Customer Profile
- Leading integrated device manufacturer (IDM)
- Operational fab
Business Challenge
Our customer required assistance to decommission and reinstall 70 semiconductor process tools in a new facility. These high-value assets needed to be disconnected, cleaned, packed, shipped safely and efficiently, reassembled, installed and requalified in a new facility. The long move crossed country lines and our team needed to adapt seamlessly, working with different cultures.
Technical Challenge
Once the assets shipped, tool installation needed to happen in a live production environment. There was great concern that the tool installation would cause fab downtime, so we made it our goal to prevent this from happening, while still completing the project in a safe and timely manner.
NSTAR® Solution
Our customer contacted us for help on this challenging move. They were overwhelmed and stressed, knowing that so many expensive tools needed to be shipped, representing a major risk to their business. Because a project of this magnitude is such a big undertaking, we work closely with our customers to determine their specific needs and provide peace of mind and confidence the project can be completed successfully.
For this customer, we crafted a custom, transcontinental and integrated project solution for the decommissioning/installation of 70 semiconductor process tools, leveraging our NSURESM asset relocation services.
Our experienced project team performed decontamination, decommission, disassembly, move-out/crating, shipment, uncrating and reinstallation of more than 70 tools, ancillary and support equipment within the live production environment. We followed the procedures of the old and new fab, while implementing our top safety standards and project know-how.
A key differentiator for NSTAR on this project was our ability to use the same technical resources for both deinstallation and installation of the tools to provide continuity of tool knowledge, reducing variability and risk. We supplemented this core team with additional support provided by our locally hired engineers to reduce costs without jeopardizing quality.
The project was so successful that our team received the customer’s Appreciation Award for its outstanding contributions completed with zero safety incidents.
Our NSURE asset relocation services support:
- Tool assessment
- Decontamination
- Decommissioning
- Rigging and crating
- Transport
- Commissioning
Benefits
The tools were released to the customer ready for operation, enabling seamless and full integration into the production process. Our customer benefited by reusing existing tool sets, saving significant capital expenditur
es and not being exposed to a fab shutdown that would have significantly impacted production.
As an NSURE services customer, you receive:
- A customized, flexible and efficient solution that will protect the value of your assets
- Our established procedures and documentation that integrate into your project structure and requirements
- Access to our QR code asset marking and tracking system as well as detailed daily reporting of project activity
- Disposal services through EPA-licensed sites and certificates of destruction
What this means for you:
NSTAR works to minimize risk, through careful planning and execution, while maintaining an environment of personal and site safety for all to work.
With a long-standing reputation for successful, safe and efficient moves, NSURE asset relocation services provide you with the best custom solution to maintain and extend the life of your valuable assets. To learn more, email Andy Jones, Director of Asset Relocation, ajones@nstargs.com.
