FACTORYworks, Xsite and AutoSimulations Productivity Family (APF) suite meet Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) and real-time dispatch and scheduling requirements at Seagate's wafer production and slider facilities.
Winnersh Triangle, UK. - April 17, 2000 - Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKS), a leader in semiconductor tool and factory automation solutions for the global semiconductor industry, today announced that it has signed a contract to provide the recording head operations of Seagate Technology, Inc. with a multi-million dollar solution set of software and consulting services, including the implementation of FACTORYworks, Xsite and the APF product suite, at the company's manufacturing sites in Bloomington, Minnesota and Northern Ireland. Seagate's Malaysian sites are expected to deploy the Brooks software early in 2001, in phase three of the implementation.
Seagate's Bloomington and Northern Ireland sites perform two types of manufacturing - wafer and slider in Bloomington and wafer only in Northern Ireland - that, while different, are interrelated. FACTORYworks meets the unique MES requirements of both sites, supporting the sites' discrete requirements while reinforcing their ability to work together.
FACTORYworks also provides Seagate with tremendous flexibility. As a leading producer of disc drives, a product whose life span can be measured in months, Seagate requires an MES solution that can adapt to the needs of a rapidly changing product. FACTORYworks answers this need by enabling Seagate to optimise throughput, improve equipment utilisation and move down the yield curve faster. In addition, FACTORYworks provides Seagate with a cost-effective solution to its MES needs.
Seagate selected the AutoSimulations Productivity Family (APF) software suite for scheduling, capacity analysis and real-time dispatching. APF includes pre-engineered integration with FACTORYworks, allowing scheduling decisions to be made utilising real-time shop floor data.
Looking forward, Seagate's recording head operations believes that it will be essential to connect 'islands of information applications' together, introduce more functionality, and provide an integrated system solution that will help it become a world-class manufacturing enterprise.
"Our goal is to have a factory automation system that is world-class and state-of-the-art," said Thomas Dunlap, Director of the MES Project. "FACTORYworks, Xsite and APF provide the foundation for achieving this goal. Our use of Brooks software will help us increase the visibility and availability of data across our organisational departments and business units."
"As Seagate's needs evolve to include additional areas of the factory, we are confident that we will be able to meet those needs in the future," said Robert J. Therrien, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brooks Automation, Inc. "We also believe that Seagate will be able to better integrate these solutions into their existing systems."
Brooks Automation, Inc.
We are a leading supplier of integrated tool and factory automation solutions for the global semiconductor manufacturing and related industries. Our automation solutions are designed to optimize equipment and factory productivity. These solutions include tool automation modules, complete semiconductor wafer handling systems and automation software and integration services. We sell our tool automation products principally to manufacturers of process equipment used in semiconductor fabrication facilities, or fabs. We sell our factory automation products principally to semiconductor manufacturers. We also sell our products to data storage and flat panel display manufacturers. We believe that we are the largest independent producer of vacuum tool automation systems and a leading independent producer of tool software and controls. The Company has ISO 9001 certification, is headquartered in Chelmsford, Mass. and has direct operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. The Brooks' web site is
http://www.brooks.com
Seagate Technology, Inc.
Seagate Technology, Inc. (NYSE:SEG) is a leading provider of technology and products enabling people to store, access and manage information. The Company is committed to providing best-in-class products to help people get information when, where and how they want it. Seagate is the world's largest manufacturer of disc drives, magnetic discs and read-write heads, an innovator in tape drives, and a leading developer of Enterprise Information Management software. Seagate can be found around the globe and on the World Wide Web at
http://www.seagate.com For automated news, stock and financial information by phone, dial toll-free 877-SEG-NYSE. Outside the U.S. and Canada, dial 760-704-4368.
'Safe Harbor' Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements relating to the expected benefits of Brooks Automation's products sold to Seagate Technology, Inc. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks relating to the manner in which the customer uses the products and integrates the products with other components, the Company's dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the ability of the Company to continue to successfully develop and market new products and product enhancements on a timely basis, the Company's dependence on relatively few customers for a significant portion of its revenues, the Company's reliance on sales to OEM customers and the lengthy sales cycles of those customers, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterise the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Company Contact:
Jim Chiafery, Director of Investor Relations
Brooks Automation, Inc.
tel: (978) 262-5855
fax: (978) 262-2502
Media Contact:
Sara Claridge
Marylebone Media Relations
tel: 0118 975 5188
email:
sara@marylebone.co.uk
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