SMT/Hybrid/Packaging confirmed its position as the most consistent annual show in Europe. Over 600 exhibitors occupied a little under 30,000 sq. feet of space at the Nuremberg Messe. The number of foreign visitors increased over last year to over 34% of the 24,000+ who visited the three-day event.

Highlights of the show included the Future Packaging Line operated by VDE/VDI/IT and Fraunhofer IZM. The focus was on automotive manufacturing and some of the technologies demonstrated included printing different paste volumes and heights, verified by 3D inspection; soldering of a variety of devices including flip chips and 0201s; post-reflow wire bonding and vapour-phase soldering. A full video report will be on globalsmt.net within the next few days at SMT/Hybrid/Packaging Show Central.

Another major feature in Nuremberg was the Stencil Printer Benchtesting area. Again, full results will be posted on globalsmt.net later in the week, but preliminary results threw up a few surprises!

On the first day, I hosted a panel discussion entitled “Global Business Dynamics, Trends and Strategies.” The panel included Bob Black (JUKI USA), Mike Nelson (ETEK Europe), Carsten Barth (Elcoteq) and Andreas Holtmann (Assembleon). The discussion produced a lively debate about business condition in Europe, US, China and even South Africa. A highlighted clip can be viewed on globalsmt.net

Many exhibitors reported strong business through the week, but JUKI probably took the prize, selling ten machines during the course of the week. JUKI’s European managing director, Joerg Schlupack, said, “Out of the ten purchases, only two of the customers were previously known to us. The sales were spread across many central European and North African countries, confirming the international status of this event.”

—Trevor Galbraith
Editor-in-Chief, Global SMT & Packaging