Recently, FATRI (Quanzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. successfully broke through the bottleneck of the industrialization of thermopile infrared sensor chips and sensors, greatly increased production capacity, and contributed scientific and technological strength to the global epidemic prevention and control.
Due to the sudden outbreak of the epidemic, thermopile infrared temperature measurement chips and sensors are limited by individual processes and equipment, and it is difficult to break through the production capacity in the short term. As the core component of the forehead temperature gun and the infrared thermal imaging developer, the infrared sensor has become a hard-to-find product in the market.
At present, the leading companies and mainstream models of infrared sensors at home and abroad are as follows:
(with picture: domestic mainstream infrared sensor manufacturers and models)
In March, the whole sensor market was hot, which made the packaging industry chain chaotic, thus hindering the expansion of sensor production and further exacerbating the market shortage. Several leading infrared sensors in China are still facing the current situation of full production period and in short supply, and some manufacturers’ orders have been placed in August.
FATRI (Quanzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. is no exception. There are hundreds of posts on Baidu Tieba every day asking for sensors from FATRI, and there are also long queues at the door of FATRI. In the face of the sudden burst of orders, how does FATRI solve the production capacity dilemma?
Actively promote industrial cooperation
In late March, after evaluating the current gap between production capacity and orders, FATRI sought OEM cooperation extensively. Chairman Nie Yongzhong went to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and other places for many times to ensure that the core technology is completely independently developed, process equipment After the development system was completed, it actively sought cooperation from packaging manufacturers. After several communication and negotiations, FATRI adopted a two-pronged strategy of cooperation and procurement of equipment to rapidly increase production capacity.
Heavy purchase of high-end equipment
As early as October 2017, FATRI successfully completed the construction of a new 8-inch and backward compatible 6-inch MEMS production line and high-end sensor packaging and testing line in Quanzhou. It has a high-grade clean workshop of more than 6,000 square meters and adopts a new plant design. and advanced MEMS production equipment.
In the first ten days of April 2020, FATRI has found that the existing equipment cannot meet the explosive needs of customers, so it immediately purchased high-end equipment from various channels from China and abroad, and successively purchased lithography machines, PECVD, gluing machines, and developing machines. Machines, plasma etching machines and other equipment have solved the problem of expanding production capacity from the root. After the introduction of lithography machines and other equipment, the production capacity of FATRI’s infrared sensors has been greatly increased.
Actively recruit high-end talents
In addition to seeking OEM and purchasing equipment, FATRI recruits a large number of outstanding material engineers, etching engineers, diffusion process engineers and quality engineers, and through pre-job training at FATRI, engineers can quickly enter the working state. The chip workshop and the sensor workshop work in three shifts, and the roar of the machines never stops.
In order to ensure and stabilize employment, FATRI has never forgotten the original intention of the company during the special period. Chairman Nie Yongzhong often said, “I am very tired and I really want to rest, but I think that there are hundreds of families behind me who need me to support them. I have to hold on.”
In special times, we must pay more attention to quality
Live for quality, die for quality. This is a slogan hanging in the Quality Office of FATRI. During this period, quality engineers were also under tremendous pressure. In addition to being often called to solve problems at 2-3 in the morning, they also had the experience of being fined. Chairman Nie Yongzhong’s style was to focus on the facts. Immediately rewarded, no matter the position; if the next thing is not done well, immediately punished, no matter if you were still in flowers and applause last second.
It is also FATRI’s insistence on quality. The recently delivered infrared sensor has been tested by several well-known domestic thermometer manufacturers, and its accuracy, response rate and detection rate are all at the domestic first-class level, which is also the value of FATRI’s respect for life. manifestation.
Since FATRI’s chip lines and sensor production lines are independently developed and produced, there is no middleman to make a difference in price. On the premise of ensuring the quality is close to the domestic first-line level, we provide customers with the most cost-effective products at the lowest price. During the period, FATRI’s material experts, chip experts and sensor experts researched and analyzed production capacity bottlenecks and measures to improve process capabilities, made full use of all conditions, coordinated the resources of the entire industry chain, optimized process technology paths, maximized chip production capacity, and formed a cost-effective solution. The products are put on the market, which effectively fills the gap in the domestic and foreign markets.
“After the equipment came in, I felt relieved. Next, we will focus on the quality of the products, and quality will always come first,” said Nie Yongzhong, chairman of FAMC.