News
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Toxic Substances Control will hold a public workshop this week to solicit input and update stakeholders on the development of regulations prohibiting the sale of non-RoHS compliant electronic devices in California.
The workshop will be held Nov. 9, at the CalEPA Building in Sacramento. A remote videoconference will take place in Glendale, CA. All interested parties are invited to participate.
The workshop will be held Nov. 9, at the CalEPA Building in Sacramento. A remote videoconference will take place in Glendale, CA. All interested parties are invited to participate.
ALAMEDA, CA -- Research firm Technology Forecasters will hold its fourth quarter Quarterly Forum on Dec. 6-7 in Sausalito, CA.
The event includes two optional workshops: Advancing Supply Chain Maturity with Lean and Collaborative Techniques, presented by eKNOWtion, and Evaluating the Value of Distributor Design Services, presented by TFI senior consultant Warren Miller and Hearst Publishing executive Steve Cholas.
Reports due out during the Quarterly Forum:
The event includes two optional workshops: Advancing Supply Chain Maturity with Lean and Collaborative Techniques, presented by eKNOWtion, and Evaluating the Value of Distributor Design Services, presented by TFI senior consultant Warren Miller and Hearst Publishing executive Steve Cholas.
Reports due out during the Quarterly Forum:
- Gauging Environmental Preparedness and Recommendations for Best Practices.
- The Status of Supply Chain Software Solutions: What companies have and what they want
- India: The Next Big Opportunity?
WEYMOUTH -- DEK has stepped up its collaboration with top vision
OEMs following the completion of a recent solder paste inspection
development project.
The collaborative project integrated DEK paste printer event data with post-print inspection and SPC reports from the SPI system. The output enables users to pinpoint paste-related printing issues in real-time, DEK said in a press release.
DEK, in conjuction with AOI equipment providers Orbotech, CyberOptics and Koh Young, is working on improving measurement accuracy for print quality control.
The collaborative project integrated DEK paste printer event data with post-print inspection and SPC reports from the SPI system. The output enables users to pinpoint paste-related printing issues in real-time, DEK said in a press release.
DEK, in conjuction with AOI equipment providers Orbotech, CyberOptics and Koh Young, is working on improving measurement accuracy for print quality control.
TOULOUSE, FRANCE -- Airbus plans to cut its subcontractor base by some 80%, to about 500, a company spokesman said today.
As part of a previously announced restructuring effort, the European aerospace consortium plans to cut administrative costs by 900 million euros ($1.14 billion) and supply costs by 350 million euros by 2010.
Airbus has been hampered by delivery delays of its new A380 plane. The program is two years behind schedule, and Airbus has stated it will need to sell 420 planes to break even, 150 more than originally estimated.
As part of a previously announced restructuring effort, the European aerospace consortium plans to cut administrative costs by 900 million euros ($1.14 billion) and supply costs by 350 million euros by 2010.
Airbus has been hampered by delivery delays of its new A380 plane. The program is two years behind schedule, and Airbus has stated it will need to sell 420 planes to break even, 150 more than originally estimated.
ATLANTA -- A leading supplier of capital equipment is reportedly in play and an announcement regarding the company's future could come this week.
SAN DIEGO - Manncorp announced plans to expand its San Diego office to meet increasing demands for SMT machines, including pick and place, lead-free wave solder and reflow ovens.
The office, which hosts techs and sales staff, is increasing to more than 4,000 sq. ft. Manncorp said more equipment and inventory would be available.
The office, which hosts techs and sales staff, is increasing to more than 4,000 sq. ft. Manncorp said more equipment and inventory would be available.
WILSON, NC – Fawn Electronics today said it would build a 47,000 sq. ft. manufacturing site in the Nashville Business Center in Nash County, NC. Fawn plans to move in the third quarter next year and be fully operational no later than December 2007.
Fawn’s contract electronics manufacturing plant in Elm City was reduced to rubble after a late December fire. The company has since been operating in a leased factory in Wilson.
The 47,000 sq. ft. facility will employ 90-plus employees and include SMT lines, automated through-hole lines, several chassis assembly lines and automated wire processing equipment.
More than $2 million has been invested in production equipment, including the addition of x-ray inspection and BGA rework/repair capability. RoHS-compliant and leaded production capabilities are in place.
Fawn’s contract electronics manufacturing plant in Elm City was reduced to rubble after a late December fire. The company has since been operating in a leased factory in Wilson.
