New Product Introduction Award

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazine and the Printed Circuit Engineering Association annually present New Product Introduction Awards for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software. Awards recognize the best products released during the past 12 months.

Nominations Due

December 19, 2025

Winners Announced

March 2026

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY’S New Product Introduction (NPI) Awards recognize the leading new products for electronics assembly during the past 12 months. Awards are selected by an independent panel of practicing industry engineers and are presented by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY.

ABOUT THE AWARD

CATEGORIES

Equipment

  • Automation tools (conveyors, feeders, etc.)
  • Bonders
  • Cleaning equipment
  • Component placement – high-speed
  • Component placement – multifunction
  • Component placement – accessory technologies
  • Component storage
  • Curing ovens (for non-solder materials)
  • Device programming
  • Dispensing equipment
  • ESD
  • First article inspection
  • Labeling equipment
  • Process control tools
  • Rework and repair tools
  • Screen/stencil printing
  • Screen/Stencil Printing Peripherals/Consumables
  • Soldering – reflow (convection)
  • Soldering – wave
  • Soldering – selective
  • Selective soldering tools and accessories
  • Soldering – alternative (vapor phase, hot bar, laser, etc.)
  • Soldering – hand tools
  • Test and inspection – AOI
  • Test and inspection – AXI
  • Test and inspection – ICT
  • Test and inspection – SPI
  • Test and inspection – functional test

Materials

  • Adhesives
  • Cleaning materials
  • Coatings/encapsulants
  • Underfills
  • Thermal Interface Materials
  • Flux
  • Soldering materials (paste, bar, wire, core, etc.)
  • Cored Wire

Software

  • Software – process control
  • Software – production
  • Software – management (ERP, MRP, etc.)

Training Materials

JUDGING

Judges have been chosen by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY from a pool of experienced, practicing industry engineers with no affiliation to any of the entrants. CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY will tabulate all scores. Judges’ scores are final; judges will not be made available to communicate with entrants.

Evaluations will be based on the following:

  • Creativity and innovation
  • Compatibility with existing technology
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Design
  • Expected reliability
  • Flexibility
  • Expected maintainability/ease of repair
  • Performance
  • User-friendliness
  • Speed/throughput

