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07/05/2013 08:48
Beijer Electronics strengthens its market position in Turkey
Beijer Electronics has acquired the Turkish automation company Petek Teknoloji Ltd. Petek Teknoloji Ltd. was established in 2005 and is a full range automation supplier on the Turkish market. Since 2005, Petek Teknoloji Ltd. has been Beijer Electronics’ distributor in Turkey, and has a yearly turnover of 2 MUSD in 2012.

The acquisition gives Beijer Electronics access to a growing market with on-going investments in the automotive, water and water treatment industries, segments where Beijer Electronics both possesses deep knowledge and offers a wide range of products and solutions. In addition, it also creates a good platform for future expansion, both eastwards and towards the Middle East.

“Besides creating a good base for geographical expansion, Petek Teknoloji Ltd.’s automation knowledge and market position as a full range automation supplier, gives us a direct in-road to the market for Beijer Electronics’ complete product portfolio. Equipped with a wider product offer from Beijer Electronics, we expect Petek Teknoloji Ltd. to gain even greater success on the market in the future”, explains Fredrik Jönsson, CEO, Beijer Electronics.
29/04/2013 13:02
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd publishes final terms of the planned capital increase
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) published today the final terms of the planned capital increase of CHF 151.7 million.

The shareholders of Meyer Burger Technology Ltd will be offered for each 4 registered shares held, to subscribe for 3 new registered shares at an offer price of CHF 4.20 per registered share. A total of 36,107,263 new registered shares with a nominal value of CHF 0.05 each will be issued. The Board of Directors proposes to the General Meeting of Shareholders to be held today to increase the share capital through the issuance of these 36,107,263 new registered shares from previously CHF 2,407,150.90 to CHF 4,212,514.05.

Based on the assumption that the ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders will approve the proposal by the Board of Directors for the capital increase, the exercise period for the subscription rights shall be from 29 April to 7 May 2013 (12:00 noon CEST). The subscription rights are expected to be tradable on SIX Swiss Exchange from 29 April to 6 May 2013. The first day of trading of the new registered shares is expected to be 8 May 2013. The offering and listing prospectus (Offering Memorandum) for the capital increase will be published on 26 April 2013.

A banking syndicate committed, subject to customary conditions, to firmly underwrite all new shares that will be issued in conjunction with the capital increase. The new shares are being offered to the existing shareholders through the above mentioned subscription rights.

Meyer Burger confirms its net sales guidance of CHF 400 million for fiscal year 2013, which the Company already published on 25 March 2013. The Group expects due to the project nature of its business and the sales recognition in accordance with the Completed Contract Method that about one quarter to one third of the annual net sales will occur in the first half-year, and that the remaining net sales will be achieved in the second half of 2013. For incoming orders, Meyer Burger expects a significant increase compared to the previous year 2012.
22/04/2013 07:49
ZMDI Introduces the ZSSC3015: a New Sensor Signal Conditioner for Automotive-Qualified, Cost-Optimized Applications
ZMD AG (ZMDI), a Dresden-based semiconductor company that specializes in enabling energy efficient solutions, today announces the ZSSC3015. As a global supplier of analog and mixed-signal solutions for automotive, industrial, medical, information technology and consumer applications, ZMDI enables diverse products with advanced sensor signal conditioning, including applications requiring conformance to automotive standards.

The ZSSC3015's combination of many diagnostic features on-chip, including EEPROM signature verification, bridge connection checks, bridge short checks and power loss detection, as well as its AEC-Q100 qualification, fulfills the requirements for a wide range of automotive applications. In addition to digital compensation of sensor offset and sensitivity, the ZSSC3015 offers the option to connect an external temperature sensor for more accurate correction of temperateure drift and nonlinearity.

The ZSSC3015's analog output interface enables a digital one-pass, end-of-line calibration for fully automatic and highly efficient mass production. Available delivery forms for the ZSSC3015 are a JEDEC-compliant SOP8 plastic package or die.

""""The ZSSC3015's diagnostic capability and the low number of external components required allow our customers to set up cost-optimized automotive applications. An example of a potential application area is automotive air suspension,"""" stated Steve Ramdin, Product Line Manager for ZMDI's Multi-Market Sensing Product Line.

