Circuits Assembly articles from November 2003

Circuits Assembly archives from November 2003

ODM vs. CDM: the battle has begun.(original design manufacturer)(contract design manufacturer)(Elcoteq Americas's Bill Coker)
November 1, 2003... As if this industry doesn't have enough acronyms already. I've returned from top-ten EMS provider Elcoteq's Media Day in Monterrey, Mexico, and have acquired another acronym that needs explaining to our readerships: CDM. That's contract design...

Web sites worth mentioning.(Netgain: the latest the Internet has to offer)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... www.dek.com DEK has launched a Chinese version of its Website aimed at Chinese-speaking engineers, managers and directors at electronics and semiconductor manufacturing companies. All sections of the company's site are available in English,...

Industry resources.(Netgain: the latest the Internet has to offer)
November 1, 2003... www.pcdandm.com/pcdman/resource/pcb _basics.shtml The fourth edition of Printed Circuit Board Basics is now available. From design and manufacturing to purchasing to considerations for managing the business, concepts in the book are explained...

Surveys and guides.(Netgain: the latest the Internet has to offer)
November 1, 2003... www.circuitsassembly.com/resource/dems. html Are you an EMS provider wanting to attract more OEM customers? Then, don't miss the opportunity for your free listing in the original Directory of Electronics Manufacturing Services Providers (DEMS)....

Christopher Group acquires EPC Corp.(Industry News)(EPC will be relocated to Christopher's California headquarters)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Christopher Group Inc. (Santa Ana, CA, www.christopherweb.com) announced that it has purchased all assets and intellectual property of EPC Corp. (Dallas, TX) and will relocate EPC's manufacturing to Christopher's California headquarters. ...

Sony TiMMS, Router Solutions announce partnership.(Industry News)(Sony TiMMS specializes in automation processes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Router Solutions Inc. (RSI, Newport Beach, CA, www.rsi-inc.com), a supplier of electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) data preparation and paperless repair software, and Sony TiMMS (London, England, www.sonytimms.com), a resource for lean...

Engent creates lead-free program.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... Engent Inc. (Norcross, GA, www.engentatt.com/leadfree), a provider of advanced technology services, has announced the creation of its Lead-Free Deployment Solutions Program. The use of lead in electronics products has been considered an...

Stellar Microelectronics awarded certification.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Stellar Microelectronics Inc. (Valencia, CA, www.stellarmicro.com) has attained AS9100 certification. The certification represents the highest level of qualification for aerospace manufacturers. Stellar Microelectronics has served the...

Plexus Corp.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Plexus Corp. (Neenah, WI) recently completed the integration of its contract design and manufacturing operations in Bothell, WA, into one facility. The combined facility specializes in product realization for medical and industrial original...

QTS Inc.(Relocates headquarters.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... QTS Inc., a supplier of plastic frameless stencils for surface-mount and wafer applications, has relocated its headquarters from East Walpole, MA, to Medfield, MA. The company's new contact information is: 99 West Street, Medfield, MA; (508)...

Indium Corp.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Indium Corp. (Utica, NY) has attained certification to the international quality standard ISO 9001:2000. This achievement is in effect at all corporate manufacturing facilities worldwide, effective immediately. Having earned their initial ISO...

March Plasma Systems.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... March Plasma Systems (Concord, CA), a Nordson company, has relocated its headquarters to a new 12,000 sq. ft. facility in Concord, CA. The new building will house March's engineering development group, research and development, applications and...

Sanmina-SCI plant achieves military qualification.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sanmina-SCI Corp. (San Jose, CA, www.sanmina-sci.com), an electronics contract manufacturer and printed circuit board (PCB) fabricator, announced that its PCB facility in Phoenix, AZ, has received MIL-PRF-31032 certification by the Defense...

SMTA, Asymtek partner in Costa Rica.(Industry News)(Surface Mount Technology Association opened a chapter in Costa Rica)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN, www.smta.org) recently opened a new chapter in Costa Rica and held its first chapter meeting that included a technical conference on August 13. Held at the Costa Rica Investment...

MMS 'sees' gains through new factory software.(Industry News)(Milford Manufacturing Services)
November 1, 2003... Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Milford Manufacturing Services (MMS, Milford, MA, www.milfordmfg.com) has invited original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to enter "The Looking Glass," a comprehensive software program that...

Surface Mount Technology Association.(People)(Surface Mount Technology Association appoints Jeff Anweiler vice president of the Empire Chapter)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Jeff Anweiler (pictured) has been appointed vice president of the Surface Mount Technology Association's (SMTA's) Empire Chapter in Upstate New York. Anweiler is a technical sales manager at Indium Corp (Utica, NY).

