TOKYO – Worldwide sales of new semiconductor manufacturing equipment are projected to increase 9.7% to $62.1 billion in 2018, a new record. The equipment market is expected to contract 4% percent in 2019 but grow 20.7% to reach $71.9 billion in 2020, an all-time high, says SEMI.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Worldwide enterprise storage systems vendor revenue increased 19.4% year-over-year to $14 billion during the third quarter, says International Data Corp. Total capacity shipments were up 57.3% year-over-year to 113.9EB.

WESTLAKE, OHIO – Nordson reported fiscal fourth quarter sales were $569 million, down 1% year-over-year. For the quarter ended Oct. 31, net income was $87 million, up 8.8% compared to the same period last year. Operating profit was $115 million, a decrease of 8% year-over-year.

HAMPSHIRE, UK – An estimated 417 million hearables will be in use by 2022, says Juniper Research, including fitness-focused devices, hearing augmentation and audio-focused devices.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – SigmaTron International reported fiscal second quarter revenues of $77 million, up 5.5% year-over-year.

SCHAUMBURG, IL -- After a near-miss last year, Sparton has found a suitor.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The combined augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) headset market grew 9.4% year-over-year in the third quarter, according to International Data Corp.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Worldwide spending on robotics systems and drones will total $115.7 billion in 2019, up 17.6% over 2018, says International Data Corp. By 2022, IDC expects this spending will reach $210.3 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 20.2%.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Unit shipments for the global personal computing devices market, comprised of traditional PCs (made up of desktops, notebooks and workstations) and tablets, are expected to decline 3.9% in 2018, according to IDC. The contraction is expected to continue throughout the forecast period as shipments slide to 378.3 million units in 2022, a compound annual growth rate of -1.8%.

BATAM ISLAND, INDONESIA – Pegatron plans to shift production of non-iPhone products affected by US tariffs on Chinese exports to a facility here within the next six months, according to reports. The move is expected to begin this month.

MORRISVILLE, NC – iNEMI is hosting webinars on its Reuse and Recycling Metrics Project, Phase 2, on Jan. 23 and 24.

MILPITAS, CA – Third quarter worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings were up 11% year-over-year and down 5% sequentially to $15.8 billion, says SEMI.