NCAB Acquires PCB Units of EPI Components Trade, DVS Global

BASSANO DEL GRAPPA, ITALY – NCAB Group in July announced the acquisition of the PCB division of DVS Global, an Italian electronics provider. The PCB distributor will pay SEK200 million ($18.6 million), with a possible further earnout of a maximum of SEK45 million ($4.2 million).

DVS was founded in 2003 and also has offices in Switzerland, Hong Kong and China. Annual sales of the PCB division in 2023 amounted to SEK230 million ($21.4 million), with sales primarily directed toward Italian customers in the industrial and automotive sectors.

NCAB is acquiring the PCB division of the company, while the previous owners will focus on the remaining division, Teknokit. The deal is expected to close in September and the sellers will stay during a transition period.

ZDT JV Signs Agreement to Develop Thai PCB Workforce

BANGKOK – Peng Shen Technology, a joint venture between Saha Group and Zhen Ding Technology, has initiated a collaborative project with Thai educational institutions to develop local talent for the country’s PCB manufacturing industry.

The company has signed cooperation agreements with five leading Thai educational institutions with a stated goal to increase Thailand’s share of the global PCB production and elevate its position to the forefront of the industry.

The company said the collaboration aims to achieve five key objectives:

APCT Relaunches as AdvancedPCB

AURORA, CO – Advanced Printed Circuit Technology, Advanced Circuits and San Diego PCB Design have combined to relaunch as AdvancedPCB.

“Since the founding of APCT in 1977, we’ve expanded operations and expertise through more than 10 acquisitions. At the same time, we’ve consistently teamed up with global leaders in PCB design, manufacturing, and innovation,” said Peter Austin, CEO, AdvancedPCB. “This new brand represents our commitment to powering the next generation of technology, from healthcare to aerospace and defense to consumer products.

“The semiconductor industry continues to grow quickly in North America and across the globe. American-made AdvancedPCB is well positioned to service this growth,” Austin added. “Our products and solutions extend through global markets, providing enterprises in myriad sectors outside of North America with the same range of security, reliability, and quality standards that customers within the United States have come to expect.”

Alba PCB Group Acquires WM Eltar

TARNOWSKIE GORY, POLAND – Alba PCB Group has acquired fellow printed circuit board fabricator WM Eltar, based here outside of Krakow.

Terms were not disclosed.

WM Eltar specializes in the production of single- and double-sided PCBs, aluminum and flex PCBs. Alba produces PCBs and offers R&D and engineering in Italy and China.

Wistron to Invest $25M in Latest Vietnam Campus

DONG VAN WARD, VIETNAM – Wistron is investing $24.5 million in a new campus for electronics assembly in northern Vietnam, local media are reporting, citing government filings.

Equipment installation for the 49,000 sq. m. campus in the Dong Van III industrial park is scheduled for November, with production beginning shortly thereafter.

According to reports, the plant will have an annual capacity of more than four million LCD displays, docking stations, webcams and other Internet-related devices.

Variosystems Acquires Swiss EMS Firm

STEINACH, SWITZERLAND – Variosystems in June announced the acquisition of the EMS division of the Swiss electronics components manufacturer Schurter.

With the acquisition of Schurter Solutions, Variosystems said it has strengthened its European supply chain by adding a manufacturing site in Romania, and enhanced its engineering and rapid-prototyping capabilities via a second VARIOincubator hub in Mendrisio, Switzerland. The facility in Mendrisio will support and develop customers in Northern Italy, France and Switzerland, the company said.

The two added locations in Mendrisio and Gruiu, Romania, double Variosystems’ production capacity in Europe. The manufacturing site in Romania will focus on high-volume customer programs that require highest cost competitiveness. The site in Mendrisio will focus on engineering, rapid-prototyping and low-volume production services.

Starteam Acquires Italian PCB Factory

HONG KONG – Starteam Global has acquired CTB Circuiti Stampati and its PCB manufacturing facility located in the Italian town of Flero.

The PCB manufacturer said the new factory has been rebranded as Flero Starteam, and amplifies its manufacturing capability and market presence in Europe. Starteam said Flero Starteam will concentrate on innovation through prototyping, sample production, specialized high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, quick turn, and customized requirements.

