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EPTE Newsletter
Column from: Dominique Numakura
The EPTE Newsletter from Japan is brought to you by Dominique Numakura, the founder and managing director of DKN Research. He has been working for circuit board businesses and packaging material businesses more than 25 years. Dominique has developed many advanced technologies in high-density substrates and materials over the last decade. He has written more than 100 articles for major conferences and magazines, and he is the author of several books on electronic packaging technologies. Dominique is a regular contributing writer of columns for magazines and newspapers. He has a master's degree in physical chemistry and nuclear chemistry from Ibaraki University, Japan.
September 07, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: Travel to Japan During COVID
My recent trip from Massachusetts to Japan was extremely complicated due to new travel regulations and restrictions for foreign visitors. The latest update from the Japanese embassy in the U.S. read that foreigners were not allowed to enter Japan without extraordinary emergency travel reasons. Japanese citizens who are living in foreign countries are the exceptions to this travel restriction.July 21, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: A New COVID Surge in Taiwan?
Taiwan is the benchmark for controlling the spread of COVID-19. The electronics industry in Taiwan grew throughout the pandemic. Unfortunately, an increase in cases has been reported. The numbers are small but growing, and the Taiwanese are scrambling to secure enough vaccines for their population.June 21, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: COVID-19 PCR Test in Japan
Last November, I had a COVID-19 PCR test at Narita Airport upon arrival from the U.S. This test was administered prior to passport control and took almost an hour and a half (my test result was negative). The test was free, but transportation from the airport to my home was over $300.June 01, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: Japan Failing in Vaccine Distribution
The number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Japan, and a majority of residents want the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed or canceled. How is this spike in cases affecting Japan's ability to get people vaccinated?May 10, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: A Long Trip to the U.S.
A series of complications, canceled flights and delayed COVID tests meant one of the longest trips of his life. Columnist Dominique Numakura explains.March 29, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: Ten Years After Fukushima
Dominique Numakura remembers back to the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan 10 years ago and what that has meant for him and his country. Scientists continue to ponder, when it will happen again.February 11, 2021
EPTE Newsletter: Taiwan Releases 2020 PCB Production Numbers
The Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) released December’s shipment data. Full year data is also posted for 2020, so it’s time to review the industry’s performance.November 30, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: The Printed Circuit Industry in China
Market data provided by the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) is very comprehensive. Unfortunately, any news or data from the PCB industry in China is not easily accessible. Dominique Numakura provides an update on the printed circuit industry in China based on available market data.November 18, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Next-Generation Flex Circuits—Printable Is Compatible With Flexible
Copper foil is the primary conductor material used in traditional flexible circuits. The photolithography process is now popular in the printed circuit industry, and circuit manufacturers have an etching line process in their basic manufacturing. Dominique Numakura details how thick-film circuits are another option to generate flexible circuits.November 09, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Recent Market Trends in Japanese PCBs
The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) released the August production data from Japan. Dominique Numakura explains how they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.October 14, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Hitachi Chemical Now Showa Denko
Hitachi Chemical, a consolidated subsidiary of Showa Denko, recently changed its name to Showa Denko (they will now be part of this company). Dominique Numakura details how company officials released a statement commenting on the new name and adding that this collaboration will generate new business trends.October 07, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Next-Generation Flex Circuits—Textile Base Flex
Creating electronic circuits on fabric substrates is not easy. The subtractive processes in manufacturing use wet chemicals. Dominique Numakura addresses textile base flex circuits, including a die-stamping process, as well as screen-printable thick-film circuits.October 05, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: August PCB Shipments in Taiwan
The Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) recently released the PCB shipments report for the month of August. The Taiwanese PCB industry can be considered the barometer for global consumer electronics. Shipments during August declined, so Dominique Numakura take a closer look at the dataSeptember 22, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Circuit Board Shipments in Taiwan Up Slightly
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the global economy. In this column, Dominique examines the impact on Taiwan. Taiwanese companies posted positive results compared to last year as manufacturing and exports increase.September 03, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: COVID-19 Leads to a Long Trip
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt every aspect of life on a global basis, including work, education, and travel. Dominique Numakura shares his recent experience with international travel from Japan to the U.S.August 31, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Next-Generation Flex Circuits—Monocoque Printed Circuits
There is much interest from design engineers looking for practical 3D wiring material for compact electronic devices, such as smartphones and digital cameras. Dominique Numakura takes a brief look at this new 3D circuit technology.August 03, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Is the Global Electronics Industry Improving?
While composing this column, the end of July is quickly approaching and electronic companies can’t forecast business trends with this uncertainty in the market. Why the choppy market? Dominique Numakura explains.July 27, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Next-Generation Flex Circuits–Transparent
The ever-changing electronics market requires upgrades to components, films, and circuits. Dominique Numakura unpacks hurdles to overcome with transparent and heat-resistant films.December 15, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Transparent Flexible Circuits
When DuPont developed the heat-resistant polyimide film Kapton in the 1960s, there was no large-volume application. Now, DuPont has developed a new circuit concept for flexible circuits, but the company did not have a business plan for the products.October 18, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Polymer Thick-film Circuits: Practical or Not?
The subtractive process (an etching process of copper foil) is the primary technology used to build various printed circuits. On the other hand, printable electronics are making significant progress in this area, and several researchers predict the traditional etching processes will be replaced by printing technologies in the near future.July 10, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Monocoque Printed Circuits, Part 4
Based on past columns where Dominique Numakura explored the basic concept of monocoque printed circuits, he received many inquiries and questions about this new circuit technology. In this column, he continues to explore alternative technology in flexible circuits.June 29, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Monocoque Printed Circuits, Part 3
Monocoque structural techniques are used in a wide-ranging variety of products, including automobiles, boats, other types of vehicles, skis, and much more. Dominique Numakura explains the potential construction advancements monocoque printed circuits could offer.June 22, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Next-Generation Flex Circuits—Elastic
Wearable electronics and health care devices brought a need for elastic, flexible circuits. Dominique Numakura explores next-generation flexible circuits, starting with elastic circuits.May 29, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Coronavirus Detection Devices, Pt. 2
In Part 1 of this column series, Dominique Numakura wrote about the possibility of using advancements in electronics to create detection devices for the coronavirus. In Part 2, he expands on several ideas for these new medical devices.May 18, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Coronavirus Detection Devices, Pt. 1
Virus testing for the coronavirus is key, but it’s difficult to administer to millions of people. Dominique Numakura asks, "Is it possible to develop an electronic sensor that can detect the coronavirus?April 23, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Small Recovery Signs From Taiwan
After emerging in China in December 2019, the novel coronavirus spread to over 200 countries around the world. European countries and the U.S. have reported a significant amount of cases over the last several weeks. Dominique Numakura reports on the status of life in Japan, as well as manufacturing and the PCB market in Asia.April 06, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: COVID-19 Outbreak
COVID-19 emerged in China in December 2019 and spread around the world to over 200 countries. European countries and the U.S. report a significant amount of cases over the past several weeks. The total number of cases is more than 1.2 million. Dominique Numakura shares personal and global updates.March 18, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: The Printed Circuit Industry in 2019
The year is flying by. The first quarter is close to completion, and 2019 is a distant memory. Analyzing business trends and forecasting is difficult enough without adding a wild card into the equation, specifically the coronavirus. For this reason, Dominique Numakura decided to provide a snapshot of the industry before the COVID-19 outbreak and look at trends moving forward.February 28, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Did Taiwan's Printed Circuit Market Finish in the Green?
