Printed Circuit Design & Fab - March 2008 - (Page 8)

AROUND THE WORLD EDITED BY KATHY NARGI-TOTH Aegis Opens New Headquarters HORSHAM, PA – Aegis Software Corp. announces the opening of a new global headquarters in Horsham, PA. The company reports that the new offices will meet growing workforce demands and provide a training environment for the company’s customer base. According to reports, the new headquarters will house an interactive training center to give customers a hands-on approach, using a conveyorized production line, test and quality cell, and a hand assembly line. Trainee stations are equipped to simulate a real production environment. The new facility also reportedly includes a large meeting center with advanced video conferencing, and customers are provided a video system for use in their own factories as part of the company’s customer service. Design for the Environment IEC Releases New Environmentally Friendly Design Standard GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has released a new international standard that will reportedly aid designers of AV and IT equipment in making decisions on energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact in product design and development. IEC 62075 will require that designers consider the entire life cycle of a product – from the materials and energy used in its manufacture, to its energy efficiency during use, through to the environmentally safe disposal of the product after its useful service life. The standard also advises on upcoming environmental regulations that will be implemented worldwide, and provides links to the governing environmental agencies. Commenting on the new standard, IEC General Secretary and CEO Ronnie Amit said: “The IEC Standard helps designers consider all aspects of a product’s life cycle, from the cradle to grave. If we can get designers to think holistically at the start of the product’s life cycle, then it’s a win-win for the consumer, governments and industry alike.” GADGETS DRIVE GROWTH Automotive PCB Market to Double by 2012 DUBLIN, IRELAND – Research and Markets has released a report stating that the market for PCB applications for the automotive sector is expected to double to over $5 Billion by 2012. Sighting the increasing electronic content of the average vehicle and exacting future requirements, the report outlines the growing need for PCB components to increase vehicle functionality. The report also states that automotive PCB manufacturing application types will range from flexible and flex-rigid to multilayer, microvia, thick copper, and ceramic. Cell Phone Manufacturers Restructuring SCHAUMBURG, IL – Lenovo yesterday said it plans to sell its failing mobile phone business for $100 million to a private equity firm under its parent, Legend Holdings. Meanwhile, Motorola said it is exploring the restructuring of its businesses as an attempt to restore its handset division. The company is considering alternatives, one of which is to separate the mobile phone business from other units. Until its board has made plans, the company said it would not discuss further actions. Motorola’s sales of handsets slipped last year. Its popular Razr still sells, but brings in little profit, published reports say. Last week, the company reported an 84% drop in profits for the fourth quarter. Contributing to this increase are the additions and improvements in satellite navigation, location-based services, remote diagnostics, emergency assist, airbag deployment notification, Internet access, and communications. Other applications include controlling passenger cabin comfort and communicating operating information from engine and drive train. Plans by North America and Europe to tag all vehicles for distance tolling and emergency assist will further add to the electronic content of each vehicle. LG & Samsung Target Motorola SEOUL, KOREA – Industry sources report that Samsung and LG Electronics, the world’s No. 2 and No. 5 handset manufacturers, are using Motorola’s troubles to increase their presence in the global mobile phone market. Sources site that Motorola has struggled to find an innovative replacement for its popular ultra-thin Razr, and that rivals Samsung and LG have introduced new thin phones, while Motorola’s new products have not resonated with the public to the same degree. It is reported that Samsung plans to capitalize on Motorola’s weakness by introducing expensive cell phones featuring high-speed data capabilities, in a bid to solidify its second place position after Nokia. 8 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB MARCH 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Printed Circuit Design & Fab - March 2008

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - March 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings ROI EMC for the Real World Positive Plating FPGA/PCB Co-design Increases Fabrication Yields Optoelectronics Comes of Age, Part 2 Implementation of Buried Capacitance in High-Speed Designs Ad Index Improved Innerlayer Bonding for Sequential Lamination Off the Shelf Marketplace BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - March 2008

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