PA&E Wins Applied Materials Order, Expands Market.

Pacific Aerospace & Electronics, Inc. (PA&E), Wenatchee, Washington, recently entered into a purchase agreement with Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California, to provide tooling and an advanced casting technology solution specifically applied to semiconductor fabrication system applications.

The initial order, with a potential value of $1 million, was placed with the PA&E's U.S. Aerospace Group Casting Div. PA&E will design and manufacture complex, high-integrity A356 aluminum castings, which will be applied to a high-vacuum environment. Applied Materials will integrate these cast components into its next generation 200- and 300-mm wafer ion implantation transfer chamber systems used in the fabrication of high-speed, reduced power consumption semiconductor devices.

PA&E is an international engineering and manufacturing company specializing in component designs and assemblies for firms in the aerospace, defense, electronics, medical, energy and transportation industries. The U.S. Aerospace Group Casting Div., Entiat, Washington, produces aluminum components using nobake, permanent mold and lost foam casting.

In other news, PA&E's aluminum and magnesium alloy casting technology developed for the aerospace industry is being applied successfully and directly into the automotive racing industry.

According to PA&E CEO Don Wright, the transition to motorsports was natural. "Automotive racing components require the same demanding performance criteria and quality standards as flight hardware for military and commercial aircraft. And, like our aerospace customers, motorsport teams are continuously striving for materials and process improvements, both of which are our area of expertise."

Through PA&E's European Aerospace Group, the firm supplies intricate thin-wall automotive racing parts, including gearboxes, engine sumps, blocks and heads, and wheel and brake components, for the majority of the top Formula I and Indy Car teams.