Shipments from the printed circuit industry can arguably be considered a barometer for the global electronics market. With that said, PCB shipments for December are a little cloudy and complicated. Dominique Numakura explains.January 30, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Internepcon Japan 2020
The largest electronics exhibition in Asia opened January 15 at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day event was larger than last year with more trade show participants as well as visitors. Dominique Numakura shares highlights from the show floor.January 24, 2020
EPTE Newsletter: Electroless Plating for Flexible Circuits
Electroless plating is a popular method in manufacturing printed circuits or flexible circuits. The electroless plating concept is not new; it is used to protect conductors against oxidation. However, it is not the default process for printed circuit manufacturing. Dominique Numakura explains.December 19, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Taiwan’s Circuit Board Industry—Red or Black for 2019?
The circuit board industry in Taiwan released its shipping data for November. The revenue declined by 5.61% compared with the previous month and declined by 0.29% for the same month last year. Year-to-date revenue increased by 0.29% comparing year over year. Dominique Numakura unpacks the details of Taiwan's PCB industry for 2019.November 07, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Monocoque Printed Circuits—An Update
Wiring with flexible circuits could be a practical solution. Nowadays, most mobile device manufacturers are consuming huge amounts of thin, flexible circuits to attach on the surface of the housing in limited spaces. However, the cost of flexible circuits and assembling them is another headache for device manufacturers because they are not negligible in the whole cost of the devices.November 06, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Consumption Tax Increase in Japan
Japan increased its national sales tax rate from 8% to 10% effective October 1, 2019. The broad-based tax affects consumer products as well as medical, cellphone services, and business-to-business trade. Some products are excluded from the increase, but it is a little complicated. Dominique Numakura explains.September 23, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: PCB Market Trends in Taiwan
PCB monthly shipments for the first three quarters show some positive growth compared to the same periods of the previous year. However, growth was stagnant during October and November and declined significantly in December.August 12, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: JPCA Show 2019, Part 4
Many vendors and manufacturers featured test equipment for flexible circuits. It was worthwhile for Dominique Numakura to take a long look at this equipment that evaluates new functional, flexible circuits.July 29, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: JPCA Show 2019, Part 3
There were many new products related to thick-film base flexible circuits introduced at the JPCA Show 2019. Specifically, these products were screen-printed conductive inks featured by some Taiwanese companies as well as other mid-sized manufactures. P-ban.com, an online circuit distributer, displayed several advanced technologies. Their basic concepts are not new, but their technology bundles are very practical and are currently in the market.July 30, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: JPCA Show 2019, Part 2
Many new technologies and products related to flexible circuits were introduced by mid-sized manufacturers at the JPCA Show 2019. Oki Cable displayed several unique technologies that included stretchable and transparent circuits. They are proactive with introducing new materials for base materials as well as conductors and coverlay.June 13, 2019
EPTE Newsletter : JPCA Show 2019, Part 1
The JPCA Show opened June 5 at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day show was sold out despite the slowdown for the global printed circuit industry. The show came at a good time and gave me the opportunity to network, collaborate, and collect market data for both business and technology trends.May 22, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Global Electronics Industry Continues to Decline
Sales from consumer electronics are expected to slip this year, continuing a decline that began in December 2018. The Taiwanese PCB industry was first to signal stormy days ahead, and data from the global semiconductor industry for the same month backed up this gloomy forecast.May 02, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Monocoque Printed Circuits
This Taiwanese circuit manufacturer did not use a new or unique technology to form the circuits but did change the materials. They introduced a fine screen-printing process using several new ink materials to produce a more reliable conductor. The new inks have higher flexibilities compared with metallic copper, so the circuit is more reliable during forming.April 17, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Printable and Flexible Electronics in Taiwan
I was invited as the keynote speaker of Printable and Flexible Electronics, a two-day conference held at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan. My presentation included current business trends and future forecast for the global printable and flexible electronics industry. Here's a recap of the event.March 14, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Metallization of Nonconductive Substrates
There were significant technical progressions with chemicals and surface treatments used in electroless plating over the last decade. Now, plating chemicals provide a secure bond strength with the metallic layer on the inert surface of plastic substrates.March 04, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Exotic Materials— A Prerequisite for Next-generation Flexible Circuits
More than 20,000 results populate on an Amazon search for wearable technology. There is no question that wearable electronic devices have created a new electronics market, especially those earmarked for medical and healthcare. Wearable devices demand 3D flexible wiring, so flexible circuits are an appropriate solution for these devices.February 19, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Predicted Sales Decrease for the Taiwanese Electronics Industry
Recently, I wrote about the printed circuit industry in Taiwan. I reported on the industry’s declining revenues and voiced concerns about a potential domino effect for the rest of the electronics market. Unfortunately, this may become reality.February 12, 2019
EPTE Newsletter: Taiwan Electronics Revenues Nosedive
The barometer for the Taiwanese electronics industry is falling, signaling bad weather ahead. December shipments for PWB manufacturers in Taiwan was 49.1 billion Taiwan dollars ($1.596 billion), which is a 20.9% decline from the previous month and 19.1% decline from the same month last year.December 24, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Sputtering or Chemical Plating?
More than 20 years ago, material manufacturers competed with each other to develop adhesiveless copper-clad laminates for the next generation of flexible circuits. A dozen or so companies were leaders in the pack with their new technologies. These technologies were categorized into two types: a casting and laminating process, and the metallization of polyimide films.November 29, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Exotic Materials for Flexible Circuits
Wearable technology is common in the electronics industry and is expected to be a profitable category for the next generation of electronics. An Amazon search for wearable technology leads to 30,000 results. Flexible circuits are the most significant packaging materials for wearable devices including medical and healthcare devices.October 24, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Hiccup for Taiwanese Electronics Industry?