ZSSC3015 Automotive-Qualified Sensor Signal Conditioner Features:
  • Small size for complete application and simple circuit board layout due to low number of required external components
  • Measurement of the sensing element temperature for more precise temperature compensation
  • Optimized feature set focused on piezoresistive and metal thin-film sensor elements
  • Single-pass, end-of-line calibration minimizes production costs
  • AEC-Q100 qualification
15/04/2013 09:17
Larger frame Exlar K90 actuator offers inline or parallel motor coupling
Olsen Engineering has launched the Exlar K90, a larger 90mm frame version of the K60 low cost electric “rolled” linear actuator, which employs satellite roller screw technology. The K series offers flexibility of motor and servo amplifier choice. Also in the IM/IX series variation there option of integral inline planetary gear reduction up to 10:1.

Ideal for low cost food packaging applications where users may want to use their own servo motors like Siemens, Rockwell, Baldor or similar, Exlar’s K series provides long life and is available as standard in an IP65-rated ingress protected enclosure. Roller screw linear actuators provide an efficient modern alternative to hydraulic or pneumatic units in a much more compact, low maintenance format, without the contamination or noise problems. The K series offers the option of two grades of planetary roller screws “rolled satellite M and X grades” along with an option for an ACME screw.

A roller screw is a mechanism for converting rotary torque into linear motion, in a similar manner to acme screws or ball screws, but the differentiating factor is that roller screws can carry heavy loads for thousands of hours in the most arduous conditions. This makes roller screws the ideal choice for demanding, continuous-duty applications, or giving extremely long life in general purpose applications. Olsen Engineering has already won a large OEM customer for the newly launched K90 who realised the advantage a dynamic load rating of 51kN, with low capital investment.

“The K90 drive motor can either be coupled inline or in parallel mount using a 1:1, 1.5:1, or 2:1 ratio belt or any custom ratio belts,” said Piers Olsen, sales and marketing director for industrial automation at Olsen Engineering UK. “We request a drawing of the drive motor to be used and then we design and manufacture the adaptor plate and housing to suit the motor, coupling and belt to be used.”

A recent technical release from Exlar states that since their belts are designed for four times the peak rating of the actuator they are extremely reliable and more efficient than a gear drive system – see link: http://www.consultolsen.com/press_downloads/TechNoteBeltsvsGears.pdf

Olsen adds: “The K90 has internal anti-rotate sliders in the form of a precision nylon coupling running on linear guides inside the frame designed to protect the roller screw mechanism in the event of 1.25 times the peak recommended input torque. It has a comprehensive choice of coating options including a smooth food-grade extrusion, white epoxy FDA approved, electroless nickel salt water rated and Type III hard coat outdoor use, and comes as standard with black anodised aluminium end caps.”

The main rod material is stainless steel tipped with electroless nickel-plating suitable for food industry and washdown locations, with full stainless steel option available. While the K60 handles a maximum force of 6kN at a speed of 420mm per second or 3kN at 833mm per second based on a 5,000 rpm input speed, it is possible to over-speed at 7,500 rpm up to 400mm travel, and also comes in a 950mm travel version. A non back-driving acme screw option provides a low cost solution for low-duty applications, without the need for fail safe braked motor option in high load vertical installations.

The newly released K90 handles force to 15.6kN at 250mm per second based on a 3,000 rpm input, and 7.8kN at 500mm per second, and again it is possible to over-speed to 5,200 rpm up to 800mm.

“You have to be mindful of over-speeding at longer travel lengths, because this can result in a torsional whipping effect as the actuator accelerates and decelerates,” continues Olsen. “It is possible to use a 2:1 belt to reduce the motor size. Also the maximum radial loading reduces at longer actuator travel lengths (up to 2m option available).

“If the inline coupling option is selected, we have designed a bellows compression coupling to connect the drive motor to the actuator. These low-friction units incorporate a G9-rated 0.2mm backlash in the M series and 0.1mm in the X series and 200µm/1000mm lead accuracy, operating at a temperature of up to 80 degrees centigrade.”

Mounting options include rear-clevis mount, front or rear flange mount, front or rear angle mount, foot mount and trunnion mount. Because the aluminium extrusion has grooves in all four sides of the frame, it is possible to slide the trunnion and foot mounts to any position as needed for the application. It is also possible to mount it directly on the front face plate of the actuator including ISO63 and other pneumatic cylinder standard dimensions for ease of retrofitting.

