With a combined population of 2.7 billion people and with significant unmet medical need the challenges and opportunities of BRIC markets are considerable.

The new Varian MCS-80 tube facilitates the detection of non-metallic items such as ceramic weapons, plastic explosives, narcotics, liquids, and other concealed substances.

The CancerPartnersUK report stresses that there is a general lack of awareness by the public of how good radiotherapy is at treating cancer.

Sparton plans to develop and install new prototyping capabilities in its EMS division to improve its return on sales within the next few quarters; otherwise the company will divest the business.

It's not just the military that's at risk. Chips perform key roles in countless commercial products, as well as phone links, banking networks, electronic grids and nuclear power plants. Given the flood of phony chips, counterfeit parts can be found everywhere.

Kitron ASA's subsidiary Kitron AS in Arendel, Norway, has received new orders within the medical equipment segment of about NOK 67 million.

Enics has two strong focus areas: Industrial and medical electronics. To enhance the offering in the medical market, as well as become more known in the German market, Enics has hired two highly-esteemed professionals to ensure the growth in these areas.

IntriCon's strategic partner, Minneapolis-based Advanced Medical Electronics Corporation (AME), is participating in two new research grants from the U.S. Government.

The acquisition of Austria-based Allied Panels significantly expands Celestica's capabilities in the healthcare diagnostics and imaging market, and broadens its healthcare global network to include a centre of excellence in Europe.

Royal Philips Electronics' enhanced iE33 xMATRIX cardiac ultrasound system enables expanded cardiac-related diagnostic capabilities related to ischemic disease detection, structural heart disease assessment, as well as systolic and diastolic heart failure and arrhythmia.

Neways Electronics International N.V. (Neways) recorded a fully organic increase in net turnover of approximately 25% in the first half of 2010 compared to the first half of 2009. This strong increase was due to a clear and broad-based rise in demand in the EMS market.

W. Barry Gilbert, Chairman of the Board and CEO, said, "This was an especially good quarter. Operating profit of over 8.5% of sales is unique in our industry. Sales growth of more than 50% and operating profit growth of more than 70%, as compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2009, were especially gratifying.

"The acquisition makes enormous sense both economically and operationally. It is well-suited to our existing medical business and, with a timely integration, we anticipate it will enhance Sparton's overall profitability," said Cary Wood, President and CEO, Sparton Corporation.

IPC and Canon Communications have joined forces to produce Electronics Midwest, an exhibition and technical conference for the assembly and PCB design and manufacturing industries. Providing business and technology solutions that save time, energy and money, the event will bring the best of the global electronics industry together, September 28-30, 2010.

CTS Corporation has expanded in-house conformal coating capabilities at its Moorpark, California facility. Customers in the medical, defense, aerospace and automotive markets will find that the in-house capability is cost effective and reduces manufacturing cycle time.

A special Executive Market & Technology Conference on high-reliability and American competitiveness will be offered June 9, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The event is co-located with IPC's Capitol Hill Day--a day to help Congress see the importance of enacting a permanent R&D tax credit to aid American manufacturers.

Cables and harnesses are often the last components designed, yet they must not be afterthoughts if the finished product will function properly. When outsourcing to EMS providers, how can the best outcome be assured with respect to quality, cost and time-to-market? A collaboration with a medical OEM illustrates five key steps to success.

"We're encouraged by the quarterly results and start to the 2010 fiscal year in sales, operating income and profitability," said Mike Degen, Nortech Systems' President and CEO. "The necessary restructuring activities we undertook last year proved effective in better aligning our infrastructure and capacity with customer demand."

Dean Foate, President and CEO, commented, "Our second quarter results were exceptional, as expected, with revenue growing 14% over the prior quarter to $491 million, a new record level for the company. During the second fiscal quarter, we won 18 new manufacturing programs that we anticipate will generate $137 million in annualized revenue."

Sanmina-SCI Corporation announced the formal inauguration of its technology manufacturing campus in the Oragadam Hi-Tech Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu.

To confidently use lead-free in high-reliability applications, especially considering the EU drive to impose RoHS on some areas currently exempt, it seems prudent to step back and determine where we are, how we got here and what remains to be done.

Cables and harnesses are often the last components designed, yet they must not be afterthoughts if the finished product will function properly. When outsourcing to EMS providers, how can the best outcome be assured with respect to quality, cost and time-to-market? A collaboration with a medical OEM illustrates five key steps to success.

It's no secret that about 70% of the global electronics manufacturing world is now in Asia. But North America is holding steady by tapping into the military and medical markets. Hunter Technology President Joe O'Neil explains how his company is focusing on these two important markets. He also counters those naysayers who claim IPC's legislative victories are meaningless.

Many companies can still use lead solder parts, but they face growing challenges as supplies dwindle. Military, medical, instrumentation and monitoring, and aerospace were never covered by RoHS, but it's nearly impossible to get passives and many other components in lead-based formats.

Endicott Interconnect developed a solution for the catheter that includes producing the flexible substrates, as well as providing the flip chip assembly on the flexible substrate.

An interview with Epec Engineered Technologies Director of Operations Kendall Paradise offers insights into the changing face of the North American rigid and flexible PCB fabrication sector.

Does higher technology really beget higher profit margins? HEI is an EMS provider that lives on the bleeding edge of technology. CEO Mark Thomas joins EMS007 Editor Steve Gold for a look at life on the high end of the electronics assembly technology spectrum.

It was surprising for most (for sure, for me) in the audience to hear someone so close to the solar industry express so much cynicism. That's just what Paula Mints, Principal Analyst for market research firm PV Services, which has focused on the solar industry for the past 20 years, delivered to the audience.

Close collaboration between device makers and a PCB manufacturer with broad knowledge of PCB design and engineering issues can greatly improve the successful planning and production of medical electronic circuit assemblies.

IDTechEx's FlexTech Alliance meeting at Binghamton, New York, last week focused on the use of printed and flexible electronics for medical applications.

Does higher technology really beget higher profit margins? HEI is an EMS provider that lives on the bleeding edge of technology. CEO Mark Thomas joins EMS007 Editor Steve Gold for a look at life on the high end of the electronics assembly technology spectrum.

It was surprising for most (for sure, for me) in the audience to hear someone so close to the solar industry express so much cynicism. That's just what Paula Mints, Principal Analyst for market research firm PV Services, which has focused on the solar industry for the past 20 years, delivered to the audience.

We--the users, providers, legislators and the media--have not addressed, sufficiently, the issue of what constitutes "best value" in medical care. Nor have we defined what the "costs" truly are in providing quality health care.

The developement of printed electronics continues to yield innovative applications. We simply added more ceramics to a printed electronics epoxy UV-cured ink, and, voila! A ceramic tamper-proof coating ink that will keep the bad guys from copying traces or tampering with valuable parts.