CircuiTree articles from August 2002

CircuiTree archives from August 2002

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2002... PCB Panic Reigns The much-anticipated orders for PWB are still not around. Manufacturing capacity in Asia is growing at an alarming rate. What will our industry look like when the good times return? (That they will return is inevitable.)...

Making a case for sustained recovery in North America. (The Way We See It).
August 1, 2002... Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I stand before you arguing on behalf of the accused, the North American PWB fabrication industry. This region has been wringing its hands for months, trying to stabilize its business while the prosecution...

Laser direct imaging and structuring: an update; when it comes to meeting the demand for finer lines and spaces, the answer is clear: invest in laser direct imaging-or die.
August 1, 2002... Today's electronics industry is, in a word, demanding. Not only do many electronics products require smaller, faster, lighter, less expensive, more complex and reliable printed circuit boards, but PCB makers must also be constantly adapting to...

Is it cheaper to replace a PCB than to repair? Maytag thinks so. (Fein-Lines).
August 1, 2002... We have all heard about the glut of We obsolete electronic devices, mostly old computers, and the problem of disposing them. Many of the materials used to make such appliances can be recycled. Unfortunately, some devices still find their way...

Luther & Maelzer. (People).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Wunstorf, Germany--Luther & Maelzer announced a new management team. Hans-Hermann Higgen, who started with L&M as one of the first employees in 1976, has taken over as managing director. Archie Hesselink, newly promoted to marketing...

GCA Technology International. (People).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Pembroke, MA--GCA Technology appointed Tom Clark as its sales representative for the southern California and Arizona regions. Clark has over twenty years of experience in the CAM and electrical test software markets.

Conductor Analysis Technologies Inc. (People).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Albuquerque, NM--Conductor Analysis Technologies Inc. (CAT) announced that David L. Wolf joined the company as vice president of technical marketing, responsible for sales, marketing and technical support. Wolf has worked for over 32 years in...

Polyclad Laminates. (People).
August 1, 2002... Londonderry, NH--Robert J. Haskins has been appointed senior vice president and managing director, Polyclad Laminates Asia, by Cookson Electronics PWB Materials & Chemistry. Haskins is responsible for the Polyclad laminate materials business,...

Orbotech Inc. (People).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Billerica, MA--Orbotech Inc. appointed Gary Calvaneso to the newly created position of general manager, Western Area. Calvaneso will manage daily operations, develop new business opportunities and increase customer satisfaction in the western...

Park Electrochemical Corp. (People).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Lake Success, NY--Park Electrochemical Corp. announced Silvio Bertling joined the company as Senior OEM Design Engineer. Bertling will be working with Park's customers, and OEM and EMS designers. He will also be responsible for presenting OEM...

True Laminates. (People).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Irvine, CA--True Laminates named Laurice Bonham as its new customer service representative. Prior to True Laminates, Bonham was a customer service representative for Polyclad Technologies. She has also worked for City Data Supply in a similar...

Circuit-Wise emerges from Chapter 11. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... North Haven, CT--On June 11, 2002, Circuit-Wise emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The reorganization plan stipulates that additional capital is injected into the business, all outstanding claims are settled, and equity is transferred to the...

Circuit World, Ellington PCB sign distribution agreement. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Toronto, Canada--Circuit World Corp. reached a distribution agreement with Ellington PCB, a high-volume PCB maker in China. The agreement will provide Circuit World with exclusive distribution for Ellington products in Canada, and selective...

MFS Technology builds new $12 million PCB plant in China. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Singapore--MFS Technology Ltd. added to its PCB capacity by opening a $12 million plant in China. According to the company's CTO Peter Tan, the new plant in Changsha in Hunan province adds another 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space....

Eltak acquires German PCB Company. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Petach-Tikva, Israel--Eltek Ltd. completed the purchase of a 76% interest in Kubatronik Leiterplatten GmbH, a maker of prototype PCBs (Geislingen, Germany). The purchase was made through Eltek's newly established subsidiary, EN-Eltek...

