News
JACKSON, MI – EMS provider Sparton Corp. announced net sales for the fourth quarter were just shy of $51 million, up 0.9% year-over-year. The company reported a net loss of $1.63 million, reversing a $468,000 gain last year.
PALO ALTO, CA – Frost & Sullivan’s quarterly analyst briefing presentation on the North American medical EMS market will be held Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. EST.
Highlights of the briefing include a discussion of current and future industry trends, market drivers and challenges, says the firm.
EMS providers’ increased concentration in the medical device industry propelled market growth in 2006. Medical OEMs’ willingness to outsource and produce viable business relationships will boost their presence and permit the incorporation of additional service offerings from EMS companies, Frost says.
Primary drivers such as an aging population and technology innovation in medical devices will enable EMS providers to offer optimal solutions and penetrate key end-user segments.
“As more EMS providers penetrate the medical device industry, profit margins are likely to increase, and medical OEMs are likely to have more of a selection of distinguished suppliers,” says research analyst Julian Harris.
To participate, email Sara Villarruel at sara.villarruel@frost.com with the following information: full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail, address, city, state and country.
Highlights of the briefing include a discussion of current and future industry trends, market drivers and challenges, says the firm.
EMS providers’ increased concentration in the medical device industry propelled market growth in 2006. Medical OEMs’ willingness to outsource and produce viable business relationships will boost their presence and permit the incorporation of additional service offerings from EMS companies, Frost says.
Primary drivers such as an aging population and technology innovation in medical devices will enable EMS providers to offer optimal solutions and penetrate key end-user segments.
“As more EMS providers penetrate the medical device industry, profit margins are likely to increase, and medical OEMs are likely to have more of a selection of distinguished suppliers,” says research analyst Julian Harris.
To participate, email Sara Villarruel at sara.villarruel@frost.com with the following information: full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail, address, city, state and country.
MUNICH – Dr. Franz Josef Radermacher, head of the Research Institute for Application-Oriented Knowledge Processing, will keynote this year’s Productronica trade show.
Dr. Radermacher, who is also professor of informatics at Ulm University, will speak on the challenges of globalization, information society and sustainable development.
Radermacher, who holds Ph.D.s in mathematics and economics, will analyze current developments in population growth, social tensions in the global society, cultural conflicts and the aggravation of the worldwide ecological situation. He will illustrate the special role of electronics, computers and networks as the nervous system of humanity. He will provide a few future scenarios: the collapse of the biosphere, the "Brazilianization" of society, and the ideal balance. Finally, he will offer a possible initial solution toward implementing an eco-social global economy with the Global Marshall Plan.
He is one of the guiding forces behind the Global Marshall Plan Initiative aimed at harmonizing business interests with the environment, society and culture by creating an ecologically and socially compatible global economy.
For more information, visit www.productronica.com.
TEDDINGTON, UK – The higher the concentration of silver in a lead-free alloy, the better the performance at high frequencies.
That’s one finding of a just-released National Physical Laboratory report on vibration in lead-free alloys.
That’s one finding of a just-released National Physical Laboratory report on vibration in lead-free alloys.
WOODRIDGE, IL – EMS provider Morey Corp. last week unveiled a 27,500-sq.-ft. engineering development center with an eponymous name dedicated to new product and process development.
The Richard and Gene Morey Innovation Center incorporates laboratory and research facilities, as well as production equipment for electronics assembly.
The ceremony included introductions by VP Dana Morey, an address by president Scott Morey, and remarks by special guests, including U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam.
The center is named for the second generation of Moreys to run the company.
METHUEN, MA – EMS provider and BGA technology specialist Lightspeed Manufacturing has expanded its manufacturing and engineering area by one-third, the company announced.
The expansion was prompted by the demands of increased volume and a steady growth of orders, which have doubled in the past year, according to president Rich Breault.
In its latest expansion, Lightspeed added production equipment and an advanced BGA workstation. The company also added space for shipping and receiving, and expanded the overall area to keep its manufacturing operations separate. It also added an advanced documentation station to track customer products and technology changes.
