CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is accepting entries for its 2026 New Product Introduction Awards for electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers.
Colloquially referred to as the Engineer’s Choice Awards – a nod to the background and independence of the judges – the 19th annual NPI Awards recognize the leading new products for electronics assembly during the past 12 months. Recipients are selected by an independent panel of practicing industry engineers and are presented by CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY.
The 2025 winners included:
DELO Industrial Adhesives – Adhesives
SMartSol Technologies – Automation Tools
Indium Corporation – Cored Wire
ITW EAE – Cleaning Equipment
KYZEN – Cleaning Materials
INOVAXE – Component Storage
Axxon-Mycronic – Dispensing Equipment
Inspectis AB – First Article Inspection
DuPont – Laminates
Kurtz Ersa, Inc. – Rework and Repair Tools
Intraratio Corporation – Software – Management
Arch Systems – Software — Process Control
Weller Tools GmbH – Soldering — Hand Tools
BTU International – Soldering — Reflow
Apollo Seiko – Soldering — Selective
ITW EAE – Soldering — Wave
Indium Corporation – Soldering Materials
ViTrox – Test and Inspection – AOI
Test Research, Inc. (TRI) – Test and Inspection — AXI
Test Research, Inc. (TRI) – Test and Inspection — ICT
Nordson Test & Inspection – Test and Inspection — SPI
How It Works
Entrants must submit a single registration form for each product and category entered. All entries must include a 250- to 1,000-word statement describing the product in the following terms:
- Creativity and innovation
- Compatibility with existing technology
- Cost-effectiveness
- Design
- Expected reliability
- Flexibility
- Expected maintainability/reparability
- Performance
- User-friendliness
- Speed/throughput.
Evaluations will be based on the above list.
The entry fee is $500 per product. The deadline for entries Dec. 19, 2025.
To be eligible, entries must have been introduced to market (any region) no earlier than Jan. 1, 2025.
Categories
Equipment: automation tools (conveyors, feeders, etc.); bonders; cleaning equipment; component placement – high-speed; component placement – multifunction; component placement – accessory technologies; component storage; device programming; dispensing equipment; labeling equipment; process control tools; rework and repair tools; screen/stencil printing; screen/stencil printing peripherals/consumables; soldering – reflow (convection); soldering – wave; soldering – selective; selective soldering tools and accessories; soldering – alternative (vapor phase, hot bar, laser, etc.); soldering – hand tools; test and inspection – AOI; test and inspection – AXI; test and inspection – ICT; test and inspection – SPI; test and inspection – functional test; first article inspection; curing ovens (for non-solder materials); ESD
Materials: adhesives; cleaning materials; coatings/encapsulants; underfills; thermal interface materials; flux; soldering materials (paste, bar, wire, core, etc.); cored wire
Software: process control; production; management (ERP, MRP, etc.)
Training Materials
Process Innovation (assemblers only)
For more information and to register, visit https://pcea.net/npi-award.
