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Published By: Mid-Atlantic Tech Publications, Inc. Phoenixville, PA 19460 Established January, 1986


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Mid-Atlantic Tech Publications, Inc. Contents not be reproduced or reprinted in any form without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed on Tech Op-Ed pages and by our colum- nists are the views of the person or per- sons authoring the material.


vering focus on operator safety, efficiency, and precision, Weller continues to develop hand sol- dering solutions to meet the evolving needs of the electronics manufacturing industry.


The Black Edition In honor of its 80th anniver-


sary, Weller introduces the spe- cial black edition of the WE1010 soldering station and the ZeroS- mog Shield fume extraction sys- tem. The WE1010 Black Edition delivers the same trusted per- formance and user-friendly oper- ation as the original WE1010 but


www.us-tech.com Weller Tools Celebrates 80 Years


features a sleek, commemorative black design and 80th anniver- sary logo. The black design is a nod to the original Weller de- vices, which were initially made of black bakelite before later switching to ESD-safe plastics. The ZeroSmog Shield is en-


gineered to complement Weller’s soldering stations by providing high-efficiency fume extraction, ensuring a cleaner, safer work environment for soldering pro- fessionals. Together, these spe- cial edition products underscore Weller’s legacy of innovation, safety, and performance in sol- dering technology.


“As Weller celebrates 80


years of groundbreaking ad- vancements in soldering, we re- main committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation,” says Philippe Buidin, president of Weller Tools. “The release of the special black edition WE1010 and ZeroSmog Shield is a tribute to our heritage and a testament to our ongoing dedication to the future of soldering technology.” Contact: Weller Tools


GmbH, Carl-Benz-Str. 2, 74354 Besigheim, Germany % +49-0-7143-580-156 E-mail: marketing@weller-tools.com Web: www.weller-tools.com r


Flexible Thermoelectric Semiconductors


BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — QUT researchers have identified a new material which could be used as a flexible semiconductor in wearable devices by using a technique that focuses on the manipulation of spaces between atoms in crystals. The researchers used “vacan-


cy engineering” to enhance the ability of an AgCu(Te, Se, S) semiconductor, which is an alloy made up of silver, copper, telluri- um, selenium and sulphur, to con- vert body heat into electricity. Vacancy engineering is the


study and manipulation of empty spaces, or “vacancies,” in a crys- tal where atoms are missing, to influence the material’s proper- ties, such as improving its me- chanical properties or optimising its electrical conductivity, or thermal properties. The QUT researchers, guid-


ed by advanced computational design, synthesised a flexible


AgCu(Te, Se, S) semiconductor through a simple and cost-effec- tive melting method. Precise con- trol of the material’s atomic va- cancies not only improved its ca- pability of converting heat into electricity, but also gave the ma- terial excellent mechanical prop- erties, meaning that it could be shaped in different ways to adapt to more complex practical applications. To demonstrate the practi-


cal application potential of the material, the researchers de- signed several different micro- flexible devices based on the ma- terial that could be easily at- tached to a person’s arm. The study addressed the


challenge of improving the heat- to-electricity conversion ability of an AgCu(Te, Se, S) semiconductor while still remaining flexible and stretchable, which were proper- ties desired for wearable devices. “Thermoelectric materials


have drawn widespread attention over the past few decades in light of their unique ability to convert heat into electricity without gener- ating pollution, noise, and requir- ing moving parts,” Nanhai Li says. “As a continuous heat source,


the human body produces a cer- tain temperature difference with the surroundings, and when we exercise, that generates more heat and a larger temperature difference between the human body and the environment.”next- generation wearable devices us- ing body heat, eliminating the need for batteries. Mainstream flexible ther-


moelectric devices are currently fabricated using inorganic thin- film thermoelectric materials, or- ganic thermoelectric materials deposited on flexible substrates, and hybrid composites of both. Both organic and inorganic


materials have their limitations — organic materials typically suffer from low performance and while inorganic materials offer


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Tech-Op-Ed .............................4 Tech Watch ...........................10 People......................................12 Business News......................14 Business Briefs......................15 Management............................16 EMS ........................................18 Electronic Mfg. Prods..............26 Production...............................36 Partnering................................38 Distribution..............................40 New Products.........................52 High-Tech Events...................68 2025 Editorial Calendar..........68 Advertisers Index................... 70


Special Focus: Manufacturing Services........ 42


June 2025


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