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JANUARY 2004 INDUSTRY NEWS

 

NIST's Advanced Measurement Laboratory

For more than 100 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed the measurements and standards necessary for the United States to excel in technology innovation.

To continue to respond to U.S. science and industry's needs for more sophisticated measurements and standards in the face of heightened global competition, NIST is constructing one of the most technologically advanced facillities in the world - the Advanced Measurement Laboratory, or AML.

In the nearly 40 years since the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus was constructed, industry demand for highly accurate measurement standards has grown tremendously. To meet the demands, researchers at NIST, part of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, have developed new ways to more accurately measure, quantify, and calibrate industrially important processes and properties.

The AML will provide superior vibration, temperature and humidity control, and air cleanliness. Visit NIST to read more about this amazing facility.

 

LeCroy Reports Sharply Higher Operating Income in Second Fiscal Quarter

LeCroy Corporation, a major supplier of high-performance digital oscilloscopes, announced financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2003.
-- Product orders increased 25 percent to $31.3 million compared with $25.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2003, and grew 15 percent sequentially from $27.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2004.
-- Revenues rose 12 percent to $29.8 million from $26.6 million in the second quarter last year.
-- Gross margin increased to 57 percent, compared with 44 percent in the second quarter last year, which included a $2.3 million charge for impaired intangible assets.
-- Operating income was $3.0 million, compared with an operating loss of $2.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2003 and increased 47 percent sequentially from the $2.0 million reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2004.
-- Net income was $1.9 million compared with a net loss of $1.3 million one year ago.
-- Income per diluted share applicable to common stockholders was $0.18 compared with a loss per diluted share applicable to common stockholders one year ago of ($0.18) after charges for the Preferred Stock dividend and the accretion for the value of fully exercisable warrants.

"LeCroy's excellent second-quarter performance resulted from strong product demand coupled with our progress in enhancing operational efficiencies during the past year," said President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Reslewic. "Total product orders increased to their highest point in the past 11 quarters, we posted 57% gross margins and we concluded the quarter with the strongest backlog in 11 quarters."

"The Company's second-quarter order growth was driven by new products, improved sales management and stronger demand across all of our geographic and vertical markets," continued Reslewic. "Orders were exceptionally strong in the US and Europe, where we had 30 percent and 28 percent growth, respectively, compared with the second quarter last year. Asia Pacific orders grew 18 percent compared with one year ago on continued success in China and strengthening demand in Japan."

"We enjoyed solid demand in all four of our vertical markets during the second quarter," said Reslewic. "In Computers and Semiconductors, innovative serial data communications applications are driving sales of our high-end Serial Data Analyzer (SDA) products. Orders in the Data Storage market accelerated in line with the increasing use of hard disk drives in emerging consumer electronics applications. Growth in the Automotive sector was driven by the rising deployment of digital processing, fiber optics and telemetry in new automotive designs. And wider applications for digital technologies for communications and intelligence generated order growth in the Government and Military market."

"Our strategy is to leverage this strong demand with frequent and meaningful product introductions, and we made excellent progress executing on this strategy during the second quarter," said Reslewic. "We successfully launched both the WaveRunner 6000 series and the enhanced versions of our previously well-received SDAs, posting record SDA orders and 31 percent sequential growth in WaveRunner unit orders. More than 86 percent of our second-quarter orders were for products introduced in the past 24 months. During the next several quarters we plan to launch additional new oscilloscope products at both the high and low ends of our current product offering."

"This was a very impressive quarter for LeCroy," said Reslewic. "The direction of the oscilloscope market, together with LeCroy's strong position within this market, suggest the environment will remain favorable in the third quarter. Demand remains healthy across the board, our product portfolio is strong and getting stronger, and the LeCroy organization is lean, well- capitalized and focused."

 

News From L-A-B

The Laboratory Accreditation Bureau (L-A-B) is happy to announce the addition of a Fort Wayne, IN office. This is L-A-B's third location, working in conjunction with the offices in Northbrook, IL and Wexford, PA.

The new Fort Wayne office will be completely focused on operations. The Fort Wayne office will be the home of the L-A-B technical staff. Since the technical staff act as assessors as well as in-house staff members, they are often on the road. With all the technical staff centralized in one location, clients will find it easier to call into the office and find a qualified person to answer technical questions.

Douglas Leonard has joined the staff of Laboratory Accreditation Bureau as the Operations Manager of the Ft. Wayne office. Doug's responsibilities include coordinating initial work with the client, assessor assignments and concluding work with the client to achieve or continue accreditation through L-A-B. The Ft. Wayne location can be reached by phone at (260) 493-0822 or email at dleonard@l-a-b.com. Visit L-A-B's website and read their quarterly newsletter for further information.


