What Integrated Process Systems does

Integrated Process Systems, Inc. (IPS) is a privately held U.S. manufacturer headquartered in Cedar City, Utah that designs, engineers and builds turnkey automated wet process equipment and material handling systems for precision chemical manufacturing. The company's product portfolio is organized into four core equipment categories: the patented Vertical Rotary Planetary (VRP) precision spray processing system, horizontal conveyorized wet chemical processing lines (etching, cleaning, developing, resist stripping, tin stripping, direct metallization, alternative oxide), vertical plating equipment spanning automatic to manual systems, and automated material handling equipment (loaders, unloaders, buffers, conveyors). Its underlying technology stack combines the patented VRP method — which achieves sub-1-mil tolerances by eliminating puddling, tear-dropping and nozzle-patterning — with proprietary scheduling and plating software, concentrate controllers for automatic dosing, solid-state digital temperature control, and ultra-thin 2-mil core transport capability. The company has 30+ years of machines operating in the field and serves three primary verticals: photo chemical milling (nameplates, signs, metal etching), electronics (PCB fabrication, photovoltaic, semiconductor wafer and reel-to-reel processing), and surface finishing (aerospace, automotive, general metal finishing).

IPS generates revenue through three primary streams: one-time capital equipment sales of custom-engineered VRP, horizontal, plating and material handling systems; ongoing spare parts sales (filters, pumps, heaters) to its installed base regardless of machine age; and installation and field service revenue, including custom re-engineering when customer parts change dimensions. Pricing is custom quote-based with no published tiers, and contracts are structured as multi-year engagements. Go-to-market is exclusively enterprise direct field sales via a nationwide network of factory-trained salespeople, supported by a commission-based compensation structure and visibility through the IPC APEX Expo trade show and trade-press coverage in PCB007 Magazine. The company employs 11-50 people, recently expanded its manufacturing footprint to 34,000 square feet, and named customers in disclosed materials include Alpha Circuit and SEL.

Name

Integrated Process Systems

Legal name

Integrated Process Systems, Inc.

Website

https://ips-vcm.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Integrated Process Systems (IPS) is a Cedar City, Utah-based manufacturer of turnkey automated wet process equipment and material handling systems, serving PCB, semiconductor, photovoltaic, aerospace and metal finishing customers through custom-engineered capital equipment, spare parts and field service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wet Process Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Processing Equipment (Reactors, Mixers, Agitators) (IMAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH), Process Automation Instrumentation & Control (DCS, Valves, Actuators, Analyzers) (IMAHAHAM)

Keywords

• Wet process equipment
• PCB manufacturing equipment
• Automated plating systems
• Material handling systems
• Precision spray processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Capital Equipment Sales: Sale of automated wet process equipment including Vertical Rotary Planetary (VRP) systems, Horizontal Conveyorized Equipment, Vertical Plating Equipment, and Material Handling Equipment. Equipment is custom engineered and sold as complete systems or individual machines to manufacturing facilities.
2. Spare Parts: Replacement parts including filters, pumps, and heaters for IPS machines, sold to existing customers regardless of machine age.
3. Installation & Service: On-site service and installation support, including custom engineering to meet production needs and machine modifications when parts change size.
4. Sales Commissions: Commission-based compensation structure for sales engineers, with base salary plus commission on equipment and spare parts sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Integrated Process Systems (IPS) manufactures and distributes turnkey automated wet process equipment and material handling systems for precision chemical processing. Its product portfolio centers on the patented Vertical Rotary Planetary (VRP) precision spray processing technology, horizontal conveyorized chemical processing lines, vertical plating equipment, and material handling automation, sold primarily to PCB manufacturers, semiconductor fabricators, photovoltaic producers, and surface finishing operations.

