IRONWOOD, MI -- Burton Industries has received ITM Process Certification and ITM Lead-Free Capability Certification for its Ironwood SMT assembly facility.

Based on audits of the company's operations, processes, materials and personnel, ITM Consulting
said the plant meets the standards set forth by ITM and represent best practices for manufacture and assembly.

ITM further determined and certified that Burton Industries’ Ironwood facility is capable of producing Pb-free  assemblies in compliance with the requirements of the RoHS Directive.

As part of the certification process, ITM performs a patented SMT assembly process audit  which includes Pb-free process capability. Materials, equipment, documentation, processes and methodologies are all scrutinized. When recommendations of the initial gap analysis audit are fulfilled, a second audit is performed and first Pb-free build is observed. Samples of the first build are sent to an independent analysis laboratory.

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN – Digi-Key has signed an agreement to distribute Fotofab’s precision metal parts worldwide. The deal covers RF shields, crystal modular mask systems and electronic packaging lids.

Separately, Digi-Key also agreed to distribute China-based IRTOUCH Systems’ touch screens.
 

ATLANTA, GA – UP Media Group announced that Henry Potts, vice president and general manager of the Systems Design Division of Mentor Graphics Corp., will deliver the keynote at PCB Design Conference West on Mar. 27 in Santa Clara, CA.
 
Cross Currents: Where PCB Design Meets ICs and Hardware will focus on trends for company and market globalization, outsourcing, and manufacturing technologies. Potts will cite examples of how the EDA industry is developing technologies to meet these challenges, and specific examples of future development directions both within the PCB design space and extended to IC-to-PCB and electro-mechanical design team collaboration. 
 
To register for PCB West, or find out more about the show, visit http://www.pcbwest.com.

MUNICH - Siemens will acquire industrial software supplier UGS for $3.5 billion from private equity investors Bain Capital, Silver Lake Partners and Warburg Pincus. The deal is subject to approval.
 

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YAVNE, ISRAEL – Valor Computerized Systems has appointed Stephan Haefele president of European operations. Stephan Haefele joins Valor from simulation software company Sigma-C Software AG, where he was responsible for strategic accounts and European sales. Prior to this role, Stephan held positions at GSI Lumonics and Orbotech. He started his career as an independent sales representative for Valor, EIE Systems and ETEC in Central Europe. David Bengal, former president of Valor European operations, was named corporate vice president of marketing.
 

FRANKLIN, MA - Speedline Technologies announced that PKC Electronics Oy has purchased three Electrovert OmniFlex 10 reflow ovens, an MPM Accela printer, and an Electrovert VectraElite wave soldering system. The machines will be used in production lines in Raahe, Finland, and Kostomuksha, Russia. PKC and Speedline also jointly developed a center board support system for the ovens.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- OEM semiconductor spending is expected to grow 8.6% in 2007, driven by consumer electronics, iSuppli said.

Citing spending habits of 181 OEMs, the research firm projected the U.S. would design products worth an estimated $68.7 billion of ICs in 2007, up 9% from $63.1 billion in 2006.

Second place Japan will design in ICs worth a total of $44.1 billion in 2007, up 4.7%, iSuppli said.

NEENAH, WI – Plexus Corp. reported first-quarter revenue of $381 million, in line with previous estimates. The company warned that previously expected military program ramps were not materializing as expected.

For the quarter ended Dec. 30, the company reported profits of $15 million and gross margins of 10.4%.

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ROCHESTER, NY – EMA Design Automation announced that it has acquired the Chronology Division of Forte Design Systems. No terms were announced. As part of the deal, EMA acquired TimingDesigner, an interactive timing analysis tool.  
 

ST. LOUIS, MO - Laird Technologies has acquired AeroComm for $38 million. AeroComm designs and manufactures wireless communications systems for low- to mid-volume OEM applications.  Key applications include gaming machines, industrial automation, lighting controls, heavy equipment telemetry, athletic event scoreboards, wheel alignment sensor systems, and automatic utility meter readers. Lenexa, KS-based AeroComm reported 2006 profits of $2.9 million.

Laird designs and manufactures antenna solutions, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding products, telematics, signal integrity products and thermal management solutions.

DELEON SPRINGS, FL -- Sparton Electronics won a $13.8 million, two-year contract from the U.S. Navy to develop sonobuoys for detecting submarines.

The contract runs through February 2009 and could be worth as much as $19.6 million, if all options are exercised

DAYTON, OH -- NCR Corp. will outsource its ATM, payment solutions and self-checkout systems to Solectron Corp.
The companies did not disclose the estimated value of the five-year contract.

The deal covers NCR's ATMs and payment solutions in the Americas and its self-checkout systems globally. NCR will transfer its Americas manufacturing to Solectron's sites in Columbia, SC; Guadalajara, Mexico; and Jaguariuna, Brazil by the end of 2007.

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