CircuiTree - January 2009 - (Page 42) Enthone (Cookson Electronics) appointed Ben Poon senior VP and managing director of Enthone Asia. Fine Line Stencil opened its Memphis, Tenn, stencil manufacturing facility and added an LPKF MultiCut laser. Florida CirTech Introduced CK300, which helps minimize skip and background plating in the electroless nickel immersion gold process. Heraeus appointed Frank Murch director of sales and marketing and Roy Baumer operations manager for its Assembly Materials Business unit. Isola and ITEQ settled their patent dispute. JPSA Laser appointed Charles Cuneo president, succeeding founder Jefferey Sercel who continues as chair and CTO. Lincoln International: • Completed 12 M&A transactions between September 1 and October 31, despite a challenging market; and • Represented ACT Electronics in the sale of its Mississippi division to CDR Manufacturing. Madico Graphic Films launched a gloss, white polyimide film for high-temperature PCB labeling. Mania Belgium (formerly Barco ETS) was renamed Ucamco. Manncorp introduced an advanced starter turnkey line targeted for prototyping and low-volume assembly. Mitsubishi Gas Chemical began commercial production of oligopolyphenylene ether used to manufacture PCBs. Mitsui Metal Smelting developed a new copper laminate with a high dielectric constant for embedded capacitance of up to 1 µF per cm2. Omron Electronics introduced its Xpectia flexible vision system. Orbotech: • Cut 150 employees; and • Sold its European and U.S. electronics PCB assembly equipment business to Fin.Pro S.p.A. Pacothane Technologies: • Introduced a new conformable release film PACOFLEX #5000; and • Consolidated several Massachusetts enterprises into one contemporary facility north of Boston, Mass. Park Electrochemical: • Appointed David Dahlquist director of business development; • Cut its workforce at its Neltec business unit in Tempe, Ariz.; and • Purchased patent licenses from Isola. Petroferm was acquired by H.I.G. Capital. Polymer Kompositer is building a 2,000 ton/y production facility in Norrtalje for silver-based surface chemicals for plating PCBs and solar cells. Researchers Yonggang Huang and John Rogers developed a method to fabricate stretchable electronics that increases the stretching range (as much as 140 percent) and creates circuits that can withstand extreme twisting. SABIC Innovative Plastics and LPKF Laser & Electronics formed LDS technology collaboration for integrating electronic and mechanical functionality into a single module. Skyray XRF introduced a low-cost instrument line for measuring 42 January 2009 • circuitree.com plating thickness. TCT and CCI Eurolam signed a distribution contract for Europe and Mediterranean countries with the exception of Scandinavia, Spain, and Portugal. Teradyne: • Completed the acquisition of Eagle Test Systems; and • Cut 185 jobs globally. Toyo Ink developed an inkjet printable conductive ink for fine line flexible circuits. Union Tool broke ground on its 140,000 ft2 addition in Warsaw, Ind. Universal Instruments laid off 45 workers in Conklin, N.Y. Electronic Manufacturing Services and Related Assembly Activity Aiptek is spinning off its ODM/OEM business on March 30, 2009. Alcatel pulled back outsourced parts from its EMS providers and transferred production to the Alcatel Shanghai Bell facility in China. Asti will expand its Selbu, Norway, production facility by 700 m2 in 2009. Benchmark Electronics co-founders Don Nigbor and Steve Barton retired. Bharat Electronics began construction of its new CEM unit in Kalamassery, Kochi (India). Canon installed assembly robots at a Thai printer factory as part of a broader plan to automate overseas factories. It discontinued its inkjet printer assembly in Japan and moved operations to Thailand. Catalyst Manufacturing Services achieved ISO 13485:2003 medical certification at its Tijuana, Mexico, manufacturing facility. CDR Manufacturing acquired ACT Electronics’ Mississippi division. Connor Solutions: • Is investing GBP 2 million to replace all SMT production lines and enhance its existing through-hole technology; and • Will add 50 jobs over the next two years. Coroplast began building a EUR 18 million automotive cable plant in Tunisia. CTS received ETC accelerator pedal module manufacturing contracts from two new Chinese customers and a major Japanese automotive maker. Delphi began construction of a new EMS facility in Chennai, India. EI Microcircuits (Mankato, Mich.) received IPC certification for lead-free assembly. Elcoteq cut 36 jobs in Salo, Finland. Production at the unit will cease by March 2009. Elektrobit will cut 170 staff globally by the end of the first half of 2009. Flextronics: • Will close its Östersund, Sweden, unit in March 2009 and cut 85 positions in Karlskrona, Sweden, in spring 2009; • Postponed construction of its LCD plant in St Petersburg, Russia; • Closed its SBS facility in Herrenberg and transferred work to Paderborn; and http://www.circuitree.com
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