CRANSTON, RI – AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming SMTA Arizona Expo & Tech Forum taking place on April 16 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Mesa, Arizona. AIM will be showcasing its cutting-edge soldering materials, including Type 5 solder paste offerings.

In celebration of emerging trends in electronics miniaturization, AIM is declaring 2025 the "Year of Type 5". With decades of experience producing high-quality solder pastes, including Types 4, 5, and 6, AIM is uniquely positioned to guide customers through the transition to finer powders. AIM products are developed with a focus on consistency, reliability, and process optimization, and are then coupled with robust technical support. While Type 5 solder paste won’t replace Type 4 as the industry standard this year, its adoption is accelerating, driven by demand for precise, consistent soldering.

To learn more about AIM’s solder paste offerings and to discover all of AIM’s products and services, visit the company at the SMTA Arizona Expo & Tech Forum on April 16 th , or visit www.aimsolder.com.

About AIM

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service, and training. For more information about AIM’s complete line of advanced solder products and global technical services, please visit www.aimsolder.com.

SYRACUSE, NY – MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, is proud to announce Dr. Yan Liu, Director of Global Research and Development (R&D) at Indium Corporation, as the recipient of the 2025 Innovator of the Year Award. This esteemed honor recognizes individuals who lead the way in innovation, driving advancements in their industry and reshaping the future.

With more than two decades at Indium Corporation, Dr. Liu has been a driving force in solder materials and flux technology innovations, directly influencing the evolution of the electronics manufacturing industry. Her leadership has led to the development of cutting-edge fluxes, solder pastes, and advanced materials, setting new industry benchmarks. She has also played a critical role in building and cultivating Indium Corporation’s global R&D team, guiding them in their mission to develop world-class materials.

Dr. Liu oversees R&D project management for both applied and fundamental research, spearheading breakthrough technology developments. As a key spokesperson for Indium Corporation’s technological advancements, she bridges research, industry needs, and market opportunities—ensuring that R&D efforts align with corporate goals and customer demands.

Her leadership extends globally. In addition to directing Indium Corporation’s Research & Development Center in Suzhou, China, she manages a diverse group of chemists and metallurgists across North America and Asia, fostering cross-functional collaboration to address complex technical challenges. Her tenure as manager of the R&D Flux Group further solidified her expertise in developing high-performance materials that enhance manufacturing efficiency, reliability, and quality.

Collaboration has been central to Dr. Liu’s approach, working closely with operations, sales, quality, technical service, and marketing teams. Her ability to translate scientific research into practical applications has resulted in groundbreaking formulations that improve manufacturing processes and set new industry standards.

In addition to her technical achievements, Dr. Liu is a recognized thought leader in the field, having published over 40 scientific papers in leading polymer journals and presented at numerous international technical conferences. Her dedication to advancing manufacturing science and fostering collaboration across disciplines has solidified her reputation as a true innovator.

Randy Wolken, President & CEO of MACNY, shared, "Dr. Yan Liu is a remarkable leader whose innovative spirit and dedication to advancing the manufacturing industry have made a lasting impact. Her work at Indium Corporation has shaped the future of electronics manufacturing and set new industry standards. We’re deeply honored to recognize her with the 2025 Innovator of the Year Award, celebrating her groundbreaking contributions and unwavering commitment to excellence."

Ross Berntson, President & CEO of Indium Corporation, remarked, "Dr. Yan Liu’s relentless pursuit of innovation has driven significant advancements in electronics manufacturing while strengthening Indium Corporation’s position as a leader in materials science. Her leadership in developing next-generation materials and expanding global collaboration underscores our commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology. We are honored to see her recognized by MACNY for her outstanding contributions."

The Innovator of the Year Award was created to celebrate individuals whose contributions drive meaningful change in the manufacturing sector. Dr. Liu’s career embodies the spirit of this award, showcasing how innovation fuels progress and strengthens the industry’s future.

Dr. Liu will be honored by MACNY members and community leaders at MACNY’s 112th Annual Celebration of Manufacturing on May 22, 2025, at the SRC Arena & Events Center in Syracuse, NY.

View media kit with high resolution images of Innovator of the Year Award recipient, Dr. Yan Liu.

ABOUT MACNY

MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, is a 112-year-old non-profit organization representing manufacturers and other non-industrial service providers throughout Central New York. With a commitment to enhancing economic development and workforce opportunities, MACNY serves as an advocate for manufacturers, offering a wide array of programs and services to help businesses grow and thrive in a competitive global market. For more information about MACNY, visit www.macny.org.

ABOUT INDIUM CORPORATION

Indium Corporation® is a premier materials refiner, smelter, manufacturer, and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil®. Founded in 1934, the company has global technical support and factories located in China, Germany, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. For more information about Indium Corporation, visit www.indium.com or email jhuang@indium.com. You can also follow our experts, From One Engineer To Another® (#FOETA), at www.linkedin.com/company/indium-corporation/.

CHATSWORTH, CA – Northrop Grumman Corporation has recognized NEOTech as one of its top supplier partners during the company’s Supplier Excellence Awards.

“NEOTech has supported Northrop Grumman in delivering technologies that enhance national security for the U.S. and our allies,” said Ken Brown, vice president, enterprise global supply chain, Northrop Grumman. “The high-quality performance, dedication and partnership of our supplier teams drive operational excellence to ensure warfighters have next generation advantages in advanced weapons, aircraft, missile defense and space.”