Advanced Interconnect Technologies among Motorola's best suppliers. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Pleasanton, CA--Advanced Interconnect Technologies Inc. (AIT) was selected by Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS) as "Supplier of the Year" for external final manufacturing. Motorola's Supplier Performance Awards are given annually...

EntrePort to acquire M-Flex. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... San Diego, CA--EntrePort Corp. entered into a non-binding letter of intent whereby EntrePort Corp. will acquire all of the capital stock of Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc. (M-Flex) to pursue a corporate reorganization, which, upon closing, would...

Parlex receives Gold Supplier Award. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Methuen, MA--Parlex Corp. received the Gold Supplier Award from Johnson Controls Inc. (Holland, MI) for exhibiting superior performance as a flex circuit supplier. Parlex was selected as a preferred flex circuit vendor for Johnson Control's...

JPCA 2000: Big Challenge in Tokyo; the latest business and technology trends at Japan's premier tradeshow reveal that despite slumping attendance, signs of improvement are beginning to appear for PCB manufacturers and their suppliers.
August 1, 2002... The theme for this year's JPCA Show in Tokyo could not have been better chosen: Renewal -- Big Challenge. While "creative destruction" might be a more apt description, especially in the Western Hemisphere, the Asian market is also undergoing...

North American "recovery" vs. "Asian shift". (Market Outlook).
August 1, 2002... I'm beginning to sound like a broken record: "Business conditions remain poor but there is light at the end of the tunnel." Remember the play "Waiting for Godot?" Perhaps it's time for a reality check on my part. Although the overall U.S....

Schmid reports pumice scrubbing revival. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Dunningen, Germany-Citing its recent sale of a pumice brushing machine to Schweizer Electronic AG (SEAG), Gebr. Schmid reported a growing interest in pumice applications. Although pumice scrubbing is often replaced by micro-etching, the high...

DownStream Technologies signs Japanese OEM agreement. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Bolton, MA--DownStream Technologies LLC signed an OEM agreement with Dynatron Co. Ltd., a leading CAM supplier in Japan. The value and terms of the agreement were not disclosed, although the company anticipates the addition of 1,000 users...

EIS earns rep agreement. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Germany--Schmid Systems Inc., the sales and service organization of Gebr. Schmid GmbH, signed a representation agreement with EIS Inc., Circuit Supply Division. EIS will promote the whole Schmid product range, which will enhance its line of...

Maintech completes initial phase of construction. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Huntingdon Valley, PA-Maintech Inc. completed facility renovations for its new state-of-the-art production area, featuring expanded and upgraded space. Maintech, Inc. is a maker and distributor of PCB equipment, including automatic cut sheet...

ACS Technologies Inks deal with Crest Circuits. (Suppliers).
August 1, 2002... Farmington, AR--ACS Technologies Inc. announced Canadian-based Crest Circuits placed an order for the patent-pending TruCure model TC243. Jasu Patel, of Crest Circuits stated "We are always looking at new technology to enhance our production...

Cranford Circuits installs latest Lloyd Doyle AOT system. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Walton-on-Thames--Cranford Circuits installed the latest Excalibur[R] AOT system from Lloyd Doyle Ltd. The PCB fabricator's production facility is capable of producing fine line, microvia laser-drilled PCBs on a broad range of high-tech...

Frontline PCB Solutions, Polar Instruments to integrate systems. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Frontline PCB Solutions and Polar Instruments announced an integration of Frontline's newly developed Engineering desktop with the Polar Si6000b impedance field solver. The integration will enable a seamless import of impedance values from...

PhotoMachining expands Pelham facility. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Pelham, MA--PhotoMachining Inc. expanded its Pelham, New Hampshire facility. Over 50% more floor space has been acquired contiguous to the existing facility. The new area will be devoted to system integration, assembly and test. In addition,...

