DALLAS -- The 3D IC market is expected to reach $6.55 billion by 2016, a five-year CAGR of 16.9%, says a new report.

ST. LOUIS -- Viasystems Group has agreed to buy DDi Corp. for $268 million in cash, a deal that will vault the printed circuit board company into the Top 10 in the industry.

ORADEA, ROMANIA -- As previously reported by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, Plexus will invest $40 million to build a 280,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility here.

SAN DIEGO – IPC requests 300-word abstracts for the 2013 Apex Expo to be held Feb. 19–21 and professional development courses Feb. 17-18 and Feb. 21.

Awards will be presented for the Best US Paper and the Best International Paper.

Expert presentations are being sought on all relevant design, PCB fabrication and electronics manufacturing topics. Submissions dealing with Pb-free processing, repair and reliability, high-speed PCB laminates, and new research in growing areas such as green technology and printed electronics are encouraged.

Abstracts summarizing original and previously unpublished work must be submitted by May 4.

Submissions should describe significant results from experiments, emphasize new techniques, discuss trends of interest, and contain a summary of technical and/or appropriate test results.

Course proposals are solicited from individuals interested in presenting half-day professional development courses on printed board design and manufacturing, as well as electronics assembly processes and materials.

Technical conference paper abstracts and course proposals are also due May 4.

To submit an abstract or proposal, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/CFP. For more information, contact GregMunie@ipc.org or ToyaRichardson@ipc.org.

For more information about half-day PD courses, contact AnneMarieMulvihill@ipc.org. 

TEMPE, AZ – US manufacturing activity expanded in March for the 32nd consecutive month, says the Institute for Supply Management.

The PMI was up 1 percentage point to 53.4%, and new orders were down 0.4 percentage point to 54.5%. Production grew 3 percentage points to 58.3%, while Inventories reached 50%, up 0.5 percentage point. Customer inventories fell 1.5 points to 44.5%, and backlogs were up 50 basis points to 52.5%. Employment increased 2.9 percentage points to 56.1%.

“The PMI registered 53.4%, indicating expansion in the manufacturing sector for the 32nd consecutive month. Of the 18 industries included in the survey, 15 are experiencing overall growth. Comments from the panel remain positive, with several respondents citing increased sales and demand for the next few months,” said Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of ISM.

The overall economy grew for the 34th consecutive month, the firm says.

WASHINGTON — The 90-day moving average worldwide semiconductor sales slid 1.3% sequentially in February, obscuring a 1.1% climb in the Americas region.

LONDON -- Is Cookson considering splitting the company in two?

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Foxconn’s chairman Terry Gou said the firm would continue to increase China’s worker salaries and cut hours, according to published reports.

His statement yesterday comes after the electronics manufacturer’s poor working conditions have been exposed by a recent audit by the Fair Labor Association.

Gou also said the maker of Apple iPhones and iPads would build manufacturing facilities in Hainan, China, and expand operations in Brazil.

Apple and Foxconn agreed last week to improve conditions among the 1.2 million workers, say reports. According to the agreement, Foxconn will hire thousands of new workers, eliminate illegal overtime, improve safety protocols, and upgrade housing.

BOAO, CHINA -- Faced with higher worker salaries in Southeast China, Foxconn Technology Group plans to open manufacturing facilities in Hainan and expand operations in Brazil, chairman Terry Gou said yesterday.

HERNDON, VA – iNEMI is forming a project team to develop a white paper based on the Appendices A and B that were removed from the IPC9704A standard that was revised last month.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American printed circuit board shipments in February decreased 2.3% year-over-year, while orders increased 6.5%, says IPC.

Year to date, shipments were down 2.9% and orders were up 6.3%. Sequentially, shipments for February increased 6% and orders increased 6%. The book-to-bill ratio rose 1.04. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests current demand is ahead of supply, and is considered a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.

Rigid board shipments in February were down 1.9% year-over-year, but orders were up 6.9% compared to the same month last year. Year to date, rigid board shipments decreased 2.5% and orders increased 8.8%. Sequentially, rigid PCB shipments increased 5.9% and orders increased 4.3%. The rigid board book-to-bill ratio climbed to 1.04.

Flex circuit board shipments were down 6.4% and orders were up 1.8% compared to February 2011. Year to date, flex shipments decreased 7.1%, while orders dropped 14.9%. Sequentially, shipments increased 7.4% and orders were up 26%. The flex book-to-bill ratio rose to 1.10.

“Growth rates for both rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales in North America are improving,” said Sharon Starr, IPC director of market research. “Although year-on-year sales growth rates are still negative, they are moving up and nearing positive territory,” she added. “Order growth was especially strong in February, and it pushed the book-to-bill ratio up to 1.04, indicating that sales are likely to continue strengthening for the next several months.”

Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 89% of the current industry in North America, says IPC.

In February, 85% of total shipments were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 85% of rigid and 83% of flex board shipments.

Bare circuits accounted for about 42% of flex board shipment value reported for the month.

HONG KONG -- EMS firm Surface Mount Technology (Holdings) Ltd. has asked its creditors for more time to meet its financial obligations, the company said today.