Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

MARLBOROUGH, MA -- Ekra America today announced the printer maker's best six-month and rolling 12-month revenues in company history. EKRA also reported shipping its 500th machine in the Americas

SAN JOSE -- Worldwide sales of semiconductors totaled $19.6 billion in June, up over 9% from a year ago, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported today.

Second quarter sales were $58.9 billion,

WASHINGTON – New orders for manufactured goods in June, up four of the last five months, rose 1.2% to $406 billion, the highest level in the 14 years U.S. Census Bureau has tracked the data.

Shipments, down two of the last three months,

CAMBRIDGE, UK -- The number of companies offering Real Time Locating Systems has tripled in the past year. While in the past RTLS equipment has consisted of either very short range systems or complex, multiple antenna, multiple beam long-range RFID, new portability and affordability is sharply increasing its use. RTLS is now forecast to become a $2.71 billion business in 2016, according to a report from analysts IDTechEx.

RTLS are electronic systems that are intended to locate small electronic devices on people or things at any time. They are used in everything from hospitals to personal security to supply chains tracking.

SAN JOSE – SEMI (semi.org) has formed a working group of member company volunteers to provide expertise and guidance on intellectual property issues. Most of the activities are centered on education and government relations.

The group recently commissioned a best practices paper on IP protection. The paper,

NISKAYUNA, NY -- Binghamton University’s Integrated Electronics Engineering center (IEEC) and General Electric’s Global Research Center (GRC) have established an annual research symposium on National Trends in Small Scale Systems and Microelectronics Packaging. This year’s symposium will take place at the GE GRC facility in Niskayuna, NY, on Oct. 23-24.

It will offer information about promising new technologies and developments that are now impacting the electronics industry. Participants will receive overviews and research reports on a range of emerging technologies including: Nano Materials for Electronics, Flexible Electronics, NEMS/MEMS Developments, Optoelectronics, Sensors, Thermal Management, Sensor Packaging Integration, EcoElectronics - Lead Free Developments, BioElectronics, and Green Materials.

Approximately 150 participants, including development engineers and technical managers from major electronics companies and researchers from universities and government laboratories, will attend. Keynote presentations will provide an overview of recent developments in several areas vital to small scale systems and microelectronics packaging.

For the full program, visit: wtsn.binghamton.edu/coned/EP06Main.htm