WAMO Chooses INFODISC Taiwan as its Sole Authorized DVD Manufacturer in Southeast Asia

Transcription

1 WAMO Chooses INFODISC Taiwan as its Sole Authorized DVD Manufacturer in Southeast Asia During a press conference held at the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei on August 25, 1998, WARNER ADVANCED MEDIA OPERATIONS (WAMO), the world s largest DVD manufacturer, and INFODISC TECHNOLOGY/Taiwan officially announced their cooperation in DVD manufacturing. INFODISC became WAMO s only authorized DVD manufacturer in Southeast Asia and thus far, its first DVD affiliate worldwide. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES congratulates INFODISC on this significant achievement. Richard C. Marquardt Jr., Senior Vice President and General Manager of WAMO and Frank Lo Verme, VP of Sales and Marketing, informed the audience of WAMO s strategy for setting up a worldwide network of approximately 15 affiliates for their future DVD business in anticipation of the enormous growth expected in the DVD market. INFODISC will play an important role in WAMO s network of affiliates with production of up to 2 million Warner DVDs per month expected this year and up to 4 million per month in Mr. David Lu, President and CEO of INFODISC, and Richard C. Marquardt Jr., Senior Vice President and General Manager of WAMO, shake hands at the contract signing ceremony.

2 continued from page 1: Established in 1995, INFODISC S inception coincided with the beginning of Taiwan s CD industry explosion. From the outset, INFODISC selected SKYLINES for their CD production and 16 SKYLINEs are currently in use in their replication facility. In response to DVD demand, they enhanced their capacity by adding two SPACELINEs and three SPACEBONDERs for DVD production. Several of the SKYLINEs have also been upgraded to manufacture DVD halves which are then bonded on the SINGULUS SPACEBONDERs. INFODISC s early commitment to DVD and investment in the most advanced mastering and replication equipment was the foundation for collaborating with WARNER ADVANCED MEDIA OPERATIONS and SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES. SKYLINE Replication Systems at INFODISC The Contract Signing ceremony held during the press conference was the crowning event for INFODISC s tireless efforts to become an important player in the global DVD market. The ceremony was attended by a large number of distinguished guests from Taiwan and the City of Taipei, by industry representatives and the financial community and by more than 20 guests from the USA. In addition to top executives from Warner, representatives from several Hollywood studios, computer companies and software manufacturers attended this important event. SPACELINE DVD Replication System at the INFODISC Facility

3 SAN-CD-R: The SMART CATHODE Enables the Development of a New Concept for CD-R In the labs of AKZO NOBEL, Netherlands, and SAMSUNG ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, South Korea, a new optical recording concept has been established. This concept is applicable to CD-R and DVD-R media and a process has been developed which is called SAN CD-R. SAN refers to Samsung and Akzo Nobel. At both sites, R&D has been carried out with machines from SINGULUS TECH- NOLOGIES. In the SAMSUNG lab a SINGULUS III metallizer with a SMART CATHODE was installed, whereas AKZO NOBEL used a SKYLINE with SMART CATHODE to ensure a maximum layer homogeneity. Fig. 1.: Disc structure and function principle of the SAN-CD-R (Fabry Perot principle) Protective Coat d Buffer Layer Groove Substrate Mirror Partial Mirror Compared to the equipment of our competitors the SMART CATHODE produced the required ultrathin metallic films with better uniformity. According to AKZO NOBEL`s evaluation SINGULUS III metallizer opens the largest process window and thus lead to the best overall performance in development and production of the SAN-CD-R. Dr. Jan Mahy, Project Manager at AKZO NOBEL, discusses the reasons for developing the SAN-CD-R concept: Our main drive for the development of this concept is the huge potential for cost savings and increased performance of the system. Because the buffer layer does not require the use of expensive dye-systems, cost savings can easily be attained. Moreover, simple, fast evaporating solvents can be used for spincoating the buffer layer on top of the sputtered partial mirror. Furthermore, a non-gold reflective mirror, for example aluminum or silver, can be used. Fig. 2.: Transmission Electron Micrograph of a few nanometer thin partial mirror sputtered with a SMART CATHODE on a CD-R substrate Because of the important role of the partial mirror, the conditions under which it is sputtered should be optimal. Using a SINGULUS SKYLINE equipped with a SMART CATHODE we have shown that this device provides the capability of sputtering a mechanically stable and uniform partial mirror only a few nanometers thick onto a grooved substrate. Although this sounds like an incredible feat, we have demonstrated that such extremely thin metal layers can be produced with the SMART CATHODE. The SAN-CD-R discs can be read by DVD players and the tunable absorption characteristic is well-suited to high density applications such as DVD-R. The adaption of existing CD-R lines to the new SAN- CD-R process is possible by means of an additional SINGULUS III metallizer with a SMART CATHODE. Difference in reflection: delta d* n of buffer layer phase shifts..

