Circuits Assembly articles from December 2003

Circuits Assembly archives from December 2003

Stressed out?(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... As Rob Rowland pointed out in his keynote presentation at this year's SMTA International, the ideal surface finish does not exist today. It's an enigma being served by several candidates--some better than others--such as hot-air solder leveling...

The latest the Internet has to offer.(Net Gain)
December 1, 2003... Web Sites Worth Mentioning www.emsbuyer.com This Web site is an online directory of companies who purchase printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), PCB and box build services. With over 1,000 companies listed, the site helps sellers locate...

Speedline Technologies sold.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... KPS Special Situations Fund II (New York, NY, www.kpsfund.com) has acquired the stock and related assets of Speedline Technologies Inc. (Franklin, MA, www.speedlinetech.com) from Cookson Group, plc, for a total consideration of $10 million....

Celestica buys MSL for $276 million.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Celestica Inc. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, www.celestica.com) has entered into an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Manufacturers' Services Ltd. (MSL, Concord, MA), a full-service...

Endicott Interconnect Technologies recognized by EPA.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, Washington, DC, www.epa.gov) has recognized Endicott Interconnect Technologies Inc. (Endicott, NY, www.endicottinterconnect.com) with membership in the National Environmental Performance Track...

Legacy Electronics.(In Brief)
December 1, 2003... Legacy Electronics San Clemente, CA has expanded to a new 45,000 sq. ft. facility in Racho San Clemente Business Park but will keep its original facility for future expansion. The company's address is: 211 Avenida Fabricate, San Clemente, CA...

bb electronics (Horsens, Denmark), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has purchased a moisture-sensitive device (MSD) control system from Cogiscan (Quebec, Canada).(In Brief)
December 1, 2003... bb electronics (Horsens, Denmark), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has purchased a moisture-sensitive device (MSD) control system from Cogiscan (Quebec, Canada). The system automates the control of MSDs to insure...

Valor Computerized Systems (Lake Forest, CA) has sold its Trilogy 5000 new product introduction (NPI) engineering software solution to Nu Visions Manufacturing (Springfield, MA), a contract manufacturer.(In Brief)
December 1, 2003... Valor Computerized Systems (Lake Forest, CA) has sold its Trilogy 5000 new product introduction (NPI) engineering software solution to Nu Visions Manufacturing (Springfield, MA), a contract manufacturer. The initial order is valued at $250,000....

Inservco.(In Brief)
December 1, 2003... Inservo (LaGrange, OH) has received ISO-9001: 2000 certification. The registrar NSF International Strategic Registrations Ltd. issued the certificate to the company on June 4, 2003.

Milara Inc. (Medfield, MA), a vendor of stencil printers for surface mount and wafer applications, has appointed WittcoSales as a manufacturer's representative serving Southern California and Mexico.(In Brief)
December 1, 2003... Milara Inc. (Medfield, MA), a vendor of stencil printers for surface mount and wafer applications, has appointed WittcoSales as a manufacturer's representative serving Southern California and Mexico. Tyco Electronics (Harrisburg, PA) also chose...

GSI Lumonics Inc. (Wilmington, MA) has a new distribution agreement with UK-based Alliance Sales (Europe) to provide laser-based trim and inspection products.(In Brief)
December 1, 2003... GSI Lumonics Inc. (Wilmington, MA) has a new distribution agreement with UK-based Alliance Sales (Europe) to provide laser-based trim and inspection products. Customers in the UK, Scandinavia and Finland can contact: Alliance Sales (Europe),...

Enthone awarded OSP patent.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... Enthone Inc. (West Haven, CT, www.cooksonelectronics.com), a Cookson Electronics company, has been awarded U.S. Patent 6,524,644 for its ENTEK PLUS CU-106A(X) organic solderability preservative (OSP). The OSP is part of the copper protective...

KIC awarded patent for thermal profiling technology.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... KIC (San Diego, CA, www.kicthermal.com), a provider of thermal process development and control software, has been awarded a U.S. patent on a technology that improves its 24/7 Virtual Profiler. The inventors of this patent are Philip...

Kester, Feinfocus partner for x-ray inspection and analysis.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... Feinfocus (Garbsen, Germany, www.feinfocus.com) has announced a strategic cooperative agreement with Kester (Des Plaines, IL, www.kester.com), a manufacturer of solders and related materials for the electronics industry. Kester has installed a...

DEK rewarded by Frost & Sullivan.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... DEK (Flemington, NJ, www.dek.com) has received the Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Line Strategy in the World Surface-Mount Soldering Equipment & Materials Market. The award recognized DEK for its introduction of new products,...

Universal Instruments' (Binghamtion, NY) Brad Bennet is moving to Europe to become Director of European Operations.(People)
December 1, 2003... Universal Instruments' (Binghamton, NY) Brad Bennet is moving to Europe to become Director of European Operations. Bennett has been with the company since 1995, serving most recently as Director GSM Platform Products. Taking over Bennett's...

The Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA, Princeton Junction, NJ) Recently elected Nick David (right), president and chief executive officer of Husky International Electronics (Loveland, CO), as president.(People)
December 1, 2003... The Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA, Princeton Junction, NJ) recently elected Nick David (right), president and chief executive officer of Husky International Electronics (Loveland, CO), as president. Bill Pursley...

Delta Precision Circuits (Elk Grove Village, IL),a rigid circuit board manufacturer, has named Janice Mavridis as National Sales Manager.(People)
December 1, 2003... Delta Precision Circuits (Elk Grove Village, IL), a rigid circuit board manufacturer, has named Janice Mavridis as National Sales Manager. She has many years of experience, most recently with Amitron Corp.

Milford Manufacturing Services (Milford, MA) has named Douglas Voiland as vice president, general manager.(People)
December 1, 2003... Milford Manufacturing Services (Milford, MA) has named Douglas Voiland as vice president, general manager. Voiland brings more than 25 years of business experience to the company and has worked with numerous mid-market business owners.

Three Wolf Electronics (Orem, UT) employees are now authorized to conduct training as Class A Instructors for IPC-A-610, Revision C, Certification.(People)
December 1, 2003... Three Wolf Electronics (Orem, UT) employees are now authorized to conduct training as Class A Instructors for IPC-A-610, Revision C, Certification. Those certified include: Robert Trent, vice president of manufacturing, and Jarrett Mauldin,...

IPC honors Best Technical Paper, Hall of Fame inductee.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... IPC (Northbrook, IL, www.ipc.org) announced the winner of the Best Technical Paper Award and the newest member of its Hall of Fame at the 2003 IPC Annual Meeting on Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in Minneapolis, MN. "The Effect of Via-in-Pad Via-Fill on...

SMTA offers Lead-Free Assembly course.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN, www.smta.org) is presenting a course entitled, "Implementing Lead-Free Assembly at Your Facility" on Dec. 9, 2003, at Manufacturers' Services Ltd. in Arden Hills, MN. ...

SMTA announces Annual Awards.(Industry News)
December 1, 2003... The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN, www.smta.og) honored members at its Annual Meeting during SMTA International (SMTAI) in September. The Founder's Award went to Dr. Ronald Lasky of Indium Corp. of America...

Wafer Fab construction increases in 2003, 2004.(Market Watch)
December 1, 2003... According to the Quarterly Spot Report on Semiconductor Fab Projects released from Strategic Marketing Associates (SMA, Santa Cruz, CA, www.scfab.com), the improving economy and growth in chip sales are boosting wafer fab construction activity....

September component orders record big gain over 2002.(Market Watch)
December 1, 2003... Electronic component orders continued to gain momentum going into the last third of 2003, according to the monthly index issued by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA, Arlington, VA, www.ec-central.org). September...

September 2003 Book-to-Bill.(Market Watch)
December 1, 2003... The U.S. IMS/PCB Industry Book-to-Bill Ratio for September 2003 was 1.15. The ratio is calculated by averaging the index numbers for orders booked over the past three months and dividing by the average index numbers for sales billed during the...

DSL IC market rebounding, shifting to VDSL.(Market Watch)
December 1, 2003... In-Stat/MDR (Scottsdale, AZ, www.instat.com) reports that the market for digital subscriber lines (DSL) integrated circuits (ICs) rebounded, in terms of port shipments, in 2002 after a difficult 2001. The high-tech market research firm finds...

Semiconductor equipment market tweaking growth in 2003.(Market Watch)
December 1, 2003... The worldwide semiconductor equipment market has begun its much anticipated--albeit small--recovery in 2003, according to the report The Global Market for Equipment and Materials for IC Manufacturing, recently published by market research...

Avnet achieves $1 billion milestone; opens Taipei office.(Asia Watch)
December 1, 2003... Avnet Inc. (Phoenix, AZ, www.avnet.com), a distributor of electronic components and enterprise computing products, has reached the milestone of $1 billion in sales for fiscal year 2003, as the company sees demand grow for its services and...

