Circuits Assembly articles from June 2004

Circuits Assembly archives from June 2004

Phone home: can we trust telecom again?(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Not long age, I returned from a short haul to Telecom Corridor in Dallas, TX. Pam Gordon, Eric Miscoll and the rest of the staff at Technology Forecasters, Inc. (TFI) were sponsoring another one of their excellent Quarterly Forums for...

Web sites worth mentioning.(Net Gain)
June 1, 2004... www.pcbrc.com The Printed Circuit Buyers Resource Center (PCBRC) is dedicated to the PCB buyer and specifier. Developed to support purchasing professionals, engineers and designers, the site offers services and tools to support the purchasing...

Industry resources.(Net Gain)
June 1, 2004... www.pcbupdate.com PCB UPdate is a bi-monthly newsletter published by UP Media Group. The newsletter's goal is to share the editorial content and expertise of UPMG's magazines and staff with e-newsletter subscribers. ...

Surveys and guides.(Net Gain)
June 1, 2004... www.circuitsassembly.com/online/0404/0404salary.shtml The results of our 2004 salary survey are now available online. Would you like to contribute to NET gain? Contact Robin Norvell at rnorvell@upmediagroup.com

FEINFOCUS acquired by COMET AG.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... FEINFOCUS (Garbsen, Germany, www.feinfocus.com) has agreed to be acquired by COMET AG (Flamatt, Switzerland, www.comet.ch), a supplier of conventional x-ray tubes for non-destructive testing (NDT), security, analytics, food...

Celestica appoints Stephen Delaney as CEO.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Celestica Inc. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, www.celestica.com) has appointed Stephen W. Delaney as chief executive officer in April. Celestica's board conducted a thorough review of internal and...

Speedline partners with Georgia Tech's CBAR.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... Speedline Technologies Inc. (Franklin, MA, www.speedlinetech.com) has entered into an exclusive agreement with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, www.gatech.edu) for the license of patent-pending closed-loop...

During APEX 2004, Mike Young of Betatron Inc.(In Brief)
June 1, 2004... During APEX 2004, Mike Young of Betatron Inc. (San Jose, CA), a contract assembler, won the free use of Dage Precision Industries' (Fremont, CA) XD6500 digital x-ray system for a year. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

Preco Electronics (Morton, IL) received ITM process certification for class 2, electronics assembly.(In Brief)
June 1, 2004... Preco Electronics (Morton, IL) received ITM Process Certification for Class 2, Electronics Assembly, ITM Consulting (Durham, NH) determined that the PCB assembly operation is in accordance with IPC-A-610, Class 2, Acceptability of Printed...

Siemens VDO automotive has completed the acquisition of Chrysler Group's huntsville, AL, electronics operations.(In Brief)
June 1, 2004... Siemens VDO Automotive has completed the acquisition of Chrysler Group's Huntsville, AL, Electronics operations. The acquisition included two facilities with 1.1 million sq. ft. of space and around 2,000 employees.

Cookson electronics (londonderry, NH) recently expanded its polyclad laminates electronics material manufacturing facility in elk grove, CA.(In Brief)
June 1, 2004... Cookson Electronics (Londonderry, NH) recently expanded its Polyclad Laminates electronics material manufacturing facility in Elk Grove, CA. The new plant is 43,200 sq. ft. and situated on 8.3 acres.

Frank Marangell.(People)
June 1, 2004... Viscom Inc. (Norcross, GA) has added Frank Marangell as the vice president of sales. Marangell, who will manage the business in the Americas, brings 14 years of experience with automated optical inspection (AOI).

Alan Rae.(People)
June 1, 2004... Alan Rae, Cookson Electronics' (Foxborough, MA) vice president of technology, has been named director of research by the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI, Herndon, VA). Rae will head NEMI's newly formed research committee.

Joe Foster.(People)
June 1, 2004... Elcoteq Network Corp. (Irving, TX) has chosen Joe Foster as director of operations for Elcoteq Americas. Foster will oversee manufacturing operations in Monterrey, Mexico, and the new product introduction (NPI) centers in Dallas, TX, and San...

Teradyne (Boston, MA) chairman and CEO George Chamillard will transition out of his CEO role over the next few months, but will continue as chairman.(People)
June 1, 2004... Teradyne (Boston, MA) chairman and CEO George Chamillard will transition out of his CEO role over the next few months, but will continue as chairman. Michael Bradley will succeed Chamillard as CEO.

Agilent, Digi-Key announce distribution agreement.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... Agilent Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, www.agilent.com) and Digi-Key Corp. (Thief River Falls, MN, www.digikey.com), an electronic component distributor, have signed a distribution agreement. The agreement allows Agilent's Semiconductor...

