Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

News

LAGRANGE, OH – EMS provider Inservco Inc. has acquired Test Technology Manufacturing Services Inc. and will relocate the company to its Ohio headquarters. No financial details were disclosed.

EDINA, MN – The SMTA has announced its 5th annual Medical Electronics Symposium to be held Jan. 29-30 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

The 2008 program, previously held in Minneapolis, will now be co-located with the Nano-Technology Medical Device and Manufacturing Expo West.

This symposium will focus on medical electronics and medical device applications. The technical committee is soliciting abstracts from within the medical community that share up-to-date information about company electronics expertise, practices, technology and applications related to symposium topics.

Topics may include active and passive components; packaging and materials for medical electronics; assembly technology challenges; manufacturing/equipment requirements; barriers to entry for assembly; sensors/MEMS/nanotechnology; RoHS/WEEE impact on design; wireless telemetry; substrate materials for medical electronics; environmental constraints; emerging technologies for medical electronics; advanced cleanliness requirements; advanced packaging for medical electronics; medical device process development/improvement; battery technology, and more.

Please provide an abstract (300-word min.) on any relevant topic to Melissa Serres at melissa@smta.org no later than Aug. 31. Please include contact information (address, phone number, email address) and a paper title with your abstract submission.

Written papers are due Nov. 16.

Visit http://www.smta.org/education/symposia/symposia.cfm#medical for more information.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – Facing intense competition from LCDs in the consumer and business markets, plasma display panel manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace, according to iSuppli Corp.

Global PDP revenue will rise to $8.6 billion this year, up 11.8% year-over-year. Revenue will swell to $10.2 billion in 2008, up 18.5% from 2007 because of increased production of 50" and larger sizes, says the firm.

But, because of increased competition and continuous price pressure, the market will then undergo a revenue contraction, declining to $8.7 billion by 2011, says iSuppli.

Falling average selling prices are enabling PDPs to enjoy a growth phase in the consumer and business market, says the research firm. However, this growth period will be short-lived, with those same ASP declines causing market revenue to decline starting in 2009, following a peak in 2008.

According to iSuppli, declines in PDP ASPs are being driven by a number of factors, including increased competition forcing panel makers to reduce prices; larger PDP fab sizes boosting production efficiencies; improved manufacturing processes; declining costs for display materials; escalating competition from LCD and microdisplay-based rear-projection technologies.

Unit shipments will reach 23.6 million by 2011, rising at a CAGR of 18.6% from 2006.

MINNEAPOLIS – EMS provider Nortech Systems Inc. reported record net sales of $31.1 million for the second quarter, an increase of 19% year-over-year.

Operating income totaled $840,000, up 34% year-over-year. Net income of $367,500 was up 19% from the second quarter of 2006.

For the first half of the year, Nortech reported net sales of $59.1 million, an increase of 13% year-over-year. Operating income was $1.5 million, up 21%, while net income was $654,400, an increase of 14%.

BEIJING – China's IC output numbered 19.74 billion for the first half of the year, up 15.2% year-over-year, according to China's CCID Consulting.

Sales revenues totaled $8 billion, up 33.2% year-over-year, CCID says. However, this represents a fallback from the 48% growth in the first half of last year.

''China's IC industry will … enter a relatively stable development cycle,'' according to the firm. CCID says growth will drop to around 30% for the year, while sales revenues are expected to remain around $17.3 billion.

By the end of the year, China 's IC revenue is expected to account for more than 8% of the global industry, according to the firm.

SEOUL – A power outage at Samsung Electronics's manufacturing plant near Seoul forced a shutdown of several production lines; this could result in a slight decline in the supply of memory, published reports say.

The company said its Kiheung complex lost power after a malfunction at a transformer substation. A Samsung spokesperson said six of the 11 lines were shut down.

Samsung reported the factory would be back up to production within two days, but didn’t state the impact of lost time.

Samsung has 44% of the market share of memory chips, says iSuppli. The plant makes DRAM and NAND flash chips, used in portable devices.

Samsung estimates a loss of 15% for the third quarter; this could mean an 8% to 10% decline in memory for the overall market, triggering price increases, Samsung believes.

MUMBAI, INDIA – Haier’s India announced the acquisition of electronics manufacturer Daewoo Anchor Electronics.

India’s Daewoo Anchor, with 40 acres in Ranjangaon, Pune, will give Haier, the $13 billion Chinese manufacturer, access to manufacturing capability of TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines. Haier plans to upgrade the facility and create an R & D facility for its refrigerator range.

The capacity of the facility is estimated at 35,000 units. Haier will begin operating in two shifts. The facility is expected to house more than 500 workers at the onset.

Shi Zhiyuan, managing director, Haier Appliances (India), said, “Haier’s target is to become one of the prominent players in the Indian market in a few years.”

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Component manufacturer Kemet Corp. announced its acquisition of Arcotronics Italia S.p.A, agreeing to pay $24 million.

ATLANTA – UP Media Group Inc., parent company of Circuits Assembly, announced Joseph Fjelstad, founder and president of Verdant Enterprises, will deliver the keynote address at PCB Design Conference East 2007 in Durham, NC, on Oct. 23, at 11 a.m. in the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center.

Fjelstad’s keynote, titled "Robust Environmentally Friendly Electronics Assembly," will reveal a new electronics assembly process said to use no solder – eliminating many of the risks and reliability exposures associated with lead-free solders – and no conventional circuit boards.

The Reverse Interconnection Process embodies a new sequence of core processing technologies, and is achieved through direct copper-copper plate-up onto an inverted cast-in-place component-array platform. The process has demonstrated the conceptual potential for the manufacture of high-density, high-performance, high-reliability and environmentally (i.e., RoHS) compliant solutions for products ranging from consumer to mil-aero applications.

Founder and president of Verdant Electronics, Fjelstad has more than 35 years of experience in electronics interconnection and packaging in a variety of capacities, from chemist to process engineer and from international consultant to CEO.

The keynote is free to attend; however, registration and a badge are required for admission. To register online or find out more about the Oct. 21-26 show, visit www.pcbeast.com.

UPMG's 2008 conferences include PCB East 2008 on May 11-16 at the Holiday Inn Select & Convention Center in Tinley Park, IL, and PCB West 2008 on September 14-19 at the Marriott Santa Clara in Santa Clara, CA.

RICHARDSON, TX – TXP Corp., ODM for the telecommunications industry, announced revenue of $3.3 million in the second quarter, an increase of 70% year-over-year.

Operating loss was approximately $1.1 million, an increase of about 39% year-over-year.

The increase in operating loss primarily reflects the hiring of Siemens' former ONT development team, the company reports.

The company says it increased its customer base from 89 to 117 during the quarter.

KINGS PARK, NY – PCB manufacturers will see global revenues grow to more than $76 billion in 2012, up from more than $50 billion in 2007, reports Visant Strategies.

A newly published report, “Printed Circuit Board: World Outlook,” reviews industry changes and success story case studies.

Global revenues for PCBs are provided for many categories through 2012, such as HDI/Microvia PCBs; single, double and multi-layer PCBs; rigid, flex or rigid-flex PCBs; PCBs by end-product sector, and for PCBs using substrates such as Alumina, FR4, and Beryllium Oxide, among others.

The study is said to detail how regional shifts in PCB production and usage will continue through 2012. According to the report, the Asia-Pacific region will continue to expand in PCB production, as revenues for the region will increase by more than 60% from 2007 to 2012.