Nihon Superior, a provider of advanced soldering materials, has announced the inception of the Nihon Superior Centre for Manufacture of Electronic Materials (NS CMEM) within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology of the University of Queensland, Australia.
NS CMEM, officially started operation on July 1, 2012, will conduct research in fields associated with materials for electrical and electronics applications, and energy storage but joining, which include soldering. Nihon Superior has funded over 50% of the funding for the establishment of the center. The company will also offer materials and services to the center.
NS CMEM will run as part of the Department of Mechanical and Mining Engineering in the Frank White building situated on the University of Queensland’s campus located at St. Lucia in Brisbane. The center is anticipated to relocate to The Advanced Engineering Building during the start of the second semester in 2013. The Queensland Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing will also be accommodated in this building and it is anticipated that these two institutes will enter into cooperation.
NS CMEM’s presence on the University of Queensland campus and its strong relationships with other institutes in Japan and Australia enable it access to some of the advanced instruments, which include electron microscopes at the Centre of Microscopy and Microanalysis and at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, sophisticated nanoindentation instrument at the school, and three synchrotrons (SAGA-LS, SPring-8 and Australian Synchrotron). These instruments are essential in exploring key characteristics of the lead-free solders used by the global electronics industry. The center is also equipped with sophisticated tools for laser welding, directional solidification and solder fluidity measurement.