The first work planned for Gudeng Precision Industrial Co.’s new Glendale manufacturing plant is aircraft machining. For a company whose products help protect wafers and chipmaking masks, the aerospace start reflects the two industries it intends to serve from its first U.S. production site.
The Taiwan-based company celebrated the opening Oct. 6. Its 12,000-square-foot facility at 5260 W. Phelps Road represents $5 million in investment and is expected to support more than 30 new jobs. Initial operations will include computer-controlled machining for aircraft components and precision inspection, with additional equipment and broader semiconductor supply-chain integration planned for later phases.
Gudeng’s semiconductor business supplies carriers for wafers and reticles, the masks used to transfer circuit patterns during chip fabrication. It also provides cleaning, maintenance and contamination testing. Its products protect materials during storage and transport, making handling and cleanliness part of the company’s contribution to chip production.
The phased approach builds on a presence Gudeng already had in Arizona. In a September business update, the company described its planned production line as an extension of existing warehouse and office operations. It identified aerospace demand as the initial focus, with opportunities to expand semiconductor manufacturing capabilities over time. Gudeng said improving production yields and lowering costs would be important to establishing successful overseas manufacturing bases as those operations expand.
“We chose Arizona because of its exceptional aerospace and semiconductor ecosystems,” said Bill Chiu, CEO of Gudeng Group, in the opening announcement.
That combination gives the Glendale operation a broader purpose than serving a single industry. Gudeng’s expansion brings its machining and inspection capabilities into a region with established aerospace activity and a growing semiconductor supply chain. As the facility develops, the equipment added and work undertaken will determine how much of the company’s semiconductor business takes root alongside its aircraft component production.
