Circuits Assembly articles from March 2008

Circuits Assembly archives from March 2008

'Fueling' a revolution.(Caveat Lector)
March 1, 2008... In 1843, when Sir William Grove invented the first fuel cell, he hardly could have foreseen its evolution. But today, with fuel cells found powering everything from city buses to roadside traffic monitors (and ubiquitously lighting so many home...

A stimulating proposal.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... One of the proposals under the economic stimulus packages being put forth in Congress is a provision for an immediate write-off of 50% for plant and equipment. Additional provisions would assist small businesses. Politics, however, is like...

Rabid for Raby.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I am one of the many people who can call Jim Raby mentor and friend. He taught me the majority of what I know about electronics manufacturing. He has impacted manufacturing of Department of Defense products in a positive way his entire career....

Hon Hai Group.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Hon Hai Group, the parent of Foxconn (foxconn.com), expects sales to increase 30% this year to $81.3 billion.

Plexus.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Plexus (plexus.com) invested [pounds sterling]800,000 in equipment and upgrades at its Kelso, Scotland, plant, including two Electrovert (speedlinetech.com) Elektra wave solder machines and an Agilent (agilent.com) Medalist x6000 AXI.

Jabil.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Jabil (jabil.com) implemented Poly-Dyne Software's (polydyne.com) QuoteWin as its global software for direct materials quotations and contract price negotiations.

ProtoDesign.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... ProtoDesign (teampdi.com) purchased a DEK (dek.com) Horizon 03i.

AMS Neve.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... AMS Neve (ams-neve.com) installed a Europlacer (europlacer.com) iineo pick-and-place machine.

Vitronics Soltec.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Vitronics Soltec installed is first MR933 reflow soldering system at an undisclosed Scandinavian manufacturer.

Aegis Software.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Aegis Software (aegis.com) opened its global headquarters in Horsham, PA, outside Philadelphia. The offices provide hands-on training using a conveyorized production line, test and quality cell, and a complete hand assembly line, simulating a...

Alstom Transport Information Solution.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Alstom Transport Information Solution (alstom.com) selected Valor Computerized Systems' (valor.com) DFM (Design for Manufacturability) software for design verification. Also, Thales Nederland (thales-nederland.nl) chose Valor's Process...

P. Kay Metal.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Soldering material supplier P. Kay Metal (pkaymetal.com) opened an office in Shenzhen.

Molex.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Molex (molex.com) purchased a Gen3 Systems (gen3systems.com) MUST III solderability test system.

Inovar.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... EMS firm Inovar (inovar-inc.com) purchased a SPEA (spea.com) 4040 Multimode flying probe tester.

Sanmina-SCI (sanminasci.com) has signed a definitive agreement with Foxteq Holdings (a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology) to sell certain assets of its PC business, the company said today.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Sanmina-SCI (sanminasci.com) has signed a definitive agreement with Foxteq Holdings (a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology) to sell certain assets of its PC business, the company said today. Sanmina expects to net $80 million to $90 million on the...

Sanmina-SCI.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Separately, Sanmina-SCI said it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Lenovo (lenovo.com) to sell its Monterrey, Mexico, manufacturing facilities and other assets.

The PC asset sale, which Sanmina-SCI officers announced in November 2006, is expected to reap $200 million in financial benefits.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... The PC asset sale, which Sanmina-SCI officers announced in November 2006, is expected to reap $200 million in financial benefits. The company decided to cut ties with the business unit--a legacy of SCI--as it was no longer core to its long-term...

PC business.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... The PC business generated $3.3B billion in sales in fiscal 2007, or roughly 31% of total sales. Its three primary customers are HP, IBM and Lenovo.

Foxconn.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... Foxconn (fih-foxconn.com) is reportedly discussing the acquisition of a plant in central Bohemia. Jim Chang, Foxconn's head in the Czech Republic, said the issue should be resolved shortly, according to published reports. Because of time...

Brantham Engineering.(In Brief)
March 1, 2008... EMS provider Brantham Engineering (brantham.com) added a 4,500 sq. ft. facility for raw materials and component storage. The addition brings the company's total manufacturing space to more than 41,000 sq. ft.

