As the semiconductor, new energy battery, and advanced materials industries expand rapidly, demand for material characterization instruments such as thermal analysis and rheology equipment in the Chinese market continues to rise. Customers are placing higher demands on supply efficiency, local service responsiveness, and joint development capabilities. Driven by these market factors, multinational instrument companies are accelerating the extension of high-end material characterization product manufacturing and services into China.
On October 29, Waters’ Material Science Division held a localization strategy launch event in Shanghai themed “New Starting Point for Characterization, Joint Journey with Local Partners,” announcing that its TA Instruments product line has achieved milestone progress in localized production in China. The first batch includes multiple models such as Differential Scanning Calorimeters (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analyzers (TGA), Thermomechanical Analyzers (TMA), Dynamic Mechanical Analyzers (DMA), and Rheometers, which were officially unveiled and are expected to begin delivery to customers starting in December 2026.
Image | Scene of Waters Material Science Localization Strategy Launch and Kick-off Ceremony; Source: Waters
Wang Shuishun, General Manager of Waters Material Science Division for China, reviewed the company’s development and localization process in the Chinese market at the event. He noted that with the vigorous growth of material science research and industrial innovation in China, Waters continues to advance its localization efforts to better serve Chinese customers. He emphasized that localization goes beyond local manufacturing, encompassing products, services, and technology to achieve co-creation with customers.
Image | Full Landscape of Waters Material Science Localization Strategy; Source: Waters
This localized production strictly adheres to Waters’ global unified technical standards and quality management systems. Jiang Yunnan, Senior Director of Global Commercial Excellence and Marketing for Waters Material Science Division, stated that localization is a key strategic initiative for Waters. As an important part of the global market, China reflects the company’s long-term commitment through this decision. Regardless of whether equipment is produced in China or elsewhere, it follows the same global quality standards. Additionally, localization enhances customer value, as Waters will collaborate with customers on R&D to drive application innovation.
Image | Jiang Yunnan, Senior Director of Global Commercial Excellence and Marketing for Waters Material Science Division, delivers speech; Source: EEFOCUS
At the launch event, several industry experts and customer representatives shared their expectations for localization practices. Yuan Xuefeng, Chairman of the Rheology Committee of the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics under the Chinese Chemical Society, hoped that Waters would open API interfaces for rheology instruments to accelerate the evolution of rheology and called for more rheology instruments to become platformized, allowing hardware resources to be utilized more fully. Liu Fufang, Senior Director of SGS China Center Chemistry Laboratory, Material Reliability Laboratory, and R&D Department, expressed her desire for faster delivery cycles, hoping that supply and installation could be completed within weeks after localized production begins.
Image | Yuan Xuefeng, Chairman of the Rheology Committee of the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics under the Chinese Chemical Society, delivers speech; Source: Waters
During the technical analysis session, Li Yi, Director of Marketing and Applications for Waters Material Science Division in China, highlighted the core performance features of the first batch of localized equipment. She mentioned that products such as TMA and DMA 850 are widely applied in the electronics and semiconductor industry, and this year marks a peak demand period for related sectors.
Image | Li Yi, Director of Marketing and Applications for Waters Material Science Division in China, analyzes core technologies and performance of localized characterization instruments; Source: Waters
She further explained that driven by AI, high-performance computing, and NEVs, there has been a significant surge in demand for testing thermomechanical and dynamic mechanical properties in semiconductor packaging, advanced process nodes, and electronic material R&D. Customers are demanding higher precision, efficiency, and data reliability in testing.
To address these needs, the TMA series focuses on high resolution and wide temperature range capabilities in electronic and semiconductor material testing. It achieves displacement resolution up to 0.5 nm, covers a temperature range from -150°C to 1000°C, and supports heating rates up to 150°C/min, enabling precise capture of minor deformations and phase transition behaviors during thermal cycling. The DMA 850 focuses on precise control of force and deformation, with force accuracy down to 0.0001 N, displacement resolution of 0.1 nm, and maximum dynamic deformation of 25 mm. It also features stress-strain switching, stress relaxation, and time-temperature superposition functions, meeting viscoelastic characterization requirements for semiconductor packaging materials, substrates, and films under broad frequency and temperature conditions. These performance metrics directly correspond to the stringent requirements of the electronics and semiconductor industry for material thermal stability, interface reliability, and process consistency.
Wang Shuishun particularly emphasized that Waters leverages multi-dimensional material characterization technologies including thermal analysis, rheology, mechanical property testing, and microcalorimetry to support customers across various stages—from material discovery and formulation development to process optimization and quality control—serving industries such as advanced materials, electronics, energy, and pharmaceuticals.
With the continued advancement of localized production, Waters will further integrate its global technology platforms, strict quality standards, deep application expertise, and localized application and service support to better serve Chinese universities, research institutions, and customers across industries, helping accelerate material science research and industrial innovation in China.