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OCTOBER 2003 INDUSTRY NEWS

 

2003 Wildhack Award Winner – Peter S. Unger

Peter S. Unger, President of the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), in Frederick, Maryland, has received the 2003 William Wildhack Award from NCSL International. Past President Charles Motzko, who chaired the selection committee, presented the award in August 18, 2003 at the organization’s annual Workshop and Symposium in Tampa, Florida.

The Wildhack Award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of metrology and measurement science, consistent with the goals of NCSL International.

The award was established in 1970 in honor and recognition of William Wildhack, a long-time employee of the U.S. National Bureau of Standards, now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Mr. Wildhack was not only very instrumental in the founding of the NCSL, but also, through his wisdom, his leadership, his dedication and foresight, he helped shape the organization during its early formative years.

The award carries an honorarium and includes a bronze and silver medallion bearing the likeness of Mr. Wildhack. This year's recipient is the 28th individual to be so honored.

Mr. Unger has been involved in Metrology for over 26 years. He joined A2LA in 1986 when he became the Vice President and Quality Manager. During this tenure he developed and maintained all accreditation, certification and registration program documentation, trained assessors, served as major spokesman, and negotiated mutual recognition agreements with counterparts overseas.

In 1996 he became A2LA’s President and Chief Executive. During the last ten years he has led A2LA to a ten-fold increase of accreditation activities. He has also authored a number of publications and standards on laboratory accreditation.

He currently holds several leadership positions in international coordinating organizations, including the chair of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and chair of the ILAC Arrangement Management Committee. As chair, he led the expansion of ASTM E36 to address all types of conformity assessment standards; developed assessor training courses; and evaluated several foreign accreditation programs for mutual recognition agreements.

 

Thermo Electron Sells Test and Measurement Business to SPX Corporation

Thermo Electron Corporation announced that it has sold its test and measurement business to the Ling Dynamic Systems (LDS) business of SPX Corporation for an undisclosed cash amount. The Thermo business, formerly part of the company's Measurement and Control sector, had approximately $25 million in revenues in 2002.

Thermo's test and measurement business consists of high-performance data acquisition systems used in research, process maintenance, and physiological applications to measure various physical parameters such as stress, vibration, and temperature sold under the Nicolet and Gould brands. The sale included U.S. operations in Wisconsin and Ohio, and European facilities in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. The Nicolet line of spectroscopy systems, included in Thermo's Life and Laboratory Sciences sector, was not part of the sale.

Marijn E. Dekkers, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Electron, said, "We constantly evaluate our businesses to determine whether they fit our long-term strategy for growth. We believe this test and measurement business did not represent a strategic growth platform for Thermo and is, in fact, a much better fit with LDS's systems-analysis business."


NCSL International Business Office Has Moved

The NCSL International business office has moved into a new building. This new facility will provide better facilities for the NCSLI staff and will also be more cost effective than the previous location.

One of the most important aspects of the new facility is that it includes a classroom area. This classroom will be available, for a nominal fee, to organizations that wish to present training in measurement-related areas. Several organizations have already shown interest, so please check the NCSLI website for future training schedules.

The new address is: 2995 Wilderness Place, Suite 107, Boulder, CO 80301-5404. The phone and fax numbers have not changed.

There will be a formal dedication of the new facility in April, 2004.

 

National Instruments Reports Record Third Quarter Revenue, 19% Growth in Net Income

National Instruments reported net income of $8 million, up 19 percent from Q3 2002. Third quarter revenue was a record $105 million, a 9 percent increase from the third quarter of 2002, and the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth. Fully diluted earnings per share (EPS) for Q3 were 15 cents.

"Our commitment to investing in R&D remains a key driver for our growth," said Dr. James Truchard, NI CEO. "More than 350 man-years of development on LabVIEW 7 Express and next-generation DAQmx driver software has paid off this quarter with strong double-digit software growth. With many new products and record sales for data acquisition, modular instrumentation and distributed I/O products, we delivered 9 percent growth in revenue and 19 percent growth in profitability."

Q3 2003 Highlights
· Record third quarter revenue, fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth
· Revenue up 9 percent, net income up 19 percent year-over-year
· Double-digit growth for software sales and record quarterly sales of data acquisition, modular instrumentation and distributed I/O products
· Major product releases, including PXI 100 MS/s mixed-signal suite, TestStand 3.0, LabWindows/CVI 7.0, Measurement Studio 7.0 and MATRIXx 6.3
· Record cash and short term investments of $172 million
· Cash dividend of 5 cents per common share

"We were pleased to see our growth improve in Q3 and believe this was a result of our strong new product output and an early stage recovery in global manufacturing," said Alex Davern, NI CFO. "We reported record revenue for the first nine months of the year, reinforcing our expectation of record revenue for the year."

