Circuits Assembly articles from August 2005

Circuits Assembly archives from August 2005

Low-silver solders sparkle.(Caveat Lector)
August 1, 2005... After three years of trials, a group of leading solder vendors released in late June its final report from its investigation into lead-free alloys. Their verdict: An alloy of Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5 is the best candidate to replace tin-lead solder....

MIMOT.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... MIMOT (mimot.com), a provider of SMT placement equipment, is expanding in Russia and Eastern Europe, most recently with the installation of a flexible placement machine and in-line dispenser near Kursk.

Henkel's Electronics Group.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Henkel's Electronics Group (henkel.com) and the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (itesm.mx) will research Pb-free solders and provide local customer support. Joint technical teams will study and characterize SnPb and...

Beijing Brio Technology Ltd.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Beijing Brio Technology Ltd. (brio-tech.com), a Beijing-based electronics assembler, has set up a branch office in Vancouver. Canada Brio will provide customer management, BoM sourcing and technical communications. [Ed.: see interview, pg. 16.]...

Jabil Circuit.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Jabil Circuit (jabil.com) will add 500 staff to its Memphis operations by the end of the year, to support recently awarded contracts for building electronic cash registers and self-serve kiosks. Jabil will also increase the facility's size by...

Flextronics Semiconductor.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Flextronics Semiconductor (flextronicssemi.com) will use a QFN package from Advanced Interconnect Technologies (aithome.com) for devices for next-generation consumer electronics. AIT will also provide turnkey assembly, final test and tape and...

Elcoteq Network Corp.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Elcoteq Network Corp. (elcoteq.com) opened a center in Richardson, TX, for project management, prototyping, industrialization, low-volume manufacturing, test services and material management. The 28,117 sq. ft. center employs 100 people and is...

YESTech.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... YESTech (yestechinc.com) opened a Singapore office to provide training and sales for its AOI and x-ray inspection systems.

ASYS wins EKRA sweepstakes.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... Dornstadt, Germany -- ASYS GmbH has stepped deeper into the screen printer market, acquiring EKRA, the Germany-based printer manufacturer, in a deal closed July 1. Financial and other terms were not disclosed. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN...

Here we go again: AMD sues Intel.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... Sunnyvale, CA -- The battle of the chip titans is on. Again. Advanced Micro Devices (amd.com) on June 27 filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging Intel forces customers into deals that excludes them from buying AMD's components. In the suit,...

Solectron buys Storage Co. operations.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... Milpitas, CA -- Solectron Corp. in late June purchased McDATA Corp.'s Lumberton, NJ, manufacturing operations and assets. McDATA (mcdata.com), a provider of storage networking solutions, obtained the operations as part of the company's...

Hover-Davis Inc.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Hover-Davis Inc. (hoverdavis.com), a designer and manufacturer of component delivery systems for the PCB assembly industry, named Sincotron Finland Oy (sincotron.fi) distributor for Finland and the Baltic states.

SMTC Corp.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... SMTC Corp. (smtc.com) will build assemblies for Leitch Technology (leitch.com) in a deal worth an estimated $20 million annually.

Harvard Custom Manufacturing.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Harvard Custom Manufacturing (harvardgrp.com), an EMS provider, has installed a Universal Instruments (uic.com) AdVantis placement platform and has another line scheduled for final installation soon.

Solectron Corp.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Solectron Corp. (solectron.com) acquired ServiceSource Europe, a UK-based broker of electronics components, for an undisclosed amount. SSE (serviesource.co.uk) also provides component repair and service.

Data I/O Corp.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Data I/O Corp. (dataio.com) announced the first manual and automated device programming support for Samsung's One-NAND technology. Support is provided through the FlashCore system programming family.

Grand Products Nevada.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Grand Products Nevada (grandproductsinc.com) bought the Las Vegas EMS operations of SigmaTron International (sigmatronintl.com).

Vansco Electronics.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Vansco Electronics (vansco.ca), a Canadian EMS firm, purchased the manufacturing operations of Preco Electronics (preco.com).

