Electronic Manufacturing

Flexible circuit shipments in December 2012 were up 6.7 percent, and bookings were up 9.4 percent compared to December 2011. Year to date, flexible circuit shipments decreased 1.5 percent and bookings decreased 10.0 percent. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments decreased 7.4 percent but flex bookings were up 20.2 percent. The North American flexible circuit book-to-bill ratio improved to 0.84. For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in December 2012 were down 14.5 percent and bookings decreased 7.5 percent, compared to December 2011. Year to date, combined industry shipments were down 5.2 percent and bookings were down 2.4 percent. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for December 2012 increased 5.7 percent and bookings increased 19.1 percent. The combined (rigid and flex) industry book-to-bill ratio in December 2012 rose to 0.98.

Thermal management hardware account for about 80% of the total thermal management market. The other main thermal management product segments –software, interface materials, and substrates – each account for between 5% and 7% of the market. The market for thermal management technologies was valued at $6.7 billion in 2011 and reached $7 billion in 2012. Total market value is expected to reach $10.1 billion in 2017 after increasing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%.

According to this report the global market for electronic chemicals and materials was valued at $21.2 billion in 2011 and should reach $22 billion in 2012. Total market value is expected to reach nearly $28.8 billion in 2017 after increasing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%.

With the outlook for the European and global economy remaining uncertain growth in the European Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) Industry will weaken further in the later part of 2012 and is now forecast to decline by around 2% for the year as a whole to Euro 26.0 billion, according to the latest findings. The current economic crisis and low growth will continue into 2013 and although significant downside risks remain based on the latest indicators a modest recovery should begin in the later part of the year which should gain traction in 2014.

Eyeing high-growth in automotive panel applications, of more than 20% yearly, major thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel makers in Taiwan are aggressively tapping the segment.  Companies like AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), Chimei Innolux Corp., Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. (CPT) and Giantplus Technology Co., Ltd. have successfully tapped into supply chains of German, Japanese, American, Chinese and Korean automakers, achieving strong revenue growth in their small- and medium-sized panel business.

The market for the thin film and printed battery has emerged due to the increasing demand of OEMs for flexible, light weight and highly portable power sources. According to a new market research report “Thin Film and Printed Battery Market, Global Forecast & Analysis (2012 - 2017)”, the total thin film and printed battery market is expected to reach $1,210.3 million by 2017 at a CAGR of 46.14% from 2012 to 2017.

During 2012, the total worldwide total cost of goods sold (COGS) market for all wireless products (notebooks/ultrabooks, tablets, smartphones, traditional cell phones, and e‐readers) is estimated to reach $348 billion in assembly value, or almost one‐third the assembly value of all electronics products manufactured worldwide. Due to the ever increasing demand for these products and the staggering overall total unit shipments (over 2 billion), manufacturers have a powerful incentive to develop new technological innovations and product iterations on a regular basis.

Taiwanese PCB (printed circuit board) makers reported mixed operation results for the third quarter, with Compeq Manufacturing Co., Ltd. witnessing after-tax net income surging the most sequentially and Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd. suffering escalating loss.

The global market for Electronic Contract Manufacturing Services is projected to reach US$671.7 billion by the year 2018. Major factors driving growth in the market include recovering demand in end-use sectors, globalization of production, increasing penchant to outsource manufacturing functions from OEMs, increasing prominence of ODMs in the industry and diversifying experience of EMS and ODMs into new sectors.

The global market for Electronics Recycling is forecast to reach US$34.5 billion by the year 2018, buoyed by growing awareness for recycling and eco-friendly waste disposal practices, enforcement of strict Government regulations and initiatives in both developed as well as developing countries. Higher redundancy of electronic devices and equipment on account of technological obsolescence will underscore the urgent need for proper collection, recycling, and recovery of hazardous electronic waste.