Aug 01, 2012 
Nihon Superior Co., Ltd., a supplier of advanced soldering materials to the global market is pleased to announce the establishment within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology of the University of Queensland, Australia of the Nihon Superior Centre for Manufacture of Electronic Materials (NS CMEM).
This Centre, which culminates a relationship between these two organizations that dates back to 2003, officially commenced operation on July 1, 2012.
NS CMEM will carry out research in several areas related to materials for electronic and electrical application and energy storage but joining, including soldering, will be a major focus. Under the terms of the agreement under which this Centre has been established, more than half of the funding will be provided by Nihon Superior who also will provide additional in-kind support in the form of materials and services.
The Centre will operate within the Department of Mechanical and Mining Engineering in the Frank White building on the University’s campus at St. Lucia in Brisbane, Queensland. It is expected that the Centre will move to The Advanced Engineering Building (AEB) when it is ready for occupation at the beginning of the second semester in 2013. This building will also house the Queensland Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing (AMPAM) and it is expected that there will be opportunities for cooperation between these two organizations.
A total of nine people will be contributing to the work of the Centre in various ways. Staff includes Director Associate Professor Kazuhiro Nogita, Senior Research Fellow Dr. Stuart McDonald, five research staff and two post-graduate students. Currently, three undergraduate students are also contributing to the Centre’s work.
Because of its location on the University of Queensland campus and strong connections with other universities in Australia and Japan, the Centre has access to some of the best equipment including advanced nanoindentation equipment at the school, electron microscopies at the Centre of Microscopy and Microanalysis, and at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (ANFF-Q), and three synchrotrons (Australian Synchrotron, SPring-8 and SAGA-LS) that have proven invaluable in elucidating critical features of the lead-free solders now being adopted by the global electronics industry. Within the Centre, there is also specialized equipment for directional solidification, laser welding and the measurement of solder fluidity.
In the nine years that research sponsored by Nihon Superior has been undertaken at University of Queensland, there have been some major breakthroughs in the understanding of the properties and behaviour of lead-free solders that have earned global recognition. Even greater achievements are expected with the joint research and exchange of personnel that will now be possible.
Nihon Superior and the University of Queensland share a belief that this new venture should have three main goals:
1. To contribute to knowledge to through papers and presentations at international conferences
2. To contribute to industry through the development of proprietary materials and advanced technologies
3. To contribute to the development of human resources through the involvement of students and research in the work of the Centre
The president of Nihon Superior, Tetsuro Nishimura, observed with satisfaction that the creation of the Centre is the result of a long partnership between his company and the University. It has been his wish that such a venture would emerge from that partnership and he is thrilled to see that wish fulfilled. Mr. Nishimura said, “With the leverage this partnership provides, both Nihon Superior and University of Queensland will certainly get much more from their efforts than they would if they pursued these goals separately.” Mr. Nishimura gave a personal commitment to do everything possible to ensure the effective operation of the Nihon Superior Centre for the Manufacture of Electronic Materials so that it can indeed achieve its objectives of academic excellence, new materials and human resource development for both the University of Queensland and his company.
In expressing his hopes for the Centre, its first director, Associate Professor Nogita, said, “I would like to see the Nihon Superior Centre for the Manufacture of Electronic Materials become a globally recognized leader in research in the field of bonding technologies and in particular lead-free solders and a centre of information and expertise in these fields. I hope also that the bridge between Australia and Japan can provide a basis for wider cooperation in this field in Asia for the training of scientists and engineers.”
【UQ’s website 】
http://www.mechmining.uq.edu.au/nihon
http://www.mechmining.uq.edu.au/research-nihon-superior
Nihon Superior was founded in 1966 when it began marketing unique flux products imported from the US. The company made its mark on society by gathering the most advanced soldering and brazing technologies and products from around the world, and supplying them to companies in the metal-joining industry. A turning point for the company came when it started developing its own soldering materials and with the success of its unique SN100C lead-free solder alloy Nihon Superior has become a major player in the global market. To support the growing demand for its products, Nihon Superior has established manufacturing and sales centers in Japan, China and other Asian countries, and the United States, and formed business partnerships with companies in other markets.