Blue Mountain Quality Resources, Inc. Commemorates 15 Years of Success

Blue Mountain Quality Resources, Inc. celebrates 15 years of developing Best in Class calibration management tools for FDA-regulated and ISO-compliant industries. With their main product, Calibration Manager®, Blue Mountain has been and continues to help organizations improve their operating efficiency, maintain requirements for compliance, and maximize their return on investment.

Since 1989, Blue Mountain has built upon each version of Calibration Manager by keeping abreast of FDA requirements and developing leading-edge technology. Thus, setting the standard in calibration management software (CMS). As the Validated Leader in Calibration Management Software, Blue Mountain was the first company to integrate 21 CFR Part 11 functionality and an audit trail into a CMS. In addition, Blue Mountain has a Calibration Manager user base of more than 2,000 customers worldwide, including the top 10 Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies.

 

National Requirements Day for Dimensional Metrology

NCSL International and the Oak Ridge Metrology Center are organizing a second National Requirements Day for Dimensional Metrology on Monday, May 10, 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee. This one-day event is being held in conjunction with the International Dimensional Workshop (IDW), May 10-14, 2004 at the Marriott Nashville Airport Hotel.

This effort has set as its goal, the establishment of a vision for National Requirements in Dimensional Metrology for the United States for the next five to ten years. The objective is to assemble representatives from government and commercial organizationals that have expertise in the area of dimensional metrology and present organizational visions and requirements over the next five to ten years. Ultimately, this coordination effort should help us identify and address current and long term dimensional measurement issues.

It is expected that audience members will have a keen interest in governmental as well as commercial concerns and capabilities. The visions/issues/capabilities presented will undoubtly have a bearing on research and development as well as products and services provided in the years to come.

In order to participate in this free event pre-registration is required. For details and registration information please contact Ed Pritchard, IDW 2004 Workshop Director, at (865) 574-4261 or email:pritchardew@y12.doe.gov.


Parent Company of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. To Merge

Nippon Sanso Corporation, parent Company of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., and Taiyo Toyo Sanso, both of Japan, have decided to effect a merger between the two companies on an equal footing, subject to approval by the shareholders of both companies and the relevant public authorities. The date of the planned merger is October 1, 2004.

The English name of the new Company will be Nissan Taiyo Corporation. The current Chairman from Taiyo Toyo, Mr. Konosuke Ose, will assume the position of Chairman of the new Company, and Hiroshi Taguchi, current President and CEO of Nippon Sanso Corporation, will be President of the new Company.

According to Mr. William J. Kroll, President and CEO of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., "This is a very important event for Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. This merger will create a new entity that will help us compete much more effectively on the global stage. Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., is Nippon Sanso's largest subsidiary and we will play a significant role in the consolidated management of this new Company, contributing a strong brand name, technology and products. We will have new opportunities to expand our product portfolio, as well as become a significant supplier of products to the new Nissan Taiyo Corporation."

Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., is a single source provider of specialty gases, bulk gases, gas handling equipment, and high performance purification systems. The Company also provides support services, engineering services, and systems management services to analytical laboratories and semiconductor manufacturers worldwide.


Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. Awarded GSA Contract

Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. has been awarded a General Services Administration (GSA) contract for supply of time and frequency equipment to the US government. (contract number GS-07F-5528P).

GSA is one of the main vehicles by which the federal government obtains goods and services from industry. Most GSA contracts are for standard services and "commercial off-the-shelf" (COTS) products and equipment, offering businesses the opportunity to sell billions of dollars worth of products and services to federal agencies. The GSA has specific goals to help small businesses and in some cases has “set-asides” under which certain programs are reserved for competition among small businesses.

Having established itself as a key contender in the precision Time and Frequency instrumentation market, Precise Time and Frequency, Inc. now joins the ranks of those suppliers pre-qualified to supply to key US Government programs.

“This is a significant milestone in our continuing company development” says company President, David Briggs, “As a small business, we now have the opportunity to service the requirements of Federal Government Agencies through the vehicle of a GSA contract, opening an additional avenue to effectively bring our highly competitive products to market.”

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.

 

FARO Reports 54% Increase In Sales For 2003 Year To $71.3 Million

FARO Technologies, Inc., reported sales of approximately $22.5 million for the fiscal fourth quarter ended December 31, 2003, a 49.0% increase from $15.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2002, and $2.5 million, or 12.5% above the high end of the Company's $18-$20 million forecast for the quarter.

For fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, the Company reported sales of approximately $71.3 million, an increase of $25.1 million, or 54.3% from approximately $46.2 million in 2002. "We exceeded our sales forecast for the quarter because of growth in new orders, especially in the Americas," said Simon Raab, President and CEO.The Company expects to issue its full earnings release for the fourth quarter and 2003 year in mid-March, 2004.

