Circuits Assembly articles from April 2005

Circuits Assembly archives from April 2005

Picking apart assumptions.(Caveat Lector)
April 1, 2005... Over the past three quarters CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY has been producing a series of seminars on lead-free design and manufacturing. At each one, we ask attendees to rank, on a scale of one to five, where their company is in the transition. The...

Integrated Microelectronics Inc.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (imiphil.com) acquired the EMS and ODM assets of Saturn Electronics & Engineering Inc. and its subsidiary Saturn Electronics Philippines Inc. The transaction includes facilities in Tustin, CA, and Cebu,...

EMS provider Sparton Corp.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... EMS provider Sparton Corp. (sparton.com) will implement Valor's Trilogy-5000 engineering software company-wide.

Pro-Mation Inc.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Pro-Mation Inc. (pro-mation-inc.com) has been selected to provide the automated handling, manual assembly and workbench solutions in Dynalab's (dynalab.com) new 18,000 sq. ft. production facility.

Cobar Solder Products.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Cobar Solder Products (cobar.com) named Surface Mount Solutions Inc. (Springboro, OH) to sell its soldering materials in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and western Pennsylvania.

Lightspeed Mfg.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Lightspeed Mfg. (lightspeedmfg.com), a contract services provider, has launched Lightspeed Mobile to service electronics manufacturers in New England. Trained assemblers and rework/repair technicians travel with new equipment and work inside...

EMS provider Computrol.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... EMS provider Computrol (computrol.com) has deployed Aegis (aiscorp.com) NPI and MES software.

DEK.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... DEK (dek.com) has licensed VectorGuard stencil technology to Cookson Electronics (cookson.com), allowing Cookson to supply the stencils globally under the Tetra-VG name.

Tessera Technologies.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Tessera Technologies (tessera.com) has filed a patent infringement suit in U.S. Court charging Infineon Technologies and Micron Technology with illegal use of Tessera-patented designs for chip packages.

Remanufacturing E-waste may be worth the time.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Norwalk, CT -- Waste from electronics equipment that has reached the end of its useful life--already valued at 6% of the U.S. GDP alone--will open a new door for companies that recycle or remanufacture such goods, a new study says. ...

2005 Service Excellence Awards winners named.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Atlanta -- UP Media Group Inc. has announced the winners of its 2005 Service Excellence Awards for EMS providers and electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers. CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY recognized the companies receiving the...

YESTech.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... YESTech (yestechinc.com), a provider of PCB and semiconductor inspection equipment, opened a branch office in Shanghai for training and sales. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

Three-Five Systems Inc.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Three-Five Systems Inc. (tfsc.com) has been selected as a supplier of next-generation color thin film transistor display modules for a Tier 1, global handset OEM. Initial shipments are expected begin in late Q2.

WKK Distribution Ltd.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... WKK Distribution Ltd. (wkkintl.com) will represent BP Microsystems (bpmicro.com) in Beijing, Chengdu, Chong Qing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Xian.

Accelonix UK.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Accelonix UK, a supplier of test and measurement equipment, will distribute desktop and automated programming from Data I/O Corp. (dataio.com) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

NuSil Technology.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... NuSil Technology (nusil.com), a manufacturer of silicone-based materials, has added as distributors New Tech in Vignola, Italy, and Tech-Knowledge in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Indium Corp.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Indium Corp. (indium.com) completed its third ISO9001:2000 audit. There were no minor or major findings.

Foresite Inc.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... Foresite Inc. (residues.com) has been granted a patent from the Chinese Patent Office for the C3 residue cleanliness tester. Patents were previously granted in the U.S. and U.K and are pending in Germany and Hong Kong.

General Hybrid UK.(In Brief)
April 1, 2005... General Hybrid UK, a contract manufacturer, has been purchased by a group of its executives and will change its name to Copernica (copernicaltd.co.uk). The new management group is led by former general manager Alan Longland.

HP, Sony seek RoHS exemptions.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Brussels -- HP is applying for an exemption from the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive on the grounds of reliability, according to a news report last month. The exemption HP (hp.com) seeks is for fine-pitch components "with...

