BANNOCKBURN, IL — The electronics industry is still riding the crest of the current growth cycle, according to new data from IPC. The trade group said the 167 companies worldwide participating in its statistical survey reported average quarterly sales growth of 8.4% in the fourth quarter of 2018. The firms’ average forecast for first quarter sales growth was 9.8%.

TAIPEI — Foxconn today reported March sales rose 7.9% year-over-year to NT$376.6 billion ($12.21 billion). Sales were up  from $8.16 billion in February.

SAN JOSE -- The SMTA Silicon Valley chapter will hold its first technical meeting of the year on Apr. 18 at Intel in Santa Clara.

PHOENIX -- Merck will acquire Versum Materials for $6.4 billion plus $570 million in debt, the German pharmaceutical giant announced today.

WUXI, CHINA -- Neways Electronics has moved to another building with its manufacturing facility in China.

LIBERTY LAKE, WA – Nordson Select has moved its headquarters and North American operations into a new facility here.  

MILPITAS, CA – The global semiconductor materials market grew 10.6% in 2018, propelling semiconductor materials revenue to $51.9 billion, eclipsing the previous high of $47.1 billion set in 2011, according to SEMI.

NEVADA CITY, CA – In 2018, the top 50 EMS companies worldwide recorded $333 billion in revenue, according to New Venture Research’s newsletter Manufacturing Market Insider, up 10.6% year-over-year.

NESS ZIONA, ISRAEL – Nano Dimension today announced the world’s first side-mounting technology for additively manufactured printed circuit boards (PCBs).

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nortech Systems today reported fourth quarter net sales rose 12.5% year-over-year to $28.8 million.

DETROIT -- SAE International has released the latest revision of the mitigation standard for mitigating counterfeit electronics parts in repaired products.

TAOYUAN CITY, TAIWAN -- MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions officially opened its $4 million Global Development Application Center here this week.