Austin, Texas, November 4th 2025 – High Density Packaging User Group (HDP) is pleased to announce that the European Space Agency (ESA) has become a member.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to participate to the HDP User Group and its comprehensive research activities,” said Stan Heltzel, Materials Engineer and PCB expert at ESA. “International collaboration across market segments is instrumental to address the technical challenges, combining complexity and functionality with reliability. I’m convinced that ESA can contribute with technological expertise and a wide stakeholder network to the HDP projects, and vice versa.”
“I am pleased to welcome the European Space Agency to HDP, joining the outstanding organization working on HDP User Group projects. Their expertise and understanding of the complex PCBs required for outer space, the harshest use environment. They will contribute significantly to guiding our advanced reliability assessment projects," said Larry Marcanti, Executive Director of HDP User Group.
Austin, Texas, November 3, 2025 – High Density Packaging User Group (HDP) is pleased to announce that the Aoshikang Technology (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd (ASKPCB) has become a member.
“ASKPCB and Sundell are thrilled to join the HDP User Group,” said Fred Hickman, VP of North America Sales. “As part of our continuous drive toward innovation and collaboration, HDP provides an ideal platform to work alongside global leaders in the Technology field. With our new smart-factory operations in Sundell (Thailand facility), we look forward to contributing to HDP initiatives that advance next-generation PCB design, materials and manufacturing processes – while strengthening partnerships across the electronics supply chain.”
I am pleased to welcome ASKPCB to HDP, joining the outstanding organization working on HDP User Group projects. Their expertise and understanding of complex PCB fabrication for high-performance applications will support many HDP projects. They will contribute significantly to our advanced reliability assessment projects," said Larry Marcanti, Executive Director of HDP User Group.
SEOUL, KOREA – Koh Young Technology, the global leader in True 3D measurement-based inspection and metrology solutions, has appointed Jeff Lee as Head of Industrial Solutions Business. In this role, he will oversee Global Sales, Product Planning, Technical Support, and the company’s worldwide branch offices, ensuring a comprehensive structure aligned with Koh Young’s strategic goals while balancing technology innovation and customer-focused growth.
Mr. Lee has been with Koh Young since 2002, contributing to the company’s evolution across multiple dimensions of technology and business. With leadership experience across R&D, product planning, and international sales, he brings a unique perspective that bridges customer needs with market dynamics. Over the years, he has helped advance Koh Young’s optical inspection technologies, guided product strategies to address increasingly complex manufacturing challenges, and strengthened customer relationships through global expansion. This dual emphasis on innovation and sales effectiveness positions him to maximize customer satisfaction and enhance Koh Young’s market presence.
“In this role, I will focus on accelerating innovation while ensuring our solutions deliver clear value to customers,” said Mr. Lee. “By enhancing collaboration across our global teams and listening closely to customer needs, we will strengthen partnerships, drive greater satisfaction, and continue advancing Koh Young’s vision of enabling smart manufacturing and zero-defect production.”
Jeff Lee’s assignment underscores Koh Young’s long-term commitment to innovation and customer partnership. By combining its industry-leading inspection and metrology expertise with a globally integrated organization, Koh Young is equipping manufacturers with the tools and support they need to thrive in an era defined by digital transformation and advanced packaging.
As he steps into this role, Mr. Lee will also work closely with Koh Young’s global branch offices to ensure consistent support and alignment across regions. By reinforcing collaboration between headquarters and local teams, his leadership will ensure faster response times, tailored solutions, and stronger customer engagement worldwide.
HILLSBORO, OR – OCTOBER 30, 2025 – The NW Electronics Design & Manufacturing Expo (NEDME) 2025 once again brought together the Pacific Northwest community for a full day of learning, networking, and industry connections.
Hosted at the Wingspan Event and Conference Center on October 22, the expo welcomed hundreds of attendees from across Oregon and Washington, including engineers, purchasing teams, and business leaders representing a wide variety of local manufacturers—not only in electronics, but also in materials, equipment, and related industries. The show floor featured over 50 exhibitors, with manufacturers demonstrating capabilities that spanned the full ecosystem of design, production, advanced materials, assembly, testing, and integrated solutions.
Adding to the energy of the event were special participants from education and research: the Portland State University Rocket Team, the Beaverton School District Robotics Program, and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Their presence highlighted NEDME’s commitment to connecting industry with education and inspiring the next generation of innovators.
“For more than two decades, NEDME has served as a cornerstone event for our region,” said Mike Foresee, NEDME Steering Committee member. “It’s not just about technology—it’s about creating a space where manufacturers, innovators, educators, and students can come together to share knowledge, build partnerships, and strengthen the Northwest ecosystem.”
The technical program featured sessions on topics ranging from advanced PCB design practices to supply chain resilience and AI-driven engineering tools. Speakers emphasized practical takeaways for companies of all sizes, while exhibitors highlighted innovations tailored to the unique needs of Northwest manufacturers.
Exhibitors and attendees alike praised the show for its approachable format and community focus:
“The seminars were not only helpful, but what stood out was the balance of topics—they didn’t just focus on manufacturing, but also included valuable management insights. That broader perspective made them especially worthwhile, and I look forward to seeing more of this approach in the future.” Tom Hauge, President, Fusion EMS.
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
The success of NEDME 2025 would not have been possible without the support of its sponsors: ASC Sunstone, Screaming Circuits, Citizens Bank, Polar Instruments, QTexAI, Westco Group, MCX, Inc., EPB&B Insurance, Stoel Rives LLP, and Opsahl Dawson. sponsors. Lunch was generously provided by the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA).
