JUNE 2006 INDUSTRY NEWS

• Tektronix 4Q Earnings Up 50 Percent
• New Temperature/Humidity Capabilities at Essco Calibration
• The Modal Shop, Inc. Opens West Coast Calibration Services Center
• Results of the Metrology Job Description (MJD) Initiative
• Leading National Instruments Products Now RoHS-Compliant
• Thunder Scientific’s Humidity Calibration Tutorial at NCSLI 2006
• Best Lab Deals Certified ISO 17025 Calibration Facility
• Canadian Calibration Lab to achieve ISO/IEC 17025-2005 Accreditation
• AIAG Metrology Standard Enables Seamless Data Exchange
• U.S. FDA posts Guidance for Industry: Q9 Quality Risk Management
• Agilent Technologies announces extension to 20-year contract for the U.S. Navy's CASS program

Tektronix 4Q Earnings Up 50 Percent

Tektronix Inc., which makes testing equipment for electronics and semiconductor firms, reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit grew 50 percent as sales rose and acquisition-related costs fell.

The company reported quarterly net earnings of $31.9 million, or 37 cents per share, compared with $21.2 million, or 24 cents per share, in last year's fourth quarter. Sales for the quarter ended May 27 grew 11 percent to $289.3 million.

"This was an excellent quarter for us. Orders, sales and earnings were at the highest level we've seen this fiscal year reflecting the success of our new products and our continued ability to win in a strong telecommunications market," said Rick Wills, Tektronix Chairman and CEO.

For the full fiscal year, the company reported net earnings grew to $92.4 million, or $1.09 per share, compared with $81.6 million, or 93 cents per share, the previous year. Net sales grew to $1.04 billion from $1.03 billion. Looking ahead, the company said it expects first-quarter earnings per share from continuing operations to be between 31 cents and 34 cents, on revenue of between $255 million and $265 million.

For more information visit Tektronix at www.tektronix.com.

New Temperature/Humidity Capabilities at Essco Calibration

Essco Calibration Labs has purchased a new Environmental Chamber. This will allow Essco to perform temperature and humidity calibrations at multiple set points.
With any calibrator there are limits to its capabilities. Essco’s chamber will operate over the following ranges:

• Temperature (dry) from 0`C to 90`C
• Humidity from 20% to 90%
• Temperature with humidity from 10`C to 80`C

This capability will include the calibration of thermohygrometers, hygrothermographs, temperature/humidity meters or recorders, temperature/humidity transmitters, etc. Visit Essco Calibration at www.esscolab.com for more information.

The Modal Shop, Inc. Opens West Coast Calibration Services Center

THE MODAL SHOP, INC., a PCB Group Co., announces the grand opening of their West Coast calibration services office located in San Clemente, California. In cooperation with renowned senior metrology engineer, Bob Sill, and the PCB West Coast Advanced Design Center, The Modal Shop is proud to provide regional calibration support to West Coast customers.

All PCB Piezotronics, Endevco, B&K, Dytran, and Wilcoxon accelerometers and shock sensors can now be calibrated locally on the West Coast by PCB Group calibration specialists. ICP®, charge, velocity, piezoresistive, and capacitive dynamic sensors can be calibrated for frequency response and phase. Utilizing The Modal Shop’s 9155C Accelerometer Calibration Workstation with the industry leading 394A30 calibration-grade air bearing shaker for superior calibration measurements with ultra-low transverse motion (exceeding ISO 16063-21 recommendations for transverse motion) means sensors are calibrated with the highest level of accuracy. Turnaround time for calibrations is typically 7 days with faster turnaround times available if needed.

Shock sensors can be calibrated (verifying linearity) in the 20g to 10,000g range using The Modal Shop’s PneuShockTM Calibration System. And all our calibration services are backed by PCB Group’s unwavering commitment to total customer satisfaction.For more information on calibration services or other sound and vibration sensor calibration products, contact THE MODAL SHOP, INC., 3149 E. Kemper Road Cincinnati, OH 45241-1516, Internet: www.modalshop.com, (800) 860-4867, (513) 351-9919, Fax (513) 458-2172 or e-mail: info@modalshop.com.

