Circuits Assembly articles from February 2008

Circuits Assembly archives from February 2008

Where the light is always on.(Caveat Lector)
February 1, 2008... This month's issue includes an article on a process for embedding active components for "high-reliability" (think missiles) applications. The process is more than just a concept. It's actually passed DoD testing and is in use today. A patent...

Avoiding the PCB bandwagon.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... In response to Chrys Shea's column on halogens and halides, a note of correction: I think the abbreviation PCB (in the context used) is for polychlorinated biphenyls, not bisphenols. My real interest in writing, however, is to question...

Trilogy Circuits.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... EMS provider Trilogy Circuits (trilogycircuits.com) has registered under the U.S. State Department International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Christopher Associates (christopherweb.com) announced delivery of its 100th Koh Young (kohyoung.com) solder paste inspection system in North America.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Christopher Associates (christopherweb.com) announced delivery of its 100th Koh Young (kohyoung.com) solder paste inspection system in North America. The equipment was sent to a supplier of embedded computing systems in Huntsville, AL. More...

Aqueous Technologies.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Aqueous Technologies (aqueoustech.com) appointed Accelonix (accelonix.fr) its distributor in France, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Fabrinet.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... EMS provider Fabrinet (fabrinet.com) completed construction of a 300,000 sq. ft. addition to its Pinehurst optical manufacturing complex near Bangkok, and has commenced operations. The factory brings the company's global manufacturing capacity...

Hanzas Elektronika.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Hanzas Elektronika (hansa-electronics.lv) selected Valor Computerized Systems' (valor.com) vPlan enterprise-level process engineering software for its factories in Ogre and Ventspils, Latvia. Also, Sercomm Taiwan (sercomm.com) selected Valor's...

TDK.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... TDK (tdk.com) developed an embedded chip process for semiconductors and passives. The total thickness is reportedly 0.3 mm for four-layer PCBs.

Assembleon (assembleon.com) has established a direct sales and service presence in Switzerland, Austria and Germany.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Assembleon (assembleon.com) has established a direct sales and service presence in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. "This is a significant step forward in our ability to service customers, and underlines the importance of these customers for...

Fawn Electronics Co.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Fawn Electronics Co. (fawn-ind.com) completed its move to a new manufacturing site in the Nashville Business Center in Nash County, NC. The 47,000 sq. ft. facility employs 90 to 100 workers.

BPM Microsystems (bpmmicro.com) has dramatically cut programming time for STMicroelectronics' (stmicroelectronics.com) NAND flash large page family.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... BPM Microsystems (bpmmicro.com) has dramatically cut programming time for STMicroelectronics' (stmicroelectronics.com) NAND flash large page family. A new software feature uses factory cache programming modes in conjunction with the...

Syncro Corp.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Syncro Corp. (syncroems.com) has added an SMT line to support new customer requirements. The company also added a dedicated RoHS-compliant productionline.

Milwaukee Electronics Corp.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Milwaukee Electronics Corp. (meccompanies.com) named QuadRep Technologies (quadreptech.com) its manufacturer's representative in Southern California.

Optimal Electronics.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Software provider Optimal Electronics (optelco.com) has partnered with Calavista Software (calavista.com) to extend the capabilities of the former's MES software suite.

Data I/O Corp.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Data I/O Corp. (dataio.com) received a purchase order for multiple units of the ProLINE RoadRunner JIT programmer from Vestel (vestel.com).

Lightspeed Manufacturing.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Lightspeed Manufacturing (lightspeedmfg.com) will perform all component replacement and repair work for Avici Systems' router products.

Exerra Inc.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Exerra Inc. (exerra-na.com) named B. R. Peterson and Associates, Electronic Assembly Products, Southwest Systems Technology and Techsystems International its manufacturer's representatives in North America.

Aqueous Technologies released its latest e-learning presentation.(In Brief)
February 1, 2008... Aqueous Technologies released its latest e-learning presentation: Trident Automatic Defluxing and Cleanliness Testing System. It is available on-demand at aqueoustech.com.