4 New SPACEBONDER for Off-Line DVD Production Media Group makes major Commitment to DVD-9 Fremont, CA.-Media Group, a major replicator of CD-ROM in the Silicon Valley, has decided to take a leadership position with DVD. Dr. Edward Teng, Chief Technology Officer, says We are adding two SINGULUS DVD lines to our Fremont facility. We will take delivery of the first SINGULUS SPACELINE this month and the second SINGULUS line in October. The other lines will follow in early Our parent company, Media Press in Taiwan, will also be adding several SINGULUS SPACELINES to their facility. We plan on being leaders in this industry and personally I look forward to working with the DVD-R and RW format as well. We feel that by adding recordability to DVD consumer acceptance will greatly increase. Richard Nuffer, Vice President marketing and sales for SINGULUS, added SINGULUS is proud to be working with Media Group, we want to have a strong presence here in the Silicon Valley. I think the real long term potential for DVD is on the ROM side and quite frankly I m not convinced many replicators are prepared for the impending demand. Certainly Media Group is looking forward and acting accordingly. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES introduces the SPACEBONDER as stand-alone bonder for DVD production. The design of this most recent addition to the SPACELINE family is based on technology and hardware components used in the very successful SPACELINE for in-line DVD manufacturing. The new SPACEBONDER is spindle-fed with metallized DVD halves and it completes the process by bonding, UV-curing and inspection for all DVD formats. The function of this bonder is very simple: two independent sender turntables (one with spacer handling) feed the two DVD halves into the bonding unit, where the adhesive is applied and the discs are set together. The bonded DVD is exposed to UV radiation for curing. The UV source is so effective that it cures the bonding agent even through the 55 nm fully reflective Al-layer of a DVD 10 or DVD 5 with pit art. For DVD 9, the specified bonding layer uniformity of 50 ±15 µm over one disc and ± 4 µm within one revolution are met by tightly controlling the application and temperature of the bonding material, the process of joining the disc halves and the programmable spinning process.

5 Main Characteristics: Production proven bonding technology for all DVD formats High productivity Minimum space required Footprint only 2.3 m² Excellent accessibility for maintenance and service Bonding agent is taken directly from the shipping container eliminating the need to refill reservoirs Automated disc handling through all production steps Automated spacer handling which can be switched on or off Integrated inspection system SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Makes the Breakthrough in DVD 9 Inline-Replication Over the past few weeks, renowned American, Asian, and European customers have incorporated SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES SPACELINE DVD 9-manufacturing systems into their operations. SINGULUS is thus the first supplier of inline DVD-manufacturing systems to have its systems qualified for DVD 9-products. Earlier this year, INFODISC, Taiwan, became the first company in Asia to incorporate a SPACELINE into its DVD 9- manufacturing operations. In Europe SONOPRESS/BMG/Germany, TOKANO/Denmark, MPO/France and others have placed orders for SPACELINEs, too, with the particular target of DVD 9 manufacturing. NIMBUS CD INTERNATIONAL, USA and UK have placed multiple orders for SPACELINE systems over the past few months and launched DVD 9 shipments. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES pioneered this new type of inline system, which combines all steps of DVD-manufacturing from molding, metallizing through bonding and UV- curing to final inspection, following a development effort that was completed in just ten months, in June, Since that time SINGULUS sold more than 22 production lines and bonders.

6 POLYGRAM, Germany, has Selected SKYLINES for CD Replication POLYGRAM, Germany, has ordered multiple SKYLINE CD Replication Lines from SINGULUS TECH- NOLOGIES as part of new capital expenditures and expansion of their CD replication facilities. All systems have been recently installed at POLYGRAM in Hannover. POLYGRAM opted for a new SKYLINE layout which allows to form a cluster of lines optimizing the material flow (transport of discs) and the simultaneous operation of several machines for stamper change as well as for maintenance and repair work. The new SKYLINE layout provides the highest efficiency and productivity for cluster installations. SKYLINE 200th LINE delivery of the A mere of 2 years after shipment of the first SKYLINE in August 1996, an excess of 200 units have been delivered to our customers. Its high levels of productivity and quality, performance, reliability and userfriendliness ensure that the SKYLINE will continue to meet future requirements for CD manufacturing processes. Due to the CD market s intensely competitive environment, the SKYLINE remains best investment choice our customers can bank on. Its short downstream cycle time of just 2.8s secures SKYLINE its high productivity in combination with the best molding machines available in the market also for the future.

