Manufacturer of PV screen printing equipment, DEK Solar, has been sold as part of a deal between the owner of DEK, Dover Corporation, and ASM Pacific Technology (ASMPT), itself a part of Dutch-based semiconductor equipment supplier ASM International.
According to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing by ASMPT the acquisition of DEK from Dover was put at US$170 million. ASMPT said in a separate press release that DEK had revenue of US$167 million in 2012 and over 700 employees worldwide.
Dover Corporation had announced back in November 2012, that it intended to divest its electronics assembly and test businesses under its UK headquartered subsidiary, DEK, which included DEK Solar. DEK had been a part of Dover since 1985.
ASMPT noted that it would integrate DEK into its surface mount technology (SMT) business segment which ASMPT established in 2011, after it had acquired the SIPLACE SMT placement machine business from Siemens.
However, the company also noted that DEK would be assigned to its ‘Pre-Placement’ division, where it will cooperate with the Placement division’s SIPLACE team.
However, DEK Solar’s position within that structure is not clear though PV Tech was told by a company source that it would be “business as usual” for DEK Solar.
ASMPT is therefore building a business and technology product offering in the electronics assembly sector that combines printing and placement processes that could ultimately lead to a complete electronics production chain product offering.
Günter Lauber, CEO of the SMT business segment at ASMPT said, “As a team we will be able to offer not only Best-in-Class placement machines and printers. By working together, the developers and applications engineers at SIPLACE and DEK will also be able to develop consistent and transparent process chains. This will allow us to generate quality and cost benefits for the electronics production industry that other suppliers cannot offer.”
“This next step in DEK’s development is very positive for our entire organisation. While protecting the future of the DEK team, the new ownership also opens countless opportunities for integrated SMT technology development to further advance electronics production capabilities,” said DEK CEO, Michael Brianda.
An integration steering committee will be jointly headed by Günter Lauber and SMT business segment CFO, Mike Möhlheinrich, as well as the future division heads, Günter Schindler and Michael Brianda.
