TTM Acquires Facility in Wisconsin and Land in Penang

SANTA ANA, CA – TTM Technologies has announced the acquisition of a 750,000 sq. ft. facility in Eau Claire, WI, and land rights for a new manufacturing site in Penang, Malaysia.

The Wisconsin facility, formerly owned by TDK Hutchinson Technology, is fully equipped to support printed circuit board production. TTM plans to use the site to accelerate US-based manufacturing of high-volume PCBs, particularly for data center computing and generative AI applications.

“The Eau Claire facility represents a critical leap forward in TTM’s ability to support customers requiring high volume, advanced technology US PCB manufacturing,” said Tom Edman, president and CEO, TTM Technologies. “Because the infrastructure is already in place, we can accelerate the deployment of equipment and capabilities.”

Synopsys Completes Ansys Acquisition

SUNNYVALE, CA – Synopsys in July officially completed its acquisition of Ansys, finalizing a deal first announced in January of last year. The move combines Synopsys’ strengths in silicon design and IP with Ansys’ system simulation capabilities, positioning the company to address a market now estimated at $31 billion.

“This is a transformational milestone,” said Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi. “With Ansys onboard, we can ignite innovation from silicon to systems, enabling engineers to develop complex AI-powered products faster and more efficiently.”

The combined roadmap includes plans to release the first integrated capabilities by the first half of next year, supporting advanced packaging, testing and system-level simulation for industries such as semiconductors, automotive, aerospace and industrial tech.

TTM Technologies Advances Syracuse Facility Toward Readiness

SYRACUSE, NY – TTM Technologies reports significant construction progress at its upcoming uHDI PCB manufacturing facility in Syracuse, as the company enters a critical summer build phase. Site curbing is underway, with paving having commenced in June. Transformers are now set and scheduled for energization in the coming weeks, while final glazing and exterior finishes are on track for July completion.

TTM’s technical team will arrive onsite this summer to begin equipment installation and system integration, initiating the transition from construction to early operations. The Syracuse facility will expand TTM’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and reinforce its position in the uHDI and high-reliability PCB segment.

Syrma SGS to Offer PCBs through New JV

BENGALURU, KARNATAKA, INDIA – Syrma SGS Technology in July signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with South Korea-based Shinhyup Electronics to manufacture multilayer printed circuit boards and flexible circuits under a wholly owned subsidiary named Syrma Strategic Electronics Pvt. Ltd.

According to the filing, Syrma SGS will initially hold a 75% stake in the new entity, with Shinhyup Electronics holding the remaining shares.

The move extends Syrma SGS’s electronics assembly manufacturing capabilities by adding PCB fabrication, giving the company more control over its supply chain.

Zollner Acquires Bluechips Microhouse

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Zollner Elektronik has finalized its full acquisition of Thailand-based Bluechips Microhouse, strengthening Europe’s largest domestic EMS company’s presence in Southeast Asia. Terms were not disclosed.

Located in Chiang Mai, Bluechips Microhouse site is expanding with a new ISO Class 7 cleanroom. Zollner is making targeted investments in technologies and sustainable energy infrastructure at the location. The acquisition is part of the company’s broader effort to build a diversified supply chain.

“This is more than a growth initiative – it’s about deepening our global integration and opening new pathways for collaboration with our customers and employees,” the company stated.

Scanfil to Acquire MB Elettronica

FINLAND & ITALY – Scanfil in July announced a strategic merger with Italian-based MB Elettronica, building its position in the European EMS market. The move brings Scanfil’s global factory count to 16 across four continents and grows its workforce to over 4,500.

MB Elettronica had 2024 sales of EUR 98.4 million ($116 million), with an EBIT of EUR 6.8 million and an EBIT margin of 6.9%. On a cash- and debt-free basis, the enterprise value is a minimum of EUR 73 million. Scanfil will pay a maximum additional fee of EUR 50 million based on the unit’s financial performance in 2025 and 2026. The transaction will be paid in cash and financed with Scanfil’s existing credit facilities.

