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LOS ALTOS, CA -- World electronics equipment production will grow 7.5% this year on broad-based gains in demand and inventory replenishment, a leading analyst said today.

GARBSEN, GERMANY – LPKF Group posted 2009 earnings before interest and tax of $10.4 million, up 79.5% year-over-year.

Consolidated sales rose 12% to $75.4 million.

Incoming orders were $83.3 million, up 16.4% over the previous year. Orders in hand rose to $21.9 million, up 43% year-over-year. Growth was influenced by changed product mix and cost reductions, says the firm.

Compared to the same quarter the previous year, fourth-quarter earnings before tax and interest rose 67% to $3 million. Growth was attributed to the Cutting and Structuring Laser Segment.

LPKF expects 2010 growth in sales to exceed 10%, with growth potential in almost all divisions, particularly the LDS business.

SPARKS, MD – Danaher Corp. and Cooper Industries today said they have reached an agreement to combine their respective tool businesses: Danaher Tool Group and Cooper Tools.

Danaher Tool Group’s Steve Breitzka will lead the new firm as president and CEO.

Cooper and Danaher will each hold a 50% ownership stake in the new joint venture. No other financial terms were disclosed.

The company, yet to be named, will be headquartered here, and will market tool industry brands such as Allen, Apex, Armstrong Tools, Campbell, Cleco, Crescent, Erem, GearWrench, H.K. Porter, Jacobs Chuck, Jobox, K-D Tools, Lufkin, Nicholson, Plumb, Sata, Weller and Wiss.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – February PWB shipments by North American fabricators increased 8.5% year-over-year, while orders rose 29.1%.

TAMPA, FL -- Researchers from Sypris Electronics and Purdue University have formed a team to focus on the US government's cyber security.

SAN JOSE – Philippe Kahn, CEO of Fullpower Technologies, will keynote MEPTEC’s 8th annual MEMS Technology Symposium.

Kahn, known for his work in integrating cameras into phones, will discuss the art of motion sensing. He will reflect on how motion shapes lives and how hybrid sensors hold an opportunity for the next generation of mobile devices to integrate complex and advanced motion solutions and the necessary software technology.

The keynote takes place May 20.

For more information about the symposium, visit www.meptec.org.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Jabil Circuit last night announced preliminary results indicate sales rose 4% year-over-year to $3 billion in its fiscal second quarter.

WASHINGTON – The US International Trade Commission has reversed a lower court’s ruling, determining instead that several semiconductor firms are violating no patents on ICs using tungsten metalization.

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Sypris Solutions today reported fourth-quarter net income from continuing operations of $14.8 million on revenue of $66.1 million.

LONDON – Global industrial/medical electronics revenues will grow 11% to $560 billion in 2010, a research firm said today.

As the effects of the global credit crunch and recession pass, revenue growth will return to the long-term historical average of between 5% and 8% per year, according to Semicast’s preliminary findings.

The firm forecasts industrial/medical electronics revenues to grow to $850 billion in 2015.

The industrial transport sector, including construction equipment, materials handling and agricultural machinery, showed the largest revenue decline and steepest percentage fall in 2009; revenues in the industrial transport sector are forecast not to return to 2008 levels until 2012.

Similarly, factory automation revenues suffered a significant decline in 2009, although this was largely the result of a substantial fall in the value of sales of semiconductor manufacturing and test equipment, says Semicast. Revenues in the factory automation sector are forecast to return to 2008 levels next year.

Other traditional markets fared better in 2009, with the revenue loss for the test and measurement and lighting/building automation/HVAC sectors estimated at less than 3%, while revenues for chip cards and payment processing systems increased moderately.

Revenues for the medical imaging and diagnostics sector rose in 2009 and are forecast to grow steadily through 2015. Governments in many developed areas, most notably the US, Japan and the EU, continue to face social implications of a steadily aging population. As a result, ongoing government spending on national healthcare programs, particularly in areas such as increased screening, implementation of implantable electronics and greater use of tele-health services, are certain to grow, the firm said.

Renewable energy is also identified as a high growth application. Many of the most developed, and most polluting, countries have announced plans or legislation to decrease dependency on energy production using fossil fuels, with a corresponding increase in production from renewable sources such as solar (photovoltaic) and wind.

EL SEGUNDO – While the end of 2009 brought improved availability for many commodity components, supply for most parts remains tight, according to iSuppli Corp.

BANGOR, ME -- Maine Governor John Baldacci this week will sign into law the state's first extended producer responsibility framework legislation, establishing a process for creating product stewardship programs for hard-to-recycle products and packaging and moving the physical and financial responsibility for managing old products from the general taxpayer to producers and consumers.