The 47,000 sq. ft. facility will employ 90-plus employees and include SMT lines, automated through-hole lines, several chassis assembly lines and automated wire processing equipment.
More than $2 million has been invested in production equipment, including the addition of x-ray inspection and BGA rework/repair capability. RoHS-compliant and leaded production capabilities are in place.
Fawn added four customers in the past quarter, including two telecom programs worth an expected $1.5 million in annual revenue. Other new programs included a $1 million order from a manufacturer of exercise equipment, and a $1.5 million program for an industrial controls manufacturer.
BANNOCKBURN, IL -- North American PWB shipments rose 7.7% year-over-year in
September but orders plunged 12.9%. The book-to-bill ratio was 1.00, down from 1.06 in August, according to IPC's monthly survey of board fabricators.
Sequentially, shipments rose 7.1% and bookings dropped 6.6%. Year to date, shipments are up 9.9% and bookings are up 8.8%.
The rigid PWB book-to-bill fell to 1.01, while the flex circuit ratio dropped to 0.92. The ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from the companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests future expansion.
Sequentially, shipments rose 7.1% and bookings dropped 6.6%. Year to date, shipments are up 9.9% and bookings are up 8.8%.
The rigid PWB book-to-bill fell to 1.01, while the flex circuit ratio dropped to 0.92. The ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from the companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests future expansion.
For the month, rigid board shipments rose 6.6% but bookings dropped 14.4% versus last year. Flex circuit shipments rose 24.3% and bookings were up 14.7%.
There are questions as to how representative the data are of the industry. According to IPC, at least 17% of the shipments were not domestically produced. Furthermore, about 31% of the flex circuit value came from assembly and other services. Also, several major board fabricators reportedly do not participate in the survey.
NANJING, CHINA -- Zhengjiang Pound Precision Electronics Manufacturing Co. (PPEM) today said it would outfit its new Jurong factory with 20 high-speed SMT production lines from Assembléon.
The deal covers 20 A-Series placement machines and is valued at some 20 million euros ($25.5 million).
Jurong is located about 85 km from Suzhou and 80 km from Nanjing.
The new 17,000 sq. meters plant will build communications, computing and consumer products, and will employ 430 workers.
The deal covers equipment and technology, and Assembléon will participate in the programming, construction and ramp of the new factory. Assembléon will also introduce other suppliers, and organize all equipment delivery, the companies said.
The deal covers 20 A-Series placement machines and is valued at some 20 million euros ($25.5 million).
Jurong is located about 85 km from Suzhou and 80 km from Nanjing.
The new 17,000 sq. meters plant will build communications, computing and consumer products, and will employ 430 workers.
The deal covers equipment and technology, and Assembléon will participate in the programming, construction and ramp of the new factory. Assembléon will also introduce other suppliers, and organize all equipment delivery, the companies said.
JASPER, IN -- Kimball International reported fiscal 2007 first-quarter net sales rose $50.5 million, or 47%, to $158.5 million at its electronics contract assemblies group over last year.
The increase is attributable to the $63.8 million in current
year first quarter sales from the two acquisitions completed late in
fiscal year 2006.
Sales to medical and industrial customers rose while sales to automotive customers fell.
Sales to medical and industrial customers rose while sales to automotive customers fell.
SAN DIEGO - KIC today reported the delivery of its 4,000th KIC 24/7 continuous thermal process monitoring system.
In a press statement, the company attributed the popularity to the need for process traceability and automating manual tasks such as periodic profiling. Lead-free conversion also has become a driver for continuous monitoring.
In a press statement, the company attributed the popularity to the need for process traceability and automating manual tasks such as periodic profiling. Lead-free conversion also has become a driver for continuous monitoring.
ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis has something more than the World Series-winning Cardinals to cheer about. St. Louis based LaBarge reported fiscal 2007 first-quarter net earnings increased 19% to $2.4 million while net sales climbed 26% to $49.9 million.
For the quarter, gross margin was 21.4%, down from 24% a year ago but up from 20.4% sequentially. Cash from operations was $10.4 million, versus a loss of $1.5 million in Q1 2006.
For the quarter, gross margin was 21.4%, down from 24% a year ago but up from 20.4% sequentially. Cash from operations was $10.4 million, versus a loss of $1.5 million in Q1 2006.
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