MB Elettronica operates four plants in Italy and brings around 500 employees to the Scanfil Group. The acquisition enhances Scanfil’s reach in Southern Europe and adds strong capabilities in the Aerospace and Defense sectors, with both companies citing complementary customer portfolios and expanded cross-selling opportunities.

Compal Opens Automotive Electronics Plant in Poland

CZELADZ, POLAND – Compal Electronics has completed the first phase of its new automotive electronics manufacturing facility here. The plant will focus on electronic control units (ECUs), with plans to later include ADAS and autonomous driving system sensors.

The EMS/ODM will commence initial production later this year and scale to volume in 2026. The fully automated plant will house seven cleanroom assembly and testing lines, supporting an annual capacity of up to 3.5 million units.

An expansion remains under consideration pending future trade and tariff developments.

PE Group Acquires Arian EMS, Plans Expansion

ASHINGTON, NORTHUMBERLAND, UK – Arian EMS has been acquired by investment group CorpAcq, with plans to create up to 30 new jobs and double the size of its operations. The Ashington-based firm, which specializes in printed circuit board assembly and testing for sectors like automotive, will continue under the leadership of founder Malcolm Humble, who retains a strategic role.

CorpAcq is expected to fund investment in new machinery, a second facility, and up to four strategic acquisitions, according to reports.

“It’s a genuine partnership – CorpAcq shares our values and ambition.” CorpAcq founder Simon Orange said. “From the first conversation, it was clear Arian EMS had the energy, experience, and customer focus we look for.”

Aimtron Raises $12M to Build India Manufacturing Facility

VADODARA, GUJARAT, INDIA – Aimtron Electronics has secured approximately $12 million through the issuance of convertible warrants to fund a new electronics manufacturing facility here. The financing round, approved by the board, saw participation from promoter group members Mukesh and Nirmal Vasani and institutional investors.

The new greenfield facility, planned for a three-acre site, will include up to five SMT lines and full-scale assembly operations. The expansion supports Aimtron’s strategy to scale its box-build and system-level integration business, aligned with its $120 million revenue target.

CEO Mukesh Vasani said the investment will help establish a forward-looking production hub supporting India’s electronics self-reliance goals. COO Nirmal Vasani added that the facility will reduce lead times and enable high-volume, integrated delivery under one roof.

Videoton Acquires Stake in Limtronik

BERÉNYI, HUNGARY – Videoton Group has acquired a stake in Limtronik GmbH in Germany and Limtronik USA in Colorado, marking a step in its global expansion strategy. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The move integrates both sites into the Hungarian contract manufacturer’s network, building its reach across Europe and North America.

Videoton, one of the largest EMS companies in Europe and the largest in Hungary, says the acquisition enhances its vertical integration and provides Limtronik with broader manufacturing and box-build capabilities. The companies plan to leverage each other’s strengths to improve proximity to customers, expand market presence and meet demand in sectors like defense, medtech and semiconductors.

Critical Manufacturing Acquires AI Image Specialist Convanit

PORTO, PORTUGAL – Critical Manufacturing in late July announced the acquisition of Convanit, an AI specialist focused on image-based analytics for high-tech manufacturing. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Critical Manufacturing, a provider of manufacturing execution systems, said the acquisition marks a “significant step: in expanding the capabilities of its data platform, enabling customers to harness visual AI to drive greater precision, automation and insight.

Convanit offers an image classification engine built for complex industrial environments. It is said to permit manufacturers to swiftly build and deploy custom AI models for visual inspection without the need for specialized programming or data science skills.

PCB Design Tool Sales Up 5.5% in Q1

MILPITAS, CA – Global sales of printed circuit board and multichip module design tools rose 5.5% in the first quarter from the same time last year, reaching $399.8 million, according to a report from the ESD Alliance released in mid-July.

The four-quarters moving average for PCB and MCM, which compares the most recent four quarters to the previous four quarters, rose 8.9%.

