Circuits Assembly articles from June 2009

Circuits Assembly archives from June 2009

A show of hands.(Caveat Lector)(Company overview)
June 1, 2009... In the wake of the economic meltdown, countless trees have been felled in the name of the great debate over the role government should (or should not) take in aiding businesses. It's a timeless question, with its modern origins dating at least...

Oracle.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Overall attendance at IPC Apex in Las Vegas dropped 34.5% year-over-year, according to figures released by the show producers. Technical program registrations fell 49.3% to 1407, and overall registration--including exhibitors--was 6,077, a drop...

Verigy (verigy.com) has restructured its global manufacturing services deal with Jabil Circuit.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Verigy (verigy.com) has restructured its global manufacturing services deal with Jabil Circuit (jabil.com) to include a three-year program under which Jabil will design, build and ship semiconductor test gear in Penang.

Zollner Elektronik.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Zollner Elektronik (zollner.de) has opened a technical sales and customer service facility in Virginia.

Universal Instruments Corp.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Universal Instruments Corp. (uic.com) laid off 30 workers in April and now employs about 300 people in the Binghamton, NY, area, as overall market demand for placement equipment has dropped 90% in the past year, company sources said.

Essemtec.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Essemtec (essemtec.com) chief executive Martin Ziehbrunner said March sales were up 15% sequentially and "the bottom has been reached."

Hexi Electronic Equipment (hexi-ele.com) named Blakell Europlacer.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Hexi Electronic Equipment (hexi-ele.com) named Blakell Europlacer (europlacer.com) to distribute its reflow ovens.

Koh Young Technology.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Koh Young Technology (kohyoung.com) opened offices in Germany and Ireland, respectively. Koh Young Europe BV, currently based in the Netherlands, will be replaced by Koh Young Europe Ltd. in Dublin, as the technical service and support and...

TT Electronics.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... TT Electronics' (ttelectronics-ims.com) EMS plant in Kuantan, Malaysia, has achieved ISO 14001.

Zollner Elektronik (zollner.de) has installed Juki.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Zollner Elektronik (zollner.de) has installed Juki (jas-smt.com) placement lines at its Germany facilities.

DEK (dek.com) named Prodelec.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... DEK (dek.com) named Prodelec (prodelecgroup.com) its exclusive distributor in Italy.

Foxconn.(In Brief.)
June 1, 2009... Foxconn (fih-holdings.com) plans to move into design and services such as distribution, CEO Terry Guo said, filling the role of a traditional ODM.

Elite Electronics Systems (elitees.com) and CT Production have placed orders for Europlacer's.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Elite Electronics Systems (elitees.com) and CT Production have placed orders for Europlacer's iineo and Xpress placement machines, respectively.

Essemtec Switzerland (essemtec.com) named PMTech Ltd.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Essemtec Switzerland (essemtec.com) named PMTech Ltd. (pmtech.co.uk) its distributor in the UK.

Aqueous Technologies (aqueoustech.com) named as distributors 3S Technologies in Turkey.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Aqueous Technologies (aqueoustech.com) named as distributors 3S Technologies in Turkey; Cyncrona in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Baltics; and NamA Electronic Industry in Korea; and expanded Etek Europe's (etek-europe.com) territory...

Data I/O (dataio.com) named as sales representatives Kirby & Demarest.(In Brief)
June 1, 2009... Data I/O (dataio.com) named as sales representatives Kirby & Demarest (kirbydemarest.com) in WA, OR, ID and MT; Process Automation & Tool in GA, AL, TN and Ml; and Matthew Associates in ME, VT, NH, MA, CT and Rl; and as distributor Le Champ...

'No' votes force changes to J-STD-709.(Industry NEWS)
June 1, 2009... BANNOCKBURN, IL -- Nearly half the votes registered on a controversial standard limiting halogens in electronics were negative, and the lack of consensus will force a second ballot. J-STD-709 calls for limits on each plastic within a...

Fabs press DoD on PWB policy.(Industry NEWS)
June 1, 2009... BANNOCKBURN, IL -- A task force of US PWB fabricators has published a list of policy recommendations for the US Department of Defense to ensure the US has the technical expertise and capacity to meet future military requirements. The most...

Embedded passives on thick-film substrates could be precursor to printed flex circuits.(Industry NEWS)
June 1, 2009... HAVERHILL, MA -- DKN Research (dknresearch.com) and NY Industries have developed an embedded passive technology built on thin multilayer thick film flexible substrates. The technology could be used to build printable flexible electronics, the...

Foxconn fire won't affect supply.(Industry NEWS)
June 1, 2009... JUAREZ, MEXICO -- A recent fire at Foxconn Electronics' (fih-holdings.com) leased plant here will not affect supply, the company said. In a Taiwan Stock Exchange filing, Foxconn (Hon Hai) said the April 10 fire was put out and no employees...

