Universal's Research Investment Tops $10 Million

(February 25, 2005) BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Universal Instruments' SMT Laboratory has committed over $10 million in research grants and stipends, as well as mentoring research projects and providing access to equipment and facilities.

Indium Completes ISO Audit

(February 24, 2005) CLINTON, N.Y. — Indium Corporation of America has completed their third surveillance audit since transitioning to ISO9001:2000. The process involved over 20 individuals at both the Utica and Clinton, N.Y. manufacturing facilities, and resulted in no minor or major findings.

Global E-waste Market to Cross $11 Billion by 2009

DEK Licenses Stencil Technology to Cookson

(February 23, 2005) FLEMINGTON, N.J. — DEK has licensed its VectorGuard stencil technology to Cookson Electronics, allowing Cookson to supply VectorGuard stencils globally under the Tetra-VG name. The agreement will enhance the availability of VectorGuard stencils for new and existing surface mount assemblers on a global basis, enabling VectorGuard to develop as an industry standard.

Kyzen Names New Southcentral Regional Manager

(February 23, 2005) NASHVILLE — Kyzen Corp. announces that Ron Wrable has recently joined Kyzen as Southcentral regional manager. He will be responsible for customer support and market development for all Kyzen products and services throughout Southcentral North America.

Pulse Announces RoHS Compliance Initiatives

(February 22, 2005) SAN DIEGO — Pulse announces its plan for compliance with the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. Pulse has started implementing the requirements of the legislation in the products it develops and manufactures. New products are being designed to be RoHS-compliant, and existing products are being evaluated and upgraded to be compliant with both the material and production process requirements of RoHS.

Nitrogen Nozzles Deliver Lead-free Soldering Solution

(February 22, 2005) FRANKLIN, Mass. — Speedline Technologies has introduced its new UltraFill lead-free nozzles, which are designed to enable electronic manufacturers to overcome a variety of process challenges inherent in lead-free wave soldering.

Universal Steps Up Investment in China

(February 22, 2005) BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Universal Instruments has strengthened its research and development in China to provide support for its customers in the region by opening its expanded Suzhou Technology Excellence Center (TEC).

Indium Announces New Distributor in Denmark

(February 18, 2005) CLINTON, N.Y. — Indium Corporation of America has announced that PC Trading has become its newest distributor in Europe, covering Denmark. PC Trading, founded in 1986, will be responsible for selling Indium's line of solder pastes, wave solder fluxes, solder wire and solder preforms.

Solectron Expands Facility, Appoints Two Executives

(February 17, 2005) MILPITAS, Calif. — Solectron Corp. announces that the company has expanded its enclosures and sheet-metal facility in Milpitas, Calif. This expansion is part of the company's strategy to offer systems-integration solutions and commit to interacting and collaborating with customers in the most critical development stages, improving their time-to-market capabilities.

Placement Machine Handles Multiple Components

(February 17, 2005) STOCKHOLM, Sweden — MYDATA's MY-Series Extended placement machine is available in four machine sizes. A new, high-speed Hydra Extended Range (ER) mount head, which is equipped with an extended range of tools, can place components down to 0201 and up to 15 x 15 mm.

SMTA Mini-conference to Focus on RoHS Compliance

(February 17, 2005) MINNEAPOLIS — The SMTA announces a new mini-conference, entitled, "Complying with RoHS: Real-World Examples of What Companies Are Doing Today." This one-day program will be held April 5, 2005, in San Jose, Calif., and May 4, 2005, in Boston, Mass., in conjunction with SMTA Boston/NEPCON East/Electro.

Universal Receives Award for Customer Service

(February 16, 2005) PALO ALTO, Calif. — Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis program, "Growth Opportunities in the SMT Placement Equipment Markets," selected Universal Instruments as the recipient of the 2004 Award for Customer Service Leadership. Universal received this award for its proactive service partnership approach that meets both the stated and unstated requirements of its customers globally.

YESTech Opens China Office

(February 16, 2005) SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — YESTech announces the opening of its Shanghai, China office. The new office will provide sales and technical support to YESTech's growing China customer base.

Aegis to Unveil New Test Software at APEX

(February 16, 2005) PHILADELPHIA — Aegis Industrial Software will introduce the latest addition to their NPI software suite at APEX/Printed Circuits Expo/Designers Summit, to be held February 22-24, in Anaheim, Calif., at booth #659. TestXcell, Aegis' comprehensive circuit-assembly test solution, provides ATE programming, DFT analysis, fixture design output and schematic viewing.

Indium Hires New Market Development Specialist in Europe

(February 15, 2005) CLINTON, N.Y. — Indium Corp. of America announces that Alan Fairbairn has been hired as a market development specialist for fabricated product at Indium Corp. of Europe. He will be responsible for the sales of fabricated solder products throughout the European continent. His duties include direct sales and the identification of key market growth drivers, as well as training and education.

New Barrier Strips Have Safety Cover

(February 15, 2005) HARRISBURG, Pa. — Tyco Electronics' BUCHANAN .325" centerline tri-barrier strips come equipped with a safety cover. Designed for PCB power I/O applications, including industrial controls, power supplies, HVAC, test equipment and telecom, the clear-plastic safety cover allows the terminal contact screw to be loosened and tightened through an access hole. The cover also is hinged to the barrier-strip base, providing access to the wire entry of the contact clamp.

iNEMI to Reveal Roadmap at APEX

(February 14, 2005) HERNDON, Va. — iNEMI will premiere findings of its 2004 roadmap at the APEX/IPC Printed Circuits Expo/Designers Summit, to be held February 22-24, in Anaheim, Calif. Several gap analysis meetings also are planned at that time to discuss roadmap findings and prioritize industry needs in the areas of system-in-package (SiP), board assembly and substrates, environmentally friendly electronics and product lifecycle information management.

Kester to Host Lead-free RoHS Assembly Clinic at APEX

(February 14, 2005) DES PLAINES, Ill. — Kester announces that it will hold its lead-free RoHS assembly clinic throughout APEX/IPC Printed Circuits Expo/Designers Summit, to be held February 22-24, in Anaheim, Calif., with the goal of assisting industry companies to transition reliably to lead-free and RoHS compliancy.

DEK Updates Online Maintenance Features

(February 11, 2005) FLEMINGTON, N.J. — DEK has enhanced the machine maintenance and monitoring features of Interactiv, its Internet-based support, to allow remedial actions to be planned during scheduled maintenance visits, maximizing uptime and productivity. Machine owners can now call up the service history of each machine in the enterprise by accessing the DEK Merlin database, as well as using ProEngineer remotely, to identify and check availability of spare parts and upgrades.

SMTA Announces Hutchins Grant Application Deadline

(February 11, 2005) MINNEAPOLIS — The SMTA Hutchins Educational Grant was established in memory of past SMTA president and industry colleague Dr. Charles Hutchins. The $5000 grant is awarded annually to a graduate-level student pursuing a degree and working on thesis research in electronic assembly, electronics packaging or a related field.

SMD Socket Adapter for MLF ICs Available

(February 11, 2005) EAGAN, Minn. — LS-MLF32A-01 SMD socket adapter from Ironwood Electronics allows the user to socket an MLF chip, having only the SMT pads on the target PCB without any additional space.

KIC Appoints New National U.S. Sales Manager

(February 10, 2005) SAN DIEGO — KIC announces that it has hired Gregory Fall to be the new National Sales Manager for the United States. In his new role, he will be responsible for the thermal-management and process-control portion of the electronics assembly and packaging processes.

Lead-free Workshop to Provide Hands-on Training

(February 9, 2005) SAN DIEGO — KIC will co-sponsor a lead-free workshop, to be held March 16-17, at the Engent facility in Norcross, Ga. The workshop also involves experts from Engent, Henkel Technologies, Siemens Dematic, Cogiscan and Speedline Technologies.

Profile Rail Guides Promote Accurate Linear Positioning

(February 9, 2005) BETHLEHEM, Pa. — In addition to precise linear positioning, these profile rail guides provide smooth operation, high load-carrying capacity, high stiffness, and unlimited stroke for a variety of linear motion applications, and are now available from SKF Motion Technologies.

FEINFOCUS Opens New Office in China

(February 7, 2005) STAMFORD, Conn. — FEINFOCUS announces the opening of FEINFOCUS Asia/Pacific, a new office in Shanghai, China. The office, located in the Zhangjiang Semiconductor Industry Park in Pudong, Shanghai, provides sales and technical support to the growing FEINFOCUS customer base in the Asian market.

SMT Box Receptacles Offer Dual-end Entry

(February 7, 2005) MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — Zierick Manufacturing Corp. has expanded its receptacle line to include the 1263 and 1265 SMT box receptacles. The 1263 receptacle is a horizontal terminal, whereas the 1265 is a vertical terminal. Both offer a small footprint, high current rating, high locational tolerance, low insertion force and a connection by way of a high-pressure contact area.

CeTaQ Americas, Universal Join to Demonstrate at APEX

(February 7, 2005) HUDSON, N.H. — CeTaQ Americas will test and verify the accuracy of Universal Instrument's GSMxs high-accuracy placement machine, to be displayed in CeTaQ's booth (#257) at APEX, Printed Circuits Expo, and the Designers Summit, February 22-24 in Anaheim, Calif., using CeTaQ's CmController system.

Integrated Process Assembly Cell Increases Productivity

(February 4, 2005) ELGIN, Ill. — The Integrated Process Assembly Cell (IPAC) from Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America combines high-volume manufacturing and microelectronics into one cell. Primarily comprised of die attach/flip chip, chip shooter, odd form and dispenser modules, IPAC is designed to build smaller packages and circuits, such as SiPs, with mixed technology and high density.

NVision Appoints New Director of Business Development

(February 3, 2005) SOUTHLAKE, Texas — NVision, supplier of laser scanners used for reverse engineering and quality control, has appointed Giles Gaskell as director of business development. Gaskell will be responsible for expanding the company's business beyond its traditional base in the automotive, aerospace and industrial design sectors to new industries such as oil and gas, electric power generation, gas turbines, industrial machinery, and others.

Retrofit Kit Scans in Real Time

(February 3, 2005) BROMONT, QUEBEC, Canada — RFID Smart feeder system from Cogiscan Inc. can be retrofitted to existing placement machines. The system enables closed-loop feeder and component setup validation, eliminates human errors and reduces changeover time, provides real-time material inventory and traceability, and proactively scans all feeder slots in real time.

Dispense Valve Ideal for Air-dry or Cure Materials

(February 2, 2005) PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Model 2600-035 Tip-Seal high-volume dispense valve from Sealant Equipment & Engineering Inc. is designed for precision dispensing of medium- to high-viscosity adhesive and sealant materials. The valve opens and closes the material passage at the tip of the nozzle to start and stop material flow. Combined with positive-displacement meters, the valve delivers precise shot volumes and exact bead profiles.

IPC Releases Book-to-Bill Ratio for December 2004

(February 2, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries announces the findings from its monthly PCB Statistical Program. The North American PCB Industry Book-to-Bill Ratio for December 2004 bounced back up to 1.04 after a one-month dip below parity (1.00). Separately, the book-to-bill ratios in December 2004 were 0.93 for rigid PCBs and 1.41 for flexible circuits.