Results of the Metrology Job Description (MJD) Initiative

Results of the MJD Initiative survey were compiled and summarized and used as the basis for creating draft job descriptions for Calibration Technician, Calibration Engineer and Metrologists. These drafts were commented, revised and approved by the MJD Initiative Core Team.

The job descriptions were submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (the department responsible for the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system).

To learn more about the Initiative and read the finalized job descriptions visit ASQ’s Measurement Quality Division web page at http://www.asq.org/measure/initiatives/index.html.

Leading National Instruments Products Now RoHS-Compliant

National Instruments announced the release of several products that now comply with the NI Hazardous Substances Reduction initiative, furthering the company's commitment to meeting high environmental standards. This NI initiative is a voluntary program modeled after the European Union Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, which restricts the use of harmful substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium in new equipment.

A newly compliant instrument control system and a data acquisition system are the first RoHS-compliant National Instruments products released in 2006. The specific products include the PCI-GPIB high-performance plug-and-play IEEE 488 interface, GPIB-ENET/100 high-performance Ethernet-to-GPIB controller, PCI-6289 M Series data acquisition board, SHC68-68-EPM high-performance shielded cable and SCC-68 high-performance terminal block. With these new products, engineers and scientists can build systems that meet future environmental requirements. NI also offers RoHS-compliant GPIB interface chips.

"National Instruments is committed to releasing environmentally friendly products to benefit not only the environment but also our customers and employees," said Stefanie Breyer, the RoHS program manager for National Instruments.

The European Union RoHS directive restricts the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market in the European Union after July 1. The RoHS directive applies to eight categories of electrical and electronic equipment but excludes products in Category 9, Monitoring and Control Instruments, under which NI products fall.

For more information on the NI RoHS initiative and information on specific product plans, readers can visit www.ni.com/environment/rohs.

Thunder Scientific’s Humidity Calibration Tutorial at NCSLI 2006

Thunder Scientific is hosting a Humidity Calibration Tutorial at the upcoming NCSLI 2006 Workshop & Symposium. This tutorial will provide an overview of basic information regarding humidity definitions, dew point, frost point, and relative humidity. Participants will practice humidity calculations and conversions using the HumiCalc humidity conversion software. Instructions will be given for the humidity calibration technique using the 2 pressure humidity calibration standard. The instructor will demonstrate a typical calibration setup of a hygrometer and dew point instrument. Discussion will be held regarding response time and calibration procedure using the 2 pressure humidity standard. Calibration and maintenance of the 2 pressure humidity calibration standard will be discussed in detail. The humidity tutorial is scheduled for Sunday, August 6, 2006 from 8 a.m. – noon.

Don't miss the most informative metrology conference of the year. Plan to attend the NCSLI 2006 Annual Workshop & Symposium. This year’s event is being held August 6 – 10, 2006 in Nashville, TN. Please stop by and visit Thunder Scientific at Booth #315.

Visit the NCSLI web site at www.ncsli.org to register for the Humidity Calibration Tutorial. If you need more information please call 1-800-872-7728 or write Jeff Bennewitz at jeff@thunderscientific.com.

More information about the tutorial can be found on Thunder Scientific’s web site at http://www.thunderscientific.com/about_thunder/humidity_tutorial.html.

Best Lab Deals Certified ISO 17025 Calibration Facility

Best Lab Deals, Inc., Lab Service Tech Calibration Laboratory (BLD/LSTCL) announced the company has received laboratory accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 "General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories."

