Circuits Assembly articles from January 2008

Circuits Assembly archives from January 2008

Sanity returns to Sanmina.(Caveat Lector)(Company overview)
January 1, 2008... The restructuring is done." So says Sanmina-SCI president and COO Joseph Bronson. After six years of wrangling to get its operating costs in line with its revenue, the EMS company can finally face the future with a dose of confidence. In...

Flextronics Computing.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... Flextronics Computing (flextronics.com) signed a supply chain consulting and materials procurement services agreement with MPC Corp. (mpccorp.com). Financial terms were not disclosed.

CADParts & Consulting.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... CADParts & Consulting (cadpartsusa.com) will market Simplified Solutions' (simplifiedsolutionsinc.com) complete line of subscriptions and products, including its 3-D Component Modeling Service, Yearly Pro/Engineer Electrical Library...

Vierling.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... Vierling (vierling.de) installed a Vitronics (vitronics.com) reflow soldering line.

KIC.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... KIC (kicthermal.com) named Propelec S.A. (propelec.com) its distributor in Spain.

GE Inspection Technologies.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... GE Inspection Technologies (geinspectiontechnologies.com) in November completed its acquisition of Phoenix X-ray. Transaction terms were not disclosed.

Titan Electronics Group.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... Titan Electronics Group completed the acquisition of the assets of EMS firm Nexus Nano Electronics (nexuscei.com).

Optimal Electronics.(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... Software provider Optimal Electronics (optelco.com) named Technical Resources Corp. its representative in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Smart Sonic (smartsonic.com) and YES-Tech (yestech.com).(In Brief)
January 1, 2008... Smart Sonic (smartsonic.com) and YES-Tech (yestech.com) named Quiptech (quiptech.com) their representative in Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania.

Motorola.(People)
January 1, 2008... Motorola promoted president and chief operating officer Greg Brown to chief executive, replacing Ed Zander, who resigned but will remain chairman until May.

Cisco Systems.(People)
January 1, 2008... Cisco Systems named Padmasree Warrior chief technology officer. She spent 23 years at Motorola, where she had been CTO since in 2003.

Cobar Europe.(People)
January 1, 2008... Cobar Europe named Stan Renals operating director, COO. He has 20 years' experience in electronics, most recently with Indium Corp., and also as general manager of Cookson Electronics in Singapore, and has held various senior management...

Zestron America.(People)
January 1, 2008... Zestron America named Mike McCutchen national sales manager, responsible for domestic products and services. He has a master's in organic chemistry from John Hopkins University.

Photo Stencil.(People)
January 1, 2008... Photo Stencil named L. Todd Woods vice president of operations, responsible for daily business operations, manufacturing and supply chain management. He has held positions with EMD Associates, Johnson Matthey, Vari-L, SMTC Manufacturing and...

VJ Electronix.(People)
January 1, 2008... VJ Electronix named Stephen Bowler engineering manager, responsible for envisioning, implementing and driving engineering improvements. He was previously in new product development at NEXX Systems, and also held positions at Integrated...

Landrex Technologies.(People)
January 1, 2008... Landrex Technologies named Todd Malesky Western regional sales manager and Derek Crouchman European regional manager.

EMS firm VirTex Assembly.(People)
January 1, 2008... EMS firm VirTex Assembly named Cathy Armstrong Chamseddine vice president of manufacturing operations.

Report: XRF a viable RoHS, tin whisker screener.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2008... TEDDINGTON, UK -- A National Physical Laboratory (npl.co.uk) investigation into the suitability of XRF systems for screening electronics parts found PIN (semiconductor diode) and SiLi detector-based systems suitable for RoHS compliance...

AIM, Balver-Zinn ink SN100C deals.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2008... BALVE, GERMANY -- Nihon Superior (nihonsuperior.co.jp) in November extended the licenses of solder materials suppliers Balver Zinn Group and AIM for Nihon's SN100C alloy solder pastes and wire worldwide. Under the agreements, as announced...

Asset InterTech acquires ITT.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2008... RICHARDSON, TX -- Asset InterTech (asset-intertech.com) in December acquired International Test Technologies (intertesttech.com) of Ireland. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The acquisition will bring together JTAG-based structural...

Wisconsin, NYC pushing electronics recycling bills.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2008... MADISON, WI -- Wisconsin State Senator Mark Miller is preparing legislation that would set up a state electronics waste recycling program, according to published reports. Modeled after a bill in Minnesota, the proposed legislation would...

Are Flextronics, Foxconn sniffing around Balda?(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2008... BAD OEYNHAUSEN, GERMANY -- Several leading EMS companies have approached Balda AG (balda.de), a maker of cellphone parts, for a possible strategic partnership, a local German newspaper reported. Flextronics (flextronics.com), Asustek...

Henkel expands UK lab.(Industry NEWS)
January 1, 2008... HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, UK -- Henkel (henkel.com/electronics) has completed the expansion of its Electronics Group's R & D and applications laboratory here, the site of the company's European headquarters. The recent investment in the 225-sq. meter...

