Unitech, Dynamic see rising consumer, automotive PCB shipments

Unitech Printed Circuit Board and Dynamic Electronics have seen their PCB orders for automotive electronics and consumer device applications pick up so far in second-half 2020, with their sales gradually returning to normal levels after experiencing a lackluster first-half 2020, according to industry sources.

Unitech has regained a significant portion of rigid-flex board orders for AirPods 2 devices in second-half 2020 to bolster its revenues after losing the majority of its orders to Korean peers in the first half, but order volumes and unit prices are all lower than a year earlier, the sources said.

But the company is maintaining full capacity utilization for HDI boards thanks to strong demand for iPad and MacBook series, which have seen robust sales, necessitating HDI capacity support from many makers in Taiwan, noted the sources.

Orders received by Dynamic for wearable devices, tablets and datacenter-use storage devices have been increasing steadily since the third quarter, and the company has also seen shipment strengthening pull-in momentum from main EV clients in the US and Europe.

Automotive PCBs play a significant role contributing revenues for both Unitech and Dynamic. The former has built a solid presence in high-end automotive applications, especially radar board modules, while the latter has entered the supply chain of Tesla and plans to develop thick-copper modules for EV power supply applications, the sources indicated.

Both makers expect to benefit more from high-end automotive modules in 2021, as most clients have deferred the launch of new car models to next year amid the pandemic, the sources added.

Unitech’s revenues for the first nine months of the year plunged 41.8% on year to NT$9.705 billion (US$338.15 million).

Dynamic’s January-September revenues slipped 10.36% on year to NT$9.105 billion.