Cookson Electronics.(People)
March 1, 2008... Cookson Electronics named Paul Lotosky global director--customer technical support. He has 30 years' experience, and is chairman of the IPC Solder Products Value Council technical committee. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Arena Solutions.(People)
March 1, 2008... PLM software provider Arena Solutions named Craig Livingston chief executive, succeeding Michael Topolovac, company cofounder, who remains on the company's board. Livingston was VP and GM of Agile's SME Solutions division.

Plexus.(People)
March 1, 2008... Plexus named Pete Whitley vice president, customer management, responsible for its industrial/commercial market sector. He spent 12 years at Jabil Circuit, most recently as business unit director.

Asymtek.(People)
March 1, 2008... Asymtek promoted Michel van de Vijver to general manager, Europe. He joined Asymtek in 2000 as European sales and marketing manager. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Morey Corp.(People)
March 1, 2008... The Morey Corp. named Matt W. Williams (pictured) business development manager, commercial telematics, and Curt Williams (no relation) strategic business development manager. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Nam Tai Electronics.(People)
March 1, 2008... Nam Tai Electronics named Masaaki Yasukawa chief executive, superseding acting CEO M.K. Koo, who remains non-executive director and board chairman. Yasukawa worked for Seiko Epson for more than 20 years.

Surface Mount Tech.(People)
March 1, 2008... Surface Mount Tech (Holdings) named Steve Cheung Hin Wing deputy chief marketing officer. He was previously vice president of sales and marketing at Artesyn Technologies.

AeA.(People)
March 1, 2008... The AeA (American Electronics Association) named Christopher W. Hansen president and chief executive, succeeding William T. Archey. Hansen was group executive officer for the American Association for Retired Persons.

Heraeus Assembly Materials.(People)
March 1, 2008... Heraeus Assembly Materials named Erik Bergum business unit manager--Americas. He was formerly with Polyclad Laminates and Isola. Also, John Snyder has been promoted to director of business development--Americas, and Steven Ratner has been named...

Zestron Asia/Pacific.(People)
March 1, 2008... Zestron Asia/Pacific named Michael Wang to its application technology team. He was previously a process engineer for SVA NEC Liquid Crystal Display. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Blue Thunder Technologies.(People)
March 1, 2008... Blue Thunder Technologies named Christopher Merow vice president of sales and marketing.

Millennia Group.(People)
March 1, 2008... The Millennia Group promoted Ron Cosper to president and COO. He was vice president and general manager of its Millennia Technology (MTI) subsidiary.

Photo Stencil.(People)
March 1, 2008... Photo Stencil named David Doggett senior vice president of sales. Doggett has 25 years' experience at NEC, Streckfuss, Camalot and Speedline Technologies. The company also named Sue Holmes vice president of customer support and design, a new...

P. Kay Metal.(People)
March 1, 2008... P. Kay Metal named Huang ji hai (Hardy Huang) China sales manager. He was an account manager for Laird Technology.

Adeptron Technologies.(People)
March 1, 2008... Adeptron Technologies president and CEO F. Michael Marti was named interim CFO, replacing George Tepelenas, who resigned and has left the industry.

Nepcon World a 'Big Sight' to behold.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... TOKYO -- Expanded significantly from last year's edition, Nepcon World Tokyo used both the massive East and West Halls at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center, in part to accommodate the arrival of a major fiber optics wing. Even better: The...

Asteel continues acquisition spree.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... PARIS -- Asteel (asteel.fr) continued its buying spree, announcing in February the acquisition of MRP Electronics PLC, a UK-based EMS company. Financial and other terms were not announced. MRP (mrpplc.co.uk) had 2007 sales of 12 million...

Note acquires Proqual; says 124 layoffs in Sweden.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... STOCKHOLM -- EMS firm Note AB (note.se) will acquire Gloucestershire, U.K.-based EMS company Proqual, the companies announced in January. No financial terms of the agreement were disclosed. Proqual specializes in prototype and small-run...

