July 11, 2022, PORTO, Portugal- Critical Manufacturing, a company that is redefining the role of manufacturing execution systems (MES), has once again been recognized as a Leader by Gartner, Inc. in its 2022 Magic Quadrant for MES.

According to Gartner, "Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well positioned for tomorrow."

Critical Manufacturing delivers a highly sophisticated, fully integrated, modular MES solution. It includes Augmented Reality, Digital Twin, and extended MES functionality. A highly configurable solution, it is designed to resolve the complex operational challenges faced by modern manufacturers.

Additionally, Critical Manufacturing received the highest scores in 3 of the 4 use cases in the 2022 Critical Capabilities for Manufacturing Execution Systems and is ranked first among 19 vendors recognized in the research against the ‘Batch/Repetitive Flow Manufacturing’, ‘Complex Discrete Manufacturing’ and ‘Highly Regulated Industries” use cases.

Francisco Almada Lobo, Critical Manufacturing CEO, said: “This is the second consecutive year we have been named as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant and we are very proud of this achievement. Our customers see the value our MES solution delivers and the potential it offers for the future with its ability to harness future technologies and provide connectivity to handle the rapid pace and growth of data generated by IoT devices and equipment. The success we have seen with our MES has assisted us in building a strong partner and SI ecosystem.”

In the report, Gartner mentions that “MES solutions are a foundational building block of smart manufacturing strategies and digital business for manufacturers. MES technology is evolving and propelling the market in a new direction. By 2025, 60% of new MES solutions will be assembled by manufacturers or implementation providers using composable technology.”

Almada Lobo concluded: “Our MES has been designed from the ground up to provide flexibility and scalability. It is increasingly becoming an enterprise solution, with a single, standard MES that can be deployed across multiple sites. We continue to work to bring innovative solutions that will deliver the functionality manufacturers need to make them strong, resilient, and competitive into the future and accelerate their growth and transition towards the huge benefits offered by Industry 4.0.”

View a complimentary copy of the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant report to learn more about Critical Manufacturing’s strengths and cautions, among other provider offerings, at 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant

Also access a complimentary copy of the 2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities for MES report to learn more about why Critical Manufacturing is ranking first on the 3 use cases: 2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities

MADISON, AL — July 2022 — STI Electronics, Inc., a full-service organization including engineering, contract manufacturing and training services, is a complete partner from schematic forward design through first article validation. A key step in this cycle is the prototype development process. Prototypes are a requirement in the design validation step and often consume more funding and time than initially budgeted. STI’s unique prototype development approach mitigates these expenses and reduces the overall time to market for customers’ new products.

The typical approach to prototype development is to design, check, build and evaluate. Upon completion of the evaluation, boards are “re spun” to implement changes desired, thus adding time and money to the development cycle. STI’s approach is different with the company’s objective focused on the implementation of corrective actions via rework and repair per IPC 7711/21 (STI is an approved development center for IPC 7711/21) to get the first prototype to the customer’s desired “production” performance level. The product can be released for beta build and test once this milestone is achieved.

STI’s prototype development approach reduces the overall cost and time to market by compressing the development stages from as many as 3 cycles to as few as 1 cycle. The prototype development process is complimented by the capabilities in the company’s analytical lab. The prototype can be subjected to environmental and analytical tests as required to ensure system design objectives are met. These include but are not limited to thermal shock, vibration, humidity, etc. STI’s tests can be performed to customer-supplied specifications or a customized test plan based on best practices learned over the years. The company also has the ability to test prototypes to failure to provide feedback as to finding the weakest link in the design.

For more information, visit www.stiusa.com.

PCB WEST: The leading technical conference and exhibition for electronics engineers. Coming Oct. 4-7 to the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. pcbwest.com

Carlsbad, CA USA – July 2022 - Nordson TEST & INSPECTION, a division of the Nordson Corporation (Nasdaq: NDSN), is pleased to announce that it has setup a brand new Assure™ PRO intelligent X-ray component counter at The A & E Group dba Kurt Whitlock Associates Demonstration Lab in St. Cloud, FL for live demos.

Mike Holleran, President of The A & E Group, stated, “Having a demo room full of equipment has always been our strategy. We typically have two or three open houses per year with 10-20 visitors each time. The Assure PRO X-ray counter is always one of the most popular items that potential customers want to see”.

“The A & E Group, dba Kurt Whitlock Associates, has always been a strategic partner of ours,” said Todd O’Neil of Nordson TEST & INSPECTION. “They were certainly part of our early success, and we have many Assure products installed in Florida. Their open houses are well planned and well attended. The Assure PRO is available for a scheduled demo and typically last-minute demos.”