GSI Lumonics Receives Award from Samsung Electronics

(February 1, 2005) WILMINGTON, Mass. — GSI Lumonics Inc. has been recognized by Samsung Electronics as one of its top 20 worldwide equipment suppliers. This award was presented at Samsung's recent 2004 supplier appreciation day. The award was presented by Chang-Gyu Hwang, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Semiconductor Business at Samsung.

SMTA Announces Certification Program Dates and Locations

(February 1, 2005) MINNEAPOLIS — The SMTA has announced the dates and locations for its Certification program. Each program, one for SMT Processes and one for Six Sigma Green Belt, is a three-day workshop consisting of refresher topics and both open and closed book examinations.

Laser Marking System Meets Demands for PCB Marking

(February 1, 2005) HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Nortek Automation's SOL850 laser marking system lases a compact, machine-readable code directly on the circuit board, eliminating the recurring consumables cost of labels and ink solutions.

PCB Handling System Programs Multiple Functions

(January 31, 2005) KENOSHA, Wis. — PRO-MATION's EMB-700 is designed to create an in-line PCB handling solution that offers high production flexibility. Its one-touch button system allows programming of line loading and unloading, magazine rack buffer (LIFO or FIFO modes) or pass-through conveyor capabilities.

IPC to Release New Quarterly Report this Spring

(January 28, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries announces the launch of a new quarterly business data report, the IPC Supply Chain Tracker, due out this spring. The inaugural edition of the report will be published in May, and will make its official debut at the Technology Market Research Council (TMRC) spring conference in Baltimore, Md.

Machine Simultaneously Picks up to Five Components

(January 28, 2005) IRVINE, Calif. — With up to 324 single feeders and the ability to change feeders on the fly without interrupting production, Advantage 3 from MIMOT North America reduces or eliminates production-crippling changeover times.

Kester to Hold Lead-free Seminar in March

(January 27, 2005) DES PLAINES, Ill. — Kester announces that it will hold seminars throughout 2005, titled, "Project 2005: Achieving Lead-free RoHS Assembly." The fourth seminar in the series will be held March 15, in Rosemont, Ill., and the fifth seminar will be held March 17, in Bloomington, Minn.

Panasonic Factory Automation Announces Name Change

(January 27, 2005) ELGIN, Ill. — As of January 1, 2005, Panasonic Factory Automation has been renamed Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America (PFSA). This change unifies the company's capital equipment business globally under the Panasonic name, while reinforcing the greater consultancy role that PFSA has taken on for its customers. In coming months, similar name changes will be rolled out to other Panasonic operations in Europe, Asia and China.

Filters for Switching Cabinets Available

(January 27, 2005) ISELIN, N.J. — R105 EMC filters from EPCOS Inc. are rated to UL1283, CSA 22.2 No. 8 1986 (cUL) and EN 133200 standards. Optimized for operation with long motor leads and under full load, these power line filters can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as machine tools and conveyor systems.

SMTA Announces Call for Papers for IWLPC 2005

(January 26, 2005) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The SMTA announces plans for the Second Annual International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress and Exhibition (IWLPC), to be held November 3-4, 2005, in San Jose, Calif. The IWLPC will track IC packaging and test technologies, with special emphasis on 3-D stacked packaging. The dual-track program will address package design concerns, package assembly, fabrication technologies, board design for chip scale packages and test/reliability.

Digitaltest to Focus on Strategic Manufacturing at Nepcon Shanghai

(January 26, 2005) STUTENSEE, Germany — Digitaltest GmbH will present a clear vision to electronics manufacturers for maximizing return on test investment at the Nepcon Shanghai show, to be held April 12-15, 2005.

Solectron CEO to Emphasize Benefits of Outsourcing at Forum

(January 25, 2005) MILPITAS, Calif. — Solectron Corp. president and CEO, Mike Cannon, will address manufacturing industry business leaders gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, about the positives of outsourcing, focusing on the point that achieving the maximum benefits requires a long-term view and real collaboration by both partners.

Agilent Ships Real-time Oscilloscope and Probing System

(January 25, 2005) PALO ALTO, Calif. — Agilent Technologies announces that it has begun customer shipments of their real-time oscilloscope and high-bandwidth active probing system. The Agilent Infiniium 80000 series 10-, 12- and 13-GHz oscilloscopes offer more than 8-GHz bandwidth, a 40-GSa/s sample rate and full bandwidth performance to the high-impedance probe tip.

Flex Feeder Handles Wider, Longer and Deeper Pockets

(January 25, 2005) STOCKHOLM, Sweden — MYDATA automation AB's new 32-136 adjustable Flex feeder handles component tapes up to 136-mm wide, and can also be used to handle deep and long tape pockets.

SMTA and Auburn University Announce Electronics Workshop Call for Participation

(January 25, 2005) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The SMTA and Auburn University CAVE are organizing the Third Annual Harsh Environment Electronics Workshop, to be held June 28-29, 2005, in Indianapolis, Ind. Industry professionals are invited to submit an abstract to participate in this program.

Experts to Explore Lead-free Challenges in Free Webinar

(January 25, 2005) FRANKLIN, Mass. — SMT manufacturing experts will explore lead-free SMT manufacturing process challenges in a free, live Webinar set for Thursday, February 17, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. (EST).

Compliant Interconnects Meet SAE/USCAR Requirements

(January 24, 2005) SAN DIEGO, Calif. — AutoPliant 0.64- and 0.81-mm thick compliant interconnects are developed specifically for high-amperage requirements, such as automotive applications. The rugged environment in automotive designs place stringent demands on solder-less type interconnections to consistently maintain optimal retention force, and high current-carrying capacity.

IPC Holds First Standards Meeting in Dongguan

(January 24, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — More than 15 companies gathered for the first IPC standards meeting in China sponsored by IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries. The meeting, held in conjunction with the IPC and Hong Kong Printed Circuit Association (HKPCA) trade show, took place on December 10, 2004 in Dongguan.

NPL Conference Concentrates on Lead-free Solder Reliability

(January 21, 2005) TEDDINGTON, MIDDLESEX, U.K. — At their Winter Conference, NPL's Soldering Science & Technology Club included an update on RoHS from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), plus invited presentations on the latest research from the Swedish Institute of Metals Research, Loughborough and Greenwich University. In addition, the most recent research from DTI-funded projects at NPL was presented.

ESD Association Appoints New Senior VP

(January 21, 2005) ROME, N.Y. — During the December board meetings, the ESD Association Board of Directors elected Kay Adams as the senior VP for 2005.

Speedline Expands Distribution Network in Asia

(January 21, 2005) FRANKLIN, Mass. — Speedline Technologies has announced a business partnership agreement with Schmidt & Co. (H.K.) Ltd. that will expand Speedline's growing business network in Asia.

Twin PTC Thermistors Reduce Assembly Time

(January 20, 2005) MALVERN, Pa. — 2322 673 xxxxx twin vertical SMD PTC devices from Vishay Intertechnology Inc. are constructed from a ceramic disc and reflow-soldered to a lead frame, resulting in a flat pick-up area of 30 mm² to facilitate automated assembly.

China Eyes European Environmental Directives

(January 20, 2005) COLLEGE PARK, Md. — China's government authorities are increasingly looking to not just Europe's electronics takeback directives, WEEE and RoHS, but are also eyeing a total of six other environmental directives, according to Richard Ferris. Ferris is a China legal expert and partner at the international law firm of Holland & Knight LLP, and will speak at a Raymond Communications China teleconference on February 7.

IHS and GlobalSpec Form Alliance

New Low-VOC Flux Technology Ideal for Lead-free

(January 19, 2005) LONDONDERRY, N.H. — 94QMB9 low-VOC soldering flux from Cobar Solder Products is suited for lead-free soldering in wave and selective soldering systems. It evaporates more readily than VOC-free formulations, reducing preheating time and the potential for oxidation and splatter.

Indium Announces Silver Quill Award Winners

(January 19, 2005) CLINTON, N.Y. — Indium Corporation of America's Silver Quill Award was developed to encourage and incentivize individuals for authoring technical reports, presentations, articles and books. Eligible individuals are awarded points throughout the year based on the number and quality of their written material or presentations, and the importance of the venue (regional vs. international).

BEST and its Partners Launch Suite of Lead-free Training Courses

(January 19, 2005) ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — Business Electronic Soldering Technologies (BEST) Inc., Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials and Automated Learning Corp. (ALC) announce the launch of their suite of lead-free assembly training courses. This suite of technical training courses, available on CD-ROM, via the Internet or installed on large customer intranets, is part of Automated Learning's Learntech series.

New TVS Diodes Offer Voltage and Energy Protection

(January 18, 2005) DES PLAINES, Ill. — Littelfuse Inc. has announced the expansion of its TVS Diode product lines to include the new 400- and 1500-W products. The 400-W parts are available in both the P4KE series axial leaded package (DO-41), and the SMA series surface-mount package (DO-214AC). The SMC series 1500-W surface-mount package (DO-214AB) is also available.

Teradyne Makes Technology Investments in PCB Capabilities

(January 18, 2005) NASHUA, N.H. — Teradyne Inc.'s Connection Systems Division announces the formation of a focused PCB Technology Team that will develop and introduce new products and processes to meet PCB technology requirements for the future. The team is comprised of veteran PCB engineers who will be committed full-time to the project.

IPC Expo/APEX/Designers Summit Exhibit Space 99% Sold

(January 17, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — With more than 465 exhibitors signed on to participate in the 2005 IPC Printed Circuits Expo/APEX/Designers Summit exhibition and conference, only 1,200 sq. ft. of a total of 158,500 sq. ft. of booth space is currently available. In addition, more than 50 new exhibitors have signed on, eager to take their places amongst the other exhibitors and more than 10,000 visitors expected to attend.

DEK Names New Product Manager for European Distributed Products

(January 17, 2005) FLEMINGTON, N.J. — DEK has appointed Guler Basol as the new product manager for its European Distributed Products (Consumables) division, based in Germany. Basol brings substantial sales and product management experience to the role, gained within the automotive industry.

MLCC Capacitors Offer a Smaller Alternative to SMDs

(January 17, 2005) SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — TAIYO YUDEN (U.S.A.) Inc.'s ultra-small EIA 0402 case size (1.0 x 0.5 x 0.5 mm) has been added to its CFCAP line of low-distortion surface-mount multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC).

Laser Structuring System for PCB Prototyping Available

(January 14, 2005) WILSONVILLE, Ore. — LPKF Laser & Electronics announces the new ProtoLaser 100, a high-performance laser structuring system for PCB prototyping. It is ideal for producing high-quality RF and microwave boards on a variety of materials, from FR4 to PTFE-based substrates, as well as for structuring, cutting and drilling.

Integrated Dual Inductor Introduced

(January 13, 2005) SAN DIEGO, Calif. — PA0766NLT Power Bead inductor from Pulse contains two independent inductors integrated into a single core structure, with no magnetic coupling between the two inductors. Although typically used for double-data-rate (DDR) memory, multi-phase CPU power and other desktop, portable and server computing applications, it can also be used in two- and four-phase telecom power systems.

UV-cure Encapsulants for Smart Card ICs Released

(January 13, 2005) CITY of INDUSTRY, Calif. — Hysol 3323, Hysol 3327 and Hysol 3329 UV-cure encapsulants for use in Smart Card IC module manufacturing are now available from Henkel Technologies. Hysol 3323 has high viscosity and a thixotropic nature, and is used to form the dam, while Hysol 3327 and 3329 are both low-viscosity materials used for the fill process.

