Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

News

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.

ROME, NY -- The Electrostatic Discharge Association has revised its standard for designing, implementing and maintaining an ESD control program. ANSI/ESD S20.20-2007 covers the protection of electrical or electronic parts, assemblies and equipment susceptible to ESD damage from human discharges of 100V or more. and is available for download at www.esda.org.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Video surveillance is expanding rapidly because of a rise in security needs and technological innovations, according to iSuppli. Global video surveillance camera revenue is forecast to grow to more than $9 billion by 2011, a CAGR of 13.2%, from $4.9 billion in 2006. Meanwhile, video surveillance unit shipments will more than double to 65.7 million units in 2011, a CAGR of 17.1% from 29.8 million units last year.

“With the emergence of networked IP video surveillance cameras and IP video servers—along with the rising use of DVRs — video surveillance is moving beyond traditional security and into new applications such as transportation, retail, government and even home networking,” said Mark Kirstein, vice president of multimedia content and services at iSuppli. “This expansion is being helped considerably by the idea of networked video surveillance … Because of this, IP cameras will experience continued growth in surveillance, displacing existing closed circuit TV cameras with modern technology that can be networked into larger security systems,” Kirstein added.

Telecom operators are expected to offer IP video surveillance as a value-added consumer broadband service, says iSuppli. The firm predicts 2011 will be the first year that IP cameras overtake CCTV cameras as the dominant equipment in video surveillance.

iSuppli projects the market for surveillance-camera semiconductors will hit $1.25 billion in 2011, more than double the $525 million in 2006. A major shift in semiconductor revenue likely will be propelled by a trend to IP cameras, the company believes. Sales of video processor and interface chips, such as Ethernet, Power over Ethernet and Wi-Fi will grow dramatically. However, spending on image sensors are predicted to fall off based on relentless price declines and accelerated adoption of less-expensive CMOS image sensors.

SAN JOSE – Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment totaled $40.47 billion in 2006, a 23% year-over-year increase, SEMI reported today.

"The worldwide semiconductor equipment industry resumed strong growth in 2006 as the robust memory chip market and continued transition to 300mm wafers fueled sales of manufacturing technology," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI.

ST. LOUIS -- LaBarge Inc. has received additional orders totaling $4.4 million from Modular Mining Systems for electronic assemblies used in mine information management systems. The company expects to receive follow-on orders.

SUNNYVALE, CA -- Palm Inc. might be a takeover target, with speculation high that the firm could be bought by private equity firms or even Motorola.

The maker of handheld computers could fetch a price as high as $2 billion, according to several reports.

SIEVI, FINLAND -- Scanfil PLC, the second largest EMS group in the Nordic region, today announced manufacturing operations at its Oulu plant will end this summer while those at its Äänekoski plant will be transferred to other units by end of September. A total of 95 workers will be laid off.

Scanfil's EMS operations had 2006 sales of about 240 million euros.