Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

SEMI (semi.org) is organizing an export control seminar to take place in conjunction with SEMICON China on March 16 in Shanghai.

Speakers from government and industry will discuss export control requirements related to China and explore what exporters and Chinese customers need to do to meet these requirements and ensure export compliance.

For more information, contact Maggie Hershey: mhershey@semi.org.

SAN JOSE -- How will the far-reaching European Union's WEEE and RoHS Directive affect the semiconductor equipment industry? A new white paper by the International Compliance and Regulatory Committee tackles that question.

The paper is available from SEMI. Go to www.semi.org/ehs and click on "European Union's WEEE and RoHS Directives."

DANBURY, CT -- BPA Consulting Ltd. and Quantum Performance Group LLC will present executive briefings on next generation interconnect technology for high speed and miniaturized systems. The briefings will take place in Newport Beach and San Jose, and Boxborough, MA, the week of April 18.

Topics will include:

Next-generation systems: The demand and driving forces for innovative interconnects.
Worldwide high-speed interconnect technology, market trends, manufacturing challenges and opportunities.
Flexible and rigid-flexible circuits manufacturing, materials and trends.
The future structure and strategic implications for participants in the interconnect supply industries.
Asia - opportunity, threat or both?

Meetings are limited to 25 delegates to ensure a workshop-style environment. Presenters include: Mike Campbell, Dan Feinberg, Dr. Jim Hickman, Mark Hutton, Nicholas Pearne, Francesca Stern and Gene Weiner.

For further information contact Campbell at m.campbell@bpaconsulting.com or nextgenbriefing@quantumpg.com.

ATLANTA, GA — UP Media Group Inc. is seeking abstracts for PCB Design Conference East on Oct. 10 - 14, at The Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH. Sponsored by Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture and Circuits Assembly, PCB East (pcbeast.com) is a conference and exhibition for the design and manufacture of advanced circuits, PCBs and semiconductor packages.

The five-day conference is made up of a three-day Technical Conference (Tuesday - Thursday) that features short courses and papers, and two days (Monday and Friday) of Professional Development one-day and two-day courses. In addition to an exciting show floor of industry vendors, this year's show will feature free networking and special events.

Papers and/or presentations for the Technical Conference should be 30-minute paper sessions, one-hour lectures or panel sessions, two-hour workshops or panel sessions, or half-day (3.5 hour) seminars. Papers and/or presentations also are sought for a Professional Development Curriculum of one-day and two-day tutorials.

To be considered as a speaker/presenter, fill out the online submission form or send an email to Conference Chair Andy Shaughnessy: ashaughnessy@upmediagroup.com, by March 4.

Papers and presentations might cover the following topics:

- High speed, high frequency and signal integrity

- Lead-free processes and their effect on PCB design

- Impedance and crosstalk control

- EMI/EMC analysis

- Embedded passives and active devices

- Thermal analysis

- RF and microwave

- Packaging and components

- Area arrays

- FPGA design and implementation

- Flexible circuitry

- HDI design and technologies

- PCB design/layout techniques

- Component library creation and management

- Design for manufacture, test and assembly

- Design (including analog, digital and power supplies)

- PCB fabrication

- Soldering

- Surface finishes

- Industry forecasts

- Business and design/supply chain issues

OYSTER BAY, NY - Anti-terrorism efforts may give electronics a boost as U.S. Customs aim to speed processing of incoming shipments. That could give RFID an edge in the battle for the electronic container tracking market.

Customs recently gave indications it will grant shippers meeting security guidelines expedited processing at U.S. ports. According to a new study by research firm ABI Research, continuing government programs will be the main impetus for electronic container tracking.

CBP is taking C-TPAT a step further by adding another tier of security, dubbed "C-TPAT Plus." This new program offers shippers immediate turnaround with no inspection upon arrival, in exchange for implementing more stringent requirements. These new requirements include technologies that can monitor tampering from the point of origin and provide inspectors with a record of events.

SPOKANE, WA, Jan. 31 -- Key Tronic Corp., a provider of electronic manufacturing services, today reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $51.2 million, up 57% from a year ago and 5% sequentially.

For the quarter ended Jan. 1, the company had net income of $490,000, reversing a net loss of $287,000 last year. Net income was $266,000 last quarter.

First-sales are up 49% from 2004, while net income ($756,000) is up more than $1 million.

"We are pleased with our continued revenue and earnings growth in the second quarter," said Jack Oehlke, president and chief executive, in a statement. "Our growth was primarily driven by increased production on programs for established customers involving gaming technology and specialty printer accessories and components. During the quarter, we added to our printed circuit board capacity to address the needs of those customers."

Key Tronic expects third-quarter revenues to be flat to down 5% from the second quarter. New programs from consumer and medical technology customers that begin later this year should boost revenues, the firm said.

"We anticipate that our performance in the second half of fiscal 2005 will be roughly comparable to the first half," Oehlke said.