High volume ceramic surface plant started up

An automated line with a 2000 litre tank capacity has a machine is capable of handling high volume production runs of Keronite ceramic surfaces in a facility in Daejeon, South Korea.

Keronite International and operating partner Havit Information Co are excited to announce that they are ready to start producing Keronite ceramic surfaces in a brand new state-of-the-art facility in Daejeon, South Korea.

The announcement was made at a Keronite Technology Day at the Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul when over 100 scientists from a variety of industries congregated on 15th March to learn more about Keronite Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) technology for the treatment of light alloy surfaces.

Last month, the world's first Keronite G3M machine was installed and commissioned at Havit's brand new headquarters in Daejeon.

A fully automated line with a 2000 litre tank capacity, the new machine is capable of handling high volume production runs, and the facility already has space allocated for a second and third Keronite line as the business expands.

Initially the focus will be on magnesium components for the 3Cs market but over time, Havit will also coat aluminium parts for the domestic appliance, automotive and aerospace markets.

Keronite CEO, Lars Olrik, was confident from the very first meeting that Havit is the right partner for Keronite in South Korea.

"It is clear that Havit is committed to the introduction of breakthrough technology solutions and the Company has a proven track record in doing just that.

Our two companies share so many common objectives and target industries that this partnership agreement was a very natural next step.

Havit is well known and respected throughout the 3Cs and electronics industries in the region and Keronite is already working with many key players in these markets to develop new applications for Keronite.

Our customers now need a reliable local source of supply and Havit meets that requirement perfectly in every respect." Dr Park, president and CEO of Havit, had been seeking to expand further into the surface treatment industry, and was on the look-out for innovative and environmentally-friendly coating technologies.

The attraction of Keronite was obvious from the outset.

"The use of light alloys is continuing to expand, not only in the markets traditionally served by Havit, but in the longer term, I believe that there will be more and more opportunities in the automotive and aerospace markets.

There are already plans to produce lightweight high-speed trains in Korea and with the help of Keronite, projects like these can open many new doors for Havit." Like Cambridge, UK, Daejeon is a centre of education and science.

With a population of 1.4 million, it is one of the largest cities in South Korea, and is strategically located between Seoul and Busan, at the crossroads of the country's major expressways and train lines.

The Daedeok Innopolis Complex in Daejeon is home to over 800 companies involved in the electronics and 3Cs markets.

This cluster of high-tech businesses is expected to number 1500 by 2010 and 3000 by 2015.

The city already employs 10% of all the PhDs in South Korea, and 25% of the country's patent applications emanate from this region.

This latest installation is the next step in Keronite's aggressive expansion plans for the Asian markets.

The Company is already established in a number of key European markets and is continuing to invest in North America.

Havit and Keronite are young companies with clear strategies for growth and equally bright futures.

It is just a matter of time before they make their mark together in the high-tech city of Daejeon.

* About Keronite - Keronite International was established in Cambridge, UK, in 2000 to provide technology services to industry, enabling manufacturers to reduce costs and improve performance through the wider use of aluminium and magnesium.

The patented Keronite surface treatment technology known as Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) is used to convert the surface of light metals into an extremely hard, crystalline ceramic oxide with outstanding properties in terms of resistance to corrosion and wear.

A chrome-free immersion process, Keronite is used to treat the inner as well as the outer surfaces of the most complex shapes and the technology is successfully being used across a whole range of industries from automotive, aerospace and oil and gas to electronics, architecture and a variety of hi-tech engineering applications.

Keronite has its own manufacturing facilities for process plant and electrolyte solutions and works through a network of experienced operating partners such as Havit to deliver surface treatment solutions across Europe, Asia and North America.

* About Havit - Havit Information Co was founded in 1999 and was successful in achieving a KOSDAQ listing by June 2005.

Under the leadership of President and CEO Byung Sun Park, Havit has quickly established itself as a world leader in the optical component business with a reputation for introducing innovative and environmentally-friendly technologies.

With manufacturing facilities in Daejeon, South Korea and Dongguan.

China, the Company produces a range of optical fibres and elements such as infra-red filters which give camera 'phones and digital cameras image sensor reflexes as sophisticated as those of the human eye.

In addition, Havit designs and manufactures optical pick-up components such as diffraction gratings, beam splitters and mirrors used in CDs and DVDs.

The Company has more recently invested in a new surface treatment centre in the Innopolis III area of Daejeon where it will not only produce Keronite ceramic surfaces, but also a range of chrome-free plating solutions.

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