element14 Partners With Sunstone Circuits to Provide High-Quality PCB Prototyping Solutions Through the Knode

CHICAGO, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Newark's element14, the first online community and electronics store for design engineers, today announced a partnership with the leading PCB solutions provider Sunstone Circuits® to deliver bare printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping services to customers in the Americas through the Knode, an intelligent search and knowledge tool helping engineers select and purchase the right solutions for designs. Through this partnership, design engineers can access Sunstone's prototyping products and services to create high quality test copies of unpopulated or "bare" PCBs prior to ordering the finished electronic product, allowing engineers to conserve resources through much shorter design cycles.

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"For 40 years, Sunstone Circuits has been committed to meeting the needs of our customers by providing the best and most efficient PCB design experience from quote to delivery," said Sunstone's President and CEO, Terry Heilman. "In addition to www.sunstone.com, this new partnership with element14 is just one more way Sunstone can help the design engineer streamline the overall design cycle and drastically improve productivity by offering solutions through one consolidated online resource, the Knode on element14."

The proper equipment and technical competency are critical for any design to ensure customer specifications are met. However, finding a suitable printed circuit board fabrication facility can be a major barrier to the design process, as many contract manufacturers are unwilling to produce a limited number of prototypes. In addition, evaluating quotes and services from potential PCB prototype manufacturers can be an extremely time-consuming and cumbersome process. This new partnership enables design engineers to boost productivity dramatically using the Knode on element14, with instant access to quotes and high-quality printed circuit board prototypes in as little as 24 hours.

"Sunstone Circuits is the ideal PCB solutions partner for the element14 community and enhances an already vast portfolio of design solutions available through the Knode on element14," said David Shen, group senior vice president and global head of Technical Marketing, Premier Farnell. "Providing access to Sunstone's quality, on-time prototyping solutions through our consolidated e-platform further underscores element14's commitment to connecting engineers to relevant design components, information and the latest technologies."

For more information, visit www.element14.com and to access the Knode on element14 visit www.element14.com/Knode.

About element14

element14 is a high-service distributor of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair. Bringing together the latest products, services, and development software, all connected to an innovative online engineering community where purchasers and engineers can access peers and experts, a wide range of independent technical information and helpful tools. Whether researching a new technology, designing an electronic product, or looking for parts to repair an existing system, element14 is the trusted global source to find the answers and parts they need to keep their projects on the fast track, right from the start.

element14 is the operating business of Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl) in Asia Pacific.

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About Sunstone Circuits®

Sunstone Circuits® is the established leader in providing innovative and reliable printed circuit board (PCB) solutions for the electronic design industry. With 40 years of experience in delivering high quality, on-time PCB prototypes, Sunstone Circuits is committed to improving the prototyping process for the design engineer from quote to delivery. With "live" customer support every day of the year (24/7/365), Sunstone Circuits provides unparalleled customer service and leads the industry with an on-time delivery rate of over 99%. For more information about Sunstone's innovative PCB solutions, or to learn more about the online quote and ordering process, please visit www.Sunstone.com.

Trademarks: Sunstone Circuits®, PCBexpress®, ValueProto®, PCB123®, Q2D®, and the Circuit Design ECOsystem(SM) are trademarked by Sunstone Circuits.

SOURCE element14