SAN JOSE –Texas Instruments VP of emerging medical applications Doug Rasor will keynote the upcoming Medical Electronics symposium: Technology Concepts Enabling Product Reality.
His talk, How Technology will Revolutionize Healthcare in the 21st Century and Beyond, will highlight the third annual MicroElectronics Packaging and Test Engineering Council event.
The event takes place Sept. 25 at Arizona State University in Tempe.
Other sessions will include Revolutionary Concepts in Medical Electronics; Advanced Materials for Medical Electronics; Key Enabling Technologies, and Next Generation of Bio-Medical Systems.
For more information and to register, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.meptec.org.
ARLINGTON, VA -- August orders for electronics components rose, reversing a summer dip, the Electronic Components Association said today. Orders remained flat year-over-year, however, the trade group said.
In a press release, president Bob Willis said the cycle is following historical seasonality trends. "Historically, we've seen a summer downturn followed by an acceleration in orders during the fall. I suspect that this is what's happening here."
ECA said it altered the baseline year of its monthly order index from 1996 to 2006 to better reflect the current market. The switch resulted in greater volatility in the adjusted four- to five-week results, but 12-month average results are not affected. Also, the trade group now tracks only North American orders, which ensures greater reporting consistency among manufacturers participating in the survey, ECA said.
WASHINGTON – While enactment of the RoHS Directive made waves, what’s been less visible is enforcement. This week, Fern Abrams, IPC’s director of government relations and environmental policy, discussed the association’s role with regard to RoHS and other looming “green” issues.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – Driven by government mandates, global shipments of automotive MEMS sensors are expected to nearly double from 2006 to 2012, according to iSuppli Corp.
iSuppli forecasts worldwide automotive MEMS sensor shipments will grow to 935.7 million units in 2012, rising at a CAGR of 12% from 2006.
Global auto MEMS sensor revenue will increase to $2.1 billion in 2012, increasing at a CAGR of 8%.
“Driving the rapid growth of the automotive MEMS sensor market in the United States and Europe is a set of chassis safety-related mandates that makes compulsory the implementation of electronic stability control systems and tire-pressure monitors,” said Richard Dixon, senior analyst for MEMS at iSuppli.
Shipments of MEMS pressure sensors for tire pressure monitoring systems are expected to reach 179 million units in 2012, up from 43.1 million in 2006. Shipments of MEMS inertial and pressure sensors used in ESC systems will increase to 158 million units in 2012, rising at a CAGR of 17%.
“These applications will allow the automotive MEMS sensor market to outgrow the automotive and car electronics segments over the next few years,” Dixon said.
A substantial market driver will emerge in 2009 when Europe’s stringent emission–control regulations go into effect, said the firm. This will boost demand for powertrain pressure sensors. Other healthy MEMS markets include high-g accelerometers for airbags.
Bouchaud added the market transparency brought by government mandates may herald greater commoditization and price erosion in MEMS sensor products, as all suppliers provide products that conform to government specifications, and which accommodate a range spanning the most expensive to the cheapest available vehicle.
This will reshape the competitive landscape for MEMS sensors because of increased competition, Bouchaud added.
STAMFORD, CT – Asia-Pacific semiconductor revenue will outperform global revenue growth of 4.6% in 2008, reaching nearly $160 billion, up 6.4% year-over-year, said Gartner Inc.
Gartner forecasts Asia-Pacific semiconductor revenue will reach more than $203 billion by 2012.
“Worldwide semiconductor revenue is set for single-digit growth over the next five years; however, selected devices in specific electronic equipment types will post much higher growth,” John Barber, research director at Gartner, said in a statement.
China’s electronics sector will continue to lead growth in the region and the global semiconductor arena, said the research firm. However, China’s electronics manufacturing industry slowed in 2006 and is forecasted to record slower growth until 2012.
TEMPE, AZ – Economic activity in the US manufacturing sector failed to grow in August, according to a poll of top supply executives.
The overall economy grew for the 82nd consecutive month, says the Institute for Supply Management. The new orders index was 48.3%, up 3.3 points over July.
The PMI index was 49.9%, down 10 basis points from July. A reading above 50% indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; a PMI over 41.1%, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.
In a statement, ISM spokesman Norbert J. Ore, said, "The PMI indicates a slight decline in manufacturing during August. This continues the 2008 trend toward negligible growth or contraction each month, but ultimately results in very little overall change in the sector. This month's report is showing the first signs of lower prices as the Prices Index fell significantly, though still at an inflationary level. Export orders picked up additional momentum, and that is important to manufacturers as domestic demand remains soft for most industries."
Industries reporting growth in August included Computer & Electronic Products.
The average PMI this year (49.5%) corresponds to a 2.6% increase in real gross domestic product.
