根据市场研究公司IHS iSuppli，在过去几个星期在泰国的大面积洪水泛滥，可能导致硬盘驱动器（HDD）在第四季度到2012年发生全球范围内的供应短缺。
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IHS公司在泰国水灾之前的预测是，第四季度硬盘驱动器产量为176.2万个，占2011年总产量的25.9％。 IHS公司表示，他们可能会调低其第四季度的产量预测，以降级灾害的影响。
IHS称，世界上25%的硬盘是在泰国组装的。
IHS表示，西部数据（WD）和东芝已暂时停止在泰国的硬盘生产，此举影响了全球硬盘驱动器制造。这两家公司在曼谷附近的巴吞他尼省（Pathum Thani）有硬盘组装工厂。
WD在数量上是世界上最大的硬盘制造商，在泰国有37000名工人，在该国的产量占公司的总产量的60％。WD在第二季度生产了5380万个硬盘驱动器，占全球市场的32％。
东芝在泰国雇用了约3,900工人，公司约50％的硬盘制造产能在泰国内。在第二季度，东芝是位居第4的硬盘驱动器供应商，出货量17.8万片，市场份额为10.6％。
排名第二的硬盘供应商希??捷在泰国Teparuk有磁头和磁头万向节装配
（HGA）工厂。该公司还在泰国 Korat有滑块，磁头组件和HGA的工厂。然而，两个地方都在遭受洪灾。
IHS表示，在过去两个月中，洪水席卷泰国，导致了硬盘的一个关键组件：马达供货受影响。日本电产公司供应全球超过70％的机电马达，全球几乎所有主要硬盘制造商的马达都来自他，包括WDC，希捷，日立，东芝和三星。日本电产在泰国有两家子公司：电产电子（Nidec Electronics）和电产精密（Nidec Precision），位于泰国西北的大城府（Ayutthaya）。
由于洪水和电力的损耗，制造商Hutchinson Technology也暂停其在大城府的硬盘组装厂。Hutchins说，它计划增加其在美国的组装业务产量，并将使用现有的库存，以满足客户的需求。
编译：Luffy Liu
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
参考英文原文：Thai flooding could disrupt supply of HDDs，by Dylan McGrath
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Thai flooding could disrupt supply of HDDs
Dylan McGrath
SAN FRANCISCO—The massive flooding in Thailand over the past few weeks could potentially lead to a shortage of hard disk drive (HDD) supplies in the fourth quarter and into 2012, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.
IHS' forecast, developed before the Thai floods, calls for production of 176.2 million hard drives during the fourth quarter, representing 25.9 percent of annual manufacturing in 2011. IHS said it woul likely downgrade its fourth-quarter production forecast in light of the impact of the disaster.
According to IHS, 25 percent of the world's HDDs are assembled in Thailand.
Western Digital Corp. (WD) and Toshiba Corp. have temporarily halted production of HDDs in Thailand, impacting a major portion of global hard drive manufacturing, IHS said. The companies operate HDD assembly facilities in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok.
WD, the world’s largest HDD manufacturer in terms of volume, has 37,000 workers in Thailand, and production in the country accounts for 60 percent of the company’s total capacity, IHS said. WDC in the second quarter made 53.8 million HDDs, giving it a 32 percent share of the global market, according to IHS.
Toshiba employs about 3,900 workers in Thailand, and approximately 50 percent of the company’s manufacturing capacity is in the country, according to IHS. In the second quarter, Toshiba was the No. 4-ranked HDD supplier, with 17.8 million units and a 10.6 percent share, according to IHS.
No. 2 HDD supplier Seagate has a head stack and head gimbal assembly (HGA) facility in Teparuk, Thailand, IHS said. The company also conducts slider, head assembly and HGA operations in Korat, Thailand. However, both facilities have remained operational following the disaster.
The floods, which have swept the country in the last two months, may have affected operations for the supplier of a key HDD component—the motor, IHS said. Nidec Corp. supplies more than 70 percent of all global HDD motors, and all the major HDD manufacturers—including WDC, Seagate, Hitachi GST, Toshiba and Samsung—source motors from the company, according to IHS. Nidec has two subsidiaries in the Thailand: Nidec Electronics and Nidec Precision, both located in Ayutthaya, northwest Thailand.
Hard disk drive suspension assembly maker Hutchinson Technology also temporarily suspended operations at its facilities in Ayutthaya due to the flooding and a loss of power. Hutchins said it plans to increase production output at its U.S. assembly operations and will use existing inventory to meet customer demand, IHS said.
