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Speaking of this Week -- November 1, 2002
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
By Christine F. Della Monaca
Speaking of this Week reflects on the electronics assembly industry every Friday.
The IPC Book-to-Bill hit the street this week, showing general flatness but a bit of a dip downward from the beginning of the year. Financial news moved in the spotlight, with less creepy feelings and more sunshine than in previous months. We've also got tradeshow, personnel, regulatory and progress news, with acquisition news moving to the back burner. Hold on:
- First, of course, the Book-to-Bill and PCB Business Report from Northbrook, Ill.-based IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries(r). For September, the book-to-bill stood at 0.95. Sales billed (shipments) decreased 5 percent year-over-year, while orders booked increased 4.2 percent from September 2001. This represents a slight downhill, but mostly flat, ride from the beginning of the year. The book-to-bill for August was 0.98, and in July it was 0.99. These numbers, of course, are all lower than January's year-high of 1.01. Meanwhile, the PCB Business Report reported the PCB shipment index was 137.4 and the PCB booking index was 121.4 for September. The PCB shipment index was up 8.5 percent from August, and the booking index was up 3.1 percent. Some signs of life DO exist.
- A slew of financial results for the quarter ended September 30 came out this week, and the results are cautiously optimistic, showing less loss and, in some cases, a bit of growth. Singapore-based EMS giant Flextronics reported results for its second quarter and six months ended September 30, showing net sales of $3.3 billion, a 3 percent increase year-over-year and a 7 percent sequential increase from the prior quarter. Meanwhile, Minneapolis-based CyberOptics Corp. saw consolidated revenues increase 21 percent to $7.47 million from $6.18 million in the year-earlier quarter. Even better, revenues were up 26 percent from $5.9 million in the second quarter. Over at Herzlia, Israel-based Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd., the news was slightly less rosy. The company reported pro forma revenues of $20.1 million, compared to $21.1 million for the same period last year. At the same time, operating income for the quarter was $800,000, compared to an operating loss of $600,000 in the third quarter 2001. Finally, Greenville, S.C.-based KEMET Corp. had the most downbeat news of the week. Net sales of $113.1 million decreased 6 percent year-over-year, and decreased sequentially 9 percent from the second quarter.
- Some tradeshow news: electronica 2002, the world's largest electronics trade show with more than 3,000 visitors, will take place November 12 through 15 in Munich, Germany with a new addition: a special forum addressing the latest MEMS products and trends. Phoenix-based Duraswitch will send three of its licensees to the show: Germany-based Demmel AG and Schurter GmbH, as well as Italy-based Tastitalia S.p.A., who will exhibit four Duraswitch products. IPC and JEDEC have developed the Second International Conference on Lead-free Electronic Components and Accessories. The event will take place December 9 through 12 in Taipei, Taiwan and discuss lead-free issues such as tin alloys, package reliability and tin whisker formation. Finally, the first meeting of CONNECT, the European Electronics Interconnection Network, took place on October 16 in Brussels, Belgium, aiming to act as a "Network of Excellence" by coordinating and managing "Integrated Projects" on specific technological areas potentially funded by the EU or from national sources.
- In personnel news: Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas employees must feel like dominos, as reflected by a series of promotions and assignments that will be in place by December 1. Nicholas Gutwein will become president and CEO of Rodel Inc., a division of the company's Electronic Materials Business Group, while Suzanne Rowland will succeed Gutwein as global business director of Adhesives and Sealants. James Swanson will succeed Rowland as head of the North American Architectural and Functional Coatings business, and M. Reginald Horne will succeed Swanson as global business director for Powder Coatings. Finally, as if your head isn't already swimming, John Culbertson will succeed Horne as global business director for the Automotive Coatings business. There's a whole week of personnel news in this company alone, but wait, there's more: Binghamton, N.Y.-based Universal Instruments Corp. promoted Aaron Saxton to business development manager, mid-range product, while Lenexa, Kan.-based Elecsys Corp. appointed Todd A. Daniels as vice president and chief financial officer.
- The upcoming ban in Europe on lead is expected to be in place on July 1, 2006, nearly two years earlier than the date proposed in the original draft of the legislation. UK-based SOLDERTEC announces this week that it offers process optimization consultancy, technical advice, training packages and general legislative information to help companies transition smoothly to lead-free assembly.
- Some progress news: LaFox, Ill.-based Richardson Electronics opened a new branch office in Beijing, China, while Canada-based AIM appointed Altus Group as its UK distributor. And Londonderry, N.H.-based Polyclad Laminates Inc., a Cookson Electronics PWB Materials & Chemistry business, saw its Kuching, Malaysia operation receive certification to the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System (QMS).
- Finally, just three bits of merger and alliance news: Tokyo-based Hitachi High-Technologies Corp. will acquire all the shares of subsidiaries of Osaka, Japan-based SANYO Electric Co. Ltd. to build an integrated system that includes development, manufacturing, sales and services, while Charlottesville, Va.-based GE Fanuc Automation North America Inc. will buy Foxboro, Mass.-based Intellution Inc. Finally, IPC has contracted Madison, Ala.-based Soldering Technology International Inc. (STI) to develop a training and certification program for IPC/WHMA-A-620, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Harness Assemblies.
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.