SMYRNA, GA – UP Media Group today announced several electronics industry experts will moderate must-see chats during the fourth annual VIRTUAL PCB, the industry’s only virtual conference and trade show for the printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly markets. The two-day worldwide event takes place March 8-9, 2011.

On March 8 at 12:00 PM EST, Werner Engelmaier, known industry-wide as “Mr. Reliability,” will moderate “PCB Solderability and Reliability.” Engelmaier, founder of Engelmaier Associates, has authored nearly 200 technical publications, and has coauthored most of the electronics industry’s reliability and performance specifications. He received the Distinguished Technical Staff Award from Bell Telephone Laboratories, and is an IMAPS Fellow.

On March 9, process expert Bob Willis will moderate a chat on “PCB Process Defects.”

Other topics over the two days include SPI and AOI, assembly cleaning, PCB placement and design reuse CAD-CAM techniques, tin whiskers, cleaning and ECAD data sharing, among others.

New this year, VIRTUAL PCB will host several chats during Asia and Europe business hours.

Each chat lasts 30 minutes and is open to all VIRTUAL PCB registrants.

Features of the upcoming virtual event will include custom exhibit booths, live attendee-attendee and attendee-exhibitor communication, live and on-demand equipment demonstrations, real-time technical presentations, open “chats” moderated by industry experts, and much more.

A fully interactive, Web-based event, VIRTUAL PCB (virtual-pcb.com) incorporates all the critical features of a live event, while allowing PCB design, fabrication and assembly equipment and materials buyers and sellers to interact online. VIRTUAL PCB is supported by a proven software platform (provided by INXPO), and will be accessible on-demand for one month beyond the free two-day live event.

For more information about VIRTUAL PCB, visit www.virtual-pcb.com or contact Alyson Skarbek, show manager, at 404-665-7749 or askarbek@upmediagroup.com.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The SMTA is soliciting applications from full-time graduate-level students pursuing a degree and working on thesis research in electronic assembly, electronics packaging, or a related field, for the Charles Hutchins Educational Grant. 

Cosponsored by the SMTA and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazine, the Hutchins Grant was established in memory of past SMTA president Dr. Charles Hutchins. The $5000 grant has been presented annually since 1998.

All required materials are due Apr. 18. The grant will be presented at the SMTA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with SMTA International in Fort Worth, TX, Oct. 16-20.

For more information and to complete an application, visit http://www.smta.org/hutchins/student_app.cfm.

BOSTON – Bain Capital is considering selling electronics connector maker FCI and has enlisted outside bankers to advise on possible deals, according to published reports.

MINNEAPOLIS – CyberOptics Corp. today reported fourth-quarter 2010 net income was $971,000, compared to a net loss of $1.6 million in the prior year period.

The printed circuit board inspection equipment maker’s consolidated sales of $14 million, up 56% year-over-year. Operating income was $1.04 million, compared to an operating loss of $1.6 million in the same quarter of 2009.

For full-year 2010, CyberOptics reported consolidated sales of $57 million, up 110% year-over-year.

Earnings in 2010 were $3.1 million, compared to a net loss of $6.8 million in 2009.

“Fourth quarter sales were at the upper end of our previously issued guidance for this period, while our earnings exceeded our forecast for this period. The sales performance of our three product lines – electronic assembly sensors, inspection systems and semiconductor products – largely tracked our fourth quarter projections and were consistent with normal seasonal factors,” said Kathleen P. Iverson, CEO and chair.

The firm ended the fourth quarter with an order backlog of $7.2 million, compared to $12.8 million at the end of the third quarter. The majority of this backlog is scheduled to ship in the first and second quarters this year.

For the first quarter of 2011, the company is forecasting sales of $12.5 million to $13.5 million. For full-year 2011, the company expects sales of $60 million to $65 million.