Past NPI Award Winners

2025

  • DELO Industrial Adhesives – Adhesives

  • SMartSol Technologies – Automation Tools

  • Indium Corporation– Cored Wire

  • ITW EAE – Cleaning Equipment

  • KYZEN – Cleaning Materials

  • INOVAXE – Component Storage

  • Axxon-Mycronic – Dispensing Equipment

  • Inspectis AB – First Article Inspection

  • DuPont – Laminates

  • Kurtz Ersa – Rework and Repair Tools 

  • Intraratio Corporation – Software – Management 

  • Arch Systems – Software — Process Control 

  • Weller Tools GmbH – Soldering — Hand Tools

  • BTU International – Soldering — Reflow

  • Apollo Seiko – Soldering — Selective

  • ITW EAE – Soldering — Wave

  • Indium Corporation – Soldering Materials

  • ViTrox – Test and Inspection – AOI

  • Test Research, Inc. (TRI)– Test and Inspection — AXI

  • Test Research, Inc. (TRI)– Test and Inspection — ICT

  • Nordson Test & Inspection – Test and Inspection — SPI

2024

  • Anda Technologies: Automation Tools – ADA Series Smart Manufacturing Platform
  • Kyzen: Cleaning Materials – AQUANOX A4618 KYZDS
  • Henkel: Coatings/Encapsulants – Loctite Stycast CC 8555
  • Hanwha Techwin: Automation Americas Component Placement – XM520 High-Speed Dual Lane Chip Mounter
  • Juki: Automation Systems Component Storage – ISM 3600 FA, FAMR System
  • PVA: Dispensing Equipment – Direct Series with new PathMaster X Programming Software
  • Tagarno: First Article Inspection – Tagarno 4K Microscope
  • Indium: Flux – Indium8.9FRV
  • ViTrox: Process Control Tools – V9i XL ARV
  • ASYS Group: Screen and Stencil Printing – SERIO 6000 with “Sphere” Intelligent Print Head
  • StenTech: Screen/Stencil Printing Peripherals/Consumables – BluPrint CVD Surface Treatment
  • Cetec ERP & CalcuQuote: Software – Management – Supply Chain Connected ERP
  • Vayo: Software – Process Control – Vayo-Stencil Designer
  • Arch: Software – Production – ArchFX GLO
  • Weller Tools: Soldering – Hand Tools – Zero Smog Shield Pro
  • BTU International: Soldering – Reflow – Aurora
  • Kurtz Ersa: Soldering – Selective – VERSAFLOW ONE X-Series
  • ITW EAE: Soldering – Wave – Deep Wave Option
  • AIM Solder: Solder – Materials – NC259FPA
  • ViTrox :Test and Inspection – AOI – V510i 3D AOI
  • Brooks: Automation Test and Inspection – Functional Test – PreciseFlex 3400 Cobot
  • ViTrox: Test and Inspection – AXI –V810i Advanced X-Ray Inspection (AXI) System – Series 3 Dual-Lane
  • Pemtron: Test and Inspection – SPI – D-2
  • Henkel: Thermal Interface Materials – Berquist Hi Flow THF 5000UT

2023

  • Scienscope: Automation Tools (5100c III X-Ray Component Counter)
  • Surfx Technologies: Cleaning Equipment (STA-10 Automated Plasma System)
  • Europlacer: Component Placement – Accessory Technologies (Freeform Feeder)
  • ASYS Group: Component Storage (Reel-Magazine)
  • ITW EAE: Dispensing Equipment (ITW Camalot Prodigy Advanced Tilt and Rotate)
  • Selectech: ESD (SelecTile ESD Interlocking Flooring)
  • Aven Tools: First Article Inspection (Mighty Vue Inspector)
  • Koh Young: Process Control Tools (Neptune C)
  • ASMPT: Screen and Stencil Printing (DEK TQ L Printing Platform)
  • Stentech: Screen/Stencil Printing Peripherals/Consumables (Advanced Nano Stencil Coating)
  • Koh Young: Software – Process Control (KPO Printer Software)
  • ASYS Group: Software – Production (Extended ASYCAM Software)
  • Smartsol: Soldering – Alternative (SMarTsol Soldering Robots)
  • Weller Tools: Soldering – Hand Tool (WXair Rework Module)
  • ECD: Soldering – Process Control (MOLE EV6 Thermal Profiler)
  • SASinno Americas: Soldering – Selective (Unit-i1 Selective Soldering Machine)
  • ITW EAE: Soldering – Wave (Auto Exit Wing)
  • Indium: Cored Wire (CW-818 Fast Wetting, No-Clean Cored Wire)
  • Shenmao: Solder Paste (PF918-PW216 Solder Paste)
  • Saki Corp.: Test and Inspection – AOI (3Di Series)
  • Magnalytix: Test and Inspection – Functional Test (OE-300)
  • Henkel: Thermal Interface Materials (Bergquist Liqui Form TLF 10000)

2022

  • Arch Systems: Software – Process Control (ArchFX Analytics)
  • CyberOptics: Test and Inspection – SPI (SQ3000+)
  • Europlacer Americas: Component Placement – Accessory Technologies (ii-Tab)
  • Europlacer Americas: Component Placement – High Speed (ii-A2)
  • EVS International: Soldering – Alternative (EVS 11KLFHS)
  • Heller Industries: Soldering – Reflow (Convection) (MKV-VF)
  • Indium Corporation: Adhesives (NC-702)
  • Juki Automation Systems: Component Placement – Multi-Function (JM-50)
  • Juki Automation Systems: Component Storage (ISM UltraFlex 3600S)
  • Koh Young America: Process Control Tools (Neptune C+)
  • Kyzen: Cleaning Materials (Aquanox A4626)
  • Omron: Test and Inspection – AOI (VT-S1080 3D AOI)
  • 1 Click SMT: Soldering – Selective (MAS-i4)
  • PSA Systems: Automation Tools (Matrix Automatic SMT Support Tooling)
  • Scienscope International: Labeling Equipment (Scienscope IMS-200)
  • SPEA: Test and Inspection – ICT (T300 Board Tester)
  • VJ Electronix: Test and Inspection – AXI (Apogee 90)

