32

nanotimes

Companies Facts

to 1080nm to now up to 1300nm. The user can con veniently select between OPO and stan dard MP excitation wavelengths and has the choice of simulta- neous or sequential excitation with the OPO and MP laser together. http://www.leica-microsystems.com

M

ethode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI) has been awarded a next generation integrated center

stack program for multiple General Motors vehicle platforms. The center stacks will be featured on certain vehicles starting in model year 2013, and are expected to have a five-year program life.

In May 2010, Methode Development Company, a business unit of Methode Electronics, Inc., an- nounced that its conductive inkjet printable ink can now print circuits directly onto treated polyesters. The ink, formulated for thermal and piezo inkjet systems, makes it possible for engineers to print working electrical circuits, right from their desktops – facilitating product development, prototyping, and manufacturing processes. With this technology, scale-up for high volume manufacturing can be easily achieved.

Methode’s water-based #9101 ink has excellent adhesion to polyester substrates. The inkjet for- mulation contains conductive silver nano-particles, and does not require secondary curing or additional processing. Near full conductivity is achieved within a few minutes of printing. The ink is RoHS-compliant and negligible volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are created during printing, alleviating the need for specialized ventilation during application. A de- velopment kit is available that allows engineers to create functional electrical circuits with a thermal

inkjet desktop printer. The kit includes 3 substrates, a thermal inkjet printer, a cartridge filled with the 9101 conductive ink, a printer maintenance kit, and an owner’s manual. The cartridge simply replaces the existing black cartridge on the desktop printer. The desktop print head is the same head used for indus- trial print systems, allowing a direct path for pro- duction scale-up. The price of the kit is $1,850 with replacement 9101 ink cartridges available. http://www.methode.com

M

itsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced its financial results for the first

9 months and third quarter ending December 31, 2010, of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011):

• Net sales: 2,601.3 billion yen (13% increase from the same period last year);

• Operating income: 192.5 billion yen (+254%); • Income before income taxes: 187.3 billion yen (+577%);

• Net income attributable to Mitsubishi Electric Corp.: 116.9 billion yen. http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com

N

anoco Group plc (AIM: NANO), a world leader in the development and manufacture of cad-

mium-free quantum dots, announced the successful commissioning of the production lines at its new facility in Runcorn, Cheshire.

The Runcorn facility – the Company’s first commer- cial production capability – comprises 3000 square feet of laboratory and administrative space at The Heath Technology Park. It includes two dedicated Semi-Tech production lines, which together are

11-01 :: December 2010 / January 2011