Geographically, the growth of revenue in U.S. dollar terms for Q3 2003 as compared to Q3 2002 was as follows: Europe, up 18 percent; Asia, up 18 percent; and Americas, up 1 percent, giving overall growth of 9 percent, up from 7 percent last quarter. In local currency terms, revenue was up 3 percent in Europe, up 33 percent in Asia, up 1 percent in the Americas, giving overall local currency growth of 7 percent, up from 3 percent last quarter.

NI anticipates record revenue for 2003 and expects high single-digit, year-over-year revenue growth in Q4 2003. In addition, the company estimates earnings per share will be in the range of 20 to 23 cents per share for Q4 2003.

 

Sypris Reports Third Quarter Earnings; Bookings Increase 11% to $222 Million for 2003

Sypris Solutions, Inc. reported third quarter earnings of $0.05 per diluted share compared to $0.24 per diluted share for the third quarter in 2002. Net income for the third quarter was $0.7 million compared to $3.5 million for the same quarter in 2002. The Company reported revenue of $68.9 million compared to $70.8 million for the prior year period.

For the nine months ended September 28, 2003, the Company reported earnings of $0.33 per diluted share compared to $0.61 per diluted share for the prior year period, while net income was $4.7 million compared to $8.2 million for the prior year period, which included an increase in the Company's effective tax rate to 37.5% from 32.0% for the first nine months of 2002. The Company reported revenue for the first nine months of $198.4 million compared to $206.8 million for the same period in 2002.

"The financial results for the third quarter reflect one of the most challenging periods for Sypris in recent memory," said Jeffrey T. Gill, president and chief executive officer. "Shipment delays, inventory rebalancing, and a variety of unexpected warranty, contract and maintenance expenses had a negative impact on the Company's financial performance during the period. Fortunately, we believe the majority of these events to be of a nonrecurring or unusual nature and expect Sypris to return to historic levels of profitability within the next few quarters."

"Despite the Company's recent shortfall, we continued to make progress across a number of important fronts. Net bookings increased 11% to $71.8 million when compared to the prior year quarter, resulting in a year-to-date increase in net bookings of 11% to $222.1 million when compared to the first nine months of 2002. Backlog increased approximately 15% to a record $178.2 million and the Company's balance sheet remained in excellent shape, with $96 million of credit and cash available to support additional growth initiatives."

Revenue for the Electronics Group was $46.5 million in the third quarter compared to $46.3 million for the prior year period, reflecting the steady shipments for this important business segment. Gross profit for the quarter was $8.2 million compared to $10.2 million in the same period in 2002, primarily as a result of unplanned warranty costs on an end-of-life program, expenses incurred to successfully resolve certain technical issues on a program for an important customer and lower revenue due to a delay in AMRAAM shipments.

For the nine months ended September 28, 2003, revenue for the Electronics Group was $127.7 million compared to $139.7 million for the prior year period, reflecting delayed shipments under the AMRAAM and Apache programs, and softer demand for our test and measurement business. Gross profit for the first nine months was $25.2 million compared to $27.9 million for the prior year period, primarily reflecting the impact of the decline in revenue for the group and the unexpected expenses incurred during the third quarter.

"Net bookings for our Electronics Group increased approximately 4% compared to the third quarter of 2002, while backlog rose 13% to $131 million compared to the prior year period," said Jeffrey T. Gill. "With the recent passage of the 2004 Defense Appropriations bill by both houses of Congress, the long-term outlook for our Electronics Group remains bright, but we must work through short-term schedule changes and delays as our customers adopt new technology for major programs such as the AMRAAM. We remain optimistic that we will recapture most if not all of this delayed revenue during the first half of 2004."

Transcat Announces Fiscal 2004 Second Quarter Results; Reports Net Profit In The Second Quarter

Transcat, Inc., a leading global distributor of professional grade test, measurement, and calibration instruments and a provider of calibration and repair services, announced financial results for its second quarter ended September 27, 2003.

Commenting on the fiscal year 2004 second quarter results, Carl E. Sassano, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We are pleased to report another quarter of solid performance. We believe that our results are in line with our strategy of executing and sustaining a consistent, profitable business model, regardless of the economic conditions.

