SCHAUMBURG, IL -- Top members of the IPC Apex committee revealed that next year's show will feature hospitality suites. IPC policy has heretofore banned the suites and related "commercial" activity.
EDINA, MN – Papers for SMTAI 2008 are being solicited in the following categories: emerging technologies, components, assembly, PCB technology and business.
Abstracts are due Jan. 7 and will be accepted as of Mar. 3. Final papers are due June 1.
Papers should describe significant results from experiments, emphasize new techniques, and contain technical, economic or appropriate test data. Material should be original, unpublished and noncommercial in nature.
SMTA Internationalwill return to Orlando for the second consecutive year. The conference and show will move to Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel, Orlando, FL, from Aug. 17-21, 2008.
PALO ALTO, CA -- Agilent Technologies will host users of its AOI, automated x-ray inspection and ICT systems in a series of meetings to discuss board test challenges, case studies, best practices, implementation successes, industry trends and considerations for developing an effective board test strategy.
The sessions take place Oct. 10, in Orange County, CA, and Oct. 11 in Santa Clara, CA.
The company invites automated test professionals interested in learning, sharing, and networking with Agilent experts and other board test users. Register at www.agilent.com/find/atug.
LONDON -- The SMART Group will giveaway copies of its Lead-Free Defect Guide at Productronica next month.
The 28-page, color guide features many of the common
and less obvious defects seen during the introduction of lead-free products. It shows defects associated with components, boards, design, materials, assembly and rework. It also includes some issues which may be seen on field returns.
Copies will be available at the SMART Group booth, Hall 4, stand 303 in the British Trade Area. Productronica takes place Nov. 13-16 in Munich.
BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American shipments of rigid PCBs fell 10.1% and bookings dropped 5.1% in August year-over-year, IPC announced today.
Flexible circuit shipments were down 24.7% and bookings were off 10% year-over-year.
Compared to July, combined shipments of rigid and flexible boards rose 9.2% and bookings were up 13.1%.
Combined shipments decreased 11.1% year-over-year, and orders booked decreased 5.4%. Year to date, combined shipments are down 10.1% and bookings are down 12.3%.
Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are down 10.4% and bookings are down 13.4%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments increased 9.8% and rigid bookings increased 12.8%.
Year to date, flexible circuit shipments are down 5.4% and bookings are up 6.3%. Sequentially, flexible circuit shipments increased 0.4% and flex bookings were up 17.7%.
The rigid book-to-bill ratio climbed to 1.06, and the flex circuit book-to-bill rose to 1.07. The combined book-to-bill was 1.06.