CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY'S 19th annual New Product Introduction (NPI) Awards recognize 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.

Requirements

• A 250- to 1000-word statement describing the product in terms of its creativity and innovation, compatibility with existing technology, cost-effectiveness, design, expected reliability, flexibility, speed/throughput improvements, performance, user-friendliness, and expected maintainability and reparability, emailed to pcea@pcea.net no later than December 19, 2025.
  
• A PDF or Word file of corresponding technical product literature and/or product specifications, emailed to pcea@pcea.net.
• A high-resolution (300 dpi or greater) digital image (.jpg, .png, .tif or .eps).
• Video not required but encouraged, as applicable.
• Fee of $500 per product entered

Criteria

Entrants must submit a single registration form for each product and category entered. All entries must include a 250- to 1,000-word statement describing the product in the following terms:

• Creativity and innovation
• Compatibility with existing technology
• Cost-effectiveness
• Design
• Expected reliability
• Flexibility
• Expected maintainability/reparability
• Performance
• User-friendliness
• Speed/throughput.

Categories

Equipment: automation tools (conveyors, feeders, etc.); bonders; cleaning equipment; component placement - high-speed; component placement - multifunction; component placement - accessory technologies; component storage; device programming; dispensing equipment; labeling equipment; process control tools; rework and repair tools; screen/stencil printing; screen/stencil printing peripherals/consumables; soldering - reflow (convection); soldering – wave; soldering – selective; selective soldering tools and accessories; soldering – alternative (vapor phase, hot bar, laser, etc.); soldering – hand tools; test and inspection – AOI; test and inspection – AXI; test and inspection – ICT; test and inspection – SPI; test and inspection – functional test; first article inspection; curing ovens (for non-solder materials); ESD

Materials: adhesives; cleaning materials; coatings/encapsulants; underfills; thermal interface materials; flux; soldering materials (paste, bar, wire, core, etc.); cored wire

Software: process control; production; management (ERP, MRP, etc.)

Training Materials

Process Innovation (Open to electronics manufacturing services companies only)

Judging

Judges have been chosen by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY from a pool of experienced, practicing industry engineers with no affiliation to any of the entrants. CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY will tabulate all scores. Judges' scores are final; judges will not be made available to communicate with entrants.

Awards Presentation 

Awards will be distributed in Spring 2026.