Last year, Lightspeed added a third SMT manufacturing line.
The expansion was prompted by the demands of increased volume and a steady growth of orders, which have doubled in the past year, according to president Rich Breault.
In its latest expansion, Lightspeed added production equipment and an advanced BGA workstation. The company also added space for shipping and receiving, and expanded the overall area to keep its manufacturing operations separate. It also added an advanced documentation station to track customer products and technology changes.
Last year, Lightspeed added a third SMT manufacturing line.
HONG KONG – The peak season for airfreight is off to a slow start, says Trans Global Logistics.
Soft demand for space has been caused by a number of market conditions, including earlier shipping patterns influenced by China's decision to reduce export incentives; early shipping to avoid the perceived threat of a USWC labor disruption; proactive shipping to avoid west coast port congestion, and cautious holiday shopping projections by retailers that expect sub-prime mortgages to be reset at higher interest rates – and higher fuel costs, the company says.
Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, there has been adequate lift to meet demand, and transit times have been consistent with non-peak periods, says president Robert W. Mooney. On the other hand, fuel surcharges remain persistently high and could be poised for another period of upward adjustment, he continues. Some countries, including Korea and Thailand, have seen export volumes tail off in part because of the rising value of their local currencies.
Looking ahead, most carriers in the region are anticipating demand for space to build later this month and carry forward through October, says Mooney.
Specifically, in China, demand from the Shanghai area has been relatively strong since late August, and carriers have been able to impose rate increases, while transit times have degraded somewhat, says Trans Global.
In North Asia, demand for space is down from last year; however, air carriers in Taiwan and Hong Kong have begun imposing rate increases. ICN is reporting a backlog of trans-shipment cargo in the vicinity of 400 to 500 tons, and freight originating from Korea is being uplifted without delay, the company adds.
In the Indian subcontinent, there is sufficient space to meet demand; rates are stable, and transit times are consistent, except via Europe. Importers should keep an eye on the political situation in Pakistan and be mindful of the start of Ramadan, which will impact operations in Muslim countries, says Mooney.
Soft demand for space has been caused by a number of market conditions, including earlier shipping patterns influenced by China's decision to reduce export incentives; early shipping to avoid the perceived threat of a USWC labor disruption; proactive shipping to avoid west coast port congestion, and cautious holiday shopping projections by retailers that expect sub-prime mortgages to be reset at higher interest rates – and higher fuel costs, the company says.
Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, there has been adequate lift to meet demand, and transit times have been consistent with non-peak periods, says president Robert W. Mooney. On the other hand, fuel surcharges remain persistently high and could be poised for another period of upward adjustment, he continues. Some countries, including Korea and Thailand, have seen export volumes tail off in part because of the rising value of their local currencies.
Looking ahead, most carriers in the region are anticipating demand for space to build later this month and carry forward through October, says Mooney.
Specifically, in China, demand from the Shanghai area has been relatively strong since late August, and carriers have been able to impose rate increases, while transit times have degraded somewhat, says Trans Global.
In North Asia, demand for space is down from last year; however, air carriers in Taiwan and Hong Kong have begun imposing rate increases. ICN is reporting a backlog of trans-shipment cargo in the vicinity of 400 to 500 tons, and freight originating from Korea is being uplifted without delay, the company adds.
In the Indian subcontinent, there is sufficient space to meet demand; rates are stable, and transit times are consistent, except via Europe. Importers should keep an eye on the political situation in Pakistan and be mindful of the start of Ramadan, which will impact operations in Muslim countries, says Mooney.
And in Southeast Asia, most markets have adequate space to meet demand, although Vietnam and Malaysia have reported much tighter market conditions. All markets in this region must contend with slightly longer transit times through regional air hubs, according to Trans Global Logistics.
MADISON, WI – Thermo Fisher Scientific will distribute Edax’s electron backscatter diffraction systems, the companies announced. No other terms were disclosed.
