CircuiTree articles from August 2004

CircuiTree archives from August 2004

Is America 'off-shoring' its economic supremacy?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I just read Michael Freda's defense of Craig Barrett, et al, [the March] "Letters to the Editor." I am deeply insulted that Mr. Freda and other U.S. executives are trying to justify their wholesale shift of electronics manufacturing offshore by...

Double talk.(TheWayWeSeelt)
August 1, 2004... Remember the tech boom in 2000, when double and even triple bookings worsened an already-brutal recession, causing many computer and telecoms OEMs to write off a combined total of $30 billion? That couldn't happen today, right? Probably not on...

Optimal designs for embedded passives laser trim: careful consideration of the factors that affect trimming throughput and accuracy are essential when designing a printed circuit board using embedded passives.
August 1, 2004... Laser trimming--a process that is essential for manufacturing tight tolerance chip resistors--is also a viable solution for achieving tight tolerances in embedded passives. However, because the primary design focus is often on maximizing...

Imaging market share data: a summary.(Fein-Lines)(Liquid Resists)(dry film resist)
August 1, 2004... Three years ago I wrote about the impending storm and how the coastline would be different when it was over. We are still getting a few squalls now and then, like the recent, (hopefully) short, dip in orders but for the most part the storm...

Cemco FSL.(People)( Jeremy Bacon)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Waterlooville, UK -- Cemco FSL announced the retirement of Jeremy Bacon. He joined Cemco in November 1982 when there were just five people in the company working in UK sales, organising trade shows, shipping, advertising and producing company...

Park Electrochemical Corp.(People)(board of directors elections)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Lake Success, NY -- Park Electrochemical Corp. announced the Nominating Committee of its Board of Directors has recently nominated Dale Blanchfield and Steven T. Warshaw for election to the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee of the...

Plexus.(People)
August 1, 2004... Neenah, WI -- Plexus Corp. hired Pamela Anderson as the vice president of the industrial/commercial market sector. She brings more than fifteen years of experience to the position and most recently held a managerial position at Rockwell...

March Plasma Systems.(People)(appointments )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... March Plasma Systems named Terumitsu Tsuji as its Business Manager and Yuji Takai as Regional Sales Manager for Japan. Based in the Nordson offices in Tokyo, Japan, Terumitsu and Takai provide local support for March customers throughout Japan....

Jabil Circuit.(People)
August 1, 2004... St. Petersburg, FL -- Jabil Circuit Inc. announced several key management promotions and changes for the global electronics manufacturing company. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Chris Lewis will be assuming the position of VP of Business...

Interest rates and inflation: back to fundamentals.(Finance & Forecast)
August 1, 2004... The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank is moving from easy to tight money. How far will this go, and what are the likely impacts on PCBs and information technology (IT)? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Figure 1 shows a key short-term interest rate--the...

In memoriam: earl Kincaid.(Finance & Forecast)(Obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 1, 2004... Earl Kincaid, founder of K & F Electronics (Fraser, MI) died July 22, 2004 after a five-year struggle with Parkinson's disease. He was 66 years old. Earl made great contributions to the electronic industry and will not be forgotten. Over...

Sharpe new head of Isola.(Finance & Forecast)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Dueren, Germany -- Texas Pacific Group (TPG), the new owner of Isola GmbH, appointed Raymond P. Sharpe as Chief Executive Officer of Isola. A consortium led by TPG and including Redfern Partners completed its acquisition of the company earlier...

KCE raises PWB prices.(Fabrication)(Printed Wiring Board )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Bangkok, Thailand -- KCE Electronics Plc (KCE), one of Thailand's largest PWB manufacturers, announced in May it will raise prices by 5-10 percent. Among the reasons for the price hike, the company cited rising prices on oil, prepreg and...

Ruwel, Fuba team up.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Germany -- Ruwel AG and Fuba Printed Circuits GmbH have agreed to coordinate major corporate functions. Ruwel currently has an annual turnover of around 170 million euro and employs roughly 1,300 people, while FUBA has a turnover of around 100...

Endicott Interconnect invests $10 million on expansion.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Endicott, NY -- Endicott Interconnect Technologies is investing $10 million for a capital expansion program to meet "robust" demand for all its products. Much of the money will be spent on equipment that will enter production during the second...

AT & S gets new laser drills.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Vienna -- AT & S will invest 8.5 million euro ($10.38 million) upgrading its Hinterberg-based production site in southeastern Austria. The company is considering installing new production equipment, which will make mobile phone chips designed...

Anglia circuits turns 35.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... UK -- Anglia Circuits celebrated 35 years of business at its St. Ives Cambridgeshire factory. The PCB manufacturer was founded in January 1969 by present chairman, Nigel Kember, who whilst working with Sir Clive Sinclair assembling kits to make...

