NEPCON China 2012, the largest show in Asia for surface mount technology (SMT) and the electronics manufacturing industry, opened at the Shanghai World Expo Convention & Exhibition Center on Wednesday.

The three-day event is sponsored by the CCPIT Electronics & Information Industry Sub-council and Reed Exhibitions.

This year's exhibition is the largest in the show's history, covering 37,000 square meters, with more than 500 exhibitors from more than 22 countries and regions.

More than 25,000 industry officials and buyers from various fields are expected to participate in the event, said Cao Jianhua, vice president of the sub-council.

They include Agilent, ASM, Sony, Hitachi, Samsung, Panasonic, Fuji, Henkel, Yamaha, Juki, DEK, Xunke and a number of new faces such as IKO, NBK, Octavia, Flpelaser, Kilews and Honest.

The exhibition will present a comprehensive range of new technologies, products, and solutions in the electronics manufacturing and SMT industry.

Professional conferences and onsite events, including SMT senior talent gathering, a manual welding competition, and a forum on printed and flexible electronics industry development, will be held to help participants get a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of the trends in the electronics manufacturing market, Cao said.