Acme Electronics is expected to report flat or slight sequential growth in consolidated revenues for the third quarter of 2012, buoyed by rising sales generated by sapphire ingot-making subsidiary USI Optronics, according to market sources.
To increase light transmittance, iPhone 5 switched from plastic to sapphire substrates to protect the camera lens.
Acme's consolidated revenues for July and August both showed on-year increases above 20%. USI Optronics saw August revenues reach around NT$81 million (US$2.75 million), the highest monthly revenues so far in 2012. Nevertheless, the price of sapphire substrates has been falling significantly, hence gross margins should be quite small.
USI Optronics produces 2-, 4-, and 6-inch sapphire ingots. Most Taiwan-based customers use 2- and 4-inch ingots while international customers prefer 4- and 6-inch ingots. Demand for 6-inch sapphire ingots has been increasing recently, bringing in sales growth for USI Optronics. Market observers predict USI Optronics will see slight growth in September revenues.
