STAMFORD, CT – Gartner this week raised its worldwide semiconductor capital spending projection for 2016, but warned of possible lower production longer-term.
 
The research firm now expects spending to decline 0.7% in 2016 to $64.3 billion. That's up from the estimated 2% decline in Gartner's previous quarterly forecast.

ANGLETON, TX -- Benchmark Electronics today announced second quarter net income fell 38% on a 13% drop in sales.

CONKLIN, NY – Universal Instruments appointed Jeff Knight as general manager of the Advanced Process Lab (APL) and Advanced Technology Assembly Services (ATAS).

NEENAH, WI – Plexus reported fiscal third quarter revenue ended July 2 of $667.6 million, down 0.3% year-over-year and up 7.9% sequentially.

OOSTERHOUT, THE NETHERLANDS – Vitronics Soltec shipped its last mySelective 6748 soldering machine.

GLENVIEW, IL -- Illinois Tool Works today reported second quarter revenue at its Test & Measurement/Electronics unit grew 3% from a year ago to $507 million.

OYSTER BAY, NY -- The installed base of active wireless connected devices will top 47 billion by 2021, more than double the current level.

WASHINGTON -- By challenging the technology community to integrate the collective functions hosted by an entire PCB onto a device approaching the size of a single chip, DARPA’s newest program is making a bid to usher in a fresh dimension of technology miniaturization.

SOUTH NORWALK, CT -- Cable and connector firm Winchester Electronics has been acquired by private equity firm Snow Phipps for an undisclosed sum.

JASPER, IN – Kimball Electronics has acquired the assets of Indianapolis-based contract manufacturer Aircom Manufacturing for an undisclosed sum.  

AUSTIN, TX – Fan-out wafer level packaging (FO-WLP) continues to show growth momentum, says TechSearch, with multiple parts found in Samsung’s Galaxy phones and many packages expected in Apple’s next iPhone. Companies are researching large area panel processing as a result of constant pressure to lower cost.

PORTLAND, OR – The 2016 Medical Electronics Symposium will be held Sept. 14-15 at Marylhurst University.