The broader electronic system design (ESD) industry saw revenue climb 12.8% year-over-year to $5.1 billion, fueled by double-digit gains in Semiconductor IP and Services. (more)

5 Things to Consider When Designing Electronic Circuits Using AME

A lack of standards means designers need to rely on vendor datasheets and enable out-of-the-box thinking.
by Amir Shelef

The additive manufacturing electronics (AME) industry is rapidly gaining momentum, with the market size projected to reach billions in the coming years as engineers and designers increasingly adopt this cutting-edge technology. Despite the growing use of technology, educational resources and design guidance for AME remain scarce, leaving many professionals to navigate uncharted territory. To bridge this gap, here are five essential tips every designer should know when creating electronic circuits using AME.

1. Material compatibility. It is essential for engineers to consult material datasheets early in the design process and adjust calculations accordingly. AME relies on materials that differ from those used in traditional PCB fabrication. Our signature machine utilizes silver nanoparticle ink for conductive elements such as traces and ground (GND) planes, coupled with an acrylate-based photopolymer for dielectric layers and structures, instead of relying on copper traces and fiberglass-reinforced laminates. These differences have important implications for both mechanical and electrical design.

Mechanically, traditional laminates offer high strength due to glass-fiber reinforcement. In contrast, AME photopolymers are composed entirely of polymer, making them inherently less rigid. Since most AME applications focus on electronic rather than mechanical performance, however, this is rarely a limitation, and designers can compensate for the reduced material strength by optimizing the part’s geometry. Compact, well-structured designs often exhibit excellent durability, even in demanding environments, thanks to favorable aspect ratios and the precision of micron-scale printing.

Reducing Risk through Measurement System Analysis: A Practical Study of Bias and Linearity on ENIG Thicknesses on PCBs

An incomplete picture can “mask” significant issues.
by April Labonte and Brittany Malin

Measurement system analysis (MSA) evaluates the overall capability of a measurement system. Measurement capability serves as a foundational element for ensuring product quality, as reliable measurements are essential for maintaining consistency and meeting specifications. Before any measurement system can operate in production, a thorough evaluation determines its capability. This assessment ensures the system provides accurate and precise measurements, laying the groundwork for robust quality control practices.

A capable measurement system should be both precise and accurate. Precision refers to the variability of the gauge, focusing on how close the measurements are to each other when repeat measurements are taken. When determining the precision of a measurement system, consider repeatability and reproducibility. Accuracy refers to how closely a measured value aligns with a standard or reference value. Many tools evaluate the MSA of a process.

The Type 1 gauge study is a common starting point in a comprehensive MSA program. This study involves repeated measurements of a single sample using one gauge and one operator. It provides insights into both the gauge’s accuracy by comparing results to a reference value and its precision through the consistency of repeated measurements. In industry, professionals commonly select a reference value standard in the center of the measurement range and typically utilize a NIST traceable standard. Operators generally take 30 measurements and evaluate the capability indices (Cg and Cgk). If the gauge achieves a minimum capability index of 1.00, it is deemed acceptable. A comprehensive MSA program goes beyond this initial evaluation, however, offering a more thorough and reliable assessment of the measurement system’s capability.

Choosing the Right Surface Finish for a PCB

Balancing environmental exposure, component type, shelf life, production volume and regulatory compliance – and cost.
by Md. Imtiaz Uddin

While printed circuit board designers often focus on the circuit layout and picking the right components, one key detail short on attention is the surface finish on the PCB. This thin coating significantly impacts a board’s performance, durability and reliability.

Surface finishes come in many styles, each designed for different conditions, budgets and compatibility needs. Here we explore those finishes, their types and how to select an appropriate one for a PCB.

Before choosing, understand what a surface finish is and why it matters. A surface finish consists of the thin layer of coating applied to copper surfaces on a PCB. Without it, exposure to the elements would cause the copper to oxidize and corrode. This can lead the PCB to develop catastrophic faults. This finish serves several crucial functions:

• Shields the copper from oxidation and corrosion, for board longevity.
• Provides a surface suitable for soldering components.

