What SCI Automation does

SCI Automation is a Singapore-headquartered designer and manufacturer of vacuum plasma cleaning, etching, and surface treatment equipment serving semiconductor, automotive, medical/life-science, and general electronics manufacturers. The company was founded in Milan, Italy in 2000 by Dr. Enrico Malatesta as SCIPlasma Ltd., migrated its headquarters to Singapore around 2007, and relocated manufacturing to Chennai, India in 2018-2019. It operates under the legal entity SCI Automation Pte. Ltd. and is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding.

The company's technology stack centers on low-pressure vacuum plasma chambers driven by 13.56 MHz RF generators with automatic tuning, using argon or oxygen process gases to remove organic residues, particulates, and oxide layers from metals, plastics, ceramics, and textiles. Its product portfolio spans batch systems (AEON, ATLAS, JUNO, TITAN), inline systems (QML-B, QML-CI, QML-2CI, QML-4CI) for 24/7 high-volume production, strip/lead-frame systems (Quadrio Alpha, Quadrio MAX), high-power systems (AEON-HP, ARES), and the CAM-2 contact-angle measurement instrument. All systems are SECS/GEM and SMEMA compliant, with MES, OHT, and AGV integration available for automated production lines.

SCI Automation monetizes primarily through direct enterprise sales of capital equipment, supplemented by recurring spare-parts supply, maintenance contracts, and operator/process-engineer training; pricing is consultation-based and not publicly disclosed. It sells directly and through regional channel partners (STI France, QES in Malaysia, Palomar Technologies in the US) and reports hundreds of installations across Europe, the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the broader Asian manufacturing belt, with documented customer outcomes including ~100% assembly yield in medical-device bonding and 80-90% yield improvement in automotive electronics.

Name

SCI Automation

Legal name

SCI Automation Pte. Ltd.

Website

https://sciplasma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SCI Automation designs and manufactures vacuum plasma cleaning, etching, and surface treatment systems for semiconductor, automotive, medical-device, and electronics manufacturers, with headquarters in Singapore and production in Chennai, India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Plasma Cleaning Equipment

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333)

SIC

Miscellaneous Electrical Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (3690)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Vacuum Systems (Wet/Dry, Dust Extraction) (IMAHALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vacuum Systems & Components (Vacuum Pumps, Ejectors, Cups, Grippers) (IMAHAGAN)

Keywords

• Vacuum plasma cleaning
• Surface treatment equipment
• Plasma etching systems
• Lead frame cleaning
• Inline plasma systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plasma Cleaning Equipment Sales: Sale of vacuum plasma cleaning systems including batch, inline, strip, and high-power plasma cleaners. Systems are sold with standard configurations or as custom solutions tailored to customer requirements.
2. Spare Parts & Maintenance: After-sales service including spare parts supply, maintenance, and technical support. Critical spare parts are stocked and shipped worldwide within hours of activation. Training services provided for operators, process engineers, and maintenance engineers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SCI Automation designs and manufactures vacuum plasma cleaning, etching, and surface treatment equipment for industrial manufacturing. The product portfolio includes batch plasma cleaners, inline plasma cleaners, and strip plasma cleaners used by semiconductor, automotive, medical device, and electronics manufacturers to improve surface adhesion, remove contaminants, and increase production yield.

