Manufacturers of electronic-grade glass fiber yarns in both Taiwan and China are working on plans to expand their operations in response to rising demand by electronics producers. The combined annual …
Manufacturers of electronic-grade glass fiber yarns in both Taiwan and China are working on plans to expand their operations in response to rising demand by electronics producers. The combined annual output by both countries is expected to account for 80% of global output by the end of 2006. Taiwan remains the world“s main production base for electronic glass fiber yarns, with leading producers including PFG Fiber Glass Corp., Taiwan Glass Industry Corp., Fulltech Fiber Glass Corp., and Nittobo Norplex Oak Co. PFG is able to produce 90,000 metric tons of glass fiber yarns per year, and Taiwan Glass 58,000 metric tons, while the capacities of Fulltech and Nittobo are 33,000 metric tons and 32,000 metric tons per annum respectively. PFG and Taiwan Glass have already expanded their operations to China, with plants in Kunsan, Jiangsu Province. The monthly output of PFG in China is 2,500 metric tons, and that of Taiwan Glass is 1,000 metric tons. With the upturn in the global market, demand from manufacturers of printed circuit boards (PCB) for electronic-grade glass fiber cloths is rising, with robust demand and high prices predicted to last through 2005. Industry insiders consider that the factors contributing to high prices are restricted output as a result of annual routine maintenance of furnaces, current high fuel prices, as well as the boom in demand. In October 2004 one of PFG“s furnaces with a monthly output of 2,500 metric tons will be shut down for routine maintenance. A furnace at Nittobo“s parent company in Japan, with a capacity of 1,000 metric tons of glass fiber yarns per month, will also stop running for maintenance late in the 1Q or early in the 2Q of 2005. China is also actively developing its own electronic-grade glass fiber industry, and is currently able to produce 30,000 metric tons of electronic-grade glass fiber yarns a year, with additions to production capacity expected shortly.