Readers who have followed my writing in blogs and whitepapers may find this blog out of character. Its premise is that the value delivered by EMS companies (contract manufacturers) is higher than the amount they charge for services. While my message is pay for value, it often comes across as too many are paying too…
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Perhaps because they are generally unpredictable and uncontrollable, natural disasters would seem to top the list of events that could deliver the most destructive shocks to the global economy and the electronics supply chain. Empirical evidence indicates this may not be the case, however. A compilation of the most severe historical shocks to the world…
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Innovations have changed the calculus of sourcing in the medical devices industry. Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies bring engineering expertise to the manufacturing floor that help drive innovation. The medical devices industry wasn't willing to trade off the risks of loss of intellectual property, potentially compromised quality, and regulatory compliance for the cost savings from…
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As if we didn't have enough paperwork to support our day-to-day supply chain concerns, here comes another truck load of documents that may be worth their weight in gold. I have been thinking about a possible company standard operating procedure for processing and reporting on conflict minerals (CM). In brief, according to the new government…
DetailsHeilind Electronics, the largest distributor of interconnect products in North America, is now stocking the top-contact 0.25mm pitch FPC connector manufactured by Molex Incorporated. It is the latest edition to the range of Molex 0.25mm pitch FPC solutions for applications such as mobile phones and digital cameras. The top-contact FPC connector was designed to provide…
DetailsGlobal Digital Television (DTV) households will continue a growth trend and exceed 1 billion by the end of 2014, according to Strategy Analytics. This represents a significant increase from the end of 2012 when digital cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial (DTT) households totaled 755 million. The Strategy Analytics Service Provider Strategies (SPS) servicereport, “Global Digital…
DetailsFlextronics announced today that it received two of Ford Motor Company’s 2012 World Excellence Awards (WEA). Paul Humphries, group president of the High Reliability Solutions business group at Flextronics, accepted the awards on behalf of the Company at the World Excellence Awards ceremony that was recently held in Dearborn, Michigan. Flextronics received Ford’s Corporate Responsibility…
DetailsAs rare earth materials play an increasingly critical role in the growth of global industries, an ASTM International subcommittee is gearing up to address challenges across the life cycle of these vital resources. ASTM Subcommittee F40.04 on Rare Earth Materials held its most recent meeting in April and has established a standards development agenda aimed…
DetailsInventory levels at chip suppliers fell significantly during the first quarter, according to market researcher IHS, indicating an uptick in demand for electronics products. On the other hand, semiconductor companies often shift inventory into the channel at the end of reporting periods as they seek to improve their bottom lines. Chip maker revenues declined in…
DetailsMouser Electronics, Inc. has released an enhanced version of its Medical Applications site. New features focus on medical imaging solutions including MRI, portable ultrasound, and digital x-ray, helping engineers to solve a unique set of design challenges. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) requires high speed data and image processing to create soft tissue images, making high…
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