Adapter Provides Pin-for-Pin Replacement for Aromat Relay

(January 12, 2005) FRENCHTOWN, N.J. — Aries Electronics has introduced the Correct-A-Chip 08-305984-11 adapter, which features the old Aromat footprint on the bottom of the adapter and a new TX2SA-1V solid-state relay on the top. The new relay has the same operating characteristics and specifications as the Aromat part.

Assembleon Installs Placement Machine at Auburn University

(January 12, 2005) AUBURN, Ala. — The Laboratory for Electronics Assembly and Packaging (LEAP) at Auburn University has announced the installation of an Assembleon ACM Micro into its advanced SMT and flip chip line. The ACM provides fine-pitch and high placement accuracy capability for 01005 chip components, advanced flip chip devices and 3-D modules.

Surface-mount DIP Switch Ideal for Various Applications

(January 12, 2005) MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — KJ Series surface-mount DIP switch offers from two to 12 positions with gull-wing termination, and is now available from CIT Relay & Switch. The switch also offers an optional top tape seal, and a choice between an extended or a recessed actuator.

Event Announced to Tackle Cost of Doing Business in California

(January 12, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — The IPC California Circuits Association (CCA) is inviting all members of the electronics supply chain to take an active role in improving business conditions in California. The third annual Sacramento Day will take place February 1-2, 2005, at the California Chamber of Commerce offices in Sacramento, Calif., giving companies a chance to speak with members of the California Legislature regarding their concerns and needs for the future.

Two Lead-free Courses to be Presented at APEX

(January 11, 2005) CLINTON, N.Y. — Indium Corporation's VP of Technology, Ning-Cheng Lee, Ph.D and Senior Technologist, Ronald C. Lasky, Ph.D., PE, will both be presenting courses on lead-free electronic assembly at APEX in Anaheim, Calif. in February.

SMTA International Announces Call for Papers

(January 11, 2005) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — SMTA International, to be held September 25-29, 2005 at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., announces the Call for Papers. The SMTA International Technical Committee is now accepting abstract submissions, and short course descriptions are also being solicited.

New Laser Scanner Enhanced by Portability

(January 11, 2005) SOUTHLAKE, Texas — ModelMaker Z series laser scanner from NVision Inc. can be battery-powered for up to two hours of remote operation, and can also be controlled by a laptop computer for a fully portable system.

TFI Appoints Director of Client Services

(January 10, 2005) ALAMEDA, Calif. — In response to the growth of its Quarterly Forum for Electronics Manufacturing Outsourcing and Supply Chain, a member-directed community for outsourced electronics manufacturing information, networking and best practices, Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) announces the addition of Jennifer Read to its management team.

Process Controller Accommodates Many Sensor Types

(January 10, 2005) SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — wMPC Series controllers from Kaif Digital offer up to seven zone controllers in a single wall-mount package. The controllers accommodate a universal range of temperature and process inputs. Input type is individually configurable for each zone from the keypad, so a single unit can accommodate multiple sensor types (temperature, pressure, velocity, flow, volume, etc.) at the same time.

New Tester Shortens Time-to-test

(January 10, 2005) ST.-BLANKENLOCH, Germany — MTS888 Omega high-pin-count, high-performance tester from Digitaltest GmbH provides up to 7040 analog test pins or up to 3456 hybrid test pins. By providing a non-multiplexed (1:1) pin structure with a logic family definition for each pin, the MTS888 eliminates the need to generate a test program prior to fixture design.

EMC3 Group to Rep Florida, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica

(January 10, 2005) KISSIMMEE, Fla. — DiagnoSYS Systems has named The EMC3 Group, Clermont, Fla., as its sales representatives for the company's complete product line in Florida, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica.

Servo-driven Dispense System Eliminates Reload Cycle

(January 7, 2005) PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Servo-Flo 704 servomotor-driven, continuous-flow, meter, mix and dispense system is designed for high-precision, automated and manual dispensing of two-component adhesive and sealant materials, and is now available from Sealant Equipment & Engineering Inc.

IPC's GR Steering Committee Adds Two Industry Executives

(January 7, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries announces that two industry executives have been added to the Government Relations (GR) Steering Committee.

Current-sense Inductors Have Encapsulated Through-hole Design

(January 7, 2005) BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Coiltronics current-sense inductors from Cooper Electronic Technologies, a business unit of Cooper Bussmann, feature an encapsulated through-hole design with isolation between primary and secondary of 3,750 V. In addition, they are made of UL Class B-rated materials.

NEMA to Lead Trade Mission to India

(January 6, 2005) ROSSLYN, Va. — The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) will conduct a business mission to India, February 9-11, 2005. With a growing economy, leadership in technology and services and investments in infrastructure, India is quickly standing out as a potential investment destination and high-growth market.

New Acoustic Capabilities Aid Flip Chips

In the past, flip chips have achieved higher I/O counts repeatedly to take advantage of their compact design.

Solder Paste vs. Flux-only Attachment for BGA Rework

Proper rework procedures, which should mimic the original manufacturing process to ensure the reliability of the reworked device, have taken a backseat to expediency.

Kester Receives Patent for Encapsulant Technology

(January 5, 2005) DES PLAINES, Ill. — Kester announces that on November 16, 2004, it was awarded with a patent for its Reflow Encapsulant technology, including material and method of use.

DEK and Kester to Present Latest Findings on Lead-free

(January 5, 2005) FLEMINGTON, N.J. — DEK and Kester have teamed up to present a full-day lead-free seminar in Costa Rica on January 19, 2005. Throughout the event, several lead-free manufacturing issues will be discussed, including the latest lead-free alloys, lead-free wave soldering, the reliability of lead-free and the global impact of lead-free compliance.

Visualization Component Added to PCB Repair Software

(January 5, 2005) NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Router Solutions Inc. (RSI) will integrate CAMCAD OCX as a visualization component in EO Tech's ProgressIt software for PCB repair applications. When embedded into the EO Tech application program, the OCX module provides visualization of intelligent PCB data using Application Programming Interface (API) calls to display information.

Design Software Saves Design Time

(January 5, 2005) BUCHANAN, Mich. — FMSsoft design software version 7.0 from Bosch Rexroth Corp. works with existing installations of AutoCAD 2000 and later versions, letting customers design factory structures and equipment in 3-D using current aluminum framing, ergonomic workstation or conveyor products from Bosch Rexroth.

Maximizing Lead-free Wetting

This article examines the findings of several studies using quantitative wetting gauges to measure solder-paste wetting to PCB surfaces.

Lead-free Seminar Coming Soon

(January 4, 2005) CLINTON, N.Y. — Indium Corporation of America will sponsor another lead-free seminar in their lead-free QuickStart series. Right around the corner, the seminar is scheduled for February 9-10, 2005, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

High-resolution Vision Sensor Available

(January 4, 2005) ORLANDO, Fla. and NATICK, Mass. — In-Sight 5100C high-resolution (1024 x 768) vision sensor from Cognex performs a wide range of color inspection tasks, such as use in the automotive industry to identify motor camshafts by color, and in the electronics industry to verify the correct position of color LEDs at electrical test stations.

NEMI Becomes "iNEMI"

(January 4, 2005) HERNDON, Va. — The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI), an industry-led consortium focused on strengthening the global electronics manufacturing supply chain, announces that it has changed its name to iNEMI — the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative.

Mixed Technologies Converge - Changing the Assembly Scene

Commercial markets for pervasive high-tech products dominate the electronics scene and are forcing assemblers to respond to the miniaturization and convergence of diverse technologies.

IPC Releases Book-to-Bill Ratio and Business Report for November 2004

(January 3, 2005) BANNOCKBURN, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries has announced the findings from its monthly PCB Statistical Program. The North American PCB Industry Book-to-Bill Ratio for November 2004 dropped to 0.96. This is the first month that the ratio has fallen below parity (1.00) since April 2003.

Agilent Ships One Millionth FBAR Filter

(January 3, 2005) PALO ALTO, Calif. — Agilent Technologies announces that it has shipped its 100 millionth FBAR (film bulk acoustic resonator) filter since its release in December 2001. Demand has been so strong that Agilent has increased its shipments to six million per month. FBAR filters are used in mobile phones, data cards and other wireless products operating in the U.S. PCS frequency band.

Short-form Catalog and Cross-reference Released

(January 3, 2005) RALEIGH, N.C. — Stackpole Electronics Inc. has introduced its new Short Form Product Selector and Cross Reference, featuring the company's complete line of resistive and varistor products.

Universal is Named a "Most Influential Enterprise" in China

(December 30, 2004) BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — To celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, China's flagship information technology publication, China Electronic News, jointly organized an awards event to identify "The Most Influential Enterprises in China's Information Technology in 20 Years." On December 15th, 2004, Universal Instruments was named one of the top 40 businesses at a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Information Industry - People's Republic of China.

SMT China Applies for BPA Worldwide Business Publication Membership

(December 16, 2004) SHELTON, Conn. — SMT China has applied for membership in BPA Worldwide. SMT China is published by SMT Publishing China (Beijing, China). BPA Worldwide will track circulation for SMT China, based on business/distribution, demographics and geographic coverage. The magazines will have 12 months to complete their initial circulation audit.

Microtek Standardizes on BP Microsystems Programming Equipment

(December 16, 2004) Houston, Texas — BP Microsystems, announces that Microtek Inc., a programming center in Japan, has chosen its programming equipment for a new programming services facility in Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.

InterLatin to Provide Local Service and Support for Vitronics Soltec in Mexico

(December 15, 2004) Stratham, N.H. — Vitronics Soltec announces a partnership agreement with InterLatin, a manufacturer's representative and service organization to the electronics manufacturing industry in Mexico. As of January 1, 2005, InterLatin will offer local service and support for all Vitronics Soltec soldering systems installed in Mexico. Vitronics Soltec and InterLatin have been working together successfully for two years.

Seven Industry Members Assume IPC Steering Committee Roles

(December 15, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries — announces that new steering committee members have been appointed to the Technology Market Research Council (TMRC) and the IMS/PCB Management Council Steering Committees.

Placement Machines to Debut at APEX

(December 14, 2004) Binghamton, N.Y. — At APEX 2005, to be held February 22-24, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif., Universal Instruments will demonstrate its AdVantis and GSM Genesis platform placement machines. In addition, the Polaris Assembly Cell, Dimensions software and Optima Plus planning and process support services will also be shown.

Packaging Technologies Challenge Inspection Market

(December 14, 2004) Palo Alto, Calif. — The widespread use of packaging technologies, such as CSP and BGAs in electronics manufacturing, makes it vital for inspection system companies to realign their product development strategy to keep pace with such sophisticated technology.

DEK Improves Website to Boost Customer Experience

(December 13, 2004) Flemington, N.J. — DEK has launched its new Website, designed to provide improved navigation, easy access to the latest production-enhancing technical data, online machine management and the ability to interact with other DEK users. All of this is accomplished from a single interface, simplifying informational access for visitors.

Speedline Enhances its European Sales Force

(December 13, 2004) Dreieich, Germany — Speedline Technologies announces the appointment of a new European sales director, as well as a new regional sales manager of central Europe.