Are DNA-based electronics next?(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... NETANYA, ISRAEL -- A host of international universities have teamed on a $3-million effort to develop DNA-based self-organizing molecular electronics. With support from the EU, Tel-Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem,...

Report: salaries in PCB and EMS industries increasing.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... BANNOCKBURN, IL -- Hourly wages in the U.S. and Canadian PCB industries rose modestly in 2006, up 3.3% year-over-year, while salary budgets rose an estimated 3% from 2006 to 2007. That's according to IPC's biennial look at wages and salaries...

Unicorn acquires Victron for $70M.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... MANAMA, BAHRAIN -- An investment group on this Indian Ocean island nation has purchased a majority stake in EMS provider Victron (victron.com). Unicorn Investment Bank invested $70 million to acquire an 80% equity stake in the Fremont,...

Zestron to continue expansions in 2008.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... MANASSAS, VA -- Zestron (zestron.com) is continuing its expansion in anticipation of sustained demand for cleaning materials. The America branch's move to a new Virginia headquarters last year helped "prepare [the] global organization for...

Zebra to transfer printer Ops to Jabil, cut 650 jobs.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... VERNON HILLS, IL -- Zebra Technologies (zebra.com) will consolidate its supplier base and transfer thermal printer assembly to Jabil Circuit (jabil.com). The companies did not disclose the value of the deal. In addition, Zebra will establish...

Upgrades in place, Wolf to consolidate plants.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... OREM, UT -- EMS provider Wolf Electronix (wolfelectronix.com) last month consolidated operations into its plant here, and shuttered its five-year-old Loveland, CO, facility. All full-time Colorado employees were offered positions in Utah, the...

First virtual trade show a success; follow-up planned.(Industry NEWS)(Conference notes)
March 1, 2008... SMYRNA, GA -- UP Media Group announced that Virtual PCB, the industry's first virtual trade show and conference for PCB design, fabrication and assembly, was a rousing success. More than 2,100 PCB designers, fabricators and assemblers...

Heraeus expands Philadelphia paste operations.(Industry NEWS)
March 1, 2008... WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA -- Coming off a banner 2007, Hereaus (4cmd.com) last month ushered in the latest addition to its suburban Philadelphia solder paste manufacturing facility. Despite concerns of a slowdown, and in the face of production...

Peripheral push.(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change Oct. Nov. (r) Dec.* YTD Computers and electronics products...

New year brings production upturn.(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... TEMPE, AZ -- The manufacturing sector gained momentum in January, as the PMI rose 2.3 points, signaling a stronger performance compared to the seasonally adjusted 48.4% recorded in December. This represents a return to the recent trend of slow...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.82 0.79 0.80 0.82 (r) 0.89 (p) Semiconductors (2) 2.73% 4.39% 4.58%...

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... Price Per Lb. Date 11/12/07 12/10/07 1/07/08 2/11/08 LME Cash Seller and Settlement $7.12 $7.64 $7.44 $7.69 for Tin LME Cash Seller and...

Report: auto electronics slowing.(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... LOS ALTOS, CA -- Softening demand for vehicles will slow automotive electronics growth from 8.1% in 2007 to 5.6% in 2008, Henderson Ventures (hendersonventures.com) reports. The pace will then accelerate to 7.9% in 2009 and 10.5% in 2010, when...

Plasma market picture mixed.(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Worldwide sales of plasma displays are expected to grow minimally through 2011, reaching $7.64 billion, virtually unchanged from $7.63 billion in 2006. However, shipments will double to 20.1 million by 2011, a CAGR of 14.9%...

Higher labor costs, higher profits?(Market WATCH)
March 1, 2008... BEIJING -- China's recent labor laws might actually prove a boon to larger companies such as Foxconn (foxconn.com) and Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings (yueyuen.com), analysts say. Labor laws enacted in January could drive employers' costs...

Tin men.(Talking Heads)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... Nihon Superior (nihonsuperior.co.jp) didn't start out on the common path to becoming a major solder supplier. The 42-year-old company's beginnings are rooted not as a metals supplier, but as an importer and marketer of Superior Flux's...

