Murata, Cadence Partner to Streamline Circuit Design

HORSHAM, PA – Murata Manufacturing has partnered with Cadence Design Systems to make its inductor and capacitor product libraries directly accessible within Cadence’s electronic design automation tools. Murata’s models are now preinstalled in OrCAD X Capture, Allegro X System Capture and AWR Design Environment, allowing engineers to select components and run simulations without manual downloads or installations.

The collaboration aims to accelerate the design of power supply, high-frequency and noise suppression circuits, responding to the growing complexity of PCBs and the shift toward front-loaded design workflows. The preinstalled libraries provide immediate access to approximately 1,600 power inductors, 5,000 RF inductors, and 24,000 MLCCs. With dynamic and static models reflecting real-world characteristics, designers can evaluate signal integrity, power stability and noise more efficiently.

Murata plans to further expand the integration by automating updates via API, ensuring engineers have access to the latest models directly within Cadence’s platforms.

AT&S Expands into Defense Manufacturing

LEOBEN, AUSTRIA – AT&S is entering the defense sector as part of a strategic diversification plan aimed at boosting long-term stability amid rising geopolitical tensions. The company plans to manage this expansion from its Leoben facility, which is being evaluated for upgrades to meet defense production standards.

The move is designed to provide planning security and reduce exposure to economic fluctuations, with annual revenue expectations in the mid-double-digit million range. AT&S also emphasized that all defense-related activities will comply with Austrian and EU regulations.

AT&S aims to contribute to European security and resilience while expanding into a market segment with growing strategic importance.

Schweizer Electronic Ends Restructuring at Schramberg Site

SCHRAMBERG, GERMANY – Schweizer Electronic AG has concluded its staff restructuring program and ended short-time working at its Schramberg facility, citing a stable order situation for the remainder of the year and early signs of renewed growth in 2026.

The company completed its personnel adjustments through a voluntary program without a reconciliation of interests or social plan, supporting employees transitioning to retirement or new career paths. “The last few months have been a great challenge for all of us,” said CEO Nicolas Schweizer. “But we have used the crisis as an opportunity to review and adjust our cost structures and reposition ourselves.”

The Schramberg plant is expected to remain well utilized through year-end, with restructuring measures taking full effect in 2026. The site will broaden its focus beyond the automotive sector to reduce market risks and strengthen its position as a leading European PCB manufacturer.

Cicor Acquires EMS Sites in US, Morocco from Valtronic

BRONSCHHOFEN, SWITZERLAND – Cicor Group on Oct. 27 signed an agreement to acquire two production sites from. In a statement, Cicor said the move will strengthen its medical technology business, secure a strategic location in the US and enable a much-needed expansion of capacity in Morocco.

Cicor said the deal will add around 220 employees and additional revenue of at least CHF 20 million ($25.2 million), which could roughly double thanks to key customers in the US business. The transaction will not have a significant impact on Cicor’s balance sheet or the EBITDA margin, the EMS firm said.

The transfer of the business to Cicor is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Ichia Expands in Malaysia

KEDAH, Malaysia – Ichia Technologies in late October held the grand opening of its RM490 million ($117 million) PCB and electronics manufacturing facility here.

The new manufacturing facility at Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) is expected to create approximately 600 jobs.

The 55,000 sq. m (592,000 sq. ft.) site will focus on manufacturing printed circuit boards, assemblies and components for the automotive and telecommunication sectors.

Hanza Acquires BMK, Forms Europe’s Largest Public EMS

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Hanza has entered into an agreement to acquire BMK Group, a German electronics manufacturing services provider with roughly 1,500 employees, solidifying its position as Europe’s largest publicly listed contract manufacturer.

The deal remains subject to approval at an extraordinary general meeting in November and regulatory clearance, expected by year-end.

Hanza said the acquisition is part of its growth strategy of building a network of five balanced manufacturing clusters across Europe.

IMI Consolidates China Operations to Boost Capacity Utilization

BIÑAN, PHILIPPINES – Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) has completed the consolidation of its Kuichong operations into its Pingshan facility in Shenzhen, a strategic move designed to streamline its manufacturing footprint, improve operational efficiency and increase capacity utilization.

The company announced that final production at the Kuichong site concluded on Sept. 30, with the integration of operations into Pingshan set to continue in the coming weeks. IMI said the transition is structured to maintain business continuity and minimize disruption for customer accounts previously supported by the Kuichong facility.

The consolidation aligns with the company’s broader strategy to optimize its global manufacturing network and strengthen its competitive position in China’s electronics sector.

