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JANUARY 2007 INDUSTRY NEWS

 

 

Associated Calibration’s New Location

Associated Calibration, Inc. is proud to announce their new location, effective end of November 2006. A-Cal, Inc. relocated to 4583 E. Eisenhower Circle, Anaheim, CA 92807.

A-Cal has been established for over 20 years, maintaining leadership in the calibration industry. A-Cal provides specialized technical service and calibration of Physical Testing, Temperature, Electronic, Linear, Production Equipment and all types of Measurement and Test Equipment.

A-Cal's calibration laboratory quality system and control of its measuring and test equipment is in conformance with and is certified to the intent of ISO/IEC 17025. Accreditation and conformance was authorized by ICBO/IAS. A-Cal’s Calibration Technicians are certified by the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

A-Cal provides calibration and certification traceable to NIST of all physical test equipment and support equipment such as, but not limited to: Testing Machines and Strain Equipment (Tinius Olsen, Riehle, Baldwin, Instron, SoilTest, Forney, United-O-Matic, Wykeham Farrance), all makers of Ovens and Furnaces (Grieves, Blue M, Linberg, Despatch, E.J.), Temperature Controls (Honeywell, Barber Colman, Leeds & Northrup, Partlow), Optical Comparators (Gage Master, Jones & Lamson, OPG, Excello, Starrett), Plating Rectifiers, Precision Hand Held Instruments (micrometers, calipers, pin gages thread plugs, etc.), Torque Equipment , from 4 inch Lbs. to 2000 Ft. Lbs. Pressure & Vacuum systems, Hardness and Micro-Hardness Testers, (K.J. Law, Wilson, Service Diamond), Balances and Scales (Ohaus, Mettler, Sartorious), and Lamination Presses (PHI, Wabash, OEM), electronic monitoring and diagnostic test measuring equipment, (Fluke, Agilient, HP, Tektronics, and all power supplies).

A-Cal is the leader in calibration of laminating presses and support equipment for the printed circuit board industry and is highly recommended by leading manufacturers.

Visit A-Cal’s website at http://www.a-calinc.com for more company information.

 

GKS Inspection Services Upgrades Environmental Controls in Gage Calibration Lab

GKS Inspection Services, a global provider of dimensional measurement and 3D laser scanning services, announced a major environment control upgrade to its gage calibration and vision systems lab. Stabilizing the environment will enable GKS to perform the highest precision type of calibrations and dimensional measurements with leading-edge accuracy.

"The international standard for temperature in a dimensional measurement laboratory is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20° Celsius), according to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures" said Steve DeRemer, General Manager of the GKS Michigan Region. "The new climate control system in our gage calibration and vision system lab allows us to reliably hold this temperature (+/- 1° Fahrenheit) around the clock."

Customers of GKS trust them to precisely measure various types of materials, from plastics to steel to aluminum and more. Each material swells or shrinks slightly in relation to ambient temperature in the environment. To get accurate, uniform readings, GKS technicians let items "soak" in the controlled lab environment for at least 24 hours before taking measurements. This standard industry practice allows parts to stabilize and yields high precision measurements.

Data loggers, which are small sensors about the size of a deck of cards, are placed throughout the laboratory. These sensors read and record temperature and humidity every few minutes. After a preset period of time, all the readings are compiled into a database where special software plots a graph of peaks and valleys of conditions. Technicians use this information to make adjustments to the system ensuring that GKS adheres to the strict standard.

GKS has spent years acquiring the high precision measurement tools required to accomplish the types of services performed inside its gage laboratory. These services include the calibration of items ranging from common hand tools such as mics, calipers, and gage pins to significantly more complex items such as highly detailed masters requiring annual certification. Numerous industries utilize GKS' calibration services, including fabrication shops, tier 1 and tier 2 automotive suppliers, aerospace manufacturers, medical research facilities, and consumer product manufacturers.

GKS Inspection Services has been a leading provider of dimensional measurement and 3D laser scanning services for 25 years. The company's Plymouth, MI lab (in the Detroit area) is accredited by the A2LA for Mechanical Testing and Calibration. The Michigan lab features numerous CMMs, vision systems, laser scanners, surface analyzers, and other inspection equipment. GKS also has branch offices in Minneapolis, Toledo, India, and Korea. The company's expert metrologists and engineers are experienced in automotive and many other manufacturing industries.