Inventory knowledge is essential for modern industry. Live assurance of correct inventory in your MRP system at all times minimizes stock, labor, errors and costs ensuring customer confidence and trust to keep SMT lines running efficiently. The Assure™ Pro simplifies the reel counting workflow by automatically reading the reel’s barcode ID with an integrated camera.

Assure is an intelligent, simple, fast, and trustworthy, automated component counter enabling an increase in productivity, minimizing component shortage and SMT line downtime, multiple set-ups and expensive additional component procurement and safety stock.

Since 1978, Kurt Whitlock Associates has searched the world for cutting-edge companies to represent and distribute to its valued electronics assembly customers and potential markets. Since 1998, KWAs Demonstration Lab has developed process solutions and equipment selections that have and can be duplicated throughout customers production facilities.

Kurt Whitlock Associates understands the tiers of assembly requirements of its customers. The company represents an array of companies that provide unmatched solutions to meet high volume, high mix, and mid to low volume requirements with the same level of service and technical support. For more information about Kurt Whitlock Associates, visit https://www.kurtwhitlock.com/.

For more information about the Assure or to schedule a demo today, contact Todd O’Neil at todd.oneil@nordson.com or visit www.nordson.com/en/divisions/dage/x-ray-counting-systems.

PCB WEST: The leading technical conference and exhibition for electronics engineers. Coming Oct. 4-7 to the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. pcbwest.com

MILPITAS, Calif. – July 11, 2022 – SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid opens tomorrow at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as more than 200 industry leaders, visionaries and technology experts gather for insights into critical microelectronics industry trends. July 12-14 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid will spotlight topics including sustainability, smart technologies and digital transformation while addressing key themes including workforce development, government investment in chip manufacturing and heterogeneous integration. Registration is open for both the live and virtual programs.

The event, North America’s premier exhibition and conference for the microelectronics supply chain, will feature on-site keynotes and executive panels with thought leaders from the semiconductor ecosystem, academia and government.

The Global Sustainability Summit will debut at SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid to help drive the collaboration necessary for the semiconductor industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Co-hosted by SEMI and McKinsey & Company, the summit comes as semiconductor ecosystem companies are increasingly committing to sustainability targets. In parallel, SEMI member companies are joining forces with startups to enable a greener chip industry as part of the SEMI Sustainability Initiative.

SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid Smart Pavilions

• Smart Manufacturing Pavilion – The pavilion will feature data-sharing breakthroughs that are leading to smarter manufacturing processes, higher yields, and new semiconductor innovations. Thought leaders will engage attendees at the Meet the Experts Theater on topics including advances in sensors, processors, memory, 5G, and silicon photonics for improving data-sharing across the microelectronics supply chain. Emerging IC technologies for connected intelligence in electronics manufacturing will also be in focus.

• Smart Mobility Pavilion – Leading all new application spaces in chip growth, the transportation and mobility markets promise to fuel the expansion of segments such as flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), MEMS and sensors. The pavilion will also showcase semiconductor industry growth opportunities through advances in areas including autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, 5G and artificial intelligence (AI).

• Smart MedTech Pavilion – The pavilion will focus on future MedTech markets and applications and include technology demonstrations. Industry experts will discuss medical wearables and point-of-care instrument innovations driven by development of MEMS-based sensors and actuators.

• Workforce Development Pavilion – Building the microelectronics industry’s talent pipeline to sustain the current pace of innovation and growth is a top priority. Targeting both new strategies for recruiters and tactics for job seekers, the pavilion will highlight entry-level opportunities, searching for a job during uncertain times, and why microelectronics is a smart career choice.

SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid Sessions

• SEMI Market Symposium – July 11, 1:00-5:00pm – Market trends and drivers and a midyear update on forecasts and insights on semiconductor equipment and materials, electronics design, and the manufacturing supply chain.

• Bulls & Bears – Perspectives on key semiconductor industry trends from Wall Street analysts in a moderated panel discussion.

• TechTALKS – Discussions with experts on advanced manufacturing, materials, silicon photonics, MEMS and sensors, and heterogenous integration.

• Test Vision Symposium – Insights from providers and users of test IP and equipment on coming trends and innovations.

The FLEX Conference, the annual event focused on flexible hybrid and printed electronics innovations, and the Design Automation Conference (DAC), the premier gathering focused on the design and design automation of electronic circuits and systems, will co-locate with SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid.

PCB WEST: The leading technical conference and exhibition for electronics engineers. Coming Oct. 4-7 to the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. pcbwest.com