Panasonic Factory Automation.(People)(Kevin Bagaline appointed business manager of the Microelectronics Division)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Kevin Bagaline recently joined Panasonic Factory Automation (Elgin, IL) as business manager of the Microelectronics Division. Bagaline previously worked for Asymtek, most recently serving as global account manager.

MEC.(People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... MEC (Milwaukee, WI) has named Jim Winistorfer (right) as general manager of MEC Midwest. Additionally, former director of sales, Jim Scholler (left), has been promoted to vice president of technology for all three MEC manufacturing locations.

IEC Electronics Corp.(People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Timothy Fox has rejoined IEC Electronics Corp. (Newark, NY) as director of business development. Fox was with the company from 1993 to 1997 and previously held the position of business development manager.

Integrated Microelectronics Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (IMI, Laguna, Philippines), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has appointed Helmut Baumgart as quality and project manager for Europe. Baumgart has worked at Texas Instruments,...

Hover-Davis Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hover-Davis Inc. (Rochester, NY) has promoted Rick Howe to vice president of sales and marketing. Howe has been with the company for 12 years, serving the past two years as a product specialist in the sales department. The company has also...

Endicott Interconnect to partner with GA Tech.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Endicott Interconnect Technologies Inc. (El, Endicott, NY, www.endicottinterconnect.com) has partnered with the Packaging Research Center (PRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, www.prc.gatech.edu) to develop...

NPL releases stencil and aperture design report.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The National Physical Laboratory (NPL, Middlesex, UK, www.npl.co.uk) has released a new report on the influence that stencil and aperture design has on fine-pitch printing. The report explored the limits of printing at fine pitch for three...

In memory.(Industry News)(Brief Article)(Obituary)(Biography)
November 1, 2003... Dr. John (Jack) Balde, a pioneer in the field of microelectronics packaging, died Sept. 8. He was 80 years old. In the 1970s, Balde was a major part of the task force that established consensus package sizes for chip carriers. In the 1980s,...

2002 tough, but MEMS still a solid business opportunity.(micro electromechanical systems)
November 1, 2003... Although a number of significant milestones were achieved in 2002, this past year was one of the toughest to date for those in the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry, according to In-Stat/MDR (Scottsdale, AZ, www.instat.com). The...

Electronic component orders show uptick in August.(Market Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Electronic component orders rose slightly in August compared to previous months, according to the monthly index issued by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA, Arlington, VA, www.ec-central.org). Still, the...

August 2003 book-to-bill.(Market Watch)(Illustration)
November 1, 2003... The U.S. IMS/PCB Industry Book-to-Bill Ratio for August 2003 was 1.14. The ratio is calculated by averaging the index number for orders booked over the past three months and dividing by the average index numbers for sales billed during the same...

Circuit check opens direct office in Southeast Asia.(Asian Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Circuit Check Inc. (Maple Grove, MN, www.circuitcheck.com) has announced the establishment of its first regional support center in Southeast Asia. JJ Ong has joined the company as director of Asian sales and customer support and will be based...

AIM opens office in Suzhou.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... AIM (Montreal, Canada, www.aimsolder.com), a manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry, has announced the opening of an applications support and sales office located in Shanghai, Suzhou, China. The office will provide...

GSI Lumonics adds Kestronics group as distributor.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... GSI Lumonics Inc. (Wilmington, MA, www. gsilumonics.com) has expanded sales and product support across the Asia Pacific region--including mainland China --through a distribution agreement with Kestronics Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, www.kesmi.com)....

Kulicke & Soffa opens new manufacturing operation in China.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc. (K&S, Willow Grove, PA, www.kns.com), a supplier of wire bonding equipment in the semiconductor assembly market, has announced the grand opening of its 13,500 [m.sup.2] (145,000 sq. ft.) facility in the...

Yamaichi Electronics acquires Koshin Kogaku.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Yamaichi Electronics Co. recently acquired Koshin Kogaku Co. Ltd, which is now an official subsidiary of the Yamaichi Group Network (Tokyo, Japan, www.yamaichi.co.jp). Established in Yokohama, Japan, in 1980, Koshin Kogaku manufactures...

Hana investing $12m in China.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hana Microelectronics (Shanghai, China, www.hanagroup.com) announced plans to invest $12 million (490 million baht) in a plant for a new subsidiary in China to expand capacity. The new plant, expected to start production in the first quarter of...

Spectra-Physics announces major expansion in China.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Spectra-Physics (Mountain View, CA, www. spectra-physics), a desiger, developer, manufacturer and distributor of solid-state and high-power semiconductor lasers, gas lasers and ultra-fast systems, has announced a major expansion of its...

Nam Tai announces opening of trade union building.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Nam Tai Electronics Inc. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, www.namtai.com), an electronics manufacturing and design services provider, announced that it has opened a new trade union building for the use of its workers in China. Nam Tai...