Shipments for the PCB industry during the Q2 and the beginning of Q3 came in at double-digit growth, and revenue for August increased by more than 13% compared to the same month last year. Manufacturers throughout the mobile device supply chain predicted sales would increase even more during Q4.October 15, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Taiwan Electronics are Heating Up (Figuratively)
Dominique Numakura considers electronics manufacturing in Taiwan to be the barometer for the global consumer electronics industry. Market trends can be predicted by analyzing shipping data from Taiwanese circuit board manufacturers. Annual volume increases every year, despite slow monthly cycles.September 20, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: New Materials for Wearable Electronics
Technology continues to evolve, and wearable electronics are the focal point for many new concepts. The next generation of wearable products for the consumer electronics industry will create a new market with nothing but upside for manufacturers and suppliers.September 03, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Thinner and Lighter Printed Circuits
Manufacturers from the electronics industry consistently compete to create higher density circuits. Cutting edge semiconductor manufacturers can generate less than 10 nanometer traces on silicon chips.August 28, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Flexible Metal Laminates Made With Chemical Processes
DKN Research is fielding many inquiries about a semi-additive process for the fine-line generation on thin, flexible substrates, including transparent heat-resistant plastic films. Most inquiries are from chip-on-film (COF) manufacturers with reel-to-reel (RTR) processes.July 18, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Flood Catastrophe in Japan
The rainy season in Japan usually ends in early July; however, severe and abnormal weather plagued Japan during the entire month this year. First, a strong typhoon passing from south to north soaked the western island, Kyushu. The typhoon kicked off the seasonal rain front in the western half of Japan, which resulted in historical rainfall. Some areas received more than 1,000 millimeters of rain in less than four days—a record amount of rainfall for many towns.July 13, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Metallization for Plastic Surfaces
During the 1980s, manufacturers ran around the barn a few times trying to decide the best way to produce reliable bond strength between polyimide sheets and copper foils when producing thin copper laminates for high-density flexible circuits.June 15, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: JPCA SHOW 2018
One of the largest exhibitions for the printed circuit industry was held June 6–8 at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. The three-day show is held in Tokyo every June and attracts a worldwide audience. This year, related events at the show included JIEP 2018, JISSO PROTEC 2018, Total Organic Expo 2018, WIRE Japan Show 2018 and Smart Sensing 2018.May 29, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: The Digital Camera Industry is Disappearing
Digital camera manufacturers continue to decrease their manufacturing space due to the steady decline in camera sales. Olympus, one of the major camera manufacturers in Japan, closed their compact camera manufacturing plant in China. Olympus plans to focus on more profitable segments in their portfolio. They currently have a comprehensive offering of endoscopes, devices and accessories to meet every GI procedural need.April 23, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Last Volume PCB Shop in the U.S. Shuttered
Sanmina Corporation will close one of their printed circuit board operations in Owego, New York. Hundreds of employees were told they would lose their jobs. Sanmina Corporation is the largest EMS company in the U.S., and this plant could be the last volume manufacturer in the States.April 04, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Consumer Electronics in the Bathroom
DKN Research is the world’s leading engineering firm specializing in microelectronics and packaging. We review business trends, dissect new electronic products, and provide state of the art technology. Advancements in electronics no extend to the bathroom; in particular, the toilet.March 14, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Nano Tech 2018 and Printable Electronics
Nano Tech 2018 was held at Tokyo Big Sight on February 14. The three-day show is one of the largest events for nanotechnologies. Other high-tech events that participated in the show included Printable Electronics 2018, ASTECH 2018, SURTECH 2018, 3D Printing 2018, 3Decotech 2018 and Neo Functional Material 2018.February 28, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: Taiwan Snapshot—Things Are Good!
Taiwan continues to exceed expectations as the manufacturing hub for consumer electronics. Trends for the global electronics market can be forecasted by analyzing shipments of printed circuits from Taiwanese manufacturers.February 20, 2018
EPTE Newsletter: NEPCON JAPAN 2018
The largest electronics exhibition in Japan was held at Tokyo Big Sight on Wednesday January 17. The 47-year-old show started out as InterNEPCON and featured companies that specialized in covered packaging and wiring including printed circuits for electronic equipment. The show evolved over the years and continuously added other electronics-related products.December 20, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: SEMICON JAPAN 2017
SEMICON JAPAN 2017 was held at Tokyo Big Sight on Wednesday December 13. This is the last trade show for the electronics industry in 2017. The show used to be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, but changed venues due to shrinking attendance. Event organizers were hoping for a bump in visitors with the venue change.December 05, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: TV Sales on Cyber Monday
Did you score on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I have a 42-inch Samsung Plasma TV that is ready to be replaced. I bought this state-of-the-art plasma TV seven years ago for $795 (that was a bargain back then). Today, you can buy a 42-inch Samsung LCD HDTV on Amazon for $395—almost half the price from the one I purchased almost a decade ago. It’s a great deal and I plan on purchasing it once I finish this newsletter.November 15, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Made in Japan
Japanese companies were immune to corporate scandals many years ago. These companies seemed squeaky clean, and seldom made headline news about scandalous business practices (the exception was the financial crimes at Toshiba). That has changed recently.October 03, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Can Toshiba Survive?
Toshiba was the leader in the electronics industry, and developed and marketed many types of electronic equipment and devices that included word processors, printers, VCR cameras, tape recorders, hard disc drives, transceivers, laptop computers, facsimiles, cellular phones, and more. Toshiba was also a leader in designing medical equipment. Toshiba was always one of the best electronics companies in the world.September 14, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Semi-Annual Review of the Global Circuit Industry
Every piece of electronic equipment uses printed circuit boards. The circuit board industry posted mixed results for the first half of the year. Listed below is a quick snapshot of the global results as well as business trends for consumer electronics.August 29, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Is RCA Reborn?
Radio Corporation of America (RCA) is a familiar name to anyone over the age of 40. The RCA brand is one of the oldest and most well-known brands in the consumer electronics industry. The company was founded as a subsidiary of General Electric (GE) in 1919, and was successful with radios, TVs and VCRs.August 11, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Reborn Sharp Pushes Drastic Reforms
Hon Hai Precision Industry is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer. Last week, the company announced plans to build a $10 billion LCD panel plant in Wisconsin. Hon Hai acquired Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp last year, and plans to manufacture Sharp LCDs in Wisconsin.July 26, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: M-Tech 2017
Tokyo Big Sight hosted the Mechanical Component & Materials Technology Expo (M-Tech) on June 21. The three-day show included the 21st Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo (DMS), the 25th 3D Virtual Reality Expo (IVR) and the Medical Device Development Expo (MEDIX).June 28, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Transparent Flex Circuits, Stretchable Flex Circuits
I attended the JPCA Trade Show earlier this month. Most of the products on display were related to electronics, the electronics industry, packaging and electronic circuits. Flex circuit manufacture and material companies that featured flexible circuits at the exhibition focused their attention on transparent flex circuits and stretchable flex circuits.June 13, 2017
DKN Research Newsletter: JPCA Show a Positive Sign for Industry
I recently attended the JPCA Show, the largest trade show event for the printed circuit industry. The size of the show was almost the same as last year, but there were significant changes to product lines from material suppliers. It seemed to me there was an increase in attendance, and almost everyone was there to get a glimpse of some new technology trends. Overall the show was a success. I am optimistic for the future.May 31, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Mixed Sales Data for Taiwanese Circuit Board Industry
Taiwan is the production center for global consumer electronics, and the circuit board production in Taiwan is considered the barometer for the electronics industry. Performance for most of the major printed circuit manufacturers in Taiwan is mixed; there are some bright signs, and there are some areas that need improvement.May 18, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: BIOMEDevice Boston 2017
A two-day trade show was held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on May 3, 2017. The exhibition featured the following events: MD&M Event, PLASTEC NEW ENGLAND, Design & Manufacturing NEW ENGLAND and Embedded System Conference (ESC).April 19, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: FineTech Japan 2017
Tracing the roots of the show, FINETECH JAPAN began as an exhibition for new material technologies 26 years ago. The convention expanded year over year to include other segments affiliated with the electronics industry and have had the following events added: Fiber Optics Expo, International Laser & Photonics Expo, Film Tech Japan, Plastic Japan, Metal Japan and Ceramics Japan.March 21, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: One Step Closer to Transparent Electronics
Transparent electronics is an emerging technology for printed circuit design. This technology was considered an unattainable or fanciful goal for electronic devices because the substrate materials (glass/epoxy boards and polyimide films) were not transparent. PET film-based flexible circuits with ITO conductors were developed for commercial use in touch screen devices; however, it is unreliable in industrial applications due to low heat resistance.March 15, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Toshiba to Tank?
