Swagelok & the Semiconductor Industry

Swagelok continuously supply innovative advancements specifically for semiconductor manufacturing. Corrosive gases, extreme temperatures and precision are critical process variables. Swagelok applications support the need for speed, repeat-ability and cleanliness. Mean time to failure is beyond the expected and class leading.

Clean Room

Swagelok Central is serious about supporting the Semiconductor industry, installing a Class 6 hard wall clean room to ensure all high purity assemblies are not compromised. Working with our customers within the industry, we have produced a range of “plug and play” assemblies, improving customer productivity and allowing them to focus on what they are best at.

Swagelok Central partners with customers to ensure the highest quality products and services are received to ensure critical KPIs and metrics are achieved. The importance of this has grown significantly since 2017, with momentum continuing to build. The extent of this ramp required more than local support however, to ensure our Semiconductor customers were able to satisfy market demand.

When the magnitude of the ramp in the semiconductor market globally became clear early in 2017, Swagelok redeployed resources. Associates from marketing, scheduling, supply chain, continuous improvement and quality, customer service and manufacturing met regularly to share information, react to trends, and focus on increasing overall capacity. This capacity task force worked collaboratively, using our business model to hire temporary and permanent associates, adjust shifting strategies, and move associates to high-demand work centers.

However, the load and demand for Swagelok products increased more significantly – and more quickly – than expected, with more than a 50% increase in projected forecast levels. Managing this has required the full time attention of the task force as increasing capacity is not a simple undertaking, especially when sustaining high levels of quality and safety are paramount. As such, five specific work streams were established and engaged with by the task force.

  1. Internal Capacity – The aim of this work stream was to identify all areas of the business where we had capacity in order to move work to those locations immediately. With multiple moves, the team opened machining capacity and increased both valve body and VCR® gland production.
  2. China Capacity – Expediting timelines for part development in China was the focus of this work stream, reducing the baseline from six to nine months down to approximately three months. More than 125 hours of work per week was transferred to the China facility to take advantage of additional capacity.
  3. Capital – Capital spending was accelerated to secure long lead time equipment. More than $8 million in capital spending was approved in two months to ensure new equipment could be installed and operational as quickly as possible. Most of the new equipment supports the manufacture of high purity products, such as enhanced DE series diaphragm valves, HPG cartridge valves, and face seal fitting glands.
  4. Throughput – This work stream accelerated ongoing continuous improvement plans to address constraints on existing assets and improve throughput. Running 17 quick-hit Kaizen events in 5 weeks, results include increasing production for Micro-Fit® weld fittings by more than 100 hours and doubling assembly output on make to stock CW series valves.
  5. Execution – Across the organisation, Swagelok associates have supported the upturn by transferring to high-volume work centers, working scheduled overtime, and moving to off-shift schedules. In addition, Swagelok hired more than 1000 new associates.