GLW Corning Inc

Dow Corning Launches Equipment Alliance With Nine Electronics Assembly & Packaging Industry Leaders New solutions-based alliance helps customers save time, money to meet production goals MIDLAND, Mich., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strategic move tohelp customers speed time to market and reduce manufacturing costs, Dow Corning Corporation has launched the External Equipment Provider Alliance with nine leading companies from the electronics assembly and packaging industry. Under the new alliance -- the first of its kind in this market -- Dow Corning will work with member companies and customers to streamline the integration of materials and equipment used in board-level assembly and back-end packaging, resulting in standard equipment or customized solutions that help customers meet production goals more quickly and efficiently. The network of member companies includes Asymtek (A Nordson Company), Bartec Dispensing Technology, DEK, Fluid Research Corp., Lambda Technologies, Liquid Control Corp., PVA (Precision Valve & Automation), Scheugenpflug AG and Sieghard Schiller GmbH & Co. KG. As leaders in the areas of meter-mix, conformal coating, fluid delivery, rapid curing, stencil printing and robotic XYZ positioning, these companies have all demonstrated expertise in applying and handling Dow Corning's silicone and organic materials. "With ever-increasing price pressures on electronic components, more and more companies are pressed to improve productivity and lower costs in electronics assembly and packaging operations," said Tom Cook, Global Industry Executive Director, Electronics & Advanced Technologies Industries, Dow Corning. "In this environment, having a superior product is only part of the equation. Companies need partners who understand the unique challenges they face, and who have the expertise to develop solutions that help them meet their business goals. This is exactly where Dow Corning's External Equipment Provider Alliance can help." Under the alliance, Dow Corning will leverage member companies' expertise to simplify the procurement, integration, start-up and optimization of materials and processing equipment. By working together, Dow Corning and alliance members can help customers address any number of challenges -- from choosing the right combination of equipment and materials for a new process to delivering turnkey production packages. The alliance will also provide a lead contact who will work directly with the customer, coordinating the alliance's depth and breadth of resources to develop feasible, cost-effective business solutions. Cook added, "Dow Corning will partner with customers to provide as little or as much assistance as they need, helping them achieve day-to-day objectives as well as key, long-termbusiness goals. The beauty of an alliance like this is that it gives customers access to more resources than any single supplier could deliver alone. It's not just about delivering a particular material or piece of equipment -- it's about delivering anoverall solution that gives the customer a competitive advantage." Dow Corning has been planning and organizing the External Equipment Provider Alliance over the past 12 months, and has selected members based on its long-term relationships with these and other companies throughout the board-level assembly and back-end packaging industry. In the future, Dow Corning plans to expand the alliance to other electronics market segments, such as wafer-level and front-end packaging. The External Equipment Provider Alliance comes as part of a larger program within Dow Corning to create and deliver customized business solutions that help customers throughout the electronics industry address materials, process and integration challenges. Using its 60 years of experience as a manufacturer and supplier of silicon-based materials, Dow Corning is also developing solutions-based programs to support customers with facilities design and engineering, product and application development, and total supply chain management. Dow Corning will be discussing the External Equipment Provider Alliance at the upcoming APEX tradeshow, to be held February 24-26, 2004, in Anaheim, Calif. Customers and press are invited to visit the Dow Corning booth, number 1487, at any timeduring the show. About Dow Corning Dow Corning Corporation (http://www.dowcorning.com/electronics) is a globally integrated provider of materials, application technology and services, and is focused on providing innovative technology for all segmentsof the electronics industry. Dow Corning has development and applications centers strategically located throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. The centers offer advanced resources for electronics materials and services, and are staffed with experienced professionals who can provide technical support to customers locally. Dow Corning Corporation is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) and Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW). More than half of Dow Corning Corporation's sales are outside the United States. DATASOURCE: Dow Corning Corporation CONTACT: Don Piering of Dow Corning, +1-989-496-8972, ; or Bruce Hokanson of Loomis Group, +1-360-574-4000, , for Dow Corning Web site: http://www.dowcorning.com/electronics

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