Adhesives Research opens technical center in Singapore.(Asia Watch)
December 1, 2003... Adhesives Research Pte Ltd. (Singapore, www.adhesivesresearch.com) opened its new technical center at Singapore Science Park 2 on November 10. The company also unveiled its new sales offices in the same complex. Adhesives Research Singapore...

ASAT Holdings names Teng VP, GM of North Asia sales.(Asia Watch)
December 1, 2003... ASAT Holdings Ltd (Hong Kong, China, www.asat.com), a provider of semiconductor package design, assembly and test, has announced the appointment of Meng-Hee Teng as vice president and general manager of North Asia sales. In this new position,...

Polyonics opens Shanghai office.(Asia Watch)
December 1, 2003... Polyonics (Westmoreland, NH, www.polyonics.com) has announced the opening of its first sales office in China, its second representative office in Asia. Polyonics Singapore opened its doors in February 2003, and the China office opened on Oct....

Transmeta selects Fujitsu as foundry for 90 nm processors.(Asia Watch)
December 1, 2003... Transmeta (Santa Clara, CA, www.transmeta.com), a developer and seller of software-based microprocessors, has selected Fujitsu Semiconductor (Tokyo, Japan, www.fujitsu.com) as the first foundry for its 90-nanometer (0.09-micron) generation of...

Your local PCBA needs your support; proper support can help prevent defects and eliminate setup errors.(On the Forefront)
December 1, 2003... Does your surface-mount assembly process have bouncers? I'm not talking about the big guy who ejects disgruntled customers from the shop floor; I'm talking about boards that are not properly supported during the printing and pick-and-place...

Controlling and avoiding ESD.(Ten Timely Tips)
December 1, 2003... 1. Only allow trained or escorted people in electrostatic discharge (ESD)-protected areas. Access to a protected area should be limited to personnel who have completed appropriate ESD training. Training should be given to new employees and...

Critical tool and process characteristics: learn how to validate stencils and dry assemblies.(Ask Les)
December 1, 2003... Q: What processes and procedures are used to validate solder paste stencils? A: The selection of a reliable solder paste stencil supplier is imperative. Guidelines for the design and manufacture of your solder paste stencils should be...

Surface-mount placement equipment: a new modularity: the electronics assembly work left in North America is reshaping this region's assembly equipment requirements.(Cover Article)
December 1, 2003... In today's global economy, multinational electronics manufacturers have taken advantage of extremely low offshore labor costs and have moved the bulk of their ultra-high-volume production to China and other Asian markets. The nature of...

Leveraging modular, multi-user DFM tools; achieving true verification of PCB manufacturing.(DFM)
December 1, 2003... In today's electronics manufacturing market, profits are scarce, if existent at all. Lower sales also equate with significantly reduced capacity utilization due to insufficient volumes in manufacturing. The challenges of new product...

How to buy equipment; the lists you need to know--before and after--you purchase major equipment for your assembly operation.(Focus on Business)
December 1, 2003... Purchasing new equipment is a big responsibility. You hope the system will work correctly and serve your needs for years to come. Purchasing industrial equipment and properly integrating, with existing equipment and processes requires a...

#1 - witness the difference.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)
December 1, 2003... Leading the x-ray inspection field of competitors, Dage announces the XiDAT a groundbreaking Digital X-Ray System with outstanding image resolution, grayscale analysis and ease of operation. The XiDAT system acquires images with a resolution of...

What!? Just now realizing that your company missed out on being listed in Circuits Assembly's 2004 Buyer's Guide?(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising SECTION)
December 1, 2003... Don't despair; the NEW online version is always, well, online! And you can add and update your listing at anytime throughout the year. But why wait? Log on today and submit your listing. After all, you don't want to be left out of the print...

Directory of Electronics Manufacturing Services Providers (DEMS).(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising SECTION)
December 1, 2003... Are you an EMS provider that wants to attract more OEM customers? Then, don't miss the opportunity for your free listing in the original Directory of Electronics Manufacturing Services Providers (DEMS)--back by popular demand! For more...

Electronic reprints.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising SECTION)
December 1, 2003... 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....

PCB UPdate: news and resources for PCB industry professionals.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising SECTION)
December 1, 2003... PCB UPdate is a semimonthly e-mail newsletter from UP Media Group, which provides subscribers with the terrific editorial content and expertise of UPMG's two industry magazines: Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture and Circuits Assembly....

Analyzing multiple component failures in a system; an analysis of each failed component--and knowing how components fail--can help uncover initial failure.(Failure Analysis)
December 1, 2003... When a product fails due to a single component, determining why the component failed is relatively easy. You examine the component specifications and application in the product to be sure that the component was not being misapplied and that its...

Aging characteristics of immersion tin surface finishes: an investigation of this surface finish's aging and its reliability during soldering.(Surface Finishes)
December 1, 2003... The technology of surface finishes for printed circuit boards (PCBs) is seeing a dramatic shift from hot air solder leveling (HASL) toward alternative finishes like immersion tin. This trend is caused by the worldwide environmental pressure to...

Scalable automation platform.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Polaris Jr. is focused on the lower end of robotic and non-robotic assembly processes, offering single process final assembly automation. These processes include dispensing, screwdriving and pick-and-place packaged onto a standardized tool...

Three-gantry placement machine.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The Siplace HF/3 is equipped with the features of the original HF--the new placement head, transport system and drives for flexible and fast placement. A third gantry enhances the placement machine's production and flexibility. Like the other...

Micro component tester.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The 5848 MicroTester is designed for testing microelectronic devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), photonic and other small components. Applications include semiconductor die shear and pull tests, tensile testing of fine wires, flex...

Micro dispensing system.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The DispenseLink system provides micro-volume dispensing of dot-arrays, lines, fill routines and custom patterns on any standard dispensing platform. It offers programmable increment and velocity control, providing material volumes of 8 mils or...

Lead-free solder pastes and fluxes.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... JS-11-E no-clean wave-soldering flux, for use with copper, silver or bismuth-containing alloys, is a high solids formulation for consumer electronics and automotive applications. It can be used in wave and spray fluxing applications and meets...

Loose pin feeder.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The Surf-Shooter surface-mount loose pin feeder is now available in dual or triple bowl configurations. The configurations can feed multiple pins of the same or different diameters simultaneously, increasing the placement rate to more than...

Automatic insertion tooling.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The Instert-All automatic insertion equipment has the accuracy of a dedicated workboard holder with the versatility of adjustable tooling. It has a reference board holder doweled in each corner of the frame for ease of programming. The other...

Stencil inspection system.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... DEK's new stencil inspection system inspects fine-pitch surface-mount and advanced semiconductor stencil apertures down to 0.002 x 0.002 in. The system can detect errors with an accuracy of [+ or -]0.0002 in., handle stencils with a frame size...

ICT protection.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... SafeTest protection technologies are now available on TestStation in-circuit test (ICT) systems. The technology protects low voltage devices against exposure to the over-voltage and over-current conditions common to conventional ICT systems....

Closed-drift lon source.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Diamonex CD Source is a closed-drift ion source featuring a low energy, broad-beam, gridless design. Used for substrate cleaning, etching or thin film deposition in optical, data storage and semiconductor applications, the gridless design...

Embedded SPC software.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... NWA SPCx embedded real-time statistical process control (SPC) software is an online SPC tool that incorporates ActiveX-based real-time SPC. It enables operators, engineers and managers to monitor their critical process parameters and product...

X-ray inspection system.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The TIGER (FXS-160.40) x-ray system now offers true x-ray intensity (TXI) control to assist operators in identifying production anomalies with consistent x-ray images. Unlike conventional techniques, TXI automatically controls the output level...

Ball bonding wire.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... AW-66 4-N ball bonding wire provides bonding process robustness in all ball bond applications, ranging from standard to ultra-fine pitch. Available in diameters from 15 to 33 [micro]m, the wire supports various looping requirements with...

Fluid handling pump.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Micropump offers low-flow, magnetic drive, cavity-style gear technology for optimal pump performance in its series 120, 114, 2200, 5000, 5500 and 10K pumps. The cavity-style design uses rotating gears within a precision cavity to carry fluid...

Dispensing software update.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Version 4.7 of Fluidmove for Windows NT (FmNT) dispensing software now features Delta z dispensing. By measuring the surface height in multiple locations along the programmed pattern before dispensing a continuous path, the system ensures a...

Dross handling carts.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... New dross handling carts with fume covers make dedrossing more efficient and help eliminate fumes and particulates. The carts, available in both 3.5- and 30-gallon sizes, provide dross collection from a number of wave solder machines. The...

Networked vision smart cameras.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The HawkEye 1600 series of vision smart cameras are configured either as an integrated, all-in-one package incorporating built-in lighting and fixed optics for specific applications, or as a flexible, general-purpose smart camera with C- or...

Universal device programmer.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The 1400 universal device programmer supports all device technologies. Advanced pin drivers incorporate high-speed circuitry to deliver programming and testing performance. The pin drivers operate down to 2.4 V to program advanced low-voltage...

