News
SCHAUMBURG, IL -- Top members of the IPC Apex committee revealed that next year's show will feature hospitality suites. IPC policy has heretofore banned the suites and related "commercial" activity.
EDINA, MN – Papers for SMTAI 2008 are being solicited in the following categories: emerging technologies, components, assembly, PCB technology and business.
Abstracts are due Jan. 7 and will be accepted as of Mar. 3. Final papers are due June 1.
Papers should describe significant results from experiments, emphasize new techniques, and contain technical, economic or appropriate test data. Material should be original, unpublished and noncommercial in nature.
Submit an abstract using the online form: http://www.smta.org/smtai/call_for_papers.cfm. Be sure to obtain approval to both write and present prior to submitting an abstract.
Abstracts are due Jan. 7 and will be accepted as of Mar. 3. Final papers are due June 1.
Papers should describe significant results from experiments, emphasize new techniques, and contain technical, economic or appropriate test data. Material should be original, unpublished and noncommercial in nature.
Submit an abstract using the online form: http://www.smta.org/smtai/call_for_papers.cfm. Be sure to obtain approval to both write and present prior to submitting an abstract.
SMTA International will return to Orlando for the second consecutive year. The conference and show will move to Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel, Orlando, FL, from Aug. 17-21, 2008.
PALO ALTO, CA -- Agilent Technologies will host users of its AOI, automated x-ray inspection and ICT systems in a series of meetings to discuss board test challenges, case studies, best practices, implementation successes, industry trends and considerations for developing an effective board test strategy.
The sessions take place Oct. 10, in Orange County, CA, and Oct. 11 in Santa Clara, CA.
The company invites automated test professionals interested in learning, sharing, and networking with Agilent experts and other board test users. Register at www.agilent.com/find/atug.
The sessions take place Oct. 10, in Orange County, CA, and Oct. 11 in Santa Clara, CA.
The company invites automated test professionals interested in learning, sharing, and networking with Agilent experts and other board test users. Register at www.agilent.com/find/atug.
BOULDER, CO – PCB supplier Circuit Images has named industry sales veteran Dan Spencer as its vice president of sales and marketing.
In his new position, Spencer will be responsible for all sales efforts throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Spencer has worked for Hadco, Coretec and most recently Sanmina.
LONDON -- The SMART Group will give away copies of its Lead-Free Defect Guide at Productronica next month.
The 28-page, color guide features many of the common and less obvious defects seen during the introduction of lead-free products. It shows defects associated with components, boards, design, materials, assembly and rework. It also includes some issues which may be seen on field returns.
Copies will be available at the SMART Group booth, Hall 4, stand 303 in the British Trade Area. Productronica takes place Nov. 13-16 in Munich.
The 28-page, color guide features many of the common and less obvious defects seen during the introduction of lead-free products. It shows defects associated with components, boards, design, materials, assembly and rework. It also includes some issues which may be seen on field returns.
Copies will be available at the SMART Group booth, Hall 4, stand 303 in the British Trade Area. Productronica takes place Nov. 13-16 in Munich.
BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American shipments of rigid PCBs fell 10.1% and bookings dropped 5.1% in August year-over-year, IPC announced today.
Flexible circuit shipments were down 24.7% and bookings were off 10% year-over-year.
Compared to July, combined shipments of rigid and flexible boards rose 9.2% and bookings were up 13.1%.
Combined shipments decreased 11.1% year-over-year, and orders booked decreased 5.4%. Year to date, combined shipments are down 10.1% and bookings are down 12.3%.
Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are down 10.4% and bookings are down 13.4%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 9.8% and rigid bookings increased 12.8%.
Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are down 5.4% and bookings are up 6.3%. Sequentially, flexible circuit shipments increased 0.4% and flex bookings were up 17.7%.
The rigid book-to-bill ratio climbed to 1.06, and the flex circuit book-to-bill rose to 1.07. The combined book-to-bill was 1.06.
Flexible circuit shipments were down 24.7% and bookings were off 10% year-over-year.
Compared to July, combined shipments of rigid and flexible boards rose 9.2% and bookings were up 13.1%.
Combined shipments decreased 11.1% year-over-year, and orders booked decreased 5.4%. Year to date, combined shipments are down 10.1% and bookings are down 12.3%.
Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are down 10.4% and bookings are down 13.4%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 9.8% and rigid bookings increased 12.8%.
Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are down 5.4% and bookings are up 6.3%. Sequentially, flexible circuit shipments increased 0.4% and flex bookings were up 17.7%.
The rigid book-to-bill ratio climbed to 1.06, and the flex circuit book-to-bill rose to 1.07. The combined book-to-bill was 1.06.
SINGAPORE – EMS revenues in Southeast Asia topped $20.7 billion in 2006 and are on track to reach $38.4 billion in 2013, Frost & Sullivan said today.
The region is benefiting from migration of multinational providers from the U.S. and Europe looking to reduce their manufacturing costs and underutilized capacity, says Frost.
EMS providers generally prefer making investments in larger markets such as China and locating near OEMs customers. However, with long-term growth expected, they are likely to set up or expand their existing bases in Southeast Asia to minimize the risks of concentrating on just a few geographical areas, says the firm.
Medium-volume products such as medical equipment and automotive electronics are seen as the better fit for Southeast Asia, since EMS providers will have sufficient volume to cover fixed costs. These products contain a high degree of IP specific to OEMs, thereby presenting a significant entry barrier for original design manufacturers (ODMs) and any new participants. Hence, specializing in low-volume products can prove advantageous to EMS providers in the long term, Frost reports.
EMS providers can also benefit from pursuing collaborative design with OEMs and share any IP created, rather than providing complete design services to prevent any conflict of interests. This arrangement can also provide EMS providers with the knowledge and skills gained during the design phase to the manufacturing phase of a product, reports Frost.
The region is benefiting from migration of multinational providers from the U.S. and Europe looking to reduce their manufacturing costs and underutilized capacity, says Frost.
EMS providers generally prefer making investments in larger markets such as China and locating near OEMs customers. However, with long-term growth expected, they are likely to set up or expand their existing bases in Southeast Asia to minimize the risks of concentrating on just a few geographical areas, says the firm.
Medium-volume products such as medical equipment and automotive electronics are seen as the better fit for Southeast Asia, since EMS providers will have sufficient volume to cover fixed costs. These products contain a high degree of IP specific to OEMs, thereby presenting a significant entry barrier for original design manufacturers (ODMs) and any new participants. Hence, specializing in low-volume products can prove advantageous to EMS providers in the long term, Frost reports.
EMS providers can also benefit from pursuing collaborative design with OEMs and share any IP created, rather than providing complete design services to prevent any conflict of interests. This arrangement can also provide EMS providers with the knowledge and skills gained during the design phase to the manufacturing phase of a product, reports Frost.
BOSTON -- 3Com Corp., once an icon of the high-flying tech industry, is going private. The company agreed to a $2.2 billion buyout by Bain Capital Partners in an all-cash deal announced Friday. The deal is expected to close next year.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Jabil on
Thursday night reported net profit of $11.7 million on a 3.3% gain in sales for its
fourth quarter.
NEENAH, WI -- A Plexus
Corp. plant in Penang, Malaysia, has received Food and Drug
Administration approval to make medical devices that meet Class III
performance standards.
The approvals brings to three the number of FDA-registered Plexus manufacturing
facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Malaysia, two of which are now approved to
manufacture Class III medical devices.
ALAMEDA, CA -- EMS providers will post an average compound annual growth rate of 11.9% over the
next five years, reaching $429 billion by 2010, Technology
Forecasters forecast today.
JACKSON, MI – An appeals court has tossed a $1.7 million judgment in favor of EMS provider Sparton Corp.
The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated a prior ruling in favor of Sparton in its lawsuit against Util-LINK LLC and National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative.
The Sixth Circuit also affirmed the lower court's decision denying NRTC relief on its $20 million counterclaim against Sparton.
Sparton said it would review the decision and that its claim still has merit.
Press Releases
- Surf-Tech Manufacturing Corp. Ensures World-Class Quality with Advanced Conformal Coating Services
- Luminovo Partners with Sluicebox to Offer an Industry-First Instant Product Carbon Footprint for Electronics
- The Assembly Show and SMTAI Announce Colocation in October
- SIA Applauds CHIPS Act Incentives for GlobalWafers Projects in Texas and Missouri