For more information, visit GKS Inspection Services' web site at http://www.gks3d.com.

 

TeraXion Completes Qualification of its Frequency Stabilized Laser

TeraXion Inc., a technology leader in performance-defining OEM products for the generation and conditioning of light signals in mission-critical applications of Defense & Aerospace, Telecom and Industrial markets, announced that it successfully completed the qualification of its high performance Frequency Stabilized Laser.

This qualification follows the design and the development of a high performance laser metrology source for a space borne spectrometer. This project, in partnership with ABB Analytical Business Unit, a supplier of FTIR solutions for analytical and remote sensing markets, was accomplished within the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Space Technology Development Program (STDP). “TeraXion was able to bring this high end technology platform to a state-of-the-art reliability level” said Ghislain Lafrance, Vice President Defense and Aerospace at TeraXion.

This laser module will be used within ABB Analytical earth observation spectrometer to provide an unsurpassed frequency calibration source. Its novelty comes from the fact that it uses an innovative absolute frequency calibration procedure applied to high coherence and narrow linewidth semiconductor lasers. The technology enhances the precision and the absolute accuracy of the laser frequency. Such performance is critical in next generation space metrology applications, such as FTIR Spectrometers and calibration of space borne instrumentation.

The reliability demonstration of this technology paves the way to many applications in need of a reliable high performance laser source. The availability of high power semiconductor lasers combined with TeraXion’s technology allow replacement of solid state lasers and fiber lasers in applications where reliability is an issue.

For further information, please visit TeraXion’s website at www.teraxion-defense.com.

 

NIST Handbook 44 - 2007 Edition

Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices. NIST Handbook 44 - 2007 Edition is available on NIST’s Weights and Measures website at http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/h44-07.cfm

 

Danaher Reports Record Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2006

Danaher Corporation announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2006. Net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2006 were $323.7 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, a 28.5% increase compared with $251.7 million, or $0.78 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2005.

Sales for the 2006 fourth quarter were $2,660.3 million compared to $2,263.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2005, an increase of 17.5%.

Sales for 2006 were $9,596.4 million compared to $7,984.7 million in 2005, an increase of 20%.

The Company also announced that it has expanded its reporting to four segments. The four segments are Medical Technologies, Professional Instrumentation, Industrial Technologies and Tools and Components. The Medical Technologies business, previously included within the Professional Instrumentation segment, will now stand alone as its own reporting segment. Professional Instrumentation will still include our Electronic Test and Environmental businesses, while the Industrial Technologies and Tools and Components segments remain unchanged.

H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are pleased to once again report record fourth quarter and full year results. For the quarter, growth from existing businesses, also known as core revenues, increased 5.5%. Operating cash flow for the year was a record $1.5 billion, representing a 29% increase over 2005. Our record performance throughout 2006, and our strong finish to the year, gives us confidence in our ability to deliver positive results in 2007."

For more information visit www.danaher.com.

 

AMETEK Achieves Record Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results

AMETEK Inc. announced fourth quarter and full-year results that established records for sales, operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share.

AMETEK's fourth quarter 2006 sales of $480.7 million were up 19% over the same period of 2005. Operating income for the fourth quarter of 2006 was $79.3 million, a 25% increase from the $63.4 million recorded in the same period of 2005. Net income in the fourth quarter of 2006 increased 30% to $47.8 million, or $.45 per diluted share, from fourth quarter 2005 levels of $36.9 million, or $.35 per diluted share. Operating income margins were up 80 basis points in the quarter. Sales, operating income, net income, and diluted earnings per share were all quarterly records.

AMETEK achieved 2006 sales of $1.82 billion, up 27% from year 2005 results. Operating income of $309.0 million was up 32% from $233.5 million for 2005. Net income grew to $181.9 million, up 33% from the $136.4 million earned in 2005, and diluted earnings per share of $1.71 were up 33% from $1.29 per share in 2005. Sales, operating income, net income, and diluted earnings per share were full-year records.

"AMETEK had a great fourth quarter, bringing to a close an excellent 2006," noted Frank S. Hermance, AMETEK Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Solid internal growth in each of our segments and a very good year of acquisitions drove the strong top-line growth. Operating income margins expanded 70 basis points for the full year and both net income and diluted earnings per share increased 33%. Our excellent earnings performance resulted from an improved mix of businesses and our focused operational excellence initiatives."

Operating cash flow was very strong, totaling $65.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2006, up 44% from the fourth quarter of 2005. For the full year, operating cash flow was up 45% to $226.0 million.

For the 2006 fourth quarter, Electronic Instruments Group (EIG) sales increased 19% to $273.8 million. Operating income for the fourth quarter was $53.3 million, compared with $45.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2005, an increase of 17%. Operating margins for the quarter were 19.5%, as compared with 19.8% in the fourth quarter of 2005.

"EIG sales were up in the quarter on strong internal growth of 7% led by our process and aerospace businesses, combined with the contributions from the Land Instruments and Precitech acquisitions. EIG margins remained very strong," added Mr. Hermance.
For the year, EIG sales of $1.02 billion were up 26% from 2005 sales of $808.5 million. Operating income was $203.4 million for 2006, up 24% versus $164.2 million earned in 2005.

For the full financial report visit www.ametek.com.

 

Transcat Announces Fiscal Year 2007 Third Quarter and Nine Month Results

Transcat, Inc., a leading global distributor of professional grade test, measurement, and calibration instruments and a provider of calibration and repair services, today announced financial results for the fiscal year 2007 third quarter and nine months ended December 23, 2006.

Net sales increased 6.2% to $17.2 million in the fiscal year 2007 third quarter and 7.2% to $47.6 million in the fiscal year 2007 nine months, in each case as compared to the comparable period in the prior fiscal year.

Calibration Services - Net sales increased 4.5% to $4.9 million in the fiscal year 2007 third quarter from $4.7 million in the fiscal year 2006 third quarter. Calibration Services gross profit ratio for the fiscal year 2007 third quarter decreased 3.5 points to 19.0% from the fiscal year 2006 third quarter.

For the fiscal year 2007 nine months, Calibration Services net sales increased 5.6% to $14.9 million from $14.1 million. For the fiscal year 2007 nine months, Calibration Services gross profit margin decreased by 4.8 points to 21.3% from the fiscal year 2006 nine months. The decrease in gross profit ratio for both the fiscal year 2007 third quarter and nine month periods was due to our sales growth and associated costs coming from our acquisition of NWCI in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2006, and the rate of investment in lab expenses exceeding the rate of growth in our organic sales.

Carl E. Sassano, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "During the fiscal year 2007 third quarter, Transcat reached a significant milestone by fulfilling its obligations under the Fluke Distribution Agreement. We continue to be a major authorized distributor of Fluke products, but we are no longer contractually committed to minimum purchase requirements. We are also encouraged by the level of sales activity in our Calibration Services business while maintaining steady growth in the Distribution Products business.

"We are also focused on growth in our Calibration Services business in the fiscal year 2007 fourth quarter to leverage the investments we have made and improve our gross margin. We continue to believe that bundling our Distribution Products sales and Calibration Services provides significant value to our customers and gives us both competitive advantages and operating efficiencies.”

For more information visit Transcat at www.transcat.com.

 

Symmetricom Announces Free Multi-Zone Desktop Time Utility

Symmetricom, Inc., a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency products and services, has announced the availability of SymmTime™ 2007, the world's most popular, free multi-zone desktop time utility that automatically synchronizes a system clock to any NTP (Network Time Protocol) server on the Internet or local network. Helping people to be on time in multiple time zones around the world, extremely easy and quick to download and install, the latest version of SymmTime is immediately available with various new features at: http://ntp-systems.com/symmtime.asp.
New SymmTime 2007 features include:

  • Wide variety of clock size choices for desktop, including stylish new analog and digital clock faces
  • New U.S. Daylight Saving Time schedule for 2007 as well as updated daylight saving and time zone information for every country in the world
  • Expanded online help documentation

SymmTime 2007 shows users the exact time anywhere in the world. Once it is set up on your computer, you can customize the number of clocks, time zones, clock faces and labels anytime you want. Use the customized time zone clocks when you set up conference calls with offices in far-off countries to be sure you set the correct time for each participant. You can also make sure that you don't mistakenly wake your loved one, who is several time zones away on a business trip.

