Circuits Assembly articles from January 2007

Circuits Assembly archives from January 2007

China RoHS: Oxymoronic--and real.(Caveat Lector)
January 1, 2007... By the time you read this, enactment of China's version of the RoHS Directive will be less than 60 days away. On March 1, the self-styled World's Workshop will enact a far-reaching set of requirements on the use of several common hazardous...

Microboard Processing Inc.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... EMS provider Microboard Processing Inc. (microboard.com) chose Aegis Industrial Software's (aiscorp.com) integrated NPI/MES product suite.

Rehm Thermal System Solutions.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Rehm Thermal System Solutions (rehmusa.com) named ASYS Inc. (asys-llc.com) as its sales and service representative in Brazil. ASYS has offices in Sao Paulo and Manaus.

Finetech.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Finetech (finetech.de) will offer Technical Product Trade's wire bonders in North America.

Universal Instruments.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Universal Instruments (uic.com) sold two GC-120 high-speed placement machines: one to a U.S. OEM and another to a Polish EMS firm.

Inovaxe.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Inovaxe (inovaxe.com), a provider of material handling hardware and software, named CR Tech LLC (crtechllc.com) exclusive manufacturer's representative in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, and nonexclusively in Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan.

Sansoken.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Sansoken has reportedly developed a 0.020 [micro]m pitch micro bumping process for next-generation packaging.

Kyzen Corp.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Kyzen Corp. (kyzen.com) named Peter Jordan GmbH (peterjordan.de) manufacturing representative in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

UMI.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... UMI built a high-density SMT assembly plant in Kyoto, Japan.

Indium Corp.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Indium Corp. (indium.com) has received the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Global SMT Solder Paste Customer Value Enhancement award for outstanding achievement and performance in expanding and maintaining its customer base. It was the fourth time the...

Horiba Group.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Horiba Group's (horiba.com) scientific instruments business installed a Pb-free manufacturing line.

Yamaha.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Yamaha (yamaha-motor.co.jp) will reportedly bring to market a high-performance SMT pick-and-place, YG300, capable of placing 100,000 cph. Third-quarter sales rose 8.4% year-over-year to 112.2 billion yen, and operating income rose 6.8%, driven...

IPC.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... The IPC plans to produce an electronics assembly trade show the week of Sept. 23, 2007, in Schaumburg, IL, a Chicago suburb. It is backed by the SMEMA Council, a group of major assembly equipment OEMs and an adjunct of IPC. The show, called the...

Axiom Electronics.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... EMS firm Axiom Electronics (axiomsmt.com) completed a management buyout from its former parent Ambitech International (ambitech.com). Axiom operates a 24,000 sq. ft. plant and employs more than 70 workers.

PTL Electronics.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... EMS provider PTL Electronics won a $3.6 million order from a leading supplier of visual communications systems.

Flextronics.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Flextronics (flextronics.com) expects to hire some 12,000 workers by the middle of 2007 for its new industrial campus in Johor, Malaysia, bringing the total employed in the nation to 40,000.

Huntsman Corp.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Huntsman Corp. named Underwriters Laboratories (ul.com/rscs) as its RoHS compliance partner. UL will authorize use of the UL RoHS Mark on Huntsman products that meet the RoHS Directive limits.

Aztech Systems.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... ODM provider Aztech Systems Ltd. (aztech.com) selected Data I/O's (dataio.com) FLX500 automated device programmer for manufacturing operations in Dongguan, China.

Pac Tech.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Pac Tech (pactech.de) will open a 40,000 sq. ft. high-volume wafer bumping facility in Penang, Malaysia, in June. The facility will reportedly be able to process 600,000 wafers annually to start, with volume production to begin in October.

Valor Computerized Systems.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Valor Computerized Systems' (valor.com) process engineering software has been integrated with Mydata's (mydata.com) placement equipment. The integration aids parts and panel handling, and optimizes machine setup times.

Appli-tec.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... Materials provider Appli-tec has relocated its offices and manufacturing operations to Salem, NH. The 20,000 sq. ft. facility increases the company's production area by 50%.

TXP Corp.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... TXP Corp. (texasprototypes.com) expanded its facility by 16,488 sq. ft. to accommodate its newly expanded iPhotonics R & D team following the recent hiring of Siemens' former ONT staff. The now 47,000 sq. ft. plant includes additional warehouse...

TTM Technologies.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... TTM Technologies (ttmtech.com) will close its PCB plant in Dallas, OR, and move production to other sites.

SMTA.(In Brief)
January 1, 2007... The SMTA seeks papers for the 2007 Medical Electronics Symposium, the 3D/SiP/Advanced Packaging Symposium, the International Conference on Soldering and Reliability, and SMTA International 2007. Visit smta.org for details.

Celstica Inc.(People)
January 1, 2007... Celstica Inc. promoted president Craig Muhlhauser to chief executive, succeeding Steve Delaney, who resigned to pursue other business interests. Delaney had been president since January 2004, while Muhlhauser has been president since May 2005....

Plexus Corp.(People)
January 1, 2007... Plexus Corp. promoted Paul L. Ehlers to chief operating officer, responsible for the EMS firm's technology group, engineering business unit and worldwide business development. He remains president of Plexus Electronic Assembly. Also, Plexus...

Indium Corp.(People)
January 1, 2007... Indium Corp. named Dr. Andy Mackie product manager for semiconductor packaging materials, responsible for global marketing of semiconductor solder spheres, ball attach fluxes, wafer bumping fluxes and pastes, and epoxy fluxes. He has 17 years'...

EMS provider Nam Tai Electronics.(People)
January 1, 2007... EMS provider Nam Tai Electronics named Warren Lee chief executive. He replaces Patinda Lei, who continues as chairman of Zastron Electronic (Shenzhen) Co., and interim CFO of Nam Tai. Lee has been a director of the company's Nam Tai Electronic...

IEC Electronics.(People)
January 1, 2007... IEC Electronics promoted Jeffrey T. Schlarbaum to executive vice president. He was vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to IEC, he was regional vice president of sales at Plexus, Eastern Region, vice president of sales at Micron Custom...

Manncorp.(People)
January 1, 2007... Manncorp hired Ned Dougherty to provide equipment technical support. He was an equipment tech at DataRom and a surface mount equipment assembler at Quad Systems.

Elcoteq.(People)
January 1, 2007... Elcoteq promoted Ivo Volkov to general manager in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was operations services manager, Elcoteq Tallinn. He joined Elcoteq in 2004.

Sypris Solutions.(People)
January 1, 2007... Sypris Solutions named Robert Callahan director of global supply chain. He was director of global pricing and industrial integration for General Electric's Silicones division.

RFID Summit: the promise of the active tag.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Product gone missing is a massive expense: some $24 billion in European distributors' centers alone each year. Thus it is easy to grasp why supporters of active RFID are so high on its future. If the hype at the Active RFID Summit in...

Process lab has answers to slippery problems.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... BINGHAMTON, NY -- The boards came in full of scratches. The assembler, under the gun and perplexed over the cause, called for help. The answer: The Chinese fabricator was putting car wax on them. It's all in a day's work for the Unovis...

Heraeus' hidden gem.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA -- Heraeus (4cmd.com) is known for its solder materials, but the hidden gem behind the company's product lines is its sprawling (70,000 sq. ft.) test lab. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY recently visited...

EC adds lead exemptions, seeks others.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... BRUSSELS -- European legislators have added a handful of exemptions to Directive 2002/95/EC, more commonly known as the RoHS Directive. Among the exemptions relevant to electronics manufacturers: * Lead in finishes of fine pitch...

Cookson moving solder Ops to Mexico.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... JERSEY CITY, NJ -- Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials (cooksonelectronics.com) will reorganize its North American manufacturing operations, shifting some operations from the U.S. to Mexico during the next six to 12 months, the company said...

Henkel acquires solder sphere manufacturer.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- Henkel (henkel.us) in December announced the acquisition of Accurus Scientific Co. Ltd., a Taiwan-based manufacturer of solder spheres and solder powders. Terms were not disclosed. Founded in March 1998, Accurus makes...

Jabil Ukraine plant to open in spring.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Jabil Circuit's (jabil.com) previously announced assembly factory in the Ukraine will come online this spring. Construction started on the plant in September. The finished plant will have an 85,000 sq. ft. footprint and...

PCB design east to return to RTP.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Responding to a sold-out PCB East 2006 exhibit floor plus input from exhibitors and attendees, UP Media Group Inc. (upmediagroup.com) has announced that PCB Design Conference East will return to Durham, NC, this year. The show...

Soaring semis.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2007... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change Aug. Sept. (r) Oct.* YTD Computers and electronics products...

Manufacturing slumps, but electronics holding.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2007... TEMPE, AZ -- The manufacturing sector failed to grow in November for the first time in 42 months despite gains in the broader economy. Computer and electronic products was one of eight industries reporting growth in November. The monthly...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2007... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Semiconductor equipment (1) 1.14 1.06 1.00 1.00 0.95 Semiconductors (2) 9.0% 11.5% 11.6%...

SIA: 9% annual chip growth through 2009.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2007... SAN JOSE -- Demand for semiconductor devices will continue unabated through 2009, the Semiconductor Industry Association (sia-online.org) said last month. Strong demand for consumer electronics will push sales to $321 billion in 2009, a...

Report: PC growth falling.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2007... LOS ALTOS, CA -- Year-over-year global PC unit growth was 7.3% in the third quarter, down considerably sequentially, according to Henderson Ventures (hendersonventures.com). U.S. deliveries contracted 1.1% during the quarter. Global PC...

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2007... Price per Price per Price per Price per Date lb. 9/5/06 lb. 10/2/06 lb. 11/6/06 lb. 12/4/06 LME Cash Seller and $4.11 $4.13 $4.65 $4.92 Settlement for Tin LME...

Niche services continue to grow in mid-tier EMS models: the cycle has (for now) trended toward specialized service.(Focus on Business)
January 1, 2007... A trend I've observed during the past year is larger OEMs' increased use of mid-tier and regional EMS providers for specialized services packages. This isn't a new event so much as a milestone in a cycle driven by changes in end-market demand....

The shifting outlook: growth is expected this year, yet analysts remain cautious.(On the Forefront)
January 1, 2007... While the industry experienced some second-half slowing, overall 2006 was a great one. Thanks to the strong start, many companies saw their best times in five years. Consumer spending still drives shipments, and despite rising energy prices,...

Closed loop TIM processing: printers offer better process control and cost savings over dispensers.(Screen Printing)
January 1, 2007... While the pace of thermal interface materials development has generally kept up with the thermal transfer demands of smaller, higher-powered devices, it is debatable as to whether the dispensing mechanisms often used to deposit these materials...

The economies (or not) of packaging: common sense dictates it's time we disposed of the oversized box.(Better Manufacturing)
January 1, 2007... A great many eminent scholars and authors have written tomes and detailed analyses about the RoHS and WEEE legislations. The theme is the same, even if the content varies slightly: We have all become environmentally aware. Many...

A novel low CTE, high stiffness ceramic composite core: a new substrate demonstrates superior results under accelerated thermal cycle test and finite element modeling.(Packaging Substrates)
January 1, 2007... Ed. For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/4289 A novel ceramic composite board material, C-SiC, addresses the need for ultra-high-density multilayer wiring to route high I/O counts, enable reliable Cu-low k...

2007: the year of HDI? A reader survey reveals 2007 will be the year microvias and embedded passives make their mark.(PCB Trends)
January 1, 2007... What bare board technologies are expected to gain ground during the next 12 to 18 months? In a first-of-its-kind survey of some 5,100 designers and assemblers undertaken by UP Media Group in late October, we learned that 2007 will be the year...

Outsourcing technology enhancement: one-stop shop or niche provider? The best option involves a mix.(EMS Business Models)
January 1, 2007... The range of industrial applications for RF technology continues to grow. Electronics manufacturing services providers often provide a critical link in the product development chain for OEMs wishing to add RF capabilities to their product. Here...

The moisture sensitivity standard goes Pb-free: the pending J-STD-020D has updated guidelines for handling Pb-free parts, and no more "Tp.".(New Standards)
January 1, 2007... After a great deal of behind-the-scenes research and debate, the IPC and JEDEC are nearing final approval of their joint standard J-STD-020 revision D, which sets definitions and classifications for moisture and reflow sensitivity of...

'Lights on' manufacturing: if you come, they can build it. Is Endicott Interconnect America's best manufacturer?(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... Tucked away amid modest mountains and intersected by the Susquehanna River in upstate New York lies Broome County. Rocked to its core by the 2001-02 downturn and the resulting layoffs of thousands of manufacturing jobs, the region today is...

Improving ESD program discipline: a Class 3 OEM found high correlation between audits and follow-through.(ESD Controls)
January 1, 2007... Ed.: The complete article may be seen at circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/4290. As result of the unprecedented exponential rate of devices with less than 100V ESD sensitivities (1-2), the now constantly changing and tightening of a...

Analyzing thermal fatigue: intermetallic growth and micro-voiding are issues for boards used in high-temp applications.(Soldering Tips)
January 1, 2007... In response to field failures, a board assembly underwent accelerated fatigue tests, and failed components were analyzed to determine whether damage was of the same mode (cyclic thermal fatigue). Some differences were noted between the lead...

Mixing alloys on a single line: running SnPb and Pb-free on one line can be done. Here's how.(Wave Soldering)
January 1, 2007... Despite Pb-free legislation, approximately 40% of European industry continues to produce leaded products for automotive, military, aerospace and others. In several European countries, PCB manufacturers are producing Pb-free and SnPb soldered...

The evolution of vectorless test: recent advances reduce test dependency on lead frames.(Test and Inspection)
January 1, 2007... Detecting open signal pins becomes more challenging as packages get smaller and denser. There are access issues and time-to-market pressures in getting traditional libraries ready for production tests. As such, a growing number of manufacturers...

Whither due diligence? The EC commits to an RoHS Directive review by 2008. This time, will they review the evidence?(RoHS Revisited)
January 1, 2007... Estimates vary, but the lowest cost to industry for Pb-free implementation I have seen is $8 billion. That's a sobering number. Are we getting our money's worth? For that (under) estimated $8 billion, literally the only positive comment on...

Wave soldering facts and fiction: our newest columnist takes on the myths of the solder bath.(Pb-Free Lessons Learned)
January 1, 2007... Wave soldering, or flow soldering (as it was called in its early days), has been around for about 50 years (1). Over its lifetime, the once "simple" process has been continuously refined, bringing it to a highly sophisticated practice today....

Universal's Genesis GC-120Q pick-and-place.(Equipment Advances)
January 1, 2007... The Genesis GC-120Q is said to be the fastest quad-gantry placement machine. The quad-beam machine, configured with four Lightning heads, is built on the Genesis placement platform. It is said to have the fastest head tact time in the industry...

Water washable Pb-free paste.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... LF-4300 Pb-free solder paste is reportedly the first no-clean formula that's also water washable using standard aqueous cleaning systems without any saponification. Said to deliver up to 12-hr. stencil life and 24-hr. abandonment time. Low...

Air, [N.sub.2] reflow.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... OmniFlex 7 is available in air and nitrogen configuration. Is designed to meet a wide variety of process requirements, including traditional high-volume reflow, curing, and hybrid applications for both Pb and Pb-free alloys. Said to incorporate...

Continuous run reflow profiler.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... KIC Vision is an automatic profiler designed to eliminate manual tasks associated with profiling for reflow ovens. Said to run in the background continuously and automatically and provide profiles as frequently as once per hour. Relies on...

Automatic Rework Station.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Summit 2200 Advanced Rework Station is engineered for demanding Pb-free processes. Features include automated site prep; automatic and vision-assisted placement; wide-area profile storage compatibility; bottom heater and motorized table, and...

Tight space conformal coater.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... SC-400 PreciseCoat conformal coating jet reportedly brings the benefits of jetting and needle dispensing to conformal coating. Designed to apply coating materials to highly selective areas; reaches locations not accessible by other applicators....

'Whole component' RoHS analysis.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... LeadTracer-RoHS XRF analyzes the entire body of components, rather than just surface analysis. Is said to eliminate false-negative indications in components. Includes laser-guided sample indicator, bar-code reader, spectrum display, BlueTooth...

Aqueous batch cleaner.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Aquanox A4625B is an MEA-free aqueous blend cleaning material specifically designed for optimum effectiveness in batch washers. Reportedly removes flux residues and contaminants associated with most electronics assembly processes. Is...

Flexible chip mounter.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Model CS40 is said to accurately place most SMT components including 0603, SOICs, PLCCs, QFPs, and BGAs from interchangeable tape, bank, tube, bulk or tray feeders. Uses Pentium PC with Windows-based software. Reportedly has placement rate up...

ImAg finish process.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... AlphaSTAR microvoid-resistant immersion silver is said to deliver first-pass yields and Pb-free solderability. The process selectively deposits a high-performance silver coating; low co-deposited organics, tarnish resistance, low contact...

Optical cleaner.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Precision optical cleaner is said to be plastic-safe, nonflammable and noncorrosive. Said to remove water spots, buffing compounds, dust, lint and fingerprint oils. Safe on lenses, mirrors, fiber optic connectors, diffraction gratings, computer...

Material handling storage, software.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Inocart, for kitting and reloading SMT lines, is a custom-configurable material handler that permits secure, controlled storage of numerous package types. Accompanying Inokit software works with MRP systems to manage work in process, thus...

CSP, BGA underfill.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Loctite 3536 underfill is designed to quickly fill the space beneath CSPs and BGAs and cure rapidly at low temperature, minimizing thermal stress to other components. Said to permit inline curing and protection for solder joints against...

Pb-free, no-clean paste.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... F64X Pb-free, no-clean solder paste series is said to promote wetting and minimize defects with SnAgCu alloy soldering. The expanded line reportedly has a wide process window, is able to compensate for process variations in printing, component...

Semiautomatic printer with vision.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... SemiTouch Auto Vision alignment batch stencil printer is a semiautomatic stencil/screen printer with full auto vision alignment. Features a maximum print area of 16 x 20", stencil frame size up to 29 x 29", and board sizes from 2 x 2" to 16 x...

16K CPH chipshooter.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... The KE-2070 high-speed chipshooter is built on a one-piece SuperCast single casting base that includes Y beams. Combined with the LNC-60 high-resolution laser centering system and an improved magnascale resolution down to 1 [micro]m, it is said...

Large area screen printer.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... SP003 semiautomatic stencil printer (SP003-ML-V) features trans-stencil vision. Said to offer precise printing, a motorized print head, and vertical stencil separation. Can accommodate stencils or screens up to 23 x 23". Reportedly controls...

Convection reflow soldering.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... PowerReflow is a convection reflow soldering system with Low-MassConveyor. Reportedly ensures parallel chain guide profiles for maximum process reliability and is "thermally invisible." Features single blower for optimal heat transfer rate and...

Odd-form assembly cell.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... AOM-700 assembly cell is said to pick-and-place odd-form connectors from tube or bowl feeders. The head may be equipped with up to three pickup devices, reportedly making the system flexible for a variety of applications. Special "3 chance"...

Fast stencil cleaning.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... Cyclone precision cleaning is said to take half the time of conventional cleaning systems. Reportedly delivers rapid cassette-based paper changeover in fewer than 20 sec. Provides bi-directional active cleaning. Includes five-stage cleaning...

Paste dispensing controller.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... ProcessMate 3000 precision positioning system controls solder paste dispensing and reflow. Said to accurately dispense paste with a plug-and-play hot air system for reflow. Soldering station also reportedly eliminates operator variability,...

Modular dispensing robot.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... I & J7900-LF is an RoHS-compliant, compact 3-axis dispensing robot. Has a work area of 8 x 8" and a z-axis of 2". Resolution is 20 [micro]m; up to 100 programs can be stored. Interpolation is said to be possible in all axes, permitting any...

Low Cu dissolution bar solder.(Product PREVIEW)
January 1, 2007... K100LD bar solder reportedly offers the lowest copper dissolution of any Pb-free bar on the market. Primarily contains tin and copper with the inclusion of metallic dopants to control the grain structure and the copper dissolution rate. Said to...