Integrated Micro-electronics

[Fe Kittner]

IntegratedMicro-electronics, Inc. (abbreviated as IMI, PSE: IMI) provides electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and power semiconductor assembly and test services (SATS) with manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. Its headquarters is located in Bian, Laguna.

IMI serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in diversified markets that include those in the automotive, industrial, medical, telecommunications infrastructure, storage device, and consumer electronics industries. Its customized services range from design and engineering, advance manufacturing engineering capabilities, new product introduction services, manufacturing services, reliability tests, failure analysis, equipment calibration capabilities, test and system development, and support and fulfillment. The manufacturing portfolio of AC Industrials, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ayala Corporation, IMI is listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange.

IMI started on August 8, 1980 as a joint venture between Ayala Corporation and Resins, Inc. With its headquarters in Muntinlupa, they were just a workforce of around 100 employees with total fixed assets of US$3,700,290 and it is engaged in the assembly of integrated circuits. In 1982, it took a contract manufacturing with its hard disk drive sub-assembly operations and, in 1986, it started the assembly of automotive hybrid integrated circuits.

In the year 1988, the company ventured into custom printed circuit board assembly and operations and in the next years, it offered standard printed circuit board assembly services with the acquisition of automated surface mounting equipment, and eventually, full product assembly and flexible printed circuit board assembly operations.[2]

The company moved its manufacturing site in 1995 from Cupang, Muntinlupa to its present location at the Laguna Technopark. In 1998, IMI commenced offering hardware and software design services, that transitions the company to a total electronics manufacturing service provider. By 2001, IMI had three manufacturing sites in the Philippines.

As of 2023, IMI has 21 manufacturing sites of 424,569 SQM with more than 12,659 employees across 9 countries. From an EMS company, it expanded its scope to include EMS and Power Semiconductor Assembly and Test Services. IMI is also into prototyping, manufacturing, product test development, testing and order fulfillment.[3]

IMI has multiple manufacturing sites in Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and the United States where it provides services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).[3]

In August 2016, IMI announced that it will acquire 76.01 percent stake in the optical bonding and display company, VIA optronics GmbH. The company aims to obtain camera and display monitor technologies for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).[8]

IMI also acquired 80 percent stake of Surface Technology International (STI) Enterprise, in 2017, through the subsidiary Integrated Micro-Electronics UK Ltd. STI is an electronics design and manufacturing company that provides both printed circuit board assembly and full box-build manufacturing for industries such as aerospace and defense markets. It has two manufacturing sites in United Kingdom, as well as in Cebu, Philippines, and a design center in London.[9]

IMI is an EMS player in the automotive industry. Aside from assembly services, IMI provides automotive tier 1 suppliers and original equipment manufacturer services such as design and product development and test systems development.[16] The company manufactures safety electronics for vehicles such as automotive cameras and airbag controls.[3]

The company also produces access control devices design against theft and dosimeters. It is also involved in the robotics industry. In addition to these, IMI also produces medical diagnostic devices and telecom infrastructure devices.[3]

Its technology groups collaborate with one another and with customers to develop platforms or baseline technologies in areas such as camera and imaging, motor drives, power modules, lighting systems, short range wireless, human-to-machine interface, sensors, and medical electronics.[3]

The Design & Development (D&D) group of IMI focuses on complex automation deployments in different internal segments, business units, and external customers which includes applications in automation handling, dispensing, screwing, and customized auto feeding system for mass production. It has an extensive competencies in electronic design, mechanical design, and software development, and building platforms in the areas of automotive cameras, motor drives, and power modules. D&D provides full design services from concept to product validation. D&D provides contract design and joint development services that covers power electronics, embedded systems, camera and imaging systems, motor drives, power modules, power semiconductors, LED lighting and display design, and low and high radio-frequency design.[17]

The Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME) works on several industrial microelectromechanical systems-based inertial measurement unit modules, commercial laser display modules, and automotive camera modules, including the IMI minicube camera platform. AME is developing a fully automated assembly line that manufactures a complex electro-mechanical assembly for automotive safety and security electronic control at IMI Jiaxing as well as in IMI Mexico. AME is collaborating with D&D on a low cost automotive camera and power modules.[18]

The Camera and Vision Technology (CVT) group equips IMI to be ready with autonomous driving. A spun off from the D&D in 2016, the group focuses on developing vision-based products that support the different Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) applications. In 2017, The group synced with AME and TSD to become a one-stop shop solution for camera design, prototype development and mass production.[20]

As initially an EMS company, the manufacturing arm of IMI produces products for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Among the OEM products and assembly services that the company provides include automotive camera, power modules, complete box builds, sub-assembly, component assembly, precision assembly and automated through-hole assembly.[21]

IMI also manufactures plastic parts in Asia, Europe and North America that makes box-build capabilities accessible to its partners in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics industries. It integrates parts such as covers, housings and connectors in sub-assemblies, specializing in electronic box-build. Low pressure molding and thermoforming are the process capabilities of IMI.

The Precision Machining group is capable of fabricating components for various parts of any material for its customers. Some of the processes includes, material preparation in vertical and horizontal band saw, squaring on conventional machines (milling), CNC machining, finishing grinding deburring machine, coordinate measuring machine (CCM), and metal sheet works.

IMI produces motorcycle for the KTM AG group. A joint venture between KTM Asia Motorcycle Manufacturing (KAMMI) and Adventure Cycle Philippines of AC Industrials, IMI assembles four (4) models of the KTM motorcycles in its plant in Laguna, Philippines.

The System Integration group of IMI integrates different subsystem and modules into one large system. It serves a wide variety of complex build-to-print and contract design manufacturing requirements and increases value to systems by adding new functionalities while linking all functions of different systems. IMI combines complex PCBAs, electronics and mechanical assemblies with robotics into one system.

IMI Singapore or officially IMI International (Singapore) Pte Ltd. wholly owns Speedy-Tech Electronics Ltd. when IMI acquired it on 2005. STEL, which provides EMS and power electronics, manages the China and Singapore operations. IMI Singapore also holds Cooperatief IMI Europe U.A that manages the Europe and Mexico operations from the acquisition of EPIQ NV. IMI ROHQ is also an affiliate that serves as a supervisory, communications and coordinating center for IMI Singapore affiliates and subsidiaries.[23] It holds the stake of IMI in VIA Optronics and IMI UK which has stake in STI Enterprises.

IMI USA, Inc. acts as direct support to the Group's customers by providing program management, customer service, engineering development and prototype manufacturing services. It is also engaged in precision assembly of surface mount technology, chip on flex, chip on board, flip chip on flex, advanced manufacturing process development, engineering development, prototype manufacturing, and small precision assemblies.[23]

IMI Japan, Inc. offers the services, such as technical, quality assurance, sales and commercial support, to answer the needs diverse range of Japanese-based OEMs. It also functions as a program management center for new business that will be endorsed to other subsidiaries. There are no manufacturing operations in IMI Japan.[23][24]

PSi Technologies, Inc. is a Philippine company, that provides power semiconductor assembly and test services, that IMI bought shares of 56%, and in 2012 it was fully acquired by IMI through the acquisition of the minority of the shares.[23]

IMI received Circuit Assembly's 2007 Service Excellence Award for the Highest Overall Customer Ranking for medium-sized EMS company category. (Circuit Assembly is a US-based electronics industry trade publication that recognizes companies that receive the highest customer service ratings, as judged by their own customers.) The ASEAN Business Advisory Council, hailed IMI as one of the 12 most admired companies in Southeast Asia.[25]

IMI ranks 23rd on the list of top EMS providers in the world based on 2023 EMS-related revenues as reported by Manufacturing Market Insider.[26] It is also the 9th largest EMS player in the automotive industry as reported by New Venture Research based on 2023 EMS-related revenues.[27]

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