A wide variety of clock choices including new stylish analog and digital clock faces have been added to SymmTime 2007. The clock faces in the clock panel can be tailored in various ways, including: 1) time zones/cities of your choice, 2) number of clocks on the panel, 3) analog (with clock face and hands) or digital, 4) 24-hour or AM/PM, 5) with or without second hand/seconds counter, 6) with or without city/time zone, 7) colors of the panel and of the clocks themselves, and 8) size, style and color of lettering. You can make any of these changes independent of one another, in any order.

The United States will experience a longer Daylight Saving Time period this year. SymmTime has incorporated not only the U.S. Daylight Saving Time change, but also the Daylight Saving schedules of every country in the world - many of which have changed as well. To make setting up and configuring SymmTime even easier, the online help documentation has also been expanded.

Both current and new SymmTime users can simply download the free software from the web and follow the very simple, intuitive, installation wizard. SymmTime 2007 automatically overrides any prior versions and can be used in Microsoft® Windows PC operating systems, including Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and Windows XP.

 

Countries Share Good Times Using GPS and the Internet

International time coordination is improving throughout the Americas thanks to a low-cost system relying on Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and the Internet, which enables much faster time comparisons and gives small countries the opportunity to evaluate easily their measurements in relation to others and to world standards.

The time and frequency network of the Sistema Interamericano de Metrologia (SIM), or Inter-American Metrology System, began operation in 2005. The system includes national metrology institutes in member nations of the Organization of American States (OAS). The SIM network currently compares time and frequency measurements made in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Panama and the United States. Costa Rica and Columbia are expected to join the network soon, and additional OAS members have expressed interest.

As the U.S. civilian timekeeper, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) participates in the SIM network and also calibrates other members’ equipment, which consists of a computer-based measurement system and a GPS receiver provided by OAS. Institutes simultaneously compare their time scales to clocks on the same GPS satellites, and then automatically compare their results over the Internet. Time differences can be viewed on the Web by all laboratories in the network, with updates every 10 minutes.

Complete article and an image of the network can be found at: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2007_0119.htm#time.

 

32nd Annual NIST Time and Frequency Metrology Seminar

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is offering a comprehensive 4-day course on understanding the characteristics of clocks and oscillators, making precise time and frequency measurements, and synchronizing precision time systems. Detailed event information can be found at: http://tf.nist.gov/timefreq/seminars/T&Foverview.html.

This seminar will introduce new lectures in all-digital PM noise measurements, GPS, GPS policy, and GPS upgrades, photonic oscillators, chip-scale atomic clocks, femtosecond laser dividers, active PM-noise reduction techniques in oscillators, millimeter-wave applications and noise measurements, and ultra-low noise amplifier design techniques (balanced arrays, feed-forward noise suppression, and Si Ge with feedback).

This seminar is a must for planners, managers, scientists, engineers, laboratory technicians, and educators involved in the use of time and frequency systems. It presents techniques related to the analysis and evaluation of oscillators and frequency standards. It is particularly appropriate for those who are or might be responsible for certification of oscillator performance at levels where traceability to national standards is a useful part of this certification.

To see a sample of the types of time and frequency questions that are answered at the seminar, go to the Example Seminar Questions page, found at: http://tf.nist.gov/timefreq/seminars/ExQuest.htm.

 

New Technology Expands Calibration Services at LTI Metrology

LTI Metrology has added new equipment and improved its calibration capabilities. The equipment, Federal B-3 Comparator, Beta LaserMike and Mahr Federal Gage Block Comparator, is the latest technology for calibration accuracy. The Federal B-3 Comparator provides size determination of Class XX and Class XXX master rings, discs and plugs to within .000001” or 0,02µm for all measurements between .040” and 13.250” or between 1mm and 336mm. The Beta LaserMike is a non-contact micrometer for measuring and monitoring the diameter of various round products, including pins and certain classes of cylindrical plugs. The Mahr Federal Gage Block Comparator provides the highest reliability for the calibration of long gage blocks.

LTI Metrology provides dimensional, pressure, force, torque, mass and vacuum calibrations, field services, instrument repairs, new instruments and replacement parts. The lab is A2LA accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 and all calibrations are NIST-traceable. LTI Metrology is the calibration division of Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI) of Hatfield, PA. LTI has been in business since 1984 and also specializes in PRI/Nadcap accredited materials testing, specimen machining, and failure analysis services. Information on LTI services and accreditations is available at www.labtesting.com.