Elements of PCB Panelization

Panelize to optimize: faster builds, better boards.
by Akber Roy

In the printed circuit board manufacturing stage, panelization – physically linking many smaller, identical PCB substrates together on a common sheet – is an elegant way to produce many boards simultaneously.

Through this, manufacturers can streamline fab, assembly and testing to process multiple PCBs concurrently, leading to cost savings through reduced material waste and time required for setups and teardowns. Herein we explain panelization, its types, when it is useful, the different panel sizes in use and the important features of a typical panel.

Electronic devices are often produced efficiently and in bulk through use of PCB panelization. To picture the concept, imagine you are baking cookies. Instead of baking one cookie at a time, several cookies are placed on a tray and baked simultaneously. That’s what panelization essentially is. It combines many small PCBs together into one large panel. That panel goes through the entire manufacturing process, and then the individual boards are snapped or cut apart.

Agentic AI: The Future of the Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain

Initiating complex workflows with simple text commands.
by Asmin Perviz

The 21st century has stress-tested the global supply chain. Climate shocks and geopolitical flare-ups have fractured the way we do business. Everything from tsunamis to Trump-era tariffs has exposed the fragility of just-in-time logistics. But what’s the fix to this uncertainty?

Consumers may be stockpiling beans in case the world order collapses, but manufacturers and their customers are betting on something less apocalyptic: supply chains driven by agentic AI.

As Anita Chowdhury from the Cambridge Innovation Institute puts it: “Companies must assume disruption is constant, not occasional. A resilient supply chain isn’t just about backups – it’s about intelligent design.”

In Case You Missed It

BGA Reliability

“Reliability Analysis and Parameter Optimization of Board-Level BGA Packaging Structures under Thermal-Drop Impact Load”

Authors: Yanxi Sun, Zixin Zhen, Xuexia Yang, Miao Zhu and Chao Chang 

Abstract: As electronic products become more pervasive, instances of unintentional drops during periods of high-power consumption are increasingly prevalent. Thermal loads can induce fatigue damage in the solder joint material, whereas drop impact loads can instantaneously impose substantial mechanical stresses. Consequently, this study investigated the mechanical behavior of solder joints when subjected to the concurrent effects of heat and drop impact loads.

In this work, a three-dimensional finite element model of a board-level ball grid array (BGA) package structure is established, and numerical calculations are performed based on thermal-drop impact load sequence coupling. The effects of chip thickness, solder ball height, diameter and array on its temperature field distribution, solder ball stress and average impact life are investigated. Optimization schemes were designed using Taguchi quadrature and surface response methods. Mathematical-statistical analysis and regression analysis determined the optimal combination of structural parameters to minimize solder ball peeling stress. The results show that increasing the height and diameter of solder balls is beneficial in reducing package temperature under actual temperature loading induced by the chip power, and the temperature is lowest when the number of solder ball arrays is 12. Under the thermal-drop impact load sequence coupling, the maximum peeling stress value appears at the edge of the contact area between the tip of the outermost fillet ball and the substrate. The larger the height and smaller the diameter of the ball, the greater its ability to resist the drop impact load. The average collision life was 1.12 times longer at 0.34mm solder ball height than at 0.32mm, and 2.02 times longer at 0.56mm diameter than at 0.58mm. Under the same conditions, the optimization results of surface response method are better than Taguchi orthogonal method, and the optimal parameter combinations are chip thickness 0.285mm, solder ball diameter 0.56mm, height 0.325mm and pitch 0.592mm. The maximum peeling stress is reduced 19.5% compared with the pre-optimization period, and the average collision lifetime is increased 1.98 times, which realizes the optimization of structural parameters of the board-level BGA package. (Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Jun. 16, 2025, https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ssmt-01-2025-0003/full/html)