The Japanese electronics industry continues to struggle through hard times. All the major electronics companies in Japan face financial difficulties, and both Sanyo and Sharp shut down their own businesses and disappeared from the Japanese market. TFebruary 28, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: Convertech Japan 2017
The Tokyo Big Sight was the place to be on February 15, 2017. The East Hall was bursting with well-known organizations and individuals affiliated with the electronics and technology community.February 09, 2017
EPTE Newsletter: 47th INTERNEPCON JAPAN
The 47th INTERNEPCON Japan electronics trade show was held on January 18th at Tokyo Big Sight. I attended the three-day NEPCON show in hopes of discovering the next electronics breakthrough, and examine the business trends within a shrinking electronics industry.December 20, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: SEMICON Japan, 2016
The last electronics trade show of the year has held starting December 14, for three days at Tokyo Big Sight. The slumping semiconductor market in Japan remains slow; however, I could be optimistic that the trade show would reveal some signs of an upturn for the industry.December 07, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Preliminary PCB Industry Results For 2016
Once summer is over, the year slips away: I can’t believe we are in the last month of 2016. We have almost a year of sales data from the global printed circuit industry, so this is a good time to analyze this year’s performance and consider business plans for 2017. Since printed circuits are the major components in electronic products, let’s review PCB market trends in the global electronics industry.November 01, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Printable Electronics—A Practical Solution?
I attended a Printable Electronics workshop in Japan a couple of weeks ago. The 200-person crowd was made up of people from R&D organizations, material suppliers and machine manufacturers. No one there could be termed a customer; everyone was there to learn and discuss the latest printable electronics.October 11, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: CREATEC JAPAN 2016—Is Manufacturing Turning Around?
CREATEC JAPAN (the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) was held at Makuhari Messe, one of the largest convention centers in Japan. The four-day show opened on October 4, 2016, and organizers anticipated more than 130,000 visitors this year.September 21, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Hon Hai Completes Sharp Acquisition
Sharp Corporation was once a leading electronics company in Japan. In 1962, Sharp expanded outside of Japan and established Sharp Electronics Corporation in the United States. Sharp was known for cutting edge technology and developed many unique products for consumer electronics, including calculators, photovoltaic cells, LCD panels, LCD TVs, electronic notebooks and more.August 30, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Sony Sells Battery Division to Murata
Large electronics companies in Japan continue to lose market share in the global arena. This erosion of market share has had a ripple effect on Japanese printed circuit manufacturers that supplied these electronic companies; when they sneeze, printed circuit manufacturers catch cold.July 26, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Pokémon Go a New Direction For Nintendo
Nintendo released its Pokémon Go app in July 2016, and Apple says it was the most downloaded app ever in a first week. More than 25 million people download and play the game every day; most of them are under the age of 25.July 13, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Transparent Circuits Gaining in Popularity
Transparent printed circuits were a popular item showcased at the JPCA Show 2016. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) use to be the dominant material used for transparent substrates in optical circuits and devices and generated a huge amount of sales from touch screen panels.June 21, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Sanyo—Japanese or Chinese?
Market share for Japanese electronics companies began to erode in the early 2000s. Their shrinking sales were felt everywhere in the global market; especially hard hit were Japanese consumer electronics. Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Sanyo, Toshiba, Hitachi and other Japanese manufacturers were the predominant brands found in the big box stores. Consumer electronics inventories at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and other large retailers now come from manufacturers in Korea, Taiwan and China. Japanese brands have a negligible market share in the North American market.June 02, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Taiwan Printed Circuit Industry Is Shrinking
Taiwan has become the manufacturing powerhouse for the global consumer electronics industry. Their product scope includes personal computers, tablet PCs, smartphones, gaming consoles, digital cameras and more. These broad ranges of products are not only manufactured in Taiwan, but also in Mainland China and other overseas countries.April 28, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Many Plants in Japan Shut Down After Earthquake
Large manufacturing companies including Sony, Panasonic, Honda and Toyota suspended operations citing damage at their plants. The supply chain disruptions could keep them idle for a up to a week. Toyota Motors was the hardest hit amongst the large corporations.April 12, 2016
FINETECH JAPAN 2016
A fresh new slate is offered to all Japanese students in April. Some students start a new academic year in April, while others have graduated and are ready to begin their careers. Many Japanese companies begin a new fiscal year in April, and the spring trade show season begins. First up is the 26th Flat Panel Display Expo (FINETECH JAPAN).March 31, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: The Fall of the Giants
Zaibatsu is a Japanese term that refers to diversified family businesses in Japan whose influence and size allowed control over parts of the Japanese economy until the end of World War II. A few of these powerful families who controlled businesses that rose to power before World War II include Furukawa, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and Yasuda.February 16, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: Nanotech Japan 2016
One down, on to the next! The second electronics event of the year was held at Tokyo Big Sight on January 27. The three day exhibition opened only two weeks after the InterNepcon Japan show, and I was concerned with attendance since many people visited that show, and enthusiasm for visiting another show may be low.February 03, 2016
EPTE Newsletter: INTERNEPCON Japan 2016
INTERNEPCON Japan 2016 was the first electronics trade show in Japan this year. The three day exhibition began on January 13 at Tokyo Big Sight. Even though the electronics industry is still in the midst of a recession, many companies attended the show with hopes of discovering some new technologies or other avenues for business ventures.December 21, 2015
EPTE Newsletter: Toshiba’s Financial Scandal
Last spring, Toshiba disclosed to its shareholders some accounting irregularities, causing them to delay their earnings report for the first quarter. These accounting irregularities made investors nervous, but not panicked enough to sell off their holdings. Officials at Toshiba explained the accounting irregularities included hiding some losses during previous years, and they would need to re-state their earnings as soon as possible.November 05, 2015
EPTE Newsletter: Toshiba's Leadership Lies about Profits
Japan is home for Toshiba, one of the largest electronics company in the world. Toshiba is in the midst of a massive accounting scandal that was brought to light in April, when Toshiba first disclosed some accounting irregularities. Several executives including Toshiba’s chief executive and president resigned, and heads may continue to roll.October 09, 2015
Things are Slowing Down in Taiwan
The recent news from Taiwan is not very optimistic; manufacturing companies are very pessimistic with their fourth-quarter forecasts. The media continues to report about the dismal global economy due to the uncertainty in the Chinese economy and the roller coaster rides in the financial markets. Taiwan is not uncertain at all—they are pessimistic with the business outlook for the rest of the year.September 15, 2015
We Have No Internet— Now What?