Chip Designers Face New Challenges

By Julia Goldstein, Ph.D., SMT Technical Editor — Much of the information presented at the Mentor Graphics' Editors and Analysts Day, centered on chip design. Chip designers are facing interesting challenges at the 90-nm node, including ensuring that their designs can be manufactured and how to verify that a design that can be manufactured actually functions as it is supposed to.

Teradyne Joins LXI Consortium

(December 10, 2004) North Reading, Mass. — Teradyne has joined the LXI Consortium, the recently formed standards organization. The LXI Consortium is a not-for-profit corporation made up of leading test and measurement companies. The group's goals are to develop, support and promote the LXI standard.

Embedded Passive NPL Masterclass Well Received

(December 9, 2004) Teddington, Middlesex, U.K. — At the recent National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Masterclass, part of the ongoing series inviting world-class presenters to Teddington, Dr. Richard Ulrich, author of the book, "Integrated Passive Component Technology," gave a comprehensive discourse on the current and future benefits of embedded passives.

Lenovo to Acquire IBM's Personal Computing Division

(December 9, 2004) Armonk, N.Y. & Beijing — IBM's awaited personal computing division sale to Lenovo Group Ltd. has become official; IBM has announced that they will pass the unit to the China PC manufacturer for $1.75 billion.

RF Micro Devices Ships One Million Transceiver Chipsets

(December 9, 2004) Greensboro, N.C. — RF Micro Devices Inc. (RFMD), a provider of radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, announces that it has shipped one million EDGE cellular transceiver chipsets.

ECA Monthly Order Index Bounces Again in November

(December 8, 2004) Arlington, Va. — The monthly order index compiled by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) took another monthly bounce in November, this time dipping after a rise in October. The index's 12-month moving average has come down a bit over the last three months, but is still several percentage points ahead of this time last year.

2004 International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress Announces Best Paper

(December 8, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn. — Speakers at the first International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress (IWLPC), held October 10-12, 2004, in San Jose, Calif., addressed leading-edge IC packaging and test technologies with special emphasis on 3-D stacked packaging. As rated by the attendees, the Best Paper Award was presented to Dr. Udo E. Frank of FEINFOCUS GmbH (Garbsen, Germany).

SCS Expands Presence in China with Parylene Coating Facility

(December 7, 2004) Indianapolis, Ind. — Specialty Coating Systems (SCS), a business unit of Cookson Electronics, has announced the recent opening of SCS Shanghai, a full-service Parylene conformal coating facility in China. The facility will allow SCS to better serve its customers, respond to the growing demand for its specialized Parylene coating services in Asia and bring its technology to the region.

SMTA Announces Recipient of the International Excellence in Leadership Award

(December 7, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn. — The Excellence in Leadership Award honors SMTA members who stand out as strong leaders within the Association. Abby Tsoi was chosen to receive the International Excellence in Leadership Award because of his outstanding commitment to the SMTA and his leadership in the formation of the SMTA Hong Kong Chapter.

DEK and Stork Join to Develop Electroform Stencils

(December 6, 2004) Flemington, N.J. — DEK has signed an exclusive OEM partner agreement with Stork Veco, a European manufacturer of electroform stencils. The companies have joined forces to develop electroformed stencils for the SMT industry and the semiconductor market.

Speedline Appoints New VP of Marketing and Business Development

(December 6, 2004) Franklin, Mass. — Speedline Technologies announces the appointment of Keith Favre as the VP of marketing and business development. As business has improved in 2004, the company is increasing its focus on business development initiatives to support existing and new markets and optimize the overall marketing strategy.

Endicott Interconnect Technology Receives Second Issued Patent

(December 3, 2004) Endicott, N.Y. — Engineers at Endicott Interconnect Technology didn't skip a beat when the company formed in 2002. The flow of innovative ideas and patent applications continued unabated. Because of this, Endicott has recently received its second issued patent.

Heraeus CMD Appoints New Senior Research Chemist

(December 3, 2004) West Conshohocken, Pa. — Maureen Nunn has been appointed to the position of senior research chemist for the Research and Development group of the SMT Business Unit at Heraeus Circuit Materials Division (CMD).

IPC Releases IMS/PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio and IMS/PCB Business Report for October 2004

(December 2, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries has announced the findings from its monthly PCB Statistical Program for October 2004.

DEK Reveals Findings from U.K. Stencils Technology Day

(December 2, 2004) Weymouth, U.K. — DEK held a Stencils Technology Day at its Weymouth, U.K. office on November 25 to share the findings from its recent lead-free print trials, and provide hands-on experience of stencil technologies and their applications.

electronica 2004 Boosts Industry Optimism

(December 1, 2004) Munich, Germany — electronica 2004, a trade show for components, assemblies and high-growth applications, signalled increased momentum in the global electronics industry as international visitors and exhibitors once again flocked to the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.

Siemens and RIT Partner to Offer New Lean Manufacturing Training

(December 1, 2004) Norcross, Ga. — The Electronics Assembly Systems Division of Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems (EA) is providing a Lean Manufacturing Course for the Americas. The first two-day course is scheduled for January 26 and 27, 2005, in partnership with the Center for Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly (CEMA) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester, N.Y.

Cookson and ALC Launch Suite of Lead-free Electronic Assembly Training Courses

(November 30, 2004) Jersey City, N.J.—Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials and its partner Automated Learning Corp. (ALC) announce the launch of their suite of lead-free assembly training courses. This suite of technical training courses is part of ALC's Learntech series. Its modular interactive multimedia learning approach is designed for process engineers, managers and senior operators involved in the implementation and management of lead-free electronic assembly processes.

Indium Appoints New Technical Manager in China

(November 30, 2004) Clinton, N.Y.—Indium Corporation of America has appointed Wang Ming as technical manager in China. Ming's SMT-specific experience includes six years in the Chinese cell phone manufacturing industry. He has been involved as an engineering manager in NPI and SMT process improvements for mobile phone production.

Indium Announces New Distributor in Europe

(November 29, 2004) Clinton, N.Y.—Indium Corporation of America has announced that GPS is their newest distributor in Europe, covering Germany, Croatia and Slovenia. The GPS team has many years of experience in the electronic assembly industry, and will be responsible for selling Indium's line of solder pastes and wave solder fluxes.

Universal Extends Price Reductions to Generation 8 Machines

(November 29, 2004) Binghamton, N.Y.—Universal Instruments has announced price cuts for its Generation 8 insertion machines, having recently announced similar reductions for surface-mount placement platforms. The most popular insertion machine configurations will reduce in price from between 8 and 20%.

StratEdge Introduces Redesigned Website

Dage Appoints New Eastern Regional Sales Manager

(November 24, 2004) Fremont, Calif.—Dage Precision Industries, an X-ray and bondtester technology company, announces the appointment of John Travis as Eastern regional sales manager for Dage's suite of X-ray systems.

N.H.-based Company Resells Electronics Assembly/Test Equipment

(November 23, 2004) Nashua, N.H.—In the pre-owned electronics manufacturing equipment market, most vendors sell assembly/test systems "as is," with little or no after-sales support. Nashua, N.H.-based Lewis and Clark Inc. (LCI) offers the same services expected when purchasing the equipment new from an OEM vendor.

FEINFOCUS Partners with IslandTek in Taiwan

(November 22, 2004) Stamford, Conn.—FEINFOCUS, a manufacturer of high-resolution X-ray inspection systems and tubes, announces their new partnership with IslandTek International, a PCBA equipment sales company headquartered in Taiwan. IslandTek represents the entire line of FEINFOCUS X-ray inspection systems for the PCBA industry in Taiwan.

DEK Machines Add New Interface to Aegis Software Tools

(November 22, 2004) Flemington, N.J.—DEK has completed development of machine interfaces to NPI and MES software tools from Aegis Industrial Software Corp., allowing manufacturing and process engineers using DEK screen printing platforms to maximize machine uptime, improve process monitoring and reduce operator mean-time-to-assist (MTTA) from within the Aegis system.

DEK Signs First North American VectorGuard Licensee

(November 19, 2004) Flemington, N.J.—DEK announces that SolderMask Inc. of Huntington Beach, Calif. has been signed as the first North American licensee of DEK's VectorGuard stencil technology. Under the terms of the agreement, SolderMask will manufacture VectorGuard stencils from foil blanks supplied by DEK and will also provide customers with VectorGuard frames.

SMTA Announces Call for Papers for SMTAI 2005

(November 19, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—The SMTA Technical Committee is announcing the Call for Papers for SMTA International 2005, to be held September 25-29, 2005, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

Parvus and Eurotech SpA Sponsor PC/104 Design Contest

(November 18, 2004) Salt Lake City, Utah & Amaro, Udine, Italy—Parvus Corp. and Eurotech SpA now sponsor the PC/104 Design Contest hosted by the PC/104 Embedded Consortium. Customers of both companies are encouraged to submit their entries for the contest to the Consortium by December 10, 2004.

IPC's EMS Management Council Meeting to Address Lead-free

(November 18, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill.—What does lead-free mean to an EMS executive? And, what do market predictions forecast? These are just a couple of the questions that will be addressed during a day-long IPC EMS Management Council Meeting, to be held Monday, February 21, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif., in conjunction with the IPC Printed Circuits Expo, APEX, Designers Summit and the Electronic Circuits World Convention 10.

RoHS-compliant Parts Naming Needs Standardization

(November 17, 2004) Phoenix, Ariz.—More than half of U.S.-based contract manufacturers expect to be ready for the European Union's Restrictions on Hazardous Materials (RoHS). But will suppliers' refusal to change part numbers on compliant components put a wrench in the whole process?

Camtek Ltd. Announces 2004 Third Quarter Results

(November 17, 2004) Migdal Haemek, Israel—Camtek Ltd. announces results for the third quarter of 2004, which ended on September 30.

Nexlogic Technologies Receives ISO 9001:2000 Certification

(November 16, 2004) San Jose, Calif.—Nexlogic Technologies Inc., a PCB service provider, announces that it has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification as part of its business strategy for continuous improvement of its services and products.

SMTA Expands Knowledge Base Online

IPC Honors Individual for Work on IPC-9194 Guideline

(November 15, 2004) Hudson, N.H.—Michael Sivigny of CeTaQ Americas was recently among 13 individuals honored by IPC (Association Connecting Electronics Industries) for their leadership and significant contributions in the development of IPC-9194, Implementation of Statistical Process Control (SPC) Applied to Printed Board Assembly Manufacture Guideline. The awards were presented at IPCWorks 2004, held October 24-28 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Diplan Offers Asian Solution

(November 15, 2004) Shanghai—diplan opens an office in Shanghai and strengthens its Shenzhen operations. Because of these changes, diplan can now offer its SMT software solutions on the doorstep of many of its customers.

Universal Celebrates 15-year Anniversary with Hitachi

(November 12, 2004) Binghamton, N.Y.—Universal Instruments has celebrated 15 years of its OEM agreement with Hitachi High Technologies (HHT) to market the 4797 HSP high-speed, turret-style placement machine.

