Fab News

TAIPEI, TAIWAN– HannStar Board and Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE) have decided to curtail their expansion projects set for 2009. Sources at the companies report the decision comes after poor order visibility.
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HERTFORD, UK UK-based PWB fabricator Daleba Electronics recently laid off seven workers as part of a corporate restructuring, the company said today.
 
The firm is set to open a 2,000-sq.-ft. office in Shenzhen, providing a base for the engineering, purchasing, logistics and quality assurance.
 
Daleba builds boards in the UK and also distributes boards built in China.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN– The global demand for handsets remains low, and Taiwan’s top four makers of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for handsets remain pessimistic about fourth-quarter sales.
 
Unimicron Technology Corporation saw sales revenue fall 3.62% for the month. Shipments began to cool at the start of the third quarter, and the company isn’t expecting much of an improvement during the fourth quarter.
 
Smartphones have influenced the sale of rigid flex boards, though. Unimicron has increased sales to over NT$200 million (US$6.05 million). Demand is predicted to stay strong during the fourth quarter.
 
Unitech Printed Circuit Board Corporation reported sales revenue of NT$921 million (US$27.8 million) for October. This marks an increase of 11.73% from the previous month. The company has experienced a slowdown in shipments of PCBs for mobile phones, not including smartphones. Fourth-quarter sales are predicted to remain sluggish.
 
Wus Printed Circuit Company reported sales revenue at NT$551 million (US$16.6 million), down 32.68% from September. The company is not forecasting an improvement in the fourth quarter.
 
Compeq Manufacturing Company did report revenue of NT$2.981 billion (US$90.2 million), up 10.95% from September. Despite the marked improvement, Compeq remains conservative with fourth-quarter predictions.
 
CRANBURY, NJ and ATKINSON, NH– BETZ & Company plans to combine its manufacturers’ sales representative operations with those at Atkinson-based Cogent Manufacturing Solutions. The merger will broaden Cogent’s product line and expand its markets in the Eastern US and Eastern Canada.
 
Eventually, Richard Betz hopes the partnership will allow for his eventual retirement. “I am impressed with Cogent’s grasp of the printed circuit fabrication market and am confident that they will do a superb job presenting our principle products not only to the PC fabrication market, but also go the photochemical machining, sign and specialty industries,” explains Betz.
PHILADELPHIA– Rohm & Haas Co. has released its third-quarter results. Despite the acquisition costs by Dow and a busy hurricane season, sales in all of its business segments were healthy. Third-quarter income rose nearly 2%.
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FOREST GROVE, OR and ANAHEIM, CA– Mania Technologie Outsourcing Services, Inc. (MTOS) has reached an agreement with DGTek regarding the acquisition of its test facility in California. Beginning this month, the newly acquired test center will become part of the worldwide Mania Outsourcing and Service Group network.
 
MTOS plans to fully integrate the Anaheim center into its procedures and work flow. The company also plans to invest in flying probe and drill equipment to increase the capacity and quality of the test center. The North American Customer Care organization will operate out of the new facility.

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