Kyoto, Japan - June 14, 2018 - SCREEN Finetech Solutions Co., Ltd. (SCREEN FT) has concluded a sales contract with Korean company Univac Ltd. (headquarters: Gimhae, South Korea). Univac is a provider of advanced vacuum coating equipment for optical and decorative films. The agreement will enable SCREEN FT to enter the market for anti-reflective (AR) and anti-fingerprint (AF) coating systems, a field that is expected to show strong growth in demand.

In recent years, there has been a major increase in the speed at which electronics are being adopted for use in cars. This trend includes advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which are highly reliant on cutting-edge camera devices. Similarly, as smartphones have increased in functionality, image quality has improved and models equipped with two cameras have become more common. These dual-camera devices allow the angle of view to be adjusted and create an enhanced three-dimensional feeling.

In both cases above, AR coating has become indispensable for the lenses of these cameras. AR coating and AF coating have likewise become essential for the cover glass of an automotive monitors and smartphones. With needs continuing to grow, manufacturers have been increasingly calling for vacuum coating equipment that enables the formation of films offering even lower reflectivity and higher transparency.

In response to these industry requirements, SCREEN FT has added vacuum coating systems manufactured by Univac to its lineup. The addition is expected to significantly accelerate its ability to provide equipment to the AR and AF coating market.

SCREEN FT is the creator of the global number one coater/developer for LCD panels as well as many other products constructed using expertise it has accumulated over many years in the industry. These products enable the manufacturing of a wide range of large size panels, including an automotive monitors, and inline systems.

Univac's systems are, however, designed for smaller parts such as lenses and by adding them to its lineup, SCREEN FT has expanded its ability to target a larger variety of substrate sizes. In addition, as Univac products enable coatings to be applied to a diverse selection of materials including glass and resin, the company has also improved its ability to respond to both current and emerging customer needs.

The conclusion of this new agreement with Univac will provide SCREEN FT with a strong sales channel for entry into the AR and AF coating market, enabling the company to further expand its business areas. SCREEN FT and Univac are also preparing for the joint release of their new LSS series of sputter systems. The high-end models combine technologies from both companies and are equipped with low inductance antennas (LIA) which is SCREEN original plasma source.

The two market leaders are also working on other projects that bring together their core competencies with even greater effectiveness. The results of these efforts are expected to make a significant contribution to the continuing development of the vacuum coating industry.

Univac Ltd.
Headquartered in Gimhae, South Korea, Univac has been a supplier of vacuum coating systems for the formation of materials including optical and decorative films for over 30 years. It has developed particular expertise in the application of optical films onto all types of optical parts and has built an impressive sales record in the Korean as well as the Chinese market.

For further information, please see: www.univac.co.kr

Overview of Univac products

■STP-1650 sputtering system for AR and AF coatings
Vacuum coating system combining a sputter source for AR films and thermal vapor deposition source for AF films

■UNIVAC-2050 ion-assisted electron beam evaporation system
Univac's leading electron beam evaporation system, providing optimized formation of a wide variety of optical films

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