BANGKOK -- Plexus this week broke ground on a new 400,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility here, which the EMS company expects to be complete in the fiscal third quarter of 2022.

TOKYO – Toppan Printing has developed a flexible thin-film transistor that reportedly withstands a million bending cycles to a 1mm radius of curvature and demonstrates advantages for practical application, such as an on/off current ratio of at least 107 with carrier mobility of 10cm2/Vs or more.

IRVINE, CA – TopLine has been granted a US patent for lead-free solder columns for column grid array substrates.

TAIPEI – Pegatron expects to complete expansions in Vietnam and India in the second half of 2021 and begin an expansion at a North American plant this year, say reports.

NEEDHAM, MA – Worldwide shipments of smart home devices reached 801.5 million units in 2020, an increase of 4.5% over 2019, according to International Data Corp. Shipments are forecast to surpass 1.4 billion in 2025, with a five-year CAGR of 12.2%, as consumers seek additional conveniences brought about by home automation products and ambient computing through smart speakers and other products continues to rise.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — North American electronics manufacturing orders in February rose 21.5% year-over-year and 16.7% sequentially.

TURGI, SWITZERLAND – Enics Schweiz is in talks to transfer a majority of its production at its site here to other manufacturing locations, according to reports.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American printed circuit board shipments in February were up 6.1% year-over-year and 3.9% sequentially, says IPC.

ATLANTA – The California Office of Health Hazard Assessment has proposed amendments to Proposition 65 regulations that would change labeling requirements for consumer products sold in the state. These changes threaten to disrupt manufacturing supply chains nationwide, says ECIA.

BEDLINGTON, UK – TT Electronics invested £1.6 million (US$2.2 million) to expand its component manufacturing facility here.

SODUS, NY – Pace Electronics is relocating to a $4 million 55,000 sq. ft. electronics manufacturing plant in Wayne County, NY, according to reports. The expansion is expected to create 15 new jobs, in addition to 28 already in place.

MILPITAS, CA — North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $3.14 billion in billings worldwide in February, up 32% year-over-year and 3.2% sequentially, logging a record high for the second consecutive month, according to SEMI.