BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American printed circuit board shipments in April increased 3% year-over-year, says IPC. Orders fell 5.6% compared to April 2010.

CHENGDU, CHINA – Combustible dust in an air duct at a polishing workshop caused Foxconn’s explosion in China this month that killed three workers and injured 15, say published reports.

The firm since instituted a partial shutdown of the plant here, raising concerns about supply disruptions for some Apple products, including the iPad.

The explosion could cause a loss of production of 500,000 iPad 2 tablets during the second quarter, according to IHS iSuppli. A Shenzhen factory may not be able to compensate for the Chengdu disruption, the research firm says.

BUCKS, UK – A July 5 SMART Group webinar will cover all aspects of printed circuit boards, from specifications to materials to quality assurance.

Topics include writing a suitable PCB specification; relevant international standards; laminate types; solder finishes; solder mask; flex and flexi-rigid requirements; quality control; inspection; common defects and how to find and avoid them, and the importance of assessing supplier capability.

The webinar will be presented by users involved in commercial and high reliability electronics assemblies. They have experience controlling and assessing quality, purchasing, and dealing with design and production issues associated with PCBs.

The SMART Group is a UK-based trade association that promotes the use of SMT assembly.

To register, visit http://www.smartgroup.org/images/stories/webinars/PCBSpecification2011.pdf.

BLOOMINGTON, MN -- All Flex Flexible Circuits has increased its footprint and manufacturing capacity by some 30% as demand grows for its flexible printed circuits.

HONG KONG -- VTech's EMS unit reported sales of $389.7 million for its fiscal year ended March 31, up 39% from a year ago.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The University of Virginia, Old Dominion University and the College of William & Mary are planning a research center to develop the next generation of electronics.

The Virginia Nanoelectronics Center will conduct research to produce faster, smaller and cheaper computer devices for multiple end products, including automobiles and energy-efficient homes.

The center will be affiliated with the UVA’s Institute for Nanoscale and Quantum Scientific and Technological Advanced Research.

The Nanoelectronics Research Initiative, the Virginia Microelectronics Consortium and the three schools will provide initial funding.

CHENGDU, CHINA – An unidentified 20-year-old male Foxconn worker committed suicide by jumping off a building here today, according to local reports.

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA – Universal Instruments has relocated its European headquarters here.

The new office will provide service and support across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria.                                           

The office will also provide technical support and improved access to the customer order center for the firm’s 16 representatives/distributors and other customers across Europe. In addition, it will feature a demo room to accommodate product demonstrations and training classes.

EL SEGUNDO – The Japan earthquake and tsunami in March had limited impact on semiconductor companies in the first quarter of 2011, as a result of an inventory buildup from the previous five quarters, says IHS iSuppli.

NEW YORK -- Flextronics yesterday said it would lower its emphasis on its notebook PC business, which is seeing falling revenues and operating losses, while ramping its focus on higher-margin industrial products.

SMYRNA, GA – PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB today announced it is accepting entries for its Fall 2011 New Product Introduction Award (NPI) for printed circuit board design software suppliers.

HONG KONG -- Surface Mount Technology (Holdings) Ltd. has named a restructuring advisor to aid with its debt and corporate restructuring.