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ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL -- SigmaTron International today reported revenues 41.3% to $34.9 million yet earnings fell 7.6% to $1.2 million for its second quarter ended Oct. 31.

A year ago the an electronics manufacturing services company reported net revenues of $24.7 million and net income of $1.3 million.

LONDON -- The U.K.'s top energy official today suggested that the deadline for implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive would be pushed back.

In a statement, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said progress on the implementation of WEEE is to be reviewed immediately. "We have listened to the concerns expressed by both the business community and other stakeholders over the implementation process and have decided that more time is needed to get the implementation right. Although any further delay is regrettable, this will ultimately deliver far greater environmental benefits."

LONDON – Isola Group is set to buy Polyclad Laminates from Cookson Group (the parent company of Cookson Electronics) for $91 million. The deal is expected to close in February.

Combined, the companies would be neck-and-neck with Nanya as the second largest supplier of laminate materials, behind Matsushita. Polyclad had sales of $171 million through the third quarter of 2005, while Isola said its revenues will top $400 million this year.

Jena, Germany – GÖPEL electronic will partner with PTS (Production Test Systems Ltd), headquarted in Shenzhen. PTS becomes the 11th Center of Expertise (COE) in GÖPEL’s electronic Alliance Partner Network (created to support JTAG/Boundary Scan applications).

PTS will offer customers in China, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia services,such as Design for Testability (DFT), test program generation development and generation, as well as turnkey solutions and complete system integration based on the recently introduced Scanflex platform.

Minneapolis, MN -- The SMTA International Technical Committee is asking for abstracts for the 2006 conference. Short course descriptions are also being solicited. The deadline for abstracts is Feb. 24, 2006; the SMTA International show is set for Sept. 24-28 in Rosemont, IL.

Sumit abstracts online here: smta.org/smtai/call_for_papers.cfm.

Paper are being solicited in emerging technologies, components, assembly, PCB technology, process control and business issues. Visit the Website for further specifics.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – A group of leading solder vendors today issued a statement asserting “no evidence” exists demonstrating voiding has “any significant impact” on solder joint reliability.

In a statement, Karl Seelig, chair of the subcommittee that issued the report, stressed its findings on Pb- free voids. “Based on the comparison of the number and size of solder joint voids to thermal cycle interconnection failure date, there is no evidence that solder joint voiding has any significant impact on solder joint reliability."