This has led most suppliers of copper foils, especially the Asian producers, from stringent quantity allocations for their customers to the complete elimination of delivery commitments. A large number of manufacturers – trying to fill their stock – started to place additional ‘safety orders’, which pushed the price hike even further.
Due to a close and decades long cooperation with the original suppliers, Göttle GmbH & Co KG was able to react to this situation in time. Orders for copper foil were more than doubled, inventory was build up and made available to the European PCB market.
“The supply situation has not changed so far and will continue. Our warehouse is well filled and the supply of HTE copper foil is also secured in the long term“ General Manager Ludwig Göttle pointed out. Due to the early take over of the inventory and assembly lines of the former copper foil manufacturer GOULD, and the re-connection in Königsbrunn, as well as the new investments made in 2015 into additional new machines and additional staff, there is now enough cutting capacity available for the PCB market, from sample volume up to large order volume, to meet also short term needs.”