Are the Robots Taking Over?

Some have a fear that robots are taking over, but the founders of Universal Robots have a different view. They have focused on producing a versatile robotic arm that frees humans from doing the repetitive tasks. Their journey has not been an easy one. From a startup with just a couple of employees their future was questionable at best, but they never gave up.

Atotech’s Uwe Hauf’s View of the Global Electronics Manufacturing Market

Uwe Hauf, VP of electronics for Atotech, and I-Connect007 Publisher Barry Matties sat down at CPCA 2015 for an illuminating discussion of the global market—what’s happening now, what is going to happen tomorrow, and a few things that won’t happen for at least 10 years, according to Hauf.

Inkjet-printed Liquid Metal Could Bring Wearable Tech, Soft Robotics

New research shows how inkjet-printing technology can be used to mass-produce electronic circuits made of liquid-metal alloys for "soft robots" and flexible electronics.

Insitu: Moving Mountains in a Mountain Community

Nearly 800 employees build and support Insitu’s UAS line of ScanEagles, Integrators and ground stations. Boeing’s cameras captured the first images inside of Insitu’s new production facility, Eagle Point. Watch the video for a peek inside and learn more about where high-tech meets mountain height.

Steve Williams Discusses His New Company

Industry veteran Steve Williams shares about his new consulting company and what he can do for his clients, from specs and qualifications to training and teaching and how to successfully sell to CMs.

Report: Wireless Portable Medical Device Market

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Wireless Portable Medical Device Market by Technology, Component, Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2020" report to their offering.

SONAR Systems and Technology Report

The SONAR systems and technology market is estimated to be at $3.41 billion in 2014 and is expected to register a CAGR of 6.22% to reach $4.90 billion by 2020.

Rockwell Collins’ New RSR Transforms Customer Devices for Military

Rockwell Collins’ new Remote Secure Receiver, which was recently ordered by the Battlefield Airmen Office of the Air Force Special Operations Command, is the first of its kind and features the world’s smallest, lowest power, protected, secure and trusted military Selected Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) GPS solution.

GD Digital Modular Quadruples Navy Network Comm Capacity

Built using open architecture standards, the DMR radios will continue to provide improved functionality and interoperability while accommodating next-generation communications waveforms like MUOS, the Integrated Waveform and future advanced network communications waveforms.

E-Textiles Poised to Gain Significant Attention

At least 70% of our time we are in contact with textiles and they are starting to become intelligent. This report is about the ultimate form of that - e-textiles based on inherently electronically or electrically-active woven e-fibers.​

China CIOs Need to Change to Grasp Digital Break

Chief information officers (CIOs) in China are less aware than their global counterparts that they will need to change in order to succeed in digital business, according to a new report from Gartner, Inc.

Production of PCBs Drives SMT Equipment Market

The global market for Surface Mount Technology Equipment is projected to reach US$4.5 billion by 2020, driven by the strong demand for electronic products and the ensuing increase in production of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

Novel Method Projects Growth Potential of New Firms

New businesses spring up all the time in the U.S. But which ones have the greatest ability to become big? A method developed by MIT researchers, based on an empirical study, projects the growth potential of high-tech firms with new precision — and could help local or regional policymakers assess their growth prospects.

CEA Lauds Reintroduction of Innovation Act of 2015

The immense amount of money spent fighting bogus patent lawsuits amounts to a massive tax on consumers and a drain on investment, American innovation and job creation. CEA is hopeful that this will be the year Congress protects American businesses and innovators from extortionate patent trolls.

Optomec Partners with Ceradrop MGI Group

“Ceradrop has both leading-edge technology and global expertise in printed electronics and smart 3D printing, which make it an ideal partner for Optomec,” said Mike Kardos, Director of International Sales at Optomec. “We are looking forward to working with Ceradrop to expand our European marketing network for Aerosol Jet.”

NOTE's 2014 Sales Up 6% Despite Weaker Sales in Q4

"In 2014, we advanced against the competition on a fairly stable European market. We regard our sales performance in Q4 as a temporary decrease, our strong order backlog at year-end indicates a positive volume performance in 2015," says NOTE President and CEO Peter Laveson.

