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News

BANBURY, UK - General Hybrid UK, a contract electronics manufacturer, has been purchased by a group of its executives and will change its name to Copernica.

The new management group is led by former general manager Alan Longland. Most of the staff will be retained, according to news reports.

The company designs and manufactures thick-film hybrid circuits, PCB assemblies and high-voltage resistors. It also distributes some components.

It was formerly part of the HiDensity Group, a Swiss company.

CANNES, France - Flextronics and Microsoft Corp. have codeveloped a GSM/GPRS mobile phone platform based on Windows Mobile software. The companies announced the new software today at the 16th annual 3GSM World Congress.

Called Peabody, the new platform offers OEMs access to more than 18,000 applications for product line customization. Applications include messaging, music, video, pictures and gaming.

"As mobile phones become increasingly customized consumer products, OEMs are under pressure to produce low-cost, feature-rich phones that address the demands of this growing market," said Tom Deitrich, vice president of ODM Products, Flextronics.

HOLDEN, MA -A pair of longtime New England printed circuit board makers have merged, the companies announced.

EPEC has purchased the primary assets of ECC, including the customer accounts. Both companies make quickturn prototype PCBs.

In a press release, ECC president and CEO Paul Johnson said, "I am confident this opportunity will enhance our customer support, from new product introduction through volume production."

EPEC was founded in 1952; ECC in the early 1950s.

HERNDON, VA - A leading electronics manufacturing consortium will release the its latest technology roadmap next week during an industry conference in Anaheim, CA.

iNEMI is also planning several gap analysis meetings to discuss findings and prioritize needs for system-in-package, board assembly and substrates, environmentally conscious electronics, and product lifecycle information management, the trade group said today.

Jim McElroy, executive director and CEO of iNEMI, will discuss the roadmap in a Feb. 24 keynote.

iNEMI says the roadmap is its most extensive to date, with 26 chapters that cover seven product sectors and 19 technology, infrastructure and business practice areas. New are chapters on SiP; medical products; networking, datacom and telecom products; and sensors. The roadmap will be available March 1.

The roadmap addresses shifts and needs in technology, infrastructure and business practices.

iNEMI says the new version is significant for its global development. Some 470 individuals from 220 organizations in 11 countries worked on the roadmap.

"Globalization demands that we think beyond continental boundaries as we consider future technology deployment and research needs," says McElroy. "It's important that we focus globally as we identify the gaps that could potentially impede progress of the electronics manufacturing industry worldwide."

The iNEMI roadmap compares technology trends with anticipated product needs, and identifies "gaps" and "showstoppers" that are potential threats to industry advancements. Gap analysis meetings, such as the ones scheduled at APEX, stimulate in-depth discussions among individuals from various segments of the industry to develop action plans that will address industry needs and help close the gaps identified by the roadmapping process. Four of the iNEMI Technology Integration Groups (TIGs) will hold gap meetings at APEX: Board Assembly and Substrates (jointly), Environmentally Conscious Electronics, Product Lifecycle Information Management (PLIM) and the newly formed System-in-Package (SiP) TIG.

"These gap analysis meetings are a very important part of our process," said McElroy. "Our biennial roadmaps identify industry needs, then we follow up with in-depth gap discussions to identify areas where we can collaboratively address needs and goals through R&D, innovation, deployment and standards development."

During the week, other iNEMI meetings include a report on a three-year project to develop lead-free assembly and rework processes for large and thick boards.

Stratham, NH - Vitronics Soltec's 2005 lead-free soldering seminar tour is now accepting registrations online. The free, day-long seminars are planned in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil during April, May and June 2005.

The tour is based on the "5 Steps to Lead-Free Implementation" program developed by the company's Technology Group in 2001. It covers wave, reflow and selective soldering processes.

The seminar schedule is as follows:
April 2005
05 - Tampa, FL
06 - Columbus, OH
07 - Toronto, Canada
12 - Seattle, WA
13 - San José, CA
14 - San Diego, CA
19 - Guadalajara, Mexico
20 - Juarez, Mexico
21 - Chihuahua, Mexico

May 2005
10 - Reynosa, Mexico
11 - Dallas, TX
12 - Detroit, MI
17 - Bloomington, MN
18 - Kenosha, WI
19 - Indianapolis, IN
24 - Long Island, NY
25 - Marlborough, MA

June 2005
14 - Manaus, Brazil
16 - Campinas, Brazil

To find out more, visit www.vitronics-soltec.com.

GELDERN -- After less than a year, Germany's two largest PCB manufacturers have dissolved a joint sales, marketing and production deal.

In a press release today, Fuba and Ruwel said they have also withdrawn a corporate holding company. The companies joined forces just last year.

As a reason the companies cited differences in views on the strategic alignment.

JACKSON, MI - Sparton Electronics reported December quarter sales of $34.5 million, up 3.9% year-over-year. Net income was $453,000, reversing a loss of $1.52 million last year.

For the second half of 2004, sales rose 14.4% to $79.7 million. Second half net income was $2.9 million, vs. a loss of $3.7 million.

For the quarter, gross margins were 10%, up from 4.3% last year.

KENOSHA, WI — Promation Inc. has been selected by Dynalab to provide all of its automated handling, manual assembly and work bench solutions. Dynalab recently expanded to a new 18,000 sq. ft. production facility.