Precision PCB Acquires Assets of Microplace

ELGIN, IL – Precision Technologies has acquired the assets of Microplace, a Chicago area electronics manufacturing services company. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Precision Technologies, which operates as Precision PCB, said the strategic acquisition enhances its capabilities in assembly and strengthens its technical expertise.

Microplace, an Elgin, IL-based EMS established in 1996, supplies prototype and turnkey assembly to a variety of end-markets. The Microplace team will remain in place, ensuring continuity of service, technical excellence, and a seamless transition for existing customers.

Note Expands UK Presence with Acquisition of Kasdon Group

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Note has signed an agreement to acquire UK-based electronics contract manufacturer Kasdon Group, strengthening its position in the British EMS market and securing a foothold in the high-growth defense sector, which represents about half of Kasdon’s revenue.

Note will pay approximately $35.6 million on a cash- and debt-free basis, including a potential earnout, corresponding to an adjusted EBITDA multiple of around 6. The deal will be funded through Note’s existing cash and credit lines.

Kasdon, based in Willenhall near Birmingham, offers turnkey manufacturing solutions and operates from a modern, expanding facility equipped with advanced production capabilities. The company reported more than $15 million in revenue for the year and employs roughly 50 people. Managing director Steven Stockley and his son Ryan will remain in leadership roles following the acquisition.

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Inks Deal to Acquire Micromax

Waterbury, CT – Element Solutions, the parent company of MacDermid Alpha Electronics, on Oct. 28 announced a definitive agreement with Celanese to acquire its Micromax subsidiary for approximately $500 million in cash, subject to adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

The acquired unit will be integrated into Element’s electronics segment and will boost sales to approximately $2 billion.

Micromax is a supplier of electronics inks and pastes for electronics. Its portfolio includes conductive, resistive and dielectric thick-film inks, as well as low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials for creating multilayer circuits. It serves end-markets such as aerospace, defense and healthcare.

Concord Control Systems Acquires 50% Stake in Fusion Electronics

LUCKNOW, INDIA – Concord Control Systems has taken a step into advanced electronics manufacturing with the acquisition of a 50% equity stake in Fusion Electronics. The deal, completed through a definitive share purchase agreement and announced Oct. 29, marks Concord’s entry into the high-value flex PCB segment and designates Fusion as an associate company.

Fusion Electronics operates India’s largest flex PCB manufacturing unit, with an annual installed capacity of 200,000m². The facility supports EBITDA margins above 20% and supplies major automotive clients including Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Magneti Marelli and Hella.

By leveraging Fusion’s established position, Concord plans to diversify beyond its railway systems core, entering new electronics and industrial markets. The company’s three-year strategy outlines plans to double production capacity, integrate surface-mount and box-build capabilities, and create a standalone EMS platform for strategic industries.

PCB Design Revenue Climbs as EDA Market Expands in Q2

MILPITAS, CA – Revenue from PCB and multichip module (MCM) design tools climbed sharply in the second quarter, reflecting ongoing strength in the electronic system design sector. According to an October report from the ESD Alliance, PCB and MCM revenue grew 7.8% year-over-year to $430.5 million, with the four-quarter moving average up 8.8%.

The broader electronic system design industry generated $5.09 billion in revenue during the quarter, an 8.6% increase from the same period in 2024. Growth was broad-based across key product categories, with computer-aided engineering (CAE) and services leading the gains, while semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) revenue also posted solid improvement (more)

Tried-and-True Design Practices for High PCB Yield

Effective design means building with manufacturing limits in mind.
by Akber Roy

Everyone makes mistakes. In PCB design, design for manufacturing (DfM) is all about correcting mistakes after reviewing a PCB layout. We then devise corrective actions to fix those mistakes and improve procedures to make products error-free.

The term “PCB manufacturing” includes fabrication and assembly. Reliable and smooth PCB manufacturing requires DfM-compatible design practices. The journey begins with the schematic, followed by layout, which serve as the blueprint for the design. PCB design is a unique field where success depends on the designer’s understanding of fabrication and assembly technologies. We are no longer living in an era of simple designs that are easily manufactured.

On Flying, Finding and the Trade Show Floor

Somewhere between the badge scanner beep and missing business cards, community happens.
by Ryann Howard

I’ve been reading to my son before bed lately. And now that we’ve (mercifully) graduated from the picture book phase, I did what any overexcited parent with a bookshelf full of “classics” would do: I went straight for the big ones. Peter Pan. Alice in Wonderland. The Secret Garden.

