ITW Electronic Component Packaging Systems has added thermoforming to its capabilities by buying Dacco Industries Inc. of Mechanicsburg, Pa. For the Illinois Tool Works unit, which focuses on plastics packaging for the semiconductor and socket and connector markets, Dacco is a good fit, with its niche in vacuum forming thin-gauge, multicavity tubes for connectors. As an ITW holding, it plans to maintain those strengths and ``broaden its horizons,'' said Jeff Casper, Dacco sales manager.
``Our plan is to expand into other market segments with Dacco, such as packaging populated printed circuit boards and disk-drive components,'' said Shannon Reading, vice president of sales for ITW Electronic Component Packaging. He would not disclose the Arlington, Texas-based division's sales.
For 15 years, Dacco has made anti-static and static-dissipative thermoformed packaging from PVC and glycol-modified PET. The products are mainly for electronic connectors used in printed circuit boards, and for semiconductors, Casper said. At the 60,000-square-foot plant in Mechanicsburg, Dacco em-ploys about 100. He would not disclose the number of vacuum formers.
ITW Electronic Component Packaging already has five companies worldwide making extruded and injection molded plastic packaging:
Through its ITW Meritex unit, the company extrudes shipping tubes, primarily of PVC, in Arlington; and in Malacca and Pinang, Malaysia.
Acquired late last year, ITW Ampang of Baguio, Philippines, also extrudes shipping and handling tubes, mainly for the Philippine market.
ITW Thielex extrudes packaging for the socket and connector market in Somerset, N.J.
ITW Camtex, with operations in Arlington, Pinang and Fremont, Calif., injection molds engineered plastic trays and other packaging.
ITW C-Pak forms carbon-loaded, static-dissipative polystyrene tape for packaging tiny electronic devices. The tape is shipped to customers on reels.
Since 1983, when ITW began producing custom and proprietary electronics packaging, it has been setting up shop near its customers, which include Texas Instruments Inc., Moto-rola Inc., Intel Corp. and IBM, Reading said.
ITW bought Dacco from Don Cawthra, who stayed on as president. The deal was final Sept. 6.