“You can have limit switch options, and we supply the clevis pins and the front spherical rod eyes,” concludes Olsen. “We can supply Exlar SLM rotary servo motors with connectors to match the drive manufacturer’s standard cables and with rear clevis for inline mounting for inline filling applications, which is quite unique. Also a front protective bellows option is useful in dirty environment to offer additional protection to the front seal assembly.

“The whole philosophy of the K series is to design and produce a low cost actuator to compete with ball screw mechanisms while still providing two to three times the travel life, together with advantages such as a preloaded angular zero-backlash bearing which is heat-shrunk rather than glued, IP65 as a standard, also Food Grade, Cleanroom and low temperature grease options for -40?C operation, lower noise, faster accelerations and reduced risk of Brunnelling on pressing & sealing applications.”

Exlar carry stocks of all common travel lengths so standard production times are 3 weeks. For OEMs, Olsen also can carry local stocks of preconfigured part numbers - all part of the service.
11/04/2013 15:20
Molex and Master Distributor Waldom Electronics Form Partnership to Support European Union’s Electronics Distribution Market
Molex Incorporated announces a recently signed partnership agreement with Waldom Electronics, the Rockford, IL-based master distributor of electronic and electrical products. The agreement authorises Waldom to market and sell Molex products exclusively to distribution firms operating within the European Union.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Waldom Electronics, a valued partner and trusted industry supplier with a solid reputation as ‘The Distributor’s Distributor,’ in growing support and product availability for customers across Europe,” says Henry Fürniss, vice president of sales and marketing EMEA, Molex.

The new contract builds on the companies’ existing long-standing partnership, which covers the entire North American electronics distribution market. Waldom will continue to support all of Molex products, including the comprehensive industrial portfolio of Woodhead® and Brad® brand products.

“Building on the Molex tradition of serving customers globally, Waldom brings added value to distributors by providing less than minimum order quantities, availability of B, C, and D products, design kits and special packaging – all of which is beneficial to our companies and European and global distributors,” adds Fred Bell, vice president of global distribution, Molex.

“This new agreement enables us to sell Molex products to our core distributors across Europe, such as Arrow Electronics, Avnet, Farnell Element 14, RS Components, and TTI Inc., while also providing smaller local distributors with ready access to a wide range of Molex electronic and electrical products,” states Peter Rovekamp, general manager, Waldom Electronics EMEA.
28/02/2013 08:21
VDMA Machine Vision relaunches website
VDMA Machine Vision has relaunched its website. „We have not just given our old website a facelift but have made a complete relaunch. The website now provides the user with a much better access to a wealth of information”, says Patrick Schwarzkopf, Head of VDMA Machine Vision.

The new website of VDMA Machine Vision promotes the expertise of its more than 100 member companies and presents all major facts on the machine vision industry. The new website has been created as a part of the new web presence of the entire VDMA and offers synergies with the information provided by numerous other VDMA platforms. Registered VDMA members benefit from innovative new information management and social networking functionalities within the additional portal my.vdma.org.

The new VDMA Machine Vision portal can be accessed at www.vdma.com/vision.
12/02/2013 09:07
Meyer Burger presents SmartWire Connection Technology
Meyer Burger’s (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) patented SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT) for solar cells achieves higher efficiency solar modules and reduces production costs in PV manufacturing. Solar cells are electrically connected using thin copper wires on both sides of the cell thereby replacing the classic 2 to 3 busbars. Typically, 30 very fine copper wires are used for cell connection generating up to 2,000 contact points per cell.

5% higher module power and 10% more energy yield (kWh/kWp)
SWCT’s fine copper wires reduce shading on the solar cell by 3% in comparison to cells with 3 busbars. Coupled with its 2% lower series resistance, SWCT technology increases the power output of a solar module by 5%. The round copper wires used in SmartWire technology increase the amount of sunlight reflected onto the cells resulting in SWCT contacted modules beginning to produce electricity earlier in the day and stop producing electricity later in the day. This leads to an increased energy yield of about 10% (kWh/kWp) compared to busbar technology. SWCT increases cell stability and reduces the impact of possible micro-cracks on the power of the solar module. Micro-cracks are the most common cause of energy loss in solar modules

Reduction of production costs up to -0.25 USD/cell
The proven SWCT technology significantly reduces the cost of production by eliminating the busbars on both sides of the cell and optimising finger widths thus reducing silver quantity by up to 80%. Based on the current price of 30 USD/troy ounce for silver, this reduction in silver results in up to 0,25 USD/cell lower material costs.

