Ferro Electronic Materials initiates major expansion in New York

Citation

(2001), "Ferro Electronic Materials initiates major expansion in New York", Microelectronics International, Vol. 18 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.2001.21818aab.010

Ferro Electronic Materials initiates major expansion in New York

Ferro Electronic Materials initiates major expansion in New York

Keyword: Ferro

Ferro Electronic Materials has announced a multi-million dollar capital expansion program for its Penn Yan and Niagara Falls, NY facilities.

The expansion, which will include new chemical precipitation equipment, clean room manufacturing environments and further advanced material processing technology, will increase Ferro's annual production capacity for high purity barium titanate and formulated dielectrics by 4million lb. Half of this expansion will double Ferro's capacity to produce precipitated, high-purity, barium titanate.

The first phase of the capital expansion program begins immediately, with future phases being implemented during the next year and completion expected 1 July 2001.

Craig Benson, worldwide business director of Ferro Electronic Materials, said, "This capacity expansion represents the largest single capital investment in the history of Ferro Electronic Materials. This investment demonstrates Ferro's commitment to growing our leadership position in electronic materials."

Ferro materials are used in the production of multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCC), which are basic building-blocks in all types of electronic circuitry used in a wide variety of applications including: computing, wireless telecommunications, automotive, avionics, medical, industrial and consumer electronic products. Rapid worldwide growth in the electronic industry has created unprecedented demand for these components, which in turn has created an increase in requirements for the materials used in their manufacture.

Expansion of the New York facilities will focus on the creation and enhancement of new manufacturing and development capabilities for Base Metal Electrode (BME) and Ultra Low Firing (ULF) dielectric materials. These materials are designed to alleviate or reduce the need for use of increasingly expensive Palladium (Pd), in the manufacture of MLCCs, which are enjoying particularly strong growth.