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We Are
Reid-Ashman

WHO WE ARE

Reid-Ashman Manufacturing Incorporated is a fully integrated engineering, manufacturing, and service company specializing in providing solutions for the semiconductor test industry. Established in “The Silicon Valley”, California in 1978; we are now headquartered in Saint George, Utah with sales and service personnel located around the world. Although we provide world-class engineering and manufacturing services for virtually any industry, we are primarily known for inventing the test head manipulator. It is our goal to continually lead through innovation, quality, and dedication to our customers and their evolving needs.

WHO WE ARE

Reid-Ashman Manufacturing Incorporated is a fully integrated engineering, manufacturing, and service company specializing in providing solutions for the semiconductor test industry. Established in “The Silicon Valley”, California in 1978; we are now headquartered in Saint George, Utah with sales and service personnel located around the world. Although we provide world-class engineering and manufacturing services for virtually any industry, we are primarily known for inventing the test head manipulator. It is our goal to continually lead through innovation, quality, and dedication to our customers and their evolving needs.

THE FIRST MANIPULATOR

The idea for the first manipulator originated from a discussion between engineers Steve Reid and Jack Ashman about the excessive number of failed integrated circuit (IC) tests they had recently experienced while working as technicians at American Microsystems. Steve and Jack began to look for ways to improve the automated test equipment (ATE) systems they were working with. They learned that the lengthy cable connecting the IC tester to the device handler was the source of a high number of the failed tests. The engineers were able to achieve better results by simply shortening the length of the cable.

Steve and Jack decided to remove the cable completely by connecting the IC tester directly to the device handler. They accomplished this by designing a robotic lift assist device (manipulator) to lift and position the tester to the test location of the handler and connect them using custom designed connectors. By eliminating the cables, the percentage of failed tests significantly decreased. Steve and Jack re-tested previously rejected parts and found that many of them were actually good.

THE BIRTH OF REID-ASHMAN

Since American Microsystems was a semiconductor company, they had no interest in manufacturing the mechanical tester positioning systems themselves, so Steve and Jack decided to go out and make these manipulators on their own. Word spread quickly around the industry about Steve and Jack’s new manipulators and soon they began making about 5 manipulators a week out of Jack Ashman’s garage.

 

THE BIRTH OF REID-ASHMAN

Since American Microsystems was a semiconductor company, they had no interest in manufacturing the mechanical tester positioning systems themselves, so Steve and Jack decided to go out and make these manipulators on their own. Word spread quickly around the industry about Steve and Jack’s new manipulators and soon they began making about 5 manipulators a week out of Jack Ashman’s garage.

 

REID-ASHMAN TODAY

Reid-Ashman has achieved and maintained its position as the world’s leading supplier of mechanical solutions to the semiconductor test industry through hard work and providing total customer satisfaction. Reid-Ashman’s success is primarily due to its ability and willingness to design and develop innovative equipment and customize existing products in order to best meet the challenges of our customers’ specific test-floor environments and test-system applications. Reid-Ashman’s ongoing commitment is to provide and support the semiconductor test community with the finest solutions to this industry’s unique challenges