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News

PALO ALTO, CA -- Verigy Pte. Ltd., the semiconductor test subsidiary of Agilent Technologies, has filed for an initial public offering.

The filing of an S-1 Registration Statement through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) moves Agilent a step closer to spinning off its semiconductor test business (including its system-on-chip and memory test solutions) and becoming a pure-play measurement company, as the company announced last August.

There's little to fear in the proposed U.S.-Malay free trade agreement, writes Mike Buetow.

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Columbus, OH – Market research firm Bishop & Associates will offer its recent connector industry report through its Website (bishopinc.ecnext.com)

The report, “Connector Types and Technologies Poised for Growth”, addresses 20 specific connector types that are expected to experience greater than average growth from 2006 to 2010. It also reviews technologies currently driving the market, emerging technologies that are poised to influence connector design and market trends that are changing the way electronic connectors are used.

Readers can also purchase individual chapters of the report.

HELSINKI -- Elcoteq, Europe's largest EMS company, is in negotiations with workers from several of its Finland plants over possible layoffs.

Elcoteq met this week with personnel representatives of its Lohja manufacturing plant to discuss layoffs that would affect, per company estimates, at most 120 workers, or 13.7% of Elcoteq's Finnish workforce.

BANGALORE – India’s embryonic EMS sector is preparing for a breakout, based on recent forecasts from various market watchers.

The Indian EMS industry will be worth $4 billion by 2010, growing over 30% annually, says the Electronics Component Industries Association (Elcina), a group of some 280 domestic electronics manufacturers.

Research firm iSuppli pegs the market at somewhat smaller, estimating contract assembly in India will increase 21% each year to $2.03 billion in 2009, from $935 million last year.

Among the EMS firms that are growing in India are Jabil Circuit and Celestica, which are acquiring Indian companies, and Hon Hai, which recently committed $110 million in investments over the next five years.

Driving investment are the telecom and computing sectors.

The number of telephone users is forecast to rise to 22 per 1000 by end 2007, from the current level of nine per 1000.

Also, computer peripherals are forecast to grow 23% annually through 2009.

Consumer electronics are expected to rise 18% per year during that span.

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Raven Industries today reported record sales and earnings for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2006. Net sales rose 22% to $204.5 million and net income climbed 36% to $24.3 million.

For the fourth quarter, net sales were up 24% to $54.4 million while net income jumped 50% to $5.5 million. Raven makes various end products and films, and performs electronics manufacturing services.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nortech Systems Tuesday reported record net sales of $23.7 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2005, up 16% over 2004. Operating income was $830,973, and net income was $430,571, both up 112% over last year.

HERNDON, VA — iNEMI’s High-Reliability RoHS Task Force has published recommendations for Pb-free manufacturing of complex, thermally challenging electronic assemblies. The recommendations focus on thermal requirements for components, laminate and PWB materials, and equipment.

Most high-reliability products either have an exemption or are out of scope of the RoHS Directive, yet the companies that manufacture these products are evaluating the impact of Pb-free SAC solder assembly on the reliability of these more demanding applications. Complex high-reliability assemblies often feature broad component mixes and pose many thermal challenges. Pb-free assembly challenges are exacerbated by the variability of component mass, large size and high layer count of PWBs, the need to rework, and the high likelihood of mixed through-hole, surface-mount and back-side assembly.

“New soldering materials, maximum qualified component temperatures and primary attach and/or rework equipment all need to be addressed relative to reliability in the face of Pb-free assembly requirements,” said Joe Smetana, principal engineer, advanced technology, for Alcatel and co-chair of the iNEMI High-Reliability RoHS Task Force. “These recommendations were developed to communicate the needs of the high reliability segment to the supply chain and the relevant standards groups that must address these needs.”

The recommendations are available at inemi.org/cms/projects/ese/High_Rel_RoHS.html

Earnings reports are coming out this week for the mid-size EMS companies and the early results range from good to excellent.

View Mike Buetow's comments at http://circuitsassembly.com/blog/.

Teddington, UK -- David Hillman and Doug Pauls will present a class on “Crafting a Lead-Free Solder Process” at the National Physical Laboratory on June 21. The course covers the necessary elements to develop a robust, high-reliability, Pb-free manufacturing process.

Hillman is a metallurgical engineer in the Advanced Operations Engineering Department of Rockwell Collins. Pauls is a principal materials and process engineer, working on troubleshooting current manufacturing process and development of new materials and processes.

Topics will include: the metallurgy of Pb-free; finish on boards and components; effects on organic materials from higher reflow temperatures – laminates, solder masks, adhesives, fluxes, process aids; assembly equipment considerations; cleaning of Pb-free residues; testing for residues; reliability testing and case studies; process characterization and qualification; environmental waste stream considerations.

To sign up for the course, contact Roger Hughes, Roger.Hughes@npl.co.uk.

TORONTO -- A top executive at Celestica Inc. on Monday suggested to an investor conference that a large acquisition is possible in the company's future.

Celestica treasurer Paul Nicoletti said the EMS firm sees "pretty sizable" opportunities, telling the audience, "I would say right now the opportunities, call it organic-slash-acquisition, are as high now as they've been over the last couple of years."

ATLANTA -- In his blog today, Dr. Brian Toleno of Henkel reminds users to profile adhesives and underfills as they would solder pastes.

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