SANTA CLARA, CA -- The annual PCB West trade show opened today at the Santa Clara Convention Center, with expectations high for another year of greater attendance.

MESA, AZ -- Jack McCullen, one of the primary drivers behind industry standards for electronics component handling, passed away last night.

EVANSVILLE, IN -- Haier America announced plans today to open a product research and development center here, creating 50 new high-wage jobs by 2015.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Worldwide phablet shipments will reach 175 million units worldwide in 2014, passing the 170 million portable PCs expected to ship during the same period, according to a new forecast from IDC. 

ROLLING MEADOWS, IL — BEST Inc. is taking a novel approach to the paucity of good electronics manufacturing operators:

TOKYO --  Hitachi High-Technologies will sell the sales operations of its electronic component placement business to Yamaha Motor Co. and close its equipment development subsidiary, the company's board has decided. The firm cited lagging sales for its decision to exit the business.

ROLLING MEADOWS, ILL – BEST is offering one-hour webinars to discuss changes in the recently released revisions to the industry's two primary soldering and assembly acceptance standards.

SHANXI, CHINA – Foxconn will invest $814 million into its northern China factories to aid in the production of electric vehicles, according to reports.

WASHINGTON – Worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $28.1 billion in July, the industry’s highest-ever monthly sales total, said the Semiconductor Industry Association. Global sales for the month were up 2.4% sequentially and up 9.9% year-over-year, the trade group added.

WESTLAKE, OH — Nordson has acquired Dima Group, manufacturer of conformal coating, dispensing and surface mount technology equipment for the global electronics assembly market.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC has released the F revisions of IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, and IPC-A-610, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies.

HOUSTON -- Foxconn is auctioning all equipment from its site here, which closed earlier this year.