AVX completes its largest global MLCC manufacturing facility
AVX Corporation, a leading manufacturer and supplier of advanced electronic components and interconnect, sensor, control, and antenna solutions, recently completed a major, $150 million expansion of its flagship multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia. The expansion added 250,000 square feet to the original facility, which now encompasses 450,000 square feet of Class 1K and Class 10K cleanrooms, state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and testing technology, and warehousing space designed to support the safe storage and global export of products, and squarely established the Penang site as AVX’s largest MLCC manufacturing facility.
The Penang expansion will support the continued evolution of the company’s extensive portfolio of high-performance, high-reliability passive components designed to meet the exacting demands of next-generation automotive systems and other challenging electronics applications in the military, aerospace, defense, telecommunications, renewable energy, industrial, medical, consumer electronics, networking, and transportation industries, and is projected to create more than 1,000 new jobs over the next two years. AVX has partnered with several local universities to promote employment opportunities for new and recent graduates and has made plans to provide new employees with comprehensive in-house and offsite training in the safe and effective operation of advanced manufacturing equipment. In a show of local support for the AVX expansion and employment initiatives, Chief Minister of Penang, YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow visited and formally inaugurated the site upon completion.
“AVX’s ceramic capacitor manufacturing facility in Penang has been operational for more than 20 years and is an established part of the local community. The new site expansion represents an investment of approximately $150 million and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to supporting the local economy and developing competitive, cutting-edge component solutions with a special focus on advanced automotive applications,” said Kumar Krishnamani, managing director, AVX Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. “Furthermore, as a result of our latest expansion, the Penang site will now operate as a dedicated export facility, which will support both Malaysia’s economic growth and the seamless global distribution of our products.”