Foxconn selects Valor assembly solution.(Asia Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Valor Computerized Systems (Yavne, Israel, www.valor.com) has reached an agreement with Foxconn, the registered trade name for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd (Taiwan, www. foxconn.com), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company,...

The new AI: Europe embraces ambient intelligence.(On the Forefront)(Ambient Intelligence )
November 1, 2003... At the recent IMAPS Nordic conference held in Espoo, Finland, discussions were abuzz with the next concept in computing and communications. Ambient intelligence is an entirely new concept in man-machine interfacing; it is responsive to people's...

Screen-printed power? Screen-printed fuel cells may be in our future.(Emerging Technology)
November 1, 2003... Screen printing, one of the first--but best--deposition methods, is unique among the many printing, coating and image--placement processes. While many methods can print fine, detailed images, they deposit extremely thin layers of material....

Mexico vs. China: the EMS battle has been waged: smart outsource management involves understanding all the costs of acquisition, direct and indirect.(EMS)(Electronic Manufacturing Solutions )(Cover Story)
November 1, 2003... In a recent Forbes.com article, "Global Trade--So Much For NAFTA," (1) Mexico President Vicente Fox was quoted in reference to a question about the impact of lower costs in China as saying, "We can't compete on cheap labor anymore. Mexico has...

#1-witness the difference.(Assembly Insider)(Dage Precision Industries announces the XiDAT a groundbreaking Digital X-Ray System )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Leading the x-ray inspection field of competitors, Dage announces the XiDAT a groundbreaking Digital X-Ray System with outstanding image resolution, grayscale analysis and ease of operation. The XiDAT system acquires images with a resolution of...

Electronic reprints.(Assembly Insider)
November 1, 2003... 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....

DC manufacturing solutions.(Assembly Insider)(DC Manufacturing Solutions )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... A full-service solution for your Manufacturing and Quality audit inspection needs: Factory PCB, SMT and final test operation audits. Yield improvement programs. * Set up offshore factories for a new manufacturing process. * Customers'...

PCB update: news and resources for PCB industry professionals.(Assembly Insider)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... 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....

View summit with elements.(Assembly Insider)
November 1, 2003... Summit[TM] from View Engineering is a non-contact metrology system versatile enough to make precise measurements at many points throughout the SMT assembly process. Elements[TM] software dramatically reduces set-up time by automatically...

When to buy new? When to buy used? When to lease? Strategies for acquiring PCBA equipment in today's economy.(Focus on Business)
November 1, 2003... In today's economic environment, printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) houses are operating in a cautious mode. Battered by the past four years of downturn in the high-tech sector, they are relieved to see an upturn approaching and are planning...

Managing lead-free compatibility: compatibility issues are critical to consider for a smooth transition to lead-free soldering.(Materials)
November 1, 2003... The industry is now converging on a tin-silver-copper (Sn-Ag-Cu, or SAC) alloy for reflow and a Sn-Ag-Cu or Sn-Cu alloy for wave soldering. The lower cost of Sn-Cu as compared with Sn-Ag-Cu makes it an attractive alternative alloy for wave...

Pre-reflow, inline, 3-D inspection: the smart choice for your application?(Test and Inspection)
November 1, 2003... Manufacturers of today's advanced electronics-based products know that simultaneously meeting the goals of producing a cost competitive product, while continuing to meet or exceed their customers' quality expectations, is important, Inline...

Is it worth the move? Examine the cost-benefit tradeoffs of shifting manufacturing to new regions.(ems Insight)
November 1, 2003... On the surface, moving electronics production to new global manufacturing centers makes good sense for increasing profitability and competitiveness. After all, direct labor rates in developing countries can be one-fifth to one-tenth of those in...

Bad fit customers: when should EMS providers say good-bye?(Electronics Manufacturing Services)
November 1, 2003... Every time the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector goes through an economic downturn, individual EMS provider business definitions of acceptable projects widen. But, as demand increases and EMS providers need to make choices on...

X-ray inspection system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The Jewel Box 90-C delivers precision x-ray images of ultra high-resolution and gray scale accuracy. Using a 4 micron x-ray source, the system provides 7 to 2000X magnification with a resolution of 500 line pairs/mm. The system offers five-axis...

TAB repair systems.(Productronica: Product Preview)(Unitek Eapro)
November 1, 2003... The Emerald series of TAB repair systems for display panels is developed for medium to large series of repair requirements in a number of TAB sizes and panel sizes from 6 to 60 in. The three-in-one systems for anisotropic conductive foil (ACF)...

Lead-free, no-clean solder paste.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... NC254 lead-free, pin probe testable no-clean solder paste offers broad process windows for printing, reflow and pin probe testing. Its wetting ability results in bright, smooth and shiny solder joints. The paste has proven to reduce or...

