"Palomarhad its Model 8000 Wire Bonder on display at SMT Nuremburg this year. The name of the show is not fully descriptiveof its real focus which is ‘Surface Mount Technology and Hybrid Packaging,notably system integration in microelectronics’. As a recognized leader in its field, Palomar Technologies was one of the charter companies in the new ‘Optoelektronik’ exhibit at theshow. Introduction of this new‘Optoelektronik’ zone at the show is recognition of this emerging trend inpackaging as optics is creeping closer to the chip. 
Expectationsgoing into the 2009 SMT Nuremburg show were not particularly buoyant and theshow played out as expected. Exhibitorswere noticeably fewer and contained in just 3 halls this year. Traffic was active, although down compared toprevious years, reflective of the world’s current economic condition andspecifically the European region. Theimpact of the downturn in the auto industry is felt acutely in Germany and hasdelayed most capital equipment purchasing plans for automotive suppliers. Palomarremains in close contact with its European customers as they ride out thecurrent slow period.
That beingsaid, there are a few bright spots of note, as even in Europe some marketniches are still moving ahead with investment in new technology or capacity. The notable areas include military, medicaland specific consumer/office products. With the addition of the GPD Global (Precision Fluid Dispensers), Hybond (Manual Bonders) and Royce Instruments(Bond Testers and Die Sorters) lines toits offering, several new opportunities were uncovered. Even when capital is not available topurchase equipment, Palomar offers its unique Micro/Opto-E contractmanufacturing and assembly service to enable companies to implement their product developmentplans in an expeditious, cost-effective manner, while preserving theirintellectual property.
- JosefSchmidl, Palomar Technologies Europe