Dynalab electronics manufacturing services include through-hole and surface-mount PCB assembly, wire harness and cable assembly, insert molding, and electromechanical assembly. The company also supplies proprietary continuity test equipment to the general electronics, automotive and telecommunications industries.

LOUISVILLE -- Sypris Solutions today said cost overruns led to a fourth-quarter loss of $1.5 million, despite a 56% hike in revenue to a record $121.7 million.

The company earned a profit of $3.4 million the Q4 2003.

For the year, net income was $7.4 million, down $700,000. Revenue rose 54% to a record $425.4 million.

The fourth quarter proved to be extremely difficult," said Jeffrey T. Gill, president and chief executive, in a statement. "The record increase in revenue was overshadowed by cost overruns that were incurred to increase manufacturing capacity, launch new programs and respond to shortages in material during a period of escalating customer demand."

Gill said he expected the problems to be rectified in the first six months of 2005.

"The outlook for continued growth remains positive, with net orders increasing 30% to $129.7 million during the quarter, resulting in an increase in net orders of 48% to a record $476.4 million," Gill said.

Backlog rose 26% to $249.8 million at the end of 2004, while new contract awards increased to a record $1.5 billion, from $639 million for the prior year.

Sypris Solutions is a diversified provider of technology-based outsourced services, including electronics manufacturing.

Revenue from its electronics group was $46.4 million in the fourth quarter, down 13% year-on-year and up 16% sequentially. The company launched new programs for aerospace and defense during the quarter. Gross profit declined to $6.2 million from $11.1 million last year and 8% sequentially.

For the year, electronics revenue fell 9% to $165 million, primarily reflecting lower shipments of federal data storage products and circuit card assemblies for an attack helicopter program and an end-of-life missile program. The company did see a 17% increase in revenue from test and measurement services. Gross profit declined to $28.4 million, from $36.3 million in 2003.

ATLANTA -- A call for abstracts was issued today for PCB Design Conference East, the leading event for PCB design and manufacuturing on the East Coast.

PCB East will be held Oct. 10 to 14, at The Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH. It is produced by UP Media Group, and sponsoredby by Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture and Circuits Assembly.

Papers or presentations are being sought for the technical conference on such topics as:

- High speed, high frequency and signal integrity
- Lead-free processes and their effect on PCB design
- Impedance and crosstalk control
- EMI/EMC analysis
- Embedded passives and active devices
- Thermal analysis
- RF and microwave
- Packaging and components
- Area arrays
- FPGA design and implementation
- Flexible circuitry
- HDI design and technologies
- PCB design/layout techniques
- Component library creation and management
- Design for manufacture, test and assembly
- Design (including analog, digital and power supplies)
- PCB fabrication
- Soldering
- Surface finishes
- Industry forecasts
- Business and design/supply chain issues.

Papers will be 30-minutes in length, while lectures will be one hour, workshops two hours, and seminars 3.5 hours. Also sought: presentations for a Professional Development Curriculum of one- and two-day tutorials.

Abstracts of 100 to 300 words are due March 4. Visit www.pcbeast.com to submit online, or send via email to Andy Shaughnessy, ashaughnessy@upmediagroup.com.

The PCB East conference and exhibition is for designers and manufacturers of printed circuit boards and semiconductor packages.

OYSTER BAY, NY -- The automotive market has just begun to witness the emergence of onboard camera systems, primarily used for such applications as lane departure warning, and more safety features are ahead, a new study says.

In addition to watching the road ahead, automotive cameras will also be used to monitor the driver and occupants for several new safety applications over the next few years, according to ABI Research.

Onboard cameras are the predominant technologies earmarked for driver monitoring. Through the use of specialized algorithms, these cameras will monitor the driver and check for conditions of distraction or drowsiness. Cameras will also be used for occupant detection as part of next-generation airbag systems.

"We are expecting a new dynamic testing procedure to be released by NHTSA this year in the U.S., which will act as a catalyst towards the adoption of optics-based occupant detection systems, as well as other leading-edge technologies," said Robert Laguerra, senior analyst, in a press release. "This will significantly impact all automakers looking to sell to this market."

The major advantages of camera-based occupant detection systems over current pressure/weight sensor-based systems are in improving occupant classification and position-sensing (Is this an adult? a child? a suitcase?), and in dynamically suppressing airbag deployment.

This can save lives and decrease costs, ABI says, because the number of airbags in a vehicle has increased so much that it may soon cost more to replace all the deployed airbags in a vehicle than just to buy a new car.

DES PLAINES, IL -- SMT and business expert Tony Longo will talk on impending environmental legislation requirements at an IMAPS meeting in Chicago next week.

Longo, a senior market development engineer at Kester, will present on developing a lead-free roadmap that complies with RoHS, the European mandate that restricts hazardous substances such as lead and some bromines.

The meeting will be held Feb. 15 at the Silver Stallion Restaurant in Des Plaines. The presentation starts at 7 p.m.

Longo is an SMTA certified process engineer with 14 years of SMT experience, a bachelor's in manufacturing technology and an MBA in international business.

For more information: imaps.org/chapter/chicago/index.htm.