Asymtek Signs New Distributor Agreement

(November 12, 2004) Carlsbad, Calif.—Asymtek has recently added a new team of sales representatives, Fuji Do Brasil Máquinas Industriais LTDA, to market their automated fluid dispensing systems throughout South America and Brazil. Fuji Do Brasil is headquartered in Sao Paulo, with branches in Manaus and Campinas. All facilities have show rooms that feature demo equipment and offer customer training, on-site equipment service and spare parts.

Siemens Strengthens Logistics Division

(November 11, 2004) Grand Rapids, Mich.—Siemens announces that it has finalized the integration of Siemens Dematic Corp. of Grand Rapids, Mich., Siemens Dematic Postal Automation L.P. of Arlington, Texas and Siemens Dematic Electronic Assembly Systems of Norcross, Ga. The combined organization is called Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems Inc. (Siemens L&A).

Solectron to Manufacture the Personal Internet Communicator Introduced by AMD

(November 11, 2004) Mumbai, India—Solectron Corp. announces that it has been chosen to manufacture the Personal Internet Communicator (PIC), a new consumer device that was developed and designed by AMD. The PIC was developed to provide affordable computing and Internet access in high-growth markets, with the goal of providing 50 percent of the world's population with Internet access and computing capabilities by the year 2015.

10th Pan Pacific Symposium & Exhibit Program Announced

(November 11, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—The 10th Annual Pan Pacific Microelectronics Symposium & Exhibit, to be held January 25-27, 2005 at the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Kauai, Hawaii, promotes international technical interchange and provides a premier forum for extensive networking among industry professionals and business leaders throughout the Pacific Basin.

Cleaning and Lead-free Topics at SMTA Chapter Meeting

(November 10, 2004) Nashville, Tenn.—The SMTA Intermountain Chapter will hold its next meeting focusing on cleaning and lead-free on Thursday, November 11, 2004, at Computrol, Meridian, Idaho.

Valor Announces Version 7.3 of Trilogy 5000 Assembly and Enterprise 300 DFM Solution

(November 10, 2004) Munich, Germany—Valor Computerized Systems announces that it has released version 7.3 of its Trilogy 5000 solution for PCB process preparation and assembly programming operations, and its Enterprise 3000 premium DFM solution for virtual manufacturability and physical design verification of CAD data. Version 7.3 is now shipping and available through Valor sales offices and integration partners worldwide.

First International WLP Congress Successful

(November 10, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—The first International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress (IWLPC) that was held October 10-12, 2004 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, Calif. was a great success. Co-sponsored by the SMTA and Chip Scale Review Magazine, it included two days of exhibits and a three-day technical program that focused on leading-edge IC packaging and test technologies with special emphasis on 3D stacked packaging.

Raw Materials Prices Now Available on IPC Website

(November 10, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill.—Raw materials prices, especially metals, have a direct impact on the cost of producing electronics and affect the entire electronics supply chain. To increase awareness of metals prices, the IPC (Association Connecting Electronics Industries) is providing a new addition to its Website.

Agilent Develops In-Circuit Test Methodology for High-Density Board Designs

(November 9, 2004) Palo Alto, Calif.—Agilent Technologies announces that it has developed bead probe methodology for in-circuit test of high-speed and high-density PCBs. Bead probe technology addresses the needs of electronics contract manufacturers for accurate testing of increasingly complex PCBs, such as those used in communications and computing.

V.J. Electronix Opens New Office in Georgia

(November 9, 2004) Bohemia, N.Y.— V.J. Electronix, an X-ray inspection technology and rework systems company, announces the opening of its newest office in Georgia.

KIC and Kester Form European Partnership

(November 9, 2004) San Diego, Calif.—KIC announces a new partnership with Kester Europe. Beginning in November 2004, Kester Europe will usee KIC's thermal process development and optimization tools in their European customer support operations.

Ion Publishes Paper on Getting Accurate Measurement Picture for AC Ionizers

(November 8, 2004) Berkeley, Calif.—Ion Systems Inc. announces that it has published the newest addition to its line of Technology Solution technical papers, titled "Getting the Full Picture from Your Charge Plate Monitor." The paper describes the limitations of measuring AC ionizers with only a charge plate monitor (CPM), and recommends how to see previously invisible maximum offset voltages produced by AC ionizers.

NEMI Summit Focuses on RoHS/WEEE Compliance Concerns

(November 8, 2004) Herndon, Va.—Nearly 190 people discussed concerns with the quickly approaching deadlines for the European Union's (EU) RoHS (Restriction on use of certain Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives at the recent NEMI RoHS/Lead-free Summit in Louisville, Colo. on October 18-20, 2004.

Juki Partners with Cogiscan for RFID Smart Feeders

(November 8, 2004) Bromont, Quebec, Canada—Juki Automation Systems Europe has signed an OEM re-selling agreement with Cogiscan to integrate RFID Smart feeder technology in the new generation of SMT placement machines.

SchmartBOARD Announces November 2004 Contest Winners

(November 5, 2004) Fremont, Calif.—SchmartBOARD is giving away six combination packs a month in the U.S. and Canada. Two will be given to professional engineers, two to engineering students and two to electronics hobbyists each month. Similar contests are running in other countries in partnership with SchmartBOARD distributors. One only has to sign up once to be entered automatically every month.

DEK Announces Appointment of Americas Operations Manager for Process Support Products

(November 5, 2004) San Jose, Calif.—DEK has appointed Steve Hunter to the position of Americas Operations Manager for Process Support Products, supporting the company's logistics infrastructure and manufacturing operations for DEK's stencil, tooling and consumables products.

Despatch Industries Appoints IR Processing Group Leader

(November 5, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—Despatch Industries announces that it has named Carson Richert to lead its Infrared (IR) Processing group. The appointment adds to Despatch's IR engineering and sales team and reportedly strengthens the company's position in the IR thermal processing market.

BPA Issues New FPC Report

(November 4, 2004) Surrey, U.K.—In their new report, BPA shows the key growth areas for flexible printed circuits (FPC) over the next five years will be in mobile phones, display interconnects, digital cameras and PDAs. New applications using flex and flex-rigid substrates in the medical, aerospace and military markets will also emerge; however, BPA predicts that these markets will remain relatively small in comparison to the mobile phone, display and camera markets.

IPC's SPVC Releases Data on Lead-free Alloy Comparison

(November 4, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill.—The IPC and its Solder Products Value Council (SPVC) announce the release of a white paper, summarizing Phase 2 of a three-phase, million-dollar research and testing program on tin/silver/copper lead-free alloys.

DEK Central Europe Technological Conference Provides Opportunities, Establishes Communication Platform

(November 4, 2004) Berkshire, U.K.—Companies involved in the Romanian and Bulgarian SMT industries came together at DEK Central Europe's Technological Conference on October 1, 2004, held in Poiana Brasov, Romania.

Three-Five Systems Expands E-business Initiatives with Future Electronics

(November 3, 2004) Tempe, Ariz.—Three-Five Systems (TFS) announces that it has extended its electronic purchase order transaction system to include Future Electronics. The two companies are interfacing via RosettaNet standard Partner Interface Process (PIP). RosettaNet is a non-profit consortium of more than 500 technology organizations working to create, implement, and promote open e-business standards and services.

Mainland China Semiconductor Fab Building Not Making Dent in Internal Needs

(November 3, 2004) New Tripoli, Pa.—Skyrocketing consumption of ICs in Mainland China is outpacing growth in domestically made ICs, despite huge expansion programs, according to the report, "Mainland China's Semiconductor and Equipment Markets: A Complete Analysis Of The Technical, Economic and Political Issues," recently published by the Information Network, a market research company.

Solectron Receives Teradata's 2004 Supplier Excellence Award

(November 3, 2004) Milpitas, Calif.—Solectron Corporation, a provider of electronics manufacturing and supply chain services, announces that it has been awarded Teradata's 2004 Supplier Excellence Award for superior execution and supply chain service. Teradata is a division of NCR Corp.

SMTA Announces Call for Participation for Medical Electronics Symposium

(November 2, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—The SMTA announces plans for the 2005 Medical Electronics Symposium to be held April 26-27, 2005, in Minneapolis, Minn. The conference chairman is Jeff Kennedy of Celestica Inc., and the call for papers is now open through December 3, 2004.

Three-Five Systems Names New Regulatory Affairs Director

Three-Five Systems (TFS) announces that it has named Leslie Honda to the newly created post of regulatory affairs director.

Bliss Industries Expands with New VP of Sales & Marketing

(November 2, 2004) Milpitas, Calif.—Bliss Industries announces that the search for a VP of sales & marketing has been completed. Samuel Sher has accepted the position and will start in mid-November 2004.

SMTA Announces Board of Directors Election Results

(November 1, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—The SMTA announces its election results for the Board of Directors for the term that began at SMTA International, which occurred September 26-30, 2004.

Gift from Universal Supports Binghamton University

(November 1, 2004) Binghamton, N.Y.—Universal Instruments has presented Binghamton University's Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science with one of their high-accuracy surface mount placement platforms to support small systems packaging educational and research programs in the Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering (SSIE) and Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC).

GlobalSpec Announces Expanded Partnership with PennWell

(November 1, 2004) Troy, N.Y.—GlobalSpec, a search engine and online resource for engineers and technical buyers, announces an expanded partnership with PennWell Corporation, a business-to-business media company providing print and online publications across multiple industries.

HumiSeal VP/GM Retires after 44 Years of Service

(October 29, 2004) Pittsburgh, Pa.—HumiSeal announces that John Waryold, after 44 years of contribution, retired on August 31, 2004. He began his career in 1960 in the lab and progressed in responsibility through lab management, technical service and sales, and most recently served as the VP and GM for 20 years.

DEK Signs External Equipment Alliance with Dow Corning

(October 29, 2004) Flemington, N.J.—DEK and Dow Corning have recently signed an equipment alliance in an effort to maximize customer service. It is assumed that both sets of clients will benefit from the alliance through time and cost savings.

IPC Releases Book-to-Bill Ratios and IMS/PCB Business Report for September 2004

(October 29, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill.—IPC, the Association Connecting Electronics Industries, announces the findings from its monthly PCB Statistical Program.

U.S. Digital Purchases Siemens Siplace CF Machine

(October 28, 2004) Norcross, Ga.—After winning a contract for one year of free use of a Siemens Siplace placement machine, U.S. Digital Corporation, based in Washington, has purchased the equipment. This decision came as a result of the Siplace CF's performance and the entire relationship with Siemens.

Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials Group Appoints New Regional Marketing Manager

(October 27, 2004) Jersey City, N.J.—Mike Murphy was recently appointed regional marketing manager for Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials Group (CEAMG). In this role, he will be responsible for all aspects of marketing new and existing products, as well as identifying opportunities for new product development in the Americas region.

IPC Releases New Revisions through Dynamix Technology

(October 27, 2004) Kidlington, Oxfordshire, U.K.—The IPC has released Revision B to IPC-6012, Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards, and Revision G to IPC-A-600, Acceptability of Printed Boards, both available through Dynamix Technology.

YESTech Announces Sale of 100th System to Apsco

(October 27, 2004) San Clemente, Calif.—YESTech Inc. has announced the shipment of its 100th YTV automated optical inspection (AOI) system to Apsco International, a Cleveland-based provider of electronics manufacturing services (EMS). The system is one of two that were purchased by Apsco and incorporates YESTech's side-viewing Thin Camera technology for maximum defect coverage.