EIA sets sights on China, tax relief.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Washington, DC -- A leading electronics trade group said creating a more innovative and competitive environment for U.S. high-tech companies heads its public policy agenda this year. President and CEO Dave McCurdy said the Electronics...

Viasystems to close PCB plants in Canada, Netherlands.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... St. Louis -- Viasystems Group, once the largest PCB maker in North America, will shutter its remaining circuit board plants outside Asia, the firm said in March. Meanwhile, the company will spend $60 million toward expanding its China...

Graco Inc.(People)
April 1, 2005... Graco Inc. acquired Liquid Control. Kenneth Jacobs (pictured) will remain president of Liquid Control, where he has worked for the last 25 years as VP of sales, executive VP, president and COO. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [TEXT NOT...

Three-Five Systems.(People)
April 1, 2005... Three-Five Systems promoted David A. Prunier to the new post of vice president, general manager for its Redmond, WA, operations. Prunier joined TFS in September 2003 as senior director, Medical Products.

TUV America.(People)
April 1, 2005... TUV America appointed Andre' Bedard account executive, Western U.S. region. He has 10 years' experience managing sales personnel and selling management system certification services, and will be based in San Diego.

KIC.(People)
April 1, 2005... KIC named Gregory Fall U.S. national sales manager. He is also in charge of the Partner Program, working with equipment and materials manufacturers in thermal process development, monitoring and control. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The ESD Association.(People)
April 1, 2005... The ESD Association elected Kay Adams senior vice president. Adams, owner and founder of Tech Wear Inc., has served various roles on the board of directors for six years. Previous Sr. VP Mark Kelly stepped down due to a promotion at his...

P. D. Circuits.(People)
April 1, 2005... P. D. Circuits named Binh Vernet quality assurance and technical director. He previously held engineering and quality positions at Hadco/Sanmina, Sheldahl, Cisco Systems and Celestica, and is Six Sigma Green Belt certified.

Reptron Electronics.(People)
April 1, 2005... Reptron Electronics hired Charles Pope as CFO. Pope was CFO of SRI/Surgical Express.

Alan Fairbairn.(People)
April 1, 2005... Alan Fairbairn has been named market development specialist for fabricated product at Indium Corp. of Europe. Duties include direct sales, the identification of key market growth drivers, and training and education.

Sparton reverses loss, readies new plant.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Jackson, MI -- Sparton Electronics reported December quarter sales of $34.5 million, up 3.9% year-over-year. Net income was $453,000, reversing a loss of $1.52 million last year. For the second half of 2004, sales rose 14.4% to $79.7 million....

Foxconn, HP extend contract relationship.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... San Jose -- Foxconn Electronics, the top Taiwanese EMS and ODM player, will build a new line of commercial and consumer products for HP, the company said in March. The companies will team on a new line of communication devices and consumer...

Talk to me: Lasky launches blog.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Utica, NY -- Dr. Ron Lasky, an expert on soldering, has launched a web log on electronics assembly. The blog, sponsored by Indium Corp., is at indium.com/drlasky. The blog offers comments on current events and ideas for process...

Picking a place in Universal's future.(Industry NEWS)
April 1, 2005... Binghamton, NY -- Employees and customers alike could be forgiven for being confused when Ian deSouza became president of Universal Instruments Corp. last August. After all, he not only shared a first name with the person he superseded--Ian...

Buying trends 'on display'.(Market WATCH)
April 1, 2005... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Buying Trends 'on Display' Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change ...

February manufacturing slower but strong.(Market WATCH)
April 1, 2005... Tempe, AZ -- The manufacturing sector grew in February for the 21st consecutive month, although at a slower rate. New orders and production slowed, while backlogs remained steady, said the Institute for Supply Management (ism.ws). "Price...

EMS, ODM sales to reach $300B by 2008.(Market WATCH)
April 1, 2005... El Segundo, CA -- Worldwide contract manufacturing revenues will reach nearly $300 billion by 2008, iSuppli Corp. said in March, as ODMs push toward branding their own products. Global EMS revenue is expected to reach $164.4 billion by...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
April 1, 2005... Industry Market Snapshot Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.96 1.0 0.99 0.80 Semiconductors (2) ...

