WELLESLEY, MA – The global market for electronics conformal coatings and related equipment is expected to grow from $6.6 billion in 2008 to $9.1 billion in 2013, a CAGR of 6.8%.
The conformal coating equipment/spares segment has a larger share of the market than materials, worth an estimated $5.1 billion this year, says BCC Research. This is expected to increase to $6.9 billion in 2013, a CAGR of 6.2%, says the firm.
The materials segment is worth an estimated $1.5 billion in 2008, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9% to $2.3 billion in 2013.
Conformal coatings are important for applications in consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace and medical devices. Applications for consumer electronics currently dominate the market and will continue to do so through 2013, says BCC.
Growth in the automotive segment will be driven by accelerated use of electronic monitoring, sensing and controlling devices, and computer systems in cars. Conformal coating application in aerospace is the most highly developed segment of the industry, while medical and biomedical device applications of conformal coatings will experience the highest growth of the market segments studied, according to the firm.
BUCKS, UK – SMART Group, a UK-based electronics society, has elected Keith Bryant as chairman, superseding Paul Salmon.
Bryant is European sales manager for Dage X-Ray Systems.
Bryant says he brings “a healthy dose of commercialism to the position” and cited the group’s technical advice forum, training courses and new Web site as its strengths.
ANGLETON, TX – Contract manufacturer Benchmark Electronics Inc. said, through an alliance with Silicon Graphics Inc., it helped create the computer system for which NASA achieved the ranking of third fastest supercomputer in the world.
Benchmark worked with Silicon Graphics to manufacture Pleiades, which SGI deployed at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing facility at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA. The supercomputer is expected to support the development of the space agency's next-generation space fleet, along with projects related to all other NASA mission directorates.
NASA's Pleiades system is a 51,200-core SGI Altix ICE 8200EX system, and is said to be capable of generating a theoretical peak of 609 trillion operations per sec.
Benchmark contributed product introduction services, PCB assembly, system integration and functional test to the program.
ARLINGTON, VA – The Consumer Electronics Association now projects fourth quarter wholesale shipment revenues will increase by 0.1% year-over-year. The original forecast issued in October anticipated 3.5% fourth-quarter growth over 2007.
MACAO – Deswell Industries Inc. reported fiscal second-quarter nets sales of $32 million, down 16.1% year-over-year, mainly because of the continuing decline in business from the company's electronic and metallic segment.
The firm reported an operating loss of $1.7 million for the quarter, compared to operating income of $1.7 million for the same quarter of 2007.
Gross profit in the electronic and metallic segment was 11.1% of net sales, compared to 11.6% of net sales for the year-ago quarter.
Net sales for the six months ended Sept. 30 were $67.3 million, down 12.5% year-over-year.
Net income decreased $5.2 million to a loss of $382,000, compared to $4.9 million last year.
Deswell manufactures injection-molded plastic parts, components, electronic products, subassemblies and metallic products for OEMs and contract manufacturers.