Circuits Assembly articles from October 2007

Circuits Assembly archives from October 2007

Tomorrow's customers.(Caveat Lector)
October 1, 2007... We have spoken often of the need to encourage the next generation of engineering talent to consider electronics manufacturing as a career path. Writing in PCB UPdate recently, old friend Bob Lazzara put it this way: "Manufacturing has been...

Foxconn.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... Foxconn (foxconn.com) unveiled a software base in Nanjing, its first in mainland China, and will design wireless communications networks, enterprise information security and medical software. The site will recruit 30,000 software engineers in...

RadiSys Corp.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... RadiSys Corp. (radisys.com) will buy certain assets of Intel's (intel.com) modular communications platforms business for $25 million plus $6.75 million of inventory and other considerations in a deal expected to close in September. RadiSys...

Science Foundation Arizona issued University of Arizona associate professor of chemical engineering Anthony Muscat a $625,000 grant to find ways to cut water and other materials from electronics manufacturing.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... Science Foundation Arizona issued University of Arizona associate professor of chemical engineering Anthony Muscat a $625,000 grant to find ways to cut water and other materials from electronics manufacturing. Matching funds will bring the...

Christopher Associates (christopherweb.net) will distribute and provide engineering support for First EIE's photoplotters and ink-jet printers in the North America.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... Christopher Associates (christopherweb.net) will distribute and provide engineering support for First EIE's photoplotters and ink-jet printers in the North America. Christopher has located a complete spare parts inventory in Santa Ana, CA.

National Technical Systems Inc.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... National Technical Systems Inc. (ntscorp.com) signed an agreement to relocate the complete dynamics and environmental test laboratory from the U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL, to the company's Camden Operations...

SMTA International will move to Disney's Coronado Springs Hotel in Orlando in 2008.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... SMTA International will move to Disney's Coronado Springs Hotel in Orlando in 2008. The show will take place Aug. 17-21 and feature a larger exhibit floor. Abstracts for the conference are due Dec. 14. For more details, see smta.org/smtai.

Pulsmo.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... Pulsmo (pulsmo.co.jp) will construct a PCB assembly plant in lida-shi, Nagano, Japan.

Valor Computerized Systems.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... Valor Computerized Systems (valor.com) named JSD Polska SP representative for Poland, Ukraine and Kaliningrad.

EMS provider Nexus Nano Electronics (nexuscei.com) has received additional funding from Yorkville Advisors, a private equity group.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... EMS provider Nexus Nano Electronics (nexuscei.com) has received additional funding from Yorkville Advisors, a private equity group. The funding replaced an existing working capital line of credit and a plant and equipment loan previously held...

EVS International.(In Brief)
October 1, 2007... EVS International (solderrecovery.com) named Abegat Oy (abegat.fi) distributor for Finland and Estonia.

Sanmina-SCI Corp. named Joseph R. Bronson president and COO.(People)
October 1, 2007... Sanmina-SCI Corp. named Joseph R. Bronson president and COO. He most recently was president and director of FormFactor Inc., a manufacturer of advanced semiconductor wafer probe cards. Bronson also spent 20 years at Applied Materials in senior...

Plexus Corp. named Ginger M. Jones vice president and chief financial officer, replacing the retiring Gordon Bitter.(People)
October 1, 2007... Plexus Corp. named Ginger M. Jones vice president and chief financial officer, replacing the retiring Gordon Bitter. Plexus also promoted Mike Buseman to senior VP, global manufacturing operations; Steve Frisch to senior VP, global engineering...

AOI OEM ViTechnology named Jean-Yves Gomez chief executive officer.(People)
October 1, 2007... AOI OEM ViTechnology named Jean-Yves Gomez chief executive officer. He had been with STMicroelectronics since 1984, most recently as head of the imaging division, which developed camera modules including sensors, mechanics and optics.

Henkel.(People)
October 1, 2007... Henkel promoted Dr. Michael Todd to vice president of product development and engineering for semiconductor and assembly technologies, responsible for oversight of Henkel's Irvine, CA, applications engineering and product development...

BreconRidge Manufacturing Solutions named John Haydon president and COO.(People)
October 1, 2007... BreconRidge Manufacturing Solutions named John Haydon president and COO. He was chief procurement officer at Nortel Networks, where he worked for 25 years.