Electrolube.(In Brief)
August 1, 2005... Electrolube (electrolube.com), a UK manufacturer of electro-chemicals, named Christopher Associates Inc. (christopherweb.com) to represent its products in the Americas.

Branding, partnerships could 'tilt' SMT landscape.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... New York -- Companies that concentrate on process change, global branding and strategic relationships have the potential to shake up the competitive SMT landscape while transitioning to lead-free manufacturing. So said Frost and Sullivan...

Beating the heat: Georgia Tech researchers find IC liquid cooling technique.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... Atlanta -- Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (gatech.edu) have developed a new technique for cooling high-performance integrated circuits, using microchannels integrated onto the backs of circuits to carry cooling water. The...

Celestica Europe.(People)
August 1, 2005... Celestica Europe named James Rowan president. He was vice president, European operations, at Flextronics for five years. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

OK International.(People)
August 1, 2005... OK International named Mark Cowell president, succeeding Michael Gouldsmith. Cowell has worked for OK and Metcal for 22 years, most recently as VP of engineering.

DiagnoSYS.(People)
August 1, 2005... DiagnoSYS hired Morris Harmor as Western region sales director.

Juha Hulkko.(People)
August 1, 2005... Juha Hulkko (pictured) has been named chief executive of Elektrobit Group. One of the company's founders and a major shareholder, Hulkko was chairman since 2002. Also, Jukka Harju was appointed COO, and Johann Haas was named executive VP,...

The Electronics Assembly Systems division of Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems.(People)
August 1, 2005... The Electronics Assembly Systems division of Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems promoted Nick Bruck to national service manager for the Americas.

Indium Corp.(People)
August 1, 2005... Indium Corp. promoted Karl Pfluke to regional sales manager for the Southeastern U.S. Pfluke joined Indium in 2001 as technical support engineer and was named market development specialist in 2004. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

EMS provider Nortech Systems.(People)
August 1, 2005... EMS provider Nortech Systems named Louis J. Fournier general manager, commercial wire products, in charge of facilities in Bemidji, MN, and Monterrey, Mexico. Fournier was previously director of North American procurement for IMI plc.

Fabrinet.(People)
August 1, 2005... Fabrinet added Dr. Harpal S. Gill as senior VP of operations and managing director of its. New Jersey subsidiary, responsible for the transfer of recently acquired JDS Uniphase assembly operations to Thailand.

SIA calls for permanent tax credit.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... San Jose -- The Semiconductor Industry Association (sia-online.org) in June called for legislation to enhance and make permanent the R&D tax credit. The current law authorizing the credit is set to expire at the end of 2005 unless Congress...

New tool eases Pb-free parts selection.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... Rochester, NY -- EMA, a leading distributor of CAD and CAM software, thinks it has an answer for designers who are grappling with selecting compliant components for lead-free manufacturing: Incorporate RoHS content into the schematic. ...

Companies hiring for top tech positions.(Industry NEWS)
August 1, 2005... SAN JOSE -- Venture Outsource Group has reported a sharp rise in the number of employment searches it is conducting for EMS providers, ODMs and technology OEM client companies. The firm helps companies find candidates to fill internal...

Components bucking forecasts.(Market WATCH)
August 1, 2005... Components Bucking Forecasts Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change March April r May * YTD ...

Orders, production rebounded in June.(Market WATCH)
August 1, 2005... Tempe, AZ -- The manufacturing sector grew for the 25th straight month in June, boosted by spikes in new orders and production. Manufacturing rebounded from three months of slowing growth, according to the latest Institute for Supply Management...

IT equipment market rebounding.(Market WATCH)
August 1, 2005... Framingham, MA -- Investment in IT is beginning to show signs of life, a new study found, based on a survey of over 200 financial institutions. Financial Insights, an IDC company, estimates that North American capital markets firms are planning...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
August 1, 2005... Industry Market Snapshot Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. Feb. March April May Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.77 0.78 0.81 0.85 Semiconductors (2) ...