OIM is used to analyze crystal orientations in a sample in research and production environments.
OIM is used to analyze crystal orientations in a sample in research and production environments.
SAN FRANCISCO – PC growth could surprise during the next several quarters – even assuming a modest slowdown in U.S. consumer demand, a leading analyst said today.
Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank Equity Research issued a 15% year-over-year unit estimate for 2007 and 13% for 2008.
Emerging markets (40% of global units) are becoming increasingly important to global PC demand and remain healthy because of growing penetration, he wrote in a research note.
Whitmore said the corporate PC cycle will accelerate into 2008 because of upgrades to Vista-ready hardware (50% of global units). As such, Dell provides significant upside opportunity resulting from improving corporate PC demand, its restructuring efforts and significant buybacks. Meanwhile, slowing U.S. consumer demand could disproportionately impact H-P (17% of total PC units). However, U.S. consumers purchase only 10% of the total PC volume, making it a less meaningful driver, he adds.
During the past several weeks, major semiconductor and disk drive vendors have pointed to broad-based strength in the PC market. Intel guided higher because of PC strength. Western Digital and Seagate also reported healthy PC unit demand. As a result of these and other supply chain checks, Whitmore believes the third quarter build was above normal seasonality, perhaps tracking as high as 20% sequentially, the company says.
While some of this undoubtedly resulted in some inventory growth, Whitmore says the combination of continued strength in international markets, no material slowdown in the U.S. consumer market as of yet, and the beginning stages of a corporate upgrade cycle are driving PC demand. As a result, the firm expects third quarter units to trend at least in line with normal seasonal growth.
Since 2003, PC units grew about 12% sequentially on average in the third quarter. DB’s current PC model calls for 12% sequential unit growth in the third quarter (or 15% year-over-year), which is in line with normal seasonality.
In the fourth quarter, the company expects the mix of growth to begin shifting, with stronger corporate and international demand to offset slower U.S. consumer demand. Any pickup in corporate PC demand should disproportionately favor Dell, while a softer consumer should disproportionately impact H-P, particularly low-end, Whitmore says.
While subprime/credit concerns raise valid questions regarding the health of U.S. consumer demand, the U.S. comprises only 27% of global PC units. Of the U.S. market, the consumer portion represents about 36% of units, or about 10% of global PC unit demand.
Consumer PC demand has been quite volatile in the past; particularly in 2005 – a year when the PC industry enjoyed 16% unit growth, Whitmore says. Meanwhile, the U.S. corporate market tends to be less volatile. After slowing considerably through 2006, it appears U.S. corporate growth is reaccelerating and may eclipse 10% unit growth in the second half of the year or in 2008.
Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank Equity Research issued a 15% year-over-year unit estimate for 2007 and 13% for 2008.
Emerging markets (40% of global units) are becoming increasingly important to global PC demand and remain healthy because of growing penetration, he wrote in a research note.
Whitmore said the corporate PC cycle will accelerate into 2008 because of upgrades to Vista-ready hardware (50% of global units). As such, Dell provides significant upside opportunity resulting from improving corporate PC demand, its restructuring efforts and significant buybacks. Meanwhile, slowing U.S. consumer demand could disproportionately impact H-P (17% of total PC units). However, U.S. consumers purchase only 10% of the total PC volume, making it a less meaningful driver, he adds.
During the past several weeks, major semiconductor and disk drive vendors have pointed to broad-based strength in the PC market. Intel guided higher because of PC strength. Western Digital and Seagate also reported healthy PC unit demand. As a result of these and other supply chain checks, Whitmore believes the third quarter build was above normal seasonality, perhaps tracking as high as 20% sequentially, the company says.
While some of this undoubtedly resulted in some inventory growth, Whitmore says the combination of continued strength in international markets, no material slowdown in the U.S. consumer market as of yet, and the beginning stages of a corporate upgrade cycle are driving PC demand. As a result, the firm expects third quarter units to trend at least in line with normal seasonal growth.
