Technology has a tempestuous relationship with the past. Many people in the electronics assembly industry have been with the technology from the beginning and can wax poetic about the good old days 10, 20, 30 years ago. It’s not that this past, the glory days, is irrelevant, it’s that their memory cannot overshadow the present. To paraphrase a recent visitor to SMT’s offices, outdated business models can be as “old” as 90 days in the past. Electronics were always advanced by manufacturing technology achievements, and under the shadow of global economic uncertainty, today’s innovations — not yesterday’s business models and volumes — deserve recognition. The 17th annual SMT VISION Awards aim to do just that, looking forward to what the industry can be tomorrow.Much like Girl Scout Cookies, the awards are given out only once a year, but much anticipated and valued throughout. The SMT VISION awards will be presented in more than 15 categories, ranging from underfills to contract services to test equipment, recognizing the best products to lead the SMT and microelectronics assembly industry into new-generation capabilities, business models, and end products. See the companies honored at the VISION Awards ceremony, March 30, 2009 at APEX Expo, Las Vegas. The party will be held in the Banyan Room D, Level 3 of the South Convention Center at the Mandalay Bay, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, and all are welcome.
Products are qualified to receive VISION Awards by persnickety judges, thoroughly evaluating environmental impact, cost, innovation, and other important factors. Look for VISION awards on display with materials, equipment, software, and other offerings on the show floor at APEX. The award signifies a product’s relevance to the electronics assembly and manufacturing industry today and in the future.
IPC reports that APEX attendee registration is higher than expected, in the midst of the economic troubles. It seems that — at a time when “value” is being redefined for houses, banks, assets of all kinds — the educational and influential value of programs at APEX remains high, unshaken. If you’re attending the show, be sure to soak up as much useful information as possible for the here-and-now of our industry, and apply it to your business model, job, or research. To see the highlights of the technical conference, including SMT’s free forum on EMS trends, read IPC APEX Expo Preview: Technical Courses and Tutorials and Get Ready for APEX: Preview of Technical Sessions and Noteworthy Events.
To see the winning products from the 16th annual SMT VISION Awards, see the VISION Award Winners.
Meredith Courtemanche, managing editor
Well, take it from this "old timer" that alot of wrong turns are avoided by knowing where you've been - and WHY. That's the same logic as to why kids (teens, twentysomethings) have the most car accidents, too. Sure, fresh YOUNG approaches are needed to make synergistic successes - it takes both qualities for the best results in my opinion.
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