News
SPOKANE, WA – A.C.E. Production Technologies reported 30% growth this year on demand for its selective soldering equipment.
In a press release, president and CEO Alan Cable said a number of customers now purchase multiple inline machines, a switch from past demand for standalone systems.
In a press release, president and CEO Alan Cable said a number of customers now purchase multiple inline machines, a switch from past demand for standalone systems.
A.C.E. is privately held and not not disclose sales figures or profitability.
TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics reported third-quarter revenues rose 37.5% sequentially to NT$431.21 billion, on heavy demand for iPhones and other consumer goods. The last month in the period, September, was the strongest, the company said.
SAN JOSE – Although set-top boxes have been around in one form or another for more than 30 years, the industry is far from settled, says iSuppli Corp. STBs should remain one of the most dynamic areas of the electronics industry for at least the next decade, and quite possibly beyond, according to the research firm.
Over the next few years, expanding box capabilities will drive much of the STB market. For millions worldwide, HD and DVRs are becoming such a part of consumer lives that by 2012 more than 70% of digital STBs shipped are expected to integrate support for one or both of these technologies, up from about 35% in 2007, says iSuppli.
“DVRs are cheap to integrate into STBs because hard disk drive costs have plummeted,” said Jordan Selburn, principal analyst for set-top boxes for iSuppli. “With the street price of storage just pennies per gigabyte and falling daily, the time is not far off when video storage hardware, whether at home or remote, will be both essentially limitless and virtually free.
“HD falls into a similar category as DVRs,” Selburn said. “HD video processing chips are migrating to 65-nm semiconductor manufacturing technologies, causing their incremental costs to drop compared to standard-definition devices. HD display prices are falling rapidly as well. iSuppli forecasts that more than 125 million of these displays will ship in 2008, and customers will demand HD content to watch on their new televisions.”
With a perfect storm of lower-cost HD technology, increasing HD content and greater high-speed Internet access, HD will become the mainstream resolution by 2012, says iSuppli. This is likely to be a one-time transition, however. While companies are beginning to develop the so-called quad definition displays with twice the resolution of HD, most consumers will never need to adopt this technology.
The STB evolution won’t stop when HD and DVRs become the norm, however. In the long term, media hubs and home gateways are destined to supplant today’s one-box-per-set approach. Not only will this lower costs, it will enhance the user experience by serving video to all displays in a home from a centralized location, says the firm.
Over the next few years, expanding box capabilities will drive much of the STB market. For millions worldwide, HD and DVRs are becoming such a part of consumer lives that by 2012 more than 70% of digital STBs shipped are expected to integrate support for one or both of these technologies, up from about 35% in 2007, says iSuppli.
“DVRs are cheap to integrate into STBs because hard disk drive costs have plummeted,” said Jordan Selburn, principal analyst for set-top boxes for iSuppli. “With the street price of storage just pennies per gigabyte and falling daily, the time is not far off when video storage hardware, whether at home or remote, will be both essentially limitless and virtually free.
“HD falls into a similar category as DVRs,” Selburn said. “HD video processing chips are migrating to 65-nm semiconductor manufacturing technologies, causing their incremental costs to drop compared to standard-definition devices. HD display prices are falling rapidly as well. iSuppli forecasts that more than 125 million of these displays will ship in 2008, and customers will demand HD content to watch on their new televisions.”
With a perfect storm of lower-cost HD technology, increasing HD content and greater high-speed Internet access, HD will become the mainstream resolution by 2012, says iSuppli. This is likely to be a one-time transition, however. While companies are beginning to develop the so-called quad definition displays with twice the resolution of HD, most consumers will never need to adopt this technology.
The STB evolution won’t stop when HD and DVRs become the norm, however. In the long term, media hubs and home gateways are destined to supplant today’s one-box-per-set approach. Not only will this lower costs, it will enhance the user experience by serving video to all displays in a home from a centralized location, says the firm.
POST FALLS, ID -- Integrated Ideas & Technologies Inc. recently completed construction and moved into a 23,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. The new facility is expected to help the SMT stencil and metal fabrication provider achieve a 50% increase in production capabilities over the next two years.
“We were at maximum capacity in our previous facility and did not have the space for the new equipment required for advancement of our SMT stencil and Metal Fabrication divisions,” said Michael Ray, president and owner of IIT.
The new plant is located 8 miles west of the company's previous facility, in Coeur D’Alene.
“We were at maximum capacity in our previous facility and did not have the space for the new equipment required for advancement of our SMT stencil and Metal Fabrication divisions,” said Michael Ray, president and owner of IIT.
The new plant is located 8 miles west of the company's previous facility, in Coeur D’Alene.
ARLINGTON, VA -- Jedec and
the ESD Association today announced an agreement to develop joint standards and
publications for electrostatic discharge sensitivity
testing. The trade groups' members will form a joint task force for the standardization
work, which are intended to alleviate confusion among manufacturers and users.