BLD/LSTCL was audited by Perry Johnson Registrars (PJLA). PJLA was founded by Perry L. Johnson, one of the world's top experts and authors on ISO 9000 and a leading educator on the theories and practices of Total Quality Management. Early on, Mr. Johnson's United Kingdom affiliates were instrumental in formulating and implementing the ISO 9000 standards. Based on its heritage, its vast experience in the field of laboratory quality, and the expertise of its auditing staff, PJLA is becoming one of the largest and most respected accreditation bodies in North America.

ISO/IEC 17025:2005 is the most recent version of the ISO 17025 guideline adapted in June 2005, and covers several new areas in quality management not previously addressed in the 1999 release.

BLD/LSTCL's laboratory has been thoroughly evaluated and accredited by PJLA as meeting the technical competence requirements of the internationally recognized standard ISO/IEC 17025, which includes the management requirements of the ISO 9000 standards.

Vance Moore II, President of Best Lab Deals, Inc., said, "We have placed a great deal of effort and resources into acquiring this certification. We are now fully prepared to offer our services to the pharmaceutical industry knowing we will provide the highest level of service. BLD/LSTCL has been servicing clientele around the country offering quality pipette and balance calibration and certification and this accreditation is further evidence of the company's commitment to providing customers with world-class services."

BLD/LSTCL currently operates a wholly owned and fully staffed calibration laboratory in Garner, NC, providing ISO certified calibration services for pipettes and balances and has become only the second calibration laboratory in the entire eastern United States to reach this milestone.

Contact Randy Umstead, Calibration Manager, at 919-661-8030 for further details.

Canadian Calibration Lab to achieve ISO/IEC 17025-2005 Accreditation

It has been a tremendously successful year for Canadian Instrumentation Services Group (CISG) Ltd. The calibration lab has recently achieved ISO/IEC 17025-2005 accreditation, an international standard for evaluating the competence of calibration laboratories.

This international standard is considered by the calibration industry as the ultimate recognition of competence. The standards are set to assess factors relevant to a calibration laboratory's ability to produce exact and precise test and calibration data. CISG received their accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025-2005 for the calibration of electrical measure and test equipment.

"It is a very methodical process. Fortunately, we have a dedicated and skilled staff who were extremely supportive - this was definitely a team effort," says Jim Genge, CISG's Quality Manager. "We built our infrastructure based on a strong commitment to quality and service. Our processes are well documented and ingrained in how we do business. With some minor modifications, we were able to receive this accreditation in record time. We are the first Canadian calibration lab to receive this prestigious accreditation to the new 2005 revision."

CISG is a calibration laboratory with a history dating back to the early 1900's. They perform calibration of electrical, electronic, dimensional and physical instrumentation with traceability to National Standards.

"This is a demonstration of our staff's commitment to Quality," says company president Bob Jameson. "It strengthens our ability to compete in the global market."

Canadian Instrumentation Services Group (CISG) Ltd., a Peterborough-based calibration lab and consulting group, was recently honored with an Ontario Global Traders bronze award by Export Canada. Visit their web site at http://www.cisg.net.

AIAG Metrology Standard Enables Seamless Data Exchange

New Standard Could Save Auto Industry Millions of Dollars and Slash OEM Product Development Times.

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) is developing a metrology standard that enables the seamless exchange of quality measurement information between disparate and proprietary gages and reporting tools. AIAG showcased the standard's capability in a live demonstration today at the Quality Expo Detroit Conference in Novi, Mich.

Automotive manufacturers and suppliers lose millions of dollars and weeks of product development time from the lack of interoperability with proprietary quality data collection solutions. The lack of interoperability forces some companies to integrate data from as many as 1,500 different data formats.

AIAG's open, non-proprietary standard is based on XML and aims to help companies recover some of these costs, wasted time and resources in data integration. With this standard, waste and complexity will be eliminated from the supply chain, reducing the 1,500 data formats to one single open reporting format. And gages will be able to exchange variable, attribute and binary data used in Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) studies to different reporting tools.

