TAIPEI – Third-quarter global tablet PC shipments hit 18.7 million units, up 27.5% sequentially, compared to sequential growth of 60.9% in the second quarter, says Digitimes Research.

As a result of a weak global economy, Apple's iPad shipments did not meet third-quarter expectations with 13 million units, up 36.8% sequentially.

Most non-iPad tablet PCs endured high inventory issues during the period, according to Digitimes Research. Also, many launches of new tablet PC products have been postponed. Shipments of non-iPad tablet PCs only grew 10.1% sequentially.

For tablet PC CPUs, Nvidia was the No. 2 supplier in terms of shipments, while Texas Instruments fell to No. 4. Inventec is now the No. 2 ODM, with Quanta Computer falling to No. 5.

EL SEGUNDO – Shipments of dynamic random access memory for use in smartphones are set for triple-digit growth this year, outpacing the expansion of the entire DRAM market by a factor of three, according to IHS iSuppli.

DRAM shipments in smartphone handsets, as measured in 1 Gb-equivalent units, are expected to rise to 1.7 billion in 2011, up 157.2% from 2010. By 2015, shipments will increase to 13.9 billion units, up 700% from 2011.

Smartphones’ share of total DRAM consumption will grow to 7.6% this year, up from 4.4% in 2010, says IHS iSuppli. This will expand to 10.6% next year and then climb to 13.4% in 2013, 14.9% in 2014 and 16% in 2015.

In at least four recently released smartphones, dissections by IHS iSuppli revealed the devices had larger quantities of DRAM.

The Xperia PLAY from Sony Ericsson, for instance, had 512MB of DRAM, while the Galaxy Indulge from Samsung featured 576MB. The iPhone 4 from Apple had DRAM amounting to 544MB, while the Thunderbolt from HTC had the highest level at 768MB.

In comparison, a device released last year, such as the SGH T939 – an Android-operated, touch-screen smartphone from Samsung – had DRAM content of only 128MB, says the research firm.

Projections call for the average smartphone DRAM density to reach 715MB next year, up 55% from 461MB in 2011, with no near-term limitations on growth.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC’s Solder Products Value Council is urging tin smelters to become smelters of conflict-free minerals.

The association recommends the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition/Global e-Sustainability Initiative Conflict-Free Smelter program. The CFS is an audit and certification program that will identify and publish lists of smelters that have been certified as using conflict-free minerals.

Under conflict minerals provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, publicly traded companies will be required to submit detailed reports to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on the origin of tin, tantalum, gold, or tungsten in products. The CFS program is expected to benefit the entire supply chain by reducing the burden of complying with conflict minerals regulations.

TAIPEI – Hon Hai, parent company of Foxconn, posted revenue of $7.35 billion for September, up 3.4% sequentially, and down 12.5% from a record high in the same month of 2010.

DUBLIN – The worldwide electronics assembly market is nearly $1 trillion in terms of cost of goods sold as of 2010, according to Research and Markets.

The firm says the market is expanding rapidly, but is changing in composition in terms of outsourcing partnerships and in-house manufacturing. Moves are being made annually with regard to the manufacturing country of origin based on total cost.

Research and Markets says it has added The Worldwide OEM Electronics Assembly Market - 2011 Edition directory to its offering.

BANGKOK -- So called "50-year floods" have forced the closure of seven industrial parks (estates) in Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani provinces bordering Bangkok. Approximately 375 citizens have died and 650,000 people have been temporarily displaced from work. Concerns remain pending the high tides expected next week.

MUNICH -- Siemens is leading a joint industry-academia program to develop a new ceramic printed circuit board that will be integrated into the power supplies of electric vehicles.

LONG BEACH, CA – The mood at the Long Beach Convention Center Oct. 13 was generally ho-hum, with enthusiasm for the IMAPS 2011 trade show limited, but not absent.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY senior editor Chelsey Drysdale checked in with exhibitors on the last day of a show that started busy and waned throughout the week. The hall was devoid of attendees on the final morning. Exhibitors shared their thoughts on the show and their firms’ happenings:

Endicott Interconnect Technologies’ Roy Albano, field sales executive, said this was a good show for them, with quality leads. He said that although large aerospace companies are still laying off workers in certain segments, aerospace and defense, as well as the medical market, are still doing well for EI. (Disclosure: The president of IMAPS is EI CTO Voya Markovich.)