AGEM Index Remained Flat in January

Compared to a year ago, the index fell 1.96 points (-1.1 percent). The AGEM Index has now reported annual declines for four consecutive months.

Unemployment Rate Slightly Changed at 5.7% in January

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 257,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.7%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in retail trade, construction, health care, financial activities, and manufacturing.

CTS Reports Earnings Growth, Progress on Business Wins

“We are pleased with the results for 2014. We delivered strong earnings growth despite softer than anticipated sales,” said Kieran O’Sullivan, CEO of CTS Corporation.

Data I/O to Showcase PSV7000 at APEX

“The PSV7000 is our fastest ramping automated system and has become the preferred programming solution for leading automotive electronics manufacturers worldwide, with 8 of the top 9 automotive electronics companies purchasing at least one PSV7000 since its introduction.” states Anthony Ambrose, President and CEO of Data I/O Corporation.

N.A. PCB Business Growth Flat in 2014

"PCB business in North America was virtually flat in 2014 compared to the previous year," said IPC's Sharon Starr. "Sales ended the year less than one percentage point below 2013, while orders finished the year just 0.6% above 2013. Strong orders in the fourth quarter have kept the book-to-bill ratio solidly in positive territory, which bodes well for sales growth in 2015."

Opportunities for 3D Printed Structural Electronics

Today's 3D printers have many limitations, but the boundaries are being pushed and exciting developments are continuously being made. One of the most promising recent developments in the world of 3D printing is multimaterial printing, which holds the key to the emergence of 3D printed electronics.

CES Show Day One: IoT and 3D Printing Circuit Boards

Dan Feinberg gives his insights and observations on the show floor during the first day of CES 2015. From the Internet of Health and Fitness, to 3D printing of things such as musical instruments and truly printed circuits, Dan gives his take on some of the latest consumer electronics developments on display.

CES 2015: Preview and Predictions

Looking back over the last five years of CES and analyzing predictions and items featured by the large exhibitors, you'd likely assume the 2015 show would feature more advanced 3D TVs, as they were predicted to take over the market...wrong!

A Conversation with Laurent Nicolet, Schmid Group

During the HKPCA & IPC Show 2014, Laurent Nicolet, VP - PCB Business Unit of Schmid Group took a few minutes to discuss the automation technology that was on display and share the changes he's seen in the China market.

Thermal Characterization of LEDs: Enabling the Upcoming Lighting Revolution

This article describes a method that combines hardware measurement (a thermal transient tester), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to provide high measurement throughput, which enables systems integrators to verify a vendor’s thermal resistance data during design and to test incoming commercial off-the-shelf parts before they are introduced into production.

Sanmina: Automation in Production Lines

With so much discussion about the increasing amount of automation in the world of electronics assembly Editor Richard Ayes asked Gelston Howell, senior VP at Sanmina, to provide perspective on the state of manufacturing automation. Howell discusses the current state of automated electronics assembly systems, the inherent risks and challenges, and the future of robotics in manufacturing.

NAMM 2014: A Report from Dan Feinberg

Columnist Dan Feinberg writes, "I keep two goals in mind when visiting NAMM, and one of them is, of course, looking to see how technology influences the music industry. After all, those of us who have spent our lives in the tech industry are always interested in looking back at where we've been and looking forward to where we're going."

CES Showstoppers: Days 2 and 3

The Showstoppers event's mission is to try to find the most investment-worthy new startups. Dan Feinberg says it was an interesting event, and he lists his top three picks for the most exciting offerings presented.

Automotive Electronics Take Center Stage at CES 2014

One would normally expect the likes of Intel, Sharp, Samsung, and Huawei to take the spotlight at the world's largest consumer electronics show or perhaps some new company bringing a creative invention to the market, but it seems today the car was front and center, providing innovation, connectivity, and real solutions that offer real improvement to the user experience.

SEMI Urges ‘Essential Business’ Designation of Semiconductor Companies Worldwide to Help Ensure Continuous Operation
You Can’t Squash This Roach-Inspired Robot
TactoTek Co-creates Future Driving Experience with Launch of Origo
2020 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting To Be Held Virtually
Nordson Corporation Names Joseph P. Kelley as Chief Financial Officer