Market Report: Moderate slowdown following fall busy season
Friday, 13 October 2006
In spite of inflation fears and higher interest rates world GDP growth remained strong in the second quarter. There are signs of slowing – but nothing major yet.
Based upon a composite of 61 large, global OEMs, 2Q’06 electronic equipment revenues increased 8% vs. the same quarter in 2005. The largest end markets (personal computers and mobile phones) continued to grow but at a slower pace. Developing nations drove 2Q’06 cell phone increases. However as OEM sales continued to grow, inventories increased to worrisome levels for component distributors, semiconductor makers and EMS companies. OEMs have clearly shifted the inventory burden to their suppliers).
This column originally appeared in Global SMT & Packaging magazine 6.9 - October 2006.
Package on package assembly features paste-only assembly or a combination of solder paste at board level and dip flux on the top row of ball terminations.
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Fortunately even the most conservative most prognosticators now see at least a subdued “recovery” in 2010. 
