Japan and Hong Kong — Japanese AOI manufacturer Saki Corporation signed a sale and purchase (S&P) agreement with Schmidt Electronics Group Limited, an Asia-Pacific conglomerate of advanced electronics and IT technology, acquiring a certain percentage of stake in MacroScience Technology Limited (MSTL). Saki hopes to add X-ray technology to its inspection portfolio via the acquisition.

MSTL is a subsidiary of Schmidt Electronics Group Limited that offers X-ray inspection systems for mechanical and electronic components sectors. They serve the electronics SMT industry and the general nondestructive testing (NDT) industry. MSTL's BGA and nondestructive testing capabilities complement Saki's Intelligent Machine Vision (IMV) robot vision technology, according to Sakie Akiyama, CEO and president of Saki.

Saki Corporation will gradually acquire a majority interest in MSTL, while Schmidt Electronics Group Limited will retain a minority interest. The overall management of the MSTL operations will be taken over by Saki within a reasonable timeframe. Collaborative R&D activities will focus on current inspection and testing requirements as well as future demands driven by highly complex and highly integrated packaging and materials technologies for the electronics, automotive, medical, aerospace, and information technology industries.

For more information, visit www.sakicorp.com, www.schmidtelectronics.com, and www.macroscience-technology.com.