As an OEM supplier of PCB manufacturing laminating machines, our target is to provide real value-added equipment to our customers so that when they are using Burkle laminating presses, even if our price is a little higher than the competition, they are achieving the very best in product quality. Our customers world-wide, and especially here in China, see this as a great benefit.

Burkle Process Technologies, a long-time PCB manufacturing equipment supplier to high-end PCB manufacturers in the world, is seeing their business continuing to grow despite the perceived slowdown in the industry in China. They ensure this by working closely with customers, making premium products to understand the future technology needs, and offering the highest quality in PCB laminating machines and technical support. In Shanghai at CPCA recently, I had a chance to speak with Jianming Wu, general manager of Burkle China, who helped me understand Burkle’s strategy for success.

Pete Starkey: Mr. Wu, thank you very much for agreeing to talk to me. I’m very familiar with the equipment you have supplied in the past because in my generation I was a very happy user of Burkle laminating presses and coating machines.

Starkey: What sort of laminating equipment are you presently supplying? What is typical platen size, and number of daylights?

Wu: We deliver exactly what the customer specifies, from very small machines up to a maximum of twenty four daylights as for CCL. And as you know, Burkle does not make only standard machines, we can also make customer-specific machines, when the customer has special demands or specific innovations. We work closely with customers to develop machines to suit their requirements.

As an OEM supplier of PCB fabrication laminating machines, our target is to provide real value-added equipment to our customers so that when they are using Burkle laminating presses, even if our price is a little higher than the competition, they are achieving the very best in product quality. Wu: We deliver exactly what the customer specifies, from very small machines up to a maximum of twenty four daylights as for CCL. And as you know, Burkle does not make only standard machines, we can also make customer-specific machines, when the customer has special demands or specific innovations. When the customer had problems with those machines, which were from a very well-known producer in the world, the customer requested our help. We have made many modifications to our machines to make them compatible with our competitors’ transportation system, which the customer uses for moving product to the presses.

We have customers making premium products, and with such products they are really focusing for the future. And we also have those customers who are taking the strategy of wait-and-see before they prepare themselves for the future. We have some customers who are really preparing themselves now, not waiting until the market comes back up.

Starkey: Can you give an example of a customer’s specific demand and his application, and how you would then configure your equipment to suit it?

Starkey: There has been very much discussion recently about a slowing down of the China PCB manufacturing market, is this something that you have experienced, or not?

Starkey: These customers hopefully can see further into the future; the present slow-down in growth will change and probably the growth will increase again. They can see their technology needs for the future, and if they have good vision and also the financial resources to invest now, then they are ready for the market when it comes back, instead of waiting for the market and then running behind it. Is this something that you experience?

When the customer had problems with those machines, which were from a very well-known producer in the world, the customer requested our help. We have made many modifications to our machines to make them compatible with our competitors’ transportation system, which the customer uses for moving product to the presses.

Wu: Yes, we have received some feedback from our customers that the market is slowing down. We have some premium customers, and they are continuing to buy our machines.

Wu: Currently, customers in China are using our machines to make high-end products like HDI, rigid-flex PCB and flex PCB and so on. In many cases, they can make products with our machines that are not possible with our competitors’ equipment.

Wu: Thank you, Mr. Starkey.

Starkey: Mr. Wu, thank you very much indeed for your time and for a very interesting discussion. We wish you every success.

Starkey: What is typical of the type of printed circuit board that your customers are manufacturing? Are they manufacturing rigid multi-layer, are they manufacturing flex, are they manufacturing rigid-flex multi-layer?