Universal cell compatibility
SWCT is compatible to all crystalline silicon cell technologies: selective emitter, PERC and Heterojunction (HJT) in both p- and n-type silicon cells. Wafer thickness can be as low as 100 µm and thinnest finger widths can be used in SWCT technology. This very future oriented technology can also be applied to the next generation of finger metallisation technologies.

SmartWire Connection Technology and Heterojunction cells – high performance combination
Heterojunction (HJT) cells are very sensitive to high temperatures above 180°C that are typical of traditional busbar soldering. The innovative SWCT copper wire process takes place at lower temperature which not only enables contact to be made with high performance HJT cells, the lower temperatures further reduces energy costs during module production. Modules combining HJT cell technology with the SmartWire Connection Technology have achieved active area efficiencies of over 20%. The SWCT process is self-aligning and omits complicated ribbon lay-out on the contact surface of the cell.

The SmartWire Connection technology rounds out Meyer Burger’s product portfolio and combines the advantages of leading PV technologies to increase the overall performance of cells and modules and to achieve a sustainable reduction in the cost of solar energy. The SGS Fresenius Institute has already certified Heterojunction (HJT) modules with the innovative SmartWire Connection technology and Meyer Burger’s laboratories have successfully performed 4-fold IEC-compliant damp heat and 8-fold temperature cycles.
12/02/2013 07:42
DEK Future-Proofed Technology on Show at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics
Addressing the manufacturing requirements of attendees to this year’s Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition in Farnborough, England on 13 and 14 February, DEK will demonstrate many of its future-proofed technology innovations – all designed to satisfy the requisites of today’s high-mix, low-volume manufacturers.

From Stand E26, the DEK display will feature the company’s core print platform, the Horizon 03iX. Prioritising flexibility and adaptability for future manufacturing requirements, the Horizon 03iX offers an unmatched return on investment (ROI). With a cycle time of 12 seconds and Six-Sigma machine capability of 2 Cpk @ ± 12.5µm, along with multiple productivity-enhancing tools that can be added on-demand, the Horizon 03iX enables fast, accurate printing in a dynamic platform.

“DEK understands that manufacturers working in high-mix, low-volume environments have distinct needs,” explains DEK’s Global Marketing Director, Karen Moore-Watts. “Our print platforms have been deliberately designed to address today’s most challenging assembly technologies and changeover requirements, while also enabling future capability. It’s a design strategy that guarantees exceptional performance and maximises ROI for next-generation manufacturing.”

The cost-effectiveness of the Horizon 03iX can be further extended through the use of complementary DEK technologies engineered to encourage better yield, greater throughput and lower cost of ownership. Some of these include DEK’s HawkEye Bridging paste verification technology for defect prevention, VectorGuard interchangeable stencil foil system ideal for fast changeover, Grid-Lok automatic board support and Nano-ProTek stencil coatings to reduce cleaning requirements and raise process stability. Visitors to the Southern Manufacturing & Electronics show can see all of these products live on the DEK stand.

As Karen Moore-Watts points out, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. “There are numerous strategies that can be employed to maximise print productivity and lower costs,” she says. “These obviously include assigning the right tools to the task, but it’s the knowledge base to understand the unique requirements of individual manufacturers that sets DEK apart. We invite all Southern Manufacturing & Electronics delegates to experience this first-hand.”
24/01/2013 07:49
Fujitsu’s embedded mainboards with AMD processors support a wide range of retail solutions
Fujitsu Technology Solutions will show their range of embedded mainboards at EuroCIS 2013 from 19 to 21 February in Dusseldorf (Hall 09 / F56), including the D3003-S series, which supports a great variety of POS, kiosk, and digital signage applications for the retail and service industries. Examples presented by the manufacturer at Europe’s leading trade fair for retail technology will include intelligent scales by Balanças Marques and the in-store TV system installed at Rewe Dortmund, both based on these compact mini-ITX boards. The mainboards are characterised by the high graphics performance of their processors, based on AMD’s Embedded G series platform. With its integrated GPU, the platform is DirectX-11-enabled and allows the use of HD content at a low power consumption level. The boards also come with an integrated LVDS controller. The rugged mainboards are designed for continuous operation in an extended temperature range, which makes them suitable for use in the fresh food area of supermarkets as well as outdoors. The out-of-band management functionality developed by Fujitsu enables remote access even when devices are switched off or operating systems are down, thus allowing substantial savings in maintenance costs. The fact that the boards are developed and produced in Germany ensures high product maturity and short delivery times within Europe, as well as the best possible support during design-in.