I quickly realized, somewhere around my third dramatic reading of a particularly dense sentence, that perhaps I was a little too eager. I was narrating stories with words he wasn’t quite ready for yet, piling on adventures that made more sense to me than to him.

But then, tucked between J. M. Barrie’s whimsy and flights of fancy in Peter Pan, I stumbled on a line that made me pause: “It is not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do that is the secret of happiness.”

The Analysis of Variance: Drawing Conclusions from Data that are Correct, Unambiguous and Defensible

How ANOVA helps ensure process data lead to accurate, defensible decisions.
by Patrick Valentine, Ph.D.

The two-sample t-test determines if two population means are equal. Typical applications involve testing whether a new process or treatment outperforms a current one. But what if we have three or more means we want to test? The t-test is inappropriate for this analysis.

For example, a young engineer tests the mean brightener concentration in their four acid copper pulse plating tanks (A, B, C, D). There are six pairwise comparisons: AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD. Using the t-test, if the probability of correctly accepting the null hypothesis for each test is 1 – α = 0.95, then the probability of correctly accepting the null hypothesis for all six tests is (0.95)⁶ = 0.74, or 74%. In other words, 1 – 0.74 = 26% chance of committing a Type I error. Recall that a Type I error occurs when we reject a true null hypothesis (no statistical difference) and claim that there is a statistical difference. The multiple comparisons cause a significant increase in Type I errors. The appropriate procedure for testing the equality of several means is the analysis of variance.¹

The Analysis of Variance

R.A. Fisher, a British statistician, invented the analysis of variance (ANOVA) in 1918. While the t-test compares only two groups, Fisher designed the ANOVA to permit comparisons among multiple groups using a single test. The ANOVA gained popularity after being included in Fisher’s text Statistical Methods for Research Workers in 1925. Today, the ANOVA is the most useful technique in the field of statistical inference. The ANOVA is a general linear statistical model technique used to test the hypothesis that the means of two or more groups are equal. The linear function refers to the mathematical relationship between the model parameters and the dependent variable (y). Specifically, the response variable (y) is a linear function of the model, meaning the average outcome relates linearly to each term in the model.²

Outsourcing Product Design and Development

Nine critical checks for OEMs to avoiding bottlenecks.
by Asmin Perviz

Established OEMs with ambitious growth goals often hit a wall as they expand their product ranges. Internal design and development (D&D) teams become overloaded while juggling updates to legacy products, managing lifecycles and integrating new features. Meanwhile, mounting pressure to innovate and accelerate time-to-market for new products adds to the challenges.

For many, the answer is clear: outsource D&D. But choosing the right partner is anything but straightforward. This is the tipping point. OEMs often need to work fast to choose a D&D partner or face a vicious cycle of competing demands and delays that impact revenue (Figure 1).

In Case You Missed It

Thermal Dynamics

“Dynamic Thermal Response and Flow Behavior of a Zigzag Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger under Transcritical Conditions”

Authors: Yatian Zhao, Kai He, Hongyue Zhao and Hongkang Liu

Abstract: Studies on the dynamic response characteristics of printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) are rather limited. The mechanisms by which channel geometry and operating pressure affect dynamic behavior remain unclear, which indicates that the structural modifications could easily introduce new challenges. In this study, three-dimensional transient simulations are performed to analyze the thermohydraulic response of a zigzag-channel PCHE subjected to inlet temperature step disturbances (from 335K to 415K) near the pseudo-critical region. Compared to the straight channel, the zigzag configuration exhibited better cooling performance under steady-state conditions, as indicated by a lower outlet temperature. Under transient conditions, the zigzag channel demonstrated better dynamic response performance than the straight channel, shortening the outlet temperature response time by 2.58 sec. This improvement is primarily attributed to stronger secondary flow vortices that accelerate heat transfer during transient thermal disturbances. These effects are especially significant when the fluid shifts between subcritical and supercritical states, where rapidly changing fluid properties enhance mixing and promote more efficient heat transfer. Additionally, the dynamic response of the PCHE under different operating pressures (7.6MPa,8.1Mpa,8.6 MPa) was investigated. Interestingly, although higher pressure enhances steady-state cooling performance, it results in a longer dynamic response time – delayed by 4.05 sec – due mainly to reduced thermal diffusivity and diminished heat transfer effectiveness in the central flow region under elevated pressures. These findings highlight the dynamic advantages of zigzag channels and reveal the tradeoffs between pressure and responsiveness, offering guidance for optimizing PCHEs under transient conditions involving both subcritical and supercritical operations. (Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 281, part 2, Dec. 15, 2025; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.128695)