Society is dependent on technology—no argument there. Today’s youth does not know a world without mobile electronic devices that keep us connected 24/7, and a senior in high school does not know a world without Google. What happens if an asteroid storm takes out all the satellites orbiting the earth? Well, I experienced two technology crises in the last two weeks that was not as draconian as our satellites collapsing, but it did give me a moment to pause and think about our dependence on technology.September 01, 2015
Deadly Blast in China
The quality of products made in China has improved over the years, but factory and worker conditions may not be keeping up. Without safeguards in the workplace, tragedies are bound to happen in plants that work with hazardous and flammable chemicals.August 04, 2015
Taiwan: The Barometer for Consumer Electronics
Equipment manufacturers and printed circuit manufacturers released pessimistic forecasts for the second half of the year. They blame their pessimism on slow sales from personal computers, and they expect a negative growth from tablet PCs this year. The printed circuit industry in Taiwan represents the global market trends for consumer electronics. For this reason, I do not have an optimistic outlook for consumer electronics this year.July 24, 2015
The Drive for Transparent Circuits
DKN Research develops many types of unique electronic circuits. Some products in our portfolio include ultra-thin conductor circuits as small as 0.2 microns, metal-free circuits, and some circuits up to 20 meters long. Our staff fields many inquiries for packaging of new electronic devices. Lately, there is a lot of interest in transparent flexible circuits. The increase in interest is driven by the recent market expansion of display and optical devices.July 14, 2015
M-Tech Tokyo Show Draws Huge Crowd
The M-Tech 2015, held last June 24 at Tokyo Big Sight encompassed a broad range of technologies and mechanical processes, and was an excellent source for cutting-edge technologies for designing electronic devices and other mechanical components.June 25, 2015
JPCA SHOW 2015
The three-day JPCA 2015 trade show was held on June 3 at Tokyo Big Sight. This trade fair is an international event that attracts customers, vendors and manufacturers who are affiliated with the electronics industry. This show provides me an opportunity to discover any new market trends or new technologies.June 04, 2015
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Quick Repair, Slow Process
Nowadays, the broken products are sent to a manufacturers’ repair facility. They order alternative parts to replace the modules and do not solder anything in the process. It is pretty much plug and play – the technicians at the repair center do not require any specialized training. This is now the future – gone are the independent TV repair men.May 18, 2015
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: BIOMEDevice 2015
The BIOMEDevice 2015 event was not specifically targeting the medical industry; however, all the vendors and sales representatives focused their presentations on medical technologies and business. This shows how important and profitable the medical device business is for electronics companies in New England.April 22, 2015
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Practical Progress in Advanced Materials
While FINE TECH JAPAN 2015 featured no significant breakthroughs in technology or processes this year from the bigger materials companies, there were a few companies that introduced a few innovative products that could have some practical use, according to Dominique Numakura.April 13, 2015
Yokohama Welcomes Apple after Panasonic
The mayor of Yokohama in Japan announced last week that Apple will open a new advanced R&D center in that city next year. Mayor Fumiko Hayashi told reporters the R&D center could be the largest overseas facility for Apple and will be a one of a kind scientific park.March 16, 2015
Japanese Electronics Industry: Market Trends for 2015
It's hard to believe the first quarter of 2015 is almost over! The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) released the final 2014 performance data for the electronics industry. Analysts and forecasters are pouring over the data hoping to project business trends for the New Year. I studied the data released from METI, and will share some of my findings as well as some market trends I see for 2015.February 25, 2015
There is a Crack in the Screen for Japanese TV Manufacturers
In this article, Dominique Numakura talks about the bleak outlook for Japan's TV manufacturers, driven by increasing dominance of Korean and Taiwanes manufacturers.January 27, 2015
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: NEPCON JAPAN 2015
One of the key highlights at this year's NEPCON JAPAN show, the first major exhibition for the Japanese electronics industry this year, was wearable technology. Dominique K. Numakura of DKN Research sounds off on this rapidly emerging market based on his observations at the recent trade show.December 03, 2014
EPTE Newsletter From Japan: Yen Continues to Slide
Japanese manufacturers lost most of their global market share over the last few years due to poor business strategies. Products include flat panel TVs, cellular phones, personal computers, MP3s, tablet PCs, and more. Market share in the digital camera market remains on track, but this segment continues to shrink at an alarming rate. Some Japanese companies may throw in the towel. For them, a weak yen does not help their bottom line.November 05, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Pessimism in the PC Market
Taiwanese manufacturers are forecasting a further slowdown for the PC market during the fourth quarter of 2014 and all of 2015. This time around they expect the tablet PC market will also slow. Does it mean the entire electronics industry will slow down for a while? Some believe that when the PC industry sneezes the rest of the electronics industry catches a cold.October 22, 2014
EPTE Newsletter: Japan Market Conditions Changing Drastically
Unfortunately, market conditions in Japan have changed drastically during the last few years. Large electronics companies lost market share, along with the prestige of being the market leaders in business and technology. Columnist Dominique Numakura explains that the CEATEC Japan show reflects this downturn as it continues to shrink year over year.September 01, 2014
EPTE Newsletter: 1H Performance of Global PCB Industry
June PCB shipments in Japan rebounded remarkably. Revenue came in at 40.67 billion yen, representing a 5.8% increase from the previous month, while volume reached 1.143 million square meters, representing a 4.8% increase from the previous month. Revenue and shipped volume posted a record month for 2014.August 04, 2014
EPTE Newsletter: When "Made in USA" Means Trouble
A "Made in China" label used to mean you were taking your chances with a product's quality, but what if the tables were turned? An American meat supplier in China is gaining a bad reputation for tampering with expiration dates and customers are scrambling for other, safer options.July 17, 2014
EPTE Newsletter: Samsung - A Copy & Paste Company?
Why do mid-level managers at Samsung feel inferior to peers from Japan and the U.S.? Because most of the technologies they employ were imported (sometimes illegally). Korean companies will buy the minimum order for state-of-the-art equipment and conduct a detailed tear-down analysis. From this reverse R&D, they build their own equipment with minor modification--becoming a "copy and paste" company.July 04, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Sony Divests VAIO PC Business
Dominique K. Numakura writes, "Sony is not a small venture firm and one successful product launch cannot rescue the company. Sony's management team needs a long-term business plan. It can only bleed for so long."June 19, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: JPCA Show 2014
Numakura writes, "Material suppliers were very active with new product introductions. One of the common keywords in many of their pitches was low-loss insulation for high-speed printed circuits. Multiple choices for both of rigid and flexible materials were available."June 04, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: The Future of OLED TVs
Korean electronics giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics continue to explore the OLED TV business. They too have similar yield issues with the production process. If the companies can't find a way to lower costs, they should cut and run as fast as Sony and Panasonic did.April 21, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Consumption Tax on the Rise
On April Fools' Day, the prime minister of Japan pulled a good one. Unfortunately, it was no joke. Effective on that day, the national sales tax for goods and services in Japan increased from 5% to 8%.March 14, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: New Champ of the PCB Industry
The global PCB industry continues to grow as business shifts from Western countries to Far Eastern countries. Japan was the leader in the industry for a number of years in terms of output value, but business continues to move to Taiwan--leaving the door wide open for a new company to grab the top spot.February 10, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Yen Discount Sale
Currency markets around the world are experiencing extreme fluctuations as governments try to stabilize economies. The Japanese economy is a prime example of this, but the government denies it is trying to keep the yen low compared to other currencies.January 27, 2014
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: NEPCON Japan 2014
NEPCON Japan 2014 is Asia's largest electronics packaging trade show. The three-day event was held at Tokyo Big Sight, January 15-17. More than 1,800 companies and organizations squeezed into the venue and all aisles were packed with visitors from open to close all three days. Navigating through the show proved to be challenging--the unofficial visitor figures reached upwards of 60,000.December 23, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Yen Slides to Record Low
Japanese-based companies with overseas business are reaping the benefits of a weakening yen. Automobile manufacturers will post record profits for fiscal year 2013. They are spreading the wealth amongst their employees by paying out year-end bonuses.December 12, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: 2013 Printed Circuit Industry
Japan had a very bad start this year. Revenue for January and February were dismal compared with the same period last year and 2012 was almost as bad as the year of the worldwide recession in 2008. The year started off so badly that some feared a total collapse for the Japanese PWB Industry.October 07, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: CEATEC Japan 2013
More than one-third of floor space was occupied by automobile manufacturers and module manufacturers. These companies showcased their products and demonstrated the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and telematics technologies (car electronics). A large section of space was reserved for concept vehicles of the future.September 16, 2013
EPTE Newsletter: New "Developments" in Digital Cameras
All good things must come to an end: The global recession that began in 2008 had a negative impact on the digital camera market. From that point on, annual shipments have declined 10 to 20% each year and shipments in the latter part of 2012 fell even more.August 29, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: PCB Industry Takes a Hit
The Japanese electronics and circuit board industry show no signs of recovery. Sales of core products that include flat panel TVs, cellular phones, and digital cameras continue to show weakness and are down compared to the previous year.July 01, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Can Organic Electronics be Printable and Flexible?
