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News

New Tripoli, PA – High demand for digital consumer and mobile applications is driving demand for high-density packages, according a recent report by The Information Network. The group projects total HDP market growth of 32% in 2005, reaching 1.5 billion units.

“High-density packages result in a smaller overall package when compared to packaged components performing the same function,” said Dr. Robert N. Castellano, president. “They are ideal for small portable devices such as cellphones, digital audio and Bluetooth-enabled products.”

The report projects 21% growth in 2006, to 1.8 billion units.

The HDP was dominated by the Communications sector in 2003, which held a 82.9% share, followed by the Consumer sector with an 11% share. These sectors are predicted to rise 76.4% and 18%, respectively, by 2008.

System-in Package (SiPs) represented 61.1% of the MCM-L market in 2003 but will grow to a 72.9% share in 2008.

“From a technical perspective there is indeed a difference between MCM, MCP and SiP in the incorporation of passive components,” added Dr. Castellano. “From a market analysis perspective, there really is no differentiation among these three terms due to the commonality of advantages, namely: small size, lower cost of ownership, enhanced electrical performance and reduced time to market.”

FRANKLIN, MA –Speedline Technologies’ recent award of seven new U.S. patents lifts the company’s total above 400, 150 of which are active. The company has another 90 patents pending.

The recently awarded patents involve:
* "Apparatus for Calibrating a Dispensing System"
* “Filtration of Flux Contaminants"
* "Needle Cleaning System"
* "Reflow Soldering Apparatus and Method for Selective Infrared Heating"
* "Selective Gas Knife for Wave Soldering"
* "System and Method for Controlling a Conveyor System Configuration to
Accommodate Different Size Substrates"
* "System and Method for Detecting Defects in Printed Solder Paste"

“At Speedline Technologies, ‘process knowledge leader’ is more than a positioning statement – it is our vision and passion,” said Dr. Gerald Pham-Van-Diep, director of advanced development. “But even more importantly, our commitment extends past the R&D process – through implementation.”

Patented Speedline innovations include: Look up and down vision probe technology; Parallel processing within the printer; Inspection techniques within printers and dispensers; Pressurized printing technologies; Accurate dispensing technologies; Reflow and flux management techniques; and Debridging techniques in wave soldering machines.

Speedline Technologies, speedlinetech.com

CAMBRIDGE, MA, and CHICAGO- Electronics distributor Newark InOne has launched a Punchout/Roundtrip site for its eProcurement customers, offering access to more than 2.1 million electronic products and improved capabilities such as parametric search, advanced search, navigation by attributes and a BOM upload.

The new search capabilities, powered by Endeca (endeca.com), produce results that can be compared and sorted by desirable dimensions, attributes or criteria. Presented in a familiar parametric search interface, the search engine allows design engineers and buyers to find products and avoid the pitfalls of traditional parametric solutions.

The solution is part of Endeca’s recently launched Manufacturing & Distribution Search Solutions, a combination of information retrieval applications and services expertise tailored for manufacturing and supplier environments.

Simi Valley, CA – View Engineering has acquired the assets of privately held Micro-Metric, hoping to strengthen its core capabilities in electronic assembly and data storage, and extending the company’s offerings into nanometerology.

No changes in management or staffing of either company are planned. Micro-Metric will continue to operate from its headquarters in San Jose.

TROY, MI -- Months after posting staggering first-half net losses of $741 million, Delphi Corp., the largest maker of auto parts in North America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Saturday. The company plans to slash manufacturing operations in the U.S.

BINGHAMTON, NY – Universal Instruments Corp. will cut 30 staff from its Binghamton headquarters and move nearly 20 software engineering jobs from Bangalore to Binghamton as part of a company-wide restructuring. The moves are due to lower than expected business volumes, the company said in a press release today.

Minneapolis, MN -- The SMTA has added four new board members to serve three-year terms. New to the board are: Dr. Dan Baldwin, Engent; Dr. Denis Barbini, Vitronics-Soltec; Jim Kuehn, Tyco Electronics Automation Group; and Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee, Indium Corp. of America.

They will join these existing members: president David Raby, STI Electronics; VP technical programs Dr. Ken Gilleo, ET-Trends; VP communications Steve Greathous, Intel Corp.; secretary Irene Sterian, Celestica; Planning Committee chairperson Bill Barthel, Plexus Corp.; and Planning
Committee members Dick Russell, Phoenix Designs; Emmanuel "Manno" Siméus, Raytheon Missile Systems; and Dr. Laura Turbini, University of Toronto.

Wilsonville, OR – Not long ago, the cycle lead time at Tier 1 automakers was as much as four years for a new vehicle platform. The times they are a-changing.

Typical cycle times have been slashed to 24 months this year, with further reductions in store. According to data from supplied by Mentor Graphics (mentor.com), the new goal is 12 months by 2010, with some companies targeting as few as eight.

Meanwhile, electronics content of vehicles continues to rise. Boosted by new telematics and safety systems, auto electronics content is forecast to reach 40% of the total new car price by 2010, up from 23% last year, say IC Insights (icinsights.com) and Infineon (infineon.com).

BOSTON – Amphenol Corp. continued its mini acquisition spree today, agreeing to buy Teradyne Inc.’s Connection Systems division for $390 million in cash.

The deal is set to close in 30 to 60 days, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.

BUDAPEST – The Hungarian unit of Flextronics Intl. will overhaul its product line after two unnamed global mobile phone companies suspended their handset orders, general manager Janos Lang reportedly told the Hungarian daily paper Napi Gazdasag.

New products will include global positioning system devices, naval navigation equipment and digital broadcasting devices. The company hopes to fully recover lost manufacturing capacities in a year, according to Lang. The company laid off some 900 staff after it lost the phone orders.

ROSEVILLE, CA -- International DisplayWorks, a manufacturer and designer of liquid crystal displays, modules and assemblies, today announced an initial order worth up to $5 million next year from a new customer to provide monochrome displays for three proprietary VoIP telephone models.

The customer, a leading communication system and services provider, reported about $4 billion in revenues last year, IDW said.

Shipments are scheduled to begin in the first fiscal quarter; IDW estimates the deal would be worth $3 million to $5 million during the next fiscal year, subject to end-market demand.

"This represents a new relationship for IDW with a large, rapidly growing communication products and services leader," said Tom Lacey, IDW chairman, in a statement.

SHANGHAI -- In what is sure to send cold chills through those who bring back dozens of black-market DVDs from trips to China, the nation has announced plans to develop its own next-generation DVD standard to break the monopoly of foreign companies and avoid paying heavy licensing fees.