Ultima TR2 benchtop selective soldering machine is for low- to medium-volume assembly. A 35-lb-capacity solder pot handles Pb-free or Sn/Pb solders; has a nitrogen hood with micro pre-heater. Point-to-point and drag soldering functions, along with solder pump speed, wave height control, dip height and dwell parameter settings, are fully programmable. Includes a three-axis drive mechanism; moves the PCB rather than the solder pot, providing positional accuracy of ±0.01mm. Has a bottom-side camera to monitor live video from a laptop or PC. Works in conjunction with Ultima SP benchtop fluxing system. A single SP fluxer can support up to three TR2 machines.

Manncorp, www.manncorp.com/selective-soldering/

NanoClear stencil treatment is now reportedly 50% stronger. Reduces frequency of underside cleaning as a result of a reduction in bridging. Treats apertures walls; allows better performance from stencils with low aperture area ratios. Uses self-assembled Monolayers with Phosphonates (SAMPs) that are compatible with common stencil alloys, including stainless steel, electroform, nickel, and e-polished stencils. Monolayers are fewer than 5nm thick and covalently bound to the surface.

Aculon, www.aculon.com

EKRA XACT 4 SI screen and stencil printer now comes with Simplex intuitive user interface. Is said to increase speed and ease of setup.

Asys Group, www.asys-group.com

Divisio 1000 Easy Duo is for low-stress, automatic PCB depaneling. Includes two loading drawers, linear motor gantries and a host of standard features including a camera system, fiducial recognition and camera assisted program generation.

ASYS Group, asys-group.com