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LAKE FOREST, CA – EMS firm Probe Manufacturing is adding design, manufacturing and marketing of proprietary renewable-energy products, including engine control units, converters and inverters.

The company’s OEM arm is the result of two years of investment in research and development efforts to design technologies and products aimed at customers seeking to reduce their energy use and environmental impact.

“We believe alternative energy and green technologies are going to be substantial growth markets in the 21st Century and we have been slowly moving the company in that direction,” Probe CEO Reza Zarif said. “Two major sectors in alternative energy are electricity generation and transportation; our research and development efforts have been focused on these two sectors.”

Probe remains committed to its contract electronics manufacturing business, Zarif said.

HELSINKI – Elcoteq today reported a second-quarter net loss of 12.8 million euros ($20.48 million) on a 6.6% drop in revenues, to 904.8 million euros ($1.45 billion).

SAN FRANCISCO – It didn’t take much looking to realize what SemiCon West was missing this year: the equipment.

SAN JOSE – The MicroElectronics Packaging and Test Engineering Council announced its 3rd Annual Medical Electronics symposium – Technology Concepts Enabling Product Reality – at Arizona State University in Tempe on Sept 25.

The program is divided into the following areas: revolutionary concepts in medical electronics; advanced materials for medical electronics; key enabling technologies, and next-generation of bio-medical systems.

To register, visit www.meptec.org.

SAN JOSE – EMS provider Sanmina-SCI Corp. today reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $1.9 billion, up 4.7% sequentially and 13.7% year-over-year.

HERNDON, VA – “Environmental legislation is proliferating around the globe, and harmonization is essential. Equally important is the need for industry to coordinate its technical responses, and that requires a proactive approach.”

PALO ALTO, CA – Medical device equipment sales topped $1.25 billion in 2007 and are on track to reach $1.89 billion by 2014, research firm Frost & Sullivan reports.

High demand for reliable, flexible equipment from this market encourages SMT equipment manufacturers to develop higher-end machines, with accuracy, parts handling, and speed requirements at the forefront.

“Technology trends like remote patient monitoring and the incorporation of wireless technology in hospitals are expected to offer EMS providers an opportunity to utilize the experience gained from other conventional markets to provide suitable solutions for medical OEMs,” says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Julian Harris. “An increased supply of SMT equipment will ensue, elevating market growth.”

Though the medical device sector holds enormous potential, the FDA’s stringent regulatory standards deter many EMS companies from entering the market, which leads to a decline in overall machine sales, says the firm. However, increasing end-user need to comply with certifications such as ISO 13485 can help reverse the trend and accelerate demand for SMT equipment.

In response, advises Frost, SMT equipment manufacturers have to increase customer awareness on FDA regulatory standards and step up research and development initiatives with end-users. This enables penetration rates to attain new heights and help market revenue figures climb dramatically, according to Frost.

The decreasing size of medical PCBs remains another challenge for SMT equipment manufacturers. The highly complex nature of new package types and their fine-pitch components pushes manufacturers to integrate technologically advanced vision systems in their equipment. To meet end-user requirements for accurate placement and speed, manufacturers added dual camera heads and optimized illumination features to enhance value. These features will go a long way in reducing defects and enhancing the overall performance, says Frost.

“One primary focus is to modify the feeding capabilities and to correct solder misalignment with technological innovations in order to enhance the operational efficiency of the placement process,” notes Harris. “As top-tier placement equipment companies leverage this trend, other market participants will follow suit.”

Enhancements to the placement process offer manufacturers an edge, which allows effective customization of equipment per end-user requirements. Moving forward, manufacturers will provide both technologically innovative machine models, as well as service packages to ensure steady revenue growth. Sustained efforts through customer education, improved machine capabilities, as well as research and development are required to engender more efficient SMT placement processes and fuel revenue growth for SMT equipment suppliers in the medical market, says the firm.

SAN JERONIMO, MEXICO — Foxconn has begun work on a massive electronics manufacturing campus, according to published reports.

When completed, the new site will house more than 3 million sq. ft. of industrial space, said a Foxconn spokesman.

ARLINGTON, VA – The Consumer Electronics Association has hit on a novel way to spread its free trade message: a nationwide bus tour.

GLENVIEW, IL – ITW’s second-quarter revenues rose 10.5% as higher returns from currency translation and acquisitions offset flat organic growth. Operating income rose 9%, and margins dropped 20 basis points.

PHILADELPHIA – The American Competitiveness Institute has been awarded a five-year $100 million contract from the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research.

The research firm will manage and operate the Benchmarking and Best Manufacturing Processes Center of Excellence.

The effort, to be performed in Philadelphia, will facilitate the sharing of best-in-class practices, processes, methodologies, systems, and pre-competitive technologies.

SAN JOSE – North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.03 billion in orders in June and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.85, says SEMI.