Daily News Briefs

Waltham, Mass.-based scientific instrument maker Thermo Electron Corp. announced today that its board of directors has named Peter M. Wilver, currently vice president of financial operations, to the post of CFO, effective Oct. 1. Wilver will succeed Theo Melas-Kyriazi, who has resigned to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Melas-Kyriazi will remain with Thermo Electron for four months to facilitate the transition. . . . Semiconductor laser manufacturer Modulight Inc., of Tampere, Finland, and Vaisala, of Vantaa, have signed an exclusive multiyear agreement to develop laser diodes for Vaisala’s new products for meteorological applications. Vaisala provides environmental and industrial measurement products and services for a variety of industries. . . . Unaxis Wafer Processing (formerly Unaxis Semiconductors), of St. Petersburg, Fla., has appointed Jim Pollock as director of sales for North America. Pollock was previously product manager for Unaxis Wafer Processing’s compound semiconductor strategic business unit. Unaxis Wafer Processing is a division of Unaxis a Swiss provider of production systems, components and services for information technology and industrial markets. . . . Aerotech Inc., a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based developer of motion control and positioning systems, is offering a new brochure, "Automation Solutions for Electronic Manufacturing, Test and Inspection and Data Storage," featuring tools for electronic assembly, pick and place, PCB laser drilling and stencil cutting, wafer singulation, automated optical inspection, nondestructive testing, data storage and head gimbal/stack assembly. Products include the Automation 3200 digital automation platform, linear and rotary nanopositioners, servomotors and drives, robots, actuators and industry-specific motion systems. For more information, visit: www.aerotech.com