2021

  • Accu-Assembly: Component Storage (Accu-Stock)
  • Accu-Assembly: Labeling Equipment (AccuID)
  • Anda Technologies USA: Dispensing Equipment (iCoat-6)
  • ASM Assembly Systems: Training Materials (ASM Academy Digital Training)
  • Brady Corporation: Automation Tools (ALF19-XS Label Feeder)
  • BTU International: Soldering – Reflow (Health Check Services)
  • ECD: Selective Soldering Tools and Accessories (SelectiveRIDER)
  • Elsyca: Plating (Elsyca CuBE)
  • EVS International: Soldering – Alternative (EVS 18KLF)
  • Hanwha Techwin Automation Americas: Component Placement – High-Speed (Decan S1)
  • Henkel Corporation: Thermal Interface Materials (Bergquist microTIM mTIM 1000)
  • Indium: Cored Wire (CW-232)
  • Juki Automation Systems: Soldering – Selective (iCube HighFlex)
  • Koh Young America: Software – Process Control (KSMART)
  • Kyzen: Cleaning Materials (Aquanox A4382 OA)
  • MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions: Soldering Materials (Alpha OM-372)
  • MIRTEC: Test and Inspection – AOI (MV-6Z Omni)
  • Omron: Test and Inspection – SPI (CKD VP9000)
  • SelecTech: ESD (FreeStyle ESD Plus)
  • Viscom: Test and Inspection – AXI (iX7059)

2020

  • Air-Vac Engineering: Rework and Repair Tools (AVX250)
  • Anda Technologies: Cleaning Equipment (AP-3P)
  • Anda Technologies: Curing Ovens (VCO Series)
  • ASM Assembly Systems: Component Placement – Accessory Technologies (Siplace SmartFeeder AutoRefill)
  • Cogiscan: Software – Production (Quality Driver Software Suite)
  • CyberOptics: Software – Process Control (CyberCMM)
  • CyberOptics: Test & Inspection – SPI (SQ3000)
  • Data I/O: Device Programming (PSV2800)
  • Hanwha Techwin: Component Placement – High Speed (HM520)
  • Henkel: Thermal Interface Materials (Bergquist GAP Pad TGP 10000ULM)
  • Indium: Soldering Materials (Durafuse)
  • Inspire Solutions: Automation Tools (Toolmaker)
  • ITW EAE: Soldering – Wave (Electrovert DwellFlex 4.0)
  • Juki: Component Placement – Multi-Function (JM-100)
  • Kyzen: Cleaning Materials (Kyzen E5631)
  • Magnalytix: Process Control Tools (Magnalytix OE-250 SIR Testing)
  • Nihon Superior: Cored Wire (TipSave N)
  • Nordson Asymtek: Dispensing Equipment (Qadence)
  • Nordson Dage: First Article Inspection (Prospector)
  • Nordson Dage: Test & Inspection – AXI (Assure Stock Line)
  • Part Analytics: Software – Management (AI Driven Spend and RFQ Management)
  • Promation: Soldering – Alternative (Panda)
  • Rehm Thermal Systems: Soldering – Reflow (Vision TripleX)
  • Rohde & Schwarz: Test & Inspection – Functional Test (R&S NGM200)
  • Saki: Software – Production (Quality Driver Software Suite)
  • Viscom: Test & Inspection – AOI (3D AOI system S3088 DT)
  • VJ Electronix: Component Storage (XQuik III)
    Weller Tools: Soldering – Hand Tools (Weller Active Tip Range)