Press Releases
NASHVILLE – KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, is proud to announce the hire of Michael McCutchen as Director of Global Sales.
McCutchen previously served as KYZEN’s Co-Global Product Line Manager for electronics and returns to KYZEN after several years as a business development specialist with Plasmatreat.
“Michael comes to KYZEN with a lot of knowledge and energy. He is excited and eager to return to the KYZEN team and family and make an impact,” said KYZEN Vice President Erik Miller, “KYZEN is just as excited to have him rejoin the KYZEN family and look forward to his contributions and leadership in our global sales efforts.”
McCutchen holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Armstrong State University and a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. He spent the early years of his career working in sales in the pharmaceutical industry before transiting to the precision cleaning industry where he worked in several capacities. He returned to the pharmaceutical industry until joining KYZEN for his initial time with the company in 2018.
“Like any leading organization, KYZEN is driven toward success, but even after 34 years of growth and changes, it’s clear that KYZEN still believes its greatest asset is the people who make up the KYZEN family,” stated McCutchen. “It’s a very special place to work and I’m thankful to each KYZEN family member who makes it that way.”
McCutchen’s duties as Director of Global Sales will take him all over the world as he leads KYZEN's expert team of technical sales leaders.
SPOKANE VALLEY, WA – Key Tronic Corporation (Nasdaq: KTCC) today announced that, in connection with the previously disclosed retirement of Craig D. Gates, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gates will transition to the role of technical advisor, effective June 30, 2024. In this role, Mr. Gates will provide technical advice to the Company and transition support to the Company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, Brett R. Larsen. Mr. Gates will also continue as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Gates stated, “I am delighted to be able to support the Key Tronic team as a technical advisor. I intend to remain invested in the Company by acting in my new role, continuing my service on the Board and maintaining my ownership of Key Tronic stock. The Company is well prepared for our upcoming leadership transition, and I look forward to watching Brett and his team lead Key Tronic forward.”
CHELMSFORD, MA – VJ Electronix, Inc., the leader in rework technologies and global provider of advanced X-ray inspection and component counting systems, proudly announced the recent installation of the XQuik II Plus component counter into Lonestar EMS, LLC dba Circuitronics, Inc. This new addition to their inventory management infrastructure underscores its commitment to employing state-of-the-art technology to boost efficiency and accuracy.
The XQuik II Plus is celebrated for its market-leading performance, featuring the largest installed base and the highest count accuracy, which offers an unparalleled return on investment. It is equipped with cutting-edge AI technology that requires no programming or manual teaching, capable of counting both single and multiple reels in less than 20 seconds. Its user-friendly interface and plug- and-play functionality allow for effortless integration into existing systems, delivering immediate updates to Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
Mary Sommer, Vice President and General Manager at Lonestar EMS, LLC dba Circuitronics, Inc., commented on the acquisition, stating, "The integration of the XQuik II Plus into our operations marks a significant advancement in our component management capabilities. Its exceptional accuracy and efficiency are in perfect alignment with our commitment to providing fast, flexible solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are thrilled with the enhancements this technology brings to our operations and the positive impact it will have on our service delivery."
The XQuik II Plus not only expedites the inventory process but also significantly reduces labor costs and minimizes the risk of errors through its automatic reel detection system. Its maintenance-free operation ensures continuous, uninterrupted use, proving it to be an indispensable asset for organizations aiming to refine their component counting procedures.
With its compact footprint and comprehensive global support, the XQuik II Plus is designed to accommodate the operational needs of organizations worldwide, ensuring reliable results and superior counting accuracy for components such as 01005s, diodes, and resistor networks.
For more information about the XQuik II Plus or to schedule a demo, please visit www.vjelectronix.com
HANAU, GERMANY – Heraeus Electronics is proud to announce its participation in the FastLane project, an ambitious EU-funded initiative aimed at revolutionizing the European value chain for Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based power electronics. This project, led by Valeo France, spans 36 months, from May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2027.
The FastLane project, titled "Boosting the European Value Chain for Sustainable Power Electronics," brings together 29 partners with a total budget of €96 million, including a €23 million contribution from the EU. The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of SiC-based power electronics by establishing a full and highly competitive technology excellence across an all-European value chain, from powder and boule to engineered SiC substrates. This comprehensive approach will enable the development of novel smart semiconductor devices, smart power modules, and power converters, significantly broadening the application domains for SiC-based technologies.
Heraeus Electronics will develop innovative Ag sintering and AMB materials to enable the design of new, cost-efficient SiC power modules.