Celestica CEO: acquisitions possible.(Industry NEWS)
June 1, 2009... TORONTO -- Celestica's (celestica.com) chief executive indicated the fourth-largest EMS company could potentially use some of its more than $1 billion in cash to buy other companies during the downturn. Craig Muhlhauser said the company is...

Micronic to acquire Mydata in all-stock deal.(Industry News)
June 1, 2009... BROMMA, SWEDEN -- Micronic Laser Systems (micronic.se) will acquire Mydata Automation (mydata.se) in a stock-based deal. The combined company will have annual revenues of approximately SEK 1.2 billion ($140 million) and 640 employees. ...

Nepcon Rx for local companies' business.(Industry NEWS)
June 1, 2009... BOSTON -- Electronics New England is not an oxymoron. That much was made clear in late April, as easily more than 1,000 attendees visited the two-day trade show here at the vast Boston Convention Center. Despite several high-profile plant...

Key Tronic Corp.(People)
June 1, 2009... Key Tronic Corp. promoted Craig Gates to president and chief executive, replacing Jack W. Oehlke, who resigned for health reasons.

Tom Gebhardt.(People)
June 1, 2009... Panasonic Factory Solutions Co. of America named Tom Gebhardt president. He is also president of Panasonic Industrial Co. and has been with Panasonic 20 years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Harald Eppinger.(People)
June 1, 2009... Koh Young named European sales manager Harald Eppinger managing director of Koh Young Europe GmbH in Germany and global sales director Thorsten Niermeyer managing director of Koh Young Europe Ltd. in Ireland.

Craig Arcuri.(People)
June 1, 2009... Alta Manufacturing named Craig Arcuri CEO. He was previously president and CEO of NBS Design, and a founder of Design Solutions Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Jim Good.(People)
June 1, 2009... Kyocera Tycom promoted Jim Good to president from vice president of operations. He's been with the unit for 20 years.

Drew Richmond.(People)
June 1, 2009... Sparton Corp. named Drew Richmond deputy general director of Spartronics Vietnam. Richmond previously served as vice president, business development for Sparton of Canada.

John H. Buckley.(People)
June 1, 2009... Zurvahn LLC named John H. Buckley senior vice president of sales. He spent three years as vice president of sales at Sanmina-SCI, and seven years managing Solectron's FinePitch division. He also spent 10 years at Seagate. [ILLUSTRATION...

Robert Mihalyi.(People)
June 1, 2009... Rehm Thermal Systems named Robert Mihalyi sales manager CEE, responsible for expansion and development in Eastern Europe. He has seven years' of SMT experience with Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems.

Defenses down.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change Jan Feb (r) Mar * YTD Computers and electronics products -4.6...

Manufacturing orders gaining; biggest jump in 2 quarters.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... TEMPE, AZ -- US manufacturing activity slipped in April for the 15th consecutive month, but the rate of new orders jumped six points to its highest level since September, according to the latest poll of the nation's executives. After six...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Semiconductor equipment 0.97 0.86 0.47 0.49 (r) 0.61 (P) (1) Semiconductors (2) -9.5% -22%...

US Mfg. Still finding bottom.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... ARLINGTON, VA -- The Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI (mapi.net) predicted US manufacturing would likely decline for the next one to two quarters, based on a recent survey of manufacturing executives. The research firm's quarterly survey found the...

Auto electronics hits brakes.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... NEWTON, MA -- Revenue from sales of automotive electronics will fall 14.5% this year before making a U-turn in 2010, according to new research. After falling 3% to $148 billion, 2009 sales are expected to plunge 14.5% to $126 billion....

Large-area TFT LCD shipments grew 29% in March.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... AUSTIN -- March shipments of large-area TFT LCD panels reached 37.9 million units, up 29% sequentially, according to DisplaySearch (displaysearch.com). Revenues reached $3.9 billion, up 31% sequentially. Edited by Chelsey Drysdale

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
June 1, 2009... Price Per Lb. Date 5/6/08 2/2/09 3/2/09 4/6/09 5/4/09 LME Cash Seller and $10.99 $4.81 $5.01 $4.99 $5.81 Settlement for Tin LME Cash Seller...

Bottle up the Wrath: given the extraordinary cost to flip EMS suppliers, it's best to check your anger at the door.(Global Sourcing)
June 1, 2009... Anyone who has worked in the corporate world may be familiar with this scenario: Something goes wrong on one side of an OEM-EMS relationship; perhaps it was production quality, or maybe just a miscommunication about an ECO; perhaps a forecast...

Have it your way: designing in flexibility isn't easy, but it's a must.(Screen Printing)
June 1, 2009... The "Have it Your Way" slogan popularized nearly 25 years ago by Burger King defined the requirements for the fast food industry. Understanding that customers want choice, flexibility and selection to satisfy their unique and individual tastes...

