24 The PCB Design Magazine • March 2014
PCB007
News Highlights
IPC APEX EXPO 2014 Proves Leadership;
Space Sold Out
To visitors, the sold-out status means that the show
floor will be busy and informative, with more than
425 exhibitors introducing new product technolo-
gies, innovations and demonstrations of the indus-
try's newest advancements, many of which will
also be highlighted in the dedicated new Product
Corridor on the show floor.
MFLEX Doubles Sales to New Customers
reza Meshgin, Ceo, commented, "net sales to
our newer customers more than doubled sequen-
tially, and are expected to represent approximately
23% of total net sales. looking ahead to the fiscal
second quarter, we expect a significant sequential
decline in net sales that we anticipate could ap-
proach 40%."
Dragon Circuits Intros Pure Gold LPC
for Medical Circuits
Texas-based circuit board manufacturer, Dragon
Circuits (DCi) has announced immediate availabil-
ity of their Pure Gold lCP, 100% pure gold traces
plated on liquid crystal polymer (lCP) without the
use of copper-base metals.
TTM Reports Strong Q4 and Fy 2013 Results
"We delivered strong results for the fourth quarter
as seasonal revenue growth combined with solid
execution resulted in increases in gross margins
and operating profit," said Tom edman, Ceo.
"strong demand for our advanced hDi and rig-
id-flex PCBs drove our product mix shift toward
advanced technology PCBs and brought our Asia
Pacific factory utilization rates above 90%."
Global Flexible PCB Market to Reach
$12.686B in 2015
The FPCB market was valued at $11.321 billion
in 2013, up by 9.4% year-on-year. in 2013, the
most significant change in the industry was in the
slumping profit margins of veterans and the soar-
ing profit margins of new entrants. Market veter-
ans lagged behind new entrants in equipment and
technical r&D strength, according to market ana-
lyst research in China.
American Standard Circuits Earns
"Manufacturer of the year"
u.s.-based circuit board manufacturer American
standard Circuits (AsC) has been awarded "2013
Manufacturer of the Year" by the Alliance for illinois
Manufacturing. The award is intended to showcase
a company that serves as a testimonial to the Alli-
ance's integrated business delivery model.
Viasystems Reports 10.9% On-year
Sales Growth
"We finished the year with some positive momen-
tum that sets us up to continue to make progress
on our cost structure in 2014, but in many ways
i am glad that 2013 is behind us," said David M.
sindelar, Ceo. "During the past year, we have
worked through a number of challenges, including
factory relocations, recovery from a fire in one of
our largest factories, and new project launches, not
to mention the economic pressures from reduced
government spending."
Invotec Wins Formal ESA Approval
The company is delighted to announce it has been
formally awarded esA approva—the first PCB sup-
plier to achieve such approval in many years. in-
votec already has a rich space heritage, manufac-
turing hDi and hDi flex-rigid boards for a variety
of esA and non-esA space programmes to oeM
specifications which, in many cases, go beyond
current esA approvals.
IPC: North American PCB Sales
Continue Slow Recovery
"north American PCB sales in December contin-
ued their slow recovery, while orders have been
volatile," said sharon starr, iPC's director of market
research. "in the current cycle, the book-to-bill ra-
tio appears to have hit its low point in november
and is now beginning to climb again."
Chinese PCB Firm DPMC Refutes
Bankruptcy Rumors
China-based printed circuit board manufacturer
Dalian Pacific Multilayer PCB Co. ltd (DPMC) has
denied rumors that the company is going bank-
rupt.
24 The PCB Design Magazine • March 2014