IT spending outlook modest.(Market WATCH)
April 1, 2005... San Francisco -- Despite a modest improvement over January, CIO spending expectations are dropping from last year, according to the latest poll of the nation's tech leaders. For the third straight month, large enterprises reduced spending...

Q4 server sales up 5.1%.(Market WATCH)
April 1, 2005... Framingham, MA -- Worldwide factory sales of servers grew 5.1% to $14.4 billion in the fourth quarter, the seventh consecutive quarter of growth, according to research firm IDC. Unit shipments slowed 15.7% year-on-year. For the year, worldwide...

'Customers should not pay for excess overhead'.(Talking Heads)
April 1, 2005... Rob Coats in many ways typifies the new breed of business leader. An engineer by training, and with an impeccable business pedigree--he spent the first half of his career in operations management at Procter & Gamble--Coats in 1994 acquired SMC,...

Swimming with sharks: don't let buying PCBs direct from Asia turn you into pond scum.(Global Sourcing)
April 1, 2005... The idea of "going direct" to an offshore PCB manufacturing company has its advantages and disadvantages, and the disadvantages are more substantial than many people realize. Before you take the plunge, carefully consider whether you are a big...

What is the difference between cycle time and throughput? Or t = ct + o.(Screen Printing)
April 1, 2005... We have heard the terms "cycle time" and "throughput" throughout the industry. Is there a difference? Are they interchangeable? And, most important, which one really matters to a production engineer? Let's start with cycle time. For the...

Remember when surface-mount was the 'next big thing?' Reminisces on the scary "new" technology.(Better Manufacturing)
April 1, 2005... "Why should I care about posterity? What has posterity ever done for me?" --Groucho Marx "You live and you learn. At any rate, you live." --Douglas Adams Contrary to the beliefs of my colleagues, I undertake the Herculean...

Is no-clean truly a cleaning challenge? A new study dispels long-held assumptions about cleaning at lower temperatures.(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... Successful spray in air in-line cleaning involves three different energies: thermal, chemical and mechanical. Mechanical energy, for example, is represented in the form of translational kinetic energy where 1/2m[v.sup.2] is the governing...

The future of boundary scan: combining JTAG with methods such as flying probe can improve test coverage and speed.(IC Testing)
April 1, 2005... Today's production environments and manufacturing schedules force test engineers to provide flexible low-cost test solutions in the shortest possible time. These steps include design entry, prototype verification, production, final assembly and...

Integrating device programming to the factory floor: a look at offline versus in-circuit programming.(Device Programming)
April 1, 2005... The term "programmable device" can be defined as any component containing a semiconductor device that requires electronic configuration prior to use in a final electronics assembly. Many manufacturing strategies are used to accomplish device...

Factors influencing tombstoning: a primer on avoiding one of the most common assembly defects.(Quality Assurance)
April 1, 2005... As component size decreases from 0603 to 0402, 0201 and even 01005, solder paste surface tension has catastrophic effect. Surface tension forces acting on two sides of the pads, if not balanced by component weight, can lift components from the...

Ready for RoHS? Implementing changes needed to meet new environmental requirements is a critical business issue for global manufacturers.(Going Green)
April 1, 2005... Current and emerging restrictions on hazardous materials in electronic components and systems have raised significant challenges for manufacturers around the world. The End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive, aimed at increasing recycling content...

Electronic reprints.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... Electronic reprints show your clients, partners and employees that you have been recognized in a well-respected industry magazine. They also serve as an attractive endorsement, adding credibility to your company and its products and services....

Professional PCB repair kits.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... * Lead-Free Compatible * Real World "How To" Slides Included * Includes "Tools of the Trade" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Call Today 847.797.9250 BEST Your BEST choice in Solder Rework/Repair, Solder Training and...

In stock and ready to ship!(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... Order your copy of the fourth edition of Printed Circuit Board Basics: An Introduction to the PCB Industry today! Now there's an easy-to-read handbook that explains the process and business of printed circuit board manufacturing in...

Preparing for the WEEE Directive: recycling requirements for equipment sold in the EU go into effect Aug. 13. A primer on getting ready.(Countdown to Pb-Free)
April 1, 2005... The Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is scheduled to be implemented by EU Member States later this year and will require producers of electrical and electronic equipment to set up and fund systems to collect their...

