Brooks Instrument reported Sept. 28 that it’s opened a new manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia, increasing its operational footprint in Asia-Pacific for producing mass flow controllers (MFCs). The new 57,000-square-foot plant follows the company’s recent manufacturing expansion in Korea and is Brooks’ fourth global production area. The other locations are in the U.S. and Hungary.
The Malaysian plant features Brooks’ largest, Class 100 cleanroom manufacturing area, and will focus initially on producing its GF100 series of MFCs. GF100 is widely used in semiconductor and other critical, gas-flow control applications, and Brooks reports its often viewed as the semiconductor industry standard for reliable and repeatable delivery of process gasses.
Hans Sundstrom, global semiconductor business unit manager at Brooks, reports its expansion into Malaysia was a result of partnering with semiconductor industry customers, who wanted a more robust and efficient supply chain for getting MFCs and support.
“Brooks Instrument has operated in Japan, Korea and China for decades. The high demand and semiconductor industry growth in the Asia-Pacific region led us to invest in another factory, this time in Malaysia,” says Sundstrom. “Our expansion into a high-volume manufacturing plant will enable us to eventually double our global output of MFCs. It will also serve as an additional location for manufacturing and parts inventory, complementing our other facilities and further reducing the risk of a supply chain disruption.”
Lik Wai Kho, VP and GM of Brooks semiconductor business in Asia, adds, “We’re ready to start shipments to customers beginning in December 2023, and expect to be in full production by January 2024. Our Malaysian personnel have completed extensive training, including copy-exact procedures at our U.S. headquarters, and I’m confident we’re ready to build the high-quality products that have made Brooks Instrument such a trusted partner in this industry.”
