TULSA, OK – Raytheon Missile Systems has awarded EMS firm LaBarge a $1.2 million contract to provide printed board assemblies for the RAM guided missile.

SAN JOSE – Capital spending across the semiconductor industry is undergoing a sharp upward recovery this year as the semiconductor market benefits from robust chip demand. But while the tea leaves for the next 18 months are unclear, most expect the semiconductor market recovery to continue, says SEMI.

BEIJING – The value of China's exports of electronics devices reached $24.1 billion year-to-date through May, up 73.9% year-over-year. Exports of electronic materials hit $2.1 billion, up 60.2% compared to the same period last year. Components grew 53.1% to $28.5 billion, and computer products went up 41.4% to $79.6 billion. Communication gear for the period went up 19.4% to $34.3 billion.

The value of China's imports of electronics and IT devices from January to May 2010 was $155 billion, up 49.1% year-over-year. Exports of electronics and IT devices for the period were $212.6 billion, up 39% year-over-year.

Laptops, cellphones and LCD display panels and modules ranked as the top three exports by value in the first five months. Laptops reached $33.8 billion, up 58.7% year-over-year. Cellphones hit $16 billion, up 23.3% compared to the same period in 2009, and LCD display panels and modules were $10.3 billion, up 79.7% year-over-year.

Imports of computer products, electronic components and electronic devices jumped 56.8%, 56.7%, and 50%, respectively.

Export in general trade maintained robust growth during the period. Private-owned firms continued to lead export growth in the first five months.

Exports grew 58.7% year-over-year in the Shandong province; exports were up 51.3% in the Jiangsu province; in the Zhejiang province, exports were up 53%, and in the Shanghai municipality, they grew 46.3%. The Chongqing municipality saw growth of 138.4%, while export growth in Hubei province was 119.5%; finally, Hunan province registered growth of 104.9% compared to the first five months of 2009.

SMYRNA, GA – Registration is now open for PCB West, the premier conference and exhibition for PCB assembly engineers, designers, fabricators and managers.

SAN JOSE, CA – The US market for electronic warfare systems is projected to exceed $1.4 billion by 2015, says Global Industry Analysts Inc.

The US is expected to upgrade its aging fleet of combat helicopter and tactical combat-aircraft, which would automatically increase the demand for advanced EW self-protection devices.

Since systems upgrades and modernization programs are less expensive than overall platform replacement, technological advancements are expected to play a key role for enhancing existing systems, according to GIA.

The US defense electronics market is projected to increase significantly, with defense electronics projects and extensive R&D programs expected to be the key drivers.

The industry is forecast to witness huge orders, owing to increasing focus of militaries on EW around the globe. Defense equipment manufacturers are expected to produce thousands of EW systems, such as electronic countermeasure systems, electronic support measure systems, and radar warning receivers. The production rate is expected to rise significantly over a period of 10 years, driven by the increased demand from military forces and the increasing danger across the global waterways.

SAN JOSE – Worldwide sales of semiconductors in May were $24.7 billion, up 47.6% year-over-year, and up 4.5% sequentially.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics will spend some $300 million toward acquisitions and investments in component-related businesses, according to published reports.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Aqueous Technologies customers will receive a free Zero-Ion ROSE tester or ultrasonic stencil cleaner with the purchase of a Trident-CL during the month of July, the firm says.

Trident-CL is a closed-loop, zero-discharge fully automatic defluxer and cleanliness tester.

The Zero-Ion ROSE tester is designed to test electronics assemblies for ionic contamination. It automatically removes and detects contamination on an electrical assembly or bare board and provides quantitative contamination measurements.

Ultrasonic stencil cleaners use sound waves to remove unreflowed solder paste and uncured adhesives from stencils, screens and misprints. 

SAN FRANCISCO – The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association will hold its first general meeting here July 15.

The meeting will take place at the San Francisco Omni Hotel.

SEMA was established June 10 at Flextronics’ campus in Milpitas, CA, as an educational, technical and professional association serving the solar manufacturing and related industries.

“On the basis of a very successful first meeting, we are now inviting all stakeholders in the industry to participate and help establish SEMA as a member-driven professional organization that will help propel solar energy to the forefront. We want SEMA to be regarded as an indispensible resource for professionals around the world, including key stakeholders in research, manufacturing, academia and government,” said Matthew Holzmann, president of Christopher Associates, one of the founding members.

For further information, contact Holzmann at matt.holzmann@christopherweb.com or Dennis Willie at dennis.willie@flextronics.com.

OTTAWA – Canada’s Ministers of the Environment and of Health have determined resin and rosin acids will continue to be permitted to be used in manufacturing.

BRIDGEWATER, MA – Chase Corp. has divested its contract manufacturing services business to fellow EMS provider MC Assembly in a deal valued at $13 million.
The sale of substantially all of the assets of Chase EMS closed on June 30. The deal included all Chase EMS employees, as well as its leased facility in Winchester, MA.

TEMPE, AZ – Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in June for the 11th consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The PMI registered 56.2%, a drop of 3.5 percentage points.

A reading above 50% indicates the manufacturing economy is generally expanding.

New orders for the month dipped 7.2 points to 58.5%, while production dropped 5.2 points to 61.4%. Inventories were up a slight 0.2 points to 45.8%, while customer inventories surged 6 points to 38%. Backlogs fell 2.5 points to 57%.

“The manufacturing sector continued to grow during June; however, the rate of growth, as indicated by the PMI slowed when compared to May. The lower reading for the PMI came from a slowing in the New Orders and Production Indexes. We are now 11 months into the manufacturing recovery, and given the robust nature of recent growth, it is not surprising that we would see a slower rate of growth at this time. The sector appears to be solidly entrenched in the recovery. Comments from the respondents remain generally positive, but expectations have been that the second half of the year will not be as strong in terms of the rate of growth, and June appears to validate that forecast,” said ISM spokesperson Norbert J. Ore.

The overall economy grew for the 14th consecutive month, says ISM.