"We have sustained our operating profitability despite an 18% decrease in sales compared to the prior year fiscal quarter. Consistent with last quarter, more than 85% of the sales decrease in the fiscal year 2004 second quarter came from our distribution products segment, which again continues to be adversely impacted, on a comparative basis, by the lingering economic downturn.

"Our calibration services sales performance was in line with our expectations. A sixteen point increase in calibration gross profit as a percent of sales over the prior year fiscal quarter directly contributed to our profitability. This increase was largely derived from the consolidation in fiscal 2003 of our calibration operations into ten strategically located Calibration Centers of Excellence."

Net sales for the fiscal year 2004 second quarter were $11.9 million compared with net sales of $14.4 million during the fiscal year 2003 second quarter. Distribution products net sales for the current quarter were $7.6 million compared with net sales of $9.8 million in the prior year fiscal quarter. Calibration services net sales for the current quarter were $4.3 million compared with net sales of $4.6 million in the prior year fiscal quarter.

 

AMETEK Achieves Record Earnings; Cash Flow from Operations Up 35%

AMETEK Inc., announced strong third quarter results that established records for operating income and net income. AMETEK's operating income for the third quarter of 2003 was $39.5 million, up 4% from the third quarter of 2002. Net income of $21.9 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.65 are up 2% from year-ago levels. Third quarter 2003 sales of $267.8 million were up 4% from the $257.0 million recorded in the third quarter of 2002.

The Company continues to generate strong cash flow. Cash flow from operations was $31.8 million in this year's third quarter and $108.1 million for the first nine months of 2003, each up 35% over the same period of 2002.

"AMETEK achieved solid results during the third quarter, despite what continues to be a challenging economic environment for manufacturers," commented Frank S. Hermance, AMETEK Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Our revenue growth was driven by the recent acquisitions of Airtechnology Holdings, Solidstate Controls and Chandler Instruments, all of which were completed in 2003. These acquisitions and operational excellence improvements across the Company drove our record earnings performance.

"For the first nine months of 2003, AMETEK sales increased 3% to $812.2 million from $788.0 million in the same period of 2002. Operating income totaled $114.9 million, a 2% increase from $112.2 million earned in the first nine months of last year. Net income for the first nine months of 2003 was $63.5 million, up 2% from $62.4 million in the same period of 2002. Diluted earnings per share were up 1% to $1.88 for the first nine months of 2003.

Electronic Instruments Group's (EIG) third quarter 2003 sales were $139.0 million, up 3% from last year's level of $134.7 million. Third quarter group operating income of $24.9 million, was up 9% versus $22.8 million in the same period of 2002. Group operating margins were 17.9%, up from 16.9% recorded in the third quarter of 2002."EIG had a great quarter," added Mr. Hermance. "Revenue for the group was up, driven by the Solidstate Controls and Chandler Instruments acquisitions. Margins expanded as a result of improved profitability in our aerospace and power businesses despite the significant market downturn, as well as the impact of operational excellence activities throughout the Group."

 

Danaher Corporation Announces Record Third Quarter Results

Danaher Corporation announced that net earnings for its third quarter ended September 26, 2003 were $138.6 million, 19% above the corresponding 2002 period earnings of $116.0 million. Diluted earnings per share for the 2003 quarter were $0.87, an increaseof 18% over the $0.74 reported for the 2002 third quarter. Sales for the 2003 third quarter were $1,309.5 million, 14% higher than the $1,151.7 million for the quarterended September 27, 2002.

For the nine month period ended September 26, 2003, net earnings were $366.9 million, up 21% from the $302.4 million reported in 2002 before the effect of a change in accounting related to goodwill. Diluted earnings per share for the 2003 nine month period of $2.31 increased 18% from the $1.95 in 2002 before the effect of the accounting change. Net earnings for the 2002 nine month period, after the effect of a first quarter $173.8 million non-cash charge for impairment of goodwill, were $128.7 million, or $0.85 per diluted share. Sales of $3,805.1 million for the 2003 nine month period were 15% higher than the $3,302.3 million reported in 2002.H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are again pleased to report record third quarter results. Although we continue to operate in a challenging economic environment, we achieved an 18% increase in earnings per share for the quarter. Sales for the quarter grew 14% compared to last year's third quarter, driven primarily by revenues from recent acquisitions. Operating cash flow was a record $619 million for the 2003 nine month period and 10% higher than in 2002. Organic growth remains a priority. We have recently seen some encouraging developments in our businesses, but we will continue to drive cost reductions to fund our targeted growth opportunities."

