Atotech Celebrates the Sale of 888th Electrolytic Copper Plater

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Atotech announced the sale of its 888th electrolytic copper plater which goes to Evertek Electronic (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., China. Manufactured in Feucht, Germany, the plater is currently on its way to China where it will be installed this month. The anniversary plater is a Uniplate Cu 24 InPulse 2 plating system. It operates on a UTS-s transportation system at a speed of 1.0 m/min to provide flash copper, BMV and through-hole filling for HDI mobile printed circuit boards which will be supplied to local Chinese smartphone OEMs.

Atotech's 888th plater is on its way to China for installation.

Uniplate is Atotech’s leading horizontal mass production system for the pretreatment, metallization and electrolytic copper plating of demanding HDI PCB and IC substrates. A key advantage is the low chemistry and water consumption, as well as the reduced waste water results.  Another highlight is the very high productivity and yield performance, which makes Atotech systems the production solution of choice. Uniplate in the market is known as energy and cost efficient system that can be applied to a wide range of board types at high throughput rates. In particular, Uniplate Cu24 InPulse 2, which is being delivered to Evertek Electronic (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. is equipped with unique rectifiers for pulse plate operation, ensuring that the highest rates of productivity, as well as the best throwing power performance and uniformity are achieved.

With the anniversary plater Atotech celebrates its long-standing relationship with the Kingboard Chemical Holdings Ltd. and is very proud to deliver the first total production solution to Evertek Electronics Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Kingboard Chemical Holdings Ltd. Over the past years, a total of 17 equipment lines – including 10 platers – were manufactured and delivered to the PCB companies of the Kingboard Group. “It is a great honor for us to deliver this anniversary plater to a company with whom we have such a good long-standing relationship. The figure “8” in Chinese stands for infinite luck and wealth, something we wish for our customers. So plater number 888th symbolizes very special fortune,” said Chen Chen, System Manager Electronics Equipment at Atotech Asia Pacific Ltd.

Wang Shengwen, General Manager of Evertek Electronic Co. Ltd., added, “Atotech’s Uniplate Cu24 InPulse2 for BMV filling will contribute to our any-layer production process, help us improve our plating capability, and further strengthen our market position in the industry. We value this fruitful cooperation with Atotech, and look forward to an even deeper partnership in the future.”

The sale of the 888th plater represents yet another highlight of Atotech’s success story, which looks back on nearly 30 years of innovation, continual research and development, in addition to a well-established global sales and service network. The company prides itself on a successful history in equipment sales – and not only of electrolytic plating systems. To date, more than 1,600 Uniplate® and 230 Horizon systems have been sold and installed, a success made possible by close partnerships and enduring positive relationships with customers.

The origins of the Uniplate system can be traced back to 1988, when Atotech sold its first plater, a Uniplate Cu3, in Germany. In 1991, sales were also made in Europe and Asia, and the 100th plater, a Uniplate Cu18, was sold to Samsung in 1997. In 2006, only nine years later, Atotech sold its 400th plater – a Uniplate Cu24 IP2 for BMV filling and panel plating – to Ibiden in China. The 500th plater was sold in 2008 to CCTC in Shantou, China; and three years later, the 600th plater was sold to AT&S in Shanghai, China. By the end of 2013, another 150 platers were sold, and the 750th plater, a Uniplate Cu18 IP2 for superfilling, was delivered to Zhen Ding Technology Holding Limited (ZDT), part of the Foxconn Group. Since then, Atotech has sold an additional 133 platers and is proudly celebrating the sale of the 888th plater to Evertek Electronic Co. Ltd.

Evertek Electronic Co. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Kingboard Chemical Holdings Limited, one of the world’s major laminate producers and a leading printed circuit board manufacturer and chemical products supplier in China. Kingboard Chemical Holdings Ltd. is considered to be one of the leading Tech 100 companies (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2010). Evertek Electronic Co. Ltd. applies its technology to both single-layer and any-layer HDI boards, targeting products and services in the high-end segment such as mobile phones, tablet PCs, and network devices.

About Atotech

Atotech is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals and equipment for the printed circuit board, IC-substrate and semiconductor industries, as well as for the decorative and functional surface finishing industries. Atotech has annual sales of USD1.1 billion. The company is fully committed to sustainability – we develop technologies to minimize waste and to reduce environmental impact. Atotech has its headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and employs more than 4,000 people in over 40 countries.