PCB gear makers see unclear order visibility amid outbreak
Jane Wang, Taipei; Willis Ke, DIGITIMES
The coronavirus outbreak is predicted to immediate PCB makers to speed up their manufacturing automation to deal with the worsening labor shortages, however PCB gear makers nonetheless see opaque order visibility amid unsure improvement of the epidemic, in line with trade sources.
Most PCB gear suppliers skilled a lackluster yr in 2019, as PCB makers turned conservative towards investments in capability expansions or constructing new crops as a result of lingering US-China commerce tensions, the sources mentioned.
Equipment makers began to see a ramp-up in orders from purchasers in fourth-quarter 2019, however whether or not the continued epidemic will speed up funding in automated gear by PCB makers or decelerate such funding stays to be seen, the sources continued.
Most gear makers don’t count on orders to develop within the brief time period if the epidemic lingers, because the funding willingness and momentum of PCB makers with operations in China will likely be dented. At the second, Taiwanese PCB makers collectively have 63% of their capability in China, the sources mentioned.
The sources continued that PCB makers at the moment are most involved about the best way to recruit extra staff and safe easy transportation of shipments of uncooked supplies and completed merchandise, which is able to incur new prices. And putting in automation gear is just not excessive on their funding precedence listing.
Nevertheless, Taiwan-based Taliang Technology, devoted to manufacturing of PCB routing and drilling machines, remains to be optimistic that its revenues will choose up quarter by quarter in 2020 after the epidemic eases. Other makers together with Tongtai Machine & Tool, C Sun, and Group U Industrial are additionally eyeing future enterprise alternatives for manufacturing automation at PCB makers, the sources indicated.