 

Keithley Expands Northern European Repair and Calibration with New Service Center

Keithley Instruments, Inc., announced that it has opened its new Northern European Service Center in the Theale near Reading, United Kingdom. All repair and calibration for the UK, Ireland, and the Benelux countries will be performed in the new Service Center which also coordinates service and calibration for Scandinavia.

Peter Schwab, Keithley Service Manager, said, "We have invested in new calibration equipment and procedures, and completed training of an expanded staff in heh use of this equipment. Looking ahead, our aim is to achieve ISO 17025 certification."

 

Teradyne Reports Third Quarter Results

Teradyne, Inc. reported sales of $329 million for the third quarter of 2003, and a net loss on a Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) basis of $53.5 million, or $0.28 per share. The pro forma net loss for the third quarter of 2003 was $26.8 million, or $0.14 per share before special charges. Net orders increased 10% from the previous quarter, to $336 million.

"On balance, we are encouraged by our results in the quarter," said George Chamillard, Teradyne Chairman and CEO. "Our orders improved, and our new products are gaining momentum. The third quarter marked our eighth successive period of increasing orders and our book-to-bill ratio was greater than 1.0 for the first time in three years. In addition, we made progress lowering costs during the quarter, enabling us to continue on the path to profitability.

"Therefore, in the fourth quarter, we are projecting sales to be between $335 to $340 million, and break-even results, on a pro forma, operating basis."

 

Integrated Service Solutions, Inc. Appoints Quality Assurance Manager

Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., an established technical services company to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced the appointment of Manny Cabanas to the position of Quality Assurance Manager. He was previously General Manager for Hilton Engineering based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

While at Hilton Engineering, Manny served as General Manager directing the strategic planning and quality control issues for this start-up instrumentation service company. He was responsible for developing and implementing a successful UL Certified ISO9000:2000 Quality System and for building a team of twenty-five technicians and field service engineers.

Manny's experience includes an extensive background in field service environments. His accomplishments have included the development of operational plans, management of start-up calibration laboratories, and overseeing various engineering projects for technology driven industries including pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Additionally, he has been directly involved with developing and implementing jobsite safety manuals to meet OSHA requirements as well as building relationships with vendors to provide for exclusive distribution rights of products and services. Manny began his career in the US Army first as Nuclear Weapons Electronics Technician and then as a Precision Measurement Laboratory Technician (PMEL).

"Manny brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our Company," said Joseph Uricchio, President of Integrated Service Solutions, Inc. "His primary objective is to achieve ISO9000:2000 certification for the Company's in-house quality related activities, as well as full compliance to the ISO/IEC 17025 Standard for Calibration Laboratories. I anticipate he will make significant contributions in his new position," said Uricchio.

For more information regarding Integrated Service Solutions, Inc. please contact Catherine Peetros at 610-287-3433 or Email: c.peetros@integratedservicesolutions.com.

 

FARO Technologies Reports 59% Increase In Fiscal Third Quarter 2003 Revenues

FARO Technologies, Inc. reported sales of approximately $19.2 million for the fiscal third quarter ended September 27, 2003, a 58.7% increase from $12.1 million in the third quarter of 2002, and $2.2 million, or 12.9% above the high end of the Company's $16-$17 million forecast for the quarter. Backlog at the calendar month end of September 30, 2003 was approximately $7.0 million. The Company reported new order bookings of approximately $17.3 million during the third quarter compared with approximately $16.2 million in the second quarter of 2003, and approximately $13.9 million in the year-ago quarter.

"We exceeded our sales forecast for the quarter because of the continued growth in new orders that we have experienced this year over last year, and because we were able to achieve our goal of shorter delivery times to our customers in the quarter," said Simon Raab, President and CEO.

The Company expects to issue its full earnings release for the third quarter of 2003 in late October.

Quality Management Systems For The Medical Device Industry - ISO 13485:2003

Quality management systems for the medical device industry ISO (International Organization for Standardization) has just published a standard to facilitate implementation of quality management systems based on ISO 9001:2000 by the medical device industry.

"The key objectives of ISO 13485:2003 are to maximize the probability that a medical device organization will meet regulatory quality management system requirements worldwide, will provide safe and effective medical devices, and will meet customer requirements," said Ed Kimmelman, Convenor of the working group that developed the new standard.

ISO 13485:2003, Medical devices - Quality management systems - Requirements for regulatory purposes, is based on quality management system requirements currently contained in medical device regulations around the world as well as those appropriate requirements contained in ISO 9001:2000.

In order to clarify the differences between the standard and ISO 9001:2000 and to explain them, Annex B of ISO 13485:2003 contains a "side-by-side", section-by-section comparison of the two documents.

