leading the world in surface finishing Atotech

leading the world in surface finishing

Germany’s Atotech continues to expand its technologies and its markets with strategic acquisitions and new product development.

In August 2019 Atotech, a global leader in advanced plating chemicals, equipment and services for the printed circuit board, IC-substrate, semiconductor and surface finishing industries, announced that it had acquired J-KEM International. Based in Rosersberg Sweden, J-KEM is a global supplier of highquality chemical products and processes for the printed circuit board and general metal finishing industries. J-KEM’s strong technology and customer relationships complement Atotech’s product portfolio and will help expand addressable markets and drive future growth.

J-KEM’s customers now have full access to Atotech’s regional and global product development, production and technical support capabilities, including its world class and accredited material science and analytical services.

Geoff Wild, Atotech’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are thrilled to add J-KEM’s strong products and technologies to Atotech. We see substantial opportunities to further grow our business with this set of new and excellent products. In particular, J-KEM brings to us a graphite process that gives superior performance, an accelerator-free system in collaboration with an EDTA electroless copper process, as well as a palladium-based direct metallization process.

“These additional capabilities will help expand our reach into exciting growth markets like flex-PCBs and exotic materials. J-KEM’s strong reputation for technical performance fits well with our unique solution-based approach that combines a comprehensive offer of proprietary process chemicals and equipment with best local service.

“This acquisition is representative of our strategy to drive growth and expand the scope of our technology so we can address a greater share of the market. We will continue to look for opportunities that make us a more important partner to our customers.”

Johan Lundqvist, J-KEM’s Chief Executive Officer, added, “We are pleased J-KEM is joining the Atotech family, as it makes sense for both sides. J-KEM will contribute to Atotech’s portfolio, and existing J-KEM customers will benefit from Atotech’s best-in-class service. We look forward to being part of the Atotech team.”

A Vital partner

Atotech is one of the world’s leading suppliers of specialty chemicals and equipment for the printed circuit board, chip carrier and semiconductor industries, as well as decorative and functional surface refinement.

Since it was formed in 1993 from a merger of the Elf Atotech group of companies with M & T Harshaw and Schering’s electroplating division, it has become a vital partner for countless industries that require both functional and decorative surface-finishing solutions.

Today Atotech is present in more than 40 countries and runs 17 TechCenters, 14 chemistry, and 2 equipment production sites It is a

world leader in pioneering innovations in the industry, with over 2,100 registered active patents - 1,700 for chemical processes and 400 for equipment. Its global headquarters are in Berlin, Germany, and its regional HQs are in Yokohama, Japan, and South Carolina, USA.

The company currently operates in two business segments: Electronics (“EL”) and General metal finishing (“GMF”). Its systems and solutions enable the creation of the electrical conductivity integral to the function of printed circuit boards and semiconductors and also provide functional and decorative surface finishing for a wide range of applications, including applications subject to stringent environmental regulations

Atotech products and solutions can be found in a wide variety of crucial end markets. These include surface finishing and electronics for the automotive industry, communication applications for smartphones, next generation connectivity and cloud computing, big data processing infrastructure, medical equipment, household appliances and much more.

Polygon PlB

In June 2019: Atotech announced a new line of innovative horizontal production equipment – the POLYGON PLB LINE. This new production equipment is designed for printed circuit board manufacturers with high reliability and high performance demands in multilayer, rigid-flex and HDI panel processing taking advantage of a complete wet-in-wet in-line solution.

The POLYGON PLB LINE is a new de-smear and electro-less copper production line that provides Atotech’s customers with numerous production advantages, including excellent process performance due to an advanced fluid delivery system, reduced consumption rates for chemistry and water, and an operator-friendly design for best-in-class process control and maintenance.

Designed in Feucht, Germany, and built in Guangzhou, China, Atotech’s new POLYGON Line series features all production-critical characteristics and applies them to a highly reliable, high-volume, and cost-effective machine.

employer award

In 2019 Atotech once again received a top employer award in Germany from the Top Employers Institute. Atotech’s focus was on employee development through talent management and training and development programs, leadership development, career and succession planning, and compensation and benefits.

Dirk Schepers, Personnel Manager of Atotech Deutschland GmbH, said “We are very happy about this special award as Top Employer. It not only rewards our aspirations and activities for ongoing employee development, but also reflects the outstanding achievements of our colleagues working and making Atotech successful. “

Annette Döring-Nahas, HR Business Partner at Atotech, adds: “We are particularly proud of our initiatives to digitize HR processes and roll out talent management programs that we will continue to invest in the future.” n