 

IET Labs, Inc. Acquires Line of Resistance Products from TEGAM

IET Labs Incorporated and TEGAM, Inc. announce that IET Labs Inc. has acquired certain resistance products from TEGAM. IET Labs Inc. offers a complete, A2LA accredited calibration laboratory, service center already experienced with TEGAM and ESI products, and a wide range of complementary resistance, inductance, and capacitance standards. Both companies are working to make the transition positive for customers.

TEGAM Products that will be affected include:

  • Primary Standards Resistors: SR102, SR104
  • Transfer Standards: SR1010, SR1030, SR1050
  • Working Resistance Standards: SR1
  • Decade Boxes: RS925D, DB62, DB877
  • Kelvin Varley Dividers: DP1211, DP1311
  • Resistance Bridges: 242D, 240C

IET Labs (www.ietlabs.com) will take over all factory service and spare parts sales of these products.

TEGAM, Inc., headquartered in Geneva, Ohio is in the business of improving measurements. We help customers to be more productive by making insturmentation easier to use, more accurate and faster. For more information visit www.tegam.com.

 

Savannah River Site Accredited to Perform Homeland Security Tests

A recent audit has given officials at the Savannah River Site the accreditation they need to be able to perform testing for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The audit by the National Institute of Science and Technology means DOE's Health Physics Instrument Calibration Laboratory has achieved National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) accreditation status for ionizing radiation. NVLAP is a U.S. Government entity that accredits testing and calibration laboratories found competent to perform specific tests or calibrations, said Washington Savannah River Site spokesperson Fran Poda.

The lab's function at SRS is to test and calibrate instruments that measure levels of radioactivity. Every year, the lab calibrates thousands of SRS instruments in state-of-the-art facilities, Poda said.

"This is an example of a team having a vision and working for it," says Phil Breidenbach, the WSRC manager responsible for Environment, Safety and Health. "They did their homework, knew what they had to do, and improved the process so that they could achieve this success. They deserve it and everyone involved should be very proud."

In order to achieve national accreditation, the lab had to go through a rigorous quality and technical audit. The SRS lab is only the second in the DOE complex – the other being Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – to receive this accreditation.

"We have some of the leading experts in the field of instrument calibration at SRS," says Jim Stafford, WSRC's manager of Radiological Protection Programs. "The NVLAP auditors recognized this expertise and were very complimentary of our preparation and response to the audit."

The accreditation opens the door to opportunities for the facility to use its capabilities to help stop terrorists from smuggling radioactive material into our nation, Poda said.

"What is needed is a place that can safely handle radioactive materials, knowledgeable people, and special capabilities to conduct the tests," says Breidenbach. "We have all three."

Being able to do work for the Department of Homeland Security helps to diversify the types of work being done at SRS and the funding sources from which money is received.

"Our facility calibrates radiological instruments," says Stafford. "Homeland Security has given out these types of instruments to fire departments and other agencies around the country. These are instruments that need to be calibrated, and we are capable of meeting that need."

 

Audio Precision Offers Accredited Calibration Service for Audio Analyzers

Audio Precision, Inc., the worldwide leader in audio test and measurement, is pleased to announce the opening of its new accredited calibration laboratory located at its factory in Beaverton, OR. The lab meets ISO's "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories" as defined in ISO/IEC 17025:2005. The accrediting agency is the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).

All supported models of AP audio analyzers ordered after January 8, 2007 (which include the 2700 Series, ATS-2 and APx585 audio analyzers) will be calibrated before shipping. Supported instruments in the field can be sent to the Beaverton factory for calibration. Any instrument sent in for valid warranty service within one year of purchase will be calibrated as part of the warranty service.

AP's Calibration Lab offers key advantages over third-party calibration facilities. Calibrations are performed using a dedicated test system designed by AP and are overseen by AP technicians who are familiar with AP instruments. This allows for extremely fast turn around and reduced chance of human error. If the instrument does not meet specification, it can be repaired or adjusted on-site, reducing shipping costs and downtime for customers.

"Meeting ISO's 17025 standard is a great achievement and should give our customers even more assurance as to the reliability of their measurements," says Bruce Hofer, co-founder and Chairman of Audio Precision. "We are happy to be part of a chain of traceability that's documented all the way up to the National Institute of Standards and Technology."

