Traditionally employed in heavy industrial applications, robots are moving into other industries. In the medical field, they are used for surgery, therapy, diagnostics, and much more.   Robots for specialized medical applications such as surgery bring together robotics and biology, and we’re seeing an increase in the number of robots specifically designed and developed for thisRead More

For the new electric and hybrid vehicles, powertrain controls and connectors require the complete functionality of a conventional vehicle, plus the components required to drive the electric motor and charge the Lithium-ion battery pack.  Worldwide production of electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) reached two million units in 2014, nearly doubling since 2011 andRead More

Wireless demand impacts I/O connector demand in ways that are hard to count.   Wireless connectivity continues to grow rapidly. From a connector usage standpoint, wireless is a displacement technology; that is, devices that use wireless connection technologies do not necessarily also include a physical connector to perform the same function redundantly. So, if theRead More

The electronic content in light vehicles is increasing, just one reason why the automotive market maintains a steady pace. Bishop tracks 12 companies in the automotive market sector. This market has had slow, steady growth over the last four quarters, as measured by these 12 companies’ revenues. In 2013, these companies grew 0.3% year overRead More

We’ve reported often about robotics in the industrial arena over the last few years; now Bishop & Associates’s Arthur Visser looks at developments in industrial automation and robotics moving to the next level – service robots at home. “Where do I get the best robot deals?” In the not-so-distant future, you may ask yourself this question. SinceRead More

Economic growth is slowing down in Germany and the economy in France is contracting, highlighting the euro area’s struggle to sustain its recovery. Still, should manufacturers be optimistic about Europe? With the “political earthquake” caused by the European elections in May and the difficult task of choosing the new leader of the European Commission in mind, it is easyRead More

The semiconductor market maintains its momentum so far in 2014, which is good news given how closely trends in the connector market follow trends in the semiconductor market. Global semiconductor market performance in early 2014 has continued where 2013 left off  – with positive sales growth. As the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported at the beginning ofRead More

Semiconductors drive the electronics industry, and the connection between semiconductors and connectors spans more than three decades. The semiconductor industry has grown from roughly $10B in 1980 to $300B in 2013. Along the way it transitioned from analog to digital, ECL and Bipolar to CMOS, and has featured sizes from 100s of nm to as lowRead More

How big is the connector industry? Ron Bishop explains the facts and figures of calculating total available market, but you must first put a fence around the connector industry. How big is the connector industry? There are many answers to that question depending on the criteria you are measuring: Region of the world Country MarketRead More

The semiconductor market surges as booming sales of cars, smartphones, and tablets drive sales to new highs. Bishop tracks 13 companies in the semiconductor market sector. Growth in the semiconductor market, as measured by these 13 companies, was strong in 2013. For the full year, the market grew 5.7% over 2012. Trends in the globalRead More

Will consumer market sales pickup again in 2014 and 2015? Bishop tracks 11 companies in the consumer market sector. For the full year 2012, these companies’ combined consumer market sales grew 4.5% year over year and had collective revenues of $475.9 billion. Growth in the consumer market, as measured by Bishop, has been tepid inRead More

Rise of the Industrial Robots When Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Chairman Terry Gou announced in 2011 that Foxconn, its wholly owned subsidiary, would install one million robots over the next three years in its factories to replace workers and do “simple” work, he probably did not actually intend to install that many industrial robotsRead More