4th Dimension PCB Moves Offices to Florida

(October 26, 2004) Sunrise, Fla.—The move stems from 4th Dimension PCB's growth in the last year. 4th Dimension PCB is an engineering service and PCB design center, with expertise in Mentor Graphic Expedition and PADS software and services through on-site support with contractors or outsourcing to their design center.

Elcoteq to Manufacture Vitelcom's Mobile Phones in Manaus, Brazil

(October 26, 2004) Irving, Texas—Elcoteq Network Corporation, global provider of EMS for the communications technology industry, has signed an agreement with Vitelcom Mobile Technology to manufacture CDMA phones on a turnkey, assemble-to-order basis, ready for distribution to end-users. Manufacturing will begin in Manaus, Brazil in late October 2004.

Sherwood Technology Opens New Applications Laboratory

(October 26, 2004) Widnes, Cheshire, U.K.—Sherwood Technology Ltd. announces the launch of its Applications Laboratory. This facility demonstrates the future possibilities of laser marking, enabling current and potential licensees and end users to test the final results of using Sherwood's color-change technologies to mark their products using a wide range of lasers.

Cookson Electronics Appoints New Global Director of Product Management

(October 25, 2004) Jersey City, N.J.—Bruce Moloznik was recently appointed global director of product management for Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials Group (CEAMG). He will direct the global product management team that is responsible for all ALPHA branded products and for the execution of all product line strategies, including Product Technology Road Mapping, New Product Development and the Global Lead-Free Knowledge Network initiative.

Solectron Appoints Matti Virtanen President of EMEA

(October 25, 2004) Milpitas, Calif.—Solectron Corporation, a provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply chain services, has appointed Matti Virtanen to the newly created position of senior VP and president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He joined the company on October 4, 2004.

International Rectifier's iPOWIR Building Block Wins Award in China

(October 25, 2004) Los Angeles, Calif.—International Rectifier (IR) announces its iP1201 iPOWIR power building block has won the "Top 10 DC-DC Award" from Electronic Products China (EPC) magazine. The iP1201 is the industry's first dual-output, two-phase DC-DC power block in a single BGA package for synchronous buck applications.

FKI Logistex Offers Product Financing Through GE Commercial Finance

(October 22, 2004) St. Louis, Mo.—FKI Logistex has agreed to make GE Commercial Finance's Vendor Financial Services a source of financing to the company's customers and distribution channels.

FEINFOCUS Forms Alliance with Unicraft in Japan

(October 22, 2004) Stamford, Conn.—FEINFOCUS announces their new alliance with Unicraft Co., a technical sales company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Unicraft represents the entire line of FEINFOCUS X-ray inspection systems for the electronics and semiconductor industry in Japan.

ZESTRON to Host Precision Cleaning, Lead-Free and Climatic Reliability Workshop

(October 22, 2004) Ashburn, Va.—In association with Kester, Heller Industries and Trek Industries, ZESTRON is hosting a one-day workshop on November 9, 2004, in Tampa, Florida. Topics will range from cleaning, lead-free and potential long-term risks associated with lead-free.

Dow Announces Epoxy Resin Price Increases for North America

(October 21, 2004) Midland, Mich.—Effective November 15, 2004, or as contract terms allow, Epoxy Products and Intermediates (EP&I) of the Dow Chemical Company will be increasing its prices for epoxy resins in North America.

SchmartBOARD to Give Free Samples of Prototyping Boards

(October 21, 2004) Fremont, Calif.—SchmartBOARD, a company that manufactures a new type of prototyping board, has announced a program to give out free samples.

Indium Announces New Agent in Arizona

(October 21, 2004) Clinton, N.Y.— Indium Corporation of America is now represented in the Arizona area by Bobet Corporation. Founded in 1997, Bobet will service and sell Indium's complete line of assembly products. Bob Bracher, president of Bobet, has over 25 years of national and international sales and marketing experience in the electronics industry.

Nepcon 2005's New Exhibition Director Praises Strong Formula

(October 20, 2004) Surrey, U.K.—Nepcon 2005 will return to the Hilton Metropole in Brighton, on May 11-12, 2005, Reed Exhibitions has confirmed. Retaining the successful format of Nepcon 2004, the 2005 event will allow visitors to get to grips with advanced assembly methods in the Nepcon Lead-Free Experience, and to benefit from Nepcon's traditional comprehensive program of topical seminars. These are presented by key figures who are recognized as experts in their respective fields.

QC Industries Releases Fall 2004 Catalog

(October 20, 2004) Cincinnati, Ohio—QC Industries introduces a new catalog featuring a complete selection of their 125 Series conveyors, including cleated belt, corrosion-resistant, magnetic conveyors, 125 Z Series and 250 Series low-profile conveyors and accessories.

KIC Forms Partnership with Tamura Corporation

(October 19, 2004) San Diego, Calif.—Tamura H. A., known for its reflow ovens and wave solder machines with small footprints, has established a partnership with KIC. This new cooperation enables Tamura H.A. to sell KIC products together with its lead-free ready reflow ovens and wave solder machines.

Adept Technology Announces i-Series Robot Advantage Promotion

(October 19, 2004) Livermore, Calif.—Adept Technology Inc., a leading manufacturer of robotic systems, motion control and machine vision technology, announces its i-Series Robot Advantage Promotion for the Adept Cobra i600 and i800 robots. The promotion is designed to offer customers the competitive advantage of robotic automation over dedicated production lines or offshore manufacturing.

Solectron Completes Microtechnology Divestiture

(October 19, 2004) Milpitas, Calif.—Solectron Corporation, a leading provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply chain services, says that it has completed the sale of its Microtechnology business to Francisco Partners.

Dr. Hwang Re-appointed to Export Council of U.S. Department of Commerce

(October 18, 2004)—Dr. Jennie Hwang has been re-appointed to the Export Council of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which was effective on October 14, 2004.

MW Associates Announces Lead-free Series of Seminars in China

(October 18, 2004) Naples, Fla.—Megan Wendling, president of MW Associates, publisher of Lead-Free Magazine.com and a global, all-electronics marketing agency has recognized a need within the electronics industry and has introduced of a series of lead-free seminars to be held throughout China in 2004 and 2005.

Milara Unveils Updated Web Site

(October 18, 2004) Medfield, Mass.—Milara Inc., a leading vendor of fully and semiautomatic stencil printers for SMT and wafer printing applications, offers users a thorough and information-rich resource at www.milarasmt.com.

WEEE services introduced by Ageus Solutions

(October 15, 2004) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada—Ageus Solutions announces the launch of a complete, end-to-end WEEE compliance package. Ageus is now ready to provide full-service logistical, operational, financial and engineering solutions for issues related to WEEE fulfillment.

DEK's Micron-class Platform Nets EID's Assembly Solution of the Year Award

(October 14, 2004) Flemington, N.J.—DEK's new Micron-class high accuracy mass imaging platform is the Assembly Solution of the Year, judges at the Electronic Industry Design (EID) Awards decide. The important technologies designed into the Micron-class, which includes the Europa and Galaxy configurations, caught the panel's imagination over strong entries by other equipment and material developers.

Research and Markets Announces Voluntary and Mandatory Regulations Impacting Green Labelling

(October 14, 2004) Dublin, Ireland—Research and Markets announces the addition of Green Labelling: Global Guide for Marketers in the New Millennium to their offering.

Pro-Mation to Attend Upcoming SMTA Waukesha, WI Event

(October 13, 2004) Kenosha, Wis.—Pro-Mation Inc. announces that president Gary Goldberg will be present at the SMTA's upcoming Electronics Assembly Technology Forum and Vendor Expo, on Tuesday, October 19, 2004.

KIC Appoints Comtree Inc./Northtouch Canada Inc. as New Representatives in Canada

(October 13, 2004) San Diego,Calif.—KIC announces that Comtree Inc./Northtouch Canada Inc. will represent KIC in the Canadian region, effective immediately.

Speedline Technologies Schedules Free Monthly Technical Webcast Seminars

(October 13, 2004) Franklin, Mass.—Speedline Technologies has scheduled a series of free monthly technical webcast seminars exploring the major challenges facing engineers in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Each of the seminars, to be hosted by industry experts, will include the sharing of "knowledge-in-process" expertise, how-to insights and a Q&A session.

Excellon Automation Appoints Yaron Shani as Director of Engineering

(October 13, 2004) Torrance, Calif.—Excellon Automation announces the appointment of Yaron Shani as the director of engineering.

Kester to hold Lead-free Mini-Clinic at Mexitrónica 2004

(October 12, 2004) Des Plaines, Ill.—As the WEEE and RoHS directives take effect in Europe, and with the increased production of lead-free products in Asia, lead-free assembly in North America is gaining momentum.

Kester, Metcal, BTU International and STI Will Present Upcoming Lead-free Assembly Seminar

(October 12, 2004) Des Plaines, Ill.—Kester, Metcal, BTU International and Soldering Technology Inc. (STI) will present a series of Lead-free Technology Seminars scheduled to take place throughout 2004. The next seminar will take place Tuesday, November 9 through Wednesday, November 10, 2004, in Atlanta, Ga.

SMTA Releases Industry's First Cost Estimating Guidelines

(October 12, 2004) Minneapolis, Minn.—Featuring ProfitPro, an Excel-based software application that calculates the cost and profit related to PWB assembly, the SMTA Cost Estimating Guidelines are intended to systematically model real-time cost estimating (RTCE) in the electronics industry.

Four Free Keynoters Announced for APEX, IPC Printed Circuits Expo and the Designers Summit 2005

(October 8, 2004) Bannockburn, Ill.—IPC announces its four keynote speakers for APEX, IPC Printed Circuits Expo and the Designers Summit, to be held on February 22-24 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Each keynote address is free to all attendees.

phoenix|x-ray Establishes East Coast Headquarters, Maintains Offices on West Coast, Enhances Sales and Support Network

(October 8, 2004) St. Petersburg, Fla.—phoenix|x-ray Systems + Services, innovator of the first commercially available nanofocus x-ray system and first fully automated failure analysis system, announced it has completed the movement of its U.S. headquarters from Camarillo, Calif. to St. Petersburg, Fla.

New Global Platform Price Reductions from Universal

(October 8, 2004) Binghamton, N.Y.—Placement equipment specialist and line solution provider, Universal Instruments, has announced a significant price reduction across its best-in-class platform product ranges in all geographic regions, effective immediately. The objective is to offer customers highly competitive and identical prices around the world.

Kester Expands Into Mexico

(October 7, 2004) Des Plaines, Ill.—Kester has announced that it will open a facility in Nogales, Mexico to meet unprecedented industry demand for its interconnect solder materials. These include solder paste, wire and flux product lines.

Pro-mation to Attend Upcoming SMTA Long Island Event

(October 7, 2004) Kenosha, Wis.—Pro-mation Inc. announces that president Gary Goldberg will be exhibiting at the SMTA's upcoming Long Island, N.Y. Chapter Tabletop Trade Show and Technical Sessions on Thursday, October 14, 2004.

Industry Analysts Join MEPTEC as Co-Keynote Speakers and Session Chairs for November Conference

(October 7, 2004) Mountain View, Calif.—MEPTEC announces that industry analysts Mark Stromberg and Dan Tracy will act as session chairs and moderators for its one-day technical symposium, titled "Innovations in Equipment and Materials for Microelectronic Packaging: Complexity Drives Collaboration," to be held on November 11, 2004 at the Hyatt San Jose (San Jose, Calif.) and deliver a co-keynote presentation to kick things off.

