News
ATLANTA – Jim Raby, a 50-year industry veteran, and founder and technical director at STI Electronics, will keynote the Atlanta SMTA Expo on April 17.
Raby, who has spent his entire career in electronics manufacturing, will offer his perspectives of the past and future. His accomplishments include patents for wave soldering, work on the Saturn/Apollo Program, initiating the Zero Defect Program for wave soldering and development of the famous China Lake soldering schools.
Raby was also instrumental in developing the IPC soldering certification curriculum and initiating the Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility. He is also known as the person behind the Lights Out Factory concept that revolutionized the modern electronics manufacturing facility.
The 12th annual Atlanta SMTA Expo will be held at the Gwinnett Civic Center in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit http://www.smta.org/education/vendor_days/vendor_days.cfm#ga.
Raby, who has spent his entire career in electronics manufacturing, will offer his perspectives of the past and future. His accomplishments include patents for wave soldering, work on the Saturn/Apollo Program, initiating the Zero Defect Program for wave soldering and development of the famous China Lake soldering schools.
Raby was also instrumental in developing the IPC soldering certification curriculum and initiating the Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility. He is also known as the person behind the Lights Out Factory concept that revolutionized the modern electronics manufacturing facility.
The 12th annual Atlanta SMTA Expo will be held at the Gwinnett Civic Center in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit http://www.smta.org/education/vendor_days/vendor_days.cfm#ga.
VERNON HILLS, IL – Zebra Technologies will consolidate its supplier base and transfer thermal printer assembly to Jabil Circuit. The companies did not disclose the value of the deal.
CAMBRIDGE, MA – In 2008, the value of the entire RFID market will be $5.29 billion, up 6.8% year-over-year, according to IDTechEx.
This figure includes tags, readers and software/services for RFID cards, labels, fobs and all other form factors. The majority of this value is a result of large national RFID schemes for transportation and national ID, incorporating contactless (RFID) cards, says a report.
China has almost finished issuing each citizen with a national ID RFID card. The tagging of pallets and cases as demanded by retailers (mostly in the U.S.) will use approximately 325 million RFID labels in 2008, but IDTechEX sees strong take off in retail outside mandates, such as from Marks & Spencer, who have used more than 100 million RFID tags to date.
The tagging of animals is increasing, as it becomes a legal requirement in many more territories, with 90 million tags being used in 2008, according to the report. In total, 2.16 billion tags will be sold in 2008, up 19% year-over-year.
By 2018, the market value will be more than five times the size of the market compared to 2008, but the number of tags supplied will be more than 300 times that of 2008, driven by the development of lower cost tags and installed infrastructure that will enable high volumes of articles to be tagged, says IDTechEx.
This figure includes tags, readers and software/services for RFID cards, labels, fobs and all other form factors. The majority of this value is a result of large national RFID schemes for transportation and national ID, incorporating contactless (RFID) cards, says a report.
China has almost finished issuing each citizen with a national ID RFID card. The tagging of pallets and cases as demanded by retailers (mostly in the U.S.) will use approximately 325 million RFID labels in 2008, but IDTechEX sees strong take off in retail outside mandates, such as from Marks & Spencer, who have used more than 100 million RFID tags to date.
The tagging of animals is increasing, as it becomes a legal requirement in many more territories, with 90 million tags being used in 2008, according to the report. In total, 2.16 billion tags will be sold in 2008, up 19% year-over-year.
By 2018, the market value will be more than five times the size of the market compared to 2008, but the number of tags supplied will be more than 300 times that of 2008, driven by the development of lower cost tags and installed infrastructure that will enable high volumes of articles to be tagged, says IDTechEx.
At the start of 2008, the cumulative number of RFID tags sold was just over 6 billion.
TAIPEI – Hon Hai Group, the parent of Foxconn, expects sales to increase 30% this year to $81.3 billion.
KELSO, SCOTLAND – Plexus UK has invested nearly $1.6 million in equipment for its Kelso manufacturing site.
The investment includes two Electrovert Elektra wave solder machines and an Agilent Medalist x6000 3-D AXI.
“2007 was a year of growth and expansion for Plexus, with the extension of the design center in Livingston and the addition of staff at all levels throughout the organization,” said managing director Willie MacKinnon.
He added that recent funding from Scottish Enterprise will enable further investments.
The investment includes two Electrovert Elektra wave solder machines and an Agilent Medalist x6000 3-D AXI.
“2007 was a year of growth and expansion for Plexus, with the extension of the design center in Livingston and the addition of staff at all levels throughout the organization,” said managing director Willie MacKinnon.
He added that recent funding from Scottish Enterprise will enable further investments.
HORSHAM, PA – Aegis Software Corp., developer of manufacturing execution software, announced the opening of its global headquarters in Horsham, PA, outside Philadelphia.
The offices will provide a training environment for the company’s growing customer base. Featured is the company’s interactive training center. This facility offers a hands-on approach using a conveyorized production line, test and quality cell, and a complete hand assembly line, simulating a real production environment.
The facility also includes a large meeting center with video conferencing; new customers are provided a video system for use in their factories.
The offices will provide a training environment for the company’s growing customer base. Featured is the company’s interactive training center. This facility offers a hands-on approach using a conveyorized production line, test and quality cell, and a complete hand assembly line, simulating a real production environment.
The facility also includes a large meeting center with video conferencing; new customers are provided a video system for use in their factories.
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- Automated Production Equipment and Manncorp Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand SMT Solutions for U.S. Electronics Manufacturers