MULINO, OR -- Printed circuit board prototype manufacturer Sunstone Circuits has added SMT stencils to its product line.

SAN JOSE, CA – North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.3 billion in orders in July (three-month average basis), according to SEMI.

Orders were down 15.7% sequentially, and fell 29.3% compared to orders in July 2010.

The book-to-bill ratio was 0.86. A book-to-bill of 0.86 means that $86 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

ROCKVILLE, MD – The global 3D medical imaging systems market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2010 through 2014, says MarketResearch.com.

A new report that covers the Americas and the EMEA and APAC regions indicates that exponential demand coming from the APAC region is driving the market.

China and India are expected to develop an increasing number of new hospitals and diagnostic centers, says MarketResearch.com.

The emergence of 4D imaging is hindering the growth of this market. However, the visualization benefits of 3D imaging are expected to keep driving it. The market is also being boosted by the increase in telesurgery.

CHICAGO – An improving economy and availability of debt financing have boosted strategic investment opportunities among electronics manufacturing companies, says an investment advisor.

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Raven Industries today announced record second-quarter sales and profits, but its contract electronics manufacturing unit declined.

WESTLAKE, OH -- Nordson reported record third-quarter sales, operating profit, net income on higher demand in each of its three business segments.

GLENVIEW, IL -- Illinois Tool Works' Power Systems and Electronics business unit reported sales rose 17% year-over-year in the second quarter.

BALLERUP, DENMARK – Eltraco Group has split into two companies, effectively dividing responsibility for the company's new and used SMT equipment lines.

WASHINGTON -- A proposed rule regulating the volume of ozone that can be released in the Northeast US could force considerable changes to the way cleaning chemistries are used, industry experts say.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – With denser and more complicated assemblies necessitating automated inspection processes, the surface mount technology inspection market rebounded from the slowdown, with a growth rate of 6.9% in 2010, according to Frost & Sullivan.

The market earned revenues of $922.8 million last year, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9% to reach $1.68 billion in 2017.

In the next seven years, segments likely to gain the most are AOI equipment and x-ray inspection solutions, the firm says.

"The AOI equipment system will get a leg up from machine vision-based algorithms that are relatively flexible, easy to program, and capable of better detection with less false call rates," says analyst Lavanya Rammohan.

New inspection equipment should be able to handle component miniaturization, which is a driver of SMT inspection equipment.

The equipment market is expected to witness a spate of strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions, says Frost.

IRVINE, CA – Electronics design and manufacturing services firm Probe Manufacturing today reported second-quarter revenue growth of 54% compared to the same period last year, totaling $1.2 million.

Net profit from operations was up 147% to $59,688 year-over-year.

“We’re pleased to report that the second quarter of 2011 was our first quarter of over $1 million in sales since fourth quarter of 2008,” said Kam Mahdi, Probe’s CEO. “Our year-to-date revenue growth was primarily due to higher volume from existing accounts of approximately $500,000, and the addition of 10 new accounts.”

Sales for the first six months of 2011 were $2.07 million, up 40% year-over-year. Net profit was $100,793, an increase of 146% over 2010.

The company plans to expand its sales force in the second half of 2011 and target larger scale contracts in the aerospace, medical, industrial, instrumentation and automotive industries.

SAN JOSE -- OnCore Manufacturing Services has acquired Victron in a deal between two similar-sized privately held EMS companies.