NEW YORK -- Plexus this morning raised its earnings guidance while reiterating fiscal fourth-quarter revenue forecast of $545 million to $575 million.The electronics contract assembler raised its EPS guidance by roughly $0.05 to $0.66 to $0.70 from prior guidance of $0.60 to $0.66.

SMYRNA, GA – CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY today announced the opening of its 2014 New Product Introduction Awards (NPI) for printed circuit board assembly.

WASHINGTON – The US Environmental Protection Agency has launched a web-based tool to improve access to chemical specific regulatory information developed by EPA and data submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act. "ChemView" displays key health and safety data in an online format that allows comparison of chemicals by use and by health or environmental effects.

SAN JOSE — Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings fell 27% from last year in the second quarter. Billings rose 3% sequentially to $7.55 billion, reported the SEMI trade group.

TAIPEI -- Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn, reported consolidated August sales rose 2.6% year-over-year to NT$280.4 billion ($9.44 billion). Sales were down from 6.6% July, however, the company said.

SAN JOSE, CA – A new study of trends in IC packaging says 0.5mm pitch will remain mainstream for years to come.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The total disk storage systems market in the second quarter generated $7.7 billion in revenue, down 5% year-over-year, and had a slight sequential decline, says the International Data Corp.

DETROIT -- SAE International will host a free telephone/webcast on Oct. 10 to clear up misunderstandings among users and to explain differences between the organization’s standards governing counterfeits.

LISLE, IL -- Koch Industries will buy Molex in a deal worth some $7.2 billion. Molex is best-known as a designer and manufacturer of various types of board connectors, and also builds flex circuits and PCB assemblies.

ROME, NY -- The ESD Association is sponsoring a symposium highlighting best practices for EOS/ESD management in the factory. The four-day event, which includes exhibits, takes place Oct. 28-Nov. 1 in Penang, Malaysia.

TEMPE, AZ -- Jabil will close its EMS facility here over the next nine to 12 months, and potentially lay off more than 730 employees.

CUPERTINO, CA -- Apple is investigating claims of worker abuses at a Jabil factory in China, the company acknowledged. The company is again in the headlines after a New York-based nongovernmental organization alleged that workers at Jabil's Green Point plant in Wuxi, China, maintain workloads well above the national limits, have been shorted millions of dollars in overtime pay, and have suffered other abuses.