BP Microsystems to Participate in Upcoming CEMEX Events

(October 6, 2004) Houston, Texas—BP Microsystems, a leading supplier of device programming systems worldwide, announces that it will participate in the Contract Electronics Manufacturers Conference and Exhibition (CEMCEX) that is scheduled to take place at the Bara Hotel in Budapest on October 14, 2004, and at the Czech event that will take place at the Holiday Inn in Prague on October 12, 2004.

Indium Corporation Opens China Facility

(October 6, 2004) Clinton, N.Y.—Indium Corporation of America announced the opening of their newest facility. Located in the Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu, China, the facility houses solder-paste manufacturing and quality operations as well as fully integrated sales and technical support teams. This new facility offers prompt responses to customer needs to ensure world-class service throughout China.

IPC Releases New Book-to-Bill Ratios and IMS/PCB Business Report for August 2004

(October 5, 2004) Northbrook, Ill.—The IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries announced the findings from its monthly PCB Statistical Program.

Excellon Automation Appoints New Vice President of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Will Also Resume Regional User Group Meetings

(October 5, 2004) Torrance, Calif.—Excellon Automation announces the appointment of Kurt Weber as the vice president of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

IMEC Program Seeks Innovative Nanotechnology Solutions

(October 4, 2004) Leuven, Belgium — Using nanotechnologies to replace and/or extend the life of advanced CMOS manufacturing technologies is the goal of a new IMEC program announced today. IMEC's industrial affiliation program (IIAP) will seek alternatives to the current use of scaling to reduce device dimensions using nanotechnologies.

Seminar to Explore Impact of Pb-free on PCB Test and Inspection

(October 4, 2004) Palo Alto, Calif. — Aligent Technologies will host an e-seminar to focus on issues related to test and inspection when moving to lead-free electronics manufacturing environments.

SEMICON Japan 2004 Set For December

(October 4, 2004) Tokyo, Japan — SEMICON Japan, the world's largest exposition for semiconductor manufacturing, returns to the Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan, December 1 through 3, 2004. This annual exposition is organized by SEMI. More than 1,600 exhibiting companies will occupy about 4,100 booths.

Solectron Reports Improved Fourth Quarter Results

(October 1, 2004) Milpitas, Calif. — Solectron Corp., a provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply chain services, reported sales of $3.01 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004, up 23.4 percent from $2.44 billion in the fourth quarter of last year. Sales in the third quarter of 2004 were $3.04 billion.

SMTC Corp. Appoints Top-level Management

(October 1, 2004) Toronto, Ontario — SMTC Corp.'s board of directors announced the appointment of John E. Caldwell as the company's new president and CEO, effective immediately. Caldwell has served as interim president and CEO since October 2003, and also has been chairman of the SMTC board of directors since March 2004.

Celestica Wins Awards for Excellence in Customer Service

(October 1, 2004) Toronto, Ontario — Celestica Inc. has been awarded two Supplier Performance Awards by Sun Microsystems Inc. Celestica was awarded Sun's "Best in Class Award" for its printed circuit assembly (PCA) manufacturing services and the "Meritorious Award" for its systems integration services. Both awards are in recognition of Celestica's contribution to Sun's business.

Vishay Acquires Thin-film Business from Aeroflex

(September 30, 2004) Malvern, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology Inc. acquired the Aeroflex Pearl River Thin Film Interconnect operations, previously known as MIC Technology, from Aeroflex for $8,800,000.

PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio Falls in August

(September 30, 2004) Northbrook, Ill. — The IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries released today the findings from its monthly Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program.

Universal Releases New Plus Service Extended Warranty Products

(September 29, 2004) Binghamton, N.Y. — Universal Instruments Corp. has expanded and enhanced the services of its Optima Plus solution model and reduced the price of extended warranty products.

Indium Corp. to Exhibit at Regional SMTA Shows

(September 29, 2004) Utica, N.Y. — Indium Corp. of America will exhibit at several regional SMTA trade shows during the month of October 2004, including: - -

SMTA International Wafer Level Packaging Congress (IWLPC) in San Jose (October 10-12)

SMTA in Philadelphia (October 12)

SMTA in Long Island (October 14)

Dow Corning, INVINT Sign Joint Development Contract

(September 28, 2004) Midland, Mich. — Dow Corning Corp. signed a joint development contract with Scotland's INVINT Limited, specialists in conductive polymer interconnect technology. The agreement is expected to lead to the development of a variety of new interconnect technologies for the global electronics industry.

Air2U Uses RFMD's UltimateBlue Single-Chip Bluetooth Component

(September 28, 2004) Greensboro, N.C. — RF Micro Devices, Inc., a provider of proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, announced that Air2U, a Taiwanese designer and manufacturer of wireless consumer electronics products, is using RFMD's SiW3000 UltimateBlue single-chip Bluetooth component in its USB adapter.

MEPTEC Symposium to Focus on Industry Advancements

(September 28, 2004) Mountain View, Calif. — The MicroElectronics Packaging and Test Engineering Council (MEPTEC) will host a technical symposium titled "Innovations in Equipment and Materials for Microelectronics Packaging: Complexity Drives Collaboration" on November 11, 2004 at the Hyatt San Jose in San Jose, California.

SolidWorks Gives Aspiring Engineers an Affordable Technical Education

(September 27, 2004) Concord, Mass. — Twenty-four government polytechnic institutes in India will use SolidWorks 3D mechanical design software to prepare aspiring engineers for high-paying, skilled jobs in the competitive Indian economy, SolidWorks Corporation announced.

Preco Awards Six Sigma Blackbelt, Announces New Test Engineer Manager

(September 27, 2004) Morton, Ill. — Preco Electronics, an electronics manufacturing services provider serving middle market OEMs, announces the graduation of Jason Janssen, being awarded a Six Sigma Black Belt, and the appointment of Thomas Goehl as test engineer manager at the corporate headquarters in Morton, Illinois.

Call for Papers: SMTA Medical Electronics Symposium

(September 27, 2004) Edina, Minn. — The SMTA is pleased to announce its Medical Electronics Symposium will be held April 26 through 27, 2005 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jeff Kennedy, Celestica, conference chairman and Dr. Ken Gilleo, ET Trends LLC and SMTA vice president for technical programs invite you to submit an abstract to participate in this dynamic program.

PCB East 2004 to Showcase Latest Products, Services and Technologies

(September 27, 2004) Atlanta, Ga. — The ninth annual PCB Design Conference East 2004, scheduled for October 4 through 8 at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire, will feature more than 50 exhibiting companies, each displaying and demonstrating its products, services and technologies for the printed circuit board (PCB) design industry.

EXFO Consolidates Photonics, Life Science Operations

(September 24, 2004) Canada — EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. is consolidating operations of its Photonics and Life Sciences Division.

Advanced Circuits CEO Named One of Nation's Best Bosses by Fortune Small Business

(September 24, 2004) Aurora, Colo. — Advanced Circuits announces that CEO Ron Huston has been named one of the best bosses in the country for his innovative reward-based management practices.

KIC to Exhibit SlimKIC Software for Rework and Batch Ovens at ATE

(September 24, 2004) San Diego — KIC will introduce profiling for rework and other applications at the upcoming Assembly Technology Expo, scheduled for September 26 through 30, 2004, at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

Pulse Unveils Redesigned Web Site

Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials Announces Price Increase for Flux Product Line

(September 23, 2004) Jersey City, N.J. — Based on a 78 percent increase in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) prices since June 2003, Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials has announced a price increase limited to its IPA-based flux product line.

ERA Wins EC Contract for Review of RoHS Directive Exemptions

(September 23, 2004) UK — ERA Technology has been awarded a contract by the European Commission to review specific exemptions under the RoHS Directive.

Solectron Names Neese Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Account Management

(September 23, 2004) Milpitas, Calif. — Solectron Corp. has appointed Marty Neese as executive vice president, Worldwide Sales and Account Management.

Tyco Electronics Names Tam Marketing Manager for Asia-Pacific

(September 23, 2004) Willow Grove, Pa. — Tyco Electronics Automation Group, a business segment of Tyco International Ltd., has added Mike Tam to its team.

NEPCON Presents WKK Best Customer Award to WKK President at NEPCON Shenzhen Show

(September 22, 2004) Asia — WKK was confirmed as one of NEPCON'S largest purchaser of booth space worldwide

Cadence Sponsors Renovation of EDA Laboratory at Czech Technical University in Prague

(September 22, 2004) San Jose, Calif. and Prague, Czech Republic — Cadence Design Systems Inc. has completed major renovations of the electronic design automation laboratory at Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic, as part of the company's extensive University Partner Program.

AIM Appoints Cluff and Associates as Manufacturers' Rep for Colorado

(September 22, 2004) Rhode Island and Denver — AIM announces the appointment of Cluff and Associates as manufacturers' rep for AIM's complete line of solders and related assembly materials in Colorado.

Lightspeed Marks First-Year Anniversary

(September 22, 2004) Methuen, Mass. — Lightspeed Manufacturing has marked its first anniversary in business, and is seeing a rapid increase in orders in recent months, after surviving the crippling downturn in U.S. electronics manufacturing that began in early 2001.

Siemens to Exhibit at ATE

(September 21, 2004) Norcross, Ga. — Siemens Dematic AG announces that the SIPLACE HF/3 will be on display at the Assembly Technology Expo (ATE) exhibition and conference in Rosemont, Ill., from September 28 to 30 in booth number 5609.

Gore Expands Customer Service Offerings through Launch of Online Store

(September 21, 2004) Elkton, Md. — W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. has expanded its customer service offerings through the launch of its electronic products online store.

Nam Tai Electronics Appoints New CFO and Assistant CFO

(September 21, 2004) Vancouver, British Columbia — Nam Tai Electronics Inc. announces that Wong Chi Chung (Charles C. Wong) has been appointed chief financial officer (CFO) and Joseph Edward Silva, assistant chief financial officer (ACFO) of the company.

Speedline Receives Patents for Enhanced System of Post-Print 2-D Inspection of Circuit Boards

(September 21, 2004) Franklin, Mass. — Speedline Technologies Inc. has been awarded U.S. patent #6,738,505 for its invention of the texture-based method of analyzing potential bridge defects on circuit boards during the post-print inspection process.

Humiseal VP Waryold Retires After 44 Years

(September 20, 2004) Pittsburgh — HumiSeal announces that John Waryold, after 44 years of exceptional contribution, retired on August 31, 2004.

JPSA Seeks Reps for Global Sales Network

(September 20, 2004) Hollis, N.H. — JP Sercel Associates (JPSA) is seeking manufacturer's representatives in the U. S. and Europe to sell its UV excimer and DPSS laser micromachining, wafer processing and LED liftoff systems, as well as its wide range of contract laser processing services.

SMTA Electronics Assembly Technology Forum to be Held in Wisconsin

(September 20, 2004) Cedarburg, Wis. — An Electronics Assembly Technology Forum will be held on October 19, 2004, in conjunction with the First Annual Wisconsin Chapter Vendor Show, featuring exhibits from more than 24 industry suppliers.