AIM Solder named Armando Torres regional sales manager, Central-South Mexico.(People)
February 1, 2008... AIM Solder named Armando Torres regional sales manager, Central-South Mexico. He is a chemical engineer with 11 years' experience in soldering technologies.

Winland Electronics.(People)
February 1, 2008... EMS firm Winland Electronics named chairman Thomas J. de Petra interim CEO and president, succeeding Lorin Krueger, who retired.

Indium Corp.(People)
February 1, 2008... Indium Corp. promoted Eric Slezak (pictured, top) to director of Assembly Products; Ray Altieri (pictured, bottom) to manager, Solder Products; Leo Devine to global accounts manager, and Tim Jensen to product manager, Solder Products. All are...

Zestron America named Cesar Gazcon Mexico sales manager.(People)
February 1, 2008... Zestron America named Cesar Gazcon Mexico sales manager. He has 15 years' experience in electronics manufacturing, most recently as area sales manager with PAC South Mexico, and also as a process engineer with Lucent Technologies and...

CirTran Corp.(People)
February 1, 2008... EMS provider CirTran Corp. named David L. Harmon chief financial officer.

iNEMI named Grace O'Malley manager of operations-Europe.(People)
February 1, 2008... iNEMI named Grace O'Malley manager of operations-Europe. A former manager of Motorola's Advanced Technology Center in Brazil, she has a master's in materials and manufacturing engineering and holds eight U.S. patents.

PDR.(People)
February 1, 2008... PDR appointed Frederic Renard regional sales manager for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Syncro Corp.(People)
February 1, 2008... Syncro Corp. named Roger Allcorn senior project engineer-RF Products.

EPIC Technologies.(People)
February 1, 2008... EPIC Technologies named David Brakenwagen vice president of new business development, responsible for sales and marketing, identifying prospective customers and winning new business opportunities. He was vice president of sales at Solectron,...

Asteel to acquire Flash, form $750M EMS firm.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... PARIS -- Asteel Technologies (asteel.fr) will acquire Flash Electronics (flashelec.com) in an all-stock deal, forming an EMS company with some $750 million in annual sales, the companies announced in December. Flash's senior management...

Online assembly trade show debuts this month.(Industry NEWS)(Conference notes)
February 1, 2008... ATLANTA -- Virtual PCB (virtual-pcb.com), the industry's first virtual trade show and conference for PCB assembly, debuts this month. The fully interactive, Web-based event takes place Feb. 12-13, and incorporates all the critical features of a...

More cuts ahead at Elcoteq.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... HELSINKI -- Elcoteq (elcoteq.com) will restructure its operations, selling certain underperforming plants and improving its materials management in hopes of cutting $101.5 million to $116 million from its annual operating costs, the EMS firm...

Sanmina acquires certain Powerwave plants.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... SANTA ANA, CA -- Amplifier maker Powerwave Technologies (powerwave.com) has sold part of its Hungarian manufacturing operations to Sanmina-SCI (sanminasci.com). As part of the deal, Powerwave signed a five-year manufacturing agreement with...

Cogiscan receives patent for tracking system.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... BROMONT, CANADA -- The US Patent & Trade Office has issued Cogiscan (cogiscan.com) a second patent for its automated manufacturing control system. The system uses a combination of barcode and RFID to track, trace and control materials on...

Quanta latest to head to Vietnam.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... TAIPEI -- Quanta Computer (quanta.com.tw), the largest contract assembler of PCs, plans to begin building notebook PCs in Vietnam, with production scheduled to start in the second half of this year. Quanta also operates a PC assembly factory in...

Asymtek, YesTech team on dispensing validation process.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... CARLSBAD, CA -- Asymtek (asymtek.com) and YesTech (yestechinc.com) in January announced a jointly developed process for tracking and validating placement and accuracy of dispensed fluid dots. The process, which uses Asymtek's dispensing...

Foxconn disputes damage to PWB plant.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... YANTAI, CHINA -- Foxconn (fih-foxconn.com) in late December claimed a fire on its Yantai PWB campus has not disrupted production. However, a Commercial Times report claimed the fire destroyed more than one-third of the Yantai plant's capacity,...

SIA 'disappointed' in Bush, congress.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... SAN JOSE -- "A year that started with great promise of bipartisan action to enhance American competitiveness in the global economy appears about to end with no significant action on any of the key elements," Semiconductor Industry Association...

Flextronics, Solectron sued over OT pay.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Flextronics (flextronics.com) and Solectron (solectron.com) are being sued for allegedly violating federal and state labor laws governing overtime pay. The suit alleges the EMS companies paid employees by their shift time,...

Volume techniques coming to printed electronics.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... NEW YORK -- Printed electronics hold the potential to be a game-changer in a wide variety of end markets, according to a new study from ABI Research (abiresearch.com). Innovative printing techniques have the capability to facilitate...

Latvian EMS firm in buying mood.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... ORGE, LATVIA -- Hanzas Elektronika (hansa-electronics.lv), Latvia's largest EMS company, acquired Elektromekan i Arjang AB on Nov. 30. Elektromekan is Sweden's fifth largest EMS firm. HE is owned by the Baltic SME Fund. The company claims sales...

PCB Austin to debut in March.(Industry NEWS)
February 1, 2008... SMYRNA, GA -- PCB Austin, a new three-day technical conference, will be held March 4-6, in the Austin suburbs. The new show, produced by UP Media Group, is located in nearby Round Rock, 20 minutes from downtown Austin. PCB Austin will...

Defending their turf.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change Sept. Oct. (r) Nov.* YTD Computers and electronics products ...

December manufacturing slows; backlogs rise.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... TEMPE, AZ -- The housing market felled manufacturing in December, as the PMI dropped 3.1 points to 47.7%, falling below the 50% benchmark for the first time in 11 months. New orders decreased 6.9 points to 45.7%, while production dropped 4.6...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.83 0.82 0.79 0.80 (r) 0.82 (p) Semiconductors (2) 1.91% 2.73% 4.39%...

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... Price Per Lb. Date 10/8/07 11/12/07 12/10/07 1/07/08 LME Cash Seller and $6.37 $7.12 $7.64 $7.44 Settlement for Tin LME Cash Seller and $1.75 ...

2008 electronics outlook trimmed.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Global electronics equipment revenue is expected to rise to $1.6 trillion in 2008, up 6.6% from 2007, iSuppli (isuppli.com) said. The research firm trimmed 40 basis points from its previous forecast of 7% growth. The firm...

Experts cautious on semis.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... OAK BROOK, IL -- A coterie of leading semiconductor experts in December said looming market concerns over higher oil prices, the U.S. mortgage crisis and fears of a possible recession make the outlook for consumer spending a cautious one. The...

Organic materials to spike.(Market WATCH)
February 1, 2008... GLEN ALLEN, VA -- The market for organic electronics materials will be worth $4.9 billion in 2012, surging to $15.8 billion in 2015, according to analyst NanoMarkets (nanomarkets.net). Leading applications will be RFID, display backplanes and...

On alert: a novel database and alert system help keep fake parts out of the supply chain.(Global Sourcing)
February 1, 2008... On April 16, 2005, a delivery truck in the Philippines was hijacked and robbed of $2.2 million in Maxim parts, many of which had been untested and had a possible failure rate of up to 30%. Maxim disclosed the theft to the public on April 21. In...

A closer look at post-print inspection: SMT is highly automatable, but must be monitored and controlled.(Better Manufacturing)
February 1, 2008... In process optimization, a question that often comes up is where to invest in AOI: post-reflow, post-placement or post-print? The answer is yes. (Perhaps the kind of answer you'd expect from a consultant, right?) Any SMT assembly process will...

Maximizing lean: PMs are often closest to the customer and have the best visibility into areas needing improvement.(Program Management)
February 1, 2008... Ed.: For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/6020. Gaining significant benefits from Lean manufacturing requires more than an EMS production floor focused on Lean principles. Achieving meaningful cost...

Copper as a viable solution for IC packaging: not only more conductive and considerably cheaper than gold, copper uses the same ball bonding process.(Packaging Trends)(Reprint)
February 1, 2008... Ed.: For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/6021. The most common IC conductor metals today are gold, aluminum, silver alloy and copper. Gold is the most widely used metal for IC wire bonding because of its...

Embedded active components for high-reliability products; The missile's shock and vibration mandated a new technology: a wire-bonded, solderless PCB.(Recent Patents)
February 1, 2008... I never planned to be in the assembly and manufacturing business. I was satisfied with my life in government, working with high reliability hardware, including various weapons systems and the Saturn Apollo program--the beginning of my industry...

XRF equipment as a RoHS screening tool: a study of 15 systems finds most--but not all--offer a viable solution.(RoHS Compliance)
February 1, 2008... The requirement to comply with Europe's RoHS regulations has driven adoption of a range of new materials in electronics components. A company failing to comply with RoHS can be fined. Hence, to ensure only RoHS-compliant materials are used, the...

Profiling for large BGA attachment: a series of studies reveal the critical factors.(Tech Tips)
February 1, 2008... The profiling basics for attachment of large ball grid array packages using industry-specific precision systems consist of bottom heaters (commonly referred to as preheaters), and a top heater (also referred to as a nozzle heater). The...

Breaking the tape: a high-mix, high-rel EMS finds selective tops masking and taping.(Selective Soldering)
February 1, 2008... Many assemblers of high-reliability circuits have turned to selective soldering as an alternative to wave-soldering selected underside areas or PTH components using pallets. There are a number of reasons, but often it is because wave soldering...

The fixture dilemma: when switching platforms, do you start with new fixtures, or use adapters?(Test and Inspection)
February 1, 2008... When a new in-circuit test system or ICT-related technology comes out and you have a stack of legacy fixtures on your plant floor, how do you decide whether to convert to a new test system or fixture to encompass the technology? The governing...

PWB cleanliness, Part 2: localized extraction clearly shows residue volumes at isolated spots.(Process Doctor)
February 1, 2008... Ed: This continues a discussion begun last month. We can define cleanliness from an observational or theoretical stance, but what do the data say? This is not to say a general understanding of the overall board is wrong, but rather that we...

IPC Printed Circuits Expo[R] APEX[R] and the Designers Summit.(Company overview)
February 1, 2008... It's YOUR Show! DESIGN * PRINTED BOARDS * ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY * TEST CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION: April 1-3, 2008 MEETINGS: March 29-April 3, 2008 Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center, Las Vegas +1 847-597-2860 |...

Time to decommoditize PWB fabrication: pennies saved on the front end can cost big money in rework.(Pb-Free Lessons Learned)
February 1, 2008... Ever since I began assembling PWBs nearly 20 years ago, I've been addressing problems whose root causes lie not within assembly but PWB fabrication. I did always appreciate that fact. Then, as luck would have it, I transferred under a boss...

Process equipment tooling.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... VacuNest compliant tooling system for printing, dispensing and placement machines has a working area of up to 330 mm x 330 mm; the tabletop configuration is said to handle shape memory tooling beyond board handling. Each module is a pliable...

Component inventory management.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... 2000 Pro component inventory management system consists of a motorized surface mount parts counter, barcode reader and label laser printer. May detect shortages by scanning barcode on the reel, verifying the count, then printing a new barcode...

Solder paste analyzer.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... The ShareGen SPA 1000 analyzer provides testing to control and manage solder paste. Is said to reduce a range of defects, including missing components, tombstoning, component misalignment, and non-wetting. Reportedly can perform up to six...