“This expansion is a milestone for Starteam, reinforcing the company’s presence in the heart of Europe and highlighting its dedication to serving its European customers in the most local and flexible way,” the company said in a release.

Nano Dimension to Acquire Desktop Metal

WALTHAM, MA – Nano Dimension entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Desktop Metal for around $183 million.

Under the agreement, Nano Dimension will acquire all outstanding shares of the 3-D printing system provider in an all-cash transaction for $5.50 per share, subject to possible downward adjustments to $4.07 per share, for a total price of approximately $183 million, possibly down to $135 million in total with possible adjustments.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Kitron to Build New Production Facility

ARENDAL, NORWAY – Kitron is planning a 7,500 sq. m. production facility here, with plans for completion during the first half of 2026.

“There is growth and a high level of activity at Kitron in Arendal, and we believe the activity will increase further in the years to come,” said Heine Østby, managing director of Kitron Norway. “We are simply outgrowing the current premises. Now we get the opportunity to help design the perfect building for our needs. This gives us the opportunity to grow further here in Arendal, where Kitron has its roots back to the 1960s. We are extremely happy about that.”

Kitron’s operations in the area are currently divided between a facility of 7,300 sq. m., in Kilsund, Norway, and 4,000 sq. m. of rented premises at Stoa. When the new facility is ready, the company will move its Stoa operations to the new site, while the plant in Kilsund will continue as is.

Garner Osborne Acquired by Entrepreneur

NEWBURY, UK – Garner Osborne, a UK-based specialist in PCB manufacture and assembly, has been acquired by entrepreneur Dean Curran through Novastone Capital Advisors’ Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition program.

Operating for more than 33 years, Garner Osborne delivers PCBs that include rapid prototyping, small- to medium-sized volumes, and large-volume offshore manufacture. The transaction provided an exit for founder and former CEO Mike Garner and his business partner Nigel Priest, with Curran stepping into the business as CEO and co-owner. Garner will remain a minority stakeholder in the company.

“I am grateful to Mike for trusting me to continue his legacy,” said Curran. “I have been hugely impressed by the operational excellence and extremely high-quality PCB products that Garner Osborne manufactures, supplying a diverse range of customer sectors. The business has great potential for growth.”

Lava Considers Spinoff of Manufacturing Arm

NOIDA, INDIA – Lava International is reportedly considering a spinoff of its production arm into a separate company, which may generate business from other handset brands and help meet targets under the production-linked incentive scheme for smartphones.

The contract manufacturer, which has not been able to meet its PLI smartphone targets since the scheme began in 2020-21, is hopeful of a turnaround in its manufacturing fortunes with the upcoming incentive package for component production, head of manufacturing Sanjeev Agarwal told The Economic Times.

“Lava’s performance in the ongoing PLI scheme is an internal concern, and we are working on plans to bridge the gap,” he said.

FIT Launches In-House Circuit Assembly Services

MILPITAS, CA – Flex Interconnect Technologies launched its own circuit board assembly service in June, bolstering support for product development initiatives throughout North America.

“We are thrilled to now offer in-house assembly,” said Chetan Shah, president and CEO, FIT. “We recognize the growing demand in the electronics market for quickturn, low-volume circuit assembly with exceptional quality and high yields.”

While reshoring has brought assembly work back to the United States, higher volume production orders take up existing assembly capacity, the company said. Product development teams can struggle to find low-volume solutions to meet their go-to-market timelines, and by focusing on low-volume projects with quickturn timelines, FIT said its offering fills a current hole in the market.

Chinese EDA Startup Slashes Workforce

NANJING, CHINA – X-Epic, a Chinese developer of electronic design automation tools, is rumored to be laying off 50% of its workers after struggling to gain ground in the EDA space.

The South China Morning Press reported that the firm is struggling in its mission to make up ground on the US firms that dominate the EDA space: Cadence, Synopsys and Mentor Graphics.

X-Epic was founded in March 2020 and raised $121.7 million while developing a suite of chip design software EDA tools covering areas such as digital chip verification, hardware simulation, system debugging, and cloud-based verification.

Dips and Dumps: Electronics Industry Wary of Demand, China

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Sentiment among electronics manufacturers fell in June but remained above its long-term average, according to IPC’s monthly supply chain report. Respondents noted concerns over possible dumping practices by Chinese companies.

