BANGKOK – Electronics manufacturer SVI Public Company Ltd. reported fourth-quarter 2010 gross profit of $8.4 million, up 23% year-over-year, and up 11% sequentially.

KIRKLAND, QUEBEC – In a rebound from depressed 2009 levels, global demand for light vehicle original equipment manufacturer automotive electronics will advance 12.3% annually to $174 billion in 2014, says Electronics.ca Publications.

Beyond the expected recovery from the 2009 recession, automotive electronics demand will find uplift from increasing regulatory pressure and the continued search among automakers for cost-effective ways to differentiate their products.

Safety and security electronics will register the biggest increase through 2014, as more advanced safety features percolate down into mass market vehicles. Powertrain electronics will also experience strong demand, driven by stringent fuel economy and emissions standards in developed markets, particularly the US and Western Europe, according to Electronics.ca.

Communication and navigation electronics systems will see rapid increases, as more OEMs integrate these technologies into vehicles. Instrumentation and comfort, convenience and entertainment electronics will experience lower, but still attractive growth rates, as more emerging market players install these features into vehicles.

LAS VEGAS – The ERAI Executive Conference 2011 will be held here Apr. 28 and 29.

The conference will focus on performance requirements, counterfeit avoidance/identification and risk mitigation techniques. The event will provide a standards overview for SAE International’s AS5553, AS6081 and AS6171 that provide uniform requirements, practices and methods to mitigate the risks of purchasing and supplying counterfeit electronic parts.

Topics also include hedging liability/risk in the supply chain, onsite distributor assessments, current counterfeiting techniques and identification methodologies, contract language required to confiscate, quarantine and subsequently destroy counterfeit parts, government agency efforts to fight IP theft, and solutions to gather critical market intelligence.

For more information, visit http://www.erai.com/ERAI_EXECUTIVE_CONFERENCE_VEGAS_2011_public.aspx.

BUCKS, UK – SMART Group has announced upcoming technical webinars on micro-BGA assembly and developing an electronics inspection system.

In the first, micro-BGA reevaluates an existing manufacturing process, inspection and size control of different solder alloy spheres. It will provide example packages and demonstrate reliability through assembly and soldering trials within different industries. Topics include project overview, industry survey, micro-BGA requirements, solder alloy requirements, solder sphere manufacture, existing process and issues, and future industry benefits.

The second webinar concerns the development of an electronics system for inspecting welded joints in plastic pipes. It will cover the current objectives of the TestPEP project; an overview of the work program; the principles of phased array inspection, butt fusion welds, and electrofusion welds; and initial results.

To register for both, visit www.smartgroup.org/diary.