FARNBOROUGH, UK – Gen3, Global leader in SIR, CAF, Solderability, Ionic Contamination & process optimisation equipment, is pleased to announce the appointment of John Barraclough as the Head of Business Development. This strategic appointment follows the retirement of Nick Redgrave-Plumb, who served Gen3 with dedication and excellence for 24 years.

John brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role as the Head of Business Development at Gen3. With a career that has encompassed various leadership positions in business development and sales management across diverse industries, including electronics, defense, aerospace, and oil and gas (O&G), John’s background aligns seamlessly with Gen3's mission and vision.

John’s career journey has been marked by a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation. Starting with an Electrical and Electronic Engineering apprenticeship at BAe (British Aerospace), he progressed from printed circuit board layout design to technical support and eventually assumed sales and management roles. Notably, John served as the General Manager - Operations and Sales for Flowserve Limitorque EMEA, demonstrating his versatility and leadership skills.

Over the past five years, John has contributed significantly to the electronics arena by holding sales management positions for conformal coating companies. His extensive industry knowledge and dedication to customer satisfaction have made him a respected figure in the field.

John, who is also a qualified scuba diving instructor and a devoted Formula 1 enthusiast, expressed his enthusiasm for joining Gen3. "I am excited to have joined Gen3, a company that has established itself as the market leader in testing and measuring equipment for the electronics industry," he remarked. "I look forward to contributing to the company's growth and continued success."

Nick Redgrave-Plumb, who dedicated himself to Gen3 after two tours of duty, spanning from 1991 to 2023, has been a true leader within the organization. His unwavering commitment and contributions have been pivotal to the company’s success. On departure of Nick, and appointment of John, Nick commented, "Having been with the company for such a long time Gen3 has become as much a part of me as I have become of Gen3. The Gen3 team we have now are nothing less then fantastic, and I’ll really miss the camaraderie.

I’ve seen many changes to this family business, and my role has been highly rewarding for me both professionally and personally. I’ve genuinely enjoyed my 24 years with Gen3, so I have to thank Graham and Andrew Naisbitt, as well as the deceased Arthur and Doreen Naisbitt. That being Graham’s parents who founded the company. They have always provided a rewarding work environment and invaluable support to not only myself, but my family also.

"John has very been carefully selected to take over my role as Head of Business. His background, experience and attitude is ideally suited to the work he will now take on. John will do well, of this I am sure and I will continue to provide all the support he requires, whenever he needs my help."

Gen3 expresses its heartfelt appreciation for Nick’s invaluable service and wishes him a well- deserved and fulfilling retirement.

As Gen3 looks ahead to the future with John at the head of Business Development, the company remains committed to its mission of delivering cutting-edge testing and measuring solutions to the electronics industry.

For more information about Gen3 and its innovative testing solutions, visit www.gen3systems.com

CLINTON, NY – Indium Corporation Regional Product Manager Wisdom Qu will present at the iNEMI Workshop on Automotive Electronics on October 13, in Shenzhen, China.

In her presentation Low-Voiding, High-Reliability, Lead-Free Solder Paste Design for Automotive Applications, Qu will examine the results of a test comparing a solder paste based on a mixed powder technology, containing Sn/Ag/Cu/Bi/Sb/In in the final joint, with SAC305 and other high-reliability pastes. The voiding from a QFN package was consistently lower than 15%, which is better than SAC305. TCT reliability under AEC Grade 1 for BGA192, QFN, and chip-resistor also demonstrated improved reliability compared to SAC305 and the other high-reliability alloys.

With the rapid growth of the 5G and EV markets, the electronics industry has higher requirements for product reliability, with the extended lifetime under AEC Grade 1 or even Grade 0 conditions. Traditional high-reliability solder alloys contain five or six elements or even more, which strengthens through solid solution and/or precipitate solution.

“The microstructural complexity of the multi-element high-reliability alloys makes the melting behavior complicated, which may lead to worsened voiding performance compared to traditional SAC305 after reflow,” said Qu. “Designing the solder paste with mixed powder technology can reduce voiding by using at least one ternary or quaternary alloy powder constituent in the paste while the final joint is still a quinary or even senary alloy system.”

As Regional Product Manager for PCB Assembly Solder Paste in Asia, Qu facilitates business development and growth of PCB assembly product offerings, focusing on solder paste. A certified SMT process engineer, she has more than 17 years of experience in surface mount technology and earned a degree in mathematics from Hubei Radio and Television University in China.

KIRKLAND, WA – Alliance Memory today announced it has named Kim Newman as global account manager for Jabil, a leading contract manufacturer used by many of the company’s customers. In her new role, Ms. Newman will serve as Alliance Memory’s global liaison for Jabil — strengthening the two companies’ long-term strategic relationship while promoting continued growth and enhancing customer satisfaction across North America, Asia, and Europe.

