OLATHE, KS -- Elecsys Corp. reported fiscal second quarter sales in its Electronic Design and Manufacturing Services segment increased 40% year-over-year.

EMS sales reached $3.2 million for the quarter ended Oct. 31, up $924,000 from the prior year. Fiscal year-to-date EDMS sales were $6.3 million, up 43%.

For the period ended Oct. 31, overall sales were $5,479,000, up 37% from last year. Net income was $101,000, versus a net loss of $322,000 last year.

The company forecast EMS sales to grow slightly in the near term due to currently scheduled orders in backlog, the anticipated addition of several new customers, and the transition of several projects from the design phase to production.

OSAKA, JAPAN – Nihon Superior received a 2010 Intellectual Property Achievement Award from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry patent office.

Nihon received the award for “Enterprises Excelling in Patent Utilization.”

The award is presented to companies that actively contribute to the expansion and development of the Japanese industrial property rights system. The chief criterion for selection was the extent to which management had implemented strategies to develop IP and the use of R&D for that purpose.

For Nihon Superior, the reasons cited for the award were the firm’s prompt response to the EU RoHS Directive, avoiding price competition, maintaining ongoing activity to strengthen the patent and provide the basis for new patents, and investing in collaborative research at foreign universities. The use of licensing also was recognized.

HUNTSVILLE, AR – General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has awarded EMS provider LaBarge a $3.5 million add-on contract to produce electronics assemblies for the Aegis Weapon System.

The Aegis Weapon System integrates AN/SPY-1 radar, Mk 41 Vertical Launching System and US Navy missiles with its own command and control system.

LaBarge has manufactured electronics assemblies for the Aegis program for more than a decade.

Production on this latest contract is expected to begin in May and continue through November.

TAIPEI -- Hon Hai (Foxconn) reported November non-consolidated revenues fell for the second straight month despite a 61% year-over-year jump in sales.

WASHINGTON -- The US Commerce Department seeks public input on a revised export control list.

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Printed electronics is seeing a surge in orders, government and industry-funded development programs, acquisitions and company fundraising, says IDTechEx.

It is now at a “tipping point” because of a sharp improvement in performance, price and repertoire, says the research firm.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Worldwide semiconductor revenues will grow 9% year-over-year in 2011 to $303 billion, and will achieve a CAGR of 6% for the 2010 to 2015 forecast period, according to International Data Corp. Revenues will hit nearly $380 billion by 2015, the firm says.

IRVING, TX – Private equity startup Longwater Opportunities has purchased 40% of PCB maker W-Tek.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Longwater purchased Circuitronics last year, when W-Tek was a supplier to the PCB assembler.

Circuitronics’ former owner Jeff Forbus purchased 60% of W-Tek, say published reports.  

CHONGQING, CHINA – Walsin Technology Corp., and its subsidiaries Global Brands Manufacture Ltd. and Prosperity Dielectrics Co., signed an agreement with the Chongqing Municipal City Government to build passive component factories here.

XIAMEN, CHINA – EMS firm Plexus Corp. said today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase land for the construction of a new manufacturing facility here, adjacent to its current facility.

LOS ALTOS, CA – Aggressive deficit spending, record-low interest rates, consumer subsidies and inventory rebuilding gradually lifted world GDP from a 6.5% annualized rate of contraction during the fourth quarter of 2008 to a strong 4.9% expansion during the first quarter of 2010. However, the impact of those expansive measures has gradually worn off, says Henderson Ventures.

SAN JOSE – Shocking Technologies opened its expanded production facility, unveiling a manufacturing plant for voltage switchable dielectric material.

The lab and equipment will be used to develop, simulate and produce the company’s nanocomposite Xtstatic 100 VSD material. Xstatic is embedded in PCBs or semiconductor packaging to increase a product’s protection against harmful ESD events.

The facility is capable of producing material to equip more than 200 million cellphones or other similar products a year, the firm says.

Shocking Technologies’ manufacturing line is run by a site-wide manufacturing execution system that maintains product genealogy and component traceability.

The City of San Jose and its redevelopment agency made an investment of $500,000 toward capital equipment.