Reinventing European PCB Production

摘要

The European Institute of Printed Circuits (EIPC) is holding a conference and exhibition this month in Koeln, Germany. Billed as a celebration of "Electronics Made in Europe," some people fear that lackluster European circuit board production numbers could put a damper on the party. Let's face it. The news out of Europe in 2004 has not been particularly pleasant. High-profile plant closures, like the demise of STP, have quashed hopes for a strong European fabrication recovery this year. Adding insult to injury, Europe has watched its largest players succeed in China while threatening to downsize European operations. AT&S and Aspocomp both are prime examples of this high-volume exodus. Those who continue to produce volume PCBs in Western Europe are in survival mode. Fuba and Ruwel's "partnership" is clearly a sign of the times-the European manufacturing climate demands such strange bedfellows.