Texas Instruments
Dallas, TX

Notable for: world's first practical production machine for the assembly of integrated circuits, making possible their economical production

Links:
Texas Instruments includes a history of the ABACUS as part of its corporate history, noting landmark designation by ASME: 
http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/abacus.shtml

More about . . .
The ABACUS II, designed and built by Texas Instruments, was the first practical automated production machine for the assembly of integrated circuits. Using heat and pressure, it bonded fine gold wire to microscopic contacts on the silicon chip and pin connections on the package. The ABACUS II could maintain a positioning accuracy of ± 0.00025 inch while bonding up to 375 devices an hour. Following the success of this prototype, almost 1,000 ABACUS II wire bonders were built, making the economical mass production of integrated circuits a reality.

Visiting Info:

Ceremony Notes:
March 1992

Images: (N/A)

Comments from Visitors/Members: The device is in storage presently, but the plaque should be located in the main lobby

*Indicates that item has survived, but is not on display.