Swagelok Korea expects increased demand for its fluid systems from chips in 2021

Swagelok Korea is expecting increased sales from its fluid systems used in semiconductor production this year.

The US-based company manufactures gas and fluid systems components, such as fittings, valves and hoses. Its Korean subsidiary provides its services to Samsung, SK Hynix and local fab equipment firms.

Swagelok Korea senior manager Kim Jae-kyu said in an interview with TheElec that it expected the highest sales growth from semiconductors in 2021.

The South Korean subsidiary of Swagelok was getting more calls from customers compared to the previous year, Kim said.

Last year, it posted sales of 87.5 billion won in the country. It expects higher sales this year, he added.

It plans to launch a new valve for ultra-purity atomic layer deposition (ALD) within the year, the senior manager said. Swagelok will have a total of four ALD valve line-up within the addition. ALD valves allows gas to be deposited uniformly and is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing lines.

Swagelok Korea was manufacturing its products for semiconductor manufacturing at class 100 cleanrooms, Kim said, to meet requirements of the semiconductor industry.

All components are made in the US and tested for leakage before being shipped to customers, so the company was confident in reliability of its products, the senior manager said.

Swagelok Korea has offices in Gwangmyeong, Daejeon and Ulsan. The Ulsan center will be moved to Busan mid-2021 to better serve the southern regions of the country. Last year, the company moved its headquarters to Gwangmyeong.

Swagelok entered the South Korean market through an agency in 1987. It acquired all sales assets of Seoul Fluid System Technology in 2018 and begin managing its business in the country directly. Swagelok Korea is a wholly owned subsidiary of Swagelok. The Korean subsidiary employees around 80 people and is run by general manager Jaeyoung Lee.