NEENAH, WI – Plexus Corp. said that F. Gordon Bitter will retire from his role as senior vice president and chief financial officer this year.

COLORADO SPRINGS – Photo Stencil has been awarded the Best Printing Stencil Award 2006 by the Universal SMT Lab, now known as the Advanced Process Laboratory of Unovis Solutions. Photo Stencil’s AMTX E-FAB electroformed stencil placed first in the lab’s study, with the company’s NicAlloy stencil placing second.

The lab’s 2006 study isolated the stencil printing tool to determine which stencil improves the process and decreases the number of defects. The test group included five electroform stencils and seven laser stencils supplied by four leading manufacturers.

A yield analysis program determined the yield loss as a result of open defects of BGA and uBGA packages directly attributed to the stencil. The results show that, compared to the best stencil, the increase in repair costs varies from an additional $658 for the second best, to several thousand more for poor performing stencils because of higher rework. The repair cost analysis assumes a 20,000-piece board run and a cost of $75 to repair a defective board.

WASHINGTON – At the request of Tessera Inc., the U.S. International Trade Commission has opened an investigation into patent infringement.

Tessera’s complaint centers on computer chips used in mobile phones, computers and digital cameras that allegedly infringe the company’s patents, says the ITC. Possible parties to the case include Motorola Inc., Qualcomm Inc., Spansion Inc., STMicroelectonics N.V., and ATI Technologies Inc. 

MUNICH – Messe München International, co-organizer of Componex/electronicIndia, has ended its collaboration with Electronics Today. After an eight-year relationship, electronicIndia and Componex will part ways, and Messe München will be solely responsible for electronicIndia, the trade show planner has announced.