The products of Portuguese company Balanças Marques include precision scales for the food retail industry. In addition to its weighing and counting functionalities, their precision and control scale BM5 features an integrated management software (ETPOS) that was developed in-house. With the help of these scales, the inventory can be managed from the check-out by placing orders, printing invoices, and accessing reports on previous purchases. The LVDS controller on the D3003-S1 mainboard supports 24-bit Dual Channel LVDS and makes it possible to operate two high-resolution displays simultaneously, a 15” display with touch-screen for employees and a second one with a 12” or 7” diagonal for customers. “For us, this was a very important aspect – being able to operate two monitors simultaneously in the best possible resolution,” emphasises Cátia Milhão from Balanças Marques.

Food retailers Rewe Dortmund Großhandels eG already use in-store TV in 45 of their more than 500 shops to inform customers in an entertaining way and advertise products in a flexible, up-to-date way. The solution Nordland Systems GmbH developed for Rewe Dortmund is based on a closed network with a central server system, installed at Rewe Dortmund’s head office. The branches have access to this internal network connecting the PC systems and displays. Four or five displays were built into the fresh food counters of each participating shop to help customers pass the time they spend queuing up. “We have decided to use the Fujitsu kit because it combines reliability and flexibility with the required performance and a good price-performance ratio. Thanks to the kit solution, we were presented with a complete system in no time, including all the necessary drivers,” says Andreas Pankow, General Manager of Nordland.

While conventional desktop-grade mainboards are usually designed for 8/5 operation (i.e. 8 hours a day on 5 days per week), the in-store TV system operates for 12 hours or more on 6 days of week. Scales are also used by employees and customers at a high frequency during all opening hours of the shops. Designed for 24/7 continuous operation in industrial applications, the D3003-S mini-ITX mainboards enable a significantly longer service life of systems compared to desktop boards. They also offer high performance while saving space thanks to their small form factor and remain available for a long time.

Availability of components is a big issue regarding the follow-up costs of embedded systems. If a crucial building block, such as the mainboard, needs to be replaced during a product’s lifecycle because the original component gets discontinued, this can cause heavy losses for the systems manufacturer.

“The needs of users from the field of embedded computing are usually different from those of the consumer market. For manufacturers of embedded applications, the indispensable condition for working with a supplier is the long-term availability of components, not a yearly release of new platforms with a huge diversity of new processors and chipsets. The D3003-S boards used by many of our customers in the field of retail technology have an extended lifecycle of up to five years – compared to a lifecycle of no more than 12 or 15 months for a conventional desktop board. Thanks to long-term availability, it is possible for our customers to achieve an economically sound ROI within the lifecycle,” says Peter Hoser, Sales Director OEM at Fujitsu Technology Solutions.
11/01/2013 08:43
Saft takes control of Nersac lithium-ion battery factory
Saft, the world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced technology batteries for industry announces that it has bought from Johnson Controls Inc the Nersac Li-ion battery facility near Angoulême in France.

This transaction took place on 1st January 2013, in line with the agreement concluded with Johnson Controls on 30th September 2011 relating to the sale of Saft’s shares in the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture, for a total consideration of $145m.

This factory, which employs 90 people today provides Saft with complementary Li-ion battery production capacity for its different markets. It is already qualified to manufacture batteries for the automotive industry and has been building Li-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles since 2009.

The facility which has a current capacity of 60 MWh, can be doubled with limited investment and is equipped to produce the same cells as Saft’s Jacksonville plant.

