Driven by increased investment across the UK and Ireland manufacturing sector in 2026, Altus recorded its strongest sales to date. The company broke through the 10 machine a quarter milestone, having sold 11 Koh Young inspection systems in a single quarter for the first time in its history. This total includes seven automated optical inspection (AOI) systems and four solder paste inspection (SPI) systems, marking a significant increase in demand compared to previous periods.
Joe Booth, Altus Group CEO commented: “What a fantastic milestone to have achieved! Over our history, Koh Young has been a strong partner for us, and we have maintained a leading position in the inspection market across the UK and Ireland.”
“We never take that position for granted, particularly in a market where many suppliers claim to offer the best solution,” Booth continued. “Our approach is to demonstrate the technical differences in practice, using real customer examples to show how measurement-based inspection and data utilization deliver value. For the most demanding applications, our experience continues to show there is no alternative. This performance reflects that approach, with a significant number of new users joining our customer base following competitive evaluations. I am looking forward to celebrating with the team.”
Of the 11 systems sold during the quarter, 10 were installed with first-time Koh Young users, following competitive benchmarking against alternative solutions, underlining growing recognition of measurement-based inspection and data-driven process optimization.
Globally, Koh Young Technology has established a strong position in the SMT inspection market. In the UK and Ireland, the long-standing partnership with Altus has contributed to an estimated 75% market share, supported by a strong installed base and continued focus on demonstrating measurable production benefits.
Michael Zahn, Koh Young Europe Sales Manager, commented: “We are really delighted with the performance in the UK and Ireland through our partner Altus. They operate in a fiercely competitive market that requires significant pre-sales effort to secure orders. However, they consistently demonstrate the benefits of selecting advanced inspection technology, even where lower-cost alternatives are present.”
Zahn continued: “The level of business and the number of new customers acquired is unprecedented and continues to expand our market share, with the UK and Ireland delivering an exceptionally strong performance compared to other European territories. The UK & Ireland is a top three performing region!”
Altus expects the current momentum to continue, with a strong pipeline of projects already in progress for 2026 as manufacturers across OEM and EMS sectors invest in advanced inspection technologies to support process control, traceability and production optimization.