Recognized for Performance Excellence, NEOTech is instrumental in supporting Northrop Grumman with delivering innovative and cost-effective military and security solutions to give its customers the advantage in a complex world.

“Receiving Northrop Grumman’s Supplier Excellence Award for Performance Excellence is a tremendous achievement for the entire NEOTech organization, and we are honored to be recognized,” said Jon Good, NEOTech Longmont General Manager. “This prestigious award from one of the nation’s leading Aerospace & Defense OEMs reflects years of continuous improvement and dedication across all NEOTech teams to deliver the high-quality, high-reliability products our customers expect. Our teams are committed to achieving customer excellence to ensure U.S. and allied warfighters achieve operational success around the globe. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Northrop Grumman and providing best-in-class Electronic Manufacturing Services to all our customers.”

NEOTech is dedicated to transforming customers’ product innovations into engineered solutions by leveraging a highly capable supply base, meticulous manufacturing processes, and reliable on-time delivery. With the resources of a Tier 1 provider and the agility of a customer-focused partner, NEOTech offers tailored, project-specific services that address each customer’s unique needs. This collaborative approach ensures that customers receive high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective solutions that consistently meet or exceed expectations. As a trusted partner to OEMs, NEOTech provides comprehensive product design, engineering, and manufacturing services, seamlessly integrating with customers’ engineering teams to enhance scalability, flexibility, and speed. NEOTech’s design and manufacturing engineering expertise supports customers at any stage of the design cycle, helping to refine concepts and accelerate the transition from prototype to full-scale production.

For more information about NEOTech’s services, please visit the company’s website at

www.NEOTech.com.

PALO ALTO, CA and VERNON HILLS, IL – Fuji Corporation, a global leader in advanced SMT and automation solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Arch Systems, a pioneer in AI-powered manufacturing intelligence, to bring AI guidance to factories and users of Fuji SMT lines worldwide.

Arch Systems will provide AI-driven actions to users of Fuji SMT lines, enabling the to resolve production challenges proactively. The system leverages AI agents, enriched with expert knowledge of Fuji machines, to automatically recognize and diagnose issues—ranging from suppressing scrap level and anomalous error states to growing line imbalances and low throughput. By analyzing factory data and dashboards in real-time, the AI generates actionable guidance, empowering manufacturers to optimize uptime, throughput, and yield while reducing reliance on external expertise.

"Fuji has long been recognized for building the most advanced and well-engineered systems in the industry. Through this collaboration, which utilizes our data and reporting at a high level across the entire SMT process, we are signaling a leap into the next step—bringing AI-driven automated guidance to our machines, not just for pick-and-place, but across the entire SMT line to ensure maximum efficiency. This partnership extends our vision for FUJI Smart Factory, empowering customers with end-to-end intelligence to achieve excellence in production," said Takeshi Sato, Fuji Corporation Head of SMT Division, and Board Member.

By bringing AI-driven intelligence to Fuji’s industry-leading solutions, Arch Systems is enhancing the FUJI Smart Factory (FSF) experience, enabling manufacturers to scale expert-level decision-making across production lines. This AI-powered system allows users to transition from reactive troubleshooting to proactive optimization, driving new levels of efficiency and automation in SMT production.

Of the partnership, Arch CTO, Tim Burke, said, “Fuji has long been a leader in not only robotics and automation but in expert data and monitoring systems
that optimized the use of their machines. Now we have partnered to amplify the best of their data, dashboards, and expertise to bring AI guided actions to
shop floor users. In this way we’re enabling manufacturers to scale expertise in all new ways and build intelligence automation on top of physical automation."

For more information about the partnership, visit https://archsys.io/ai-driven-optimization-for-the-fuji-smart-factory/

About Fuji Corporation

Founded in 1959, Fuji Corporation is a global leader in SMT robotics and automation technology, specializing in electronics assembly equipment and machine tools. Fuji develops high-speed, high-precision SMT equipment and automation systems that maximize productivity, supporting industries such as semiconductors, telecommunications, generative AI, and automotive. Their commitment to R&D ensures that Fuji technology stays ahead of the curve, innovating adaptable solutions for various production needs. Beyond manufacturing, Fuji applies robotics and automation to logistics and healthcare, addressing societal challenges and working toward a sustainable future. By delivering innovative products and services, Fuji enriches lives and creates new value for society, shaping a future where automation supports everyday life.

For more information, visit https://smt.fuji.co.jp/en/.

About Arch Systems

Arch Systems transforms factory intelligence with AI-driven solutions that help manufacturers optimize operations, reduce downtime, and maximize efficiency. Purpose-built for discrete manufacturing by manufacturing and data experts, Arch AI acts as an expert copilot—reading dashboards, synthesizing data, and delivering real-time, prescriptive guidance to operators, engineers, and executives. Unlike traditional dashboards that require experts to interpret, Arch AI provides actionable intelligence without costly infrastructure overhauls. By leveraging AI to unlock insights from existing factory systems, Arch enables manufacturers to scale expertise, improve critical KPIs, and drive measurable impact on the shop floor.

For more information, visit www.archsys.io.