LYON, FRANCE – More than $2B will be invested between 2011 and 2016 on new LLO, permanent bonding, singulation and testing equipment for LED packaging,but the rising tide won't lift all ships.

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA -- Contract electronics assembler Incap will expand its factory here by some 37,000 sq. ft., almost doubling the current space.

SAO PAULO -- Huawei Technologies plans to build or buy a manufacturing plant in Brazil in the coming months, the telecom company's top local executive said yesterday.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics (the trading name of Hon Hai) today reported flat August revenues as consumer demand stagnated in anticipation of the next-generation Apple smartphones.

HONG KONG -- Japan's March 11 earthquake continues to claim victims as SMT Holdings tries to stave off bankruptcy. The Top 50 EMS firm is closing two factories and cutting its workforce by one-third as orders from its major Japanese customers have dried up.

LAS VEGAS – In his first public address, the new chief manufacturing officer for the National Institute of Standards and Technology stressed new tax and business policies are at the heart of the reinvention of US manufacturing.

MANASSAS, VA – A multitude of electronics manufacturing suppliers will host a free one-day workshop at Zestron’s US headquarters Sept. 27 and 28.

Seven presentations and hands-on training will be provided on elements for a successful SMT process.

The workshop will be jointly held with Kester, DfR Solutions, Speedline, MPM, SMT North America and Sawa.

Kester will address potential reliability challenges caused by solder paste and flux residues, as well as decreasing pitch. DfR Solutions will provide information on contamination and cleanliness and a practical approach to today’s challenging industry requirements.

Other topics will cover stencil cleaning, reflow oven, inline cleaning process optimization and troubleshooting techniques, cleaning process control, and optimizing printer underside wiping.

For information, visit www.zestron.com/us/electronics/upcoming-events.html.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — Suppliers of components for enclosures are sought to participate in a new IPC standard for box builds.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Worldwide electronics industry growth is slowing, in line with general economic sluggishness, a new IPC report found.

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Hunter Technology will acquire Spinnaker Microwave for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced today.

OSAKA – Panasonic plans to build a printed circuit board fabrication plant in Vietnam, according to published reports.

Panasonic, which ranked 32d on the annual NTI 100 list of the largest board fabricators (http://pcdandf.com/cms/component/content/article/171-current-issue/8280-nti-100), said the facility would build boards for smartphones beginning next August, and would produce 3.5 million units monthly.

Panasonic also has two plants in Taiwan producing smartphone boards; the company plans to increase its overseas monthly output roughly sixfold to 9.5 million units by the end of 2012, according to the reports.

No financial terms of the investment were disclosed.

STAMFORD, CT – Worldwide PC unit growth is on pace to total 352 million units in 2011, a 3.8% increase from 2010, says Gartner.

PC shipments are forecast to see better growth by the end of 2012, when units are expected to reach 404 million units, up 10.9% from 2011.