What Precision Microcircuits does

Precision Microcircuits is a privately held, family-operated New Zealand manufacturer of Thick Film Microcircuits, operating from a purpose-built facility in Palmerston North and claiming the position of New Zealand's only producer of this technology, with 35 years of operating history (founded circa 1980). The company's core technology uses specialized micro screen printing of conductor, insulator, and resistor materials onto ceramic, titanium, and stainless steel substrates, with the layers fired and finished using a custom-designed laser trimming machine for precision resistor values. Wire bonding and precision die attach are performed using gold or aluminum bonding materials down to micron-scale wire diameters, and circuits are printed in multiple layers and fully encapsulated to resist moisture, corrosion, vibration, heat build-up, extreme temperatures, thermal shock, high humidity, and severe acceleration/deceleration forces.

The company's products are designed as high-reliability, harsh-environment alternatives to conventional printed circuit boards, with claimed form-factor reductions of roughly half versus equivalent PCBs and reduced solder-joint counts. Beyond the core thick film platform, Precision Microcircuits offers adjacent capabilities including RF & microwave solutions, data telemetry, electronic control mechanisms, PCB assembly and modification, chip & wire technology, electronic packaging (including hermetic packaging and welding), and optoelectronics. It sells custom engineering services spanning one-off prototyping, evaluation, testing, and volume manufacturing, with revenue generated on a quote-based project model rather than disclosed pricing.

The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with direct engagement from concept through manufacturing, targeting defense, medical, automotive, space, and industrial customers. Named customer engagements include cockpit airflow sensors for the International Space Station and F-16 jet fighters for the US Military, simmerstat energy regulators used internationally by GE & Whirlpool in ovens, RF tracking devices embedded in tranquilliser darts for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, and radio-controlled log release switch assemblies for the New Zealand forestry industry operating at 25G deceleration forces. Marketing is primarily website- and case-study-led, with phone and email as the bottom-of-funnel conversion channels.

Name

Precision Microcircuits

Legal name

Precision Microcircuits

Website

https://pml.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Precision Microcircuits is a privately held New Zealand manufacturer of custom Thick Film Microcircuits for harsh-environment applications, serving defense, medical, aerospace, automotive, appliance, and industrial customers with design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing from its Palmerston North facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thick Film Microcircuits / Hybrid Microelectronics Manufacturing

NAICS

Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing (334412), Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing (334418)

SIC

Printed Circuit Boards (3672)

akta.pro primary industry

PCB Fabrication (Rigid PCBs) (HDAHAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI), Assembly & Packaging Services (Wirebond/Flip-Chip/FCBGA) (HDAHADAA)

Keywords

• Thick film microcircuits
• Custom electronic design
• Hybrid microelectronics manufacturing
• Hermetic electronic packaging
• RF and microwave circuits

Headquarters

HQ city

New Plymouth

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Thick Film Microcircuit Design and Manufacturing: Custom design, prototyping, evaluation, testing and manufacture of thick film microcircuits. Revenue generated from one-off prototypes through to high volume production runs. Includes services such as PCB assembly, chip & wire, electronic packaging, optoelectronics, hermetic packaging and welding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Precision Microcircuits designs and manufactures custom thick film microcircuits as an ultra-reliable alternative to printed circuit boards for harsh and demanding environments. Services span one-off prototype design through high-volume production, with complementary capabilities in RF & microwave, data telemetry, electronic control mechanisms, PCB assembly, chip & wire, electronic and hermetic packaging, and optoelectronics, all delivered from a purpose-built facility in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Product overview

Precision Microcircuits is New Zealand's only manufacturer of Thick Film Microcircuits, offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on custom thick film microcircuit design and manufacturing. Their core products include Thick Film Microcircuits as the primary offering, supported by specialized capabilities in Wire Bonding, Multiple Layer Circuits, and Precision Layer Trimming. The company provides end-to-end services from Custom Thick Film Design through Prototyping to Volume Manufacturing. Additional product categories encompass RF & Microwave Solutions, Data Telemetry, Electronic Control Mechanisms, PCB Assembly, Chip & Wire Technology, Electronic Packaging (including hermetic packaging), and Optoelectronics. These products work together as an integrated system where the thick film microcircuit serves as the core platform, with design services, specialized features (wire bonding, multi-layer encapsulation, laser trimming), and manufacturing capabilities supporting customers from prototype through production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thick Film Microcircuits

Quantifiable outcome

• Thick film assemblies proved more accurate, more responsive and more reliable than traditional nichrome sensors for US Military applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Stackpole Electronics: Manufacturer of resistive components including thick film chip resistors. Comparable in thick film technology stack, though focused on high-volume standard components rather than custom microcircuits.
• Vishay Intertechnology: Large-scale manufacturer of thick film chip resistors and discrete semiconductors. Comparable in core thick film technology, though its offering is high-volume commodity components rather than custom microcircuits.
• TT Electronics: Global electronics manufacturer with thick film hybrid circuit and resistive product lines serving aerospace, defense, and medical. Comparable as a scaled incumbent in the same thick film technology category, with broader product portfolio.
• Kemet (Yageo Group): Global manufacturer of passive electronic components including specialty thick film products. Comparable in underlying thick film competency, though serving far broader, higher-volume markets.

Others

• DuPont Microcircuit Materials: Supplier of thick film conductive and resistive pastes used in thick film microcircuit manufacturing. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler in the same thick film technology stack.
• Heraeus Electronics: Materials supplier for thick film pastes and electronic packaging. Comparable as an ecosystem participant supplying key inputs to thick film microcircuit manufacturers.

Direct peers

• State of the Art, Inc. (SOTA): US specialty manufacturer of thick and thin film chip resistors and hybrid microcircuits for defense, space, and medical. Directly comparable in technology, end markets, and customization approach.
• Hybrid Electronics: Manufacturer of thick film hybrid microcircuits and assemblies for harsh-environment applications. Comparable in technology stack and customer positioning at the small/mid-market thick film hybrid level.
• Cermetek Microelectronics: Custom thick film hybrid microcircuit manufacturer focused on medical, industrial, and aerospace applications. Closely comparable niche competitor in custom thick film hybrid microcircuits.
• Mini-Systems, Inc. US-based specialty manufacturer of thick and thin film hybrid microcircuits and chip resistors. Highly comparable to Precision Microcircuits in core technology (thick film hybrid circuits), customer base (defense, medical, aerospace), and custom-engineered business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/precision-microcircuits-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Precision Microcircuits