PENANG, MALAYSIA – Growth-orientated electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider ESCATEC intends to maximize operational efficiencies with the appointment of industry expert Alessandro Marinai as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

With a production footprint in Asia and Europe, and an expanding portfolio of major OEM customers across various market sectors, ESCATEC is looking on Marinai’s leadership to drive improvements in quality, efficiency, and cost management, benefitting the Group and its customers.

Marinai brings over 25 years of experience in operations, production, quality engineering, and business management, and has held senior positions in Europe, Southeast Asia, and China, over the course of his career. His expertise encompasses strategic leadership, lean Six Sigma, and Kaizen initiatives, with a demonstrable track record of driving KPIs, optimising production processes and quality, and enhancing customer satisfaction.

“We are delighted to welcome Alessandro to ESCATEC. He will be instrumental in strengthening ESCATEC’s capabilities and delivering innovative solutions to our customers,” said CEO Charles-Alexandre Albin, noting that his appointment underscores the Group’s commitment to continuous improvement and strategic growth in the EMS industry.

Marinai hails from Italy and holds a degree in electronics engineering. He was most recently the General Manager at a leading EMS-related organisation in Romania and will officially be starting as COO at ESCATEC’s headquarters in Penang on 24th March 2025.

ESCATEC provides a full spectrum of EMS services, from design & development to certification to mass manufacturing and after-sales support, across electronics, mechatronics, machining, MOEMS, box build, and plastic moulding. The Group operates an integrated production network spanning multiple facilities in Malaysia, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Switzerland, with additional strategic partnerships in Croatia and the United States.

For more information about ESCATEC visit www.escatec.com.

About ESCATEC

ESCATEC offers a full value chain of EMS services, from D&D to product certification to mass manufacturing and after-sales services, ranging across electronics, mechatronics, machining, MOEMS, box build, and plastic moulding. The Group’s integrated production network encompasses four facilities in Malaysia, two at Chomutov in the Czech Republic, one in Lutterworth in the United Kingdom, one at Plovdiv in Bulgaria, and an advanced microelectronics facility in Heerbrugg, Switzerland. It also has a Design & Development (D&D) Centre in Switzerland and strategic partnerships in Croatia and the United States.

MINNEAPOLIS, MiN - The SMTA announced the finalized program for the High Reliability: Strategic Technology Advancement Research Forum which takes place on April 30 - May 1, 2025 in Olathe, Kansas, USA. The event, now in its third year, addresses challenges for electronics manufacturers in the high reliability sector.

The event recently expanded to a two-day format with the first day, April 30, featuring a workforce development breakfast at 9:00am followed by three consecutive professional development courses. At 10:00am, Dale Lee, Plexus Corp., will instruct a course on design for manufacturing (DFM). After lunch, Mike Konrad, Aqueous Technologies, instructs a masterclass on cleaning and cleanliness quantification. Chrys Shea, Shea Engineering Services, closes out the afternoon with her course on solder paste selection.

The program continues on Thursday, May 1, with technical session featuring research on various topics related to high reliability manufacturing including process fundamentals, material considerations, metrology, analytics tools, defect mitigation, and more.

Registration is available online and includes access to the entire program on both days as well as conference proceedings, refreshment breaks, and lunch.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for this event and details are posted online.

If there are any questions, please call +1-952-920-7682 or email karlie@smta.org. For more information, visit https://smta.org/mpage/star/.

FLORHAM PARK, NJ – Heller Industries has announced a strategic global partnership with VST (www.vacuumltd.com) of Israel. The partnership will open VST’s product line, including thin film, vacuum deposition systems, nanolayer sputtering, etching, and vacuum test solutions to Heller’s global sales channel.

Dror Frommer, President of VST, commented, “We could not be more excited to bring VST’s products to a broader audience, leveraging Heller Industries strong brand presence and well-established global sales and service network.”

David Heller, President of Heller Industries, added, “Our partnership with VST is in line with Heller’s strategic growth initiative aligning complimentary products with our state of the art reflow solutions to benefit our global customers.”

Heller will begin selling VST products immediately.

About Heller Industries

Founded in 1960, Heller Industries pioneered convection reflow soldering in the 1980s, earning the position of world leader in thermal process solutions. Heller Industries is the market leader in reflow
oven technology, fluxless reflow technology, and curing oven technology for electronics manufacturers and semiconductor advanced packagers worldwide. In 2025, Heller Industries celebrates 65 years of pioneering thermal solutions. For more information, please visit www.hellerindustries.com.

About VST

VST was founded in 1986, delivering its first thin film, high vacuum deposition/coating system. VST engineers custom thin film deposition systems to meet clients’ exact application requirements
including nanolayer sputtering, EB gun, thermal, ion beam, plasma, and much more. VST products are proudly manufactured in Israel.

Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, has partnered with Garner Osborne Circuits, a UK-based Contract Electronics Manufacturer, to install a Dual Lane Heller 1707 MK7 reflow oven. This strategic investment will enhance the company’s production capabilities, allowing them to triple their reflow capacity and meet growing customer demands following recent company acquisition and expansion.

The well-established relationship between Altus and Garner Osborne influenced the selection of the Heller 1707 MK7, which offers proven reliability with over 250 units installed across the UK. The system's advanced thermal profiling, energy efficiency, and dual-lane configuration with independent conveyor speeds enable simultaneous processing ofmultiple PCBs, optimising production throughput.

Steve Honeybun, Operations Director at Garner Osborne, said: "We are really happy to have a new Heller Dual Lane oven on the way! Our business has been growing for many years, and this new reflow oven will allow us to add much-needed capacity and future-proof our production capabilities for the further growth we anticipate under our new leadership. “After completing our research on the available solutions, it was clear that Heller has a great brand name and reputation for convection reflow, and the MK7 has some significant energy-saving advantages. We know Altus well, and we have built up a lot of trust in our partnership and the support they offer us when it is needed, so choosing to partner with them was easy, as always."

Joe Booth, Altus Group CEO, said: "It has been an exciting time for Garner Osborne under new management, and itss been a pleasure to see them grow for as long as we have been working with them. This new oven is an important investment, as being dual lane effectively triples their reflow capacity and removes a potential bottleneck, helping to boost production. With this additional capacity, they can support their growing customer base or bring in new orders. I'm looking forward to seeing the oven's increased utilisation. The Heller team was excellent throughout the sales process, particularly with the energy-saving audit, and it's great to see another new MK7 in the field!"\

The installation of the Heller 1707 MK7 is part of Garner Osborne's broader strategy to enhance its manufacturing capabilities following its recent acquisition. This investment further strengthens the company's capacity to deliver high-quality electronics manufacturing services while expanding production throughput to meet increasing market demand.