Researchers from universities and material companies are extremely optimistic for the future of organic materials and their sensational performances. These researchers all claim that the new organic material is printable. But in my opinion, their projections are too optimistic.June 17, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Trends from JPCA Show 2013
Dominique Numakura reports that the electronics industry in Japan is currently suffering its worst slump in history. He was hoping to see new and innovative products at JPCA 2013to snap the country out of its funk.May 30, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: What to Expect at JPCA 2013
Market conditions for both consumer electronics and printed circuits in Japan remained soft in the first quarter. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) reported a slight rebound for PWB shipments during March compared with the previous month. Unfortunately, volume is showing a double digit decline when compared year-over-year.April 15, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Industry Trips Out of the Gate
The Japanese yen continues to depreciate against other foreign currencies, while the Tokyo Stock Exchange reaches new highs every week. Dominique Numakura wishes he could say the same about the electronics industry. Unfortunately, the remarkable decline the electronics industry suffered during year end continues into 2013.March 18, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: 2012 Ends on a Bad Note
Industry trends were all over the place in 2012 for the global electronics industry. Industry analysts are not sharing any good news for 2013. Build-up multilayer boards, double-layer and multilayer flex circuits, and semiconductor substrates all show the same downturn in business in Japan.March 04, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Too Many Passwords
Passwords are a necessary evil in today's high-tech world. Without passwords, anyone can gain access to private information, e-mail accounts, banking account numbers, and more.February 11, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Convertech Japan 2013
Over the last few years, Convertech Japan has expanded its scope to include electronics and electronic materials, with conversion technologies now considered secondary at the show. Numakura estimates that more than two-thirds of exhibitors were pitching products or materials from the electronics industry.January 28, 2013
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: InterNEPCON Japan 2013
Asia's largest exhibition and conference for electronics was held at Tokyo Big Sight January 16-19, 2013. The show attracted more than 1,000 companies and organizations, making the show truly the largest gathering for the electronics packaging industry in the world. Dominique Numakura offers his review.December 19, 2012
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Watches Made in China
Dominique Numakura says, "It was nearly 40 years ago when I got my first job as a freshman in Japan, and to celebrate my success, I bought a high-end watch made by Seiko--a large watch manufacturer in Japan."December 03, 2012
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: PCB Industry on the Ropes
Previously, Japanese manufacturers were very profitable with their double-sided and multilayer flex and rigid module substrate product lines. Their overseas customers preferred high performance and a high-quality product produced in Japan. But Korean and Taiwanese PCB manufacturers have greatly improved the quality of their products in recent years.November 09, 2012
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: TPCA Show 2012
The last TPCA Show Dominique Numakura attended was in 2008, and he says the PCB industry has changed drastically in that time. He explains that for some countries, the PCB business is good, and for others, well, not so good.October 26, 2012
EPTE Newsletter: Using Smart Phones in Not so Smart Places
Sure, you use your smartphone or tablet in the usual places: The subway, in the car, and while relaxing on the sofa. What about the bathtub? You'd be surprised where some people take their valuable electronic devices.October 09, 2012
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Social Network Games Flourish
Very few segments in the Japanese electronics industry are flourishing; in fact, many companies are barely hanging on as they try to weather the economic slowdown. Conversely, revenue predictions for social network games are expected to be well over $10 billion in the next few years.September 10, 2012
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: The Galapagos Syndrome
The isolation that Japanese manufacturers once enjoyed is gone and several electronics products from other countries have flooded their markets. Now, the country's media has jumped all over Darwin's theory by comparing recent business trends for the electronics industry to the "Galapagos Syndrome."August 27, 2012
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: PCB Industry Running out of Options
Japan's PCB industry does not have many options left. Incremental improvements will not rescue the entire industry. Management teams must generate long-term survival plans and execute strategies as soon as possible. Time and money are running out...May 28, 2012
EPTE Newsletter: Are Things Really This Gloomy?
The month of May is quickly winding down and the June trade show season is fast approaching. On June 13, 2012, the JPCA Show will open its doors at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day event is the largest trade exhibition for the printed circuit industry.June 28, 2011
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: JPCA Show 2011, Part II
More than 1,000 new products and technologies were presented at JPCA Show 2011. Most of these products were connected to the consumer electronics market in some way--materials, equipment, PCBs, designs, IC packaging, application or assembly. Vendors seemed to concentrate on two consumer products: Smart phones and tablet PCs.December 31, 1969
EPTE Newsletter: Can the Planet Survive “Going Green?”
The reality with some "green" industries is that their products cost much more than the traditional products they are replacing. These new products don't last as long and are scrapped--or in need of costly repairs--before consumers can absorb the start-up costs associated with flipping the switch to the alternative power source.July 19, 2010
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: JPCA Show 2010, Part VII
Materials are the most purchased items in the PCB industry for both business and technology customers. Material suppliers occupied the majority of the space at the show; however, many suppliers considered to be large players in the industry were absent. Why did they pass on this year's show?May 24, 2010
DKN Research: Is A Ubiquitous Internet Practical?