New Venture Research, E. J. McKay partner to develop China Solutions.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... New Venture Research (NVR, Nevada City, CA, www.newventureresearch.com), a U.S. market research and business development firm in the electronics industry, announced a joint venture with E. J. McKay & Co. (Shanghai, China, www.ejmckay.com), a...

Atlanta SMTA hosts successful expo.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... Dick Russell of Clover Electronics (Newnan, GA), president of the Atlanta Chapter of the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN), recently announced the results of the April 22 Atlanta SMTA Expo held at the Gwinnett Civic...

GATE04 Buyer-centric sourcing event set for July.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... The Global Buyers Network (GBN) under the Global-Asia Trade Exchange 2004 (GATE04) platform at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore will draw a host of global buyers to Singapore on July 19-23. GATE04--organized by International Enterprise...

SMTA offers lead-free workshop.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN, www.smta.org) is offering a full-day workshop, Implementing Lead-free Assembly at Your Facility. Process expert and SMTA Founder's Award recipient Dr. Ronald C. Lasky, Indium...

Joint development of CAMX API underway.(Industry News)
June 1, 2004... NACOM Corp. (Griffin, GA), a manufacturer of automotive electronics, is adopting computer-aided manufacturing using XML (CAMX), an exchange framework that will allow its equipment and applications to speak the same language. Now, any equipment...

Asymtek, cookson materials group collaborate on jetting underfill project.(Focus on: HDI/Advanced Technology)
June 1, 2004... Asymtek (Carlsbad, CA, www.asymtek.com), a supplier of automated fluid dispensing systems, has teamed with Cookson Electronics' Semiconductor Products Division (Alpharetta, GA, www.cooksonsemi.com) on a new project to jet underfill. Cookson...

Student builds micro biosensor chip to move DNA molecules.(Focus on: HDI/Advanced Technology)
June 1, 2004... A Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, www.jhu.edu) undergraduate has constructed a new type of microchip that can move and isolate DNA and protein molecules. He believes that by linking the chip with analysis equipment, a user could...

Teradyne collaborates for entry into Russian market.(Focus on: HDI/Advanced Technology)
June 1, 2004... Teradyne Inc. (Boston, MA, www.teradynce.com), a supplier of semiconductor test equipment, announced its first system installation in Russia. Teradyne, in collaboration with its preferred Russian distributor, Amideon Systems (www.amideon.com),...

Samsung Electronics joins Semiconductor alliance.(Focus on: HDI/Advanced Technology)
June 1, 2004... Samsung Electronics (Seoul, Korea, www.samsung.com) is joining a strategic semiconductor technology development partnership with IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and Infineon. The companies will focus on 65-nanometer technology and...

Q&A with Roger Savage, president, Kester.(The Fine Pitch)
June 1, 2004... Circuits Assembly: Kester, formerly a business unit of Northrop Grumman Corp., announced first quarter that it had been sold to American Capital Strategies Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. Now that some time has passed, can you tell us the...

Indium to host lead-free seminar in Nuremberg.(Europe Watch)
June 1, 2004... A group of lead-free soldering and assembly providers will host a day of seminar presentations at the Hilton Hotel in Nuremberg, Germany, on June 16. The event is close to the nearby SMT/Hybrid/Packaing 2004 to allow participants the...

Italian design company selects Tecnomatix solution.(Europe Watch)
June 1, 2004... Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. (Herzlia, Israel, www.tecnomatix.com), a provider of manufacturing process management (MPM) software, has announced that TESCO T.S. (Turin, Italy), an automotive production design company, has signed a contract to...

Accton establishes UK-based product development team.(Europe Watch)
June 1, 2004... Accton Technology Corp. of Taiwan (Hsinchu, Taiwan, www.accton.com) has established a new product development center in St. Albans, Hertford-shire, UK. Beginning with a staff of 18 professionals that will grow to 25 by year's end, Accton...

The truth shall make you lead free: uncovering the myths about drop-in technologies.(On the Forefront)
June 1, 2004... As July 2006 comes rushing at us, the electronics industry is coming to grips with the inevitable lead-free demands of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Waste Electrical and Electronic...

Investigating voids: does a connection exist between pad finish and voiding in lead-free assemblies?(Cover Article)
June 1, 2004... A long with market forces, European environmental legislation, such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Electrical and Electronic Equipment and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) initiatives, is driving the...

Service wins the game: "the purpose of a business is to create a mutually beneficial relationship between itself and those that it serves. When it does that well, it will be around tomorrow to do it some more."--John Woods, customer service consultant.(Customer Service)
June 1, 2004... For 12 years, Circuits Assembly has sponsored the Service Excellence Awards (SEA) program to help electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers and electronics assembly equipment, materials and software suppliers measure their customer...

