Printed Circuit Design & Fab - February 2008 - (Page 10)

AROUND THE WORLD in BRIEF CMK Sells Laminate Division to Sumitomo Bakelite. TOKYO – CMK Corp. has sold its 49% interest in SNC Industrial Laminates to Sumitomo Bakelite Co. CMK will take a $15.74 million charge for its fiscal year ending in March. CMK, one of the world’s largest PWB providers, said it plans to focus on that segment. Malaysiabased SNC makes PWB materials for white goods. It was formed in 1990 as a joint venture between CMK and Sumitomo Bakelite. Matsushita Renamed as Panasonic Corp. TOKYO – Some 90 years after its founding, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. is shedding its eponymous name. As of Oct. 1, Japan’s second-largest technology company will officially assume the name Panasonic Corp., a nod to its global brand. President Fumio Ohtsubo said the decision was difficult, but that the brand will benefit from shedding the original name for the better-known moniker. The name change became effective Oct. 1. Enthone Expands in Eastern Europe. LANGENFELD, GERMANY – Enthone announced today the continued expansion of the company’s operations in Eastern Europe, with the opening of newly formed companies Enthone S.R.L. in Romania and Enthone s.r.o. in Slovakia. In addition to Romania and Slovakia, Enthone’s Eastern European presence also includes facilities in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Turkey. Dongguan Somacis to Supply PCBs for Power Supply. CHASHAN, CHINA – Dongguan Somacis Graphic PCB announced it has been approved to supply heavy copper multilayer PCBs for the production of power supplies. The company will produce up to 20-layer copper PCBs predominantly used in DC/DC converters. The approval comes a few months after the start-up of production in the China-based plant. Trilogy Circuit Gains ITAR Registration. RICHARDSON, TX – Trilogy Circuits announced the completion of registration under the US Department of State’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Administered by the Office of the Defense Trade Controls Compliance (DDTC), ITAR regulates the manufacture, export, import and transfer of defense related articles and services. “As a provider of mission critical military electronics design and manufacturing services, we felt it was necessary to take additional steps to safeguard defense related data for our customers as well as our nation. Receiving the ITAR registration represents our commitment to providing a more secure business environment for our customers," said Trilogy Circuits President Charles Capers. Japan PCB Shipments Up TOKYO – October shipments of PWBs reached $822 million in Japan, up 15.1% sequentially, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. Shipments totaled 2.28 million sq. meters, up 8.1%. The increase in volume was reportedly not due to any single product, with all markets segments experiencing a rebound. The multi-layer rigid circuit board segment posted significant increases, with four and six to eight layer boards increasing 26.6% and 41.6% respectively as compared to the previous month. Flexible circuits were up 8.3% and module circuits were up 10.1%, however, volume from single-sided flexible circuits remained flat. Volume from double & multi-layer flexible circuits continued to increase. While volume levels remain high for the rigid module circuit segment, shipments for the past month seemed to show a slight weakness. Shipments for other module circuits remained sluggish during October, but manufacturers report optimism for this segment since demand has turned upward. PCB Austin Conference Set for March SMYRNA, GA – PCB Austin, a new three-day technical conference, will be held March 4-6, in the Austin suburbs. The new show, produced by UP Media Group, is located in nearby Round Rock, 20 minutes from downtown Austin. PCB Austin will include three days of targeted conference courses from industry experts, one day of tabletop exhibits, and various networking events. PCB Austin is an addition to the UPMG portfolio of shows, which includes PCB East and PCB West. In a statement, President Pete Waddell said, “We’ve produced the PCB Design Conferences since 1992, but now see a need to expand our portfolio to include regional events in key areas throughout North America. Up, Up and Away November PCB Orders Up BANNOCKBURN, IL – November PWB orders climbed 11.8% year-over-year in North America, while shipments fell 9.1%, IPC said today. The book-to-bill fell 0.02 points to 1.06, remaining in positive territory for the ninth straight month. For the month, rigid shipments fell 9.6%% and bookings climbed 11.8%. The rigid book-to-bill ratio was 1.06. Flex sales were down 1.6% and bookings were up 12.6%. The flex book-to-bill fell to 1.02. The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.0 an indicator of future sales growth. Rigid PWBs make up an estimated 88% of the current North American market. Year to date, shipments are down 9% and bookings are down 7.2%. Rigid shipments are down 9.1% and bookings are down 8%. Flexible sales are down 6.4% and orders are up 5.5%. Sequentially, shipments fell 0.6% and bookings dropped 3.5%. Rigid shipments fell 1.7% and bookings dropped 4.1%. Flex PWBs were up 16.3% and bookings were 4.3% higher. According to IPC, 84% of the reported shipments were produced in North America. Unlike the SIA semiconductor data, IPC does not disclose the size or number of the participating companies, making it difficult to determine whether the trade group’s sample is representative of the market. 10 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB FEBRUARY 2008

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Printed Circuit Design & Fab - February 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings ROI Tip Jar Interconnect Strategies IC/PCB Co-Design Modeling Design Tools Optical Interconnect Trade Shows Laminate Materials Off the Shelf Marketplace Ad Index BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - February 2008

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