BTU International, Inc., the supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment for semiconductor packaging, surface mount, and advanced materials processing, on February 18 announced that it has opened a new manufacturing facility in Shanghai.

The plant, located in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone in Pudong, will enable BTU to better serve the fast growing electronics assembly market in China and the rest of Asia.

BTU has had a direct sales and service presence in China since 1995, and leveraged this experience to begin its manufacturing operations there. The company expects to ship the first products from the Shanghai plant during this quarter, with production levels ramping up through 2004.