Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

Latest News

WEST VALLEY CITY, UT – CirTran Corp. reported net sales of $2.7 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down 13.3% year-over-year, driven by continued softness in the electronics assembly and contract manufacturing segments.

CirTran USA accounted for 7% and 8% of total revenues during the 2009 quarter and 2008 quarter, respectively. Revenues were generated by low-volume electronics assembly activities consisting primarily of the placement and attachment of electronic and mechanical components on PCBs and flexible cables.

CirTran Asia’s sales were 2% and 4% total revenues during the three months ended Sept. 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively. CirTran Asia manufactures and distributes electronics, consumer products and general merchandise to companies selling in international markets.

CirTran Products’ sales comprised 0% and 2% of total sales for the quarters ended Sept. 30, 2009, and 2008, respectively. The segment pursues contract manufacturing relationships in the US consumer products markets.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American PWB shipments in October fell 12.8% year-over-year and bookings slid 2.1%. Sequentially, shipments decreased 8.3% and orders dropped 17.4% says IPC.

AUSTIN – After hitting bottom in the first quarter, second-quarter mobile display shipments reached 360 million, up 30% sequentially and 3% year-over-year, says DisplaySearch.

Revenues were up 29% sequentially to $2.93 billion, but down 5% compared to the same period in 2008.

Double-digit growth is anticipated for 2010, the research firm said.

The saturated Western European and North American markets are expected to see subscriber growth of less than 10% year-over-year in 2009, while emerging markets like India and China are driving growth.

China remains a critical region for both handset manufacturing and demand. Local panel manufacturers have successfully maintained market share, accounting for 20% of the overall demand in 2009, says the research firm.

“The global economy is slowly recovering, fueling growth in mobile phone shipments in the second quarter,” noted Calvin Hsieh, DisplaySearch research director. “Despite this, mobile phone demand in North America and Western Europe is still less than 2008, an impact of the recession. We expect a better year in 2010, with worldwide mobile phone growth of 15% and emerging markets playing an increasingly vital role in shipments.”

WASHINGTON -- A US Department of Commerce committee will meet in two weeks to discuss emerging technology and research activities, including those related to deemed exports.

TAIPEI – Advanced Semiconductor Engineering agreed to purchase Universal Scientific Industrial Co. in a deal valued at more than $571 million.

STRATHAM, NH – Vitronics Soltec field service engineer Harvey Simonds died Nov. 7. A nine-year veteran of Vitronics Soltec, he was a respected and admired colleague known for his drive to make sure the customer was always satisfied.

Simonds was an Air Force veteran, and also spent 13 years as a service technician at Xerox, and was a captain in the volunteer fire department in Acton, Maine.

"He was always someone you could turn to no matter what the situation was," Vitronics customer service manager Bruce Quigley wrote. "He will be missed terribly as a member of the Vitronics field service team, colleague, and mostly, a friend."

ARLINGTON, VA – The Electronic Components Association today revised its October components orders upward, saying new data show a continued climb in both the monthly and 12-month averages.

SAN JOSE – North American semiconductor equipment manufacturers posted $756.2 million in orders in October and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.10, says SEMI.

TOYKO – Japan-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers posted ￥ 66,422 million in orders in October and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.28.

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Raven Industries today reported its Electronic Systems sales fell 13% from a year ago to $15.7 million.

AUSTIN – Global TV shipments showed a spark of recovery in the third quarter, amid an easing global economic recession, says DisplaySearch.

Total unit volume increased on a year-over-year basis for the first time since the same quarter last year, rising 1% to 54.9 million units.

LCD TV shipments worldwide increased 38% year-over-year to reach a record 37.5 million units.

Government stimulus programs in China and Japan, as well as continued high levels of price erosion, contributed to excellent unit growth in LCD TVs, with double digit year-over-year growth in every region except Eastern Europe.

Based on strong third quarter shipments, DisplaySearch now expects 2009 total LCD TV shipments could reach 140 million units worldwide.

Revenue growth, however, continues to be elusive. Total TV revenues were down for the fourth straight quarter, falling 10% to $26.2 billion, compared to the same quarter last year.

For the LCD TVs segment, the spread between unit growth and revenue growth was even more dramatic, as worldwide LCD TV revenues grew just 1% year-over-year.

Average selling prices for LCD TVs fell 27% compared to the third quarter in 2008. This decline comes despite the fact that LCD panel prices, a key cost driver of LCD TVs, have been rising for most of 2009.

Samsung remained the global brand share leader in terms of revenues for the fifteenth straight quarter, but lost about a point of share, to 21.9%, as sequential growth lagged that of many competitors.

LGE remained in the number two spot for the second straight quarter, after surpassing Sony in the first quarter, also seeing a slight decline in share to 12.9%.

Sony remained number three worldwide on a revenue basis, but fell below 10% share and was one of the two brands experiencing a sequential revenue decline during a seasonally strong quarter.

In North America, Samsung remained the leading overall TV brand on a unit and revenue basis, but Funai overtook Vizio on a unit basis to rise to number two. On a total revenue basis, Panasonic climbed two spots to number two, overtaking Sony and Vizio, on strengthening LCD and plasma revenues.

The top six LCD TV brands on a unit basis are all Chinese and collectively accounted for nearly 80% of all units shipped to the region in the second quarter; they are also strong exporters. Each of the top 10 brands in China enjoyed strong double-digit sequential unit growth in LCD TVs, ranging from 18% to 91%.

Skyworth was the number one brand on a unit and revenue basis, but each of the top three brands were within five percentage points of each other on a unit basis.