Nan Ya Plastics provides name clarification. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Tapei, Taiwan--A trade name similar to Nan Ya Plastics Corp. has been used by a manufacturer in China for the production and sale of copper clad laminate and prepreg. The similarity of the names has caused much confusion. Nan Ya has two...

Christopher Group, Excellon announce partnership. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Santa Ana, CA--Christopher Group Inc. and Excellon Automation announced their partnering in the North American distribution of the HC-610 Hole Inspection System. Matt Holzmann, president of Christopher Group stated, "We are proud to have a...

[PCQR.sup.2] industry statistics: outerlayer conductor and space. (Between the Conductors).(Column)
August 1, 2002... This is the second in a series of columns dedicated to the industry statistics collected by the IPC D-36 Subcommittee Printed Board Process Capability, Quality, and Relative Reliability ([PCQR.sup.2]) Benchmark Test Standard and Database....

Repositioning the U.S. Printed Circuit Board industry: to gain the respect it deserves, the printed circuit industry must change the way in which it is perceived by its customers.
August 1, 2002... Never before in its history has the U.S. PCB industry faced such a daunting challenge. The global electronics industry is experiencing one of the steepest recessions in its history and, as a consequence, dramatically depressed PCB demand. U.S....

The big news at JPCA was. (Asian Aspects).
August 1, 2002... ... not the exhibition itself. Attendance was down 10% from last year to 96,000 people, despite efforts to boost attendance by extending the show hours from 10 a.m. -- 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. -- 6 p.m. Most exhibitors were not happy with the new...

Solectron to close factories in Canada, Mexico. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Calgary Canada--In another sign that the much-anticipated industry recovery in the electronics industry is lagging, Solectron Corp. announced it is shuttering its assembly factory in Calgary, Canada by September 2002, eliminating nearly 500...

MSL, Honeywell Aerospace expand relationship. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Concord, MA--MSL announced that Honeywell Aerospace Electronics Systems expanded its relationship with MSL as a supplier of printed circuit card assemblies for Honeywell's high-end electronic products for commercial and private aviation. MSL...

Sanmina to shutter NC backplane facility; awarded patent. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Raleigh, NC--Sanmina-SCI said it will close its facility in Research Triangle Park's Globe Center by the end of June, laying off approximately 68 employees. The facility was used to make backplanes for Sanmina's customers, including IBM. The...

Tyco honored by Celestica. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Harrisburg, PA--Tyco Electronics was given a first year "Partners in Performance" award by Celestica Inc. Awards were presented in June to select suppliers at Celestica's fourth annual Global Supplier Awards in Toronto.

Aspocomp closes Evreux facility. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Evreux, France--Aspocomp closed its facility in Evreux, France, liquidating the plant's assets. The plant, which made mobile phones, filed for bankruptcy in March. The closure forced 550 people out of work. Despite a court ordered postponment...

Technic pushes into new market: this is the first in an occasional series of PWB fabrication supplier profiles. (Supplier Profile).
August 1, 2002... Some companies make the best of bad times. Technic, based in Cranston, Rhode Island, appears to be one of those companies. Not only has it actually added talent during these tough times, the company is readying itself for a plunge into a new...

HDI's improvement of signal integrity. (Happy Thoughts).
August 1, 2002... (Part 3 of 3) This is the third part of a three-part series focusing on how HDI can significantly improve the electrical performance of electronics, and how it solves a number of signal integrity problems. Effect of Shrinking Pitch on...

Embedded mezzanine capacitor technology for printed wiring boards.
August 1, 2002... Motorola Labs, in collaboration with its supply chain, developed a novel technology for embedding discrete capacitors in a mezzanine layer of an HEI printed wiring board. The technology is based on the use of a ceramic-filled positive type...

A friend remembers. (Kay Rations).(Obituary)
August 1, 2002... July 11th marked the first anniversary of the passing of an industry giant, and more significantly a giant of a man. Peter Sarmanian succumbed to cancer after a long battle during which he made no concessions to the disease, and lived every day...

Frequency quadrupled (266 nm wavelength) lasers. (Seeing the Light).
August 1, 2002... Generally speaking, going to shorter wavelength light will give higher absorption cross-sections in almost all materials. Shorter wavelength, therefore higher photon energy, light can more easily and cleanly break chemical bonds with little...

Viasystems Group reaches recapitalization agreement. (Between the Conductors).
August 1, 2002... St. Louis, MO--Viasystems Group has reached an agreement in principle with the steering committee of the Bank Credit Facilities, Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. (HMTF), and an ad hoc committee of bondholders related to the recapitalization of...

IPC report: first dip in EMS industry sales since 1985.
August 1, 2002... Northbrook, IL-PC released its 2001 Analysis of the North American Market for Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) report. The IPC-TMRC-01-M document, which was commissioned by the Technology Market Research Council (TMRC), details industry...

Shipley launches latest version of SOLAR. (Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Marlborough, MA-Shipley LLC launched its latest version of SOLAR, the industry's first on-line PWB operator training resource. "It's a comprehensive, on-line, media-based curriculum that covers the entire PWB fabrication process, from...

L.K. Hawke announces LAP-1000. (Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... The LAP-1000 Layer Analysis workstation is a software package for X-ray detection of layer registration errors in multi-layer PCBs. When combined with an X-ray system, this Windows (R)-based program detects layer shift, expansion, contraction,...

Orbotech introduces new AOI product line. (Products).(InFinex-3000 automated optical inspection system)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Yavne, Israel--Orbotech Ltd. introduced its new InFinex-3000[TM] series of automated optical inspection (AOI) systems for PCB production. Designed to meet the major production challenges posed by complex fine-line and IC substrate designs,...

GIL Technologies high frequency laminates get UL approval. (Products).(GML 2032)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Seattle, WA--GIL Technologies Inc. announced that a broad range of its products, including its GML 2032 series of high frequency laminates, have been awarded the UL94 V-0 flammability rating from UL Inc. The announcement ensures manufacturers...

NanoVia strengthens microvia patent portfolio. (Products).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Londonderry, NH--NanoVia LP announced that it has received a patent entitled "Control System and Apparatus for Ablating High-Density Array of Vias or Indentation in Surface of Object." The invention combines the optics and precision of laser...

ACS Technologies reveals new TruCure model. (Products).(TCL241)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Farmington, AR--ACS Technologies Inc. announced a new, patent pending, TruGure model TCL241. The unit is designed to cure thermal legend inks in seconds. The TCL241 is very compact and simple to use. Listed at $29,500 the TruCure TCL241 offers...

IBM to sell storied Endicott facility.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Endicott, NY--IBM Corp. has reportedly agreed to sell its microelectronics manufacturing operations to a group of investors. Those investors, made up of local upstate New York investors, plan to rename the company Endicott Interconnect...

Shielding flexible circuits: EMI protection methods for the flex world. (Flexible Thinking).
August 1, 2002... A great many electronic devices and systems commonly generate electromagnetic fields in the radio frequency spectrum. As the industry moves to ever faster and higher frequency digital electronics, the number of potential generators will...

Unleash your intellectual property potential: in the "knowledge economy," intangible assets such as intellectual property and brand strategies play a key role in determining company value.
August 1, 2002... The so-called "old economy" companies derived a significant portion of their value from manufacturing prowess and hard assets. In the past, companies invested heavily in tangible asset utilization to gain a competitive advantage. The shift is...

Fine lines in high yield (part LXXXIII): alternatives to contact photo printing and screen printing. (Tech Talk).
August 1, 2002... (Revisited) In the May 1999 issue of CircuiTree, "Tech Talk" first attempted to highlight alternatives to contact printing. Since then much has changed in this area of technology so that it seems worthwhile to revisit this interesting...

Industry Dynamics' LP Series gets high marks for innovation.
August 1, 2002... Torrance, CA--While many equipment suppliers to the electronics industry are simply trying to survive the current downturn, a handful of companies are using this time to research and develop new equipment that promises to revolutionize the ways...