Freescale Opens Test Center for Automotive in Japan
Online staff -- EDN, March 18, 2005
To address the quality needs of its Japanese automaker customers, Freescale Semiconductor has opened a test center in Nagoya, Japan, the company reported today.
This move is part of its efforts to enhance its quality-support infrastructure in Japan as a means of further expanding its Japanese automotive semiconductor business. Freescale said this center is its first site designed specifically to accommodate the needs of Japanese automakers.
With the adoption of automotive electronic systems rapidly increasing and auto manufacturers including electronics in every area of the automobile -- from the engine and powertrain to security, safety and in-car information systems, the need for systems to address environmental issues are also increasing.
As a result, automakers require an increasing amount of semiconductor content for these more complex, advanced electronic systems, with the market for these applications to reach $15 billion this year, according to Databeans Inc.
Located on a site owned by Toyotsu Logistics Service Co. Ltd., Freescale’s test center is positioned as a critical component of its company-wide strategy to achieve zero defects in its semiconductor products through enhanced quality measures.
Further, the company said it would use key test data and analytical results from the test center to contribute to its global quality initiatives and improve quality levels. To achieve this, the center is equipped a range of testers and special measurement instruments to allow it to quickly initiate and complete tests, analyses and evaluations.
“We’ve implemented a company-wide zero-defect quality offensive, and we expect the Nagoya Quality and Test Center to play a key role in that strategy,” said Paul Grimme, senior VP and general manager of Freescale’s transportation and standard products group, in a statement.
