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Speaking of this Week -- February 7, 2003
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By Christine F. Della Monaca
Speaking of this Week reflects on the electronics assembly industry every Friday.
Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. What cheers me up is the flood of news that's come across my desk as of late. We've got tons of progress news, mergers and alliances, lots of information on upcoming trade shows, an update on standards, a bit of personnel news, and a few predictions. And away we go:
- Progress news galore: Oosterhout, The Netherlands-based Vitronics Soltec is building a new facility down the street from its current one. Meanwhile, Binghamton, N.Y.-based Universal Instruments Corp. is gearing up to open its 4,700 sq. m manufacturing facility in Guangdong Province, China at the end of the month. Universal also is expanding online, adding a shopping cart functionality to its Web site to allow customers to order spare parts and services on the site. In award news, Grand Junction, Colo.-based GPD Global Inc. has been awarded a Governor's Award for Excellence in Exporting, while Munich, Germany-based Siemens Dematic Electronics Assembly Systems received the Frost & Sullivan Technology Leadership Award for the second time. Finally, Pittsburgh-based Ansoft Corp. Founder, Chairman and CEO Zoltan Cendes, Ph.D. was elected an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow.
- Some big alliance and merger news this week: Milpitas, Calif.-based Solectron Corp. has signed a manufacturing and supply agreement with HP, which should generate about $1.4 billion for Solectron in sales over five years. Meanwhile, Eindhoven, The Netherlands-based Assembleon appointed Kaisertech Ltd. as its UK agent, and Burlington, Canada-based Arbell International Corp. is the new distribution agent for ASG, Division of Jergens Inc. Finally, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada-based ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. bought Micro Precision Plastics (MPP) for $8.6 million, including debt, to add to the capabilities of its Precision Components Group.
- Lots o' event news: San Mateo, Calif.-based ElectroniCast Corp. Founder and Chairman Jeff D. Montgomery will speak at Gorham's 8th International Semiconductor Outlook Conference: Compound Semiconductor Outlook 2003 on February 28. Further down the road, Northbrook, Ill.-based IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries will hold its EMS Management Council Meeting on March 30 and 31 in conjunction with APEX 2003. Herndon, Va.-based trade organization NEMI will premiere its 2002 roadmap at APEX, with other NEMI forums including a review of results from the recently completed Test Strategy Project and a discussion of how IPC standards are helping OEMs and EMS providers "span the virtual factory." From April 1 through 4, the Minneapolis-based SMTA will offer two certification programs, one for SMT Processes and one for SMT Systems, in Anaheim, Calif. These programs also will be offered throughout 2003. SMTA also will begin online presentations on February 28, also happening March 14 and April 4. Finally, Stratham, N.H.-based Vitronics Soltec will begin an 18-city Advanced Technology Tour on April 9.
- Some standards news: IPC has translated IPC-A-610C, Acceptability of Electronics Assemblies, into Japanese, German, Czech and Danish.
- One bit of personnel news: Paris-based SpecialChem appointed Francois Bauduin as vice president in charge of its Adhesives and Sealants division.
- Finally, two predictions from Norwalk, Conn.-based Business Communications Co. Inc. The firm says that 22.1 kg of research grade nanotubes have been produced through 2002, with a value of $11.9 million, and that nanotubes will spread into applications such as replacement for silicon in transistors in integrated circuits. BCC also forecasts that the global market for optical thin film coatings is at $5.95 billion in 2002, and will grow at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 4.3 percent, ostensibly reaching $7.33 billion by 2007.
This just in: The hype over military and defense applications for electronics in the wake of September 11 may be a bit overblown, if this week's Quick Vote is any indication. Thirty-eight percent of you say military and defense applications are not at all important to your company, while 31 percent say very, 28 percent don't know and 8 percent say somewhat.
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.