Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

News

BERLIN -- Hewlett-Packard Co. is cutting 5,900 jobs across Europe in an effort to reduce overhead costs.

About 1,500 jobs will be cut in Germany, where HP currently employs 9,000 workers.

The first layoffs will come next July and expected to continue through early 2007.

HP employs about 44,000 workers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

NEW YORK – More acquisitions are ahead for Dover Corp., the parent company of Dover Technologies. So said company executives during its annual investor conference today.

ORANGE, CA – Inspex Inc. has begun quickturn x-ray inspection services for PCBs, semiconductor packaging and assembly.

The firm handles inspection of BGA, QFPs and PLCC components on all types of assemblies, plus other semiconductor components, active and passive devices, multilayer PCBs, molded and encapsulated components, connectors and cables.

The company is capable of 24-hour turns, president Jay Adams said in a press release.

PORTSMOUTH, RI – International Manufacturing Services Inc., a manufacturer of thick film resistors and substrates, named Zully Alidina and RF Spectrum its representative in Canada.

RF Spectrum is based in Markham, Ontario.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The SMTA has issued a call for papers for the Medical Electronics Symposium. The event will be held in Minneapolis in the spring of 2006.

The deadline for abstracts is Nov. 4.

Medical electronics is worth some $50 billion and is one of the few industries still based largely in the
U.S. The conference will explore medical electronics devices, components, packaging and assembly for major categories such as: diagnostics, imaging, monitoring, life support, implantable products, personal monitor/delivery devices, and disposable electronics.

While each industry segment has different assembly needs and volumes ranging from one unit per month to millions per year, the conference will explore the differences and similarities of the production lines and operations. A key focus of the conference will be emerging and future advances in medical electronics as impacted by advances in semiconductors, sensors, microfluidics, optoelectronics, MEMS and nanotechnology.

Abstracts of 200-300 words should be sent to conference coordinator Melissa Serres at melissa@smta.org.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- The rapid rise in global energy prices, combined with a growing excess of manufacturing capacity, has prompted iSuppli to trim its forecast for 2005 semiconductor sales and to modify its longer-term outlook.

iSuppli cut its forecast for global semiconductor sales growth to 2.4% in 2005, reaching $232.7 billion.

POMONA, CA – Everett Charles Technologies has acquired Harbor Electronics Inc., a maker of circuit boards for semiconductor test applications. Financial terms were not disclosed.

MILPITAS, CA – Solectron Corp., a provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply chain services, has reported the resignation of executive vice president and CFO.

Kiran Patel is leaving Solectron to become CFO for Intuit Inc. Warren Ligan, senior vice president and corporate controller at Solectron, will fill Patel's role on an interim basis while an internal and external candidate search is conducted.

"Kiran has been a driving force in the transformation of Solectron and we thank him for his many contributions," commented Mike Cannon, president and CEO of Solectron. "Moving forward with Warren as interim CFO, we are assigning a proven performer from our strong internal team of financial professionals to this key position."

BERG, SWITZERLAND – Alphasem AG has sold its 250th Swissline die attach machine in North America, the company said today.

The second-generation machine for die attach and sort processes was introduced in 2001.

Alphasem is a supplier of packaging equipment to Intel, Infineon, Micron, IBM, Amkor and Texas Instruments.

HERNDON, VA — The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative consortium next month will sponsor a "state of the industry" forum on RFID technology.

The meeting is scheduled for Oct. 4, at Sun Microsystems in Newark, CA.

STUTENSEE-BLANKENLOCH, GERMANY – Test solutions provider Digitaltest has added a local distributor on South America. Macon SRL will provide sales and service representation for Digitaltest's range of in-circuit, flying probe and functional test equipment.

In a statement, Digitaltest's Hans Baka said, "Many of our global customers now require support on their doorsteps – a trend that has seen Digitaltest expand its presence in several key geographies over the last few years.”

BINGHAMTON, NY – Endicott Interconnect Technologies has selected the AdVantis and Polaris platforms from Universal Instruments Corp. for military product applications, Universal said today.

The companies said the platforms were selected in order to automate production of a chip carrier for a leading military supplier. The product features several hundred surface-mount components, several memory devices and a very large heat spreader, the companies said.

AdVantis is a flip chip placement system; Polaris handles multiple assembly processes, including dispensing and underfill.

EI is a spinoff from IBM and builds chip packages, printed circuit boards and electronics assemblies.