Fraser, MI — November 2025 — K & F Electronics, a third-generation, family-owned printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer based in Fraser, Michigan, has expanded its surface mount capabilities with the installation of a new Hanwha Semitech Americas SMT line. The sale was coordinated by The Murray Percival Company.

The installation represents a significant step in the company’s growth, enhancing its ability to meet customer demands for speed, precision, and flexibility. The line includes an ESE E7 stencil printer, Decan S1 and Decan L1 mounters, and an STF-100S side tray feeder, enabling K&F Electronics to handle a wider variety of board sizes, complex assemblies, and high-mix production runs more efficiently.

The ESE E2 is engineered and built in Korea with strict quality standards. Designed for versatility, it handles a broad range of PCB and stencil mask sizes while delivering exceptional alignment accuracy and print consistency, making it a trusted solution for high-precision production environments.

The Decan S1 next-generation chip mounter delivers both speed and flexibility, handling standard PCBs up to 510 x 510 mm and oversized boards up to 1,500 x 460 mm. With placement speeds up to 47,000 components per hour and ±28µ accuracy, the S1 improves placement for odd-shaped components and automatically optimizes pick-up positions for smoother production flow.

The Decan L1 adds versatility to the line, capable of placing components from tiny 01005 parts to connectors up to 100 mm long and 25 mm tall. Its reliability and user-friendly operation allow K&F to efficiently produce complex, mixed-technology assemblies while maintaining high throughput.

Founded in 1972, K&F Electronics has steadily grown into a trusted U.S. manufacturer of PCBs and assemblies. The new Hanwha line strengthens the company’s ability to deliver fast, precise, and flexible production, ensuring customers across industries receive the boards they need, on time and to specification.

For more information about K & F Electronics and its services, visit www.circuitboards.com.

MUNICH [November 5, 2025] – Luminovo, the AI-powered software company digitizing the electronics supply chain, today announced the appointment of Clifton Lobo as its new Vice President of Global Sales. Lobo joins Luminovo with an extensive track record of scaling high-growth SaaS organizations, bringing valuable experience from his previous leadership roles at FinTech unicorn Pleo and NASDAQ-listed Freshworks.

This strategic appointment comes as Luminovo, backed by a total of €20M+ in funding from previous rounds, accelerates its growth to scale its AI-powered platform and expand its global reach. This move signals the company's aggressive push to capture the market, attracting senior talent to lead the charge.

In his new role, Lobo will lead Luminovo's global revenue strategy, focusing on expanding the company's international footprint and accelerating the adoption of its end-to-end software suite for electronics manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors.

"Clifton is a world-class sales leader with a proven ability to build and scale high-performing teams in fast-paced environments. His experience at both Pleo and Freshworks is directly relevant to our ambitions," said Sebastian Schaal, Co-founder and Managing Director of Luminovo. "Having him on board is a massive win for us. His leadership will be crucial as we help the electronics industry overcome supply chain complexities and embrace digital transformation."

Lobo most recently served as Director of SMB Sales Global at Pleo, where he played a key role in scaling the organization’s ARR from ~€30M to over €110M+, leading a team that contributed more than 35% of total company revenue. Prior to Pleo, he spent around seven years at Freshworks, where he led sales across continental Europe, scaling both team and revenue as the company grew from ~€17M to over €400M+ ARR, culminating in a successful NASDAQ IPO ($FRSH).

“I am thrilled to join Luminovo at such a pivotal moment,” said Clifton Lobo. “While it’s an earlier stage than my recent roles, I chose Luminovo because I deeply believe in the massive, underserved opportunity within the trillion-dollar electronics market. The electronics industry is the backbone of the global economy, yet it continues to rely on an outdated software stack. With electronics embedded in nearly every product we use today, Luminovo’s technology is a true game-changer, bringing the AI-driven collaboration this complex industry urgently needs.

Lobo continued, “On a personal level, it’s funny how life comes full circle. At 16, I was building PCBAs with a soldering iron before going on to study mechanical engineering with a focus on electronics. That foundation gives me a clear understanding of the transformation we can help lead in this industry. Luminovo has an outstanding team of engineers and go-to-market professionals, and with my experience in the mix, I’m excited to see how far we can grow together.”

Clifton Lobo's appointment comes as Luminovo continues its rapid growth. As a remote-first company, Luminovo is scaling its globally distributed team while strengthening its key hubs in Munich, Berlin, and New York to support a growing base of global customers. This growth solidifies its position as a key partner for electronics manufacturers (EMS and OEMs) seeking to enhance their supply chain processes.

Kista, Sweden – INSPECTIS AB announces the appointment of Johan Stormlund to the position of Marketing and Sales Manager, Industrial. In his new role, Johan will have overall responsibility for the sales of the company’s industrial products and will work with Marketing Manager Alistair Gooch, who will focus on the Healthcare industry.

“I see great potential for INSPECTIS to strengthen its market presence by taking a more proactive approach to sales,” says Johan Stormlund. “Historically, the company has been strong in responding to customer requests. My goal is to complement that strength by reaching out more actively to new markets and customers, creating fresh opportunities for growth.”

He will also be responsible for INSPECTIS’ international distributors and provide support to customers and distributors alike. Johan’s background includes that of Chemical engineer, working with sales in different roles (Key Account Manager, Sales Manager, Channel Manager, Business Development), and for the last 15+ years he has worked in the advanced sensor business, mainly within the Healthcare and Logistics industries.

Altus Group, a leading distributor of electronics production equipment in the UK and Ireland, is highlighting Heller Industries’ innovative Short-Cycle Vacuum Reflow Oven (SCVR) as interest in high volume vacuum soldering grows across the region.

Vacuum reflow soldering helps to eliminate voids in solder joints, dramatically improving reliability in demanding applications, but traditional systems have been too slow for high-volume production. Heller's SCVR introduces a patented multi-stage conveyor system that reduces board transfer time in and out of the vacuum chamber, directly addressing the primary limitation in vacuum cycle times. This innovation enables manufacturers to increase units per hour (UPH) by up to 100% while maintaining the superior solder joint reliability that vacuum reflow delivers.

Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group said: “Electronics manufacturers are increasingly looking to vacuum reflow to improve reliability in complex assemblies, but adoption has been limited by cycle time bottlenecks. The SCVR’s design makes high-volume, high-reliability production more practical than ever before, giving engineers confidence that they can meet demanding process requirements without sacrificing throughput or quality.”

The SCVR features three infrared heating panels within the vacuum chamber that optimise heating profiles for solder paste. Real-time temperature control delivers ±0.5°C accuracy at the PCB level, ensuring consistent results across production runs. The system includes Heller's HELLER365 platform for process monitoring and Industry 4.0 integration, enabling real-time tracking of temperature curves, vacuum pressure values, and board-level data.

The system's modular, open-architecture design simplifies upgrades, maintenance, and cleaning which is critical for maintaining uptime in high-reliability production environments. The SCVR is designed for applications where void-free solder joints are critical, including automotive power modules (IGBT/SiC packaging), RF components for telecommunications, Mini/Micro LED assembly, and high-density interconnect (HDI) soldering.

By bringing Heller’s SCVR to the UK and Ireland, Altus Group continues to support electronics manufacturers with advanced assembly solutions that address both reliability and productivity demands in an increasingly competitive market. http://www.altusgroup.co.uk/