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| Kim Hyong-soon, chief general manager of SFA, speaks during a press conference at FKI Tower in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul |
By Baek Byung-yeul
SFA, a local display equipment maker, is moving to diversify its business portfolio by expanding beyond displays, the company said Tuesday.
Among the non-display sectors, the company said it will focus on equipment for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, saying it will apply the laser technologies it has accumulated in the display sector to its batteries to increase its presence in the growing EV battery market and keep up with rapidly changing market demands.
"SFA will increase its presence in the battery equipment and semiconductor equipment markets with our smart factory technology that can deliver both growth and profitability," Kim Hyong-soon, chief general manager of SFA, said at a press conference in Seoul.
SFA is focusing on the commercialization of laser equipment to be used in the electrode process for EV batteries by combining its laser technology with electrode process equipment of CIS, an electrode-specialized company that SFA acquired last March.
"The key is to develop and commercialize a new concept of equipment that can dramatically improve productivity and drying quality through process integration and improvement based on laser technology within the electrode process," a company spokesman said.
The chief general manager said the portion of its non-display business is getting bigger.
"Until 2021, SFA supplied inspection equipment and logistics facilities to domestic battery companies. Since 2022, we have been supplying process equipment to domestic and European battery companies, which we have been expanding this year since acquiring CIS," he said. "With the acquisition of CIS, SFA has secured turnkey supply capabilities for the entire manufacturing line, including electrode process equipment."
SFA expects to see an increase in its order intake this year. In the first half of 2023, its order value stood at 892.5 billion won ($670 million).
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