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BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC today announced publication of the 2006-2007 IPC International Technology Roadmap for Electronic Interconnections. The biennial roadmap provides direction for product and process development for companies manufacturing substrates and assemblies. The Roadmap is available as a free download to IPC members at www.ipc.org/membersonly. The Roadmap can also be purchased in a CD format.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – After experiencing a drop in surplus inventory at the end of fourth quarter, semiconductor stockpiles in the supply chain continued to decline in the first quarter as result of previous production cuts by chip manufacturers, according to iSuppli Corp.

MARLBOROUGH, MA – Flomerics reported sales rose 24% to $27.8 million in 2006, and gross profits climbed 30% to $2.9 million, before taxes and other charges. A key factor was the company’s July acquisition of Nika. Global sales of Nika’s Engineering Fluid Dynamics software grew 33% in 2006. Excluding revenues from Nika, sales grew 13% to $25.3 million for the year. Sales of Flomerics’ Flotherm and Flo/PCB increased 11%, while revenues from MicReD were up 80%. Revenue from Flo/EMC and MicroStripes grew 4%, and Flomerics’ Flovent product’s revenue grew 24%.

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WI – Promation has been selected to design and build a custom conveyor solution that will permit the manufacture of large platform elevator control cabinets in a progressive assembly line.

The company’s power-driven roller conveyor solutions coupled with air bladder lifts, product rotating stations with overhead lighting, and tool trolleys and power crossover stations have been integrated to create a safe assembly line to manufacture the customer’s 650 lb. control cabinets.

TEDDINGTON, UK – The upcoming Soldering Science & Technology Club meeting will take place May 24 at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, UK. Presentations will include Improving the Prediction of Reliability Performance of Lead-Free Assemblies; Reliability in High Frequency Vibration of Lead-Free Solder Joints; A New Technique for Reliability Assessment based on Power Cycling; Corrosion Properties of Lead-Free Alloys; Measuring the Tin-pest Transformation; Thermal Management Technology Developments in the US; Reliability of Substrates after Processing at Lead-Free Soldering Temperatures, and Will Tin Finished Components Whisker? NPL also will launch an Industry Defect Database and there will be a tabletop exhibition. This event is suited for technologists, engineers and designers, and others wishing to gain a general background in field failures. For information, contact Dr. Chris Hunt at chrishunt@npl.co.uk.

DEARBORN, MI – The Society of Manufacturing Engineers and its Electronics Manufacturing Tech Group named Professor R. Wayne Johnson winner of its 2007 Total Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing Award. The annual award recognizes extraordinary dedication and innovation in setting new or higher levels of achievement in electronics manufacturing. Johnson is a professor of electrical engineering at Auburn University and director of the Laboratory for Electronics Assembly and Packaging (LEAP). At Auburn, he has established teaching and research laboratories for advanced packaging and electronics manufacturing. His research efforts are focused on the materials, processing, and reliability aspects of electronics manufacturing. Current projects include lead-free electronics assembly, mixed lead-free and Sn/Pb electronics assembly, wafer-level packaging, flip-chip assembly, assembly of ultra thin Si die, and electronics packaging for extreme environments. He has published 52 journal papers, 135 conference papers, six book chapters and co-edited one book on electronics packaging and electronics manufacturing. Johnson holds one U.S. patent.