Why win-win relationships make sense in EMS: transition costs impact customer and contract assembler.(Focus on Business)
March 1, 2008... Why should EMS providers and their customers value win-win relationships? The short answer is transition costs. The longer answer is that in complex, long-term relationships both parties eventually win and lose. Contractor-driven schedule...

Embedded components get real: buried parts are finding homes in everything from handhelds to servers and ATE gear.(On the Forefront)
March 1, 2008... Embedded components--actives and passives--are receiving increased attention at trade shows and seminars worldwide. Indeed, it was one of the hot topics at the Tokyo-based InterNepcon show in late January. Advantages of embedded components...

Printing verification and traceability tools: used together, each product can be traceable to the board level.(Screen Printing)
March 1, 2008... As much as we would like to believe a clear set of instructions ensures an error-free result, most of us are also realists and understand mistakes happen. It's inevitable. And, while goofs are OK sometimes, in manufacturing environments where...

What drives the crowd? A great technical conference and location are most important, readers say.(Trade Shows)
March 1, 2008... Trade show talk always dominates industry chatter, especially following the slew of events last fall. Are there too many? Too few? Is the ideal time the spring? The fall? Do engineers prefer a great location or proximity to home? Should Apex...

Mastering ESD control in automated handling systems: most damage comes not from personnel, but from charged equipment or components.(Controlling Static)
March 1, 2008... As device geometries get smaller and processing speeds grow faster, their ESD sensitivity increases. Designers face the challenge of fitting more active component features into smaller chip territory, often at the expense of on-chip protection...

Beating the RoHS heat: for RoHS PCBs, vapor phase offers flexibility and lower temperatures than convection.
March 1, 2008... Vapor phase reflow is not a new process for electronics manufacturing. It is simply an alternative process for SMT reflow that has existed since the early 70s. Most engineers familiar with vapor phase recall the technology's early shortcomings:...

Trade secrets: industry tax-exempt organizations collectively take in more than $100 million a year. Where does it go?(Trade Groups)
March 1, 2008... Question: Which is the largest industry association? Answer: It depends on your definition of "largest." If the number of members is measured, for instance, the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society is tops by a wide margin....

True to its roots: a third-generation, family-run EMS firm, The Morey Corp. puts the "values" into value-added services.(Morey Corp.)(Company overview)
March 1, 2008... When first engaged, EMS companies tout their customer service, or their ability to make solder joints, or their supply-chain management and logistics expertise. What they don't bring up is their ethics. Well, most don't, anyway. The...

The road abroad--strategic alliance or greenfield facility? One eliminates the learning curve, but also impairs visibility and communication.(Offshore Expansion)
March 1, 2008... EMS providers use a range of business models to satisfy customer needs. To support the need for access to lower-cost labor regions, Western EMS providers have primarily two choices: build their own facility or develop a strategic alliance with...

Diagnosing intermittent BGA connections: mixed leaded and Pb-free PCBs may require nonstandard profiles.(Tech Tips)
March 1, 2008... Intermittent BGA connections are a commonly noted problem. When pressure is applied to the center of the BGA, performance improves. Several issues produce this symptom: solder paste reflow profile, printed circuit board design, solderability,...

Soldering atmosphere's impact on solder joint formation: a Flextronics-Vitronics study finds the delivery method's impact is minimal.(Wave Soldering)
March 1, 2008... The 2007 iNEMI Roadmap identifies an increase in the use of nitrogen in reflow and wave soldering processes because of the lower wetting forces of Pb-free solders. While flux chemistries are being developed and improved to promote wetting of...

Implementing AOI successfully: the data are useful, but at times overwhelming. Here's how to cut them to size.(Test and Inspection)
March 1, 2008... Each AOI or SPI model offers different advantages such as inspection coverage, speed, programming time, vendor support or cost. However, general use models are consistent: Each performs user-defined inspections of a board and provides lists of...

Inline vs. batch cleaning: low volumes support batches; high volumes favor inline.(Process Doctor)
March 1, 2008... Processes in the precision cleaning industries are driven by customer requirements and economical efficiency. Published studies have concluded that overall process cost, with all its individual contributors, is essential in calculating the...

Bare board concerns: Pb-free alloys exacerbate copper erosion and blowholes.(Pb-Free Lessons Learned)
March 1, 2008... Ed.: This is a continuation from last month's column. Last month, we looked at the general fabrication issues to anticipate regardless of alloy. Some specific concerns we need to watch for in Pb-free processing include: Copper erosion....

Flow to the top: the endless pursuit of optimum flow is key to Lean success.(Getting Lean)
March 1, 2008... Compared to traditional mass production methods, a Lean manufacturing system requires far less time, human effort, capital and space to produce better quality products. Central to this Lean culture is the concept of "flow." Flow comes into play...

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

Juki's FX-3 modular chipshooter.(Equipment Advances)
March 1, 2008... Juki's high-speed modular chipshooter, the FX-3, features two placement stations, each with two head beams. In each placement station, the two heads are arranged in front and behind each other, alternately carrying out component picking and...

Integrated paste/glue dispenser.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... iPAG integrated paste and glue dispenser module is production ready and can be integrated within the X6 and X4Pro printers. Comes with single or double heads, permitting glue, solder paste or both to be applied to substrates after printing....

No-clean solder reflows in air.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Indium8.9 is an air reflow, no-clean Pb-free solder paste formulated to produce consistent print volumes through apertures below the minimum area ratio of 0.66. Exhibits low voiding ( [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Indium Corp., indium.com ...

Post-print dispenser module.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Stinger modular fluid dispense system expands capabilities of conventional screen printers by enabling dispense SMT adhesive or solder paste on a PCB, immediately following printing, while still in alignment from the screen print. Is coupled to...

Solder analysis, ID.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... The LeadTracer-RoHS XRF system now comes with a solder analysis and identification feature that reportedly identifies all solder alloys within minutes. Performs solder pot analysis, permitting users to track changes in the process. Addresses...

ESD-lined PCB storage.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... The PCB Tray Storage Cart is designed to protect PCBs of all sizes during transport and storage. Is available in two standard sizes. Provides conductive trays with an electrostatic dissipative mat. The cart frame and brackets are manufactured...

Noncontact jet dispenser.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Spectrum S-920 series scalable dispenser uses noncontact jetting and features software and hardware control based on Fluidmove XP software with process control features. Rapid response heater system reportedly minimizes startup time and...

'Low-stress' PCB router.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Sayaka CT23NP inline PCB router combines low-stress depaneling with an easy programming feature using Windows XP image processing software. A turntable permits one board to be cut while another is uploaded. Flexible vacuum pickup and fixture...

Automated SPI.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... VisionMaster M450 and AP450 series SPI are said to provide a larger color field of view, data acquisition rates at less than 1 sec. and an improved user interface. M450 features automated solder paste height/volume measurements, color image for...

Real-time lean support.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... The Production Monitoring and Dispatch system provides direct visual, real-time factory equipment status communications to support Lean manufacturing principles. Identifies potential waste, anticipate issues and issue notifications for...

ERP-compatible Production Scheduler.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Optel Dynamic Production Scheduling software is said to eliminate unnecessary changeovers, reduce changeover times, and minimize WIP and inventory levels. Takes work orders as input from the ERP/MRP, scans for common parts and due dates, and...

Prototype parts placer.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Pantera-XV SMD placement machine is for prototyping and midsized production runs. Handles 0201s to 50 x 50 mm QFPs, to pitches of 0.4 mm. Offers up to 108 feeder slots in a footprint less than 1 sq. m. Automatically recognizes intelligent tape...

Screen printing with AOI.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... Versaprint printer has integrated Line Scan inspection said to guarantee time savings via parallel processing and 100% post-print AOI. List camera achieves inspection speed of 9,100 [mm.sup.2]/s. Triple rail transport. Printing and inspection...

Line control.(Product PREVIEW)
March 1, 2008... X85 conveyor line control is based on modular thinking. Increased line efficiency is offered through line balancing and a high dynamic buffering capacity with a low queue pressure on the conveyor. The use of distributed line control reportedly...