Since 2003, PC units grew about 12% sequentially on average in the third quarter. DB’s current PC model calls for 12% sequential unit growth in the third quarter (or 15% year-over-year), which is in line with normal seasonality.
In the fourth quarter, the company expects the mix of growth to begin shifting, with stronger corporate and international demand to offset slower U.S. consumer demand. Any pickup in corporate PC demand should disproportionately favor Dell, while a softer consumer should disproportionately impact H-P, particularly low-end, Whitmore says.
While subprime/credit concerns raise valid questions regarding the health of U.S. consumer demand, the U.S. comprises only 27% of global PC units. Of the U.S. market, the consumer portion represents about 36% of units, or about 10% of global PC unit demand.
Consumer PC demand has been quite volatile in the past; particularly in 2005 – a year when the PC industry enjoyed 16% unit growth, Whitmore says. Meanwhile, the U.S. corporate market tends to be less volatile. After slowing considerably through 2006, it appears U.S. corporate growth is reaccelerating and may eclipse 10% unit growth in the second half of the year or in 2008.
As a result of stronger corporate demand, Whitmore expects PC unit growth to accelerate from the low teens in the first half to the high teens in the second half of the year.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – After declining or remaining stable for the past six months, the average selling price for LCD-TVs rose significantly in July and remained at a higher level in August. But while the price increases have been a boon for LCD-TV makers, they are not expected to last, according to iSuppli Corp.
GLEN ALLEN, VA – Analyst NanoMarkets will hold a teleconference to present findings from a recent study on printed electronics manufacturing. The call will take place Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. EST.
The report includes a detailed capacity forecast for PE products broken out by applications and printing technology. The teleconference will present some of the key findings, including information about methodologies for forecasting PE production capacity; survey of current production activity; capacity forecast for printed display backplanes; capacity forecast for printed OLED and E-paper displays; capacity forecasts for printed RFID; capacity forecast for printed photovoltaics; capacity for other PE products, and opportunities for materials and equipment manufacturers and technology developers.
To register, visit http://www.nanomarkets.net.
The report includes a detailed capacity forecast for PE products broken out by applications and printing technology. The teleconference will present some of the key findings, including information about methodologies for forecasting PE production capacity; survey of current production activity; capacity forecast for printed display backplanes; capacity forecast for printed OLED and E-paper displays; capacity forecasts for printed RFID; capacity forecast for printed photovoltaics; capacity for other PE products, and opportunities for materials and equipment manufacturers and technology developers.
To register, visit http://www.nanomarkets.net.
FOUNTAIN, CO — Sanmina-SCI will close its electronics assembly plant here by year end, cutting a reported 319 jobs.
A Sanmina-SCI spokesman on Friday confirmed to Circuits Assembly that the plant would be closing. He declined to comment on the number of workers that would be affected.
However, the local Colorado Springs Gazette reported the firm revealed its plans in a letter to the town mayor, sent in accordance with federal rules governing job cuts. The cuts would begin Nov. 10, the paper reported.
At its peak, the 250,000 sq. ft. plant employed 1,000 workers, the paper said.
The company has slowly been reducing its head count in North America this summer. In late August, Sanmina-SCI reportedly laid off more than 100 workers at its Rapid City, SD, plant.
Ed.: Updated Sept. 17.
A Sanmina-SCI spokesman on Friday confirmed to Circuits Assembly that the plant would be closing. He declined to comment on the number of workers that would be affected.
However, the local Colorado Springs Gazette reported the firm revealed its plans in a letter to the town mayor, sent in accordance with federal rules governing job cuts. The cuts would begin Nov. 10, the paper reported.
At its peak, the 250,000 sq. ft. plant employed 1,000 workers, the paper said.
The company has slowly been reducing its head count in North America this summer. In late August, Sanmina-SCI reportedly laid off more than 100 workers at its Rapid City, SD, plant.
Ed.: Updated Sept. 17.
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