IMI upbeat about EMS industry future

Philippines-based Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI) announced a 209 per cent increase in its net income for the first nine months of 2012 reaching $5 million. The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firm also reported consolidated sales revenue of $495.7 million which the company attributes to better capacity utilisation of its China facilities and expansion in Europe and Mexico resulting to reduced overall operating expenses.

Arthur Tan, president and chief executive officer, said, "IMI has ridden out gloom-doom-and-boom cycles as best as the next EMS provider. As such we maintain our cautious optimism in the short and medium term."

Tan pointed out that its 17 manufacturing facilities across the globe enables the company to tap a diverse talent pool to better cater to OEMs targeting regional and international markets. It has also helped in boosting IMI's process- or test-related research and development initiatives.

"We continue improving our capabilities in building small precision assemblies through R&D in the following: flip-chip techniques, multi-level assembly, die-attach technologies, stacked die assembly, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) assembly. IMI also deals with R&D in manufacturing automation systems as well as in the development of multipurpose equipment platforms. We are also engaged in R&D in heat dissipation techniques for high-power applications. In the process, we develop for various OEM customers tailored function testers and machine vision systems for automated inspection," Tan explained.

IMI is also making strides in emerging applications for automotive, industrial and medical sectors such as electronic steering modules, power modules and inverters for hybrid and electric vehicles as well as developments in deep sea oil-drilling sensors, medical camera pills and LED lighting. The company is set to launch its low-cost, high-performance LED engine at the Electronica 2012 trade show this week at Munich, Germany.

Tan also stressed that sustainability is a worldwide trend that is here to stay and will perhaps, if not already, change the dynamics of how the electronics industry operates. As such, IMI is actively engaged in "prototype development, assembly, and manufacture of PV modules and PV panels in support of green technologies as the world transitions to a low-carbon society," according to Tan.

Despite most solar firms taking an extremely conservative stand on procurement due to a steep decline in demand, IMI commenced mass production of solar panels in its Jiaxing, China facility for an American client earlier this year.

"Key to IMI's survival and success in a highly volatile global economy is its ability to adapt quickly to developments," added Tan.