Within the FastLane project, Heraeus Electronics will focus on developing new Ag sintering materials for precious metal-free metallized Active Metal Brazed (AMB) substrates and aluminum heat sinks. By minimizing the number of metallization steps and layers, Heraeus aims to simplify the production process, reduce thermal interfaces, and decrease material complexity in the power module stack. These advancements will enable the design of new, cost- efficient SiC power modules with higher power density, longer lifetime, and overall reliability.
The FastLane project is poised to significantly contribute to the European Green Deal by reducing the environmental footprint across the product lifecycle, promoting a greener economy, and ensuring European sovereignty in power electronics. The reuse of automotive economy of scale will also provide cost benefits to end users, making these advanced technologies more accessible.
Heraeus Electronics is excited to participate in FastLane, accelerating the future of sustainable power electronics. For more information about FastLane please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/fast-lane-eu/
For additional information on Heraeus Electronics, visit www.heraeus-electronics.com
MILWAUKIE, OR – ECD today announced that it has increased its customer support staff to ensure its continued, award-winning legacy of timely, personalized customer assistance. Along with its product innovation leadership, ECD has built a solid reputation based on trusted, high-quality, responsive service. The company’s latest hire, Rob Bishop, has joined the team as a Senior Product Support Technician to uphold this commitment.
Bishop brings broad experience to ECD, having previously held positions in equipment maintenance, personnel and customer technical training, field service support, and technical documentation writing. Over the last twenty years, he has worked primarily in the semiconductor manufacturing sector and, most recently, was a training project manager at Lam Research. Rob is a self-described solution-seeker who is technically skilled, innately curious, and passionate about helping people.
“By nature, I am a fixer and a technology nerd,” shares Bishop. “Ensuring proper calibration so our products are at peak performance is critical to our brand reputation and I’m proud to be part of that. I also enjoy meeting and learning from people of all different backgrounds and cultures, which this job allows me to do. Having come from larger organizations, working in a collaborative, tight-knit company like ECD where my contributions are palpable is refreshing. I look forward to learning, growing, and helping our customers succeed.”
ECD’s thermal profiler, machine quality management, product sensor, and humidity-controlled storage cabinet portfolios have enjoyed a steady growth trajectory. Most notably, the company’s recently-introduced M.O.L.E.™ EV-series touchscreen thermal profilers -- with three models now commercialized – have exceeded sales expectations. The industry uptake necessitated additional resources for routine scheduled device calibration, process troubleshooting, and technical guidance.
ECD President Tara Fischer says that customer support is the solid foundation on which ECD is built and is not something the company will outsource; adding internal staff was essential. “We have developed incredibly impactful process control technologies, and enabling our customers to get the most out of our products’ capabilities is our top priority,” she explains. “Customer support takes technical knowledge, yes, but also a calm demeanor, respectful communication, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer. Rob has demonstrated all these characteristics, and we -- and ECD customers – are grateful he is part of our growing team.”
Bishop holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Automated Manufacturing Technology from ITT Technical Institute in Portland, OR. He is based in ECD’s Milwaukie, OR headquarters.
BURGKIRCHEN, GERMANY – cts GmbH made a major appearance at SMT-Connect to present its contribution to the Smart Factory in PCB assembly. The focus was on the Mini Smart Warehouse as a production-related automatic storage option for PCBs in magazines, assemblies and components in boxes or trays. An autonomous mobile robot (AMR), a drop point unit and an unloader from Flexlink as the end point of an SMT line brought the innovative concept to life. This makes cts the first intralogistics and automation specialist to offer a standardized solution for automating material flows and short-term intermediate storage in production. The goals: Avoiding employees having to walk around in production and saving space.
The intelligent software from cts, which can also be used to manage larger smart warehouses, is supplied with information via ERP or MES. Based on this data, the system consisting of the Smart Warehouse and a self-organizing AMR fleet ensures that all materials are available at the right place along the lines at the right time. Materials that are not needed are removed from the way. At SMT-Connect, the process was demonstrated using PCB magazines, trays and KLT boxes, just as it had been at SEMICON Malaysia. Thanks to its compact form with storage areas around a central robot, it is even possible to set up the Mini Smart Warehouse in clean rooms. The cts Smart Warehouse portfolio is completed by the SMT warehouse for component reels.
"Printed circuit boards and components, but also consumables such as solder paste or cleaning fluid - there are many things on SMT lines that need to be tidied up and are also needed again quickly. We are convinced that mixed automatic storage and delivery using a production-related intelligent system is the right way forward," explains Alfred Pammer, VP of Sales, Marketing and Product Management at cts. "Our system is open for integration with existing software and hardware. The discussions we have had at the past two trade fairs show that our intralogistics concept is a very practical smart factory approach that is well received."
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