Teradyne announces new Design Guidelines.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Nashua, NH -- Teradyne Inc. Connection Systems Division (TCS) announced the availability of its Design Guidelines for High Performance Circuits. The document covers product design rules, manufacturing capabilities, design for manufacturing...

GSPK installs AOI machine.(Fabrication)(Automated Operator Interface )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... UK -- GSPK Electronics Ltd. invested in an AOI machine to assist and enhance quality and delivery performance. The machine, purchased from Testworks, a franchised distributor for Mirtec AOI Equipment, provides examination and analyses placement...

CMK Wuxi ramps PCB capacity.(Fabrication)(CMK Electronics (Wuxi) Co. Ltd)(Printed Circuit Board )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... China -- CMK Electronics (Wuxi) Co. Ltd. will ramp up monthly capacity of its buildup multilayer boards from 7,000 sq.m. to 10,000 sq.m. The Wuxi facility, which is a joint venture between CMK Corp. and Suzhou Matsushita Electronics Works Co....

Charles Shipley legacy remembered.(Fabrication)(Obituary)
August 1, 2004... Charles R. Shipley, Jr., a brilliant innovator in the field of electronic chemicals, and former Chairman of the Board of Shipley Company, passed away on June 13,2004 at his home in Sanibel, Florida. He was 86. Mr. Shipley grew up in...

VSMI: a new acronym for the next generation of electronic packaging.(FlexibleThinking)(Volumetric System Miniaturization and Interconnection)
August 1, 2004... Volumetric System Miniaturization and Interconnection (VSMI) is perhaps an imposing string of words, however, given the significant changes that have come to pass in recent years in the field of electronic interconnection, the old term...

Seoul train: Korea's PCB industry steams forward; Rigid boards aren't the only product Korea's fabricators produce in volume. This second article in our Korean series focuses on the country's burgeoning flex and rigid-flex industry--which could top $600 million this year.(Korea Circuit Company)
August 1, 2004... Last month we covered three of Korea's largest PCB manufacturers and their role in the country's high-volume rigid board market. This month we focus on the country's booming flexible circuit makers who, like their more well-known counterparts,...

New BGA solder mask repair technique using laser cut stencils.(SeeingtheLight)(Ball Grid Array)
August 1, 2004... The increased replacement of high lead count SMT devices with BGAs and other high ball count area array packages has brought increased challenges to PCB rework and repair. Often solder mask areas surrounding BGA pad areas are damaged when...

Close links between passive and active board components: understanding the reality of the passive channel is necessary in order to make an informed decision on evaluating the electrical signaling technique.
August 1, 2004... It has been demonstrated that environmental influences, i.e. temperature and humidity can clearly have an impact on the dielectric constant ([D.sub.k]) and dissipation factor ([D.sub.f]) on various board materials. The impact on [D.sub.f] is of...

Fine lines in high yield (part CVII): investigations of tin etch resist failure mechanisms.(TechTalk)
August 1, 2004... An article on metal etch resist failure mechanisms, written by Dr. Michael Dietterle and Dr. Manfred Jordan, caught my eye as I was reading the September 2003 edition of PLUS (Produktion von Leiterplatten und Systemen). It seemed like a good...

FASTechnologies reveals NC-CAM 7.(Products)(Computer aided manufacturing)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Big Lake, MN -- FASTechnologies released NC-CAM 7, a leader in drill and rout CAM solutions for PCB manufacturers. The new adds network licensing, laser support for both drill and rout, direct interface with Valor ODB++, new double rout for...

Frontline announces complete CAM solution for Flex manufacturers.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Israel -- Frontline PCB Solutions announced the availability of its new CAM solution for Flex--GenFlex. GenFlex CAM system is structured to help manufacturers meet the special challenges of Flex production, such as designs that allow for...

Miniature high pressure ultra-low flow pumps.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Micropump[R] introduces a new line of high-pressure micro annular gear pumps offering PCB makers greater flexibility and ease in equipment integration. The new pumps help conserve liquids, including flavorings, reagents, solvents, inks, dyes...

New at JPCA: fine line capabilities & line width control.(Products)
August 1, 2004... AGFA and ManiaBarco announced the first High Resolution silver halide photo tool capable of accurately reproducing 5 micron lines. The company achieved this result using the experimental AGFA HiRes silver halide film and the ManiaBarco...

Pentagal lead-free HAL with exchangeable solder pots.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Bochum, Germany -- Pentagal Chemie & Maschinenbau GmbH introduced a new function with its automatic HAL system, meeting a potential demand in the ongoing transition toward lead-free surface treatment of PCBs. The new trait allows the user to...

Taconic broadens TacLam[R] line.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Taconic added a new low-loss material to its TacLam product line to address low cost, low-loss wireless applications. TacLam TL-35 has a dissipation factor of 0.003 at 10 GHz yielding exceptional low loss signal integrity for 802.11 antennas,...

