Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

News

LEXINGTON, KY – EMS provider SMC today announced plans to add 18,000 sq. ft. to their current 55,000 sq. ft. facility in Lexington. The added capacity will include 16,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and 2,000 sq. ft. of office space. In 2005, SMC completed an expansion of 18,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space at the same location.

ATLANTA - Technology Forecasters Inc. and Circuits Assembly will sponsor a Webinar, Emerging Markets for Electronic Manufacturers: A Closer Look at India and Vietnam, on April 12.

PORTLAND, OR – Intel Corp. invites suppliers to participate in a technology interchange in which the semiconductor company will share its vision and reveal its requirements for the supply chain. The event – Where Are We Going? Where Do We Need to Be? – will be held May 23 at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport.

Intel general manager of systems manufacturing technology development Martin Rausch will keynote the event, speaking on The Inevitable Transition to HDI.

Other topics to be discussed include underlying issues that must be overcome as the industry makes advances in package scaling and associated board density, and what needs to happen to create pull for HDI PCBs from the OEM and ODM communities.

Nine industry suppliers will outline the supply chain's abilities and present gap analyses in the areas of lamination, cost-effective microvias, metallization/etching, embedded passives, board-level underfill solutions, component size and spacing reductions, assembly equipment, rework and alternative alloys.

For more information, contact Susan Filz, SusanFilz@ipc.org.

Registration form:
http://www.ipc.org/3.0_Industry/3.5_Councils_Associations/3.5.0_IPC/3.5.0.1_Suppliers/intel-0507/intel0507-REG.pdf

TAIPEI -- Chi Mei Optoelectronics, Taiwan's second largest LCD maker, and Hon Hai announced plans to form a TV component joint venture

A Chi Mei spokeswoman said each company will contribute $14 million toward the new JV.

Hon Hai is the parent company of Foxconn, the world's largest EMS/ODM company.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Delta Group Electronics has purchased the assets of Sanford, FL-based electronics manufacturing services supplier Singletec Inc. No financial terms were disclosed.

SURREY, UK – Semiconductor growth will slow to 1% for the year, consulting firm BPA Consulting predicted today. The firm said the beginning of 2008 will mark the start of the next upswing, which will continue into early 2009.

SURREY, UK – The market for printable electronics subassemblies and components will top $1.7 billion this year, according to BPA Consulting estimates.

However, growth depends on improvements in materials and printing technology.

BOSTON -- Softer market conditions and high lift capacity eliminated most freight backlogs at major transit hubs around the world.

Fuel surcharges are drifting downward compared to last year. Carriers serving markets in China, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia reported lower fuel costs, says Trans Global Logistics, a global logistics provider.

The firm says most Asia sites anticipate demand for air lift to build this month as factories begin to increase production prior to the end of the March quarter.

NEENAH, WI -- Plexus is expanding its its European design center in Livingston, Scotland, and will add 19 workers to the 12 already employed.

The EMS provider received a £159,000 grant, which will help fund the positions.

JOHOR, MALAYSIA -- Demand for electronics products will boost Malaysia's manufacturing sectors by some 6.6% this year.

That's down a fraction from 2006 (7%), due to some first-half softness, but growth is expected to pick up in the second half.

The forecasts were included in Bank Negara Malaysia's 2006 Annual Report, released this week.

Several of the world's largest EMS provider have large factories in Malaysia.

NASHVILLE – Kyzen Corp. is now providing immediate online customer service support. Users can click on the Live Support icon at www.kyzen.com and be instantly connected to a service advisor. Online support is available when the Live Support Online icon is green. Visitors can choose from technical support or customer service and can type in technical questions, questions about orders, etc. A “Live Help” button connects users to a customer service agent, who will be able to check on orders, shipping documents and answer other related questions. A technical expert will be available from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT, M - F, and a customer service expert will be available from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT, M - F.

PALM BAY, FL -- Key Principal Partners has invested an undisclosed amount of additional capital in EMS firm MC Assembly, giving the private-equity division a majority stake in the company.

MC Assembly topped $200 million in sales last year, but has struggled against competition overseas. The company reportedly laid off 92 workers last June, and 52 workers the year before, when when the firm consolidated five buildings into one.