Crane Aerospace & Electronics “had a busy first day” at the show, with the second day “slower,” and the third day “virtually dead,” said Jason Dobbs, business manager. Crane wasn’t alone: DuPont also mentioned “very light traffic,” and a desire to speak to more designers on the floor.

Nusil Silicone Technology presented one of the technical sessions and was extremely happy with the turnout and how well its conductive silicones presentation fit into the track with other speakers, according to Vincent Malavé, technical sales.

Indium said it was a small show this year, and added that it has noticed a “steady decline in the exhibit hall every year.” However, Indium received a number of thermal interface questions at the show, and said that IMAPS’ technical sessions were excellent.

Several vendors recalled better attendance in years past. Some two decades ago, the precursor to IMAPS drew a reported 8,000 to 10,000 attendees. Today, like many shows, attendance is a fraction of that. One report held that this year’s version had about 1,200 attendees, basically flat with the last two years.

Bradley Benton, regional account manager for Palomar Technologies, pointed out that the electronics industry in general needs young people, with so many workers nearing retirement. He is concerned that universities aren’t doing enough to keep youth in the industry. Julie Adams, worldwide sales director at Palomar, said that in the past year, Palomar’s contract manufacturing business has taken off, with many new opportunities in processing and prototyping.

Rich Brooks and Debbie Carboni of Kyzen Corporation were upbeat, saying the show had gone “better than expected.” They said they had twice as many leads as they anticipated. President Lynn Roose of Microscreen agreed, saying the show was “absolutely wonderful.” Her team was eagerly showcasing a squeegee they developed for dual-level stencils.

After a “phenomenal” PCB West, Rogers Corp. declared this show “much slower.” The firms’ representatives were talking to people here about Heatwave metal matrix composites, Coolspan thermal interface materials, and Curamik, a company Rogers acquired in January.

Nordson Dage was happy to be in Southern California, as it is a “good market” for the firm, which spent time discussing automation (specifically, a step and repeat function for the military) and demonstrating its 4000 Plus Multipurpose Bondtester.

Stellar Microelectronics, with a 140,000 sq. ft. facility with 250 employees in Valencia, CA, was one of the local electronics manufacturing firms in attendance. Other EMS companies included Plexus, represented by Steve Greathouse and Ali Hendries. Greathouse and Hendries mentioned the construction of Plexus’ fourth Malaysian plant currently taking place. Having facilities in Malaysia is convenient for customers, they said, as many like a presence in the “Far East, but not China.”

Other exhibitors included Ansys, which acquired Apache two months ago, Lord Corp., Finetech, MacDermid, Henkel, Nordson EFD, Nordson YESTech, Sonoscan, Technic, and Dyconex.

WASHINGTON – The US Patent and Trademark Office is seeking comments by Nov. 4 on China’s patent enforcement system.

Comments are requested concerning the acquisition and enforcement of utility models and design patents; evidence collection and preservation in Chinese courts; obtaining damages and injunctions; enforceability of court orders, and administrative patent enforcement.

USPTO requests examples of firsthand experience using China’s patent enforcement system and recommendations on ways to improve it.

Based on comments, USPTO said it would produce a report detailing the patent enforcement landscape in China, identifying challenges for US innovators and recommending improvements.

BALTIMORE -- Zentech Manufacturing has completed a $1.5 million surface mount equipment expansion at its EMS facility here.

AYUDHAYA, THAILAND -- Benchmark Electronics' Thailand subsidiary has temporarily suspended operations as a result of flooding in the surrounding areas of the EMS company's campus here.

BRASILIA -- It took a meeting between Foxconn Technology Group chairman Terry Gou and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, but a planned multi-billion dollar investment by Foxconn is back on.