Survival of the fittest? On the permanent hunting for efficiency.(Better Manufacturing)
June 1, 2009... Many believe in the theory of evolution, many do not. What you believe does not detract from the situation facing us all today. Either belief can accommodate the notion of survival of the fittest, and the economic crisis raises the bar to the...

What we can learn from Singapore: the city-state's focus on business growth and addressing niche market needs creates a robust supply chain.(Industry Models)(Company overview)
June 1, 2009... In March, I toured seven facilities in Singapore and visited with several Singapore government agencies. Perhaps the most interesting impression I came away with was the optimism encountered in virtually every management team. To be sure, every...

BGA reballing reliability: a study of multiple reball processes looks at copper dissolution and functionality.(Cover Story)
June 1, 2009... There are many differences in the alignment and placement of balls for reattachment. Yet to ensure a good metallurgical and mechanical attachment, the common element for all reballing methods is the need to reflow solder balls while aligned on...

Cell efficiency is key to success of photovoltaics: the iNEMI roadmap spells out the plan for lowest cost per watt.(Alternative Energies)
June 1, 2009... Photovoltaic technology is poised to play an important role in the development of renewable energy sources. The largest volume application for photovoltaic (PV) cells is expected to be in power generation for commercial, industrial and domestic...

On the use of three thermocouples to verify a PCB profile during reflow: evidence shows tight specifications on the two response variables for the temperature profiles can do the trick.(Reflow Profiling)
June 1, 2009... An initial study was conducted to determine if just three thermocouples could verify a PCB's profile during reflow. In doing so, a thermal recorder, with the capability to measure up to 20 channels was used to thoroughly map a test vehicle....

Navigating AOI for low-volume, high-mix users: a series of companies describe how they use inspection.(Test and Inspection)
June 1, 2009... Defect prevention and containment is a very important part of today's production. Cost pressures are greater than ever and quality is scrutinized in new ways. This, coupled with the speed at which new products are being generated, and the...

Wedge bonding tools for fine-pitch applications: connecting leads to die involves precise tool selection.(Tech Tips)
June 1, 2009... Wire bonding is a process that creates an electrical connection between a die and a substrate or lead, typically using gold or aluminum wire. Wedge bonding is a specific type of wire bonding that uses a wedge-shaped tool to create the welds....

A look at preheating systems: the three main preheater types each have specific strengths.(Wave Soldering)
June 1, 2009... Preheating is a critical step in wave soldering. Its main purpose is to evaporate the carrier solvents in the flux (i.e., alcohol or water) and to activate the flux. When done, the flux is able to remove oxides, protect surfaces from oxidation...

Insufficient solder bottom-side fillets: when these defects occur, check the flux and conveyor speed.(Wave Soldering Trouble-shooting)
June 1, 2009... Last month, we discussed insufficient solder topside fillets. This month, we look at insufficient solder bottom-side fillets (Figure 1). Per IPC-A-610, an acceptable condition is a 100% solder fillet and circumferential wetting present on the...

Preventing contamination caused assembly failure: SIR must be designed for, especially in high-frequency boards.(Process Doctor)
June 1, 2009... High-frequency technology in HDI assemblies, combined with increased use of Pb-free solders, has initiated closer scrutiny on the flux removal process. Because adequate climatic operating conditions cannot always be assumed, system signal...

Flux shorts on BGAs: cleaning can actually exacerbate flux shorts; x-ray first!(The defects database)
June 1, 2009... This month we feature a recent issue submitted to the database: Is it a BGA solder short or not? Optical inspection of BGA joints shows a connection between two balls after rework and repair. This is probably not a solder short; it's more...

3-line placement platform.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... The Modular Compact platform consists of MC-12, MC-1 and MC-8. Packs up to 126 ultra-thin (12-mm) feeders into each machine. A side-view camera prevents placement defects. Has full-featured graphical programming tools and common family setups...

Blind mating hinged PowerStrip.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... FMPS/FMPT is a hinged, 25A version of the PowerStrip/25 family. Is for blind mating or tight PCB real estate applications. Permits 90[degrees] or horizontal (planar) board-to-board interfaces and a 90[degrees] mating radius. Can be mated at an...

Halide-free, Pb-free solder paste.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... WS-820 water-soluble solder paste reportedly can print 0.012" features at both low and high relative humidity (20% to 65%), and its reflow process window handles straight ramp, short soak or long soak profiles in air. Meets IPC-7095 Class III...

'Plug-and-play heads' assembly machine.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Next Production Modular is a single-platform modular assembly machine with interchangeable, plug-and-play placement heads for nearly any component. Integrates solder paste inspection, adhesive dispense, post-placement inspection and...

