DES PLAINES, Illinois, July 19, 2002 -With the acquisition of Semitron, Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS:LFUS) lessens concern over choosing the best application-specific technology to protect increasingly susceptible electronic devices, by offering all major overvoltage (OV) and overcurrent (OC) protection technologies. (Electrostatic discharge events alone now account for over 30% of all field failures of electronic devices.) The all cash purchase of the Swindon, UK maker of next generation gas plasma surge suppressors, high power silicon avalanche diodes and thyristors from solid state relay maker Crydom, completes Littelfuse's current product line of varistors, low power silicon diodes, polymer-based, high speed ESD suppressors and a range of resettable and single-use fusing approaches. Semitron had global sales of approximately $12 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. Littelfuse had sales of $272 million for the same period.
"The circuit protection industry has not helped customers with all the confusing claims of what technology is best in transient voltage and over current protection. Now, with the addition of Semitron's products, we offer it all," says William S. Barron, Vice President and General Manager Electronics. Barron notes that 40 year-old Semitron has a reputation for being agile and innovative. "They went from no presence in high power dissipation 'gas discharge tube' based suppressors in 1993 to establishing a whole new category based on a faster, more environmentally compatible gas plasma approach." Semitron's Greentubesm eliminates reliance on radioactive gasses, while being offered in an advanced SMD package. Another example, notes Barron, is Semitron's "Foldbaktm" diode, an enhancement of silicon avalanche diode (SAD) technology that significantly improves the power/size ratio. The addition of Semitron's semiconductor fabrication facility will also help Littelfuse serve a wider customer base, observes Barron, because of the ability to customize semiconductor-based OV, OC and other circuit protection solutions into single packages, lowering manufacturing, inventory and development costs and offering potential size reductions.
The Semitron acquisition follows Littelfuse's purchase in 1999 of Harris' OV circuit protection business units and represents another level in its mission to be the industry's foremost supplier in the circuit protection field. Semitron currently supplies products to a variety of global segments served by Littelfuse including automotive, telecommunications, industrial and consumer.
Customers can obtain more information about the combined product lines by viewing both companies’ Web sites at www.semitron.com and www.littelfuse.com or by contacting Littelfuse at (800) 999-9445 or +1 847-824-1188, or fax +1 847-391-0459.
リテルヒューズ会社案内 1927年に創立した Littelfuse, Inc. は、業界で最も豊富な回路保護関連製品およびソリューションのバリエーションを提供する、回路保護分野の世界的大手企業です。リテルヒューズの機器は民生用電子機器から自動車、工業機材にいたるまで、実質的にあらゆる市場の電力製品を保護します。イリノイ州シカゴに構える本社のほか、南北米大陸、ヨーロッパ、アジアでセールス、販売、製造、エンジニアリング施設など 20 ヶ所以上のロケーションを有しています。リテルヒューズが提供するテクノロジーには、ヒューズ、ガスアレスター (GDT)、正温度係数機器 (PTC)、保護リレー、PulseGuard® ESD サプレッサ、交流用シリコンダイオード機器、TVS ダイオードアレイ（SPA™ 製品群）、スイッチングサイリスタ、TVS ダイオード、バリスタなどが挙げられます。また、商用車や特殊車両の電気機械、電子機器用スイッチおよび制御装置、そして地下配電センターなどの高信頼性製品の総合的なラインナップも展開しています。
詳細については弊社ウェブサイト www.littelfuse.com をご覧ください。
LFUS-A
1995年私募証券訴訟改革法の「セーフハーバー」条項。本文に記載された将来の見通しに関する記述には、製品需要および市場の受け入れ、経済状況の影響、製品および価格の競争による影響、製品開発および特許権の保護、商業化や技術面における問題、生産能力や供給上の制約および困難、為替相場変動、契約下での実際の販売、リテルヒューズの会計方針に関連する影響、ならびにリテルヒューズの証券取引委員会に対する申告に説明されるその他のリスクを含み、またそれらに限定されないリスクおよび不確実性が伴います。