The Elec 报道 LS Electric 谋求拓展半导体工厂自动化(OHT 控制部件)，但承认在日韩主导下尚无实质突破

LS Electric is struggling to gain traction in the semiconductor industry. While it has successfully supplied power equipment such as switchgear to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, it has yet to make significant inroads into process automation, where Japanese companies remain dominant.
According to industry sources on Oct. 21, LS Electric is seeking to expand its semiconductor factory automation business in overseas markets, including the United States and Southeast Asia. For several years, the company has attempted to enter the market for control systems and drive components used in overhead hoist transport (OHT) systems, which handle materials in semiconductor factories. Despite offering motion controllers, servo drives and motors, its domestic supply track record remains limited.
“Semiconductor manufacturers often designate suppliers of key OHT components when placing equipment orders,” an industry official said. “Mitsubishi Electric products are primarily used in South Korea, while Siemens products are also used in Europe.”
OHT systems automatically transport wafers during semiconductor manufacturing. They carry front opening unified pods (FOUPs), containers holding semiconductor wafers, along fixed rails installed on fab ceilings, delivering them to individual processing equipment. The systems must move FOUPs quickly and stop precisely in front of each machine. A central control system determines transport routes and controls equipment movement.
The central control system monitors OHT locations and operating conditions through sensors and wireless communications. Operating commands pass through programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and motion controllers before reaching servo drives and servo motors. These components work together to precisely regulate transport speeds and stopping positions. Accuracy and reliability are critical because even minor vibrations or positioning errors can damage wafers and disrupt production.
Japanese companies have long dominated the OHT equipment and control component markets. Daifuku and Murata Machinery established early positions in complete OHT systems. In South Korea, Samsung Electronics subsidiary SEMES successfully developed domestically produced OHT equipment in the 2010s, followed by companies including SFA and MX Robotics, formerly SMCore. However, replacing control systems and drive components remains difficult because suppliers such as Mitsubishi Electric have provided them using proprietary communication protocols.
Although the need to replace entire existing systems creates a high barrier to entry, the market is difficult for LS Electric to ignore. According to market research firm QY Research, the global semiconductor automated material handling system (AMHS) market is projected to grow from $3.709 billion in 2025 to $5.988 billion in 2032. OHT’s share of the overall market is expected to increase from 46.86% to 48.91% over the same period.
“Industrial communication networks use closed networks because of security concerns and potential interference between equipment, so manufacturers rely on proven control components,” an LS Electric official said. “We are pursuing opportunities to supply complete packages of reliable automation products when domestic and overseas semiconductor companies build new factories in the United States and Southeast Asia.”
LS Electric is first building its track record and demonstrating the reliability of automation control technologies developed for automotive and battery production lines.
In the automotive sector, the company has expanded the application of its products primarily at Hyundai Motor Group’s domestic and overseas manufacturing facilities. It supplied safety PLCs to Hyundai Motor’s dedicated electric vehicle plant in Ulsan to detect abnormal equipment operations and ensure worker safety. Its automation control components have also been adopted at Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) production lines and Hyundai Mobis’ electric vehicle drive motor and battery pack assembly processes. The company has also established supply records at overseas automotive manufacturing facilities in Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
In the battery sector, LS Electric is expanding the localization of key control components used in production equipment. In 2024, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with LG Energy Solution to develop domestically produced automation technologies for battery manufacturing processes. It has applied its independently developed control components to certain production equipment and is expanding performance verification and technical cooperation to extend their use to mass-production lines.