Not too long ago, visionaries predicted a "ubiquitous Internet," in which Internet access would be available anytime and any place on the earth. Their vision has almost come to fruition as more and more of us log on daily to get our Internet fix.February 05, 2009
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: NEPCON World 2009, Part I
One of the major conventions for electronic packaging and assembling was held at the Tokyo Big Sight for three days beginning January 28, 2009. The show had a name change this year and is now called NEPCON World. Each year, the exhibition grows larger and larger and continuously adds new events. The huge floors of the East and West Hall were fully occupied with more than 1,200 exhibitors.January 01, 2009
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Good Riddance 2008
Bad financial news continues to pour in everyday. The global economic meltdown is probably the worst slump felt in many years--and far worse than analysts expected. The crisis is widespread and Asian countries, whose economic engines seemed indestructible, are now grinding to a halt.October 10, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Nanotechnology-Another Trendy Phrase
More than a thousand companies, universities and research organizations dedicate resources toward business applications or R&D activities for nanotechnologies.August 27, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: June PWB Production in Japan
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) recently released June's production data from Japan's printed circuit industry. We now have a six month snapshot for 2008 and can review market trends for this period and forecast performance for the remainder of the year.July 25, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: JPCA Show 2008, Part VI
As with previous years, the majority of attendees at the JPCA show were Korean and Taiwanese; however, one difference with this year's melting pot was the increase in North American and Western European visitors.July 21, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--JPCA Show 2008, Part V
Numakura spoke with one manager from a machine manufacturer who explained that small- and mid- sized assemblers, as well as prototype EMS companies from Japan, the U.S. and Europe, do not focus on high speeds, but, rather, a flexibility to manage many different products from a small line.July 14, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--JPCA Show, Part IV
Materials are always a significant detail to consider in the printed circuit industry, and most of the major material suppliers reserved relatively large booths at the JPCA exhibition. The material manufacturers displayed their new items; unfortunately, I could not find very innovative or novel products during the show.July 04, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--JPCA Show, Part III
The benchmark isn't set for the high-density fine line circuit segment from the Japanese printed circuit industry. The front runners featured their fine line capabilities during the exhibition in a very competitive fashion.June 26, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--JPCA Show, Part II
Embedded components seems to be a very "fashionable" trend, started last year, and most of the major rigid board companies and flexible circuit manufacturers paraded their latest achievements from their technological departments at the show.June 19, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--JPCA Show 2008, Part I
This year's show grabbed honors as the largest exhibition ever for the printed circuit industry, and the JPCA Show is arguably the greatest exhibition in terms of size and technology level.June 12, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--The iPhone Has Landed
Last week, Soft Bank, one of three wireless phone carriers in Japan, announced the launch of the first iPhone entry into the Japanese cellular phone market. Apple granted Soft Bank an exclusive contract as the sole provider of iPhones in Japan.June 04, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--First Quarter 2008 PWB Production in Japan
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trading and Industry (METI) recently released PWB production data for March. Total revenue in March was 81.12 billion yen; a 2.5% increase from February, but 1.5% lower than January's numbers--we are hopeful that this is simply a seasonal adjustment.May 27, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--KPCA Show 2008, Supplemental
In an earlier newsletter, I wrote about the turmoil at the executive level within the Samsung Group. Most expect restructuring within the company in the near future and, possibly, more dismissals as additional facts about a financial scandal come to light.May 19, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--KPCA Show 2008, Part II
The KPCA Show is a venue for companies to exhibit products and technologies relating to the PWB industry, electronics manufacturing and PCB design. Donminique K. Numakura was puzzled by the lack of substance from the Korean companies at the show.May 05, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--KPCA Show 2008, Part I
The KPCA Show 2008 and International Symposium were held at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul, Korea, April 23, 2008. The show has grown in size over the years, and now holds bragging rights as the largest exhibition for printed circuit boards in Korea.April 23, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--FineTech Japan 2008
The exhibition may not be very familiar to the American or European general public because its target audience is FPD manufacturers--not consumers. FPD manufacturers reserved many booths at the show, but occupied only one tenth of the floor space. The majority of the remaining space was gobbled up by equipment manufacturers and material suppliers related to FPD products.April 18, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan--How Long Will the Slump Continue?
The current economic slow down seems to be triggered by the declining real estate market and the sub-prime mortgage debacle in the U.S., and the general consensus now points toward a long economic slump.April 09, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - IPC EXPO/APEX 2008
A three day conference and exhibition for IPC Printed Circuits Expo, APEX and the Designers Summit 2008 began on April 1 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center in Las Vegas.April 03, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Printable Electronics: Trying To Popularize Trends
The printable electronics industry commonly develops new products that are trendsetting and almost guaranteed to generate demand.March 28, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - January PWB Production in Japan a Bit Shaky
The METI has released PWB production data from Japanese manufacturers for January 2008 and total shipments for January generated revenues of 82.3 billion yen, a 1.1% decline from the previous month and a 3.4% increase from the same month in 2007.March 24, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - US Dollar Continues Its Free Fall
If those companies negotiated contracts in US dollars six months ago, the price received is now only 80% of its value because of the 20% decline in the dollar. This is a serious problem for exporting manufacturers because their budgets are now 20% lower than expected.March 13, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Iceberg Dead Ahead - The Japanese Electronics Industry
Sanyo seemed to be making a case for its weaker than expected results, blaming it on unscrupulous ownership, and an incompetent management team; however, the bleeding is widespread throughout the Japanese electronic industry as more bad news was reported over the last few months.March 07, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - 2007 Printed Circuit Production in Japan
Total revenue posted for 2007 from the Japanese printed circuit industry was 999 billion yen (9.5 billion US dollars), representing a 3.8% increase from the previous year.February 27, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Toshiba Powers Off Its HD DVD Video Format
Reports from Japanese media outlets last week announcing Toshiba's withdrawal from the HD-DVD business came as no surprise since most major retailers decided to carry the Blu-Ray technology exclusively.February 25, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Tainted Chinese Imports
Media groups continue to report the on going problems concerning the poison foods imported from China over the last several weeks.February 18, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - INTERNEPCON 2008 (Part II)
Flexible circuit manufacturers still compete for fine-line capabilities and Taiyo Industrial, a prototype shop in Japan emerged as the champion. Taiyo featured a 15 micron pitch flexible circuit built using a semi-additive process.February 07, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - INTERNEPCON 2008 (Part I)
The New Year kicked off with a three day major global event for the printed circuit board and related industries at Tokyo Big Sight on January 16.January 28, 2008
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Flat Panel TV
The flat panel TV made its debut less than ten years ago, and has overwhelmingly won support from consumers.December 13, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - SEMICON JAPAN 2007
Although the number of semiconductor trade shows held in the U.S. and Europe are continuously declining, Semicon Japan has opposed this trend and continues to expand the scope of their event; SEMICON JAPAN 2007 registered over 1,500 exhibiting companies and organizations.December 05, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Productronica 2007 (Part III)
The target audience at Productronica is primarily printed circuit board manufacturers, and the majority of the exhibition was dedicated to materials and manufacturing equipment vendors and dealers who supply this segment.November 26, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Productronica 2007 (Part II)
Productronica 2007 showcased products from both circuit board manufacturers and assembly houses; however, representation from the assembly sector exceeded that of the PCB manufacturers.November 15, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan: Samsung Retreats
Samsung did not provide specifics about its redeployment away from the Japanese market. However, industrial media reports suggest that Japanese customers cannot forget the old image of Korean products, "Cheap but low quality."November 07, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - The Analogy Between Ichiro Suzuki and Toyota Motors
Toyota does not produce a flashy sports car, but does provide reliable sedans and trucks to a consumer market that demands quality.October 16, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - TPCA Show 2007 - Continued
There are now many reliable machine suppliers in Taiwan that can meet the needs for printed circuit manufacturing and the assembling processes.October 08, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - TPCA Show 2007
One unlucky bit of timing for the exhibition was the historically huge typhoon approaching the Taipei area during the week.October 01, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - After Motorola Shock