Tape dispenser.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The TDA080 electronic heavy-duty tape dispenser automatically dispenses and cuts virtually any tape, including duct tape. The dispenser is designed for continuous industrial use, accepts tape widths from 0.375 in. (9.5 mm) to 3.15 in. (80 mm)...

Cleaning wipes.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... CCW 135 Clean & Clear wipes are premoistened wipes ideal for cleaning most types of glass and plastic lenses. The wipes can be used on goggles, cameras, lenses and magnifiers to fight fog build-up. TWC 135 Disinfecting Telephone Cleaning wipes...

Stencil laser.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The SL740 safety class 1 laser-based stencil cutting system offers a cutting area of 29 x 29 in., accommodating all common stencils, and includes mounting fixtures that operate on bare sheets and framed stencils. The system is designed for low...

Updated AXI system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The PC/Linux-based XFrame[TM] applications development framework is a new graphical user interface (GUI) and programming environment for XStation[TM] automated x-ray inspection (AXI) systems. The software reduces program--generation time and...

Pre-solder mask surface preparation.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... Adhere is a surface preparation prior to solder mask, designed for optimum adhesion with all selective finishes. Its unique post dip produces an optimized surface color for optical alignment. The desired copper structure and important...

Networked programming system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... FlashPAK version 2003/B is a high-speed desktop programming system for prototype and production programming environments. The system is designed to program high-density Flash memory and microcontroller devices at near theoretical minimum...

Pick-and-place platform.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The A-series component mounting platform offers a flexible solution for 45k to 150k cph high-mix surface-mount applications at the same footprint. Automated calibration delivers technology and volume scalability for line reconfigurations in a...

Software-only controller.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... Automation 3200 is a software-only, 32-axis, motion, vision, robotics and input/output (I/O) platform. The platform uses a distributed control architecture that enables it to maintain performance independent of the number of axes being...

X-ray inspection system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The TIGER (FXS-160.40) x-ray system now offers proprietary True X-Ray Intensity (TXI) control to assist operators in identifying production anomalies with consistent xray images. Unlike conventional techniques for maintaining image consistency...

Inspection system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... EPV 5 embedded sensing technology for high-speed inspection of component placements is available for Fuji CP6 and CP7 series chipshooters. The technology provides automated real-time absence/presence detection and panel vibration measurement...

Rework system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The APR-5000-XLS array package rework system for large or small printed circuit boards (PCB) provides rework of a range of component types. The system can handle boards up to 610 x 610 mm in size and 6.35 mm thick. Tire system offers full...

Digital x-ray imaging.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The XD series digital x-ray inspection system includes the integrated digital image acquisition technology, XiDAT-XD6500. The imaging chain the system uses can resolve four times the number of grayscale levels compared to analog systems. The...

Three-gantry placement machine.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The Siplace HF/3 is equipped with a new placement head, transport system and drives for flexible and fast placement. A third gantry enhances the placement machine's production and flexibility even further. Like the other two gantries, the...

Lead-free solder paste.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... NC-SMQ230 is an air reflow, no-clean solder paste specifically formulated to accommodate the high processing temperatures required by Sn/Ag/Cu and Sn/Ag lead-free alloy systems. The paste features extended stencil life and tack time. ...

Seal, tape and reel machine.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The TM 50 is a universal heat and pressure seal, tape and reel machine. The machine features advanced electronic control capabilities typically only found in high price units and works on all carrier tapes from 8 to 56 mm. No tools are...

Platform for film laser trim.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... The TrimSmart LT2100 platform for film laser trim applications has a larger work area, updated positioning system and new software and user controls. The series performs trim and test of thick film components and circuits, including printed...

Electrically conductive adhesives.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... ARclad 90038 is a conductive tape designed for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in a variety of products. It features an electrically conductive, acrylic-based, pressure--sensitive adhesive and a 1-ounce tin plated, copper foil...

Instant fixture system.(Productronica: Product Preview)
November 1, 2003... Transition Automation's instant fixture system for DEK printers uses a simple offline setup station to create a board-matched support fixture in minutes. Over 18,000 possible pin locations ensure accurate and consistent support for boards up to...

Low battery? Localized screening tests help pinpoint the cause of battery leakage failures.(Process Doctor)
November 1, 2003... We were recently presented with the following problem: A company's batteries on its new product were draining while sitting in the storage box. As it turned out, dirty 0805 chip capacitors on the battery circuit were causing the three-volt...

Chipping away the yield: a number of causes add up to the reduced yield and increased cost of CSPs.(Guest View)(Chip-Scale Packages)
November 1, 2003... Sacrificing cost for real estate, chip-scale packages (CSPs) are projected to reach up to 30% of the market share of all packages sold in only a few years. Currently, CSP assemblies represent 10% of the market; the traditional, larger packages...