Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - New Products

News

Jersey City, NJ -- Cookson Electronics has opened its advanced Technical Service Center and warehouse facility in the Zhong Dian Lu Ke Industrial Park in Shanghai. The $3 million facility will house more than 60 employees.

The 1,500 sq. meter facility will be the company's base in China, providing local-language technical support from the Cookson's three electronics companies (the Assembly Materials Group, Enthone and Polyclad) to fabricators and assemblers of PCBs, and assemblers of semiconductor packaging.

North Kingstown, RI - Manz Automation AG has moved its manufacturing and engineering operations to an expanded facility in Reutlingen, Germany. The 65,000 sq. ft. facility provides increased production and administrative capabilities and houses the existing 120 employees with room for an additional 80 people.

"This expansion is in direct response to our dynamic growth and success in the marketplace," said Dieter Manz, president. "The new facility, together with the anticipated hiring of 20 additional engineers, provides us with sufficient capacity for future expansion and represents our commitment to serve our worldwide customers."

The building is environmentally friendly, with a roof-mounted solar power system that generates about one-third of the facility's annual electricity requirements.

Manz Automation AG is a supplier of automated odd-form assembly equipment to the electronics industry.

POMONA, CA -- Everett Charles Technologies (ECT) has named Patrick T. Flynn president. Previously president of ECT's Capital Equipment and Services Group and Semiconductor Test Group, Flynn succeeds David R. Van Loan, who was recently appointed president of Dover Technologies, ECT's parent company. Van Loan will remain the CEO of ECT during his transition to DTI.

Since joining ECT in 2000, Flynn has been instrumental in the development of several new products and spearheaded ECT's expansion into China when he established wholly owned operations in Suzhou and Shenzhen.

ECT is a manufacturer of electrical test products and services, including semiconductor test products, bare-board automatic test systems, Pogo test contacts, and bare and loaded PCB test fixtures and programs.

NEW TRIPOLI, PA -- While IC demand will grow 32% in 2005 to $45 billion, internal IC production will reach only $9 billion despite ongoing massive semiconductor fab construction.

According to a report by The Information Network (theinformationnet.com), China's IC industry is expanding rapidly. In 2005, China will produce 22 billion ICs, which will account for only 20% of domestic demand. Most high-end products used in computers and mobile phones must be imported.

White Plains, NY -- Nortel and IBM have signed an agreement designed to support customized products across a range of market segments. As the first step in this relationship, the companies will establish a Joint Development,Center in Research Triangle Park, NC, to collaborate on the design and development of new products and services.

Nortel expects to utilize IBM engineering and technical services for a number of projects, aimed at broadening Nortel end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications and wireless broadband offerings.

PALO ALTO, CA -- Inventory throughout the supply chain decreased in the first quarter of 2005, albeit not as fast as sales/COGS, resulting in a moderate decrease in inventory velocity.

Deutsche Bank analysts believe communications OEMs will likely work inventory levels lower in 2Q and 3Q in the face of only moderate end market demand (negatively impacting near-term EMS demand).