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Recently, the public and academic discussion on elite education and the selection of top performers in Germany has led to a renewed controversy about social exclusion and inequality. Consequently, the use of terms such as ‘elite’, ‘excellence’ and ‘intellectual giftedness’ have provoked a debate about the necessity, opportunities, and rejection of educational distinctions. This chapter takes a comparative perspective to examine a private boarding school with a rich tradition, and a relatively new state-run public boarding school, examining their status as exclusive educational institutions, including their selection processes, elite aspirations and educational philosophies. The analysis focusses on how the schools construe themselves as elite and how exclusive membership is created and negotiated within the boarding school context. Using a multilevel qualitative approach and empirical data, this chapter offers findings on mechanisms of elite formation in boarding schools between two poles: the reproduction of an existing elite status and the production of elites from scratch. The analyses show the establishment of a distinct composition of students – either selected by milieu affiliation or by cognitive abilities – resulting in specific processes of coherence and distinction within the school communities. Thus, this chapter makes a contribution to a differentiated observation of new educational hierarchies in Germany.

In SMD as well as in hybrid manufacturing processes, considerable quantities of CFC are still being used in 1991 for the cleaning of component groups. The second BlmSchV, as amended, (status at 12 December 1990), prohibits the use of R‐113 for surface treatment plants as of 31 December 1992. Pursuant to developments in solder pastes, some products are already available which render the use of CFCs superfluous. Two methods in particular are emerging, which work either completely without cleaning or use water as a cleaning medium. A critical comparison is made of the properties of the relevant solder pastes in these categories.

This paper outlines the composition of water soluble fluxes for the electronics industry and their methods of use when wave soldering and reflowing tinned coatings and solder pastes. Process optimisation is facilitated by the Taguchi method. Three types of cleaning machinery are evoked, with varying results. It is shown that the energy/time relationship is important to ensure adequate cleaning quality. A number of fallacious arguments are debunked. Methods of water purification and the problems of effluent treatment for all sizes of installation are addressed. Doubt is expressed as to the viability of closed‐circuit water recycling except for the largest installations or where exceptional conditions prevail. It is shown that water soluble fluxes and their subsequent aqueous removal are unlikely to make any significant contribution to the Greenhouse Effect. The overall cost of their use is substantially similar to that of rosin fluxes with CFC‐113 azeotropes at 1986 prices. Cleanliness control under production and laboratory conditions is discussed with reference to both ionic contamination testing, including its use for SMDs, and SIR analysis, especially at low voltages, including non‐destructive production SIR testing. Reliability of the assembled circuits is shown to be at least as good as that with more traditional soldering and cleaning methods, frequently better, and this is the case even for military and aerospace applications. The paper concludes that, now that quality water soluble solder pastes are available, this method is most likely to become the workhorse for the majority of electronics applications.

The materials and energy density of current electric vehicles (EV) battery technology means that the vehicles are heavier and have a shorter range in comparison to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). Battery cost also means EVs are relatively expensive for the consumer, even with government incentives, and dependent on sometimes-rare resources being available. These factors also limit the applicability of battery-electric technologies to heavy-duty vehicles. However, a number of next generation technologies are under laboratory development which could radically change this situation. Using a follow-the-money methodology, the strategic innovations of companies and public institutions are examined. The chapter will review the potential for changes in resource inputs, higher-density batteries and cost reductions, considering options such as lithium-air, metal-air and solid-state technologies. The innovations outlined in these technologies are considered from an economic perspective, identifying their advantages and disadvantages in commercialisation. At the same time, innovations, and investments in infrastructure electrification (Electric Road Service) and battery exchange point with swapping technology will be also considered due their implications and contribution to solving battery-related challenges and shortcomings. It is concluded that only a joint investment in effort on technologies would allow the use of EVs to be extended to a broad public in terms both of users and geography.

The title of this report can be translated as ‘Let Singapore Flourish’. The Singapore Government is probably doing more than at least 90% of the other governments of the world, developed and developing nations combined, to ensure that the environment is respected, so that the little island‐state does indeed flourish. In a way, this is both ironical and necessary: both because there is comparatively little nature left on the island. What there is must be preserved, at all costs. Obviously, 26 million inhabitants concentrated mainly in Singapore City makes this an enormous field of reinforced concrete, albeit with some magnificent parks and other green spaces. Even some of these are oriented towards tourism and are more man‐made than natural. The island of Sentosa, a cable‐car or 10 minute ferry ride from the world's busiest harbour, is one of Singapore's playgrounds, but this is 85% touched by man's hands. Even the ‘Nature Walk’, purporting to be through primeval tropical rain forest, is a wide beaten track through mainly secondary jungle with a dearth of wild life. To the north of the city, there is some real rain forest—thankfully in a nature reserve—but the area is so small that one wonders whether it can be self‐sustaining in its natural state. To visit natural, uninhibited rain forest, a car ride across the causeway to the neighbouring state of Johore in Malaysia is probably necessary.

Establishes a quantitative evaluation method on solder bridging in microsoldering using a printed wiring board with comb pattern conductors. Bridge tests were conducted by immersing the comb pattern board into a molten solder bath. The total length of solder bridge between conductors against the total length between conductors was measured as a measure of the occurrence of solder bridging. The occurrence of bridging depended on the number of immersions, flux activity including solid content, conductor spacing, solder bath temperature and solder composition. The increase in number of immersion enhanced bridging. The rosin flux without activators showed higher bridging than the activated flux. Sn‐37Pb solder showed lower bridging than Sn‐3.5Ag‐5Bi solder. Solder bridging was found to be closely correlated with wettability, therefore, the improvement of wettability could be effective to suppress solder bridging. The proposed method is believed to be suitable for the quantitative evaluation of solder bridging.

The programme will cover various aspects of high technology joining processes ranging from soldering and brazing to diffusion and adhesive bonding. The papers presented will cover the latest developments in production techniques, methods of enhancing quality, joint inspection, new or improved materials, design/properties of joints and long‐term reliability.

The German institutional setting of skill formation is supposed to enable young people smooth and structured transitions into the labor market. For decades, the large majority of graduates of the “dual system” of vocational education experienced good chances to immediately access appropriate job positions. However, labor market entry has become less stable in the last two decades. In this paper, we examine the changing transition from vocational training to the first job in Germany. We analyze the consequences of inter-firm mobility and unemployment after finishing vocational education for the transition to the first job. Our results show that leaving the training firm, and especially unemployment, strongly enhance occupational shifts at labor market entry. In addition, not keeping one’s trained occupation negatively affects the chances to enter skilled job positions.