By Christine F. Della Monaca

Speaking of this Week reflects on events in the electronics assembly industry every Friday.

Alliances and mergers steal the spotlight this week, and are followed by progress news. There's also an abundance of tradeshow news, as well as personnel announcements and a quarterly financial release. Let's go:

• Partnerships: Santa Ana, Calif.-based Paradigm Manufacturing LLC installed Willow Grove, Pa.-based Tyco Electronics' new line of Mirae SMT equipment in their facility, while Stamford, Conn.-based FEINFOCUS partnered with Bio-Imaging Research Inc. (BIR) for BIR to supply FEINFOCUS with advanced computed tomography imaging systems. And Mentor, Ohio-based Libra Industries partnered with Solon, Ohio-based J.R. Thornberry. In representative news, Redmond, Wash.-based Data I/O Corp. signed a representative agreement with Advanced Technical Marketing (ATM), while Houston-based BP Microsystems appointed Insitec Elettronica as its exclusive distributor in Italy. Finally, in merger and acquisition news, West Haven, Conn.-based Cookson Electronics Inc. and Tokyo-based Ebara Corp. announced the sale of Ebara Udylite Co. Ltd. to EU Holdings Co. Ltd., while South Portland, Maine-based Fairchild Semiconductor bought the commercial unit of the RF Components Division of Raytheon Co.

• Good progress news: Bethlehem, Pa.-based FlexLink Systems Inc. launched a newly expanded line of re-configurable manufacturing systems (RMS), and Milford, Mass.-based Milford Manufacturing Services unveiled its NPI production and prototyping lab, which gives OEMs access to equipment and facilities 24/7. Temple, Texas-based SMT Resource Group LLC shipped its 200^th machine on September 30, and Ypsilanti, Mich.-based Integrated Sensing Systems Inc. (ISSYS) was awarded $1.97 million from NIST's Advanced Technology Program for development of MEMS-based multi-drug infusion systems. Finally, Polyonics opened its first office in Shanghai, China.

• Some news on upcoming trade shows: BP Microsystems will exhibit at Productronica next month in Munich, Germany, while Alameda, Calif.-based Technology Forecasters Inc. will hold its Quarterly Forum in early December at Cisco Systems Inc. in San Jose, Calif., with a speaker from Hewlett-Packard Co.. Also included in the event will be a panel discussion on outsourcing contracts. Although electronicaUSA with Embedded Systems Conference will not take place until next March, more than 200 exhibitors have already registered. Finally, Northbrook, Ill.-based IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries will launch the first IPC Designers Learning Symposium for PCB designers in the European marketplace, slated to take place in May of next year in London.

• Some personnel news: Portsmouth, R.I.-based International Manufacturing Services appointed Robert Giblin as eastern regional sales manager, while Scottsdale, Ariz.-based In-Stat/MDR brought Clint Wheelock on board as director of wireless research. Finally, IPC elected new officers and directors for one- and two-year terms at its Annual Meeting at the end of September.

• Finally, quarterly results from Greenville, S.C.-based KEMET Corp. The company reported net sales for the quarter ended September 30 of $100.1 million, with a net loss of $43.3 million, or 50 cents per diluted share.

This just in: According to this week's Quick Vote, 70 percent of you use electronic manufacturing services (EMS), while 30 percent do not.