On April 13, several stocks such as Water shares and Jinfa Technology rose sharply. On the news, affected by overseas epidemics, 5G antenna raw material LCP is accelerating the search for domestic substitute manufacturers. The reporter learned that because of the decline in overseas production capacity, some core electronic components, new materials and other supplies are in short supply. Downstream manufacturers are currently adjusting the supply chain. Many local suppliers are beginning to enter the field of vision, and the process of domestic substitution will also be accelerated.
Domestic manufacturers enter the supply chain
"A friend of mine needs this material, which is used on 5G base station antennas. The demand is 100K. Previously we used TI (Texas Instruments), and now want to change to domestic materials. You are an industry expert, so I would like to ask you for help Recommend a supplier. "
The "material (in jargon, specifically a certain component or component)" required by this manufacturer is called "current detection stepper motor driver" in professional terms. It is a driver IC and is a key component of a 5G base station antenna. TI is a major supplier of driver ICs. In addition to TI, ADI (Adano Semiconductor) also occupies a large share of the market.
As an "old player" in the field of electronic components, Wu Bo, deputy general manager of Li Chuang Mall, has frequently received such inquiries recently. The focus of manufacturers' concerns is to find domestic substitute manufacturers. "I'm still mainly worried about the closure of foreign factories, and I am afraid that the supply is not up," Wu Bo said in an interview with reporters. "Due to the acceleration of domestic 5G base station construction, the demand for raw materials is also increasing, but some of the core components mainly supplied from overseas are On the one hand, the production capacity declined, on the other hand, the supply was not timely, so more and more manufacturers of 5G base station components began to adjust the supply chain, and domestic suppliers gradually entered the field of vision. "
A manufacturer of power adapters named "Mai Si Pu" in Dongkeng Town, Dongguan City is currently worrying about the shortage of core components. A company executive revealed to reporters that due to the overseas epidemic, the production capacity of core components such as power management ICs, chip capacitors, and power transformers required by power adapters has declined significantly, and the company ’s stock of "material" can only support up to At the end of April.
He further pointed out that adjusting the supply chain and looking for new suppliers to deal with the impact of the continuous escalation of overseas epidemics has been regarded as equally important as finding new orders. He said: "Although more than 90% of our raw materials can be solved within the scope of the Pearl River Delta, even if only one component is out of stock, downstream production can only stall."
The domestic substitution process is accelerated
In addition to the aforementioned electronic components, the supply of LCP, the core film material for 5G antennas, has also attracted market attention recently. As of the close of April 13th, Water shares had a daily limit, and Jinfa Technology also rose more than 7%. If the overseas epidemic cannot "cool down" as soon as possible, domestic LCP manufacturers will also harvest more downstream orders due to the shortage of overseas supply.
According to the reporter, LCP is a fully aromatic liquid crystal polyester polymer material. Its special microstructure gives it excellent macroscopic properties, and more than 70% of it is used in the electrical and electronic field. Relevant statistics show that the global demand for LCP in 2018 has reached 74,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 7.7%, and the average annual compound growth rate of demand from 2014 to 2018 is also close to 10%.
However, as of now, the core technology of LCP membrane production is still in the hands of Japanese companies, but there are a few domestic manufacturers that are expected to achieve mass production. In addition to the above-mentioned Water shares and Jinfa Technology, it also includes Split.
However, unlike the field of materials, the supply of some core electronic components is still very dependent on overseas. The above-mentioned current detection stepper motor driver is the case: its upstream supply is mainly from TI in Texas and ADI in Massachusetts. At present, the United States is the overseas country most affected by the epidemic. Once these cities are closed and factories are closed, the supply of current detection stepper motor drivers is bound to be affected.
Wu Bo pointed out: "Unfortunately, the above-mentioned components need to be customized for development. Due to the explosion of demand, it has been difficult to find a suitable domestic manufacturer to replace."
Nonetheless, many people in the electronics industry interviewed by reporters believe that the pace of supply chain remodeling and replacement of domestic manufacturers will be accelerated due to the outbreak. A person in charge of a passive component manufacturer revealed to the reporter that before this year, the company's customers were mainly domestic, but since March, the company has also received two overseas orders, and the company's products are expected to be supplied to its Chinese local factory. Although the order amount is not large, in the opinion of the person in charge, the attitude of the global industry chain towards Chinese manufacturers is quietly undergoing positive changes.
In contrast, passive components are very likely to become a "breakthrough" for local manufacturers to break the original supply chain pattern. Since Murata's Fukui plant in Japan, the world's largest MLCC plant, has ceased production, domestic MLCC manufacturers such as Fenghua Hi-Tech and Sanhuan Group are expected to expand their market share.
A senior practitioner pointed out that although the vast majority of the domestic high-end MLCC market is still monopolized by overseas manufacturers, it is also feasible to start with the low-end and first seek market share, and then enrich the market voice through the improvement of technology and production capacity. route of.
