Issue

Particles...

07/01/2002

SCS relocates division
Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) is relocating its long-standing Instruments Group from Atlanta, GA, to its worldwide headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. SCS is a division of Cookson Electronics Equipment Group, a division of Cookson Electronics. The Instruments Group manufactures Ionograph, Omegameter and Sirometer measurement equipment to test the ionic contamination and cleanliness of PCBs and other devices. These devices are used for process control testing in a variety of industries, including printed circuit assembly, PCB fabrication and medical device manufacturing.-LB

Airflow Systems, Fab-Tech merge
Fab-Tech Inc. has merged into Airflow Systems Inc. (Dallas, TX), a manufacturer of industrial air filtration systems for manufacturing, processing, commercial and vehicle exhaust applications. Fab-Tech's metalworking equipment includes a newly acquired Amada NC punch and Cincinnati brake and shear, both with 12-foot sheet capacity. Manufacturing operations and management offices are located in Airflow Systems' new 70,000-square-foot headquarters in Dallas.-LB

PSU opens materials research lab
Penn State University has dedicated the W.M. Keck Smart Materials Integration Laboratory, which features a controlled-environment cleanroom and equipment to create the next generation of integrated devices. Located in the Materials Research Laboratory, the new lab was built and outfitted with an $800,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, based in Los Angeles. Penn State will provide the funds to operate the lab, which is expected to draw additional research dollars from industry and from the government, including NASA and the energy and defense departments.-LB

Microbia raises financing
Microbia Inc. (Cambridge, MA) has raised approximately $26 million in a Series C private equity financing, bringing the total amount raised since inception to $59 million. The round was led by Fidelity Biosciences Group, a division of Fidelity Investments. Also investing are Microbia's existing institutional investors-Venrock Associates, Polaris Venture Partners, Essex Investment Management Company, Aberdare Ventures and BancBoston Ventures-along with numerous other private investors. "Microbia has staked out a position in therapeutic development that has not been exploited until now-one that offers tremendous medical and commercial opportunities. We are pleased that our business strategy and our technical progress have attracted such a distinguished group of investors," says Peter Hecht, chief executive officer of Microbia.-LB

Nanotechnology patents service
To meet the growing information needs of the nanotechnology industry Derwent Information (Alexandria, VA) announced a service called Nanotechnology - Structures and Devices. The Industry and Technology Patents Profile (ITP) provides comprehensive information about global patents specific to the nanotechnology field. According to the company, the volume of nanotechnology patents filed worldwide has grown dramatically over the past few years. In 1998, Derwent's World Patents Index contained less than 600 nanotechnology patents. By 2000 that number had more than doubled, to more than 1200 nanotechnology-related patents.-LB

Bosch announces new compliance products
Bosch Packaging Technology (Minneapolis, MN) announced the addition of a wide range of new offerings to their Regulatory Compliance Products. New services include Quality Plans (utilizing the Bosch quality system and project management), factory and site acceptance testing, IQ, OQ and PQ (installation qualification, operational qualification and performance qualification plans and plan execution services), I/O hardware loop checks, instrumentation calibration, formal operational training, GAMP documentation, user requirements specifications, functional specifications, requirements traceability matrices, software design specifications, structural software test and quality reporting.-LB

JGA acquires ICCI
Jon Goldman Associates Inc. (JGA; Orange, CA), manufacturer of data capture and process management software for the semiconductor industry, has acquired Integrated Control Concepts Inc. (ICCI; Hollis, NH), which manufactures diffusion and LPCVD process controllers and software used throughout the semiconductor industry. Presently, each company will continue to operate under its respective name. Manufacturing, operations and sales of ICCI products will be maintained in the New Hampshire facility under the direction of General Manager, Bob Bowman.-LB

Daifuku signs agreement with Brooks Automation
Daifuku Co. Ltd. and Eskay Corp. (Salt Lake City, UT) have announced a revised agreement with Brooks Automation allowing Daifuku and Eskay to independently sell, service and support ISO Class 5 MCS material control software for semicon ductor manufacturing applications. Under the agreement, Daifuku can provide a wide range of MCS series products, including Class 5, CFM/CSM and CFM40. Daifuku is also free to develop its own MCS product.-LB

Majestic Companies forms Majestic Glove Box
The Majestic Companies Ltd. (Everett, WA) has formed Majestic Glove Box Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Majestic Safe-T-Products Ltd. According to Adrian Corbett, president of Majestic Safe-T-Products, "The formation of Majestic Glove Box Ltd. allows us to create the necessary funding, development and industry strategic alliances to carry this much needed product to not only the medical industry but also cleanroom situations such as computer chip manufacturing." The product, the Glove Box, is a fully automatic wall-mounted glove dispenser designed to dispense exam style disposable gloves. To use the glove box, an individual walks up to the dispenser and gives a verbal command, such as "large glove." Within a few seconds the dispenser opens a pair of large gloves. The user inserts his hands into the gloves and gives the command "release gloves" and then walks away.-LB