[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon] The fittings and valves sector is once again drawing attention as the growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and expanded semiconductor investment lead to increased investment in manufacturing equipment and infrastructure. This is because fittings and valves—which control the flow of gases, liquids, and refrigerants—are essential components in large-scale industrial facilities such as semiconductor factories, AI data centers, LNG terminals, and industrial plants.

According to industry sources on the 18th, the market for related equipment continues to grow as global Big Tech companies simultaneously expand investments in AI data centers, increase semiconductor production capacity, and build LNG infrastructure. As the scale of these facilities increases, the importance of piping, valves, and fittings grows, leading to heightened interest in related companies.

The fittings and valves industry is segmented by application area. Representative examples include precision fittings and valves for ultra-high-purity gases used in semiconductor processes; products for large-diameter piping used in shipbuilding, offshore plants, and LNG facilities; valves for refrigeration and air conditioning systems and fittings for refrigerant piping; and valves for city gas and industrial gases.

South Korea is also home to companies specializing in various industries. In the semiconductor sector, manufacturers of precision valves and fittings used in ultra-high-purity gas supply systems are attracting particular attention. Since semiconductor manufacturing processes do not tolerate even trace amounts of impurities, they require a higher level of precision and cleanliness than general industrial products.

Among these, #Essentec is a company specializing in brass-based valves and fittings, primarily producing LPG and CNG valves, valves for gas cylinders, valves for refrigeration and air conditioning systems, and fittings for refrigerant piping. While E-Sen Tech’s product lineup differs from that of companies specializing in ultra-high-purity gas fittings for semiconductor processes, it is viewed as aligning with industry trends, given that increased investment in AI is driving the expansion of data centers and industrial facilities across the board.

In the data center market, in particular, the importance of cooling and HVAC infrastructure is growing alongside that of the servers themselves. This is because, as heat dissipation issues with high-performance AI servers come to the fore, cooling efficiency is emerging as a key factor in data center operational competitiveness.

Although E-Sen Tech does not directly manufacture liquid immersion cooling systems for data centers, it offers a range of products—including valves for refrigeration and air conditioning systems and fittings for refrigerant piping—that connect to cooling and HVAC equipment. The company’s “SB1” weldless refrigerant piping fitting was developed to connect copper pipes for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems without welding and is used in the refrigeration and HVAC equipment sector.

#Seongkwang Bend and #Taekwang, companies specializing in piping fittings, primarily produce fittings used in LNG plants, petrochemical facilities, and power generation equipment. They are cited as key beneficiaries when global LNG projects and plant orders in the Middle East expand.

In the field of instrumentation fittings and valves, companies such as #DK Lock, #BMT, and #Hansun Engineering are expanding their businesses in the semiconductor, petrochemical, and plant equipment markets. These companies supply precision fluid control components required for semiconductor processes and industrial facilities. In the valve sector, #Hwaseong Valve is establishing a strong foothold in the city gas and industrial valve markets.

Driven by these expectations, stock prices have also been on a steady upward trend. Based on the previous trading day’s closing prices, the average year-to-date return for these stocks stands at 36.10%. Hansun Engineering surged 94.57%, while Taekwang and BMT rose 61.81% and 45.08%, respectively, over the same period. Sungkwang Bend also climbed nearly 35%.

Industry experts anticipate that interest in the fittings and valves sector as a whole will increase if expanded investment in AI data centers, the construction of LNG infrastructure, and the expansion of semiconductor production facilities proceed simultaneously in the future.

An industry official stated, “The fittings and valves industry is a foundational sector used across a wide range of industries, including semiconductors, LNG, shipbuilding, plant construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, and gas infrastructure,” adding, “While each company’s core market differs, business opportunities for related firms could expand as global capital investment continues to grow.”