Semis rebound in October.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2008... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change August Sept. (r) Oct.* YTD Computers and electronics products ...

New Mfg. orders up in November.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2008... TEMPE, AZ -- New orders for manufactured goods were up slightly in November, and production grew 2.3 points to 51.9%. The new orders index stood at 52.6%, above the 50% threshold, signaling expansion, the Institute for Supply Management...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2008... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.91 0.83 0.82 0.79 (r) 0.83 (p) Semiconductors (2) 1.87% 1.91% 2.73%...

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2008... Price Per Lb. 9/10/07 10/8/07 11/12/07 12/10/07 LME Cash Seller and $6.37 $7.12 $7.64 $7.44 Settlement for Tin LME Cash Seller and $1.37 $1.75...

Report: global electronics market to reach $3.2T by 2012.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2008... WELLESLEY, MA -- The world electronics market was worth some $1.8 trillion in 2006, and is expected to increase to $2 trillion in 2007 and $3.2 trillion in 2012, a CAGR of 9.5% over the next five years, reports BCC Research (bccresearch.com)....

Q3 PC shipments up 15.5%.(Market WATCH)
January 1, 2008... LOS ALTOS, CA -- Third-quarter PC shipments were up 15.5% year-over-year, says research firm Henderson Ventures (hendersonventures.com). PC growth rebounded with the help of low-cost shipments to emerging economies and growing acceptance of...

Resolving conflict sans litigation.(Talking Heads)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Warranties are the Pandora's Box of electronics manufacturing. For starters, determining whether it's the board, the components or the soldered connections that caused the failure is expensive and cumbersome--and not always definitive....

Thriving in a splintered market: is a U.S. "must-see" manufacturing show beyond reach?(Focus on Business)
January 1, 2008... Marketing, in general, is a challenge for many EMS providers because of the combination of limited budgets, long sell cycles and geographically dispersed prospects. Properly selected, trade shows can be a good marketing venue for EMS providers....

Have we 'mortgaged' our future? LEDs and solar energy are among the bright spots, but fiscal uncertainties reign.(On the Forefront)
January 1, 2008... Despite many concerns during the first few months of 2007, the year was a good one. After a slow start, consumer spending on mobile phones, PCs and other products formed a good atmosphere for backend assembly, despite rising energy prices. The...

Like riding a bike? Software can be the stabilizer for a "balanced" process.(Screen Printing)
January 1, 2008... If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: "It's just like riding a bike." The adage suggests that once you've tamed the teetering two-wheeler, you'll never forget how to ride. But, getting there the first time is a difficult...

Evolution or revolution? Like the equipment itself, trade shows follow a development curve.(Better Manufacturing)
January 1, 2008... The electronics marketplace is stable, with growth occurring mainly in key regions or sectors. In much of Europe and the U.S., the market has shifted to medium-volume, highly complex assemblies and prototypes. This is a generalization, but it...

Walking on water: high-pressure humidification systems can improve quality and reduce energy costs.(ESD Control)
January 1, 2008... Static electricity and the potential for defects due to ESD is one of the biggest manufacturing headaches a board manufacturer can face," says Itron's Paul Anderson. In snowy Minnesota winters, the potential for ESD problems soars as icy...

Flux selection for lead-free wave soldering: a DoE clarifies the best types, best available flux within each type, and process limits for each.
January 1, 2008... Ed.: The complete article can be found at circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5895. This article discusses an approach to selecting liquid wave solder fluxes. It includes the design of an internal company test vehicle with a range of...

An A-to-Z guide to x-ray inspection, Part II: practical recommendations for production sampling and viewing various part types.(Component Inspection)
January 1, 2008... Ed: This is the second of a two-part article; part one was published in December. The complete article can be found at circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5916. Various procedures are suggested as a standardized approach for x-ray...

Evolution in action: at Productronica, the most radical sight was the transit strike. But the venerable show didn't disappoint.(Productronica Recap)
January 1, 2008... We waited two years for the show to end all shows, and in the end, the catch phrase was evolution, not revolution. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Materials, printing and deposition took center stage at the biennial...

Research priorities for the electronics industry: the merger of micro and nano, chemical, and other sensors with micro- and nano-electronics could mean disruption ahead.(iNEMI's Emerging Technologies)
January 1, 2008... Ed: The complete article can be found at circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5918. Consumer and professional electronics are still evolving rapidly; the need for lower cost, higher speed, more memory, better displays and smaller form...

Selective soldering with Pb-free alloys: the new family of solders flows differently through the nozzles.(Selective Soldering)
January 1, 2008... In recent years, several Pb-free experiments on selective soldering applications looked into characteristics of the new alloys. Just as in wave soldering, SnAgCu and SnCu are the most popular alternative alloys for replacing SnPb. During...

A fresh look at cleanliness; What's past isn't prologue: a better understanding of contamination is needed.(Process Doctor)
January 1, 2008... The definition of board cleanliness is changing. It is not just the general visual or normalized number for the whole board we have understood it to be. Historically, it has been defined by total board cleanliness requirements of the military...

Halogens and halides: a gearhead's guide to some of the chemicals that make up our boards.
January 1, 2008... There's been a lot of buzz about halogen-free and halide-free products. But what do halogen-free and halide-free actually mean? What exactly are halogens and halides? Why do we want to get rid of them? And why do we use them in the first place?...

[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII].(Materials World)
January 1, 2008... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Renzhe Zhao, Ph.D., is technical manager of applications engineering at Henkel's Electronics Group (henkel.com); renzhe.zhao@us.henkel.com. For the English version, visit circuits assembly.com. ...

Single-step underfill.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... One-Step Underfill 688 is a non-odorous, low surface tension, reworkable one component epoxy resin designed as a one-step underfill for flip chip, CSP, BGA and [mu]BGA assemblies. Acts as flux and underfill. May be applied directly after...

Lubricant spray valve.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... Model SV1217SS spray valve and programmable controller SVC100 are said to direct a fine mist of lubricant to a moving part using time and pressure sequencing. Controlling the relationship between the lubricant start signal and the misting...

BGA programming sockets.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... High-performance sockets designed for Pb-free BGA devices are available for any 0.8 pitch BGA device under 169 pins. Are designed for device programming and said to have a load cycle rating of 50,000 insertions. Can be used on universal and new...

Desktop hot bar reflow.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... Desktop systems for hot bar bonding applications use pulsed heat technology; can be used for hot bar reflow soldering, ACF bonding, heat-seal bonding and heat staking. Provide a method for joining flexible circuits, edge connectors, ribbon...

Modular rework system.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... IR-XT5 modular SMT/BGA rework system includes workholders from simple or X-Y benchtop versions to a professional version for miniature components. Pickup systems range from handheld vacuum tool to precision pickup. Options include split beam...

Automotive conformal coat.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... UV40-250 conformal coating for automotive applications reportedly has lower viscosity. Is said to permit faster throughputs and produce thinner coating with high resistance to cracking without damaging chemical, thermal and mechanical...

ESD-safe pallet line.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... This centralized pallet product line permits all assembly tooling to be procured from a single source using existing data from the Gerber files. Now includes ESD-safe process carriers for wave solder and SMT assembly. The carriers, said to be...

'Synthetic imaging' AOI.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... The iSpector 350 AOI platform features synthetic imaging and is said to deliver an optimum defect balance ratio. Is suitable for PCBs up to 350 x 250 mm. Is programmable through its component library or with a golden board. Includes prototype...

Rework monitoring scope.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... Fineview video microscope workstation is said to permit detailed inspection and analysis of small PCBs and components for defect diagnostics, monitoring of rework results or repair-by-hand applications. Comes as an all-in-one solution,...

Submicron x-ray inspection.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... The XiDAT XD7500NT digital x-ray inspection system is said to have submicron inspection capability and sealed tube technology. Provides oblique angle viewing of up to 70[degrees] for any position 360[degrees] around any point of the 18" x 16"...

Adjustable spray bottle redesign.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... The Vigon RC 101 spray bottle's stream can be adjusted to spray on most oven surfaces' shapes and configurations. Said to reduce amount of spray action. Has wide-angle nozzle. Includes point-to-point spraying feature. Is designed for 1-l...

Rework tweezers.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... The MX-PTZ Precision Tweezer hand-piece for the Metcal MX-500 soldering/rework system uses SmartHeat. Soldering cartridges come in a variety of sizes for reworking discretes and SOICs. Is said to reduce stress on PCBs during rework operations...

High-speed conformal coat dispenser.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... Select Coat SL-940E conformal coating dispenser is said to have up to 30% faster throughput a vision system, closed-loop process controls, traceability, and advanced integrated software. Motion system attains 750 mm per sec. speed and 1 g peak...

Self-contained IR preheater.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... Hot Beam 03 rapid IR underheater is a self-contained unit said to boost PCB preheat temperatures at the rate of 3.5[degrees]C/sec. Set temperatures are maintained during soldering. With up to 50% of thermal energy from below, temperature of...

Ultrasonic immersion cleaner.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... Aquanox A4651 US is a low pH ultrasonic immersion cleaner. Is said to provide cleaning on all the latest flux formulations. Reportedly provides solder joints with no sump side additives and consistent cleaning results with minimal bath...

'Jet-head' paste dispenser.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2008... The second-generation MY500 jet printer offers offline programming said to permit setups and changeovers in seconds. Permits adjustments on the spot, in three dimensions. Features easy-to-use, 2-D inspection and repair. A paste syringe and...

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
January 1, 2008... Design "HDI Via Structures' Effect on PCB Design Flexibility, Constraints and Cost" Author: Happy Holden, happy_holden@mentor.com. Abstract: The four common HDI via architectures are compared to determine how well each meets these...