SUZHOU -- Variosystems plans to bring a new facility online here in 2012, replacing its existing plant in Hangzhou.

PLANO, TX -- Creation Technologies has expanded its facility here by 11,000 sq. ft. and is adding staff to accommodate larger orders.

BANGKOK -- Top 20 EMS firm Fabrinet said flood waters have infiltrated the offices and manufacturing floorspace at its Chokchai campus in Pathum Thani, Thailand.

FARGO, ND -- North Dakota State University researchers have developed a noncontact wafer-to-product electronics manufacturing technology said to reduce unit cost and size of electronics end-products.

TOKYO – Japan-based semiconductor equipment makers reported a book-to-bill ratio of 0.75 in September, dropping for the third consecutive month, says the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan.

Japan-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment received $1.04 billion in orders during the month, down 4.5% sequentially. Orders fell 37.9% compared to September 2010.

Billings for September were $1.4 billion, down 3.2% sequentially and down 5% year-over-year, says the association.

MUNICH – A workshop on Advanced Packaging Trends for Medical Electronics will be held here Nov. 14, one day prior to Productronica. The workshop will be hosted by Fraunhofer EMFT and TechSearch International.

The workshop will provide a forum on all aspects of medical electronics packaging and assembly, including technology, infrastructure and economics.

For more information, visit www.techsearchinc.com.

TORONTO -- Celestica reported third-quarter profits rose 35% year-over-year, but the world's fourth largest contract assembler said visibility in the current quarter is waning.

PATHUM THANI, THAILAND -- Fabrinet announced today that production at its two manufacturing facilities here are currently suspended due to the logistics and infrastructure disruption resulting from severe flooding.

STAMFORD, CT – A leading research firm this week laid down the Top 10 technologies to watch, use, buy, order and manufacture for 2012.

SINGAPORE – Electronics manufacturing services provider Flextronics today reported second-quarter adjusted net income of $158 million, down 12% year-over-year.

Net sales increased 8% to $8 billion compared to the same period last year.

“From a revenue growth perspective, our business performed well in the quarter despite the sluggish macroeconomic backdrop. Outside of our Industrial and Emerging Industries business group, our three remaining groups grew both sequentially and year-over-year, driven by new outsourcing programs,” said Mike McNamara, CEO of Flextronics. “We have accelerated our exit of the ODM PC business, which will be completed in the December quarter.”

“We generated $176 million of free cash flow for the quarter, as we continue to tightly manage our working capital. This strong cash generation aided the repurchase of more than 19 million ordinary shares with a cost of slightly more than $100 million,” said Paul Read, CFO of Flextronics. “This week we also closed a new $2 billion credit facility."

For the third quarter, revenue is expected to be in the range of $7.3 billion to $7.7 billion.

SMYRNA, GA – UP Media Group Inc. seeks abstracts for PCB West 2012, to be held September 25-27, 2012, in Santa Clara, CA. The event includes a three-day technical conference and one-day exhibition to be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

DANDERYD, SWEDEN – Note reported third-quarter sales of SEK 272.5 million, up 0.22% year-over-year.

Operating profit for the quarter was SEK 13.5 million, compared to a loss of SEK 4.1 million in the same period last year. 2010’s third-quarter profit included structural and other non-recurring costs of approximately SEK 3 million.

For the first nine months of 2011, sales increased 8% to SEK 911.2 million.

Operating profit for the nine-month period was SEK 49.3 million, compared to a loss of 60.4 million in the year-ago period. Profit for the first three quarters of 2010 included structural and other non-recurring costs of approximately SEK 47 million.

In June, the company’s board of directors agreed to sell Note Tauragé UAB, Lithuania.

Note produces printed circuit boards, sub-assemblies and box-build products.

SEK 1 = US$0.1497