Nihon Superior�s SN100C Wins Two 2008 NPI Industry Awards

OSAKA, JAPAN � March 31, 2008 � Nihon Superior Co. Ltd., an advanced lead-free soldering materials to the global electronics industry announces that it has been awarded two 2008 NPI Awards with the Balver Zinn Balver Zinn Group (Balver Zinn, Nihon Superior Co. Ltd., FCT Assembly and DKL Metals) in the category of Soldering Materials and Flux for its innovative SN100C Paste. The awards were presented to the company during a Monday, March 31, 2008 ceremony that took place in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center in Las Vegas before the start of APEX 2008.

With its unique tin-copper-nickel-germanium alloy SN100C now firmly established as one of the global electronics industry�s most popular lead-free wave soldering alloys. It has also been found its properties make SN100C an ideal choice for reflow and hand soldering applications.

The fluidity of SN100C, which is comparable to that of tin-lead, is one of the factors that contribute to excellent hole fill and minimal shorts in wave soldering. However, that property is also an advantage in hand soldering where, in combination with the right core flux , it makes possible the completion of more than 35 average joints per minute with a tip temperature of only 380�C. Nihon Superior is now offering the eCore low-spatter lead-free flux-cored solder wire.

The 227�C melting point of SN100C was first thought to preclude its use in reflow soldering but when it was noted that tin-silver-copper alloys (such as SAC305 with a melting point of 217-218�C) are typically reflowed with a peak temperature around 240�C, it was realized that SN100C could be a drop-in replacement. Its high fluidity and excellent wetting properties mean that SN100C can be reflowed successfully at a lower superheat above liquidus than SAC alloys. Nihon Superior now offers SN100C no-clean ePaste for general reflow purposes.

Premiering in 2008, the NPI Awards program is an annual celebration of product excellence in electronics surface mount assembly. Premier products based on the finest examples of creative advancement in technology are chosen by a distinguished panel of industry experts.

About Nihon Superior Co. Ltd.

Nihon Superior was founded in 1966 when it began marketing unique flux products imported from the US. Since then, the company has made its mark by developing its own soldering materials and supplying them to the electronics industry. On the basis of its expertise in these technologies, Nihon Superior has developed a global business, establishing manufacturing and sales centers in Asia and forming business partnerships with companies in Europe, America and Asia.