«Taking control of the Nersac Li-ion factory and thereby increasing our production capacity in Europe is an important part of Saft’s strategy to accelerate our growth and to further deploy our Li-ion technologies into high growth markets such as energy storage and vehicles, but also into our traditional markets» said John Searle, Chairman of Management Board, Saft Groupe.
11/12/2012 15:22
Festo augments its VTUG and MPA-L valve terminal ranges with low-cost networking connectivity
Festo, the global leader in automation technologies, has extended the reach of its VTUG and MPA-L valve terminals and added a low-cost connection module for use with Fieldbus or industrial Ethernet networks. As a result, OEMs and machine builders can now connect the valve terminals directly to protocols such as CANopen, Profibus, EthernetIP and DeviceNet thus reducing installation and engineering costs significantly.

Using its innovative dual purpose connector, the valve terminals are configured and delivered complete with an M18 connector. This allows connection directly to the industry standard IO-Link network or, by fitting a separate CTEU network module connection to many Fieldbus or industrial Ethernet protocols are possible.

Whether multipin, IO-Link or network connection, the pneumatics doesn’t change. This means the design of the circuit stays the same however connected electrically, thus enabling OEMs to reduce design and drawing costs and to access Festo’s ‘plug and work’ philosophy.

The affordable CTEU bus node module includes a comprehensive range of diagnostics functions which helps reduce downtime and machine failure significantly, for example, by identifying overvoltage and short circuits.

The VTUG terminal is an extension to Festo’s standard valve range and is an aluminium sub-base valve terminal that can accommodate up to 24 valve positions, saving users significant amounts of wiring and control cabinet space. The MPA-L, which is a polymer sub-base valve terminal, offers individual modularity with up to 32 positions; these positions can be a mixture of three different valve sizes matching the user’s application exactly, thus saving compressed air. High level IP65/IP67 protection also enables use under harsh ambient conditions.

Supporting the industry trend to decentralise machine installations, both valve terminals are compact and easy to install. This enables users to save energy as the valve terminals can be mounted directly next to the cylinders.

In addition, the CAPC distribution module allows one network module to be used to run two valve terminals as a distributed network with data cables of up to 20m. This offers cost savings in the number of network modules needed as well as giving users the convenience of mounting the valve terminal exactly where required.

“At Festo we have a wide range of pneumatic valve terminals, from single valve, multipin and fieldbus valve terminals to complete automation platforms, readily available to suit all applications,” says Jacqui Hanbury, product manager at Festo. “I’m delighted we can now offer affordable Fieldbus and Ethernet compatible valve terminals that can be easily integrated to the network, allowing our customers to realise the benefits of networking.”
21/11/2012 07:59
Meyer Burger accelerates capacity adjustments in persistently difficult market environment
In response to the ongoing challenging market situation in the photovoltaic sector, Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) is accelerating and expanding its current consolidation and optimisation programme. Since the beginning of 2012, the company has consolidated sales and service operations, simplified its organisational structure and restructured production. The overall number of permanent employees has been reduced by 19%, which is more than the 15% announced in March 2012, to 2,272 employees (FTE). The synergies and improvements which have already been achieved throughout the entire organisational structure must be further intensified and expedited. The market situation has made a further adaptation in capacities necessary. With around 2,000 employees (FTE) in future, the Meyer Burger Group will possess the necessary structure which will enable it to respond quickly and flexibly to changes in the market in a cost-efficient and customer-oriented fashion.

Following primary measures planned: Roth and Rau AG in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (Germany) will carry out further restructuring measures which are expected to result in the reduction of 50 employees. The ongoing development of future-oriented technologies, specifically in the area of heterojunction technology, is not impacted by these measures. At other locations worldwide, measures for optimisation and adjustments in capacities are being undertaken which could lead to a reduction in personnel of around 200 employees. At this point in time, it is not possible to break down which individual Group companies or countries will be impacted.

The goal of these further restructuring measures is to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs by around CHF 30 million.

Focus on technology leadership
Despite the challenging market, Meyer Burger’s momentum remains undiminished in its research and development activities for photovoltaic technology as it continues to increase its technological edge and the process integration between wafer, cell and module technologies. A recent example is the successful market introduction of heterojunction technology which offers a significant surface advantage with its module performance of 180W/m2 (in comparison to the standard 140W/m2). With a cell performance efficiency of 21%, this technology generates record setting 303 watt modules.