According to Ed Kimmelman, ISO 13485:2003 is intended to be the vehicle for harmonizing quality management system regulations in the sector around the world.

"Most of the industrialized countries around the world already have some form of quality management system regulation. For these countries, ISO 13485:2003 should reflect their current requirements and provide them with suggestions for improvements of these regulations. For those countries that are beginning to consider regulating medical device quality management systems, ISO 13485:2003 is intended to serve as a model for such regulation."

The new standard is intended for use by organizations involved in the design, production, installation and servicing of medical devices as well as in the design, development and provision of related services. It can also be used by internal and external parties, including certification bodies, in order to assess an organization's ability to meet requirements.

The new standard, which replaces ISO 13485:1996, is the work of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 210, Quality management and corresponding general aspects for medical devices, working group WG 1, Application of quality systems to medical devices, in conjunction with members of the Global Harmonization Task Force (Study Group 3).

To purchase the new standard visit ANSI's e-Standards Store and enter 'ISO 13485' in Search Box.

 

NRC Recognition of Use of Accredited Commercial Calibration Laboratories

A meeting was held on August 5, 2002, in San Diego, CA, during the National Conference of
Standards Laboratories International (NCSLI) Conference and Symposium, to discuss Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) recognition of the use of accredited commercial calibration laboratories as suppliers of commercial grade calibration services to regulated utilities.

The purpose of the meeting was to map out a strategy for approaching the NRC concerning the issue of calibration laboratory accreditation and the National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation (NACLA). The intent is to gain NRC endorsement of laboratory accreditation based on internationally accepted standards as a means of qualifying calibration service providers as suppliers to nuclear power facilities.

One of the group’s defined tasks was to develop a gap analysis between the internationally accepted requirements for laboratory accreditation and NRC requirements. Copies of several NRC documents were obtained and, after a review of those documents, and on the advice of industry experts, it was decided that the comparison should be conducted using the audit requirements of the Nuclear Utilities Procurement Issues Committee (NUPIC), which most accurately reflect the requirements of 10CFR50, Appendix B, Quality Assurance Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants and Fuel Reprocessing Plants.

This document - Comparison of ISO/IEC 17025 with the NUPIC Audit Checklist is, therefore, a comparison of NRC requirements, as defined by the NUPIC Commercial Grade Survey Checklist for Calibration Services, with the internationally accepted requirements for laboratory accreditation, contained in ISO/IEC 17025:1999, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. This document does not specifically discuss the process of laboratory accreditation and/or the process of peer evaluations of laboratory accreditation bodies for the purpose of mutual recognition. The left column gives the verbatim text from the NUPIC Checklist, the center column is the relevant text from 17025, and the right column provides commentary on the comparison between the two.

To access a copy of this document visit NVLAP's website and scroll down to the bottom of http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/210/214/publications.htm and under 'Additional Resources' find Comparison of ISO/IEC 17025 with the NUPIC Audit Checklist in PDF format.

UK's NPL Selects United Devices' Grid MP Enterprise Platform For Metrology & Calibration Technology

"Mathematical modeling is crucial because many calculations necessary to accurate metrology don't involve just physical measurement itself, but the mathematical calculations required to create possible interpretations of measurement," said Nicholas McCormick, a principal research scientist at NPL.
"Grid computing is a tool that allows us create more efficient mathematical models thereby improving our scientific methods of exacting measurement".

NPL linked the centre's existing computer nodes using United Devices' Grid MP software platform, collectively harnessing previously unutilised power to create a virtual supercomputer capable of accelerating and refining its mathematical measurement simulations.
"We are proud to be serving the National Physical Laboratory," said United Devices's director of sales, Dan Durkin.
"Their use of our Grid solution is but another example of how grid technology is delivering real results in a wide range of application areas."

NPL (National Physical Laboratory) maintains the United Kingdom's primary measurement standards and is charged with the nation's innovation in physical measurement. NPL carries out research in many areas of metrology - the science of measurement - including materials, acoustics, optical radiation and electrical analysis, as well as providing services to a wide range of clients from the biotechnology industry to the construction sector. All measurements - many at the atomic level - set the de facto standard for the nation as well as other parts of the world.

 

Measurement Science Conference - Symposium and Workshop 2004

The Measurement Science Conference (MSC) Board of Directors and the 2004 MSC Committee invite you and your guests to our 34th annual conference. Since it's founding in 1970 MSC has brought value to the measurement science community by promoting education and professionalism. The seminars, tutorials and the technical program provide an opportunity for educational and professional development.

