Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

KOKOMO, IN - The Chinese Patent Office has granted Foresite Inc. a patent for its cleanliness analysis tool for electrical circuits.

Patent number ZL98107079.5 was issued Sept. 29 for the C3, Foresite said.

The C3 performs real-time cleanliness analysis, the company said. It operates using a steaming technique to extract residues from a specified area and electrically test for conductivity and corrosivity. Results are returned in minutes, Foresite said.

The process is a means for localized residue assessment and for collecting samples for ion chromatography analysis. The C3 tests specific areas and pinpoints the location of residue without exposing the entire board to water, which can dilute test results.

Tests can be localized to an area of 0.1 in², Foresite said.

The C3 has been issued patents in the U.S. and U.K., and has patents pending in Germany and Hong Kong.

WASHINGTON, DC - The electronics industry's leading trade group said creating a more innovative and competitive environment for U.S. high-tech companies heads its public policy agenda this year.

President and CEO Dave McCurdy said the Electronics Industries Alliance's top priorities include trade with China, RFID and tax relief.

"EIA's broad goal in 2005 is to work with the Bush Administration and the 109th Congress to implement a technology-oriented economic agenda that can allow the U.S. high-tech industry to compete favorably in the global economy," said EIA board of governors chairman Ron Turner.

HAUPPAUGE, NY - Jaco Electronics, a distributor of components, reported second-quarter net sales of $52 million, down from $61.5 million a year ago. For the period ended Dec. 31, the company lost $1.5 million, vs. $437,000 last year.

The December results do not Jaco's former contract manufacturing subsidiary, which the company sold to Sagamore Holdings last September.

In a press statement, Jaco's chairman and chief executive Joel Girsky said, "During this difficult period we are focusing on managing the company's overhead and investing resources in areas we believe provide the best prospects for growth.

The company continues to shave expenses, announcing overhead reductions of $1.5 million annually, in addition to previously announced cuts of $2 million. The reductions will be fully implemented by March, the firm said. The company also intimated that further cuts may be coming as it tries to reduce spending by a total of $5 million per year.

Gross profit was flat at 12.7% on a sequential basis. SG&A declined both sequentially and year-over-year. Inventory levels increased sequentially, primarily due to $10.7 million of inventory for existing orders with a customer through June.

SALT LAKE CITY - Huntsman Corp., one of the world's largest chemical firms, raised $1.45 billion in its initial public offering yesterday.

Demand for the company's 60.2 million common shares was stronger than anticipated, Wall Street analysts said.

The bulk of the proceeds will be used to reduce debt.

The company has also committed about $100 million of the proceeds toward various family charities including the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and cancer research, chief executive Peter Huntsman told the media.

Until yesterday, Huntsman Corp. called itself the world's largest privately held chemicals manufacturer. For nine months ended Sept. 30, the company reported a net loss of $284.9 million on revenues of $8.36 billion. It operates 63 plants in 22 countries and employs 11,600.

Huntsman has a total debt of about $6.2 billion, including bond debt, due to a series of acquisitions and restructurings.

The company has a variety of holdings in the electronics sector, including the former Vantico, a supplier of soldermask materials for circuit boards.

SAN CLEMENTE, CA - YESTech, a provider of AOI equipment, has opened a branch office in Shanghai.

The new office provides training and sales on YESTech's automated optical inspection and x-ray inspection systems for circuit board assembly and semiconductor packaging.

"The opening of the China office is a milestone for YESTech," said Don Miller, president of YESTech, in a press release. "We will be able to provide improved customer support, more effectively demonstrate our products to potential clients, and reduce the sales cycle for the rapidly growing China market."

BINGHAMTON, NY -- Frost & Sullivan has named Universal Instruments as recipient of its 2004 award for customer service leadership.

In a press statement the research firm said Universal won for its proactive service partnership approach that meets both the stated and unstated requirements of its customers globally.

Frost & Sullivan presents the award annually to the company that has demonstrated excellence in customer service leadership within the industry.

"In the evolving world of electronic assembly, Universal has a refreshingly proactive and predictive approach to customer service in the surface mount technology placement equipment market," says Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Vikram Shanbhag. "This includes the establishment of a highly networked global service infrastructure with regional hubs to meet specific customer needs."

Universal has a network of over 200 service personnel around the globe. New service offerings such as support continuance, and a focus on service partnership initiatives have set Universal apart from competitors, Frost said.