The Benchmark Site Profile is an ongoing blog feature, highlighting the manufacturing and engineering teams located around the world. This blog features the manufacturing team in Mesa, Arizona.
Growing to Meet Customer Needs- Mesa, Arizona
In March 2023, Benchmark opened the doors on its newest U.S. facility in Mesa, Arizona, dedicated to Benchmark Precision Technologies and the team’s critical capabilities across aerospace, defense, and semiconductor capital equipment. The new facility is 64,000 square feet and houses a 7,200 square foot cleanroom with conditioned air purity levels as low as 100 parts per million (ppm). An additional 30% increase in cleanroom footprint can be installed in a short amount of time since a significant portion of the required infrastructure was installed to support future growth. The site will also have approximately 14,000 square feet available for expanding capacity and capabilities.
Benchmark celebrated the grand opening of this new facility alongside Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Congressman Greg Stanton, Mesa Mayor John Giles, ACA President and CEO Sandra Watson, Benchmark customers, and Arizona dignitaries across the technology and economic development sectors who have been critical to Benchmark’s expansion in Arizona.
With this addition, Benchmark extends its extensive U.S. manufacturing footprint with major production facilities in California, Minnesota, Alabama, New Hampshire, and Arizona. Beyond its global headquarters in Tempe, the company now boasts three manufacturing facilities in the valley, including Phoenix, Tempe, and now Mesa. Benchmark’s manufacturing services and North America-heavy footprint are closely aligned with customers’ requirements, particularly the geographic requirements of the semiconductor capital equipment and defense industries.
Bringing The Most Advanced Technology and Capabilities
The Mesa site acts as an expansion of our existing Precision Technologies site in Tempe, Arizona. The product realization journey for many customers working with the Precision Technologies team begins in Tempe, where our critical/close tolerance metal working capabilities reside. The parts and components are then sent through the Mesa site, where we have tripled our original cleanroom capacity for finishing processes, cleaning, and more.
The additional space and new infrastructure allowed us to include new, in-demand technology and capabilities. We have installed metal joining operations, including a state-of-the-art electron beam welder (EBW) with room to install a second EBW in the near future, as well as Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding. Our Mesa site also offers advanced aerospace and defense precision assembly processes. The site plan includes open space to invest in additional vertical operations in the future, like Type II cleaning and possibly electropolishing.
This and other investments support full-system integration of complex assemblies and modules, leveraging services such as:
- E-beam Welding
- Precision Assembly
- Cleanroom Assembly
- Type I Liquid Cleaning
Our capabilities include the manufacturing of close-tolerance components and complex assemblies. We also offer specialized Design for Excellence (DFX) practices and process capabilities, leveraging support from our design engineering team at our Tempe Headquarters when needed. Whether it's building or testing components, sub-assemblies, or full module and system assemblies, our team is well-equipped and capable of managing complex projects. We excel in unique and challenging environments.
Meeting the Needs of the Growing Semiconductor Market
The rapid growth of the semiconductor industry in Arizona was a driving factor behind this new site in Mesa. Precision Technologies provides critical expertise in designing and building semiconductor capital equipment to meet the demands of suppliers flocking to Arizona to support the industry.
The Precision Technologies sector has significant experience addressing the specialized needs of the semiconductor capital equipment industry, making our services very attractive to our customers. Many team members have a background working for wafer fab equipment companies. This background gives us an intimate understanding of the unique requirements and the knowledge to address complex challenges.
Expanding our facilities and capabilities allows us to support more complete semiconductor capital equipment portfolios for our customers. By continuing to build our capabilities supporting semiconductor capital equipment for both front-end and back-end processes, we have continuously expanded our partnerships with wafer fabrication equipment leaders.
Two Sites, One Team
Many of the employees at the new Mesa site transferred from the existing Tempe site, seeding the site with many years of experience and deep expertise. The two sites operate under one management structure with one set of processes. To ensure seamless operations, the sites socialize together as well!
Recently, we held an employee appreciation pizza party at the Mesa facility for employees of both sites. In addition to enjoying some of the Phoenix metro area’s excellent pizza and socializing with friends from both sites, the team members had an opportunity to take Benchmark’s annual employee feedback survey.
Going forward, the Mesa and Tempe sites will look for additional opportunities to collaborate on community service events and social occasions to maintain great working relationships between the two sites!
The Precision Technologies team is here to help bring to life the most complex and high-tolerance assemblies through team experience and critical technology investments.
To learn more about Benchmark Mesa and our Precision Technologies team, please visit https://www.bench.com/mesa-arizona.