7 Speeds up to 2.8 s Cycle Time SKYLINE Plug and Play : The SKYLINE cycle time has been reduced in order to anticipate the continously decreasing cycle times of the molding machines. With an updated software version, the cycle time of the downstream equipment is now 2.8 seconds. The key to our success is the proprietary design and engineering of the components: SINGULUS metallizer with the remarkable and unique FOCUS cathode Lacquer dispense and spin-off unit uniformly processing warm discs as well as cold discs without operator intervention UV curing unit drying the disc surface and edge without dishing Unique disc handling using our patented ID grippers Controls and electronics integrated into the line base frame All qualified molding machines can be easily connected. During the start-up at the customer site, the complete installation from molding through CD inspection is supported by SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES. Maintenance and operator training is available in our training center before start-up or later for a refresher course after the machine is in production. With an DVD-upgrade of the SKYLINE, the CD replicator can separately press and metallize DVD halves which are then bonded off-line with our stand alone SPACEBONDER. The SKYLINE replication system today is the bestseller in CD replication. The modular concept and faster cycle time continue to fulfill today s and tomorrow s market needs for highly productive replication systems.

8 SINGULUS Technical Documentation now Available on CD-ROM As the expert in the field of Optical Disc, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES now offers technical documentation on CD- ROM with the SKYLINE as first machine category for which this format has been made available. The CD-ROM will complement the cumbersome, multivolume manuals provided in the past. The CD-ROM contains all requisite technical information including operating manuals, electrical and mechanical drawings, spare parts lists and original vendor documents. Each CD-ROM is machine-specific i.e. individually created for each machine. The application program is designed to provide easy navigation through the various documents by means of a customeroriented menu. Printouts can be made of all documents and the program can be run on all standard computer systems. Technical documentation on CD-ROM for all other SINGULUS products will follow soon. Technical Editor Ms. Andrea Stoll graduated from the University of Mainz with an M.A. degree in Applied Linguistics, a course combining translation science with science and technology. After beginning her career as Technical Translator at a Software Development Company, she worked for a division of the European Commission in Karlsruhe and then for the German Federal Aviation Agency in Brunswick. Ms. Stoll joined SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES in As Technical Editor she is responsible for the concept and layout of our Technical Documentation in both printed and CD-ROM formats. SINGULUS Highlights During Duplitech 98 in Beijing SINGULUS presented a SKYLINE system with molding machine and the new DVD-SPACEBONDER SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES will present at REPLItech Singapore 1998: - new SPACEBONDER for DVD - the proven SPACELINE DVD 9 system - a SKYLINE CD/CD-ROM system A DVD seminar for Italian customers was held on September 21/22, 1998 in Alzenau. First orders for 2 SKYLINEs have been shipped to Italy. Leroyka Records SRL, Milano Italy, have signed up as exclusive representative for SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES in Italy. Repr. H. Lüdemann CA, Caracas, Venezuela, have signed up as exclusive representative for SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES in Venezuela. A mere of 2 years after shipment of the first SKYLINE in August 1996, an excess of 200 units have been delivered to our customers. Since introduction at REPLItech San Jose 1997 more than 20 SPACELINE DVD systems have been sold. SNA, France also decided for 4 CD replication lines from SINGULUS. ACME, Hong Kong, ordered 8 SKYLINE CD replication systems. ONPA and Smily Enterprises, Thailand, decided for SINGULUS systems. They ordered in a first step 2 SKYLINEs. w o r l d w i d e 3/09.98-MetaCom Printed in Germany, Technical alterations reserved Germany: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG Junkersstrasse 1, D Alzenau Phone: +49-(0) Fax: +49-(0) sales@singulus.de Internet: Great Britain: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES UK LTD Unit 2 Shrivenham Hundred Business Park Watchfield, Swindon,Wiltshire SN6 8TZ Phone: Fax: singulus_uk@msn.com Singapore: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Asia Pacific5 No.6+6A Jalan Klapa SGP SINGAPORE Phone: Fax: Singulus@singnet.com.sg United States and Canada: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Inc. 429 D Hayden Station Road Windsor, CT 06095, USA Phone: Fax: mac@singulus.com West-Coast Office: 5976 West Las Positas Blvd., Suite #118 Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA Phone: Fax: rnuffer@singulus.com Latin America: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Ltda. Latin America Alameda dos Guaramomis Moema São Paulo - SP/Brazil Phone: Fax: latinamerica@singulus.com.br Representatives: Australia: Opticraft Technologies Phone: , Fax: Benelux and France: Vacuum OnLine N.V. Phone: , Fax: China: Singulus VIKA China (Service/Parts) Phone: , Fax: Hong Kong: VIKA International Ltd., alfred@vika.com.hk Phone: , Fax: India: Optical Disc Technologies Phone: , Fax: Italia: Leroyka Records SRL, leroyka@ntt.it Phone: Fax: Japan: MEDIKEN Inc., hyakusoko@mediken.co.ip Phone: , Fax: Korea: DAE JOO Industrial Company, DAEJOO@UNITEL.CO.KR Phone: , Fax: Spain and Portugal: Telstar S.A., telstar@telstar.es Phone: , Fax: Taiwan: ACEWAY METROTEC CO., LTD., a25960@ms18.hinet.net Phone: , Fax: Thailand: Datron Thai Co., Ltd., solar@ksc15.th.com Phone: , Fax: Venezuela: H. Lüdemann CA, ,3135@compuserve.com Phone: Fax: