Circuits Assembly articles from August 2004

Circuits Assembly archives from August 2004

SAC's still the one.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Your article, "The Truth Shall Make You Lead Free," [On the Forefront, June 2004] brought to light several of the concerns with the patented tin-silver-copper-indium alloy that has been promoted by a few in our industry. The primary positive...

Lights out.(Editorial)
August 1, 2004... The ultimate manufacturing facility is a lights out kind of place. Let's dream a bit, shall we? Profiles adjusting themselves; closed-loop feedback humming along, tweaking printing, placement and other bugbears of manufacturing; and,...

www.transitionautomation.com.(Web Sites Worth Mentioning)
August 1, 2004... www.transitionautomation.com Transition Automation, an electronics assembly manufacturer, has introduced a new electronic newsletter. The newsletter will feature technology to improve stencil printing quality and production yield. Visit their...

www.flexlink.com.(Web Sites Worth Mentioning)
August 1, 2004... www.flexlink.com FlexLink Systems has expanded its E-services interactive information resource. The service now gives users all the information that they need to plan, configure, buy and install conveyors and automated solutions for assembly...

www.IDofEA.org.(Web Sites Worth Mentioning)
August 1, 2004... www.IDofEA.org The Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA) has redesigned its Web site to provide added ease in navigation. The site now features a password-protected member area that serves as a database of important...

www.pcbupdate.com.(Industry Resources)
August 1, 2004... www.pcbupdate.com PCB UPdate is a bi-monthly newsletter published by UP Media Group. The newsletter's goal is to share the editorial content and expertise of UPMG's magazines and staff with e-newsletter subscribers.

www.pcdandm.com/pcdman/resource/pcb_basics.shtml.(Industry Resources)
August 1, 2004... www.pcdandm.com/pcdman/resource/pcb_basics.shtml The fourth edition of Printed Circuit Board Basics is now available. This edition contains an updated primer on single-, double-sided and multilayer PCB manufacturing processes; a review of new...

www.ascouncil.org/meetings.(Industry Resources)
August 1, 2004... www.ascouncil.org/meetings Presentations and papers from Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) conventions past, including the 2004 Spring Convention & Expo, are available in ASC's library of resources. The library of papers includes spring and...

www.circuitsassembly.com/online/0404/0404salary.shtml.(Surveys and Guides)
August 1, 2004... www.circuitsassembly.com/online/0404/0404salary.shtml The results of our 2004 salary survey are now available online. CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY ONLINE www.circuitsassembly.com * Process Defect Clinic Bob Willis, EPS Would you...

Nortel networks to transfer supply chain operations to Flextronics.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Flextronics (Singapore, www.flextronics.com) has signed an agreement with Nortel Networks (Brampton, Ontario, Canada, www.nortelnetworks.com) whereby Nortel will divest certain optical, wireless...

Cookson EAM adopts six sigma system.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials (Jersey City, NJ, www.alphametals.com) is joining fellow Cookson Electronics companies Polyclad and Enthone in adopting the Six Sigma system to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its business...

Tecnomatix launches PCB production management system.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. (Herzlia, Israel, www.tecnomatix.com), a provider of manufacturing process management (MPM) software, has introduced eM-Execution, the latest solution in the company's eMPower for electronics offerings. The...

NEMI issues recommendations for lead-free part identification.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's (NEMI, Herndon, VA, www.nemi.org) Component and Board Marking Project has made recommendations for the identification of electronic components and board assemblies that have been modified for...

Elcoteq adds lines in Mexico, expands to India.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Elcoteq Network Corp. (Espoo, Finland, www.elcoteq.com), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider for the communications technology industry, has added three surface-mount manufacturing production lines at Elcoteq America's facility...

New mergers and acquisition firm focused on PCB companies.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Two long-term industry experts have founded a merger and acquisition business focused on the buying and selling of printed circuit board (PCB) fabricators. Paul Emello, with over 20 years of PCB industry experience--including a role as...

Free online database aids component search.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Why is a Rochester, NY, distributor of electronic design automation (EDA) software suddenly making noise in the assembly arena? Because EMA Design Automation (ema-eda.com) convinced Cadence, whose software it resells, to update and reintroduce...

EMS Forum releases RoHS compliant component guidelines: guidelines for suppliers transitioning to RoHS compliant components (Rev. 1.1).(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... Background * This document is intended to provide guidelines to suppliers transitioning to lead-free/RoHS [Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment] compliance. * RoHS compliance includes materials...

Georgia Tech Packaging Research Center: leading the SOP paradigm.(Industry News)
August 1, 2004... The Packaging Research Center (PRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA) has a mission it believes will revolutionize the convergent and microminiaturized systems of tomorrow. At their June 16 open house, several...

UK contract manufacturer opts for Assembleon platform.(Europe Watch)
August 1, 2004... Contract manufacturer MRP Electronics plc (Bedford, UK, www.mrpplc.co.uk) has recently taken delivery of the first Assembleon (Eindhoven, The Netherlands, www.assembleon.com) A-series machine in the UK. Assembleon has based its A-series...

Machine Vision Products to open European headquarters.(Europe Watch)
August 1, 2004... Machine Vision Products Inc. (MVP, Carlsbad, CA, www.mvpinc.com), a vision and process control technology provider, will open a new European headquarters in Ounfermline, UK. The facility will house MVP's European sales, support, training and...

MEV to distribute EAZIX ODM products and services in Europe.(Europe Watch)
August 1, 2004... EAZIX Inc. (www.eazix.com), the original design manufacturing (ODM) arm of electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (IMI, Laguna, Philippines, www.imiphil.com), announced its partner distribution...

