SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

Calay Systems of Irvine intends to buy $15 million in computer equipment from Sun Microsystems in the next 18 months. Calay will use the Sun equipment in its computer systems used to design printed-circuit board makers. Calay will announce later this month a new software package called Prisma to run on the Sun machines. Calay has been struggling financially and was acquired last July by AGIV (Aktiengesellschaft Fur Industrie Und Verkehrswesen), a West German firm.

The AGIV acquisition will enable Calay to add 20 people to its work force of 90. The company also plans to move to larger offices in the Irvine area later this month.

Beverly J. Lages, marketing communications manager, said the firm expects to increase sales by about 80% in the next 18 months. Because it is privately held, Calay doesn’t release precise sales or profit figures, but Lages said the firm had 1986 sales of about $20 million.