A-Tek.(People)
October 1, 2007... A-Tek named Corey Mayo to its technical service group, to support depaneling and automation systems, and other A-Tek distributed lines. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sypris Solutions Inc. controller and principal accounting officer Jeffrey T. Reibel resigned and was replaced by Glen French, a former senior vice president of finance, treasurer for SHPS Inc.(People)
October 1, 2007... Sypris Solutions Inc. controller and principal accounting officer Jeffrey T. Reibel resigned and was replaced by Glen French, a former senior vice president of finance, treasurer for SHPS Inc. and director, financial planning and accounting for...

Yamaichi Electronics USA named E.C. (Eunhyon) Chi district sales manager for Texas and the Midwest.(People)
October 1, 2007... Yamaichi Electronics USA named E.C. (Eunhyon) Chi district sales manager for Texas and the Midwest. Chi has 20 years' experience in connectors and cable sales, and will manage sales for the connector and test solutions divisions. ...

Aqueous Technologies.(People)
October 1, 2007... AqueousTechnologies named Chris Halliwell European sales manager, responsible for sales in greater Europe. He was previously product manager with Altus Group. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

CheckSum named Steve Broderick director of Asia operations, based in Shanghai.(People)
October 1, 2007... CheckSum named Steve Broderick director of Asia operations, based in Shanghai. He was formerly with Seica Test Solutions, and spent 22 years at GenRad and Teradyne.

IPC named Fern Abrams director of government relations.(People)
October 1, 2007... IPC named Fern Abrams director of government relations. She was director of environmental policy

IPC group to study 'dump pot' specs.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... BANNOCKBURN, IL -- The IPC Solder Products Value Council has begun a research program on Take Action Limits, also known as dump pot specifications. The SPVC hopes to provide consistent recommendations for action levels on wave soldering...

SemiCon West recap: Palomar to add contract services.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Known for its equipment, Palomar Technologies has added microelectronics packaging services. The company, which also makes wire bonders and placement equipment, formed Palomar Microelectronics to meet demand for quickturn...

Elcoteq doubles Dongguan plant size.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... DONGGUAN, CHINA -- Top-tier EMS company Elcoteq (elcoteq.com) has expanded its manufacturing footprint here, doubling the total floor space to about 26,000 sq. meters. The site builds high volumes of box-build and sub-assemblies for...

Cobar, Balver finalize merger.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... BALVE, GERMANY -- The previously announced merger between Cobar Group BV (cobar.com) and Balver Zinn (balverzinn.com) became official in September, as ownership of Cobar was transferred to the non-ferrous metals producer. The purchase...

IPC's cost for Washington's ear? $140,000.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... BANNOCKBURN, IL -- IPC (ipc.org) spent $140,000 in lobbying expenses during the first six months of 2007, according to a disclosure form. The expenses are slightly behind last year's pace. In 2006, IPC spent $320,000 on activities related to...

Acer to acquire Gateway for $710M.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... IRVINE, CA -- Acer Inc. (acer.com) on Aug 27 announced the purchase of Gateway (gateway.com) for $710 million. The deal has the support of both companies' boards and is expected to close by December. The combined company reportedly would...

Flextronics to buy medical device maker.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... SINGAPORE -- Flextronics (flextronics.com) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Avail Medical Products (availmed.com), a move that will "significantly broaden" the EMS firm's medical offerings. Avail is expected to generate...

Australia EMS purchases local Sanmina assets.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY -- Startronics Pty. (startronics.com.au) has purchased Sanmina-SCI's (sanmina-sci.com) Australian EMS operations, creating the largest EMS company in Australia. Financial details were not disclosed. Startronics is owned and...

Viscom acquires Phoseon's MX family of IR inspection systems.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... HILLSBORO, OR -- Inspection equipment OEM Viscom (viscom.com) has acquired the MX family of IR inspection systems from Phoseon Technology Inc. (phoseon.com), the companies reported today. The MX product family is a series of semiconductor...

Frost: aerospace, defense face Pb-free challenges.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... PALO ALTO, CA -- The aerospace and defense industry, although exempt from RoHS, now faces the challenge of electronics device obsolescence, according to Frost & Sullivan (frost.com). Some assemblers are accustomed to procuring devices that...

