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Weymouth, UK - Aug. 4, 2004 - DEK (dek.com)'s latest machine for surface-mount pre-placement, the Europa, has a cycle time of less than seven seconds and total process Cpk 2.0 of ± 20mm.

According to the company, a newly designed chassis provides torsional and thermal stability and a single natural vibration frequency. A new scaleable control system increases the reliability of dramatically reduced wiring - 40% less than conventional printing systems.

Rich Heimsch, president of DEK International, notes that Europa's specification sheet describes the performance customers can expect during actual production. "Europa's Cpk 2.0 at ± 20mm is the figure for true paste on pad repeatability, measured after a full wet print cycle. Many specifications quote fiducial alignment capability only, but it is paste on pad repeatability that really matters to electronics assemblers."

The machine features an interactive user interface, with graphical indications for consumable replenishment, plus on-board help and error recovery. Its software links to DEK's Web-based support services and contains tutorials on setup, process optimization, and maintenance and applications issues.

TAIPEI, Aug. 11 -- Notebook PC maker Elitegroup Computer Systems will branch into EMS services following a recently completed internal reorganization.

The company is aiming for notebook contract orders from regional vendors and system integrators, DigiTimes reported, sourcing chairman Johnson Chiang.

ECS, one of Taiwan's largest ODM makers of motherboards, recently split into two units -- EMS and brand products.

While the company's history is in motherboard manufacturing, the EMS group will target a broader product range including motherboards, graphics cards, PC systems and notebooks, DigiTimes said.

ARLINGTON, VA, Aug. 9 - July bookings of electronics components slowed for the first time in nearly a year but are expected to pick up in the fall, said a trade group that tracks monthly orders.

Orders flattened in July, their first slowdown in 11 months, reported the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association, a trade group of component makers and assemblers.

"After almost a year of steady upward movement, the market seems to have taken a bit of a breather in July," said Bob Willis, ECA president, in a press statement. "We suspect that this will be temporary and that growth will resume by the end of this quarter through the close of the year."

Executives from manufacturers who met at ECA's spring conference said they expect growth well into 2005, ECA said.

The ECA is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance.

TAMPA, Aug. 4 -- Reptron Electronics reported second-quarter sales of $35.6 million, down about 10% from last year.

For the quarter ended June 30, Reptron recorded a pro-forma loss from continuing operations of $174,000, excluding reorganization expenses. This compares to a $711,000 loss a year ago. The net loss was $147,000, vs. $2 million last year.

Gross margins improved sequentially.

In February, Reptron emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, having sold various assets of its components distribution and memory module divisions.

"Reptron Electronics continued on its road to recovery during the second quarter," said Paul Plante, president and CEO. "We continue to see signs of an improving economy through increasing customer demand."

TAMPA, FL, Aug. 9 -- Reptron Electronics has signed a multimillion dollar contract to build electronics assemblies for Clear-Com Communication Systems.

"This is an important business development for Reptron that increases our capacity to provide manufacturing services for the communications industry sector," said Bonnie Fena, president of Reptron Manufacturing Services.

Full production is expected to ramp by the end of 2004.

Under the deal, Reptron will build 150 different subassemblies and PCBs for wired and wireless intercommunications products. Much of the current phase involves converting from plated through-hole to to surface mount technology.

Clinton, NY -- Indium Corp. (indium.com) has released the results of a series of cleaning solvent compatibility evaluations. After extensive testing and analysis, the company found a high degree of effectiveness using a range of cleaning solvents from Zestron and Kyzen for the Indium's solder pastes, including lead-free.

The data are available by contacting abrown@indium.com.

Indium is a supplier of electronics assembly materials, including solder pastes, solder preforms, fluxes, lead-free solder alloys, underfill materials and die-attach materials.