Product overview

SCI Automation offers a comprehensive portfolio of vacuum plasma cleaning, etching, and surface activation systems. The product lineup spans three core system types: Batch Plasma Cleaners (AEON, ATLAS, JUNO, TITAN) for flexible multi-part processing in lab and production environments; Inline Plasma Cleaners (QML-B, QML-CI, QML-2CI, QML-4CI) for continuous high-volume manufacturing with SMEMA/MES integration; and Strip Plasma Cleaners (Quadrio Alpha, Quadrio MAX, TITAN) for specialized lead frame processing in magazines. High-power systems (AEON-HP, ARES) address oxide removal, polymer cross-linking, and thick-layer processing. The portfolio is complemented by the CAM-2 Contact Angle Meter for process validation. All systems support SECS/GEM protocols and are designed for semiconductor, automotive, electronics, and medical device manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quadrio Alpha Semi-automatic standalone plasma cleaning system for processing lead frames in magazines, available in Alpha 4 (4 magazines) and Alpha 5 (5 magazines) configurations with advanced traceability options. Designed for semiconductor manufacturers handling high-volume lead frame cleaning.
• Quadrio MAX Fully automatic plasma system for lead frames in magazines supporting SECS/GEM protocols with full lead frame traceability; processes up to 5 magazines concurrently. Designed for semiconductor manufacturers requiring high-throughput automatic lead frame cleaning.
• TITAN Batch plasma cleaning system designed for lead frames in magazines with 6 dedicated magazine holders ensuring homogeneous processing and results across all positions. Suitable for semiconductor lead frame cleaning applications.
• QML-B Super compact inline plasma system with 480mm width for automotive applications including wire-bonding, transfer molding, PCB/BGA substrates, and sinter paste printing on modules. Designed for space-constrained automotive production lines.
• QML-CI Inline plasma cleaning system designed for continuous 24/7 production with conveyor-indexer system for high throughput; used in semiconductor and automotive industries for power modules, IGBTs, and power MOSFETs.
• QML-2CI Dual-lane inline plasma system for high-volume continuous production with two carriers processed simultaneously; accommodates customizable carrier sizes. Targeted at high-throughput manufacturing operations.
• QML-4CI Four-lane inline plasma system with two independent plasma chambers processing four carriers in parallel for large-scale production volumes. Designed for maximum throughput in semiconductor and automotive manufacturing.
• JUNO Flexible standalone batch plasma cleaning system with configurable shelving for RIE/PE plasma processes; suitable for manufacturing and laboratory applications including underfill, coating preparation, and oxide removal.
• AEON Table-top batch plasma cleaning system for manufacturing and laboratory applications in semiconductor, automotive, and electronics industries. Compact design for smaller production environments.
• ATLAS Standalone batch plasma cleaner for bulky products and plasma desmearing, featuring configurable shelving and specific gas distribution for complex geometries. Designed for electronics manufacturing including PCB desmearing applications.
• AEON-HP High-power batch plasma system with temperature monitoring and heat dissipation for continuous long high-power processes including polymer cross-linking and micrometer-scale oxide removal. Targeted at advanced semiconductor and materials processing applications.
• ARES Large surface batch plasma system designed for large flat substrates requiring high power and long plasma times; used for standard cleaning/activation and plasma etching on organic surfaces. Suited for large-format electronics and materials processing.
• CAM-2 Contact Angle Meter Contact angle measurement system for validating plasma cleaning effectiveness; provides quick, reliable measurements in manufacturing and laboratory environments with data export capabilities. Demonstrates surface energy improvement from 66.8 degrees (hydrophobic) to 10.7 degrees (hydrophilic) after plasma treatment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medical device manufacturer achieved ~100% assembly yield vs previous process failures
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• STI FranceregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial partner located in Fontenay-sous-Bois, France providing local support and service for SCI plasma systems in the European region. Contact: +33 (0)1 43 94 00 99.
• QESregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial partner located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia providing local support and service for SCI plasma systems in the Malaysia region. Contact: +60 3-5882 6668.
• Palomar TechnologiesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial partner located in Carlsbad, CA, USA providing local support and service for SCI plasma systems in the United States region. Contact: +1 760-931-3600.
• Selected Business PartnersregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal support for service carried out through selected business partners in Europe, Philippines, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ULVAC Inc. Large Japanese vacuum and plasma equipment maker serving semiconductor and industrial customers globally. Broad incumbent with deep installed base; SCI competes for share in lead-frame and inline cleaning where ULVAC's industrial product overlaps.

Direct peers

• AcXys Technologies: French plasma systems provider serving industrial surface treatment and semiconductor customers in Europe. Direct competitor to SCI for European industrial and semiconductor accounts and regional peer.
• Henniker Plasma: UK-based manufacturer of plasma treatment and surface activation equipment for R&D and production. Overlaps with SCI's AEON, JUNO, and ATLAS batch product lines serving laboratory and small-batch production customers.
• Nordson MARCH: Division of Nordson producing plasma treatment equipment widely used in semiconductor packaging and PCB assembly. Directly competes with SCI's QML inline and Quadrio strip systems in wire-bonding and electronics cleaning.
• Samco Inc. Japanese plasma process equipment maker offering plasma etching, deposition, and cleaning systems. Competes with SCI particularly in semiconductor and electronics applications where plasma etching is required.
• Diener Electronic: German plasma technology specialist manufacturing low-pressure and atmospheric plasma cleaning and surface treatment systems. Competes with SCI across batch and inline cleaning equipment for the same vertical end-markets.
• PVA TePla AG: German manufacturer of plasma treatment and surface activation systems for semiconductor, automotive, medical and electronics customers. Closest direct competitor to SCI Automation in vacuum plasma cleaning for industrial production lines.
• Plasma-Treat GmbH: German provider of atmospheric and low-pressure plasma systems for surface cleaning and activation across automotive and electronics. Shares the same target applications (bonding, coating, adhesion) as SCI's vacuum plasma systems.

Emerging players

• Plasma Etch Inc. US-based plasma etching and cleaning equipment manufacturer focused on laboratory and small-production users. Comparable to SCI's benchtop AEON and JUNO batch product lines for North American lab applications.
• Tantec: Surface treatment equipment maker (corona and plasma) targeting industrial adhesion applications. Overlaps partially with SCI on plasma activation for plastics, automotive, and electronics, though with a different technology mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sci-automation-pte-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 SCI Automation