The 2004 Conference is scheduled for January 12 - 16, 2004 at Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. NIST Seminars will be held on January 12 -13, Tutorial Workshops on January 14 and the Conference concludes the week on January 15 - 16.

MSC is also a forum to communicate new technical ideas, changes in philosophy, techniques and practices, and first hand knowledge. MSC is where you can see the latest technology, and have an opportunity to say hello to friends. Exhibitors and sponsors will be there to share and exchange information. The world has been changing at an accelerating pace. We must change
the way we do business and even the way we think about business. The 2004 MSC theme, "Measurements and Continuous Education" reflects this need to change.

You can get the most recent information at the MSC web site at www.msc-conf.com. You can also signup for the MSC electronic newsletter at the web site. If you prefer the phone you can call 866 MSC-MEAS.

Electro Rent Corporation Reports Fiscal 2004 First Quarter Results

Electro Rent Corporation announced that revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2004 ended August 31, 2003 was $22.7 million compared to $31.1 million for the same period a year ago. Operating expenses were reduced in line with the decline in revenue. Net income for this year's first quarter was $2.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share. This compares to net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2003 of $2.6 million, or $0.10 per diluted share.

"While it is too soon to say definitively that we have reached a turning point, activity in our rental business is greater than we have experienced for some time. The value of equipment we have out on rent has increased in recent months. Our purchases of new equipment also have increased, as we continue to find productive uses for these new assets; however, rental rates remain very competitive," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Greenberg.

Equipment purchases totaled $10.3 million for this year's first quarter and $10.7 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003, compared to $6.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2003. Sales of excess equipment were $5.4 million for this year's first quarter versus $6.4 million for the first quarter a year ago. The book value of Electro Rent's equipment pool was $86.3 million at August 31, 2003 compared to $87.3 million at May 31, 2003 and $109.9 million at August 31, 2002.

Greenberg continued, "We are in the process of evaluating our overall business strategy and the financial resources we will need to accomplish our goals. If demand for rental and lease equipment continues to pick up, our equipment purchases will increase further and equipment sales will remain low, which will reduce the rate at which cash accumulates compared to the rapid cash build-up during the past couple of years."

Electro Rent Corporation is one of the largest nationwide organizations devoted to the short-term rental and leasing of personal computers, servers and general purpose electronic test equipment.

 

Philips Advanced Metrology Solutions Inc. Chooses LeCroy Oscilloscope for Next Generation Semiconductor Metrology Products

LeCroy Corporation announced that Philips Advanced Metrology Systems, Inc., the metrology business unit of Philips Electronics, has selected the LeCroy WavePro model 7300 for signal acquisition and analysis in its next generation of copper, interconnect metrology products designed for semiconductor manufacturers.

Philips AMS delivers the world's most advanced interconnect metrology solutions to help semiconductor manufacturers solve the problems inherent in new copper/low-k processes. The Series 2300 and 3300, 200 mm and 300 mm are next-generation production systems designed to deliver high throughput, low cost of ownership (COO), non-contact and non-destructive measurements of the thickness and uniformity of metal and dielectric features.

"We expect our next generation systems to enable Philips AMS to gain market share in the growing copper-based semiconductor fabrication business," said Bill Gately, general manager of Philips Advanced Metrology Systems. "The accuracy and throughput speed of the LeCroy oscilloscope will play an important part in this advance."

LeCroy, a leading supplier of digital oscilloscopes, launched the WavePro 7000 Series earlier this year. Highlights of those products are SiGe front ends that capture signals using real time sampling rates up to 20 GS/s and X-Stream(TM) Technology that is unique to LeCroy. "The excellent signal integrity of the LeCroy front end combined with 10-100x faster throughput of the X-Stream architecture is a perfect match to the needs of customers such as Philips AMS," said LeCroy COO Scott Bausback. "X-Stream Technology also gives users the ability to insert their own proprietary measurements into the oscilloscopes' processing stream, which makes customized testing much faster."

Sypris Test & Measurement Completes Purchase of Illinois Calibration Business of Instrument Repair Services, Inc.

Sypris Test & Measurement, Inc., a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc., announced that it has completed the purchase of the assets of the Illinois Calibration Business of Instrument Repair Service, Inc. (“IRSI”). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The acquired Illinois Calibration Business, located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, was previously owned by IRSI, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. IRSI also operates a telecom related repair business, a used test equipment sales business and another calibration business in Atlanta.

