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Manufacturing

Global semiconductor manufacturing industry sees ‘strong growth’

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The global semiconductor manufacturing industry in the third quarter of 2024 showed “strong” momentum with all key industry indicators performing positive quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) increases for the first time in two years.

The findings are reported in SEMI’s Q3 2024 publication of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Monitor (SMM) Report, prepared in partnership with TechInsights.

The growth is fueled by seasonal factors and strong demand from investments in AI data centers, however, the consumer, automotive, and industrial segments are experiencing a slower pace of recovery. The growth trend is expected to continue into the fourth quarter of 2024. [Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing industry sees ‘strong growth’

C-Hawk Technology launches robotic plastic welding platform for semiconductor equipment manufacturing

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C-Hawk Technology, a maker of manufacturing of components, assemblies and processes for the semiconductor and healthcare industries, has unveiled its new patent-pending “Roberto” platform.

The company describes the platform as “an integrated robotics system that automates plastic welding and sets new benchmarks for quality, precision, scalability and safety in manufacturing for plastic welded assemblies and subassemblies”.

Early performance data shows that Roberto outperforms manual welding with a 25 percent increase in production speed and product consistency, a 30 percent improvement in output efficiency and a 50 percent decrease in error rates. [Read more…] about C-Hawk Technology launches robotic plastic welding platform for semiconductor equipment manufacturing

Nikon sells its 1,000th 3D printer to Bosch

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Nikon SLM Solutions says that the 1000th system it has produced, an NXG XII 600, has now been acquired – by Bosch. (SLM stands for “selective laser melting”, a technique for 3D printing or additive manufacturing.)

German industrial giant Bosch will utilize the milestone NXG XII 600 to “elevate the production” of critical parts for powertrain technology, hydrogen, and electric drive applications at its 3D-Printing Manufacturing and Processing Center in Nuremberg, Germany.

This center specializes in additive manufacturing (AM) for both prototyping and serial production, harnessing the power of Nikon SLM’s technology to meet growing production demands. [Read more…] about Nikon sells its 1,000th 3D printer to Bosch

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increase 6 percent in Q3 2024, SEMI Reports

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Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 5.9 percent quarter-over-quarter to 3,214 million square inches (MSI) in the third quarter of 2024 and registered 6.8 percent growth from the 3,010 million square inches recorded during the same quarter last year, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

Lee Chungwei, chairman of SEMI SMG and vice president and chief auditor at GlobalWafers, says: “The third quarter wafer shipment results continued the upward trend which started in the second quarter of this year.

“Inventory levels have declined throughout the supply chain but generally remain high. Demand for advanced wafers used for AI continues to be strong.

[Read more…] about Worldwide silicon wafer shipments increase 6 percent in Q3 2024, SEMI Reports

Caracol unveils large-format robotic 3D printer

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Caracol, a developer of large-format metal additive manufacturing systems, is introducing Vipra AM, which it describes as “a revolutionary technology that transforms how large-scale metal parts are produced”.

The company says its new robotic platform will be unveiled at Formnext (booth C101, Hall 12.1), and “stands out as a powerful tool designed to meet these and more of their evolving needs”.

Vipra AM is a robotic large scale direct energy deposition platform that leverages wire arc additive manufacturing processes, seamlessly developed into a hardware, software, and automation proprietary turnkey system. [Read more…] about Caracol unveils large-format robotic 3D printer

Alabama family business builds lights-out manufacturing process based on Hermle equipment

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After spending most of their younger years in their father’s machine shop, two brothers have applied their knowledge to their own enterprise, Smith & Co, and have built a multimillion-dollar, advanced, lights-out CNC facility in Birmingham, Alabama

Robert and Dell Smith started in the manufacturing industry as kids, working with their father at his part-time machine shop in Tuscaloosa – about 50 miles from their current Birmingham, Alabama location.

In the late 1980s, Robert helped take the business to full-time operations, where they first experienced 5-axis and mill turn technology, primarily for the automotive and defense industries.

The Smiths recognized the need for standard operations – whether tooling, controls or systematic procedures – which led to an exponential growth of over 100 team members. In 2015, they sold the company but continued to work for six more years.

[Read more…] about Alabama family business builds lights-out manufacturing process based on Hermle equipment

5 Reasons to Work With an Electronic Components Distributor When Procuring Parts

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Whether you are an electronics enthusiast seeking to acquire the correct components for your circuit designs or a businessman in search of the right components for your production line, getting the services of an electronic components distributor is not a bad idea at all.

From knitting a simple toy for your child to managing a factory that manufactures complex products for market sale, dealing with a distributor is beneficial in a number of ways.

[Read more…] about 5 Reasons to Work With an Electronic Components Distributor When Procuring Parts

Global semiconductor industry to ‘invest $400 billion on 300mm fab equipment in next three years’

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Global spending on 300mm fab equipment is expected to reach a record $400 billion from 2025 to 2027, says industry association SEMI in its quarterly 300mm Fab Outlook Report to 2027 report.

The robust spending is being driven by the regionalization of semiconductor fabs and the increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips used in data centers and edge devices.

Worldwide, 300mm fab equipment spending is projected to grow by 4 percent to $99.3 billion in 2024, and further increase by 24 percent to $123.2 billion in 2025, surpassing the $100 billion level for the first time.

[Read more…] about Global semiconductor industry to ‘invest $400 billion on 300mm fab equipment in next three years’

MassTech and Healey-Driscoll Administration award more than $3.5 million to manufacturers across Massachusetts

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The Healey-Driscoll Administration and MassTech Collaborative’s (MassTech’s) Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) announced more than $3.5 million in grants to 23 manufacturing companies through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP), which aims to strengthen supply chains and spur growth in the manufacturing sector.

The grants will support the creation of up to 130 advanced manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts and training for up to 151 workers.

Massachusetts Economic Development Secretary and MassTech board chair Yvonne Hao announced the awards during the fourth annual Manufacturing Mash-Up, an annual event hosted by CAM that brings together companies, students, and state officials to foster innovation and strengthen partnerships in the manufacturing sector. [Read more…] about MassTech and Healey-Driscoll Administration award more than $3.5 million to manufacturers across Massachusetts

Flexiv’s fish fillet shaping solution automates breaded cod production

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Flexiv, a developer of general-purpose robotics solutions, has launched what it calls “a revolutionary fish fillet shaping application”.

Fully automated by the Rizon 4 adaptive robot, the solution utilizes a combination of computer vision and force-control to identify and shape breaded fish fillets, so that consumers receive portions of a uniform size and shape.

Developed for one of Asia’s leading seafood producers, this task was traditionally performed by manual labor, where employees had to carefully shape each fillet to ensure a consistently sized end product. [Read more…] about Flexiv’s fish fillet shaping solution automates breaded cod production

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