Localized contamination, big problems: when it comes to some residues, ROSE testing is not so sweet.(Process Doctor)
April 1, 2005... Assemblers continue to overlook localized areas of contamination that are capable of causing product failures. By neglecting to examine sensitive localized areas, opportunities for electrochemical failures become exponential. This month's case...

Feinfocus' WBI-Fox x-ray: dynamic void detection in wafer bumps, without gray level definition.(Equipment Advances)
April 1, 2005... The WBI-Fox x-ray inspection system, a precision x-ray inspection system designed for wafer manufacturing, addresses void detection in wafer bumps. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Traditionally, fabricators have employed standard QA...

JTAG software generation.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Cascon version 4.2 boundary scan operating system features more than 20 new technologies and tools. Includes an improved programmer and new HYSCAN (Hybrid Scan Technology), which aids execution and diagnosis of hybrid formatted test patterns....

Flexible, rigid Borescopes.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Micro Borescopes deliver clear, bright images for close inspection of components, medical devices, and cast and machined parts. Feature a focusing eyepiece and a fiberoptic bundle for resolution. Can tolerate tip deflections and moderate...

Moisture-resistant coating.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... PC 10882 mineral-filled epoxy dielectric material is designed to be screen-printed onto a range of substrates. Is for trimmed resistors and circuits and protects against thermal shock, solvent attack, moisture, abrasion, oxidation and plating...

Z-alloy connectors.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Elastomeric connector products are available with proprietary Z-alloy material. Corrosion-resistant, offer cost savings over traditional gold-plated contacts. Standard connectors feature 0.05 mm wide conductors on 0.1 mm centers for a conductor...

Cleanroom table.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... 5100H series of vibration-damping optical tables comes in sizes up to 6' X 20' X 36". Offer a stiff, highly damped surface with natural frequency of 270 Hz, a core shear modulus of 225,000 psi and flatness of [+ or -]0.005". Feature 3/16"...

SMT power inductors.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... SDS130 magnetically shielded surface mount power inductors feature a ferrite core and shield. Designed with maximum height of 3.0 mm, offer 26 inductance values from 2.2 to 470 [micro]H and current ratings from 200 to 3000 mA. Operating...

Wave solder profiler.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Wave Surfer profile fixture has five embedded thermocouples for quick, easy profiling and setup of wave solder machines. Designed for repeated use. Holds SlimKIC in place during each run to measure pertinent process data, including peak...

Pb-free desoldering braid.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Soder-Wick desoldering braid is engineered for high-temperature, lead-free solder removal. Maximizes heat transfer to the solder joint, melting solder faster and more efficiently than conventional braids. Designed and optimized for all...

ATE software support.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... TestXcell provides automated test equipment programming, DfT analysis, fixture design output and schematic viewing. Features design data importing/exporting and a component database pre-populated with 36,000 electrical models and 1,000 package...

SMT batch cleaner.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Focus-Wash is a combination of several wash methods to focus the wash solution into smaller, higher impact areas. Nozzle spray angle is decreased from 50[degrees] to 15[degrees], and flow rate is increased 60%. Uses 10 nozzles to create...

Temperature sensors.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Ready-to-use temperature sensors come in thermocouple and platinum RTD configurations. Configurations include immersible and surface sensors. RTD resistances are 100 or 1000 [OMEGA]. Lead wires are in either two- or three-wire configurations...

Class 100k cleanroom tables.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... Series 62 stainless steel tables are suitable for Class 100,000 to Class 10 cleanrooms. Will not crack, chip, corrode or generate particulates. Easy to assemble; have heavy-gauge stainless steel construction, including legs, gussets and...

System Selection Guide.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
April 1, 2005... AS-Interface Selection Guide is a full-color resource for component selection. Featured technologies include scanners and gateways, power supplies and repeaters, I/O modules, Safety at Work components, intelligent photoelectric and inductive...

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
April 1, 2005... Flip Chips "Development of Ultra-Thin Flip Chip Assemblies for Low Profile SiP Applications" Authors: Charles V. Banda, et al. Abstract: This paper reports the results of collaborative work done at Johns Hopkins University's...