As a system integrator from wafer to PV module, the Meyer Burger Group has a unique product and solution portfolio from which the optimal configuration for customers can be selected and implemented. With its focus on the photovoltaic value chain, Meyer Burger enables its customers to combine the advantages of the individual production steps, to reduce the overall cost of ownership and at the same time to increase the overall performance and efficiency of cells and modules.

Outlook
Various project discussions with customers, among them also in new PV markets in Asia, South America, in the Arab region and in Africa, confirm Meyer Burger’s conviction that the long term prospects for photovoltaics continue to be positive. However, it remains very difficult to forecast when these project discussions will result in new contracts and when the current overcapacity of solar cell and module manufacturers will be reduced. For this reason, visibility in the overall market remains limited.

Based on the expected project acceptances until the end of 2012, Meyer Burger expects at this point in time to achieve sales of slightly over CHF 600 million in fiscal year 2012. The lower expected sales and the ongoing restructuring costs will lead to an expected loss at EBITDA level of approximately CHF 20 to 40 million. With the measures being taken as part of the accelerated consolidation and optimisation programme, Meyer Burger aims to reduce the EBITDA break-even threshold in order to achieve a break-even result at EBITDA level already with similar sales volumes as in 2012.
04/10/2012 14:42
CISSOID and FUTURE ELECTRONICS Announce a Global Distribution Agreement
CISSOID, the leader in high-temperature semiconductor solutions and FUTURE ELECTRONICS, the world-class distributor of semiconductors and electronic components announced today the signing of a global distribution agreement, which will enable FUTURE to address the growing market of high-temperature and high-reliability electronics with CISSOID products. FUTURE will distribute CISSOID integrated circuits and discrete components in EMEA, the Americas, and in some selected Far-East countries like India.

Lucy Pinho, Director of Product Marketing at FUTURE ELECTRONICS declared: “We are seeing a growing demand for higher temperature and higher reliability semiconductors in a number of key markets such as industrial and automotive, where the traditional components no longer meet the technical requirements of our customers. CISSOID portfolio of products, their roadmap and vision, and their recognition in the field as the leader for ultimate reliability and extreme environment solutions make CISSOID a partner and supplier of choice for FUTURE”.

""As the pioneer of the high-temperature semiconductor market since 2000, we are seeing now an explosion of the demand in a number of segments that required us to change gear with a world-class distributor and strengthen our presence and our supply-chain fulfilment channels. We are delighted to see FUTURE sharing our vision and now supporting our products, and are expecting their in-depth market and sales expertise to accelerate our growth” said Tony Denayer, CEO at CISSOID.
26/09/2012 12:36
CISSOID Appoints APC as its Specialized Distributor in UK and Ireland
CISSOID, the leader in high-temperature semiconductor solutions appointed Advanced Power Components (APC), the UK-based distributor of specialized electronic components for the distribution of CISSOID products in United Kingdom and Ireland. With a unique knowledge of the players involved with high-temperature and high-reliability applications in the UK, APC brings its expertise of the defence, aerospace, transportation, medical and industrial markets.

""CISSOID ICs are best-in-class products for high-temperature and high-reliability applications. We are excited to add CISSOID products to our portfolio as they uniquely meet specialist needs and requirements that no other supplier can support” said Phil Lancaster, Operations Director and General Manager at APC.

Andrew Barber, EMEA Sales Director for CISSOID said ""With a clear expertise of their markets in the UK, APC will contribute to our sales expansion and growth. We are delighted to welcome them as a new distributor, as they feel as strongly about our brand as we do and their presence and expertise in the UK will strengthen our level of excellence when serving our customers.""

