Circuits Assembly articles from August 2003

Circuits Assembly archives from August 2003

The price is right.(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... The prices that electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers are quoting you these days are the best prices you'll ever see in this industry. They're not going to get much lower. This idea was touted by industry veteran Charlie...

Web sites worth mentioning.(Net gain: the latest the Internet has to offer)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... www.seielect.com SEI Electronics Inc. has redesigned its Web site to facilitate easier search and ordering capabilities. The new site incorporates a cross-reference system. quick access to product pages and the ability in simultaneously e-mail...

Surveys and guides.(Net gain: the latest the Internet has to offer)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... www.circuitsassembly.com/resource/survey-index.html All of the Circuits Assembly equipment surveys are now updated! Find information on front-end software, pick and place equipment, reflow ovens, inspection equipment, rework/repair equipment...

Circuits Assembly online www.circuitsassembly.com.(Net gain: the latest the Internet has to offer)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Part 1 of a 3-Part Series: The Wetting Balance John O'Brien, Solderability Testing and Solutions Inc. * Focused IR for BGA Rework Roger Gibbs, PDR * Mapping Contact Pressures on Mechanically Attached Heat Sinks Gerard E. Mayers, St.,...

Feinfocus, Palomar collaborate.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... FeinFocus USA (Stamford, CT, www.feinfocus.com) and Palomar Technologies (Vista, CA, www.palomartechnologies.com) have teamed to address the manufacturing challenges of the optoelectronics, microelectromechanical systems...

Legacy Electronics gets 3-D memory module patent.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Legacy Electronics (San Clemente, CA, www.legacyelectronics.com), a manufacturer, designer and tester of high-speed, high-density memory modules, printed circuit boards and other computer products, has announced that it was granted U.S. Patent...

SMTAI announces special symposiums, Emerging Technologies Summit.(Surface Mount Technology Association )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN, www.smta.org) is colocating its annual SMTA International conference with the Assembly Tech Expo at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, Sept. 21-25. Four events...

Siemens Dematic AG.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Johann Lottner (pictured) was recently named CEO of Siemens Dematic AG (Nuremberg, Germany). He was previously chief financial officer of Siemens VDO Automotive AG. The change marks the conclusion of the integration of Mannesmann Dematic AG...

W. L. Gore & Associates Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. (Newark, DE) appointed Russell Shaller as division manager for Gore's Electronic Products Division. Shaller was formerly the general manager for Gore Photonics. Gore also appointed Joe Gallo as global sales manager...

AMD.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Hector Ruiz, president and chief executive officer of AMD (Sunnyvale, CA), a supplier of integrated circuits, has been appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations...

Three-Five Systems Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Three-Five Systems Inc. (TFS, Tempe, AZ) has hired Wayne Pratt as chief financial officer for the new, publicly traded company that will be formed as a result of the spin-off of TFS' microdisplay division. Pratt recently served as senior vice...

Petroferm.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Dave Cody and Roy Richards have joined Petroferm's (Franklin, KY) Contract Services Division as project managers. They will manage new facility start-ups as part of the company's geographical expansion plan for contract services.

Elcoteq Americas.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Elcoteq Americas (Irving, TX) announced that seven Black Belts in Six Sigma Quality have been awarded to employees at the Monterrey, Mexico, facility. Those receiving black belts were Mayra Quiroga, Jorge Gonzalez, Juan Rodriguez, Enrique San...

Productronica 2003 highlights microsystem, logistics, materials-flow technology.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Productronica, a trade show for electronics production, will take place Nov. 11-14, 2003, at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. The show and supporting conferences will provide visitors a look at the future of microsystems...

Del Mar Electronics show brings biggest bang for buck.(Industry News)
August 1, 2003... Going by the numbers, over 4,000 people from the manufacturing sector came to see the wares and services displayed in the booths of 475 companies at the two-day regional Del Mar Electronics show in May. These numbers cannot be fairly compared...

Component distributors expect 35% China revenue growth in 2003.(Market Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Global Sources Ltd. (Hong Kong, China, www.globalsources.com) announced the results of a survey of mainland Chinas electronic component distributors conducted by Electronic Buyers' News-China (EBN-China, www.ebnchina.com), the company's monthly...

Military/aerospace offers "unique hurdles, timely opportunities" for EMS.(Market Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI, Alameda, CA, www.techforecasters.cnm) has released a study detailing special challenges experienced by military and aerospace electronics manufacturers and how outsourcing manufacturing is presenting new...

Report: IC packaging market will grow despite overcapacity.(Market Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... According to a recent report by Electronic Trend Publications (San Jose, CA, www.electronictrends. com), demand for integrated circuits (ICs) will grow from 78.6 billion units in 2002 to 130.2 billion in 2007--a growth rate of 10.6%. The report...

May 2003 Books-to-Bill.(Market Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The U.S. IMS/PCB Industry Book-to-Bill Ratio for May 2003 was 1.00. :Sales billed (shipments) in May 2003 decreased 23.0% from May 2002, and orders booked decreased 14.2% from May 2002. Compared to 2002 bookings of PCBS are down 21.2%...