NBS adds procurement services.(Industry NEWS)
October 1, 2007... SANTA CLARA, CA -- EMS provider and design bureau NBS Design (nbsdesign.com) has added a comprehensive materials procurement service. The company named supply chain veteran Kirk Knudsen director of materials, responsible for the new service....

Defense, semis rebound.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). % Change May June (r) July* YTD Computers and electronics products -2.4...

August manufacturing slowed slightly.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... TEMPE, AZ--Manufacturing continued to grow in August, but at its slowest rate in five years. The August PMI was down a slight 0.9 points from July, while new orders for manufactured durable goods dropped 2.2 points, according to trade group ISM...

Industry market snapshot.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. Mar. Apr. May June July Semiconductor equipment (1) 0.99 0.98 0.98 0.91 (r) 0.84 (p) Semiconductors (2) 3.2% 2.27% 2.5%...

Metals index.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... Price Per Lb. Date 6/11/07 7/9/07 8/6/07 9/10/07 LME Cash Seller and Settlement for $6.44 $6.44 $7.38 $6.77 Tin LME Cash Seller and...

IDC forecasts 2008 recovery for ICs.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... FRAMINGHAM, MA -- Worldwide semiconductor sales will grow 4.8% this year, before rebounding to 8.1% in 2008, IDC (idc.com) says. 2007 sales are down from 8.8% last year, in part because of inventory and pricing issues. An even healthier 2008...

Lenovo Aces out Acer in Q2.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Lenovo (lenovo.com) regained the No. 3 ranking in the global PC market in the second quarter, but Acer's (acer.com) aggressive acquisition strategy leaves analysts wondering how long Lenovo will maintain its rank. ...

NAM report: Labor wages on rise.(Market WATCH)
October 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- During the past 12 months, America's manufacturing workers led all employees, earning 30% more than the average private sector worker, according to the National Association of Manufacturers' (nam.org) annual Labor Day Report. ...

Practical lessons for Pb-free.(Talking Heads)(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Ed.: Read the entire interview online at circuitsassembly.com. The introduction of Pb-free has led to countless tomes on the subject. One, however, stands apart as a pragmatic, ready-made guide for process engineers. The succinctly titled...

Machine versatility: aspects to evaluate when considering customization.(Screen Printing)
October 1, 2007... Versatility, or the ability to address different requirements with the same method or hardware, is a critical differentiator for most production facilities. Flexibility is a key to competitive advantage. One of the key components of a surface...

SMT assembly worst practices--101: Windex is great for windows, but not so much for PCBs.(Better Manufacturing)
October 1, 2007... Ed: Filling in for vacationing Phil Zarrow this month is Dr. H.J. Zapfardt, well-known (but antagonistic) assembly process guru. We've all heard it professed that there are no stupid questions. What a load of effluent. If you believe that,...

R & D needs for packaging: WLPs may be the answer to the widening gap between device cost and packaging cost.(Packaging Roadmap)
October 1, 2007... Ed.: For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5446. The packaging industry enjoyed significant growth between 2004 and 2006, based on increased demand for semiconductor and electronic products overall. However,...

The learning organization: how constant searching has 'Key'ed 3 straight SEA wins.(SEAs 2007)
October 1, 2007... Ed.: For the complete article, visit circuitsassembly.com/cms/content/view/5447. This year Key Electronics (keyelectronics.com) took home the highest overall customer rating for EMS companies with revenues less than $100 million. It was...

A study of 0201s and tombstoning in Pb-free systems: a comprehensive DoE finds paste and placement offsets the top contributor to defects.
October 1, 2007... The mechanics of tombstoning are based on molten solder wetting forces, component mass and geometry. If solder paste under one termination melts and starts wetting to the termination before the other side does, the wetting action force can pull...

BGA assembly with low-Ag alloy spheres: are such BGAs backwards compatible with SAC 305?(Soldering Materials)
October 1, 2007... The term backwards compatible commonly refers to a Pb-free component and SnPb paste. Efforts to resolve this issue for BGAs (1) are ongoing, and data collected so far are conflicting. However, before that issue can be put to rest, another...