Optical-aligning selective soldering.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... GoSelective now comes with a fiducial recognition function with automatic PCB alignment. Compensates for offset, rotational error and linear shrinkage. Wrongly placed PCBs are detected and not soldered. Up to three fiducial marks are selected...

PCB post-processing tools.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... CAM350 XL combines CAM350 and BluePrint-PCB software. Focuses on design and Gerber verification for manufacturing; tooling aid output generation, including Gerber, ODB++, solder and paste masks, and NC drill and mill; PCB documentation; release...

Fiber laser markers.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... LMF Series is capable of making contrasting marks on plastics, and annealing and engraving metals. Pulse waveform of LMF2000 reportedly makes the marker the ideal tool to make fine cuts in copper, steel or aluminum up to 0.02" thick. Enables...

Precision linear shafts.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Linear shafts come in a variety of design options, including radial wrench hole drilled at one or both ends; precision option with perpendicularity tolerance of 0.03 mm; high-precision piloted shafts with pilot concentricity tolerance of 0.02...

Process equipment board support.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... RED-E-SET board support reportedly can reduce component damage caused by misaligned bottom-side board support tooling or placement pressures. Is for screen printers, dispensers and automated assembly machines. Reportedly can be configured in...

4-color AOI.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... iSpector ML 350 comes with full-color, RGB-based technology. Capable of inspecting for component and solder defects on panels up to 22" x 26." Marantz Electronics, escapethegrayworld.com

'Sharp spread' all-Sn Solder Wire.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Extra Fine Solder Wire SN100C (030) reportedly provides sharp spreading and good separation. Is said to reduce bridging in soldering extra fine coaxial harnessing in cellphones. Has a diameter of 0.1 mm. Properties include inhibition of growth...

Digital ICT.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Medalist i1000D in-circuit tester has digital test capabilities. Offers per pin programmability; digital PCF/VCL library-based testing; native boundary scan capabilities; 12C/SPI serial programming; simple, low-cost long-wired test fixture; and...

Automated prototype pick-and-place.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... LE40V automated pick-and-place machine is for prototyping and short run, high-mix manufacturing. Uses Cognex Vision. Provides on-the-fly component centering with top and bottom cameras, fiducial correction, bad board mark and pattern...

Dross separating powder.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Dross-B-Gone powder separates dross from molten solder. Claims to recover in several minutes almost 90% of the pure solder originally used. Is effective with both Pb-free and SnPb solders. Eliminates dross by quickly oxidizing it into an easily...

Benchtop modular rework.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... MRS-1000 modular rework system is comprised of a handheld convection tool with an array of nozzles, preheater, adjustable tool holder with board holder, and light magnifier. Is manually assisted and said to be ideal for removal of delicate SMT...

Rose ionic contamination tester.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Zero-Ion g3 conducts Resistivity of Solvent Extract tests to determine final board cleanliness. Intuitive tabbed display screens organize stored and real-time process data. Has built-in SPC data recording, and integrated SPC database lookup...

1-step clamping.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Zero Point Clamping System is a quick-change fixture that combines ease of alignment, accurate positioning, and high clamping forces with hydraulic or pneumatic actuation. Is said to reduce machine setup procedures to one step. Unlocking and...

16-site test handler.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... The MT2 168 pick-and-place test handler is configurable and comes with up to 16 contact sites. Reported index time is 0.38 sec. and temperature accuracy is +/-1.0[degrees]C. Features soak capacity for 3.5 JEDEC trays and throughput of up to...

Accela squeegee line.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Squeegee products for the Accela stencil printer include metal squeegee blades, squeegee blade holders, solder paste deflectors and complete ready-to-use assemblies. Squeegee holders come in standard gold anodized or green anodized finishes....

Low-linting wipes.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Friendly Green wipes are low-linting, absorbent, soft and said not to scratch. Are for light duty tasks and delicate surfaces. Are chemical extractables made of 100% recycled cellulose. Come as single-ply wipes measuring 15 x 16.6" or 4.4 x...

2-Lane convection soldering.(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... Dual Lane Vision X Series enables simultaneous lead- and lead-free reflow in a single machine. Comes with two conveyor lanes that can be operated asynchronously at different speeds and asymmetrically with different lane widths. Can be loaded...

Stamp soldering under [N.sub.2].(Product SPOTLIGHT)
June 1, 2009... FlexSolder S3532 uses no pumps; is fast and clean with no overspray. Top and bottom contour plates keep PCB in place in X, Y and Z, and control board warpage caused by either previous double-sided reflow or the PCB characteristics. Requires...

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
June 1, 2009... Emerging Technologies "3D Integration--Future Perspectives" Authors: M. Juergen Wolf, Peter Ramm, and Herbert Reichl; woIf@izm.fraunhofer.de. Abstract: Advanced system-in-package (SiP) approaches explore the third dimension, which...