Report: equipment slowdown ahead.(Market WATCH)
August 1, 2005... Los Altos, CA -- Slowing GDP gains will have a domino effect on electronics equipment demand, with replacement cycles losing momentum, according to a June research report. Demand for everything from PCs to handsets to autos will suffer,...

Chip laminate substrate shortage seen.(Market WATCH)
August 1, 2005... Austin, TX -- Increased demand for laminate substrates this year, coupled with a fire at ASE's Chung-Li, Taiwan, plant, is expected to push prices higher for wire-bond PBGA and flip-chip substrates, says research firm TechSearch International...

Beijing Brio: coming to America.(Talking Heads)(Interview)
August 1, 2005... While contract assembly operations are popping up all over China, the most heralded ones belong to North American or Taiwanese ODM and EMS companies. Still, China has a lengthy list of domestic firms, and some of these are beginning to return...

Meeting in the middle: can mid-market EMS providers play in the global market?(Global Sourcing)
August 1, 2005... Certainly not all mid-tier, much less very small, electronics manufacturing services providers want to go global. They happily serve regional, niche markets, and may continue doing so profitably. But for those in the middle with ambitions to...

Pb-free and SnPb solder printing, compared: based on DoEs, a look at how different pastes stack up in six areas.(Screen Printing)
August 1, 2005... Speedline Technologies has printed Pb-free solder pastes for more than six years. We work with most of the major solder paste suppliers in evaluating process performance characteristics of SnPb and Pb-free solder pastes. We have conducted a...

'He was my brother': the author looks back on two decades with Ron Daniels.(Better Manufacturing)
August 1, 2005... "Listening to you, I get opinions,... From you, I get the story."--Pete Townsend Ron Daniels has left the room. We have lost an industry icon. We have lost a voice of patience and reason in an industry and a world that can be...

Poor vision: the great potential of machine inspection can be undone by poor planning.(AOI Pitfalls)
August 1, 2005... Ed.: For the full article, please see circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/1819/ [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] The director of purchasing at a major EMS company summarized one of the key issues of automatic optical inspection:...

Pb-free, moisture sensitivity and x-ray inspection: while seeing MSD popcorning may be difficult, x-ray can catch its other effects.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... So you have decided to dip your toe, or perhaps dive headlong, into the alligator-infested waters of Pb-free assembly? Hopefully by this time you have selected a Pb-free paste, modified your wave-solder pot to prevent catastrophic leaks and...

Not-so-secret codes: simple steps for integrating CAM systems.(CAM Automation)
August 1, 2005... While CAM software becomes more advanced and effective, solutions remain, in general, too general. That is, no vendor can make software that will effectively address the issues of all potential customers. So how does a company take a great CAM...

Lead-free new problems--new solutions.(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Over the past several decades the electronics assembly industry has perfected efficient and high quality manufacturing of leaded assemblies. Today we are faced with disruptive changes required by the production of Lead-Free electronics....

MEMS in medicine: these sense-mimicking chips may herald a new age of bionics.(Component Packaging)
August 1, 2005... Ed.: For the full article, please see circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/1820/ [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] MEMS, or microelectromechanical systems, are tiny chips that can be produced by semiconductor processes to combine...

Converting wave soldering equipment to Pb-free: a pair of approaches for incorporating a low-cost wave solder pot.(Pb-Free Transition)
August 1, 2005... Ed.: For the full article, please see circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/1817/ [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] With the introduction of Pb-free solders on the production floor, there have been several questions on converting a SnPb...

Is the supply chain ready for RoHS? Common materials and the availability of RoHS-compliant versions.(Countdown to Pb-Free)
August 1, 2005... Ed.: For the full article, please see circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/1821/ [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Manufacturers have made significant investments in new processes that will eliminate substances banned under the EU's...

A stirring solution: intermetallic crystals form more easily in Pb-free solder pots, but there's a fix.(Wave Soldering)
August 1, 2005... The formation of intermetallics in solder during wave soldering is normal. Intermetallics are seldom found in SnPb solder due to the low rate at which these crystals form with this solder. Pb-free solders cause these crystals to grow much...

Keep it clean! Environmental chamber cleanliness has a direct impact on product performance.(Process Doctor)
August 1, 2005... Sometimes the reason for cleanliness-related reliability concern comes not from assembly process and handling but instead from actual quality and reliability testing. Environmental chamber cleanliness has created substantial problems for...

Excelta's Smart Tweezers: electrical evaluation of SMDs, with just one hand.(Equipment Advances)
August 1, 2005... Smart Tweezers answers the problem of testing and troubleshooting SMD components. Requiring the use of only one hand, this lightweight unit quickly evaluates all types of SMD components. It automatically identifies and measures inductance,...

High-speed screen printer.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Horizon 01i meets assembly challenges from high-mix to high-volume, including 0201s and CSPs. Features Cpk 2.0 @ 25 [micro]m and a 10 sec. cycle time. Includes Instinctiv user interface, Interactiv Web-based support service and optional 1200...

SnPb paste.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Multicore MP218 SnPb paste reportedly offers high-temperature processing and excellent wetting characteristics, for use in conjunction with Pb-free terminated components and board finishes. Halide-free, no-clean formulation is pin-testable....

Portable x-ray inspection.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Verifier HR high-resolution x-ray system addresses failure analysis and manufacturing/rework quality assurance applications for PCBs up to 16 X 18". A 90kV, 5 [micro]m microfocus x-ray source supplies power to penetrate shielded packages;...

IR rework.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... IR/PL 650A third-generation IR rework platform offers DynamicIR, Multi True Closed Loop Control and IntelligentIRS. Handles Pb-free rework applications on heavy mass PCBs and large-format (18 X 20") assemblies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Colored Pb-free paste.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Green Paste aims to eliminate cross-contamination between lead and Pb-free boards in a mixed production environment. Is green in color, distinguishable from gray SnPb paste. Green color remains until reflowed, leaving normal metallic joint...

Pb-free rework.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Vision-Rework machines place BGA or CSP components onto the array prior to reflow, without surface tension assistance. Lightning model has a focal bottom heater, Marksman has a panel bottom heat system. Offer manual component placement arm with...

Pb-free profile kit.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Lead-Free Thermal Process kit includes a SlimKIC 2000 profiler with either nine or 12 high-temperature thermocouple inputs, and the Auto-Focus oven recipe search engine to automatically select the best recipe for Pb-free applications. Metal...

Assembly line optimization.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Trilogy-5000 v. 7.5 includes multiple new functions, such as component rotation standardization in the ODB++ data model and full graphical simulation of placement operations. Claims to cut line setup and program debug time by 30%. Rules-based...

Concurrent programming.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... The 2710 system combines 0.24 s/Mb programming technology, FX4 socket modules and a concurrent programming system. Programs devices with densities up to 4 Gb, has a high-speed USB 2.0 standard bus for communications. Programs a 64 Mb device in...

Benchtop soldering robot.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... TR300 PC-programmable table robot is for automatic selective and point-to-point soldering. Said to offer precise, flexible automated soldering at reasonable cost, even for small batches. Has custom parameters via Windows environment and...

Color-coded Pb-free stencils.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... These Pb-free stencils are color-coded with orange on the border for easy identification. A no-lead logo is also cut into the stencil identification line. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MicroScreen, microscreen.org Booth 6000

High-res AOI.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Supra M AOI system offers inline capabilities in a small foot-print. Comes with large format digital camera and high precision linear x/y stage. One-camera system permits a configurable field of view. Pixel resolution adjustable from 15 to 22...

4-probe tester.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... MTS500 Condor flying probe tester features rapid program development, high throughput and handles large PCBs. Has four identical probes and over 1000 fixed pins. Has a SMEMA-compatible conveyor; tests boards up to 24 X 28". Test heads feature...

Prototyping placement system.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Advantage 2 automated SMT placement machine offers flexible placement and programmability for high-mix, low-volume assembly and prototyping. Features integrated dispenser for applying adhesives, pastes, flux, etc. Has dual-feeders. Can place...

