DES PLAINES, IL —Kester will host a course featuring RoHS/Lead-free training on August 23 and 24 at its Des Plaines facility.

The training gives updated information and practical experience to enable rapid, effective implementation of Pb-free assembly. Will include practical demonstrations of Pb-free assembly and rework process assembly.

On Aug.23, attendees will receive classroom instruction on lead-free alloy selection for SMT; flux-critical selection parameters; equipment requirements; component and board finishes; paste in-hole with lead-free; solderability and how to enhance it; troubleshooting the lead-free SMT process; and thermal profiling for lead-free assemblies. Lunch and a networking session will be provided. Classroom instruction will also focus on compatibility issues; BGA lead-free attach; pin testability and inspection; reliability of SMT joints; preventing and reducing defects; reworking lead-free solder joints; and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) of fluxes and the impact on process.

The half-day session on Aug. 24 provides attendees with a hands-on application session for lead-free SMT process implementation. Attendees are encouraged to bring their boards/application for a lead-free solution .

Attendees will receive a Project 2005: Achieving Lead-Free RoHS Assembly Technical Manual and the Lead-Free Connection Newsletter.

For info. on technical content of the seminars, contact: Peter Biocca, Kester, 972-390-1197 or pbiocca@kester.com. For general info., contact Shirley Wood, Kester, 800-253-7837 or kesteruniversity@kester.com.

TEMPE, AZ – The manufacturing sector grew for the 26th straight month in July as the slowdown in May is looking more like a blip than a trend. New orders and production both saw higher rates of growth, according to the latest Institute for Supply Management (ism.ws) poll.

TORONTO -- Celestica Inc., a top tier electronics manufacturing services provider, today announced that it has acquired Ramnish Electronics, an EMS provider located in Hyderabad, India. Celestica will relocate and expand the company's operations in Hyderabad area later this year.

Terms were not disclosed.

VANCOUVER -- Nam Tai Electronics reported second-quarter net income of $6 million on sales of $185 million, a company record for quarterly sales.

For the June quarter, the EMS provider's sales were up 25.5% year-over-year, while net income fell 92.8%. In Q2 2004, the company received a one-time gain of $71 million from the IPO of one of its subsidiaries. Gross profit was up 7% to $23.8 million.