AP's certificate of accreditation and scope of calibration can be downloaded at http://www.a2la.org/scopepdf/2527-01.pdf.

Audio Precision has been designing and marketing audio analyzers and other test instruments for over two decades. The industry leader in audio test, Audio Precision provides field-hardened solutions to help customers worldwide design and build audio products that meet or exceed the highest performance standards. For more information, please visit the Audio Precision Web site at http://www.ap.com. For pricing or to schedule a calibration, please contact the AP Service Department at 800.231.7350 or service@ap.com with your audio analyzer's specific make and model.

 

Emerson Announces Certification for its Instrument Calibration Laboratory

Emerson Process Management announces the successful qualification of its Brooks Instrument calibration laboratory to traceable, internationally recognized standards for its line of QUANTIM low-flow Coriolis mass flow instruments. By achieving this certification, Emerson is leading the way in assuring the highest levels of precision and repeatability for the tightening needs of the industries it serves.

The Brooks Instrument laboratory certification confirms the Brooks QUANTIM measurement accuracy to the industry's highest levels for low-flow mass flow. This translates to better process control, allowing customers to tighten their process tolerances to further improve yield and reduce waste and rework.

For research applications, accurate, reliable low-flow measurement permits more efficient scale-up to production, where high flow Coriolis meters, such as Micro Motion flow meters, are in common use.

As a result of this certification, the Brooks laboratory is now in compliance with the ISO GUM and certified by the NMi. GUM is the Guide to the Expression of the Uncertainty in the Measurement. NMi is the Dutch Weights and Measures agency, and is internationally recognized as a competent authority in the measurement arena.

NMi confirmed the Brooks Instrument calibration test facility (called: Calibration and Measurement Capability: CMC) to 0.06% uncertainty at very low flows. This result is three times the published accuracy of the QUANTIM mass flow controller itself (0.2%), so that a high level of confidence is reached. Every QUANTIM produced is calibrated on the new ISO-certified test facility. An optional certificate is available for customers who require document traceability.

Go to http://www.emersonprocess.com/Brooks/news/pr-lab_certification.html for further information.

 

Properties of Magnetism in Mass Standards

The concern over magnetism in test weights has evolved to a new level. Unfortunately, a number of issues surrounding the measurement of magnetism in mass measurement has created frustration for mass calibration laboratories and for accreditation bodies. NCSLI recently met to bring together interested parties to discuss issues with the intent of coming to some resolutions on how to handle the various issues. As a result of these discussions, a number of resolutions were adopted.

Rice Lake Weighing Systems has submitted a white paper outlining how Rice Lake addresses these concerns.

Visit Metrology World at http://www.metrologyworld.com/downloads/detail.aspx?
docid=c48e455d-5e1a-45a6-b16b-a9c1d8abacf2 for white paper download information and access. Visit Rice Lake Weighing Systems at http://www.rlws.com for additional information.

 

Tektronix Reports Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2007

Tektronix, Inc. reported net sales of $272.8 million and net earnings from continuing operations of $19.6 million or $0.24 per share for the second quarter ended November 25, 2006. This compares with net sales of $253.4 million and net earnings from continuing operations of $19.9 million or $0.24 per share for the same period last year. Excluding acquisition-related costs, business realignment costs, one-time items, and share-based compensation expense, net earnings from continuing operations were $29.0 million or $0.35 per share for the second quarter as compared with $25.8 million or $0.31 per share for the same period last year.

"This was a good quarter for Tektronix in many respects. We saw orders growth of 18% driven by strong demand for general purpose instruments and continued success in network monitoring for next generation networks. In addition, we saw orders growth in every geography," said Rick Wills, Tektronix Chairman and CEO. "Strong orders resulted in sales growth of 8% over the prior year, and our strongest level of backlog in recent years. Pro forma earnings per share grew 13% on improved interest income, currency, and tax rate — partially offset by lower gross margin."

Orders for the Instruments business were up 20% driven by a significant digital design win for logic analyzers, continued strong growth in oscilloscopes and excellent demand for our spectrum analyzer products - which grew over 50%.

For more information visit
http://www2.tek.com/cmswpt/prdetails.lotr?ct=PR&cs=News+Release&ci=
5431&lc=EN.

 

Keithley Instruments Reports Record Sales for Fiscal 2006

Keithley Instruments, Inc., a leader in solutions for emerging measurement needs, announced results for its fourth quarter and year that ended September 30, 2006.
Net sales of $41.3 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 increased 18 percent from the prior year's fourth quarter sales of $35.0 million. The effect of a weaker U.S. dollar positively impacted sales growth by approximately one percentage point. Sequentially, sales increased eight percent from the third quarter. The Company reported net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 of $2.7 million, or $0.16 per share. Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005 was $2.3 million, or $0.14 per share.

Orders of $37.0 million for the fourth quarter decreased $3.4 million, or eight percent, compared with orders of $40.4 million last year. Orders decreased 16 percent in the Americas, decreased nine percent in Asia, and increased four percent in Europe. Orders from the Company's semiconductor customers decreased approximately ten percent, orders from wireless communications customers decreased approximately 40 percent, orders from precision electronic component/subassembly manufacturers increased approximately ten percent, and orders from research and education customers remained flat as compared to the prior year's fourth quarter. Sequentially, orders decreased 14 percent from the strong third quarter of fiscal 2006 primarily due to lower orders for parametric testers from the Company's semiconductor customers. Order backlog decreased $4.9 million during the quarter to $17.1 million at September 30, 2006.

Net sales for fiscal 2006 were a record $155.2 million, ten percent greater than $141.6 million in fiscal 2005. The effect of a stronger U.S. dollar negatively impacted sales growth by approximately two percentage points.

Orders for fiscal 2006 were $154.6 million, nine percent greater than the prior year. Geographically, orders increased 16 percent in the Americas, decreased nine percent in Asia, and increased 24 percent in Europe. Orders from the Company's semiconductor customers increased approximately 25 percent, wireless communications customer orders decreased approximately 35 percent, precision electronic components/subassembly manufacturers orders increased approximately 30 percent, and research and education orders were flat compared to fiscal 2005. For fiscal year 2006, semiconductor orders comprised approximately 35 percent of the total, wireless communications orders were about 10 percent, precision electronic components/subassembly manufacturers were approximately 30 percent, and research and education orders were about 15 percent.

To read the entire report visit Keithley’s corporate news release page at: http://ir.keithley.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=66958&p=irol-news&nyo=0.

 

Cast Your Vote for Best in Test

Help determine which of the 12 Best in Test products will become the Test Product of the Year. Visit Test & Measurement World (http://www.reed-electronics.com/tmworld/article/CA6401689?title=Article&spacedesc=news&nid=
2547) to read about each winner and then go to the online ballot and cast your vote by January 26, 2007. The winning product will be announced in February and a story published about it in the March 2007 issue of Test & Measurement World. www.tmworld.com

 

Oak Ridge Metrology Center Renews Accreditation

The Oak Ridge Metrology Center at the Y-12 National Security Complex recently received a two-year renewal of its accreditation under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. The ORMC first earned accreditation in 1999.

The NVLAP assessment process includes a comprehensive review of both a laboratory's quality system and its technical competence against the international standard “General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories.” NVLAP assessors are nationally and internationally recognized experts in their fields of study.

According to Bill McKeethan, ORMC manager, "Accreditation is validation by an internationally recognized agency that BWXT Y-12 meets the full requirements of the international standards for its calibration program." McKeethan added that this accreditation is important because of the product made at Y-12 and the requirements for its quality.

"Within the Nuclear Weapons Complex, only Kansas City, Sandia and Oak Ridge Metrology Center are accredited, and ORMC was the first to be accredited. The quality systems and technical competence are validated by NVLAP and will stand the scrutiny of any national or international accreditation body," McKeethan said.
Part of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 National Security Complex, the Oak Ridge Metrology Center is a unique resource to NIST and provides calibration services that are traceable to NIST standards in 25 measurement disciplines. Traceability is the ability to relate individual measurement results to national, international or nationally accepted measurement systems through an unbroken chain of comparison.

BWXT Y-12, a limited liability enterprise of BWX Technologies and Bechtel National Inc., operates the Y-12 National Security Complex for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Visit the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Metrology Laboratory (ORNL ML) website at: http://train.ornl.gov/wbt/new_page/QMSG/metlab.htm.
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