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BROMONT, CANADA – The US Patent & Trade Office has issued Cogiscan a second patent for its automated manufacturing control system.

The system uses a combination of barcode and RFID to track, trace and control materials on the production floor.

The latest patent addresses the monitoring and controlling of several stages of the manufacturing process, including the input of materials or components, the assembly action and the discharge of assembled output materials or components.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC is accepting nominations for several open two-year terms on its board of directors.

Per the trade group’s bylaws, IPC’s board may include between seven and 14 elected members, plus five officers. Seven current members have indicated interest in serving another term. If all are reelected, up to three more individuals may be elected for open positions.

Consideration will be given to nominees’ business and professional experience, perspective and previous contributions to the association and the board.

Submissions must be received by Feb. 5. The slate of nominees will be announced later in February.

The final vote by IPC membership will take place April 1 at Apex in Las Vegas.

To complete a nomination form, visit www.ipc.org/BoardNom.

OAK BROOK, IL – The SIA will sponsor a free Jan. 22 Webcast to discuss the latest revisions to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors.

Alan Allan, Intel external programs staff engineer and roadmap committee member, will explain the important changes and additions, including discussion of “More than Moore,” reasons for the changes, and roadmap interpretation.

To register, visit www.semiconductor.net/webcasts.

ORLANDO – The SMTA issued its final request for abstracts for SMTA International, taking place Aug. 17-21 in Orlando.

The deadline for abstracts is Jan. 7. (Short extension available upon request.) Abstracts will be accepted by March 3, and manuscripts are due June 1.

Papers should describe significant results from experiments, emphasize new techniques, and contain technical, economic or appropriate test data. Material should be original, unpublished and noncommercial.

Papers are being solicited in the following categories: evolving technologies/hot topics; components; assembly; PCB technology; process control, and business.

Participation includes discounted conference registration. $1,000 cash awards will be offered for the best of conference paper, best of proceedings paper, and best international paper.

Submit abstracts at www.smta.org/smtai/call_for_papers.cfm.

TAIPEI -- Quanta Computer, the largest contract assembler of PCs, plans to begin building notebook PCs in Vietnam, with production scheduled to start in the second half of this year.

HONG KONG – EMS provider Nam Tai Electronics Inc. announced the completion of the Nam Tai Group Structure reorganization involving its Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed subsidiaries: Nam Tai Electronic & Electrical Products Ltd. and J.I.C. Technology Co. Ltd.

SAN JOSE – Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $23.1 billion in November, an increase of 2.3% year-over-year, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported.

SHANGHAI – Fixed investment in China's electronics and information industry rose 29% year-over-year to reach $32.8 billion in the first 11 months of 2007, according to figures released by China's Ministry of Information Industry.

TEMPE, AZ – Manufacturing slowed in December, with the PMI dropping 3.1 percentage points to 47.7%, says the Institute for Supply Management. New orders decreased to 45.7%, down 6.9 points, while production dropped 4.6 points to 47.3%.

Inventories were down slightly to 4.5%, a decrease of 1.4 points, and customer inventories were up 2.5 points in December, to 51.5%. Order backlogs were also up, reaching 43%, an increase of 1.5 points.

“The manufacturing sector failed to grow in December ending 10 consecutive months of growth. The recent trend has been toward slower growth. However, December was apparently a very tough month as new orders, production and employment were all below the breakeven mark of 50%. Industries close to the housing market appear to be struggling more than others, and those involved in exports seem to be doing better. Slower demand appears to be more of a problem than excessive inventories based on the respondents' comments,” said ISM spokesman Norbert J. Ore.

The overall economy grew for the 74th consecutive month, says ISM.

YANTAI, CHINA -- Foxconn this week claimed a fire on its Yantai PWB campus has not disrupted production.

However, a Commercial Times report claimed the fire destroyed more than one-third of the Yantai plant's capacity, a reported monthly output of 2.6 million sq. ft.

ARLINGTON, VA -- The Government Electronics and Information Technology Association is publishing three industry consensus documents to help aerospace, defense and other electronics segments comply with the EU RoHS and WEEE Directives.

Although aerospace and defense products are expected to be either out of scope or exempt from the directives, the aerospace and defense industries will be swept along as the larger global electronics industry transitions to lead-free products, according to GEIA.