Ms. Newman brings over 40 years of experience in the electronics industry to Alliance Memory. As owner and president of BlueSail Global Services, Inc., she has worked with Jabil for nine years as an independent global manufacturer’s representative. Prior to that, she served in a variety of roles at manufacturer’s representative Sun Marketing Group over a period of 21 years, including channel sales/operations manager and global key account manager. In addition, she has held the positions of product manager at Arrow Electronics and marketing coordinator at Harris Semiconductor/Intersil.

“We are delighted to announce the addition of Kim to the Alliance Memory team,” said David Bagby, president and CEO of Alliance Memory. “Her long history of working with Jabil — in addition to her close proximity to Jabil’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida — will ensure a smooth process for our customers that outsource their manufacturing to the company, while further strengthening the vital relationship between our organizations. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on board.”

“It’s great news to hear that Alliance Memory has hired Kim to further bolster the partnership between our two companies,” said Brad Crouch, global commodity management at Jabil. “Having known Kim for many years, I’m confident she’ll be an invaluable asset to the Alliance team, and instrumental in helping us continue to provide Alliance Memory solutions as viable memory options for our customers.”

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Alliance Memory, a company that has not only solidified its reputation as a provider of legacy devices that prevent costly redesigns, but has also expanded its product portfolio with innovative solutions that are keeping it ahead of the curve,” said Ms. Newman. “Drawing upon my direct experience working with Jabil, I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity to fortify the relationship between the two organizations, which ultimately benefits our existing customers while attracting new ones.”

Ms. Newman is located in Melbourne, Florida, and reports to Mr. Bagby. She can be reached at kimn@alliancememory.com.

FOUNTAIN INN, SC – KYOCERA AVX, a leading global manufacturer of advanced electronic components engineered to accelerate technological innovation and build a better future, is acquiring assets of Bliley Technologies, a worldwide leader in the design and development of innovative, low-noise frequency control products with more than 65 years of space heritage in low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO) applications. The asset transfer acquisition will bring Bliley’s equipment, people, and IP under the KYOCERA AVX umbrella and allow KYOCERA AVX to produce the same high-quality electronic components that made Bliley a global leader. Upon finalization, the acquired assets will operate under KYOCERA AVX Components Corporation (Erie).

“We are very pleased to welcome members from the Bliley Technologies team to KYOCERA AVX and are very excited to further expand our crystal devices portfolio with the disruptive technologies they’ve developed, which will allow us to better serve sophisticated customers in the demanding military, aerospace, and defense markets,” said Kio Ariumi, Senior VP, Operational Integrations, KYOCERA AVX. “The asset transfer acquisition provides more than 20 patents for key positioning, navigating, and timing technologies as well as an accomplished staff and an advanced manufacturing facility with several crucial certifications and qualifications, all of which will further strengthen our presence in these essential markets.”

Bliley Technologies manufactures innovative low-noise crystal and oscillator products at its 64,000-square-foot, ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, and is one of the only U.S.-based companies to manufacture both — from front end to final finishing — within the same facility. This fact enables close collaboration between Bliley’s highly experienced crystal oscillator and mechanical engineers and its production team and has resulted in the development of some of the most successful solutions available in the global frequency control industry, including its patented and currently unrivaled low-power oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OXCO) technology, which offers superior holdover performance compared to micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) and temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TXCO) at a fraction of the power budget

KYOCERA AVX Components Corporation will continue to manufacture Bliley products, including OCXOs, TCXOs, and voltage-controlled crystal oscillators (VCXOs); high-precision AT-, SC-, IT-, and FC-cut crystals; and quartz and lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lithium niobate, langatate, and yttrium calcium oxoborate (YCOB) transducer blanks and will also design and develop new products based on Bliley IP. Engineered for use in demanding, high-stakes applications within the new space, satellite communications, aerospace, avionics, military and defense, mobile communications, 5G cellular and telecommunications, smart and autonomous vehicles, and commercial drone markets, these innovative products:

• Effectively suppress phase noise.
• Ruggedly withstand random and micro vibrations.
• Reliably endure low-gravity environments.
• Maintain superlative frequency stability.
• Endure fast and wide temperature variations, and more.

“The Bliley Technologies team is happy to become a part of KYOCERA AVX and is looking forward to leveraging our relative strengths and experience to accomplish many of the same goals that we’ve been pursuing as Bliley as KYOCERA AVX Components Corporation,” said Keith Szewczyk, CEO and Director, Bliley Technologies. “Bliley has earned a global reputation for research and development, quality, and reliability, and our purpose has always been to inspire and enable our customers’ innovations, allowing them to achieve more than they ever thought possible. The KYOCERA AVX team shares this commitment and, together, we will continue to develop novel crystal products that redefine possibilities.”

Bliley Technologies is certified to ASD9100 Rev D and ISO 9001, J-STD-001 Class 3, IPC-A-610, IPC-7711, and IPC-7721. The company is also qualified to MIL-PRF-55310 and compliant with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), REACH and RoHS directives, and MIL-STD-883B, MIL-STD-202, and MIL-O-55310 environmental and qualification testing standards.