LAS VEGAS — SMT announced the winners of its 17^th Annual SMT VISION Awards on Monday, March 30, 2009 during the IPC APEX Expo at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center, Las Vegas. SMT hailed achievement in 18 categories, recognizing industry leaders in technology, efficiency, and environmental benefits, and quality. SMT VISION Award winning products represent the most innovative and useful tools for the surface mount electronics assembly sector.

The SMT VISION Awards recognize the people and products within the surface mount industry that serve as benchmarks of excellence. Products nominated for the SMT VISION Awards are evaluated on their ability to meet a significant industry challenge, creative application of a new or existing technology, overall quality and consistency of performance, economic merits, and throughput characteristics. Products are judged specifically on their innovation, cost-effectiveness, speed/throughput improvements, quality, ease of use, maintainability/repairability, and environmental responsibility. In every category, a standout product was chosen that exemplifies these qualities. The winners are:

•Adhesives/Coatings/Encapsulants/Underfills
Company: Henkel Corporation
Product: Hysol UF3800
•Assembly Tools
Company: LPKF Laser & Electronics
Product: ProtoLaser U
•Cleaning Materials
Company: Kyzen Corporation
Product: AQUANOX A4241
•Cleaning Equipment
Company: Aqueous Technologies
Product: MicroJet FC
•Contract Services
Company: Elcoteq
Product: Corporate Responsibility
•Device Programming
Company: BPM Microsystems
Product: Flashstream-C Flash memory programmer
•Design/Manufacturing Software
Company: Sunstone Circuits
Product: PCB123 Design Software
•Dispensing Equipment
Company: Ovation Products
Product: Stinger
•Environmentally Friendly Product/Services
Company: Nihon Superior
Product: SN100C P600 D4 Halogen-free and Lead-free
Solder Paste
•Packages: Active/ Passives/Connectors
Company: Hirose
Product: BGA Mezzanine Connector
•Inspection
Company: YESTech, Inc., A Nordson Company
Product: X3 3D X-Ray Inspection System
•Pick-and-Place
Company: Juki Automation Systems
Product: FX3 Super High-speed Mounter
•Printing
Company: Milara Incorporated
Product: TD2929 Automatic In-line Printer
•Process Control Software
Company: Juki Automation Systems
Product: Intelligent Shop-floor Solutions (IS)
•Rework and Repair
Company: VJ Electronix, Inc.
Product: 400ST
•Soldering Equipment
Company: Heller Industries
Product: Mark3.5 Convection Reflow System
•Solder Materials
Company: EFD, Inc., A Nordson Company
Product: PrintPlus and SolderPlus Lead-free, Halide-free, Water-soluble Pastes
•Testing
Company: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Product: Cover-Extend Technology

SMT produces the SMT VISION Award program annually. To learn more about submitting a product or service for consideration in the 18^th Annual SMT VISION Awards, contact Meredith Courtemanche, Managing Editor, SMT, at (603) 891-9176; mcourtemanche@pennwell.com.

About SMT /PennWell Corporation
SMT magazine, smtonline.com, offers greater technical depth than any other publication of its type, providing an up-close look at the electronics industry for OEMs and MS providers who design, assemble, and test surface mounted printed circuit boards. Through the print magazine, E-Newsletter, and website, our readers get the latest information and analyses on technological developments and industry trends in materials, components, equipment, and methods for surface mount assembly. SMT is published by PennWell Corporation, a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries: Oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiberoptics, enterprise storage, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, web sites, research and database services. In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Campbell, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; Schwabisch Gmund, Germany, Hong Kong and China.