Glenbrook releases GTI-5000 with Auto-BGA.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Randolph, NJ -- Glenbrook Technologies announces an upgrade to its GTI-5000 xray image processing software that includes Auto-BGA. This new feature sets up BGA grids automatically and analyzes ball grid arrays faster than similar software....

Sigrity enters high-speed IC market.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Santa Clara, CA -- Sigrity Inc. extended its expertise to high-speed ICs by introducing XcitePI[TM], a tool that performs dynamic simulation of the full-chip power grid structure with package effects to determine the severity of power integrity...

Polar Instruments launches PCB controlled impedance test system.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Waterlooville, UK -- Polar Instruments launched its new CITS800s PCB controlled impedance test system. Successor to the CITS500s, and employing the industry-proven CITS technology, the CITS800s sets new standards for accuracy, repeatability and...

Walchem provides new controller options.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Holliston, MA -- Walchem Corp. announced that WCT and WBL controllers are now capable of powering a Hall Effect style water meter sensor. Options for the WFP Series flowmeter include a low frequency (less than 10 Hz) contacting head meter, or a...

EIMC announces changes to Web site, software.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... EIMC announced that it revamped its SmartCatShield Web site. In addition, ElSyCaWorksPlating was officially released in June, integrated with SolidWorks, the most widely used software in CAD engineering. It is compatible with all the popular...

ManiaBarco reveals two new software products.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... ManiaBarco released two new software products for use in electrical test and quality control. FixGenius is ManiaBarco's answer to today's demand for powerful and automated test solutions. Building on more than two decades of experience in...

Christopher Associates introduces SynPower tool.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Santa Ana, CA -- Christopher Associates Inc. introduced the SynPower line width measurement tool. The SynPower uses a personal computer connected to a precision optics package for measurement of pads, line widths (base and top), arcs and...

InteliCoat offers improved versions of Tecnilith film.(Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Matthews, NC -- InteliCoat is now offering ultraslip and super matte versions of its Tecnilith[R] APF Artwork Protect Film. APF is designed to protect printed circuit board artwork from scratches and chemical solutions during use and cleaning....

Plexus hosts fourth annual PCB symposium: green, green & more green.(View from the Middle)(Printed Circuit Board)(Panel Discussion)
August 1, 2004... The fourth annual Plexus PCB Symposium was held May 12, in Neenah, Wisconsin, and has received glowing reports from customers, suppliers and employees. The symposium is a one-day event featuring industry experts from around the globe. As one of...

Is lead-free really free?(From the Lab)
August 1, 2004... The suspense is killing you isn't it? You've seen the projections that say lead-free is the (solder) wave of the future. You want to know the answer to this question, and you really don't want to have to read through my entire column to find it...

News from the land of very small things: JPCA 2004; As an indicator of the industry's health, JPCA 2004 confirms growth, strong investment in new technology, and a shift even in Japan towards lower cost manufacturing in Southeast Asia.(Japan Printed Circuit Association)
August 1, 2004... Several weeks ago, IPC's T/MRC meeting was regaled with the possibilities of nanotechnology, the science of very small things. Josh Wolfe, a Wall Street venture capitalist, discussed the future of fullerenes (buckyballs), nanotubes, and quantum...

Seasonal slowing and inventory corrections pave way for 2H'04 rebound?(MarketOutlook)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2004... The "global recovery" continues but the path ahead is not without some bumps and detours. Based upon recent semiconductor shipment data (Chart 1) all regions are on a generally upward trend but of course SE Asia is leading the race--now...

Merix gets Ceco Hole Checker.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Anaheim, CA -- Ceco Industries announced the sale and installation of the Seiren HC-7 Hole Checker to Merix Corp. (Forest Grove, OR). Merix supplies advanced technology and time critical PCBs to OEMs and EMS providers. Comparing boards to their...

Digitaltest names Bravo Certified Support Partner.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Concord, CA -- US Digitaltest Inc. named Bravo Technical Services Inc. (BTS) of Terre Haute, Indiana a Certified Support Partner. BTS will be covering 39 states across the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico. The latest addition of a Certified...

3M flex circuits ready for volume production.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Austin, TX -- Custom 3M flexible circuits have been certified for high-volume production by Optimal Technologies Limited of Hong Kong for use in their small form factor flex suspension assembly (FSA). Optimal Technologies produces the flex...

Arlon to distribute Nanya products in N. America.(Suppliers)
August 1, 2004... Arlon Materials for Electronics formed an agreement with the Electronic Materials Division of Nanya Plastics Corp. to distribute Nanya's laminate and prepreg products in North America. Under the agreement, Arlon will offer the full line of...

Cimnet sells Engenix to Calumet.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Downers Grove, IL -- Cimnet Systems Inc., a provider of innovative information technology solutions to the global interconnect industry, announced a sale of Engenix[R] to UP based Calumet Electronics Corp.

