GREENVILLE, SC -- Kemet Corp., a leading manufacturer of tantalum and ceramic capacitors, late Wednesday said Jeffrey A. Graves resigned as chief executive and as a director. No reason was made public.

The company tabbed James P. McClintock, president and chief operating officer, and David E. Gable, vice president and chief financial officer, to handle CEO responsibilities on an interim basis.

The board is actively seeking a new CEO.

Last week the company posted wider-than-expected losses of $38.9 million amid declining revenues and inventory problems.

DALLAS, Jan. 25 -- Integrated Performance Systems, a holding company for printed circuit board manufacturers, will consolidate its operations into its Wylie, TX, plant.

The 101,000 sq. ft. Wylie plant is home to Lone Star Circuits, which IPS acquired last November in what is considered a reverse takeover.

The company said it would close its PC Dynamics manufacturing plant located in Frisco, TX. PC Dynamics is a wholly owned subsidiary of IPFS.

The firm said it has begun duplicating processes at its Wylie site and should have all of the new lines running within the next eight weeks.

OYSTER BAY, NY  -- This decade will witness an unprecedented level of growth in the electronics content of an automobile. This trend will be the result of a barrage of emerging advanced automotive safety, engine, infotainment and chassis control technologies, according to the findings of a new study from ABI Research.

Robert LaGuerra states that differing factors around the world are driving this growth for automotive-specific semiconductors. For example, in Europe and Asia, smaller engines are the norm and there is a defined need to match their performance with those of larger displacement engines. To maximize the performance of these smaller engines, advanced engine management technologies including displacement on demand, variable valve timing and direct fuel injection are being aggressively rolled out in these regions.

The same is happening in the U.S., although this is predominantly due to rising fuel costs and CAFE standards. More specifically, new government legislation mandates that automakers must implement advanced airbag safety systems and tire pressure monitoring systems into future car lines.

LaGuerra cautions, "Automotive processors are proliferating, but in some applications adding too many components that are intended to make the car more reliable, may actually reduce reliability." He adds that in some situations, the industry will actually look to simplify things using fewer, heavier-duty processors.

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 25 -- The SMTA and Auburn University are seeking papers for an upcoming workshop on electronics for harsh environments. The event takes place June 28-29, in Indianapolis.

Abstracts of 200-300 words are due to conference coordinator Kristin Nafstad (kristin@smta.org) by March 1. Written papers are not required.