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Speaking of this Week — April 9, 2004
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By Christine F. Della Monaca, Managing Editor, SMT
Speaking of this Week summarizes and analyzes events in the electronics assembly industry every Friday.
Ciao! I'm back from a week's vacation in Italy, refreshed and ready to tackle the electronics assembly topics of the week. First up is the IPC Book-to-Bill Ratio, which remained above water for February. We've also got an encouraging amount of progress news, partnerships and trade show news, as well as financial results and a prediction. Let's get to it:
- First, Northbrook, Ill.-based IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries' Book-to-Bill ratio, which stood at 1.08, the same as January's number. The last time the book-to-bill was under 1.00 was last April, so recovery seems to be in sight. At the same time, the ratio hit 1.18 in October, the highest it's been since 2000, reflecting growth in fits and starts. Meanwhile, the IMS/PCB Business Report saw an 11.3 percent jump in its shipment index from January, to 131.4, and a 15.3 percent increase in the booking index, rising to 144.4.
- Lots of progress news: Zurich, Switzerland-based DEK expanded its Web site at DEK.com, while Londonderry, N.H.-based Polyclad Laminates, a business of Cookson Electronics, enlarged its electronics material manufacturing facility in Elk Grove, Calif. Des Plaines, Ill.-based Kester's Greg Munie, Ph.D., was chosen to be technical conference director for Electronic Circuits World Convention (ECWC) 10, which will be held in conjunction with APEX next February in Anaheim, Calif. Meanwhile, Intel was busy giving out awards: its Preferred Quality Supplier Award to Industry, Calif.-based Henkel Technologies, and its Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement Award to Carlsbad, Calif.-based Asymtek. Finally, Morton, Ill.-based Preco Electronics received Process Certification for Class 2, Electronics Assembly from Durham, N.H.-based consultant ITM, and elsewhere in New Hampshire, Hollis, N.H.-based JPSA Laser launched UV laser refurbishment services for UV Excimer lasers.
- Partnerships and acquisitions: Raptor Networks Technology Inc. established a strategic relationship with Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Express Manufacturing Inc. (EMI). In the trade association world, the Herndon, Va.-based National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) and the IEEE Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society (CPMT) entered into a formal agreement that will allow the organizations to collaborate on roadmap creation, as well as development of trade events and R&D priorities. In manufacturing representative news, Wakefield, Mass.-based The Howard C. Jappe Co. was appointed the New England manufacturer's rep for Portsmouth, R.I.-based International Manufacturing Services Inc. (IMS). New Albany, Ind.-based Key Electronics bought the entire breadth of Philadelphia-based Aegis Industrial Software Corp.'s software to support its factory information management, and in similar news, Hudson, Mass.-based ACT Electronics standardized on Herzlia, Israel-based Tecnomatix Technologies' eMPower solutions across its facilities in the U.S. Finally, Milpitas, Calif.-based Solectron Corp. is selling its Kavlico sensor products business to Schneider Electric as part of Solectron's previously announced strategy of divesting non-core assets.
- In trade show news, Oosterhout, The Netherlands-based Vitronics Soltec hosted 30 top French customers for a two-day seminar on lead-free soldering at its new manufacturing facility in Oosterhout. Looking ahead, next Tuesday through Thursday Kester and Metcal will present the latest in its series of lead-free technology seminars in the Seattle area. In the dispensing realm, Asymtek teamed up with fluid suppliers Dow Corning, Dymax, Emerson & Cuming, Henkel Technologies, Humiseal and Shin-Etsu to present a two-day conformal coating and microelectronics dispensing seminar at the end of April in Massachusetts. Finally, Scottsdale, Ariz.-based In-Stat/MDR announced this year's Embedded Processor Forum, to be held in mid-May in San Jose, Calif.
- Just one piece of financial news, but it's a good one: Quebec City, Canada-based EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. saw sales growth of 14.4 percent year-over-year and 5.8 percent quarter-over-quarter for its second quarter, which ended February 29.
- Finally, a prediction: Natick, Mass.-based Venture Development Corp. says the markets for wireline and wireless Ethernet infrastructure networking components will grow 22 percent and 35 percent, respectively, over the next three years.
This just in: According to this week's Quick Vote, 57 percent of you think your company is a follower when it comes to technology development, and 43 percent work for a leader.
Have some insight on the industry? See something you don't agree with? Think I'm right on? Send it all to me at christinef@pennwell.com.