DuPont hikes material prices in North America.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Research Triangle Park, NC -- DuPont Flexible Circuit Materials raised prices by nine percent in the North American region for all types of DuPont Pyralux[R] brand laminates, coverlays, and bondplys, subject to terms and conditions of existing...

Coates Circuit products pursues Korean market.(Suppliers)(Sun Chemical)(Sechang International)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Coates Circuit Division of Sun Chemical is targeting South Korea for expansion within its Asia Pacific region. Working with local agents Sechang International, Coates is building a solid plat-form for business success. Following a...

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, Xaar to jointly develop digital inkjet printing systems.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Marlborough, MA -- Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials announced a joint development agreement with Xaar, plc. The companies are working together to produce digital inkjet printing systems for the application of etch masks and other key...

Westwind Air Bearings Japan changes address.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Westwind Air Bearings K.K. moved to a new office in Tokyo. The new address is Technoport Kamata, 16-1 Minami-Kamata 2-Chome, Ohta-Ku, Tokyo 144-0035, Japan. Phone +81-3-5714-0593 or email: infojp@westwind-airbearings.com.

New M & A firm focused on PCB makers.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Boston, MA -- Two industry veterans have founded a merger and acquisition business focused on the buying and selling of PCB manufacturers. Paul Emello and Dan Beaulieu joined forces in a new company, Capitol Technologies LLC. The company will...

ACD Technologies announces Sales Agreements.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... ACD Technologies Inc., the Sales and Service Division for Pluritec, IS (International Supplies) and Cedal Equipment, announced the following new Technical Sales Representative Agreements: Novotron-Eastern Canada; FDR Specialty...

GSI Lumonics scores $5 million order.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Billerica, MA -- GSI Lumonics Inc. announced the recent receipt of an order for multiple WaferTrim laser systems from a US-based integrated circuit (IC) manufacturer. The total value of this order is approximately $5 million. The systems are...

Mentor Graphics buys Atair.(Suppliers)(Mergers, acquisitions and divestments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Wilsonville, OR -- Mentor Graphics Corp. acquired compiler technology and engineering resources from Atair GmbH (Vienna, Austria). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Nanya, PPG to build fiberglass yarn furnace in China.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Tapei -- Nan Ya Plastics Corp. and PPG Industries announced they will jointly build a fiber glass yarn furnace in China. According to Nan Ya Plastics Vice President Wu Chia-chau, the company will file an application for the investment with...

WISE Software establishes new corporate image, direction.(Suppliers)
August 1, 2004... Newberg, OR -- WISE Software Solutions Inc. established a new corporate logo, and revamped its Web site that now represents WISE Software at both a corporate and product level. The company developed this new image to be more consistent with the...

Quantum Performance Group ranks top dry film suppliers.(Suppliers)
August 1, 2004... The Quantum Performance Group LLC (QPG) completed its latest PWB imaging materials research and published it for subscribers of The Quantum Report[TM]. According to the QPG, the global market volume for dry film grew over 20% in 2003 vs. 2002....

Electro Techno builds new CCL plant in Japan.(Suppliers)(copper clad laminate )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Tokyo -- Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc. (MGC) is constructing a new plant at its subsidiary, ElectroTechno Company (Fukushima, Japan). ElectroTechno Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGC, manufacturing copper clad laminate (CCL) and...

Circatex breaks away from the shackles of the past: Steve Jones brings Pete Starkey up-to-date with his philosophy for future success.(Fabrication)(Column)
August 1, 2004... For several weeks the vultures of the European bare-board manufacturing industry had circled around, keeping a keen eye on the newslines, curious as to what would be the fate of the Circatex South Shields operation, trading at tick-over under...

Managing for growth.(ValueSelling)
August 1, 2004... I recently audited an executive round-table for small and midsize companies. The purpose of the program was to promote some high-level discussion and to answer problems common to all attendants. "Why don't we grow? Why does our business reach a...

Events.(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... August 24-25, 2004 Designer Learning Symposium Albuquerque, New Mexico Visit http://dc.ipc.org September 23-25, 2004 IPCA Expo The Grand Ashok (Bangalore, India) Visit www.ipcaindia.org October 5-7, 2004 ...

You be the judge: second annual buyers guide; Your directory to PWB services and suppliers.(Printed Wiring Board)(Buyers Guide)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... Welcome to CircuiTree's second annual Buyer's Guide, a comprehensive supplier directory that will help you find the suppliers you need over the next year. Despite government statistics that reveal the electronics manufacturing industry has...

The contact section provides company contact listings.(Contact Information)
August 1, 2004... Every supplier gets a free basic listing that details company name, contact information and business status. Bolded listings with 30-word descriptions and listings with logos go to those companies that support this issue of CircuiTree. ...