Planned for release in June, the standard is being developed by the AIAG Metrology Interoperability Project Team (MIPT) Metrology Quality Measurement (MEQM) Work Group. Members include representatives from DaimlerChrysler AG, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., ABB, ASI Datamyte, Boeing, Caterpillar, Cummins, Faro, General Electric, Hexagon Metrology, Intel, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Mahr, Minitab, Mitutoyo, Perceptron, Pratt & Whitney, Q-DAS Timken, UGS and Zeiss.

Founded in 1982, AIAG is headquartered in the metro Detroit area. Its member companies include North American, European and Asia-Pacific OEMs and suppliers to the automotive industry with combined annual sales of more than $850 billion. A not-for-profit association, AIAG's primary goals are to reduce cost and complexity within the automotive supply chain and to improve speed to market, product quality, employee health-and-safety and the environment. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.aiag.org/.

U.S. FDA posts Guidance for Industry: Q9 Quality Risk Management

Access Guidance at http://www.fda.gov/cber/gdlns/ichq9risk.htm or at http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/7153fnl.pdf
Guidance for Industry
Q9 Quality Risk Management
Published June 1, 2006

The purpose of this document is to offer a systematic approach to quality risk management. It serves as a foundation or resource document that is independent of, yet supports, other ICH Quality documents and complements existing quality practices, requirements, standards, and guidelines within the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory environment. It specifically provides guidance on the principles and some of the tools of quality risk management that can enable more effective and consistent risk-based decisions, by both regulators and industry, regarding the quality of drug substances and drug products across the product lifecycle. It is not intended to create any new expectations beyond the current regulatory requirements.

It is neither always appropriate nor always necessary to use a formal risk management process (using recognized tools and/or internal procedures, e.g., standard operating procedures). The use of informal risk management processes (using empirical tools and/or internal procedures) can also be considered acceptable. Appropriate use of quality risk management can facilitate but does not obviate industry’s obligation to comply with regulatory requirements and does not replace appropriate communications between industry and regulators.

FDA’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities.

Agilent Technologies announces extension to 20-year contract for the U.S. Navy's CASS program

Agilent Technologies Inc. announced that it will support the U.S. Navy's Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) program beyond the 20-year production support contract to the year 2015. CASS is a high-performance, standardized test environment that is used onboard aircraft carriers and at other locations to test and maintain Navy aircraft electronics. Agilent's seven-year support commitment extension is expected to generate an estimated $45 million in services revenue between 2009 and 2015.

The U.S. Navy currently has an estimated installed base of 9,195 CASS-related assets that require support. That number is expected to steadily increase by 2015. During the extended support period, Agilent will leverage its hardware and service expertise in support of the CASS parts inventory, repair strategy and automated test equipment (ATE).

"The CASS support extension is a prime example of Agilent's continued focus on the aerospace and defense market," said Bill Highstreet, VP and general manager of EMG's Service Solutions Unit in the Americas. "Agilent's rich history of reliable and robust hardware solutions, coupled with its long and trusted service relationship with the U.S. Navy, made for a straightforward decision to support CASS beyond the original contract period."

"Many people depend on CASS systems as a matter of national security," said Rick Danz, the Navy's CASS program manager. "Sustaining these systems is as important to us today as building the original equipment. Agilent's leadership role in supporting the CASS program provides us the assurance we need that all deployed CASS systems will live up to the expectations of its users."

About CASS
The Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) was developed by the Naval Air Systems Command as the Navy standard ATE for intermediate-, depot- and factory-level support, both ashore and afloat, of all Navy electronics, from aircraft to ships and submarines. There are five CASS station configurations designed for specific testing requirements, including hybrid; radio frequency; communications, navigation and identification; electro-optical; and reconfigurable transportable CASS. Lockheed Martin serves as the CASS prime contractor and system integrator, while Agilent serves as a major supplier-partner. CASS is also supported by a network of key suppliers and subcontractors.

For further information on CASS station test capabilities, see www.acq.osd.mil/ats.

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