Product overview

Integrated Process Systems is a world-class manufacturer of automated wet process equipment and material handling systems. The product portfolio centers on four main equipment categories: the Vertical Rotary Planetary (VRP) system providing precision spray processing, Horizontal Conveyorized Equipment for various chemical processes including etching, developing, and cleaning, Vertical Plating Equipment ranging from automatic to manual systems, and Material Handling Equipment for automated loading, unloading, and buffering. IPS offers turnkey wet process facilities with complete engineering, design, and manufacturing capabilities, complemented by parts, maintenance, and installation services. The company has expanded to 34,000 square feet of manufacturing space to support production needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vertical Rotary Planetary (VRP) A precision spray processing machine using patented vertical rotary planetary technology that uniformly exposes workpieces to controlled fluid flow to achieve consistent tolerances of less than 1 mil, eliminating issues like puddling and tear-dropping. Sold to manufacturers in electronics, PCB, and surface finishing applications.
• Horizontal Conveyorized Equipment A line of wet chemical spray processing machinery including Alternative Oxide Line, Chemical Clean, Developer, Direct Metallization, Etching, Hole Clean, Pre Clean, Resist Stripper, and Tin Stripper machines designed for printed wiring board circuitry and semiconductor production. Handles rigid, flex, wafer, and reel-to-reel substrates.
• Vertical Plating Equipment Automated and manual plating systems including Automatic Rail Runner, Automatic Side Arm, Rim Runner (Semi-Auto), Manual Plating Line, Manual Plating Tanks, and Bench Plating equipment for precision metal deposition processes, with recipe control and pulse or DC plating options.
• Material Handling Equipment Automated loading, unloading, buffering, and conveyor systems designed to integrate with wet processing equipment for complete production line automation.
• Parts & Maintenance Spare parts supply and technical support services including filters, pumps, and heaters, with custom engineering capabilities for machines in the field, available to existing IPS customers regardless of machine age.
• Install & Service Installation and field service support with over 20 years of field machine experience, offering custom engineering solutions and production needs assessment for IPS-installed equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Consistent tolerances of less than 1 mil achieved through VRP precision spray processing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alpha CircuitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024IPS provides wet process equipment for Alpha Circuit's PCB manufacturing operations. Documented in 'Thriving Through Partnership: Alpha Circuit's Journey with IPS' case study featured in PCB007. IPS's involvement represents a transformative partnership helping Alpha Circuit establish successful manufacturing operations in an unfamiliar industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Technic Inc. Technic Inc. (US) supplies plating chemistry and process equipment, including PCB wet process and plating lines. Mid-sized US-based peer with overlapping product portfolio to IPS in plating equipment and chemistry.
• RENA Technologies: RENA Technologies (Germany) specializes in wet chemical process equipment for solar, semiconductor, and electronics manufacturing, including batch and inline wet processing systems. Direct overlap with IPS in horizontal and vertical wet processing equipment categories.
• Manz AG: Manz AG (Germany) designs and builds wet chemical process equipment for PCB, semiconductor, and display manufacturing, including horizontal conveyorized systems and automation. Highly comparable product portfolio and customer base to IPS, though Manz serves global markets while IPS is US-focused.
• Schmid Group: Schmid Group (Germany) manufactures wet process equipment for PCB and semiconductor manufacturing, including horizontal and vertical process lines for etching, developing, and plating. Direct competitor to IPS's horizontal conveyorized and vertical plating product lines, with a global install base.
• Atotech (Element Solutions): Atotech, part of Element Solutions, provides chemistry and equipment for PCB and semiconductor wet process manufacturing, including horizontal plating lines. Combines chemistry supply with equipment integration, making it a partial competitor to IPS's vertical plating equipment.

Broad incumbents

• Lam Research: Lam Research (US) is a major semiconductor equipment manufacturer with etch and wet clean product lines. While primarily serving leading-edge semiconductor fabs, its wet clean systems compete in adjacent applications to IPS's semiconductor wet process equipment.
• SCREEN Holdings: SCREEN Holdings (Japan) is a major semiconductor equipment manufacturer with leading positions in wet cleaning and coater/developer systems. Broadly overlaps with IPS in semiconductor wet process equipment but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Hitachi High-Tech: Hitachi High-Tech (Japan) manufactures a broad range of process equipment for PCB and semiconductor manufacturing, including wet process systems. Larger, more diversified competitor with global reach that overlaps with IPS in PCB wet process equipment.
• Tokyo Electron Limited: Tokyo Electron (Japan) is a top global manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment, including wet process/coater-developer systems. Competes with IPS only in the narrow subset of semiconductor wet processing applications, but at vastly larger scale.
• MKS Instruments: MKS Instruments (US) acquired Atotech and provides process equipment and chemistry for PCB and specialty industrial applications. Broad incumbent with both chemicals and equipment offerings that overlap with IPS's PCB wet process portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Integrated Process Systems