Direct Die feeder.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... DDf, in the Direct Die Feeding product line, can feed a range of bare die and flip chips, and can be mounted on almost every placement machine. Performance is optimized around the handling of small flip chips. Capable of feeding die to 0.5 mm...

Compact Rework Station.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Fineplacer CRS 10 is for small- to medium-scale series assembly or on medium to large SMD boards. Features plug-and-work design, vision alignment system with stationary beam splitter, controlled z height during reflow and automated component...

High-mix pick-and-place.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... FLX2010 SMD pick-and-place has 190 feeders. Can place 5,000 cph, including 0201 or ultra-fine pitch 0.3 mm components, as well as condensators up to 15 mm, large connectors and 50 mm BGAs. Features laser and vision centering systems. Management...

Large parts rework station.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Summit 1800 is for Pb-free rework of large components. A 65-mm alignment field of view with digital and optical zoom and split image ensure placement of large packages, sockets and connectors. Has programmable, motor-controlled top heater...

Selective soldering.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Harmony SPX multi-axes Cartesian robot selectively solders through-hole and odd-form components. Suited for small or large lot quantities and a high product mix. Conveyor system expands 4 to 18" under program control. Rotation and tilt axes are...

Contact-free laser soldering.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Firefly selective soldering station solders devices without the use of dedicated protective masks. Solders from bottom side of the board, and produces solder joints with minimal thermal stress. Works inline, and can be programmed automatically...

Aqueous cleaning conservation.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Liquid Lock "locks" atomized spray in the wash chamber, eliminating chemical solution loss from atomized spray mist exhaust. Said to reduce consumption of cleaning solution up to 75%. Also locks in heat, reducing energy required to heat the...

Aqueous cleaner.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Aquanox A4630 aqueous cleaner is for Pb-free materials. Typically used in spray-in-air equipment at 10 to 20%, from ambient temperatures and without sump side additives. Said to provide brilliant joints, pass after pass, throughout an extended...

Temperature controller.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... ProcessMate 6500 temperature control unit is compact and easy-to-integrate, for consistent material viscosity. Controls deposit sizes by maintaining precise temperatures within [+ or -]0.1[degrees]C from 10 to 40[degrees]C inside a chamber...

Versatile placement machine.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... SM320 achieves placement rates up to 18,500 cph with [+ or -]50[micro]m accuracy and up to 5,500 cph at [+ or -]30[micro]m for QFPs and BGAs. Gantry system features twin-servo motor design for stability. Slim format feeders handle standard EIA...

Rotary dispensing table.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... RT404-FLEX dispenses materials in a circular pattern. Provides two rotating platforms for simultaneous dispensing. Flexible z-axis features adjustable height, tilt and speed. Dispensing controller can be housed within the table for easy access....

Pb-free materials.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Pb-Free Suite of materials for electronics assembly includes no-clean and water-wash solder pastes, solder preforms in tape and reel packaging, wave solder flux, reworkable no-flow underfill, and rework and repair materials. Indium Corp.,...

High-speed printing platform.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Infinity APi printing system is said to deliver high accuracy mass imaging of materials for high-volume advanced component applications including CSPs and 0201s. Instinctiv user interface simplifies operation and offers on-board error recovery....

Pb-free solder paste.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... Multicore LF318 Pb-free, halide-free, no-clean, pin-testable solder paste is said to achieve a high degree of coalescence upon reflow even after 72 hrs at 27[degrees]C and 80% RH. Benefits include low paste wastage and resistance to component...

Placement platform.(Product PREVIEW)
August 1, 2005... AC-30L platform combines the throughput of the rotary Lightning head with the flexibile AdVantis platform. Said to deliver high utilization for top- and bottom-side applications, with high-speed placement of large parts. Lightning head features...

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
August 1, 2005... Environmental Legislation RoHS Legislation and Technical Manual Author: Newark InOne Abstract: This 22-page document provides design engineers and component buyers with in-depth information and news relating to the upcoming...