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MADISON, AL – STI Electronics Inc. has been awarded an IPC contract to update the existing IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 training and certification programs to the E revisions.

The two updates are being developed concurrently with betas to be conducted from April to June.

STI has previously developed or updated curricula for IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC-A-620 and IPC-7711/7721.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. STI is also a training center for the standards.

DUSSELDORF, GERMANY -- Henkel reported fourth-quarter sales of 3.35 million euros, down 5.5% from a year ago. Organic sales increased 0.6% versus the prior-year quarter.The operating profit was 293 million euros, including one-time charges and gains of 121 million euros. The Adhesive Technologies business sector performed noticeably better than expected, the company said.

For the year, sales were 13.6 billion euros, down 3.9% year-over-year. The net loss for the year was 195 million euros, while the gross margin was 8%.

Operating profit (EBIT) rose 38.6% to 1.08 billion euros.Adjusted for one-time gains and charges of 284 million euros, operating profit fell 6.6% to 1.36 billion euros, on slower Adhesive Technologies sales.

During 2009, Henkel lowered its net debt 26.3% to 2.8 billion euros.

For the year, the Adhesive Technologies unit's sales fell 10.2% organically to 6.2 million euros. Adjusted operating profit was down 25.6% to 506 million euros percent lower due to considerable volume decreases and a resulting lower level of capacity utilization.The company said its electronics business was heavily affected by the semiconductor downturn.

SAN JOSE -- The 90-day moving average worldwide semiconductor sales in January were $22.5 billion, up 0.3% sequentially and 47.2% year-over-year.

GOTEBERG, SWEDEN – FlexLink reported 2009 net sales of $160 million, down 27% from 2008.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American PWB shipments in January fell 2.1% year-over-year, while orders increased 22.2% compared to the same period last year.

The North American book-to-bill held steady at 1.05, IPC reported.

Rigid PWB shipments were down 2%, while orders increased 19.8% year-year-over. The rigid book-to-bill remained at 1.06.

Flex circuit shipments for the month were down 4.1%. However, orders were up 59.3% compared to January 2009. The flex book-to-bill climbed above parity to 1.03.

A book-to-bill ratio of more than 1.0 suggests current demand is ahead of supply, a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.

“The best news from our January PCB surveys is the huge growth in orders compared to January of last year,” said IPC. “Sales are still down slightly from last year, but are increasing steadily. The book-to-bill ratio for all PCBs has stayed above 1.0 for nine months now, indicating continued sales growth in 2010.”

In January, rigid PWBs represented an estimated 90% of the current industry in North America, says IPC.

The firm says 82% of total shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 82% of rigid and 72% of flex circuit shipments.

WASHINGTON -- The sudden unintended acceleration problems in Toyota's vehicles have touched off a firestorm of controversy over the cause. Now, a professor of automotive technology at Southern Illinois University has entered the fray, testifying before Congress that the trouble locating the problem's source could stem from a missing defect code in the affected fleet's diagnostic computer.

STAMFORD, CT -- Worldwide semiconductor revenue will increase by nearly 20% this year on higher average selling prices and PC demand, says research firm Gartner Inc.

LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES --Integrated Microelectronics Inc. swung to a net profit in 2009 despite a 10% drop in revenues.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – A clear positive shift can be seen in the North American EMS industry’s intentions for capacity expansion and new equipment purchase compared to one year ago, says IPC.

One-third of 58 companies participating in IPC’s North American EMS statistical program indicated they will “very likely” or “definitely” add assembly capacity in 2010. In 2009, only 17% of the participating companies indicated intent to expand.

Thirty-five percent of the respondents anticipate the need to buy new inspection equipment this year, while 20% are likely to buy new pick-and-place equipment and ovens.

BERKELEY — The National Science Foundation has awarded a $24.5 million five-year grant to the University of California, Berkeley to fund electronics power-reduction research.

According to published reports, the grant will underwrite a new center that could eventually lead to a million-fold reduction in electronics power consumption.

Researchers will focus on the basic logic switch in computer chips, which demands about 1 V to function well. Electronic circuit wires could operate well on a few millivolts, say the researchers. The goal is to find a lower voltage alternative to modern-day transistors.

The Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, or E3S, is one of five multi-institutional science and technology centers to be established in 2010.

UC Berkeley researchers will partner with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Contra Costa College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College and the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

ST. LOUIS – Viasystems Group today announced fourth-quarter net sales fell 11.1% year-over-year, but increased 8.5% sequentially to $131.4 million on stronger demand in automotive, telecommunications and computer/datacom.

TOKYO – Japan-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers posted ￥85.1 billion in orders in January on a three-month average basis, up a staggering 237.4% year-over-year, and 9.9% sequentially, says the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan.

Japanese manufacturers posted a book-to-bill of 1.36, says SEAJ. A ratio of 1.36 means ¥136 worth of orders was received for every ¥100 of product billed for the month. A ratio over 1.0 is considered a sign of a growing industry.

January billings were ¥62.5 billion, up 36.4% year-over-year, and up 4.9% sequentially.

US$1 = ¥90.205