Creative Automation Places in 'Top 100' Product Listing

(September 17, 2004) Sun Valley, Calif. — Creative Automation Co. announces that its true volume piston positive displacement pump has been voted as one of the year's top 100 products or services by readers of Medical Products Manufacturing News (MPMN) Magazine.

COMET Completes Capital Increase, Gains Immediate Benefit for FEINFOCUS

(September 17, 2004) Flamatt, Switzerland — COMET Holding AG has completed the sale of 100,000 new shares to existing shareholders and as a public offering.

Indium's Lee to Present Workshop at CEMCEX

(September 17, 2004) Utica, N.Y. — Indium Corp. of America Vice President of Technology Ning-Cheng Lee, Ph.D. will present a workshop entitled, "Lead-free Soldering — Metallurgical Fundamentals, Reflow Application and Challenges" at the CEMCEX Conference in the Czech Republic on October 12 and in Hungary on October 14.

SMT Resource Aligns with Encore Capital Leasing to Offer Financial Solutions

(September 17, 2004) Temple, Texas and Dallas — SMT Resource Group LLC is working with Encore Capital Leasing to introduce a leasing program designed to provide financial solutions that complete the circle of equipment procurement, management and final disposal.

ATS Receives Follow-on Automation Systems Orders for Flat Panel Display Manufacturing

(September 16, 2004) Cambridge, Ontario, Canada — ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. has received an additional US $12.7 million (CDN $16.6 million) in follow-on automation systems orders from a major supplier of flat panel display materials.

IPC Headquarters, List Serves, Web Sites Unavailable September 17

(September 16, 2004) Northbrook, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries will be closed on Friday, September 17 while the office is moved to Bannockburn, Ill.

Teleconference to Address RoHS Data Collection

(September 16, 2004) College Park, Md. — Electronics makers will have an exclusive opportunity to find out how the world's top electronics component suppliers and manufacturers are dealing with gathering data on thousands of parts at "RoHS: Coping with Data Collection and Reporting Nightmares," another Take it Back! Teleconference on September 28 at 1:30 pm.

Electronics Industry Largely Unaware of UK Ban on Some Brominated Flame Retardants, Says Soldertec

(September 16, 2004) UK — The recent UK ban on the use of certain brominated flame retardants in the manufacture of new electrical and electronic equipment has resulted in confusion in the electronics industry.

Asymtek Expands Distributor Network in China

(September 15, 2004) Carlsbad, Calif. — Asymtek has added four new teams of sales distributors to represent their line of automated fluid dispensing systems in China: D-TEK, Leeport, Antais Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (ATS) and Samurai Spirits Inc. (SSI).

IPC, FED Sponsor Embedded Passives Conference in Munich, Germany

(September 15, 2004) Northbrook, Ill. — To address the growing interest in embedded passive component technology, IPC has teamed with the Fachverband Elecktronik Design e.V. (FED) to create a conference on the subject.

Vianco Joins S-Bond Technologies Advisory Board

(September 15, 2004) Lansdale, Pa. — Paul Vianco, Ph.D., an expert in the formulation, testing and uses of solder materials, has joined the Advisory Board of S-Bond Technologies LLC (SBT).

Soldertec Global Develops Lead-free CD-ROMs

(September 15, 2004) UK — A new series of interactive CD-ROMs has been developed by Soldertec Global to assist engineers with the practical introduction of lead-free hand soldering, wave soldering and reflow processes.

NEPCON Texas 2004 to Feature Six Free Educational Sessions and SMTA Texas Conference

(September 14, 2004) Norwalk, Conn. — The NEPCON Texas electronics manufacturing trade show will feature suppliers displaying the full range of electronics manufacturing solutions including adhesives, advance microelectronics, test equipment, rework, wire and cable assembly, and active components.

Reptron Electronics Receives New Production Contract with Hunt Technologies

(September 14, 2004) Tampa, Fla. — Reptron Electronics Inc. announces that its Hibbing, Minn. facility has been awarded a multi-million dollar production contract from Hunt Technologies Inc., a leading global provider of automatic meter reading products.

YESTech to Highlight Cost-Effective AOI Solutions at ATE

(September 14, 2004) San Clemente, Calif. — YESTech will exhibit cost-effective automated optical inspection (AOI) systems at Assembly Technology Expo, the world's largest "all assembly" trade event, taking place September 28 through 30 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

IDEA Establishes Non-conforming Parts Board

(September 14, 2004) Princeton Junction, N.J. — As part of an ongoing effort to fight the war on non-conforming parts, which continue to plague the independent distribution channel, the Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA) has established a "Non-Conforming Parts Board" now accessible via the Internet.

Kester to Hold Lead-free Mini-Clinic at ATE

(September 13, 2004) Rosemont, Ill. — In its continued efforts to assist the North American industry with the lead-free issue, Kester will hold a Lead-free Mini-Clinic at the Assembly Technology Expo (ATE) show here, September 28 through 30.

NWA, CA-CSS Announce Partnership

(September 13, 2004) Portland, Ore. and Beijing — Northwest Analytical Inc. (NWA) has signed a mutually exclusive partnering agreement with CA-China Soft Software Technology Co. Ltd. (CA-CSS).

PFA Software Development Group Earns CMMI Level 3 Rating

(September 13, 2004) Elgin, Ill. — On July 23, 2004, Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute (SEI) awarded Panasonic Factory Automation's (PFA) Software Development Group with a CMMI Level 3 (Capability Maturity Model Integration) rating.

Transition Automation Creates Open Industry Forum

(September 13, 2004) Billerica, Mass. — Transition Automation President Mark Curtin has established an industry forum that offers insight into printing technology and industry trends in an open exchange forum.

SMTA Toronto Chapter to Focus on Six Sigma

(September 10, 2004) Minneapolis — "The Use of Six Sigma to Design, Manage, Test and Quality Control the Surface Mount Manufacturing Line" will be presented on November 5 by Sammy G. Shina, Ph.D., from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

DEK to Showcase Offerings at ATE

(September 10, 2004) Flemington, N.J. — When DEK arrives in Chicago later this month for the annual Assembly Technology Expo, electronics assembly professionals will see many firsts.

Elcoteq Continues Expansion Into Brazil

(September 10, 2004) Manaus, Brazil — Elcoteq Network Corp. will initiate manufacturing operations here during autumn 2004.

IPC Releases Revised Key PCB Qualification and Acceptability Standards

(September 10, 2004) Northbrook, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries has released IPC-A-600G, Acceptability of Printed Boards, and IPC-6012B, Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards.

Aqueous Technologies to Exhibit at ATE

(September 9, 2004) Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. — Aqueous Technologies will exhibit its Model SMT1000-LF aqueous cleaning/defluxing system as well as SonicOne at the upcoming Assembly Technology Expo, scheduled for September 26 through 30, 2004, at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

Cornell Dubilier Approved Supplier of MIL-PRF-39006 Wet Tantalum Capacitors

(September 9, 2004) Liberty, S.C. — Cornell Dubilier has received approval by the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) as a qualified provider of CLR79 and CLR81 wet tantalum capacitors.

Kester to Exhibit Wafer Bumping Paste at IMAPS

(September 9, 2004) Des Plaines, Ill. — Kester will exhibit SE-CURE 7501 at Booth 235 during the upcoming IMAPS exhibition and conference, scheduled for November 14 through 18, 2004, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif.

Electronics Experts Weigh In on Economic Future of PCB Industry at Regional SMTA Exhibition

(September 9, 2004) St. Paul, Minn. — Attitudes were upbeat at the annual SMTA/IMAPS Upper Midwest Industry Appreciation Day as attendees and exhibitors looked to network with customers and gather sales leads during the small, intimate exhibition.

ECA Monthly Order Index Rebounds Heartily

(September 8, 2004) Arlington, Va. — The monthly order index compiled by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) saw a large upturn in August, rebounding from a flat July.

ERNI Publishes Roadmap for Compliance with RoHS

(September 8, 2004) Adelberg, Germany — ERNI has prepared a roadmap to support customers in their planning for compliance with the EU's Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive.

Speedline Technologies Continues Strong Financial Performance in Second Quarter

(September 8, 2004) Franklin, Mass. — Speedline Technologies Inc. reports that sales during the second quarter of 2004 were up more than 61 percent over the same period last year.

Polyonics Launches Free Resource

(September 8, 2004) Westmoreland, N.H. — Polyonics Inc. announces free resources for its customers.

Plexus Adds Böer to Board of Directors

(September 7, 2004) Neenah, Wis. — Plexus Corp announces that Ralf Böer has been appointed as a new member of the Plexus Board of Directors.

Creation Technologies Receives $10 Million Canadian Investment from CIBC Capital Partners

(September 7, 2004) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada — Creation Technologies Inc. has received a $10 million investment from CIBC Capital Partners, a division of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Indium Corp. to Exhibit at ATE

(September 7, 2004) Utica, N.Y. — Indium Corp. of America will be exhibiting at Assembly Technology Expo's Electronics Assembly Pavillion at booth 5631 in Rosemont, Ill. from September 28 through 30.

Production Solutions' Farlow to Present at SMTA International

(September 3, 2004) Poway, Calif. — Production Solutions Inc. announces that Doug Farlow, president and CEO, will present a paper on efficient line changeover at the upcoming SMTA International conference.

electronicaAsia 2004 Remains Top Electronics Fair in Southeast Asia

(September 3, 2004) Hong Kong — The electronicaAsia show is set for October 13 through 16, 2004, here.

YESTech Expands Operations to Accommodate Growth and Increased Customer Demand

(September 3, 2004) San Clemente, Calif. — YESTech has purchased a new 5,400 sq ft building to accommodate significant business growth.

IPC Offers Lower Prices on Standards in Electronic Format

(September 3, 2004) Northbrook, Ill. — To increase demand and accessibility of its standards, IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries announces significantly lower prices on single-user standards and specifications purchased on CD or through electronic download.

U.S. ESD Market to Reach $1.5 Billion by 2009, Says BCC

(September 2, 2004) Norwalk, Conn. — According to a soon-to-be-released updated report from Business Communications Co. Inc., RP-099U The Maturing ESD Market: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future, the U.S. market for ESD products, worth an estimated $881.7 million in 2003, is projected to reach $986.1 million in 2004 and $1.5 billion by 2009, an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 8.3 percent between 2004 and 2009.

NPL Consults with Industry Advisors on New Materials Program

(September 2, 2004) Teddingham, UK — The three combined Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) and industry funded materials programs at NPL are formulated on a rolling basis of one every year.

SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING 2005 Issues Call for Tutorials

(September 2, 2004) Stuttgart, Germany — The Call for Tutorials for SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING 2005, taking place April 19 through 25, 2005, in Nuremberg, Germany has been published.

ZESTRON America Introduces Improved Product Labeling System

(September 2, 2004) Ashburn, Va. — In an effort to prevent potential mixup between different cleaning chemistries, ZESTRON is introducing an improved labeling system.

APE Announces Customer Contest

(September 1, 2004) Key Largo, Fla. — APE is currently seeking customer testimonials about the durability of their equipment to be used in a national ad campaign.

NEMI Issues Revises Tin Whisker Acceptance Test Requirements

(September 1, 2004) Herndon, Va. — The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's (NEMI) Tin Whisker User Group has released revised recommendations for tin whisker acceptance test requirements.