The industry outlook remains strongly positive, though it has slightly softened over the two months from a record high in March.

The results are based upon the findings of an IPC survey conducted between May 15 and May 31. (more)

PCB Design. No Humans Required.

An electronics startup is developing AI-driven design software that lessens manual intervention.
by Mike Buetow

The role of artificial intelligence in PCB design is a growing topic of debate throughout the industry, with discussions ranging from the previous inadequacies of autorouting, the best methods for training it, and its potential to replace human designers.

We spoke in June with Sergiy Nesterenko, founder and CEO of a new software company called Quilter, whose goal is to accelerate hardware development by fully automating circuit board design. The former SpaceX engineer discussed why he thinks the margins designers build in are excessive and how Quilter’s AI-driven, physics-based platform can resolve and even violate some “human” rules while still generating superior printed circuit boards.

The following has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

Young Guns

The annual snapshot of the industry finds the PCB design workforce is – at last – skewing younger.
by Tyler Hanes

Is the PCB design workforce finally getting younger? After years of consternation from the PCB industry – and the country as a whole – about the daunting task of replacing retired or soon-to-be retired workers, those worries may be coming to a head as the workforce begins to skew younger.

That’s the suggestion of the annual PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Designers Salary Survey.

After last year’s survey found the most respondents in the 61-70 age group, this year’s found the largest number of respondents from the 26-30 age range at 19% (Figure 1), edging out the 61-70-year-old group by two percentage points. Moreover, the overall response of designers and design engineers ages 40 and under was a tick higher than those ages 41-60. Balance is coming.

‘A Legacy of Innovation’

Indium Corporation celebrates its 90th anniversary with a look at its past and future innovations.
by Tyler Hanes

A sense of curiosity and discovery drove the founding of Indium Corp. in the early 1930s, and that continued drive to innovate has carried the company to success over the past 90 years of its existence – leading it to become a premier manufacturer and supplier for the PCB, semiconductor and thermal management industries.

After reaching the 90^th anniversary milestone this year, the company is celebrating with the theme of “A Legacy of Innovation Fueled by Curiosity,” meant to reflect the technological breakthroughs and the people who have fueled them.

Stretching Solder Capabilities

Solder paste dispensing can solve the challenges posed by differing component sizes.
by Timothy O’Neill

While stencil printing has long been the cornerstone of applying solder paste, it faces limitations with extremely small or large components. This challenge underscores the need for adaptable and innovative solder paste application methods. Here we delve into the realm of advanced dispensing technologies, exploring solutions that can help overcome common production challenges.

Stencil printing, despite its efficiency, struggles with the dual extremes of component sizes – area array and bottom termination components continue to shrink, while connectors and other components may increase in size. This variance stretches the capabilities of stencil printing. Dispensing offers the advantage of infinite flexibility, capable of producing both minuscule and substantial deposits while seamlessly integrating into the existing SMT process.

For example, a 25-gauge dispensing needle has an inner diameter of 10 mils, or 0.25mm, and a length of 0.25″, or 6.35mm. If that tip were treated as a stencil aperture and its area ratio calculated, it would be 0.10, which is considered impossible on a stencil by a factor of five! Without the pressure of the dispenser and finer solder particles in the paste, nothing would get deposited onto the PCB. Figure 1 shows a typical 25-gauge needle producing a 15-mil, or 0.375mm, deposit with Type 6 solder paste.

In Case You Missed It

Additive Manufacturing

“A Novel Method of Incorporating CNT into Additive Manufacturing Electronics Dielectric Material”

Authors: Daniel Slep and Fan Yang

Abstract: Flexible hybrid electronics parts that are additively manufactured offer greater flexibility in geometry, complexity, and variety or customizability. In this work, UV-curable dielectric materials for additive electronics and incorporated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within a formulated UV/LED curable matrix were used. It is shown that inkjet printing CNT mixture in specific manner with a commercial UV-curable dielectric improves mechanical and thermal properties of the final dielectric compared to the dielectric without the CNT mixture, including a significant decrease in coefficient of thermal expansion, while keeping excellent electrical properties. (Journal of Surface Mount Technology, July 2024, https://doi.org/10.37665/5ng0w157)