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CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM FROM PAL
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With order books taking a very definite turn for the better, there is a mood of cautious
optimism at PAL - Process Automation International Ltd. "Currently we are quoting on
orders and building machines for around 50 customers - and potential customers - in 12
countries," says Managing Director, Geoff Paterson. "We are starting to feel positive
about the future. There is still a good way to go before we can throw caution to the
wind, but at leas the wind seems to be coming from the right direction!"
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The latest issue of PAL News highlights orders received from and installations taking
place (or which have taken place) in Canada, China (two of them for European 'giants'),
Germany, India, Israel, Japan, The Philippines, Thailand, Tunisia and the UK. - the
total of PAL machines delivered now stands at 1233 in 36 countries around the world.
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"There really is no need for me to explain that the electronics industry, and
the PCB sector in particular, has been in a severely depressed state for eighteen
months with few signs of widespread recovery much before mid-2003," says Mr Paterson.
"The General Metal Finishing industry, for which we also make machines, has been
less severely affected, but, apart from a few select areas, is not in an expansion
mode. However, in both industries there are some bright spots on which PAL has been
focusing its attention in recent months. These include PCB manufacturing in Thailand,
the motorcycle industry in India, and European 'transplants' into China."
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One area on which PAL has not stinted over the past eighteen months is R&D and
PAL News features the continuing work of PAL's New Technologies Department under
Dr Paul Henington. He explains in PAL News how the team has set about the quest
for one of plating's 'holy grails' - to successfully fill, by plating techniques,
blind vias, with increasing aspect ratios.
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PAL is currently working on a new sales set up for Europe. "This has come about
due to the cessation of the sales agreement between PAL and STS Industrie S.A. of
Switzerland," explains Geoff Paterson. "Naturally, we would like to pay tribute
to the work that they have done in past years. We are now forming a new European
entity that will have responsibility for sales and marketing into mainland Europe
(Galvour continue to look after Scandinavia) and the former Eastern Bloc neighbouring
countries. Further information will be available shortly."
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Further information on PAL is available from PAL's head office in Hong Kong, or from
PAL UK - for a full list of PAL offices, see the contact details on the back of PAL News.
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*******
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10 October 2002
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