Epson Toyocom Builds New Plants to Double Production of AT-Cut Crystal Units and Oscillators

Epson Toyocom Corporation has started work on new plants in Thailand and China (Wuxi) in order to increase production of compact, stable AT-cut crystal units and oscillators (AT) and other components as part of the company’s mid-range production strategy. Through this initiative, the company aims to take a one-third share of the compact, stable AT market which is expected to expand further. The new plant in Thailand will start operations in December 2007, while the plant in China (Wuxi) will start operations in May 2008. Production will be ramped up thereafter in accordance with the mid-range production strategy.


Digital portable devices such as mobile phones are becoming increasingly compact and multifunctional. As a consequence, the demand for a compact, stable AT as a key device in communication and signal processing is expected to increase radically, and the company will make intensive capital investment in this area.


Epson Toyocom possesses production technology for compact, stable quartz devices with superior productivity based on proprietary QMEMS technology using photolithography manufacturing processes. Epson Toyocom will reinforce its operations in this field and differentiate itself from competitors by building the new plants. The company will steadily ramp up production capacity in order to achieve the target of a one-third share in the compact, stable AT sector in FY2009, adding a new core business to the company’s other field of expertise, tuning-fork crystal units.


Furthermore, in recognition of the need to disperse production risks to avoid disruption in the face of strong demand from set manufacturers, Epson Toyocom will strengthen operations at the Thai and Chinese plants (Wuxi and Suzhou) in addition to the Malaysian plant which is already operating as the main post-processing plant, undertaking product assembly. These plants are positioned as the company’s main overseas production sites and will form the stable supply system for quartz devices that Toyocom is establishing.


In December 2005 the company expanded the Malaysia plant and in March last year, a new photolithography process was established at the Miyazaki Plant in Japan. The company will continue to make similar investment in new production facilities in step with the expanding market. In addition to making a contribution to development of the electronics industry worldwide, Epson Toyocom will continue to fulfill its responsibility for providing a stable supply of components as the leading company in the quartz device industry.