4-Gantry placement machine.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... The Quadris-3 quad-gantry model achieves a reported maximum throughput of 95,000 cph by maximizing SW sequences and minimizing delay times between motion sequences. Uses the same software and hardware as the Quadris-S, but with improved ease of...

Noncontact jet dispenser.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... The Spectrum S-920 series of scalable dispensing uses noncontact jetting. Rapid response heater system reportedly minimizes startup time and delivers uniform heat across entire part surface. Includes programmable fluid and valve pressure, mass...

Convection-IR combo curing.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... SCS Precision IRT combines convection and IR heat sources for curing a variety of coatings. Handles high- and low-solvent coatings, adhesives and other heat-curable materials. Reportedly reduces solvent entrapment, bubbling and blistering....

12-Zone [N.sub.2] reflow.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... The CHA-500 12-zone reflow oven is said to consume less than 200 L/min nitrogen when oxygen level is 800 ppm. Reportedly achieves temperature rise time in starting and profile changeover within 15 min. Flux filtration system contains chiller,...

Modular placement platform.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... GXH-3 modular direct drive mounter platform is capable of high-speed assembly and handling odd-shaped parts. Throughput is said to be up to 95,000 cph. Comes in four gantry (GXH-3) or two gantry (GXH-3J) versions. Modular concept permits...

Small-sized solder station.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... Hakko FX-951 compact soldering station is said to fit on one's palm. Features heat transfer and thermal recovery, a lockout key card that reportedly prevents accidental or unauthorized temperature settings, auto shutoff after 30 min. of...

Small-sized thermal profiler.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... The Megam.o.l.e. 20-channel thermal profiler uses four nano-connectors and is 7.2 mm in size. Is said to have capacity for more than 25 runs before downloading data. Has three workflow wizards for set up, and M.O.L.E.-readiness indicators. OK...

Benchtop wave soldering.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... System 120 benchtop wave solder system is for single-point or single-edge soldering and removal of ICs, including DIPs, QFPs, PGAs, connectors and odd forms. Is said to be ideal for short runs requiring selective soldering of single components....

Acrylic conformal coating.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... Hysol PC62 is a one-component, toluene-free, solvent-based acrylic conformal coating. Is reportedly quick drying. Designed for harsh environments such as automotive, military, aerospace, industrial and consumer avionics. Complies with UL746 and...

Edge carry transfer conveyor.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... BC-60 and BC-100 conveyors have 3 mm wide ESD edge belts and handle PCBs up to 18" wide. Features include variable speed control, front ESD work surface with grounding strap (green or royal blue mats available), "Inspect and Pass" mode...

Self-cleaning squeeqee.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... Permalex Paste Manager self-cleaning squeegee has a powerful, motorized, compact assembly and reportedly reduces solder paste adhesion by 90%. A small "shuttle" blade reciprocates along the front face of the main metal squeegee and cuts away...

China E-waste regulation translation.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... China's State Environmental Protection Administration's Order No. 40, Management Measures for the Control of Environmental Pollution by Electronic Waste, goes into effect Feb. 1 and outlines the government's approach to managing electronics...

EMI shielding plastic.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... Premier PEI-140 lightweight, electrically conductive plastic is for EMI shielding of high-temperature avionics. Is said to maintain high-temperature tolerance, chemical resistance and UL 94V-0 flammability rating for a shielding solution up to...

Inline label applicator.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... J502-23 inline label applicator is automatic, designed for medium-volume/high-mix environments. Connects to the factory database; has a range of traceability options. Software enables quick label layout design. Easy-use GUI. Rohwedder...

Next-Gen printer interface.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
February 1, 2008... The latest generation of the Instinctiv user interface is said to enable faster setup and first-time print, lower operator training requirements, easier error avoidance and recovery. Features enhanced parameter editing, command availability and...

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
February 1, 2008... Component Packaging "BGA Coplanarity Reduction During the Ball Attach Process" Author: Rick Lathrop; rick.lathrop@heraeus.com. Abstract: Solder ball array coplanarity due to package warpage in most cases has been greater than for...