DALSA receives major camera orders for flat-panel-display inspection

FEBRUARY 3--DALSA Corporation (www.dalsa.com) has received contracts totaling $3.9 million from two leading suppliers of flat-panel-display (FPD) inspection equipment. The camera orders are to be delivered in 2004.

DALSA's high-performance CCD cameras are "the eyes" of sophisticated vision systems that inspect flat-panel televisions, notebook PCs, and LCD monitors as they are being manufactured. Strong demand for ever-larger displays, particularly for HD televisions, has prompted manufacturers to build new plants and invest heavily in state-of-the-art optical inspection equipment, which has become a mission critical part of running a leading-edge fabrication facility in a competitive, cost-effective manner. According to research-firm DisplaySearch, 2004 is expected to be, by far, the biggest year ever in LCD-equipment spending, with an estimated 43% increase over 2003.

"FPD inspection is a key market that is driving significant growth in our Digital Imaging Business," commented Savvas Chamberlain, CEO of DALSA Corporation. "These recent orders confirm that our products are being well received by key suppliers to the industry, which bodes well for our ongoing leadership in that market."