SAN FRANCISCO – Semiconductor equipment sales will grow more than 12% this year to $44.33 billion, according to mid-year SEMI projections.

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN – Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp. reported second-quarter sales were up 7% year-over-year, “thanks in part to our developing customer base in European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries,” according to Mark Larson, president and COO.

“This year European sales in particular have increased by over 22%.”

Digi-Key’s second-quarter sales in Germany rose more than 25% compared to last year, and in Italy, sales grew nearly 16% compared to the same quarter in 2010.

In a move to be more environmentally friendly, Digi-Key recently ceased the distribution of its more than 2,900-page print catalog.

RICHARDSON, TX -- The phone rang. It was 11:45 p.m. Scott Fillebrown, not nearly awake, answered to learn the caller was reporting the building his EMS company had called home for 19 years might be on fire. Not long after, a second call confirmed the disaster in the making. Driving to the plant, he could see the sky alit from a mile away.

Santa Clara, CA – Total touch screen module revenue will reach $13.4 billion in 2011, and nearly double in six years, reaching $23.9 billion by 2017, says DisplaySearch.

“Touch screen penetration has rapidly increased in mobile phones, handheld games, game consoles, and tablet PC applications, which collectively will account for more than $10.5 billion in touch screen revenues this year,” noted Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, vice president of emerging display technologies at DisplaySearch.“In addition, we see strong touch screen growth over the next several years driven by demand in larger display applications such as all-in-one PCs, notebook PCs, and consumer gaming.”

Projected capacitive became the leading touch screen technology in terms of revenue in 2010. In 2011, projected capacitive shipments are expected to grow more than 100% year-over-year, and will account for 70% of all touch screen revenues.

In addition to dedicated touch screen suppliers moving into projected capacitive, several color filter suppliers and LCD manufacturers have converted lines to produce it. In fact, more than 60 companies are supplying projected capacitive in 2011, says the firm.

Shipments for in-cell touch, which first came to market in 2009, didn’t materialize in 2010. However, in-cell touch is expected to take off in 2012 as yield rates improve. On-cell touch, meanwhile, has seen greater adoption, but the mix has shifted to smaller screen sizes used in mobile phones and digital still cameras, whereas it has had difficulty competing with projected capacitive in tablet PC applications. Other touch technologies are experiencing market growth, such as combination-type touch panels, which offer both pen and finger touch.

Mobile phones are the major application for touch screens in terms of unit shipments, accounting for two-thirds of units shipped in 2010. DisplaySearch forecasts that 868 million touch screens will ship for mobile phone applications in 2011, up 68% year-over-year.

The tablet PC accounted for 26 million units in 2010. DisplaySearch forecasts more than 72 million touch screens for tablet PCs in 2011, and over 100 million in 2012. Revenues for projected capacitive touch screens in tablet PCs are expected to grow by more than $1 billion in 2011.

Touch penetration is increasing in consumer gaming devices, including consoles such as Microsoft Kinect, as well as handheld games such as the Nintendo 3DS. Over the next few years, notebook and all-in-one PCs, as well as automobile monitors, are expected to contribute to touch screen market growth as well. Touch technologies with high transmittance, low power consumption, multi-touch or gesture recognition will benefit the most, says the firm.

GLENVIEW, IL – Illinois Tool Works has acquired Teknek for an undisclosed sum.

ROCKVILLE, MD – May US manufacturing technology orders were $388.27 million, up 121.3% year-over-year, and down 2.6% sequentially, says the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and The Association for Manufacturing Technology.

With a year-to-date total of nearly $2 billion, 2011 is up 108% compared to 2010.

“The 2,000 unit-per-month level signifies a very healthy demand still in place as we head toward the close of the second quarter,” said Peter Borden, AMTDA president.

At $64.3 million, May manufacturing technology orders in the Northeast Region were up 8.4% sequentially, and up 88.4% compared to May last year. The year-to-date total of $305.87 million is 92.4% more than the comparable figure for 2010.

May manufacturing technology orders in the Southern Region totaled $54.15 million, up 5.1% sequentially, and up 86.4% year-over-year. With a year-to-date total of $239.3 million, 2011 is up 56.9% compared to the year-ago period.

Midwest Region manufacturing technology orders in May stood at $137.62 million, up 10.9% sequentially, and up 232.6% year-over-year. At $691.81 million, the 2011 year-to-date total is 168.5% more than the comparable figure for 2010.

Manufacturing technology orders in the Central Region in May totaled $95.18 million, down 21.6% from April, but up 83.8% compared to May in 2010. The $551.71 million year-to-date total is 106.6% higher than the total for the same period in 2010.

Western Region manufacturing technology orders totaled $37.02 million in May, down 12.1% sequentially, and up 93.9% year-over-year. At $196.18 million, 2011 year-to-date is up 66.3% when compared with last year.

TAIPEI -- Hon Hai (Foxconn) reported June revenues rose 15.6% from last year to NT$228.4 billion ($7.93 billion) on higher demand for PC tablets and computers.

OLATHE, KS -- Tier IV EMS firm and OEM Elecsys swung to a fiscal fourth quarter net profit of $402,000 as higher sales boosted earnings.

PHOENIX -- A new white paper by Suntron purports to solve the problem of tombstoning in 0402 components.

SAN JOSE -- Oclaro, the largest customer of Fabrinet, has terminated its supply agreement, but is expected to remain with the EMS provider.

SANTA CLARA, CA — Despite a tepid year to date, TV makers are upping their third-quarter production plans to meet expected late-year demand.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Worldwide set-top box revenue will decline slightly in 2011, with Latin America and Middle East/Africa the only regions showing increases in shipments.