Consortia hold Tin Whisker meeting to develop test method.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI, Herndon, VA, www.nemi.org), Soldertec of Tin Technology Ltd. (Hertfordshire, U.K., www.lead-free.org) and the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA,...

GE Global Electronic Solutions promotes Sweeney to managing director.(Asia Watch)(Robert Sweeney )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... GE Global Electronic Solutions (GES, San Diego, CA, www.Geelectronicsweb.com), an equipment lifecycle management services provider, has announced the appointment of Robert Sweeney as managing director for Southeast Asia and Japan. Sweeney will...

Construction completed on Omron's Keihanna Technology Innovation Center.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... As part of its celebration marking 70 years since its establishment, Omron Corp. (Tokyo, Japan, www. omron.com) recently began operations from its new Keihanna Technology innovation Center in Kansai Science City, a region in western Japan...

Cookson receives Best Supplier Award from Amkor.(Asia Watch)(Cookson Electronics )(Amkor Technologies Korea)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... As part of its yearly evaluation of suppliers, Amkor Technologies Korea (Seoul, Korea, www.amkor.com) presented Cookson Electronics (Foxborough, MA, www.cooksonelectronics.com) with the 2002 Best Supplier Award for supplier excellence during...

Flextronics begins construction of Shanghai Industrial park.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Flextronics (Singapore, www.flextronics.com), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has announced that it has started building an industrial park in Shanghai, China. The Industrial Park is located in Malu Town, Jiading District....

GPD Global expands Dou Yee alliance to include China.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... GPD Global (Grand Junction, CO, www.gpdglobal.com) and Dou Yee Enterprises (Singapore, www.douyee.com.sg) recently expanded their alliance in the Asia/Pacific region to include China. Dou Yee has been supporting GPD Global customers in the...

Beware the jabberwocky: Phil answers some questions that have recently come his way.(On the Forefront)
August 1, 2003... Q: What do you think is the best reflow methodology for lead free, especially in light of moisture sensitive devices (MSDs)? A: In general, thermal is thermal. Theoretically, you could reflow circuit boards in a toaster oven. Of course,...

Rework and repair.(Ten Timely Tips)
August 1, 2003... 1. The number one rule of rework is patience. Whether reworking through-hole or surface-mount devices, take time to perform the task properly. An impatient operator can turn a simple rework operation into a major repair or scrap. Observe...

Exploring the nanoworld: nanotechnology is one ET that is too small to ignore.(Emerging Technology)
August 1, 2003... Emerging technology (ET) is a fun place to visit, but you may not want to live there. ET captures the excitement of the moment, but living on the edge has its hazards. The leading edge can become the bleeding edge that's drained life out of...

Rework with lead-free solders: temperature differences between eutectic and lead-free solders mandate tighter processes, better profiles and precise rework systems.(Rework and Repair)
August 1, 2003... Time, cost, quality, repeatability: These are the primary concerns of the repair and rework cycle. Too much time means excess cost, which is not acceptable. Poor quality has never been an option with electronics manufacturing. Repeatability...

Next-generation laser rework: some applications for high-density and lead-free manufacturing process are explored.(Rework & Repair)
August 1, 2003... Many ball grid arrays (BGAs) and microBGAs are reworked using forced convection rework platforms capable of replacing BGAs with a reliability that meets or exceeds that of the original assembly. These platforms normally include a bottom-side...

20/20 foresight: detecting bridges before they occur.(Screen Printing)
August 1, 2003... The solder paste print operation is widely recognized as a primary source of defects in surface-mount assembly. One approach to increasing yields is to detect print defects immediately after the print operation and reject defective boards...

Split vision rework system.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The INTRUDER surface-mount/ball grid array (BGA) rework system incorporates a notebook computer that works in conjunction with the P-300 profile storage control module. When driven by the notebook computer, the system is capable of unlimited...

Stress relief coating.(Product Spotlight)(Jodan Technology)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... HJ-H3292-DC is a dielectric adhesive/coating that functions as a stress relief layer at the connection point of the rigid and flexible portions of a rigid-flex circuit board. The single component product is dispensed by syringe onto the joint...

Electrically conductive adhesive.(Product Spotlight)(from Epoxy Technology Inc., )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... EPO-TEK EM127 is an electrically conductive, silver-filled adhesive ideal for pin transfer and stamping applications and as a semiconductor die attach. The adhesive was developed as a single component and does not need to be frozen. It has a...

Don't overlook the details: how to stop micro-etch disintegration and deal with global standards.(Ask Les)
August 1, 2003... Q: We use 10% ammonium persulfate, 2% sulfuric acid and mechanical agitation in the bath for the micro etch of our printed circuit boards (PCBs) before nickel plating. The process works well and we have it under control. However, when we...

Odd form assembly challenges: improve productivity by increasing an application's MTBA and decreasing the MTTR.(Problem Solved)
August 1, 2003... Problem An odd form application had an unacceptable mean time between assists (MTBA) and mean time to repair (MTTR). The net result was excessive handling and labor and poor yields. The application had a large electrolytic capacitor that...