Kathy Smith Boyd, president and chief executive officer of Sypris Test & Measurement, said, “This acquisition represents another step toward our ultimate goal of becoming the leading provider of calibration services in the United States. With the acquisition of the Illinois Calibration Business of IRSI, combined with our existing operations in the Chicago area, Sypris will be one of the largest providers of calibration, repair and certification services in the Chicago market. We will continue to pursue acquisition opportunities that support our strategy of becoming the predominant provider of calibration services in the nation.”

AMETEK Announces New Appointments

AMETEK, Inc. announced the appointment of Mr. David A. Zapico as President, Electronic Instruments effective October 1, 2003. He will replace Mr. Thomas F. Mangold, Jr. who has chosen to retire, effective January 2004, after thirty years with AMETEK. Mr. John Wesley Hardin has been named to replace Mr. Zapico as Vice President and General Manager, Aerospace.

Frank Hermance, AMETEK's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, "I would like to thank Tom for his thirty years of dedicated service to AMETEK and to recognize the significant contributions he has made to AMETEK's success throughout his career. Four years ago, Tom was promoted to the role of President, Electronic Instruments to enable AMETEK to accelerate its growth in the process industries. In that period of time, Tom has profitably doubled the revenue for the businesses he was responsible for, and successfully built a high-end analytical instruments platform that now totals nearly $180 million in revenue. I, and all of his colleagues at AMETEK, wish Tom the best as he retires."

Mr. Hermance continued, "I am pleased to announce David Zapico's promotion to President, Electronic Instruments. David will assume responsibility for our process businesses formerly managed by Tom Mangold. David has demonstrated a track record of success during his thirteen years with AMETEK, most recently as Vice President and General Manager of our Aerospace and Power Instruments Division. In the face of a significant market downturn in both of the Division's key markets, David's leadership in acquisition integration, new product development, and operational excellence have enabled the division to increase profitability, gain market share and set the stage for future growth."

Mr. Zapico joined AMETEK in 1990 as a product engineer at AMETEK's Process and Analytical Instruments Division (P&AI) and later served in several marketing and engineering roles. In 1996 he was named Division Vice President of the Process Instruments Business Unit of P&AI. In 1999, Mr. Zapico was named Vice President and General Manager of AMETEK's Aerospace and Power Instruments Division. Mr. Zapico has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a MBA degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

"I am also pleased to announce Wes' promotion to the position of Vice President and General Manager of AMETEK's Aerospace Division. Wes has done a great job of managing our Dixson Division. Under his leadership Dixson has developed and marketed its Next Generation Instrumentation (NGI(TM)) system for heavy vehicles which is rapidly becoming the industry standard for advanced dashboard instrumentation," concluded Mr. Hermance.

Mr. Hardin joined AMETEK in December 1998 as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Dixson Division. In May 2000 he was named Business Unit Manager for the Division's Heavy Vehicle segment and in January 2001 Mr. Hardin was named Vice President and General Manager of the Dixson Division. Prior to joining AMETEK, Mr. Hardin held positions as Director of Engineering and Sales, and Marketing Manager with Furon Company and was a Senior Project Engineer for McDonnell Douglas. Mr. Hardin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Webster University.

 

Best in Class Calibration Manager Now Runs on Oracle®

Blue Mountain Quality Resources, Inc. announces the release of Calibration Manager® 4 for Oracle. For companies using the Oracle platform, Calibration Manager 4 for Oracle is a seamless fit. Whether an organization has one user or thousands of users, the Oracle version is flexible and scalable, making it simple to integrate into a current system.

Calibration Manager 4 combines a powerful feature set with a distributed-architecture to create a robust software application. The design consists of a Windows Interface linked via ASP pages to a COM+ based middle tier component, which accesses an Oracle database. Calibration Manager 4 has the Best in Class functionality for FDA-regulated companies that track mission critical calibration data, including Part 11-compliant electronic signature, audit trail, custom security, validation support and much more.

Calibration Manager 4 for Oracle is the solution for companies looking to manage global compliance of the calibration process. An organization can host the application centrally and allow worldwide access to all departments and facilities. Calibration Manager 4 for Oracle can reduce the cost in application licensing costs, corporate IT resources, validation, training and internal auditing, thereby increasing productivity and maximizing the return on investment.

Blue Mountain Quality Resources’ professional services facilitate and enhance the life cycle of the calibration management process. Blue Mountain will pave the road for a faster and easier implementation with installation, configuration, data import, and validation assistance services.

Companies worldwide rely on Calibration Manager for leading edge, quality calibration software. For additional information about Calibration Manager 4 for Oracle or additional Blue Mountain product and services, visit Blue Mountain Quality Resources, Inc.

