TEDDINGTON, UK – NPL’s electronic interconnection group will present eight free one-hour technical webinars over the coming months.

The webinars focus on test methods used to monitor or help evaluate possible failure modes in electronic assemblies. 

The webinar schedule is as follows: Tin Whiskers Evaluation Techniques & Benefits of Conformal Coating, June 22; X-Ray Fluorescence Testing Results with Laboratory & Handheld Systems, Sept. 8; Solderability Assessment – Testing, Aging & Practical Impact on Assembly Yield, Oct. 11; How to Test & Qualify Packages with Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM), Oct. 27; Using Surface Insulation Resistance (SIR) to Qualify Production Processes & Materials, Nov. 8; Cleanliness Assessment Using Solvent Extract & Ionic Extraction to Improve Reliability, Nov. 24; Characterization of Solder Joints, Test Methods & Typical Failure Modes, Jan. 24; Using Mechanical Testing to Diagnose Design, Product & Process Failures, Feb. 21. 

To register, visit http://www.npl.co.uk/ei.   

The group will also host a European technical seminar at its facility in Teddington, UK, on Oct. 29.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai) reported fourth-quarter consolidated net profits of NT$21.5 billion ($750.7 million) on revenues of NT$952.1 billion ($33.2 billion).

BILLINGSTAD, NORWAY -- Top 50 EMS firm Kitron reported first-quarter sales of NOK 429.8 million ($81.5 million), up 4.5% over last year.

SAN JOSE – Flextronics today reported fourth-quarter net sales of $6.9 billion, up 15% year-over-year.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC said North American printed circuit board shipments were up 5.4% year-over-year in March. Orders decreased 9.9% compared to the same month in 2010.

Year to date, circuit board shipments were up 6.9%, while orders were down 7.1%. Sequentially, shipments increased 14.9%, and orders were up 21.9%.

The book-to-bill ratio in March held steady at 0.95. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.

Rigid circuit board shipments were up 5.1%, while orders decreased 10.1% year-over-year.

Year to date, rigid board shipments were up 6.7%, and orders declined 8.5%. Sequentially, shipments increased 14.9%, and orders increased 26%.

The March rigid book-to-bill ratio remained at 0.94.

Flex circuit board shipments for the month were up 9.1%, and orders declined 7.4% compared to March 2010.

Year to date, flex shipments increased 9.3%, while orders were up 9.6%. Sequentially, flex shipments increased 15%, and orders fell 13.2%.

The flex book-to-bill moderated to 1.04.

“North American PCB sales in March were strong, following normal seasonal patterns, and sales of both rigid PCBs and flexible circuits are still ahead of last year,” said IPC president and CEO Denny McGuirk. “Stronger sales than orders is the dynamic keeping the book-to-bill ratio holding slightly below parity, which indicates slowing growth over the next quarter.”

Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 89% of the current industry in North America, says IPC. In March, 83% of total shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 83% of rigid PCB and 85% of flexible circuit shipments.

HAWTHORNE, CA -- OSI Systems today reported fiscal third-quarter electronics manufacturing operating income jumped 138% on a 25% hike in sales.

ELKHART, IN -- CTS Corp. reported first-quarter EMS sales rose 42% from last year to $79.5 million on broad-based market strength.

STONY BROOK, NY -- Applied DNA Sciences and a US government agency have launched a pilot program to show the logistic facility of DNA marking to block counterfeit microchips in mission-critical government supply chains.

MINNEAPOLIS – CyberOptics Corp. today reported first-quarter net income of $846,000, up 243% year-over-year.

Consolidated sales were $13.4 million, up 8% compared to the same quarter of 2010, at the upper end of the previously reported guidance.

Order backlogs increased 48% sequentially to $10.6 million. The majority is scheduled to ship in the second and third quarters.

During the quarter, the maker of AOI and SPI systems for electronics assembly inspection benefited from a 19% year-over-year increase in sensors, including solar wafer alignment cameras. (CyberOptics sells sensors to a range of OEMs, including Juki, Viscom and DEK.) Sales of semiconductor products rose 60%.

“The shift in our sales mix toward newer sensor and system products had a highly favorable impact on our gross margin, which rose to 49% from 43% in last year’s first quarter,” said CEO Kathleen P. Iverson.

For the second quarter of 2011, the firm forecasts sales of $16 million to $17 million. Full-year sales are expected to be $60 million to $65 million.

SAN JOSE – Sanmina-SCI Corp. today reported second-quarter fiscal 2011 net income of $13 million, up 30% year-over-year.

MINNEAPOLIS – HEI reported first-quarter sales of $9.7 million, up 2.1% year-over-year.
 
The company generated net income of $186,000 for the period, compared to net income of $293,000 for the same quarter of 2010. 

HEI designs, develops and manufactures ultra-miniature microelectronics, substrates, systems, connectivity and software solutions for the medical, hearing, telecommunications, military, aerospace, and industrial markets. 

LAS VEGAS – IPC said attendance for Apex Expo 2011 was up 8% over last year with 7,208 total participants.

The number of attendees at the educational programs and exhibition grew an additional 5% over 2010, to 3,887, says IPC. Twenty percent more of these attendees participated in the technical conference and/or professional development courses.

The US show saw a sizable increase in international attendance, representing 52 countries and nearly 20% of all attendees.

Exhibitors numbered 366, up 10% over 2010.

Next year, IPC Apex Expo will take place in San Diego, Feb. 28 to Mar. 1.