CISSOID offers integrated circuits and discrete components with a guaranteed operating temperature range from -55°C to +225°C. CISSOID’ portfolio includes power supply solutions, with DC-DC converters and voltage regulators, driver solutions with power transistor driver ICs and isolated gate drivers, general-purpose ICs and discrete components such as voltage references, timers, analog-to-digital converters, amplifiers, power switches, MOSFET transistors, and diodes. CISSOID products are used in mission-critical systems as well as in applications requiring long term reliability. The company supplies leaders in the Oil and Gas, Aeronautics, Industrial and Automotive markets.
21/09/2012 14:30
Ultra high definition display manufacturing in Asia boosted by three new Linde plants
Linde Electronics, the global electronics business of The Linde Group, has complemented its high-purity nitrous oxide (N2O) gas infrastructure with the acquisition of a new plant in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China to help accelerate the adoption of metal oxide transistors by display manufacturers. The acquisition follows the expansion of an existing plant in Taiwan and a new plant under construction in Korea. The plants in China and Taiwan are both managed by Linde LienHwa (LLH), The Linde Group’s joint venture with LienHwa MiTAC Group of Taiwan. The electronics specialty gas N2O plays a crucial role in enabling the cost-effective development of next-generation ultra high definition (UHD) 3D TFT-LCD and OLED displays.

Improving electron mobility in transistors is crucial in bringing higher resolutions and higher frame rates to TVs, mobile and computing devices. The manufacture of UHD 3D displays is currently expensive, requiring the use polysilicon transistors, which cost twice as much as those using amorphous silicon. By replacing polysilicon with metal oxide, it is possible to increase electron mobility by a factor of up to 40 compared with conventional technology, at a comparable cost. Consequently, more and more display manufacturers are working to implement metal oxide transistors. This will enable the cost-effective manufacture of UHD 3D displays, and the introduction of next-generation TVs, mobile and computing devices with an attractive price point.

Metal oxide transistor manufacturing requires high volumes of high-purity N2O, as the electronics specialty gas is used to create functional layers of the microscopic thin-film transistors required to control each of the millions of pixels that make up the visible image. Linde’s N2O plants in Korea, Taiwan and China will facilitate the development of higher resolution screens for mobile, home entertainment and computing markets.

""There is an increasing demand from consumers for a more immersive viewing experience delivered by high functionality displays, such as UHD 3D TVs, but existing technology is either limited by performance, or very expensive. Metal oxide addresses this need. There are currently about nine major metal oxide projects under development, with new fabs being built or the upgrade of existing facilities underway. These fabs will have a targeted capacity of over 25 million TV sets per year by the end of 2013,” says Bruce Berkoff, Chairman of the LCD TV Association.

The use of metal oxide transistors will enable the development of large OLED televisions and displays, improved battery lifetime of tablets and smart phones as well as UHD 3D displays, which have resolutions four times higher than traditional HD 3D displays, at 3,840 x 2,160 pixels.

The majority of leading display manufacturers has recently launched products with metal oxide transistors. Samsung Electronics has unveiled the world’s first 55-inch metal oxide-based OLED TV, which features ‘Smart Dual View’. This technology enables two users to view different channels with one full HD screen. The product attracted worldwide attention by winning ‘Best of Innovation Award’ at CES 2012 in Las Vegas this February. LG Display has also unveiled its 55-inch OLED TV featuring one of the world’s largest and slimmest OLED screens. Additionally, Sharp recently announced that the company has started the commercial production of metal oxide displays in its Kameyama plant.

Linde LienHwa (LLH) China has recently acquired Zhenjiang Xinhua Industrial Gases Co. Ltd., an N2O specialist headquartered in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, to meet the rapidly increasing demand for N2O from the Chinese display manufacturing industry as the adoption of metal oxide transistors continues to grow. “The acquisition strengthens Linde LienHwa’s product offering capabilities in the Chinese market and demonstrates our continued commitment to customer satisfaction” affirmed Andrew Lau, President of LLH China.

Andreas Weisheit, Head of Market Development for Flat Panel Displays at Linde Electronics, concludes: “This acquisition and the establishment of two N2O plants in Korea and Taiwan cement Linde’s position as the leading electronics specialty gases supplier and technology partner for the displays industry in Asia, and demonstrate our continued investment and commitment to supporting innovation in this market. The shift from silicon to metal oxide transistors would not be possible without a secure supply of high-purity N2O, which highlights the critical role that specialist gases play in enabling the development of next-generation consumer electronic devices.”

Linde and LLH are currently running six N2O plants in Asia with a capacity of more than 3,000 tons per year. The three new plants will boost design capacity to more than 10,000 tons per year.