The slowdown at Motorola has sent ripples throughout the electronics industry, especially in Asia.September 18, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Japan PWB Production - First Half of 2007
Total revenue from PWB production for the first half was 494.9 billion yen (about 4.3 billion U.S. dollars), an 8.6% growth compared to the same time-frame of the previous year.September 11, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Toyota Will Be Number One in 2007
After decades of being king of the mountain, a claim held since 1931, General Motors' title as the number 1 automaker in the world will soon slip away, and Toyota Motors will be crowned the new king.September 05, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Teardown & Cost Analysis
In today's consumer electronic industry, teardown analysis for new products is very common. Many industrial media and market research companies purchase items with the sole purpose of tearing them apart to scrutinize their components and complexities.August 29, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Just In Time (JIT) Strategy Feels Earthquake Tremors
The shortage of power during the hottest summer in Japan is on everyone's mind.June 11, 2007
Final Finish Selection Criteria to Meet PWB Lead-Free Requirements
Final Finish Selection Criteria to Meet PWB Lead-Free RequirementsApril 02, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - PCB Production in January 2007
January's printed circuit board (PCB) production data was released by The Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry (METI) last week.March 26, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - The Ever Evolving Flat Panel Display Market
The flat panel display (FPD) segment is a major contributor relative to sales and profits for the electronics industry, and it should continue to flourish and maintain its favorable position as the portfolio leader for at least another decade.March 20, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Microsoft's New OS - VISTA - Bang or Bust
Nikkei Shinbun, one of Japan's leading newspapers, reviewed business trends for personal computers, paying particular attention to VISTA, the new operating system released by Microsoft several weeks ago.March 12, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Panasonic Cuts 5000 People
Consumer electronics giant Matsushita Electric Industry (Panasonic), announced a company wide restructuring effectively reducing manpower by 10% or 5000 workers in Japan over the next three months.March 05, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Baby Boomers Are All Grown Up
Normal retirement age from companies in Japan is 60 and baby boomers will begin to retire this year, while others are nearing the magic number. Japanese companies are taking notice.February 27, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Japanese PWB Production in 2006
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) released December's production data for Japanese printed circuit board manufacturers' last week.February 20, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - More Investment in FPD Manufacturers
Sangyo Times, a major Japanese industrial media group recently reported the investment plans for several large FPD (Flat Panel Display) manufacturers from Japan, Korea and Taiwan.February 12, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - INTERNEPCON 2007
The machines place more than ten tiny chip components per second and replace a taped component system that looks like a ballet belt of a machine gun.February 04, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - INTERNEPCON 2007
This is part three of my observations from the 36th InterNepcon held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 17th through January 19th.January 29, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - INTERNEPCON 2007 (Continued)
This is part two of my observations from the 36th InterNepcon held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 17th through January 19thJanuary 22, 2007
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - INTERNEPCON 2007
The 36th InterNepcon, Japan's largest exhibition for technology and equipment related to electronics manufacturing was held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 17th through January 19th.December 25, 2006
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Next Generation Semiconductors
There is a lot of prognosticating and discussion surrounding the next generation semiconductor material that will replace silicon in the electronics industry.December 04, 2006
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - Nano-technology
People believe that nano-technologies will generate some business opportunities in the future. What exactly are the Nano-Technologies?August 08, 2006
EPTE Newsletter from Japan - An Old Clock Radio (Plated Through Holes)
The GE engineers during the 1950s have provided their great design concept and reliability with the new technologies introduced for consumer productsJanuary 27, 2014
NEPCON Japan 2014
NEPCON Japan 2014 is Asia's largest electronics packaging trade show. The three-day event was held at Tokyo Big Sight, January 15-17. More than 1,800 companies and organizations squeezed into the venue and all aisles were packed with visitors from open to close all three days. Navigating through the show proved to be challenging--the unofficial visitor figures reached upwards of 60,000.February 10, 2014
Yen Discount Sale
Currency markets around the world are experiencing extreme fluctuations as governments try to stabilize economies. The Japanese economy is a prime example of this, but the government denies it is trying to keep the yen low compared to other currencies.March 14, 2014
New Champ of the PCB Industry
The global PCB industry continues to grow as business shifts from Western countries to Far Eastern countries. Japan was the leader in the industry for a number of years in terms of output value, but business continues to move to Taiwan--leaving the door wide open for a new company to grab the top spot.April 07, 2014
Slow Start for PCB Industry
Sales usually decline in January compared with December's business and this year followed that trend. January PCB revenue was down for most of the industry in almost every country when compared month to month.May 20, 2014
Anytime, Everywhere
Ten years ago it was difficult to find WiFi service in public areas throughout Japan. Nowadays, we can find WiFi signals in almost any public place, including airports, train stations, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and more. WiFi service is now even offered on airplanes!June 04, 2014
The Future of OLED TVs
Korean electronics giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics continue to explore the OLED TV business. They too have similar yield issues with the production process. If the companies can't find a way to lower costs, they should cut and run as fast as Sony and Panasonic did.June 19, 2014
JPCA Show 2014
Numakura writes, "Material suppliers were very active with new product introductions. One of the common keywords in many of their pitches was low-loss insulation for high-speed printed circuits. Multiple choices for both of rigid and flexible materials were available."July 04, 2014
Sony Divests VAIO PC Business
Dominique K. Numakura writes, "Sony is not a small venture firm and one successful product launch cannot rescue the company. Sony's management team needs a long-term business plan. It can only bleed for so long."July 17, 2014
Samsung: A Copy & Paste Company?
Why do mid-level managers at Samsung feel inferior to peers from Japan and the U.S.? Because most of the technologies they employ were imported (sometimes illegally). Korean companies will buy the minimum order for state-of-the-art equipment and conduct a detailed tear-down analysis. From this reverse R&D, they build their own equipment with minor modification--becoming a "copy and paste" company.August 04, 2014
When "Made in USA" Means Trouble
A "Made in China" label used to mean you were taking your chances with a product's quality, but what if the tables were turned? An American meat supplier in China is gaining a bad reputation for tampering with expiration dates and customers are scrambling for other, safer options.September 01, 2014
1H Performance of Global PCB Industry
June PCB shipments in Japan rebounded remarkably. Revenue came in at 40.67 billion yen, representing a 5.8% increase from the previous month, while volume reached 1.143 million square meters, representing a 4.8% increase from the previous month. Revenue and shipped volume posted a record month for 2014.September 29, 2014
Japanese Economy Shrinks by 30%
The yen's depreciation does not strengthen exporting power for the Japanese electronics industry. What's scarier is that more than one-third of the fortune made in Japan during the last half century (about US $5 trillion) was lost through currency depreciation. Japan has lost its buying power.October 07, 2014
Lights Out for Sony?
Last month, Sony announced a loss of more than $2 billion and canceled dividends for the current fiscal year. The CEO apologized for the poor performance and blamed the shortfall on the strategy to center core business on the smart phone segment--revenue never reached the estimated forecast.October 22, 2014
Japan Market Conditions Changing Drastically
Unfortunately, market conditions in Japan have changed drastically during the last few years. Large electronics companies lost market share, along with the prestige of being the market leaders in business and technology. Columnist Dominique Numakura explains that the CEATEC Japan show reflects this downturn as it continues to shrink year over year.November 05, 2014
Pessimism in the PC Market
Taiwanese manufacturers are forecasting a further slowdown for the PC market during the fourth quarter of 2014 and all of 2015. This time around they expect the tablet PC market will also slow. Does it mean the entire electronics industry will slow down for a while? Some believe that when the PC industry sneezes the rest of the electronics industry catches a cold.December 03, 2014
Yen Continues to Slide
Japanese manufacturers lost most of their global market share over the last few years due to poor business strategies. Products include flat panel TVs, cellular phones, personal computers, MP3s, tablet PCs, and more. Market share in the digital camera market remains on track, but this segment continues to shrink at an alarming rate. Some Japanese companies may throw in the towel. For them, a weak yen does not help their bottom line.December 23, 2014
SEMICON Japan 2014
Dominique Numakura writes, "With most major trade shows and events, crowds of people can be seen walking from the train and bus stations to the convention center, but there were no crowds at this event. I wondered whether I had the wrong place or the wrong date. I was expecting long lines of visitors registering for the show and was surprised to see no lines."November 10, 2014
Pessimism in the PC Market
Did you know that more than 90% of personal computers are manufactured by Taiwanese manufacturers in Taiwan? The total number of PCs manufactured totals more than three hundred million units per year (excluding tablets).
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