CHINA: World’s high-volume producer of transformer, coil and inductor

China’s transformer market is growing at a high-speed, reaching production volume of nearly 1 billion units in 2006. This growth is mainly driven by the huge demand from the TV and portable device segments.



According to the data released by the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), the LCD flat panel TV shipment in China reached 9,450,000 units in 2006, while the overall TV set shipment reached 100 million units. Meanwhile, the production output of huge-volume products like PCs, cellphones, and digital still cameras reached 93.36 million, 480 million and 66.59 million units respectively.

FLY-BACK TRANSFORMER

Traditionally, CRT-based TVs and PC displays are the two largest applications of fly-back transformers. Due to the fast transition to LCD, plasma and flat panel TVs, China’s fly-back transformer market has started to plateau since 2003. However, many analysts say that the CRT TV market still has a long way to go before it is completely replaced by flat panels – especially in emerging markets like India, Africa and China. Since CRT TVs drive the demand for fly-back transformers, the market is predicted to lose its momentum in the next few years.



The CRT fly-back transformer market is mature with very little technology innovation happening in this area. Many Western companies have stopped manufacturing the fly-back transformer because of its low price margin. As a result, China’s fly-back transformer manufacturers maintain high-volume production to fill the global demand. Despite a significant slow down in the global fly-back transformer market, China’s market still shows a moderate growth rate.



Dezhou Sanhe Electric Co. Ltd is one of the top fly-back transformer manufacturers in China. Its products are used in PCs and mid-size and large TV sets. The company also develops transformers for surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED), which some believe is the next-generation of LCD display.



INVERTER TRANSFORMER

Compared with traditional transformers, inverter transformers require a higher level of technology expertise and bigger capital. Because of these factors, China’s inverter transformer market is composed of only a few top suppliers. Industry consolidation is also forecasted to happen in the near future.



The technology trend of inverter transformers is toward light-weight, high-efficiency, high-density and smaller products. By achieving these improvements, the inverter transformers will see more room in consumer, communications, and computer applications.



Sanqiang Electronic (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd is one of the top manufacturers of inverter transformers in China. The company also specializes in the development and manufacturing of high and low frequency transformers, electric filters, inductors, current transformers, EMI components, and SMD magnetic components. It also manufactures paste slice transformers and inductors used in communications, network facilities, LCD TVs, control systems, medical equipment, etc.



ECT Electric Co Ltd. is another major manufacturer of transformers in China. Its products include EI transformers, reactors, telecom transformers, and R-transformers. The company has an annual manufacturing capacity of 6.8 million units. To guarantee superior performance from the start, ECT purchases 50 percent of its raw materials from top international suppliers. All of the company’s products are ISO 9001:2000 certified and UL approved.



INDUCTOR AND COIL

The sizes of inductors and coils are continuously getting smaller with increasing functions being integrated into a single box. This is necessary to meet the demands of portable devices, home appliances and communication equipment, which are facing limited PCB space. The future of this market segment will be dominated by miniaturized products.



Shinhom Electronic Co. Ltd is one of the top local manufacturers of magnetic components. It produces 300 million units of inductors, transformers and filters every year that go into computers, automotive, consumer electronics, telecommunication, test equipment, GPS, medical appliances and portable devices.



Shinhom produces fixed inductors, SMD power inductors, LAN transformers, ISDN/ADSL/T1/E1/CEPT transformers and network filter modules, SMD power transformers, planar transformers, EMI suppression filters, modem/coupling transformers, through-hole inductors and beads, and flash-tube trigger transformers.