Selective soldering cells.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Pro-mation has announced the release of eight new versions of their diode laser selective soldering work cells. The new configurations will allow customers to choose the appropriate configuration that best fits their selective soldering...

Test kit for pick-and-place standard.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The IPC-9850 Test Materials Kit includes all of the materials needed to test flexible placement machines and chip shooters to the specifications of the IPC-9850 Standard for pick-and-place equipment characterization. IPC developed the standard...

Optical inspection system.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The VPI-1000-XL optical inspection system is for use with boards measuring up to 914 m[m.sup.2]. The system features four adjustable supports to hold round, rectangular, square or L-shaped boards and has an articulating arm capable of spanning...

MLCC capacitors and sample kit.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Panasonic and Digi-Key have introduced an expanded number of large capacitance value multi-layer ceramic chip (MLCC) capacitors and an accompanying Engineering Sample Kit. The kit contains 20 pieces each of 20 large capacitance value MLCC...

Tack-free curing.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... A new ultraviolet (UV) spot curing instrument matched to Loctite #4305 adhesive delivers tack-free curing in less than 5 seconds. The SpotCure device uses an array of UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to produce the required light wavelength for...

Test connector.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The FlexiClamper clamps flexible cable to get the best electrical contact. The connector is used for dot matrix contact method, providing low current resistance. The connector is maintenance-free, easy to use and has a long life. The device can...

No-clean liquid flux.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Loctite Multicore MF300 is a volatile organic compound (VOC)-free, no-clean liquid flux designed to reduce solder balling defects. The high activity flux is effective on low solderability surfaces such as oxidized copper. Non-flammable and...

Automatic emulsion removal system.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The Kleen-Screen automatic emulsion removal system fully automates solvent application and high-pressure washing within a fully enclosed stainless-steel unit. The operator places the screens into the front-loading system, closes the safety...

Platform for film laser trim.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The TrimSmart LT2100 platform for film laser trim applications has a larger work area, updated positioning system and new software and user controls. The series performs trim and test of thick film components and circuits, including printed...

AOI/boundary scan system.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The combination of automated optical inspection (AOI) and boundary scan test technologies have been enhanced for use in an inline production environment. The two technologies in a single system allow the detection of faults that cannot be...

Volumetric dispenser.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Shot-A-Matic dispense systems can be operated manually or integrated into automated or robotic applications. The system measures and dispenses the required amount of material on a high-volume platform. The system is air-powered and features...

Flip chip feeder.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The Dip-Flux Feeder facilitates flip chip assembly by fluxing flip chips and other component types prior to placement. The feeder picks up a component, dips the component, leads or ball grid array (BGA)-balls into the rotating flux bath, then...

Automated pick-and-place machine.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The AP3 pick, place and press system automates the pick, place and press process with the enhanced repeatability offered by a servo-controlled press. With real-time force feedback on every placement, statistical process control (SPC) data can...

Component feeder, magazine.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The fast-loading Agilis feeder is now available for 12 mm and 16 mm tapes. The pen-sized feeder can be loaded in 10 seconds or less. In addition to the new feeder sizes, a new magazine with linear motion offers high speed and precision feeding...

Reworkable underfill encapsulant.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... CN-1432 is a reworkable underfill encapsulant designed for chip-scale package (CSP) and ball grid array (BGA) encapsulation. To remove defective CSPs and BGAs, heat the component and the encapsulant to 220[degrees]C, then scrape or brush off...

Microprocessor family.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... Efficeon TM8000 microprocessors are low-power x86-compatible processors based upon a new silicon microarchitecture and a redesigned version of code morphing software. The microarchitecture is based on a 256-bit processor that can issue up to...

Defense Manufacturers' software.(Product Spotlight)
December 1, 2003... The Defense Manufacturers Value Pack (DMVP) is an offering of software, professional services, training and implementation with fully integrated project control and work breakdown structure modules to enable small and midsize firms to manage...

ESD champions: coordinator and workplace "champions" help fill the gap between management commitment and effective implementation.(ESD)
December 1, 2003... Successful electrostatic discharge (ESD) control programs share a number of common elements. Often, we think in terms of the hardware, such as wrist straps, work surfaces and packaging materials. Or, we think in terms of concepts--personnel...

Changeover control: understanding capabilities and managing changes can help to optimize your new equipment.(Problem Solved)
December 1, 2003... Problem A customer's employee recently visited our factory to accept a new placement machine. As a requirement of acceptance, the machine would need to run one of their current products--one that was also running in their factory on...