BROOKLYN, NY -- Cofactr, the electronics procurement execution platform, today announced the launch of its free to start, complete procure-to-ship service that eliminates procurement busywork for agile hardware manufacturers. Simplifying procurement for complex manufacturers with a free-to-use full-service procurement solution. Hardware teams can now upload a bill of materials (BOM) and let Cofactr's AI agents and warehouses handle sourcing, optimizing for best price and lead times, ordering, traceability, storage, kitting, and delivery to their manufacturer.
The new service addresses a critical bottleneck for hardware companies: engineering teams spending valuable time on procurement tasks instead of product development. With Cofactr's end-to-end execution model, manufacturers get authenticated components delivered production-ready while their teams remain focused on innovation.
“Looking over the last few months, we realized the most accurate representation of our mission is to make Cofactr's solution as accessible as possible," said Phillip Gulley, CSO & Co-Founder at Cofactr. “We believe that at this moment it is imperative that hardware manufacturers be able to move fast. There were two ways we could do that; offering our core electronics solution with no friction to adoption, and by making search access to the core Supplier Discovery database free. At this moment, more so than any in our lives, Cofactr believes that hardware deserves to thrive with as little obstacles as possible.”
Complete Procurement Execution
Cofactr's service combines AI-powered procurement agents with physical warehouse infrastructure to deliver:
The service requires no upfront investment or platform fees. Customers pay only for components and services used, removing traditional barriers to procurement modernization.
Cofactr’s value to manufacturers has always been at the point of connection - selecting, buying from, and tracking parts from different suppliers. As OEMs and suppliers react to tariff hikes and market volatility we’ve seen surges in demand for this connectivity. Enabling trusted, verifiable connections between OEMs and suppliers as part of the entry level Cofactr offering will not only help manufacturers deal with short term shocks, but will build more robust US and regional supply networks in the long run.
"Hardware teams shouldn't need procurement expertise to build great products," said Phillip Gulley, CSO & Co-Founder at Cofactr. “We've developed a platform that lets manufacturers focus on design and final assembly. Procurement and management of electronics should be a turnkey solution, and that's what we provided. Onboard easily and quickly, upload your BOM, and with a few pieces of information, Cofactr handles everything from sourcing through a kit of materials showing up for PCBA with no upfront costs."
Built for High-Mix, Low-Volume Manufacturing
Cofactr's approach is purpose-built for the complexity of modern electronics manufacturing, particularly high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) production environments in aerospace, defense, medical devices, and robotics. The platform handles multi-variant BOMs, obsolescence management, and compliance requirements that typically consume engineering resources.
About Cofactr
Cofactr is a procurement execution platform that handles the complete procure-to-ship process for hardware manufacturers. By combining AI agents with warehouse infrastructure, Cofactr executes sourcing, negotiations, storage, kitting, and delivery—allowing engineering teams to focus on building products instead of managing supply chains. The company’s platform is in use by organizations that build everything from rocket ships, satellites, and drones to robotics, autonomous vehicles, and wearables. These companies not only need to produce and source fast while navigating stringent corporate processes and policies, but those in regulated industries additionally need to comply with governmental requirements. Within Cofactr’s single unified platform, they can now automate and manage the complexities of everything from parts sourcing, supplier procurement, payments, and shipping to cross-vendor logistics, stock availability, and government regulations. Cofactr is ITAR and SOC 2 compliant and runs entirely on AWS’s Government Cloud to meet the requirements of high-compliance industries.
Cofactr is backed by Bain Capital, Y Combinator, Floating Point Ventures, Broom and DNX.
LAKE FOREST, CA ― October 2025 ― Semi-Kinetics, a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services, is proud to announce the procurement and implementation of a second cutting-edge Pemtron X-ray inspection and automated component counting system, reinforcing the company’s commitment to quality assurance, process control, and supply chain accuracy within its California manufacturing footprint. This acquisition is part of a broader multi-million-dollar capital investment to upgrade inspection, production, and automation capabilities across the facility.
The new Pemtron X-ray system delivers advanced non-destructive inspection (NDI) of internal solder joints, ball bonds, vias, and other hidden features. By integrating 3D tomography, high-resolution imaging, and defect analysis into the production flow, Semi-Kinetics gains immediate visibility into critical failure modes while ensuring every assembly meets the company’s rigorous reliability standards.
Complementing this capability, the facility has also deployed Pemtron’s Mercury Automated X-Ray SMD Counter, a real-time, AI-driven solution for fast and accurate component inventory tracking. The Mercury system scans up to four 7-inch reels simultaneously, providing real-time ERP and MES reporting, barcode-based stock verification, and fully automated data capture through a user-friendly touchscreen interface. With AI-powered parameter teaching and system-to-system inspection tolerance sharing, the tool delivers unmatched accuracy and traceability for component management.
“Investing in Pemtron’s X-ray and Mercury systems allows us to validate every layer of our manufacturing process — from inspection to inventory,” said Michael Leedom, CEO of Semi-Kinetics. “The ability to automatically count, verify, and report component data in real time is a game changer for efficiency and accountability. In parallel, our advanced inspection capability strengthens product quality and customer confidence. Together, they form a powerful combination that supports our ongoing growth and commitment to operational excellence.”
The X-ray and component counting systems are being calibrated for full integration into Semi-Kinetics’ production environment and will be fully operational in the coming months. These investments underscore the company’s focus on delivering high-reliability, turnkey manufacturing solutions that meet the evolving needs of aerospace, medical, industrial, and technology customers.
For more information about Semi-Kinetics and its capabilities, visit www.semikinetics.com.