Royal Philips Electronics today announced it has opened two new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, China, to support the liquid crystal display (LCD) and optical storage activities of its Components division. Located in the Wai Gao Qiao Free Trade Zone, the adjacent factories will maximize manufacturing efficiencies and quality, furthering the company's ability to meet demand for its customer-driven integrated solutions for the digital consumer electronics, mobile telecommunications, PC-related and automotive infotainment sectors. Optical Storage

Philips is also a leading innovator of CD and DVD formats for the information technology and consumer electronics markets. Philips' optical storage portfolio include drives, subassemblies and components related to audio, video, data and games playback, as well as rewritable CD and DVD technologies for both consumer electronics and data markets. Covering an area of approximately 36,900 square meters, the company's new optical storage facility will produce drive mechanisms, loaders and optical pick-up units (OPUs), which are used in every CD-R and CD-RW drive.

This plant replaces an existing optical storage facility, operating in this locale since 1996, and allows the company to centralize its manufacturing operations in Shanghai. The concentration of production at a single location will further increase the efficiency and competitive strength of Philips' optical storage activities in this region. The new facility features a state-of-the-art, efficient manufacturing floor and assembly lines able to support high-volume demand for optical storage products.