ST. LOUIS -- Viasystems Group forecast December quarter sales of $269 million, up 10% year-over-year and down 4% sequentially on broad-based strength.

HELSINKI -- Nokia will lay off 8% -- some 4,000 employees -- of its workforce in Finland, Hungary and Mexico as part of its now year-long cost-cutting measures.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The SMTA is soliciting applications from full-time graduate-level students pursuing a degree and working on thesis research in electronic assembly, electronics packaging, or a related field, for the $5000 Charles Hutchins Educational Grant. 

TEMPE, AZ – Finetech plans to donate a die bonder in a drawing this summer open to qualified US and Canadian universities and colleges.

The multi-application Pico MA bonder with 5 µm placement accuracy is valued at $100,000. The platform is for advanced packaging and assembly applications, such as flip chip, optoelectronics, 3-D, wafer-level integration, micro-optics assembly, sensor packaging, and precise die bonding.

Finetech celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

COHOES, NY – Precision Valve & Automation welcomed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to its plant Monday.

PVA was chosen to host the senator’s visit as an example of increasing production 150% and doubling its workforce during the past two years.

The senator toured the facility with owner/president Tony Hynes, and then addressed a crowd that included leaders of Capital District Chambers of Commerce, Centers for Economic Growth, local elected officials, and local business leaders.

PVA supplies conformal coating systems and fluid dispensing solutions.

BANGKOK -- Fabrinet chief financial officer Mark Schwartz has informed the EMS company's board of his intention to resign, effective March 1.

BANGKOK -- Fabrinet reported its first-ever quarterly loss, as the Bangkok area floods closed two of the company's largest plants for several weeks last fall.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The worldwide mobile phone market grew 6.1% year-over-year in the fourth quarter as the feature phone market declined faster than anticipated, dragging market growth down to its lowest point in over two years.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – The worldwide smartphone market grew 54.7% year over year in the fourth quarter as Apple unleashed its iPhone 4S on an eager marketplace.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Global electronics manufacturing services revenue will be flat in 2012, the result of lingering economic concerns in Europe and the US, IHS iSuppli says.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – The latest moisture-sensitive device standard now covers handling, packing and shipping of non-IC electronic components.

J-STD-033C, Handling, Packing, Shipping and Use of Moisture/Reflow and/or Process Sensitive Components, provides guidance for certain electronic components that to date had not been covered. Those include parts classified per J-STD-075, Classification of Non-IC Electronic Components for Assembly Processes.

The C revision also contains a correction made to the desiccant calculation and an allowance for less use of desiccant for MSL2 parts, if desired. J-STD-033C also includes diagrams of recommended, not recommended and acceptable MBB air evacuation.

The new standard was developed by IPC and JEDEC. It provides surface mount device manufacturers and users with standardized methods for handling, packing, shipping and use of moisture/reflow-sensitive SMDs. These methods help avoid damage from moisture absorption and exposure to solder reflow temperatures that can result in yield and reliability degradation.

BUCKS, UK – The Smart Group will host a four-part webinar series on multilayer printed circuit board manufacturing.

The series, Guide to Modern Multilayer Manufacture, will provide a step-by-step guide to the circuit board manufacture and controls and inspection requirements to obtain trouble-free assembly, the UK-based trade group said in a press release.

Webinars include:

Mar. 6, PCB Manufacture Part 1: laminate types, resist application, imaging/striping, etching and AOI, and oxide treatment.

Apr. 3, PCB Manufacture Part 2: layup, lamination procedures, drilling including laser, die smearing and metallization.

June 11, PCB Manufacture Part 3: resist application, imaging/etching, copper plating, solder mask and solder finishes.

July 5, PCB Manufacture Part 4: legend, routing, electrical testing, inspection and QC, and PCB storage.

Four PCB engineers will offer advice during each webinar. For more information, visit www.smartgroup.org.