For 16 months the U.S. manufacturing sector has expanded in spite of – rather than thanks to – the global supply chain. The U.S. PMI in September increased by 1.2 percent to 61.1, according to the Institute for Supply Management. However, concern regarding the semiconductor shortage reached its highest level so far this year, said…
Editor’s note: Europe was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. As of July, the IPC trade association said Europe would return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021. “Our expectations for growth in Europe have increased over the last month,” IPC reported. “We now expect GDP to expand by 4.7 percent in 2021, up…
Waymo recently released via Youtube a lecture on “Waymo Driver,” the company’s fifth-generation robocar platform. Presented by YooJung Ahn, head of design at Waymo, the video clip shares the new platform’s basic design ideas. Ultimately, the trick that caught many industry observers’ eyes about the latest robocar was Waymo’s liberal use of various sensors, including…
The Covid-19 pandemic and oil-market volatility drove the U.S. manufacturing index back into contraction territory in March, as the Institute for Supply Management’s PMI fell to 49.1 from 50.1 the prior month. With 50.0 as the line of demarcation between contraction and growth, new orders at 42.2 percent and employment, at 43.8, are at the…
The U.S. manufacturing index contracted for the fourth straight month in November — just as the Trump administration resurrected steel and aluminum tariffs on Argentina and Brazil. Global trade issues, according to the Institute for Supply Management, remain the top cross-industry concern for America’s manufacturers as the year ends. The ISM’s PMI dropped by 0.2…
Non-profit advocacy group Women in Electronics (WE) was formed in 2017 to empower women through networking opportunities; develop them through a virtual leadership program; and celebrate their successes along the way. The organization recently wrapped up its third annual leadership conference and now has 300 members. Jackie Mattox, founder and president of WE and national…
The U.S. Department of Commerce has again extended the temporary general license (TGL) allowing U.S. tech companies – such as Intel, Micron, Qualcomm and Xilinx — to sell components to Chinese networking giant Huawei Technologies. This is the third such extension since the U.S. government, citing security concerns, added Huawei to its “Entity List” in…
Yageo Corp.’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Kemet Corp. will unite two leading component makers into a $3 billion powerhouse in the interconnect, passives and electromechanical (IP&E) market. The move will expand both companies’ global footprint, market penetration and product portfolios. “Together with Yageo, we will have an enhanced global footprint and be better able to…
Global procurement professionals are facing more challenges than ever — tariffs, trade wars, environmental regulations and patent/IP protection. Fortunately, they are up to the task. Worldwide, electronics purchasing managers have an average of 16 years on the job, according to EPSNews’/Aspencore’s first global procurement study. They work more than 40 hours a week; spend a…
U.S. factory activity contracted for the third straight month in October as trade issues, the GM strike and global economic uncertainty plagued the market. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index registered 48.3 last month, up slightly from a 10-year low of 47.8 in September. New orders, employment and inventories all rose from September but…