Selective soldering for high-volume assembly: in an EMS environment, overall quality rose almost 80% over a conventional wave.(Selective Soldering)
October 1, 2007... SMC has always considered wave soldering a reliable process for most through-hole applications and a conventional process used in manufacturing. Recently, however, we were faced with producing a high-volume assembly that required through-hole...

Post-wave solder bridging: bridging seems random, yet always in the same place. Why?(Wave Soldering)
October 1, 2007... Post-wave solder bridging has been discussed at great length, but it might be interesting to look at it from another point of view. Most process engineers focus on the soldering process and how it could be improved to reduce solder bridging....

The disappearing defects: compensating for PWB positional inaccuracies in 0201s.(Pb-Free Lessons Learned)
October 1, 2007... For the past 18 months, I've had the pleasure of working with a group of very talented people on an experiment to characterize 0201 behavior in a Pb-free soldering environment and compare it to that of a SnPb soldering environment. We had a lot...

Coming up ROSA: OEMs with Pb-free solderability problems could benefit from this component and board restoration technique.(Tech Tips)
October 1, 2007... ROSA is a surface restoration technique that removes difficult-to-reduce species like metal oxides or sulfides. When it was developed, the focus was on solderability and compliance to environmental regulations. Industry trends and regulatory...

What to look for when qualifying a new process (Part II): a post-selective soldering heating step helps flux reach activation temperature.(Process Doctor)
October 1, 2007... Last month we reviewed conditions of a new process qualification. The data showed poor electrical and ionic residue performance from the selective solder process. This month we will qualify a new step (post-heating the selective solder area...

Continuous improvement through visual systems: the more visible abnormalities, the more apt employees are to fix them.(Getting Lean)
October 1, 2007... Dr. Shigeo Shingo wrote: "Unfortunately, real waste lurks in forms that do not look like waste. Only through careful observation and goal orientation can waste be identified. We must always keep in mind the greatest waste is the waste we don't...

SMT [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII].(Eastern Approaches)
October 1, 2007... [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] [FIGURE 3 OMITTED] [FIGURE 4 OMITTED] [FIGURE 5 OMITTED] [FIGURE 6 OMITTED] [FIGURE 7 OMITTED] [FIGURE 8 OMITTED] Cai San Qiang is...

High-sample rate thermal profiler.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... KIC Explorer thermal profile features a compact design and incorporates high-temperature rated components. Comes standard with 12 thermocouples. Has miniature TC harness design. Reportedly provides the highest sampling rate available. Thermal...

Flash device programmer.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Flashstream Flash Vector Programming four-socket manual system is reportedly the fastest programmer of NAND and NOR flash memory, at speeds as low as 2.5% over theoretical minimum. Uses a proprietary coprocessor design to hardware accelerate...

Peelable coating mask.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... PCS peelable coating mask is designed to withstand coating and wave soldering processes. Water-based and environmentally friendly, the mask is orange when applied and changes to a darker color once cured. Can be peeled by hand after cure,...

Microscope LED illumination.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Lynx LED illumination system is available for the Lynx stereo zoom Dynascopic microscope. Key benefits are said to include brighter, whiter 14-point shadow-free illumination; LEDs that provide more than 10,000 hrs. of continuous viewing, and...

'5-axis' x-ray inspection.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... JewelBox 90T and 70T real-time x-ray inspection systems permit examination of internal solder joints and bonds in advanced packages. Said to provide geometric magnification up to 500x and electronic magnification up to 2000x. Five-axis...

8-zone reflow.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Pyramax 100 solder reflow system has 8-zone air or nitrogen models, 350[degrees]C maximum temperature, and low nitrogen and power consumption. Provides Pb-free processing and closed loop convection control. Features include side-to-side...

High-speed 4-gantry placement.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Genesis GC-120Q quad-gantry machine places up to 120,000 cph. Comes with four Lightning heads said to feature fewer parts, improved reliability and exceptional motion performance. Dual on-the-head optics permit range of components from 01005 to...

Low-VOC aqueous cleaner.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Aquanox A4625 is a biodegradable low-VOC aqueous chemistry designed for Pb-free residues while providing brilliant mirrored solder finishes. Is said to be easy-to-use, environmentally friendly, has a long tank life and is safe for multiple pass...

