ft facility will contain Class 1000 through Class 10 cleanroom space maintained at 68°F ±1°F and 50% RH ±5%.

Robot vendor opens shop

Robotics manufacturer Motoman of West Carrollton, OH, has opened a 28,000-sq-ft facility in Chandler, AZ, to service the bulk of its customer base in the western United States. The facility will be run jointly with Yaskawa Electric America, Motoman's parent company. The plant will offer sales, application engineering, training, support, and system deployment for Motoman's SuperMechatronics automation line. Products include ultraclean vacuum robotic arms, wafer process motors, multiaxis controllers, and six-axis Class 1000 to Class 1 robotic arms. Motoman projects sales of $50 million by 2001.

Parts cleaner targets Valley

An expanding start-up that specializes in cleaning semiconductor equipment parts plans to open its first office in the Silicon Valley. ESCA (Environmentally Safe Cleaning Alternatives) of Albuquerque says it hopes to open the Silicon Valley Cleaning Service Center by the end of 1998. Founded in February 1997, the company has service centers in Phoenix; Portland, OR; Dublin, Ireland, and South Korea. Using environmentally safe methods, ESCA cleans equipment parts made of aluminum, ceramic, stainless steel, anodized materials, graphite, and other materials. Dave Zuck, president and CEO, is optimistic about the expansion plans, citing the industry's need to reduce costs and streamline operations as a result of the Asian financial crisis. (A news story about ESCA appeared in MICRO's 'Round the Circuit column, April 1998.)

Analytical firm opens HQ

MST Analytics opened a new headquarters in Buffalo Grove, IL, and expanded its facilities in Munich and San Jose. The new company seat will feature the firm's Satellite gas detection systems and FPM Analytics SemiChem aqueous and nonaqueous process analyzers. Sales and service offices are either open or scheduled to open in Austin, TX; Portland, OR; Taiwan; and Singapore.

Launch focuses on tools

A new business unit established by Aeroquip of Maumee, OH, will develop products designed for ultra-high-purity gas delivery and three related categories of process tool components. The three other categories are electronics cooling, equipment cooling, and vacuum and exhaust conveyance. Gas delivery products made by the new unit, called Electronic Fluid Systems, include cylinder cabinets and valve manifold boxes.

Ion Systems signs OEM deal

Ion Systems and Rhetech of Coopersburg, PA, will develop ionization technology for use in spin rinser dryers under the terms of a recently signed OEM partnership. The two companies collaborated on the 4620 in-line ionization kit, which is designed to reduce wafer contamination and static discharge during dryer operation. Rhetech, which refurbishes the dryers, began to offer the customized kit as a product enhancement, says Berkeley, CA—based Ion Systems. The kit has shielded emitter points that reduce ESD created on wafers during handling, rotation, immersion, and temperature fluctuation in the dryers.

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