Circuits Assembly articles from December 2007

Circuits Assembly archives from December 2007

The enemy within.(Caveat Lector)
December 1, 2007... The holiday season is a time of consumption, a time for the latest GPS devices, cellphones, computers, video games and all sorts of other electronics to fill our festive living rooms. But a pair of reports should give us pause over the...

Sanmina-SCI.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... A Sanmina-SCI (sanmina-sci.com) PCB assembly plant in Huntsville, AL, suffered a transformer fire Oct. 31, according to local news reports. The fire originated in the facility's power plant, the Huntsville Times reported. The extent of any...

Henkel Corp.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Henkel Corp. (henkel.com/electronics) will now offer its full line of electronics materials through Ellsworth Adhesives (ellsworth.com).

Wolf Electronix.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... EMS firm Wolf Electronix has invested more that $1 million in equipment and improvements to its Orem, UT, facility. Upgrades include ESD flooring, lighting, screen printers, placement machines, ovens and AOIs.

Indium Corp.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Indium Corp. (indium.com) named Simcona Electronics Corp. as sales channel partner for the eastern part of North America from Montreal to Miami.

Kyzen Corp.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Kyzen Corp. (kyzen.com) named AEI Technologies Pte. Ltd. an authorized distributor in Vietnam.

Promex Industries.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Promex Industries (promex-ind.com), Micropress (micropress.com.br/ingles), and Hunter Technology Corp. (hunterpcb.com) have committed to develop processes and work with interested OEMs to build products based on the Occam solderless...

Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America (us.panasonic.com) named Technica USA (technica.com) as value-added sales representative for its electronics assembly equipment and services.

ACE Production Technologies.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... ACE Production Technologies (ace-protech.com) named Laryo S.r.l. (laryo.it) its exclusive sales, service, installation, and support rep in Italy.

Cobar Europe BV.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Cobar Europe BV (cobar.com), part of the Balver Zinn Group, named PEM Technologies (pemtech.co.za) its representative in South Africa.

Aqueous Technologies.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Aqueous Technologies (aqueoustech.com) named ETek Europe Ltd. distributor in Eastern Europe.

Universal Instruments and Valor.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Universal Instruments (uic.com) and Valor (valor.com) have formed an OEM partnership under which Valor's Dimensions Data Prep Studio tool will be integrated with Universal's Dimensions Programming and Optimization software to provide...

Europlacer.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Europlacer (europlacer.com) named Smart-Tec GmbH its exclusive distributor in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland.

Jabil Circuit.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Jabil Circuit (jabil.com) workers in Brest, France, struck in October to protest pending layoffs, several local media outlets reported.

Integrated Test Corp.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... Integrated Test Corp. (integratedtest.com) established a sales and applications office in Taiwan.

I. Technical Services.(In Brief)
December 1, 2007... EMS provider I. Technical Services (itechserv.com) added an SMT production line to its new facility in Alpharetta, GA. The line includes a DEK screen printer, Assembleon Topaz X-II and Emerald X-II placement machines, and a BTU reflow oven.

Cobar Europe BV named Gerjan Diepstraten process support manager.(People)
December 1, 2007... Cobar Europe BV named Gerjan Diepstraten process support manager. He was previously a senior engineer with Vitronics Soltec, and began his career in 1989 as a mechanical designer at Soltec B.V He is also a CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY columnist. ...

Wolf Electronix named Robert Greiner chief executive.(People)
December 1, 2007... Wolf Electronix named Robert Greiner chief executive. He was CFO of a management group, and has 10 years of financial and operational management in the EMS industry.

Millennia Technology.(People)
December 1, 2007... EMS provider Millennia Technology named Douglas S. Harchick manager of customer service.

Sunburst Electronics.(People)
December 1, 2007... EMS firm Sunburst Electronics named Sandy Barretta sales manager.

VJ Electronix.(People)
December 1, 2007... VJ Electronix's worldwide sales manager Doug Robinson relocated to Suzhou, China, where he will manage rework and inspection equipment sales and services. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Winland Electronics.(People)
December 1, 2007... Winland Electronics CEO Lorin Krueger has resigned, effective Jan. 2, after 31 years with the EMS company. He will aid the company in identifying a successor.

Blakell Europlacer.(People)
December 1, 2007... Blakell Europlacer named Andy Jones UK general sales manager. He has extensive experience in SMT capital equipment sales through senior roles with Quad, Europlacer and Mydata. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The IPC Solder Products Value Council named Karl Seelig chairman.(People)
December 1, 2007... The IPC Solder Products Value Council named Karl Seelig chairman. He is vice president of technology of AIM Inc., and holds numerous patents in soldering technology, including four Pb-free solder alloys. He supersedes Kester president Roger...

Valor Computerized Systems named Meir Zelzer vice president of R & D.(People)
December 1, 2007... Valor Computerized Systems named Meir Zelzer vice president of R & D. He was previously a senior development vice president at SAP, VP R & D at TopTier and IT director at TesCom. He has a bachelor's in mathematics and computer science.

Henkel Corp.(People)
December 1, 2007... Henkel Corp. promoted Renzhe Zhao, Ph.D. to technical manager of applications engineering in the company's technical center in California. He has been employed by Henkel for five years, and is also a CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY columnist.

iNEMI.(People)
December 1, 2007... iNEMI named Haley Fu, Ph.D. manager of operations-China, at its new office in Pudong. Fu will coordinate the consortium's activities in the region. She has several years' experience in electronics with Schneider Electric Investment Co.,...

DfR Solutions.(People)
December 1, 2007... DfR Solutions named Klaus Hagen to its technical sales team in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

UP Media to launch industry's first virtual trade show.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- UP Media Group in February will launch Virtual PCB, the industry's first virtual trade show and conference for the PCB design, fabrication and assembly markets. The premiere event takes place Feb. 12-13, 2008. A fully...

Guns, germs boosting Boston area hiring.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... BOSTON -- The big news from Nepcon East was what was happening away from the show floor. Most businesses, while noting a general slowing of growth this year, indicated they were in hiring mode going into 2008. Several firms were either...

Solectron deal done, closings next.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... SAN JOSE -- In the wake of its purchase of Solectron, Flextronics (flextronics.com) will shutter up to 43 plants around the world, totaling some 8.3 million sq. ft., says one Wall Street analyst. Bear Stearns analyst Kevin Kessel, citing...

Elcoteq may cut European Ops.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... HELSINKI -- Elcoteq (elcoteq.com) may further reduce its production footprint in Europe, as sales at the EMS company continue to slump. Elcoteq reported a third-quarter pretax loss of 7.5 million euros on restructuring charges and weak...

Note to buy shares in Fideltronik JV.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... KRAKOW, POLAND -- Note AB (note.se) has agreed to acquire half the shares of a new joint venture with Polish EMS provider Fideltronik (fideltronik.com). The JV will be based at Fideltronik's plant in Krakow and will have some 220 employees. No...

Titan nabs Nexus Nano.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... DALLAS -- Titan Global Holdings (titanglobalholdings.com) will acquire the assets of EMS provider Nexus Nano Electronics (nexuscei.com) in an equity-based transaction conducted through a third-party investment group. The acquiring company,...

US Trade Rep calls for Anti-Counterfeiting pact.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... SAN JOSE -- U.S. Trade Rep. Susan C. Schwab in October announced the U.S. would join Canada, the European Commission, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Switzerland in seeking negotiations on an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. The...

iNEMI publishes Pb-free tome.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... HERNDON, VA -- The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (inemi.org) announced publication of Lead-Free Electronics: iNEMI Projects Lead to Successful Manufacturing. The book, published by Wiley-IEEE Press, is based on results...

Cookson to open larger India R & D center.(Industry NEWS)
December 1, 2007... BANGALORE -- Cookson Electronics (cooksonelectronics.com) in October opened a state-of-the-art research center in Bangalore. The 32,000 sq. ft. facility will aid semiconductor and alternative energy research, and help boost Asian sales, which...

Computers, semis take September fall.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change July August (r) Sept.* YTD Computers and electronics products 2.6...

Manufacturing growth slowing.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... TEMPE, AZ -- The slowdown in housing and other markets is starting to back up on manufacturing, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ism.ws). Manufacturing grew in October but at a slower rate, as the PMI registered 50.9%, down 110...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. May June July Aug. Sept. Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.98 0.91 0.83 0.82 (r) 0.81 (p) Semiconductors (2) 2.5% 1.87%...

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... Price Per Lb. Date 8/6/07 9/10/07 10/8/07 11/12/07 LME Cash Seller and $7.38 $6.37 $7.12 $7.64 Settlement for Tin LME Cash Seller and $1.54 $1.37...

Communications gear on rise.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... LOS ALTOS, CA -- Global communications equipment production is expected to rise 8.8% in 2008 and 10.1% in 2009, according to Henderson Ventures (hendersonventures.com). The research firm says sales will uptick following a 6% hike this year,...

IC shipment forecast raised.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... SCOTSDALE, AZ -- Research firm IC Insights (icinsights.com) upped its 2007 forecast for IC unit shipments to 10%, some two points higher than the firm's earlier estimate. Moreover, the firm believes there is a good chance unit demand will...

Demand high for large LCDs.(Market WATCH)
December 1, 2007... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Global third-quarter large-sized LCD panel revenue is expected to increase by more than 17% sequentially and 45% year-over-year, iSuppli says. Demand growth is expected to soften in the fourth quarter, with the market...

The new blend.(Talking Heads)(Interview)(Company overview)
December 1, 2007... When it comes to solder, Balver Zinn (balverzinn.com) is not a household name. But it will be, if Josef Jost has anything to say about it. The gregarious managing director of a family firm that has spanned three generations and counting, he led...

False calls: experts offer six steps for verifying material integrity.(Global Sourcing)
December 1, 2007... The annual EMS sessions at SMTA International in October generated discussion to a degree not seen in some time, and much of it centered on the conundrum that is counterfeit parts. As recounted by Tony Musto of Progeny International...

The printer effect: is printing truly responsible for most end-of-line defects?(Screen Printing)
December 1, 2007... Do solder paste printing defects affect end-of-the-line defects? After more than 25 years of SMT process development, especially the solder paste printing process, there is still no consensus among process engineers on this point. Opposing...

Occam is just alright with me: the latest form of K.I.S.S. is a media marvel, but not much more (yet).(Better Manufacturing)
December 1, 2007... "You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one"--John Lennon "Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?"--Jimi Hendrix Our industry thrives on innovation. Sometimes these great lightning strikes are immediately...

Metalization options for COB assembly: traditional boundaries of backend process and SMT assembly have become diffused.(COB for SMT)(Reprint)
December 1, 2007... Ed.: For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5773. Within mainstream surface mount assembly, bare die wire bonding directly to the PCB substrate and adjacent to other soldered components has long been...

A test comparison of SAC and non-SAC Pb-free solders: SAC 305 evolved into the default Pb-free choice, but many groups have failed to run the alloy through the complete battery of tests.(Solder Materials)
December 1, 2007... Inexpensive tests regularly referred to and performed by electronics manufacturers might include the following. A pull test, for one, may be performed to ascertain at what force level a solder joint system will fail by pulling the component out...

An a-to-z guide to x-ray inspection: understanding x-ray inspection theory is essential when selecting a system.
December 1, 2007... Ed: This is the first of a two-part article. X-ray inspection systems offer PCB manufacturers a way to inspect solder joints and locations in a non-destructive manner with products that cannot be inspected optically. For example, x-ray...

BEST: a 'funky chicken' with an EMS niche: president Bob Wettermann describes the company's customer service plan.(SEAs 2007)
December 1, 2007... Ed.: For the complete article, see circuitsassembly.com/cms.content/view/5771. BEST Inc. (soldering.net) took home the 2007 Service Excellence Award (circuitsassembly.com/sea) for Rework/Repair. President Bob Wettermann recently discussed...

Assemblies go PoP: mating top and bottom side BGAs to form package-on-package PCBs.(Tech Tips)
December 1, 2007... Miniaturization has driven logic and memory integration using vertically integrated devices in a stacked configuration, where the top and bottom BGAs are mated to form package-on-package (PoP) assemblies (Figure 1). The intrepid nature of this...

The glowing dross residues phenomenon: when black powdery oxides are present, a slow exothermal reaction takes place.(Wave Soldering)
December 1, 2007... Solder is a metal alloy comprised of several metals. The main metal content is tin. Because tin is not a noble metal, it will oxidize when exposed to air. The rate and nature of this oxidation depends on temperature and exposure time. Normally,...

The big brush off: does localized brush cleaning really eradicate flux residues?(Process Doctor)
December 1, 2007... Localized brush cleaning is one method to remove residues from areas with a heavy buildup of flux from hand soldering, selective pallet soldering or sensitive areas that need to be cleaned. After evaluation of a large number of brush cleaning...

A small perk: SAC 305 produces 10 times fewer mid-chip solder balls than does SnPb.(Pb-Free Lessons Learned)
December 1, 2007... In May, I reported Pb-free solder pastes create fewer mid-chip solder balls and solder bridges than do SnPb pastes. Why this phenomenon occurs was not well understood at the time. I suspect it may have something to do with superior hot slump...

Linking tactics with strategy: how to determine what you will work on, and what you won't.(Lean Manufacturing)
December 1, 2007... "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself."--Henry Ford To have an effective business improvement system, an organization must ensure all process improvements aimed at waste elimination are closely tied...

[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII].(Eastern Advances)
December 1, 2007... Ed.: For the full version, visit circuitsassembly.com. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cai San Qiang is senior engineer at Beijing Brio Technology (brio-tech.ca). ...

Thermo Scientific's XL3 700 series handheld XRF.(Equipment Advances)
December 1, 2007... The Niton XL3 700 series handheld XRF in analyzer provides fast solder alloy grade identification and laboratory-quality composition analysis of plastics and polymers. Typical time for routine solder screening measurements is said to be less...

Small-sized thermal profiler.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... The PRO thermal profiler features a datalogger measuring 100 x 50 x 9 mm. Can be fitted for use as a wave solder analyzer. Monitors top and bottom preheat solder pot temperatures and chip and main wave contact over multiple points through the...

'No setup' automated tooling.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... HD Grid-Lok automated tooling system supports the entire PCB assembly without manual intervention. Includes 12 mm pin pitch. Said to eliminate setup overheads. Is designed for high changeover manufacturing environments. Is based on a modular...

Multi-site MES.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... Visiprise Manufacturing 5.0 manufacturing execution system supports multi-mode manufacturing operations for multiple manufacturers. Reportedly permits complete component traceability, end-item-configuration management and regulatory compliance...

[H.sub.2]O-based conformal coating.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... 1H20 AR3 water-based conformal coating is a high-solids, fast drying, water-based acrylic for high-volume, inline dip coating. Electrical properties are said to be comparable to solvent-based acrylics; adhesion properties and chemical and...

Brushless fume extractor.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... BVX-200 fume extractor is said to now feature brushless motor technology, zero dust generation and increased motor efficiency because of the elimination of brush friction; includes a remote power switch and a low airflow alarm. ...

Post-print inspection software.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... Benchmark 2.0 machine operating software enhances post-print inspection, integrates barcode scanning for product traceability and process verification, singulates processing of indexed Auer boat substrates, and supports CAMX machine...

2-Sided, high accuracy printers.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... The 4500R and the 5500R vertical lift stencil printers have double-sided board-processing capability. The 4500R print area is 16" x 18". The larger 5500R is air cylinder powered and offers a dual-squeegee shuttle with metal blades. Has a 20" x...

Inline vapor phase reflow.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... RD52 vapor phase reflow system has inline processing for volume production. Offers adjustable pin chain conveyors, four-zone preheat section, horizontal reflow position, left-to-right product flow, touch-screen operation, integrated controls,...

Low voiding no-clean paste.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... Indium5.1AT no-clean Pb-free solder paste offers low voiding at via-in-pad (reported 5% range over many different profiles with BGAs), printability, wetting and a robust reflow profile window. Formulated to minimize impact of downtime on...

Inline depaneler.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... J501-45 Maxi-router inline depaneler handles PCBs from 50 x 50 mm to 470 x 470 mm. The input conveyor uses a buffer segment before milling. The spindle on the underside of the PCB is connected to a dust remover. Is equipped with a continuous...

Factory parts traceability.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... Aegis Traceability and Control Validation Kit validates manufacturers' plant traceability and control. Provides physical materials and procedural guide to determine a factory's traceability and control capability, and rates the results in a...

Flip-chip wafer inspection.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
December 1, 2007... WS-Series wafer inspection system performs macro-defect inspection at reported speeds of 115 wafers per hour. Has optional 3-D inspection module, enhanced camera technology, parallel processing and new wafer handling system. Using a high-speed...

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
December 1, 2007... Environmental Compliance Eight Simple Steps to Convert EU RoHS to China RoHS Author: Roland Sommer, rsommer@rohs-international.com. Abstract: China RoHS is significantly different from EU RoHS; however, great leverage can be...