GRAY, TN -- EMS provider Industrial Electronics Services Inc. will break ground this month on a 40,000 sq. ft. building, the company's fourth building.
The company, which performs smaller runs of SMT products and various box-build and other services, recently was named a certified supplier by Siemens Medical Solutions
SAN FRANCISCO -- After strong shipment growth in 2008, PCs may be headed for a dip in 2009, a top Deutsche Bank analyst said today. The credit market and deteriorating macro outlook are the culprits, says Chris Whitmore.
"We expect a difficult PC environment in 2009. We estimate industry-wide PC unit growth of 6% year-over-year and flat revenue growth," Whitmore wrote in a research note today.
"We expect a difficult PC environment in 2009. We estimate industry-wide PC unit growth of 6% year-over-year and flat revenue growth," Whitmore wrote in a research note today.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Unisem Group has started volume shipment of packages using copper wirebonding technology.
Integrated Device Technology thin shrink small outline packages integrate Unisem’s copper wirebonds for a range of applications, including clock devices for desktops and notebook PCs.
“IDT recognizes the traction copper has gained as an interconnect material in semiconductor packaging. The clear advantages of copper – better performance and higher electrical test yields – helped convince us and our customers of the strategic benefits we would receive by using copper wire,” said Anne Katz, vice president of worldwide assembly and test for IDT.
By 2009, 30% of Unisem’s wirebonders will be set up for copper, the company says.
HANOVER, NH – A large customer of ACT Electronics has filed suit, alleging the struggling EMS firm is demanding $250,000 to release product and other gear the customer claims to have paid for.
In a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court, Hypertherm Inc. says ACT is attempting to “extort” the contested monies. The dispute is costing Hypertherm a reported $47,000 per day and has forced the company to cease production on one of its lines.
ACT is facing financial issues, according to the lawsuit and other parties reached by Circuits Assembly. In recent weeks, ACT has announced mass layoffs at its Hudson, MA, and Corinth, MI, facilities.
The original December 2007 deal established payables were due 30 days after the product's receipt. Hypertherm reportedly purchased $60,000 to $70,000 worth of product a week from ACT, according to the New Hampshire Business Review.
Last month, ACT reportedly claimed “financial difficulties" and demanded Hypertherm pay in advance for its product builds. The suit alleges Hypertherm prepaid for $44,000 worth of product, yet ACT demanded an additional $250,000 for future builds before it would deliver the boards.
In response, Hypertherm demanded ACT release the paid-for product, plus stencils, test fixtures and tooling worth a reported $100,000. ACT thus far has refused, according to the suit. Hyperthem seeks an injunction.
ACT is facing financial issues, according to the lawsuit and other parties reached by Circuits Assembly. In recent weeks, ACT has announced mass layoffs at its Hudson, MA, and Corinth, MI, facilities.
The original December 2007 deal established payables were due 30 days after the product's receipt. Hypertherm reportedly purchased $60,000 to $70,000 worth of product a week from ACT, according to the New Hampshire Business Review.
Last month, ACT reportedly claimed “financial difficulties" and demanded Hypertherm pay in advance for its product builds. The suit alleges Hypertherm prepaid for $44,000 worth of product, yet ACT demanded an additional $250,000 for future builds before it would deliver the boards.
In response, Hypertherm demanded ACT release the paid-for product, plus stencils, test fixtures and tooling worth a reported $100,000. ACT thus far has refused, according to the suit. Hyperthem seeks an injunction.
SANTA ANA, CA – The Americas lags the world in HDI production, according to a new presentation delivered by Matt Holzmann last week.
Speaking at the IPC HDI Technology Conference in Dallas, Holzmann, president of Christopher Associates, said high density interconnect substrates production was $202 million in the Americas in 2006, far behind Southeast Asia ($3.6 billion), Japan ($1.5 billion), and Europe ($352 million). While the compound average growth rate of HDI in the Americas will be 7% through 2011, it will remain a distant fourth regionally, Holzmann said, citing data from Prismark Partners.
HDI is used in a wide range of end-products, ranging from cellphones to PC peripherals, medical gear and even aerospace. Cellphones make up nearly 40% of HDI board use, followed by IC package substrates at roughly 35%. Those two segments will remain the largest consumers by far through 2011.
Of the 3,600 laser drills installed worldwide, only 150 are in North America, Holzmann said. That reluctance to invest is one reason more than 80% of current demand filled from overseas sources, Holzmann said.
MINNEAPOLIS – HEI reported fourth quarter sales of $11.8 million, up 133% over last year.
For the period ended Aug. 30, the company reported $473,000 in net profits, easily topping its previous earnings year-to-date. The company had a net loss of $723,000 in the year-ago quarter.
ELKHART, IND – CTS Corp. will reduce headcount by about 60 positions as part
of an operational restructuring, the company said. The company will
also consolidate certain operations and to improve its cost structure.
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