'2 printer' lane configuration.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Dual Lane technology is designed to double output from a line; used in place of a conventional single lane setup. Deploys two printers in configuration. Said to deliver flexibility at machine level. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DEK, dek.com...

0201 component placement.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... L60 pick and place with 8 mm tape bank feeders has increased component capacity by a reported 33% for all models: 144 8-mm tape lanes. The machines are said to have upgraded speed and accuracy. Place 0201s and 0.015" fine-pitch components. ...

Noncontact dimensional measurement.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... OGP QuickView 220 is a large format, noncontact dimensional measurement system for high-volume, high-capacity operation in cleanrooms and factory floors. Features a granite base and column, passive vibration isolation system, noncontact stage...

Dual camera Batch Printer.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... SP600 Batch Printer with Shuttle System has a print table motorized in 4 axes (x, y, c and theta), permitting automatic alignment of substrate to stencil. Print table can be designed with a standard fixation or a customer-specific substrate...

Printer with 3-section transport.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... The eP33 printer combines a mono-block casting and a two-stage, servo-driven granite table with a digital, servo-controlled drive system on every axis. Includes 2D & D print quality inspection, a triple-section PCB transport system and...

Preproduction process control tool.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... ScanINSPECT VPI is a process control tool that qualifies each assembly and fab process step before production. Couples a calibrated high-res., color flatbed scanner with a dual-lighting system. Reportedly validates all production process...

Miniwave selective soldering.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... GoSelective light is said to offer soldering quality and flexibility in selective miniwave soldering processes, particularly for small and medium-size volumes. The compact machine concept reportedly ensures reproducible soldering results. Is...

110k cph placement.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Siplace X4i placement machine comes with a dual conveyor and four 20-nozzle high-performance heads, said to achieve 110,000 cph. Handles board sizes up to 250 mm x 380 mm. Includes i-Placement, in which both heads operate in parallel in the...

2-D, 3-D x-ray inspection.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Micromex combines high-res 2-D x-ray inspection and 3-D CT technology in one system. Comes standard with a 180 kV x-ray tube for sub-micron feature recognition Phoenix X-ray, phoenix-xray.com Booth A2.277

Material dispenser.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Optimum dispensing component system has a syringe barrel geometry said to eliminate "dead spots" that could trap air bubbles. Reportedly ensures even flow. Channels on matching pistons prevent air entrapment. Precision edges are said to...

Rapid cure underfill.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Loctite 3536 is said to deliver improved reliability for CSP and BGA packages. Is designed to quickly fill the space beneath CSPs and BGAs; said to cure rapidly at low temperature. Delivers protection for solder joints against mechanical stress...

Quick changeover placement.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... A-Series (AX-201, AX-301 and AX-501) machines have reported accuracy up to 25 [micro]m at 4 E for fine-pitch and odd-form components. Product changeovers can be performed in 6 min. Modular design facilitates production volumes scaling, even for...

Nondestructive test.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Y.Cougar Pro x-ray inspection features automatic loading for higher volumes. Is designed for manual and automated 2-D and [mu]CT applications. Comet, comet.ch Booth A2.349

Automatic defluxer.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Trident is a Pb-free compatible, automatic post-reflow defluxer. Is said to be capable of defluxing and cleanliness testing up to 200 4 x 6" boards and up to 28 18 x 20" boards per hour. Process consists of up to five cycles, including...

Closed-loop cleaner.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Axarel 32 semiaqueous cleaner removes no-clean and Pb-free flux residues, including from direct chip bonding. Is RoHS-compliant. Reportedly can be fully closed-looped to reduce environmental impact. Petroferm, petroferm.com Booth...

Conformal coating curing.(Product PREVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Sure Cur[e.sup.08] UV dual cure is for conformal coatings. Cures by UV light and secondary moisture. Is single-component, fluorescing and RoHS-compliant. Dymax Corp., dymax.com Booth A3.524

In case you missed it.(Technical Abstracts)
October 1, 2007... Cleaning "Electronic Assembly--Inline Cleaning Analysis" Authors: Harald Wack, Ph.D., and Umut Tosun; u.tosun@zestron.com. Abstract: Cleaning processes are driven by two main factors: achievement of cleanliness requirements and...