Flip chip underfill and flux residue with lead free: this study presents data on the compatibility of 17 different flux systems with two underfill systems in a lead-free flip chip assembly process.(Focus on: HDI/Advanced Technology)
June 1, 2004... Worldwide, electronics manufacturers are investigating new lead-free alloys and their effects on the reflow process, an important first step in developing robust lead-free processes. Once lead-free processes are well developed, determining the...

South East Asia wireless ECO process: new factory for wireless eco process.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... OPEN PENANG, MALAYSIA EARLY 2004 Eliminates Hand Rework new traces, pads, etch-cuts BEST ACM TECHNOLOGY EVER! * Proven process for ECOs in North America and soon in South East Asia. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Cost...

Electronic reprints.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... 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....

APEC2000[TM] Etch-cut workstation.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... For Etch-cut service, contact: 8 Winn Ave., Hudson, NH 03051 Tel: (603) 889-1999, Fax: (603) 889-1324 www.additive.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For workstation purchase, contact: 8 Winn Ave.,...

PCB UPdate: news and resources for PCB industry professionals.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... 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....

ESSEMTEC production equipment for electronics.(Assembly Insider: Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... LEAD FREE SOLDERING ESSEMTEC--the leading Swiss manufacturer of low/midsize volume production equipment presents the latest technology in lead free capable REFLOW OVENS. RO300FC Table top or stand alone full convection reflow oven...

AOI in a high-mix/low-volume environment: the cost savings when using AOI can pay for the system on one job under the right circumstances.(Test and Inspection)
June 1, 2004... With the greater flexibility and reduced time to market in the electronics manufacturing industry, the technical demands for automatic optical inspection (AOI) have fundamentally shifted for many manufacturers. Instead of 1,000 or 10,000 parts...

Get ahead of environmental compliance: redesigning to environmental requirements can provide financial benefits and competitive advantage.(EMS Insight)
June 1, 2004... If your company's managers are in a panic to meet new regulatory and customer requirements restricting hazardous substances and ordaining recycling, you might not realize that you are sitting on a gold mine resulting from product redesign and...

After China, what's next? Singaporean companies explore new frontiers in Vietnam.(Focus on Business)
June 1, 2004... Singapore has served as a center for electronics manufacturing since the 1980s. The growing popularity of China as a low cost center for manufacturing has redirected focus north. However, Singapore still serves as a gateway to alternative...

A strong framework for outsourcing: think ISO/TS 16949 is just for automotive applications? Think again.(EMS)
June 1, 2004... Third party-audited quality systems have been undergoing a transformation over the last decade. The original intent of the ISO 9000 series of standards was to create a framework that ensured that all processes relevant to product quality were...

Smart camera system.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... The Legend 510 machine vision smart camera is a fully functioning CMOS smart camera system. Included are free software licenses and upgrades; free four-day classroom, online and CD-based training; and free global online support. The camera is...

Non-contact measuring system.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... The Hawk non-contact measuring system provides a solution for virtually all measurement applications. High-powered magnification combined with patented Dynascope technology provides users with a clear, pure optical image through the expanded...

X-ray inspection system.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... The COUGAR versatile x-ray platform (VXP) is a modular inspection platform developed as an x-ray inspection solution to constantly changing market and application requirements in the electronics industry. The system provides a basic platform...

Flip chip capillary underfill.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... Hysol FP4547FC capillary flip-chip underfill is compatible with clean and no-clean flux residues. The product protects lead-free flip chip devices and allows them to meet JEDEC Level 3/260[degrees]C moisture test requirements. The underfill...

Self-contained gas detectors.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... STX-PA self-contained gas detection systems are designed to alert personnel to the presence of hazardous gases. Suitable for stand-alone and networked surveillance, the gas monitors feature a local digital display, local audio/visual alarm...

Modular microscopes.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... The Z16 APO stereomacroscope offers visual inspection, machine vision and documentation when zero-defect production is essential. The fully apochromatically corrected zoom macroscope has a 16:1 zoom ratio. It can be customized to fit user's...

High technology underfill.(Product Preview)
June 1, 2004... The Chipcoat underfill has recent developments for low K die, lead-free bumps and fine-pitch applications. The high-purity insulating materials are used for encapsulation of integrated circuits (ICs) and large-scale integrations (LSIs). The...

How low can you go? Les offers tips to achieve a zero-defect line.(Ask Les)
June 1, 2004... Q: Our plant has three lines producing printed wiring assemblies with many small surface-mount components. We place approximately 500,000 components per month. Our current goal is to have zero defects. As supervisor of the surface-mount...

Evaluating capital equipment: overcome the challenges of purchasing surface-mount production equipment.(Problem Solved)
June 1, 2004... Problem: Despite improving forecasts, many manufacturers still hesitate when weighing new capital equipment investments. For printed circuit board (PCB) assemblers, hesitation borders on sheer reluctance--thanks to the severity of our...