 

Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. Receives Contract For iPSTAR Timing and Clock Reference Subsystem

NERA Broadband Satellite AS (Oslo, Norway), has awarded Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. a contract for the design, manufacture and supply of the Timing and Reference Subsystem (TCR) for gateways to be used in the iPSTAR satellite system.

Through the iPSTAR system, Shin Satellite Public Company, based in Thailand, will supply low cost broadband services in the Asia-Pacific region, offering broadband communications via satellite, delivering high-speed Internet services at speeds of 10M b/s to the end user and 4M b/s from the end user.

The iPSTAR-1 satellite is being constructed for Shin Satellite by Space Systems/LORAL. Total satellite power is approximately 14 kW and iPSTAR-1 will provide 100 beams in the Ku-band and the Ka-band, delivering broad coverage throughout the region from its orbital location at 1200 east longitude.

The TCR from Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. (www.ptfinc.com) is to be used as a reference source providing timing to gateway modems, together with time for the network and a precision 10MHz reference for the gateway RF equipment. Key performance aspects include precise synchronization with less than two nano seconds (<2ns) frame synch slew between modems within a gateway.

“This is an important award for Precise Time and Frequency, Inc., underscoring the confidence our customers have in our demonstrated capabilities for providing tailored solutions into demanding applications” said David Briggs, President of Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. “The equipment we are supplying into the gateways for iPSTAR utilizes the latest advances in technology, to deliver advanced time and frequency capabilities crucial to effective synchronization of modern day communication systems”.

Headquartered on the North Shore of Boston, USA, Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture, and supply of premium performance time and frequency reference instruments, from high quality quartz oscillators to hydrogen masers. Typical applications include metrology standards, synchronization of communications, radio and TV broadcasting, network time sources, and radio astronomy references.

 

Latest News From UpState Metrology

Upstate Metrology is a full ISO 17025 Accredited Metrology lab with numerous capabilities and expertise in each area we service. Our unique style of service provides our customers the confidence and technical expertise required to streamline any quality program and improve plant efficiencies through our superior depot and on-site services. Our superior service has made us a leading Metrology Lab in New York State and we have recently expanded our services into Ohio with the opening of our Cleveland facility.

In an attempt to provide our customers a single source for their test equipment needs we can now assist you with the purchase and rental of the test and measurement equipment you need to keep your quality program running smoothly and minimize your down time. With a diversified vendor line, we can now offer you some of the best test equipment on the market from some of the best names in the business. We also offer used equipment on e-bay. If you don't see what you are looking for, contact us and we will do everything we can to help you obtain the products you are looking for. It is our goal to be your single source provider for all of your manufacturing and testing needs.

Contact UpState Metrology can be reached in New York at (585) 292-6430 and in their new Cleveland location at (216) 249-2343 or email sales@upstatemetrology.com or visit their website at www.upstatemetrology.com.

NI CEO James Truchard Named One of 50 Most Influential Industry Innovators

InTech magazine, the official magazine of ISA, The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society, named National Instruments President and CEO Dr. James Truchard one of the 50 most influential people in the instrument and control industry. Named among innovators Bill Gates and the Wright brothers, Truchard was recognized for pioneering the concept of virtual instrumentation.

"In an industry traditionally known for its slow adoption of new technologies, Truchard has given a whole new look and feel to the way engineers approach measurement and automation through virtual instrumentation software and hardware," said Gregory Hale, editor at InTech. "Truchard helped pioneer the idea that software can safely control a process."

Truchard and NI Business and Technology Fellow Jeff Kodosky invented LabVIEW, intuitive graphical development software that offered for the first time an easy way to acquire data, control instruments and analyze and present data from a personal computer without sacrificing performance or functionality. LabVIEW spurred the widespread adoption of virtual instrumentation, and by expanding to real-time, FPGA and rugged distributed I/O targets, it continues to push virtual instrumentation into new industries and application areas, including control design and embedded control. Today, engineers and scientists use virtual instrumentation in nearly every area of measurement and automation, resulting in shorter development times, higher quality products and lower costs.

"At National Instruments, we remain dedicated to improving the productivity of our customers by continually extending our vision for LabVIEW and virtual instrumentation into all phases of the design cycle, from research to design to the most demanding manufacturing environments," Truchard said.

To compile their list of 50 most influential industry innovators, InTech's editors asked more than 80 instrumentation and control experts for their opinions on the top innovators credited with advancing automation, instrumentation and control technologies. Armed with these expert opinions, InTech editors paired down the list and made the final decision.

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