SAN DIEGO – PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines today announced the winners of the 2012 New Product Introduction Award for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software, and PCB fabrication.

BANNOCKBURN, IL — North American printed circuit board fabricators saw shipments fall 3.5% year-over-year in January, IPC said today. Bookings rose 6.2% from a year ago.

LONDON -- Cookson's electronics solder and surface finishes business unit reported revenues of GBP814 million ($1.29 billion), up 13% year-over-year. Demand was steady, with much of the revenue (GBP111 million) increase attributed to higher raw metals prices. Excluding price inflation, base business revenues were up 1% from 2010.

ROCHESTER, NY – Eastman Kodak Company said it has been working with the Conductive Polymers Division of Heraeus Precious Metals to create technologically advanced transparent conductive films for use in touch screen and signage applications.

A 3.5" projected capacitive touch screen for use in cellular handsets is constructed with Kodak HCF-225 Film/ESTAR Base as the transparent conductive component, featuring invisible patterns.

The invisible patterning process uses Heraeus’ component technologies, whereby a conductive pattern is screen printed onto Kodak HCF-225 Film/ESTAR Base using Clevios SET S – a masking polymer.

Clevios Etch is then used to create the non-conductive areas. After the process is completed, the masking polymer that protected the conductive pattern is removed.