Q & A with Stephen Delaney, CEO, Celestica.(The Fine Pitch)
August 1, 2004... Circuits Assembly: As the new CEO of Celestica, what are your top shortterm goals (1-3 years out) for the company? Any specific programs or improvements you'll be initiating? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stephen Delaney: Certainly, returning...

The Five Stages of Lead Free: is your company ready to accept the inevitability of the upcoming lead-free transition?(On the Forefront)
August 1, 2004... "Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome." --Isaac Asimov Death and lead-free assembly have something in common: They are both inevitable. Unlike death, though, lead free is not necessarily...

The world in your hand: cell phones are the latest product caught up in the convergence craze.(Emerging Technology)
August 1, 2004... Although product convergence is as old as the hatchet, it seems to be reaching a new peak in today's compressed world. Combining multiple functions into the same box is one of the simplest strategies for new product development. Let's look at...

High stakes: reworking high-precision, high-reliability boards; Successfully reworking high-reliability assemblies is challenging, even for the most experienced of operators. However, it can be made easier and safer by deploying the right tools and safeguards.(Cover Article)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] People's lives rely directly on the quality and reliability of the electronics assemblies installed in safety critical applications, such as in the automotive, aerospace and medical sectors. These...

Avoiding tin whisker reliability problems: fighting tin whiskers involves knowing the available mitigation strategies and risk analysis based on lead spacing.(Lead Free)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] The electronics industry is just beginning a conversion to lead-free processes and products to comply with the European Union's Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive. RoHS requires some...

Covert money losses in outsourcing: understanding the less obvious sources of wasted money in OEM/EMS manufacturing relationships.(Focus on Business)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] There are many sources of wasted money in original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider relationships. This article will explore the less obvious sources of wasted...

Automatic recognition of electronic components: automatic recognition of electronic components can reduce rejected components and increase placement accuracy, yields and surface-mount line throughput.(Component Placement)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] The goal of the research presented here is to automatically recognize electronic components by visual inspection and knowledge-based computer vision. This recognition would facilitate a high-speed...

Current trends in optoelectronics: EMS providers and equipment suppliers are working together to make high-volume optoelectronic component manufacturing a reality.(Focus on: HDI/Advanced Technology)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Although they do not receive the notoriety that system in package (SIP), system on chip (SOC) and flip chip technologies are receiving today, optoelectronic packaging and component manufacturing are hardly...

Lead-free, no-clean solder paste.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... NC368 is a lead-free, no-clean solder paste formulated to perform in virtually any surface-mount application with broad process windows for printing, placement and reflow. Its wetting ability results in bright, smooth and shiny solder joints....

X-ray system.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... The Verifier FSX-080 is a portable solder verification and defect detection x-ray system with a footprint of only 30 X 33 in. (762 X 838 mm). The system was designed for fast and intuitive operation, providing continuous real-time x-ray solder...

X-ray inspection system.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... The Jewel Box 70-T is a high-resolution real-time x-ray inspection system for product development and failure analysis. When coupled with the GTI-5000 Image Processing Workstation, the system is ideal for rapid analysis of ball grid arrays...

Lead-free solder paste.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... SolderPlus dispensing paste is now available in a range of lead-free alloys with standard no-clean, water-soluble and rosin mildly activated (RMA) flux formulations. Designed for valve and air powered dispensing, the syringe-packaged paste...

Real-time placement inspection.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... EPV 5 is an embedded sensing technology for high-speed inspection of component placements. Available for Fuji CP6 and CP7 series chipshooters, it provides 100% automated real-time absence/presence detection and panel deflection measurement...

Low VOC floor finish.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... Staticide Ultra lasts up to 18 months and has a quick drying time. Its low volatile organic compound (VOC) content dries to a glossy appearance and does not powder or flake, even in dry conditions. The finish also controls static generation at...

Inspection software.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... MPM Enhanced 2-D with BridgeVision verification software uses texture-based image acquisition and a new digital camera system with algorithms to detect bridging defects on circuit boards during the post-print inspection process. The machine...

Coating accessory.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... A four-position Tilt accessory on the SC-300 Swirl Coat applicator provides coating access in areas not accessible from the standard vertical approach. Ideal for applying conformal coating to component sides or underneath parts on a board, the...

Placement machine.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... Each head on the Genesis Lightning machine features a radial array of 30 modular, individually controlled spindles. The two heads on the platform drive placement rates up to 54,000 cph. Dual on-the-head optics allow the placer to address...

Rework vision system.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... Built upon the Sniper series, the Sniper III's top reflow heater unit has 16 profile and 16 segment program control with RS232 computer cable and automatic cut off after the end of the reflow profile. It also features Windows, a profile editor,...

3-D paste inspection.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... In addition to 2-D evaluation for offset, completeness and smearing, 3-D paste inspection is now an auxiliary option for the S3054QS QuickScan Inspection System. The 3-D option can be used for critical components such as ball grid arrays (BGAs)...

High-speed stencil laser.(Product Spotlight)
August 1, 2004... The MicroCut II stencil laser with a high-resolution scanner is capable of cutting any shape, including square apertures with rounded corners, at up to 50,000 apertures per hour. This translates to a cutting speed of 11 openings per second. The...

A view from the assembly side: can designers and assemblers all just get along?(Ask Les)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Q: We are a small, relatively new operation that has grown quickly. We design and assemble our specialty products in-house and find that the printed wiring board designers seem to have little appreciation...

Machine capability analysis: using a mobile metrology system to tweak machine performance can reduce defects and improve productivity.(Problem Solved)
August 1, 2004... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Problem: Placing components such as 0201s, 0.4 mm fine pitch and flip chips in increasingly smaller package sizes requires tighter placement accuracy specifications in the surface-mount assembly...