Framingham, MA -- According to a recent report from Manufacturing Insights, the APEJ (Asia Pacific excluding Japan) manufacturing industry has been recovering and gaining momentum after the initial turnaround observed in 2004. APEJ manufacturing IT spending was valued at $15 billion in 2005 and is expected to reach $22 billion in 2010, a CAGR of 7.7%. The top three segments in terms of IT expenditure are high-tech, automotive and chemical. From a geographic perspective, the Greater China sub-region had the largest manufacturing IT spending, followed by ANZ and Korea.
"2005 has been a year plagued with external environmental uncertainties globally and notably in the Asian region, with high-profile events such as the repeated terrorists bombing in Bali; the Asian tsunamis and numerous other natural disasters across the region; the bird flu; rising oil price and ongoing geo-political tensions. Despite the above factors, the Asian region as a whole has continued its recovery and stabilization from the economic crises, which began in the late 1990s," says Tan Mang Teck, research director, Asia/Pacific manufacturing research. "The APEJ region will continue to be a fast growing regional economic block, powered by the emerging economic engines of China and India."
Sunnyvale, CA -- Palm admitted last week that it has stopped shipping its Treo 650 phone to Europe because the devices do not comply with the EU’s RoHS restrictions that fell into place on July 1. This was the only Palm smart phone available in Europe.
The company decided nine months ago that it would not update the product to meet the regulations, according to an IDC report published in Macworld.
STAMFORD, CT -- Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending will rocket to new heights this year before falling to earth in 2007, Gartner said in a new report. The research firm said equipment sales were on pace to jump 24.8% this year, to $42.3 billion.
However, the firm forecasts a 4.5% drop in 2007 and then a rebound in 2008.
SIDNEY, NY -- Flooding hit a Amphenol manufacturing site in upstate New York and the company says it will take $15 million to $30 million in expenses in its second quarter as a result.
According to various reports, several feet of water deluged the Sidney plant, a 600,000 sq. ft. facility which builds aerospace and industrial connectors. The plant employs about 1,500 workers and generates a reported $150 million to $200 million per year.
SAN JOSE, CA – X-line Asset Management, a provider of disposition and auction services, will conduct a second auction on behalf of Connor Winfield for the former assets of AG Communications in Genoa, IL, on July 10-12. The online liquidation includes over 200 pieces of SMT, PCB, and test and measurement equipment.
The company will also auction surplus equipment for Benchmark Electronics in Leicester, UK, on July 18. Highlighted items include 10 high-speed Siemens pick-and-place machines, three Genrad ICT testers and three DEK screen printers.
X-line is conducting this second sale in conjunction with the Branford Group and Bache Treharne.
Wellesley, MA -- The value of the worldwide conformal coatings market hit $800 million in 2005, according to a new reportfrom BCC Research. It is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2010, an average annual growth rate of 15.2%. Key markets include semiconductors/electronics, medical devices, aerospace and automotive.
Electronics use dominated the conformal coatings market in 2005 and will continue to do so through 2010, holding 46% of the market share and growing at an AAGR of 13.6%, BCC predicts. IC barriers will drive the semiconductor and electronics sectors. Conformal coatings also find frequent use in new device packing systems and high frequency wireless consumer electronics.
Conformal coatings are used in a range of electronics applications to provide a variety of distinctive performance characteristics to components and devices.