 

Greeting Another New Year Without a Leap Second

Does it seem like the world is speeding up? That the pace of life is increasing?

If you feel that way, there’s scientific evidence to prove your point. The world has sped up over the last few years. Timekeepers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) note that they have not had to insert an extra second (called a leap second) into their time scale for five years. Why? Because the rate of the Earth’s rotation has sped up since 1999.

From 1972 (when the world went to the current system of atomic timekeeping) until 1999, 22 seconds were added to the world’s time in order to keep atomic time synchronized with Earth’s time, as measured by the Earth’s spin. Since then, none, nada. Scientists are not sure why this is so, but they do offer some thoughts.

Tom O’Brian, a physicist and chief of NIST’s Time and Frequency Division in Boulder, Colo., suggests changes in motion of the Earth’s core, the effect of ocean tides and weather, and changes in the shape of the Earth may all be affecting the spin of Mother Earth. In general, he notes, the long-term trend has been for the Earth’s rotation to slow down, but not in the last five years.

O’Brian said most scientists expect the Earth to continue slowing down again in the future. So maybe there is hope for those feeling particularly harried.
“The Earth’s rotation rate has been the primary clock for nearly all of human history,” he says, adding that “only in the last 50 years have we had clocks accurate enough to measure changes in the Earth’s spin.” NIST introduced the world’s first atomic clock in 1949.

For more information about leap seconds, see http://tf.nist.gov/general/leaps.htm.

 

Brammer's European Sell-Off

Industrial Services Group Brammer is to sell its European calibration and equipment management business to French-owned Air Liquide for £22.5m.

It is also in talks to sell its European rental and UK calibration businesses to an unknown bidder, believed to be a British company, within the upcoming weeks.

Chief executive Ian Fraser said Brammer is the European market leader in providing emergency spares for a variety of businesses, ranging from main bearings for giant machines to industrial belts, within 24 hours.

Trading in the second half ending this month has been slower, with the group's rental business also facing difficult conditions. The group is on a cost-cutting programme and Fraser says that other asset disposals have been made at 'satisfactory prices'.

For more information visit www.brammer.plc.uk/Press.htm.

 

NAPT 2004 Announcements

At this time NAPT would like to share with you that 2003 was a very productive year. Through the generous support of our members and sponsors, NAPT was able to expand its services to the Test & Measurement Community. We are excited about 2004 as we have a considerable amount of activity planned for 2004.

Firstly, we are pleased to inform you that the NAPT Board of Directors has elected not to raise fees for 2004. This marks the third year in a row NAPT has been able to keep prices firm. This wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors who provide not only artifacts, but the calibration of artifacts, hosting of regional ILC’s and technical assistance to the only nonprofit ILC/PT provider dedicated to the Test & Measurement community.

Thank you to all who have supported NAPT as we strive to meet the needs of the community.

Besides expanding the ILC/PT’s currently in distribution, NAPT will be adding some new services in 2004 --

Training Services:
ISO 17025 – preparation, implementation, corrective action, etc…
Uncertainty Budget – development, interpretation
Internal Audit – External Performing, Train Staff to conduct
These training courses are being offered as scheduled classes for anyone to attend or they can be customized and delivered at a client site to meet specific needs. We will annouce and publish the details in early 2004.

“Member’s Only” section to our web site including:
Technical forums
Additional analysis and technical review information on each ILC/PT
Special offers for members

We had great success with our Regional ILCs and are expanding this program significantly for 2004, adding sites and additional ILCs. Additional information and details will be posted to the NAPT web site. As new ILC/PT’s are developed, organizations who are on NAPT’s email notifications list will continue to be sent updates.

In addition, NAPT is adding several new ILC/PT’s, such as CMM calibration, a revised CMM ILC/PT for Dimensional Inspection, Type S Thermocouple, Vacuum and Frequency. As always, please share with us any tests you would like to see developed, as we actively maintain a list of ILCs that you desire.


Frank S. Hermance Elected to the Board of IDEX Corporation

IDEX Corporation announced that Frank S. Hermance has been elected to the company's Board of Directors, effective in January 2004.

Hermance, 54, joined AMETEK in 1990 and currently serves as the company's chairman and chief executive officer. Prior to joining AMETEK, Hermance was general manager of Tektronix's Waveform Measurement division. He also served as senior vice president of operations for Combustion Engineering's Taylor Instrument Company, a producer of analytical instruments. Hermance earned undergraduate and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Commenting on the appointment, IDEX Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dennis K. Williams said, "Frank's extensive background in technology, global manufacturing and corporate leadership will be a genuine asset to IDEX, as we pursue our strategic focus on operational excellence, new product innovation, and global growth. We welcome Frank to the Board and look forward to his contributions."

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