EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Global electronics manufacturing services revenue will be flat in 2012, the result of lingering economic concerns in Europe and the US, IHS iSuppli says.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – The latest moisture-sensitive device standard now covers handling, packing and shipping of non-IC electronic components.

J-STD-033C, Handling, Packing, Shipping and Use of Moisture/Reflow and/or Process Sensitive Components, provides guidance for certain electronic components that to date had not been covered. Those include parts classified per J-STD-075, Classification of Non-IC Electronic Components for Assembly Processes.

The C revision also contains a correction made to the desiccant calculation and an allowance for less use of desiccant for MSL2 parts, if desired. J-STD-033C also includes diagrams of recommended, not recommended and acceptable MBB air evacuation.

The new standard was developed by IPC and JEDEC. It provides surface mount device manufacturers and users with standardized methods for handling, packing, shipping and use of moisture/reflow-sensitive SMDs. These methods help avoid damage from moisture absorption and exposure to solder reflow temperatures that can result in yield and reliability degradation.

BUCKS, UK – The Smart Group will host a four-part webinar series on multilayer printed circuit board manufacturing.

The series, Guide to Modern Multilayer Manufacture, will provide a step-by-step guide to the circuit board manufacture and controls and inspection requirements to obtain trouble-free assembly, the UK-based trade group said in a press release.

Webinars include:

Mar. 6, PCB Manufacture Part 1: laminate types, resist application, imaging/striping, etching and AOI, and oxide treatment.

Apr. 3, PCB Manufacture Part 2: layup, lamination procedures, drilling including laser, die smearing and metallization.

June 11, PCB Manufacture Part 3: resist application, imaging/etching, copper plating, solder mask and solder finishes.

July 5, PCB Manufacture Part 4: legend, routing, electrical testing, inspection and QC, and PCB storage.

Four PCB engineers will offer advice during each webinar. For more information, visit www.smartgroup.org.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — An electronics industry rebound is starting to take hold here and companies are publicly discussing hiring plans for 2012.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Worldwide semiconductor sales reached a record $299.5 billion in for 2011, up 0.4% year-on-year, according to the final numbers from SIA.

BOISE, ID -- Steve Appleton, 51, chief executive of Micron Technologies, died in a small plane crash here this morning.

JASPER, IN -- Kimball International reported fiscal second-quarter net sales in its electronic manufacturing services segment plunged 18% from a year ago due to the end of a major program with a medical customer.

ANAHEIM, CA -- Multi-Fineline Electronix today reported fiscal first-quarter net income was $13.5 million, down from $15.1 million a year ago. For the period ended, Dec. 31, the flexible printed circuit fabricator and EMS provider reported net sales of $239.3 million, topping the high end of company guidance but down from $241.2 million the prior year.

ANGLETON, TX – Contract electronics manufacturer Benchmark Electronics posted sales of $559 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, down 10.8% year-over-year.

MINNEAPOLIS – The winner from SMTA International 2011 for Best of Conference was Chrys Shea, Shea Engineering Services, for her presentation entitled “Using Solder Paste Inspection to Improve Print Yields.” 

David Hillman, Rockwell Collins, won the Best of Proceedings category for the paper "The Last Will and Testament of the BGA Void."

Matt Kelly, P.Eng, MBA, IBM Corp., won the Best International Paper category for the paper entitled "Lead-Free Vapor Phase Assembly Compatible Materials for a High Performance SMT Daughter Card Connector."

Winners receive $1,000 awards and plaques for their achievements.

The authors will formally be presented their awards at SMTAI on Oct. 15 in Orlando. 

LAKE OSWEGO, OR – PCB Assembly Express has announced it is offering online quoting and ordering in real time for printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly. 

The online quotes are firm, not estimates subject to additional charges, the firm says.

The site offers orders both in the US and offshore; quotes for both can be done simultaneously. 

GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization Appellate Body this week issued a ruling upholding an earlier recommendation that China bring its raw material export duty and quota measures into conformity with its WTO obligations. The decision could impact China’s self-imposed restrictions on exports of certain rare earth minerals.

The dispute concerns quotas imposed by China affecting the exportation of certain forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorous, and zinc. The US, Mexico, and the European Union challenged the restraints, alleging that they were inconsistent with China's commitments under various trade agreements.

In a statement, the US Trade Representative asserted the WTO Appellate Body rejected “China’s attempts to portray its export restraints as conservation or environmental protection measures or measures taken to manage critical shortages of supply.”  The co-complainants will now request that the WTO adopt the decision.
 
The ruling is significant for electronics manufacturers because it could open the door to a similar complaint over Chinese export quotas on rare earth minerals, according to several analysts.