SMYRNA, GA – Circuits Assembly will accept entries for its 2009 New Product Introduction Award for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers beginning Nov. 3.

The 2d annual NPI Award recognizes the leading new products for electronics assembly during the past 12 months. Awards are selected by an independent panel of practicing industry engineers, and are presented by Circuits Assembly.
 
The 2008 winners included Inovaxe, Aqueous, Kyzen, Siemens, Europlacer, BPM Microsystems, Ovation, Polyonics, Nihon Superior, ECD, R&D Technical Services, ICON, Optimal, DEK, Juki, Balver-Zinn, DKL, FCT, EVS International, VJ Electronix, Everett Charles Technologies, Mirtec and Henkel.
 
How does it work?
Entrants must submit a single registration form for each product and category entered. All entries must include a 250-word (maximum) statement describing the product in terms of its innovation, compatibility, cost-effectiveness, design, speed/throughput improvements, ease of use, and maintainability and repairability; a PDF or Word file of corresponding technical product literature and/or product specifications, and a high-resolution (266 dpi or greater) digital image (.jpg, .tif or .eps).
 
Email information to: cdrysdale@upmediagroup.com
 
The entry fee is $500 per product. Online registration forms will be available Nov. 3.
 
To be eligible, entries must have been introduced to market (any region) no earlier than April 1, 2008.
 
Evaluations will be based on the following:

• Creativity and innovation
  
• Compatibility with existing technology
  
• Cost-effectiveness
  
• Design
  
• Environmental friendliness
  
• Expected reliability
  
• Flexibility
  
• Expected maintainability/repairability
  
• Performance
  
• User-friendliness
  

Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony will take place March 30, 2009 during the IPC Apex trade show in Las Vegas.
 
Categories
 
Equipment:
Automation tools (conveyors, feeders, etc.); bonders; cleaning equipment; component placement – high-speed; component placement – multi-function; device programming; dispensing equipment; labeling equipment; process control tools; rework and repair tools; screen/stencil printing; soldering – reflow; soldering – wave; soldering – selective; soldering – other (vapor phase, hot bar, laser, etc.); soldering – hand tools; software – process control; software – production; software – management (ERP, MRP, etc.); test and inspection – AOI; test and inspection – AXI; test and inspection – ICT
 
Materials:
Adhesives; cleaning materials; coatings/encapsulants; underfills; flux, and soldering materials (paste, bar, wire, core, etc.)
 
For more information, visit http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5893/206
 
For 2009 terms and conditions, visit: http://circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5891/206
 
The deadline for entries is Feb. 3, 2009.