Kestrel News, Tech Talk, Flexible Technology, Merlin and Kestrel on the Global Route to Success, What You Continually Say About Us?

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1 MerlinK April 2007 Newsletter In this months edition Nepcon 2007, Birmingham NEC 15-17th May, Kestrel News, Tech Talk, Flexible Technology, Merlin and Kestrel on the Global Route to Success, What You Continually Say About Us?

2 Nepcon 2007, Birmingham NEC 15-17th May

3 Kestrel News Media Activity Recent press includes a Merlin and Kestrel article in February s EM&P magazine and David Grant in Electronics Weekly Q5 section, copies available from Ed Smith. Kestrel Installs Sage MMS System Due for completion 1 st April the new system will provide database management of accounts, purchasing, stock management and dispatch together with all sales administration. The new system will not only benefit the Lancing team but also most importantly our customers. Merlin Opportunities in the European Market Merlin has recently attended a successful trade mission to Finland. The initiative was set up by International Business Wales, and involved many U.K. companies, demonstrating their products, to potential new customers. Merlin was accompanied by their Scandinavian and Nordic agent, Elmatica. Kestrel Opens New Shenzhen Office David Grant formally opened Kestrel s new Shenzhen office on Monday 26 th March Our new office will provide enhanced communication and benefits for our customers.

4 Tech- Talk. Merlin Commission New Deep Electrolytic Nickel Gold Plate Line Process Merlin Circuit Technology Ltd is pleased to announce that the installation of their new in-house deep Ni/Au electrolytic plating process is almost complete. This will compliment the wide range of surface finishes already offered by Merlin and eliminate the need to use time consuming subcontract sources. Special products will benefit as the chemistry chosen is a Cobalt alloyed gold, giving greater hardness and wear resistance than the more common Nickel alloyed variants. The new installation will also increase the maximum deposit plated thickness of gold to 5 microns. All of Merlin s standard surface finish processes are now in-house, and this will enable quicker FTR despatches to be offered. Using traditional subcontract sources this type of product could only be offered on a 7 day delivery. Boards with edge connectors can also be manufactured in a more cost effective panel size. Merlin Expand UL Laminate Approval Listing Merlin Circuit Technology Ltd. is pleased to announce the addition of Panasonic R-1566 Halogen Free laminates to their UL Approval Listing. This was at the request of many European customers who appreciate that TBBA Brominated flame retardants are allowed within RoHS but prefer to specify a non-brominated version. Merlin has also added extra, High Tg Pb-free laminates to their portfolio to provide alternative materials in an attempt to counteract the current variable supply issues. These include: Panasonic R-1755, Nelco N & 29.

5 Flexible Technology. Merlin Circuit Technology is to increase their Flexible and Flexi- Rigid capacity, throughout The current sales intake for Flexible and Flexi-Rigid product is about 10% of the total turnover and the investment in the facility, throughout 2006, will allow an increase in manufacturing capacity to achieve a target of 20%, for the year. The Engineering expertise and operation competence has long been established at Merlin Circuit Technology and we now have an opportunity to grow our market share, considerably. Nick M c Lean, Technical Director, will facilitate the growth plan, following the marketing campaign that we have started this month. Merlin Circuit Technology has built a reliable reputation for Quality and Delivery on all our QTR products, which we aim to continue through the planned growth of our Flexible and Flexi-Rigid products. For further information, and all enquiries, please contact Nick M c Lean. nick.mclean@merlincircuit.co.uk

6 Merlin and Kestrel on the Global Route to Success. For UK PCB group Merlin Circuit Technology and Kestrel International Circuits the path to success has grown to become a fast moving global highway. High technology PCB manufacturer Merlin Circuit Technology based in North Wales and sister company offshore PCB supply specialists Kestrel International Circuits based in West Sussex have taken a global route to increased sales by investing in new services, new equipment and increased pro-active logistical and technical support for an ever increasing worldwide customer base. Merlin Managing Director Malcolm Shields sees expansion into worldwide markets for high technology NPI and Prototype PCBs as the foundation of the companies success. We have always enjoyed excellent support from our UK customers and in many cases they have recommended Merlin and Kestrel to their worldwide in-house colleagues and headquarters operations. This has helped Merlin and Kestrel to achieve a global profile. Both Malcolm Shields and Kestrel Managing Director David Grant stress that their companies success in the global PCB market is not only a case of offering world class capability and capacity coupled with competitive pricing. Detailed research is carried out into targeting regions and companies not only from a commercial perspective but also to ensure, for instance, that robust but flexible shipping arrangements are in place, that there are no serious delays at local airports or that customs clearance is restricted at weekends or evenings. The companies logistics specialists look into the detail at all stages to remove potential delays and issues.

7 Merlin and Kestrel also take a global view on marketing. In the last few months Merlin was the only UK PCB manufacturer exhibiting at the prestigious European defence exhibition MSPO 2006 in Poland which resulted in new high technology customers based in Eastern Europe. Kestrel s David Grant views continual investment in services as fundamental to attracting new multinational customers Although we have over 12 years of experience in offshore PCB supply our market and our customers are constantly evolving therefore we must provide the flexibility that our clients need at all levels. We are now viewed as an integral and reliable component of our customers supply chain model from design to logistics management. The expansion of Kestrel s UK and Hong Kong Technical & Logistics Centres, together with the opening of a new technology and supplier development centre in Shenzhen, has resulted in Kestrel working with the world s largest EMS providers. Key to winning new business is Kestrel s focus on total service anywhere in the world and the ability for seamless management of NPI and Prototype to offshore volume. Both Merlin and Kestrel with an already wide ranging domestic customer base continue to develop business in the UK market which, despite all the gloom and doom comments in recent years, is still very busy with many new SEMs developing exciting and worthwhile new products. Despite the migration of Global EMS companies from our shores, business is very buoyant from UK based contract manufacturers and the market in general. Merlin Sales Manager Phil Price commented We have already developed a strong presence in the UK high technology PCB sector and it is our intention to further build on our strengths as the partner of choice for high technology product with the added option of offshore volume from our sister company Kestrel.

8 What You Continually Say About Us? We canvassed 210 of our top customers to determine the Customer Perception of our quality, delivery and service performance. This survey is ongoing and will be measured, and reported, every second month. Look for reference QDS.

9 Seamless, Comprehensive and Exceptional - with an Absolute Focus on Total Service. Merlin Circuit Technology Hawarden Industrial Park, Manor Lane, Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales, CH5 3QZ sales@merlincircuit.co.uk Phone +44 (0) Fax +44 (0) Kestrel International Circuits Commerce Way, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8QT sales@kestrelcircuits.co.uk Phone +44(0) Fax +44(0) Finally, thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. We hope you have found it interesting and helpful. Most importantly, this is your newsletter, and we want to know what you would like to see or hear about in future issues. Please contact Malcolm Shields with your ideas and comments about this newsletter or any additional services you would like to see from Merlin and Kestrel. malcolm.shields@merlincircuit.co.uk