CircuiTree articles from August 2008

CircuiTree archives from August 2008

Photovoltaics--an opportunity to diversify for PWB fabricators?(My Line)
August 1, 2008... Much is being written these days about the promise of generating electricity directly from sunlight in photovoltaic cells. With more research and development, improved manufacturing and cell efficiency, some studies project grid parity (i.e.,...

PCB industry results for May.(News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Bannockburn, Ill. -- IPC released the May findings from its monthly North American PCB Statistical Program. Rigid PCB shipments were up 5.7 percent and bookings were down 4.1 percent from May 2007. Rigid PCB shipments year-to-date were up 6.4...

Insolvency proceedings instituted for the assets of Mania Technologie AG, Mania Deutschland GmbH, and Mania Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH.(News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Weilrod, Germany -- On June 20, the District Court in Bad Homburg (insolvency court) ordered the institution of insolvency proceedings for the assets of Mania Technologie AG and its subsidiaries Mania Deutschland GmbH and Mania...

SEMI reports first quarter worldwide semiconductor equipment figures.(News)
August 1, 2008... San Jose, Calif. -- According to SEMI, worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached USD 10.56 billion in Q1 FY 08; this is a 7 percent decrease from Q4 FY 07 and a 2 percent decrease from Q1 FY 07. Semiconductor equipment...

One million PCs in use worldwide.(News)
August 1, 2008... According to Gartner, the number of installed PCs worldwide surpassed one billion units (as reported by DigiTimes). Gartner estimates the worldwide installed base of PCs is growing just under 12 percent annually and that it will surpass two...

Mentor publishes BGA routing book by Charles Pfeil.(News)
August 1, 2008... Wilsonville, Ore. -- Mentor Graphics Corporation published BGA Breakouts and Routing: Effective Design Methods for Very Large BGA, written by Charles Pfeil, engineering director of Mentor's Systems Design Division. The publication explores the...

Park releases first quarter results.(News)(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... Melville, N.Y. -- For Q1 FY 09, Park Electrochemical Corp. reported sales of USD 59,800,000, compared to sales of USD 57,077,000 for Q1 FY 08. Net earnings for Q1 FY 09 were USD 7,557,000, compared to USD 7,411,000 for Q1 FY 08. Basic and...

Calumet installs FASTechnologies' drill automation software.(News)
August 1, 2008... Calumet, Mich. -- Calumet Electronics installed FASTechnologies' SmartParts, the company's drill automation software. SmartParts will help Calumet improve drilling productivity, quality, and reliability, and its single download feature will...

Dow Chemical to raise prices again.(News)
August 1, 2008... Midland, Mich. -- The Dow Chemical Company raised the price of its products by as much as an additional 25 percent in July to offset the continuing rise in the cost of energy and hydrocarbon feedstocks. Dow Chemical will also implement a...

HMS and Uyemura form partnership.(News)
August 1, 2008... Germany and Ontario, Calif. -- HMS and Uyemura partnered to jointly market and sell desmear/electroless copper/copper plating packages in Japan as well as in parts of Asia. Uyemura received HMS' state-of-the-art plated through-hole and plating...

Titan Global Holdings names new electronics president and CEO, forms Titan Electronics Asia.(News)
August 1, 2008... Richardson, Tex. -- Titan Global Holdings appointed Michael Kadlec president and chief executive officer of Titan Electronics, Inc., formally known as Titan PCB West, Inc. Kadlec has worked in the industry since 1973 and most recently was a...

Bessette to head Rogers advanced circuit materials division.(News)
August 1, 2008... Chandler, Ariz. -- Rogers Corporation appointed Michael D. Bessette, vice president, to head up its Advanced Circuit Division (ACDM) in Chandler, Ariz. Previously, Bessette was with Rogers' Durel Division, where he was responsible for the...

Park Electrochemical names Nurmi new director of European sales.(News)
August 1, 2008... Melville, N.Y. -- Park Electrochemical Corp. appointed Robert Nurmi director of European sales. Previously, Nurmi was vice president of corporate development at Tonoga, Ltd.

Assel selects Valor's vPlan.(News)(Valor Computerized Systems Ltd.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Yavne, Israel -- Valor Computerized Systems Ltd was selected by Assel to provide vPlan--Valor's next-generation, enterprise-level process engineering software solution--for electronics assembly. vPlan will enable Assel to provide its customers...

RJR PCBs land on Mars.(News)
August 1, 2008... Denver -- RJR Circuits, Inc., provided prototype and flight PCBs for the Phoenix Mars Lander, which recently landed on Mars. RJR spent two to three years manufacturing various designs and looks to be a large part of new missions in the years to...

Sweden lifts ban on flame retardant Deca-BDE.(News)
August 1, 2008... Sweden -- The Swedish government, faced with a legal challenge from the EU, lifted its national ban on the use of flame retardant Deca-BDE in textiles, furniture, and some electronic cables. This move eliminated the government's inconsistency...

Endicott to collaborate with Binghamton and Cornell Universities to pioneer microelectronics manufacturing R&D.(News)
August 1, 2008... Endicott, N.Y. -- Endicott Interconnect Technologies' Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacutring (CAMM), which is a collaborative effort between Endicott and Binghamton and Cornell Universities, will pioneer microelectronics...

1,000 PCs sold every hour January through March 2008 in India.(News)
August 1, 2008... New Delhi -- According to an IDC study on the domestic PC market across India, computer shipments were nearly 1,000 PCs per hour in the previous quarter; Q1 FY 08 shipments exceeded 2.1 million, up from 1.9 million PCs in Q1 FY 07. This...

Cookson launches ZERO halogen initiative.(News)
August 1, 2008... South Plainfield, N.J. -- Cookson Electronics launched a ZERO halogen initiative for its ALPHA(r) branded products. The initative aims to assist electronics assemblers in their selection of materials that have either zero halogen content or...

Mentor reports first quarter numbers.(News)(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... Wilsonville, Ore. -- For Q1 FY 09, Mentor Graphics Corporation reported revenue of USD 179.2 million. Non-GAAP earnings per share were a loss of USD 0.10; on a GAAP basis, earnings per share were a loss of USD 0.30.

EMS/ODM industry set to undergo slowdown.(News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... El Segundo, Calif. -- iSupply Corp. adjusted its long-term growth forecast for global electronics contract-manufacturing revenue from 9.3 percent to 8 percent for the 2006 to 2013 timeframe. According to Adam Pick, principal analyst for...

Graphic PLC installs XACT PCB Registration System.(News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Crediton, U.K. -- Graphic PLC installed the XACT PCB Ltd Gemini-X Linear Plus Registration System, providing Graphic with a new level of registration control and the ability to accurately predict inner layer scale distortion at CAM prior to...

phoenix/x-ray opening new West Coast Demo and Customer Service Center.(News)
August 1, 2008... Newark, Calif. -- phoenix|x-ray opened a new West Coast Demo and Customer Service Center on June 5, located in the heart of Silicon Valley; the new site was established to better service customers in the area and to meet increasing demand for...

IPC announces new SMEMA council leadership.(News)
August 1, 2008... Bannockburn, Ill. -- IPC elected John Hartner, executive vice president, Dover Technologies, as IPC Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association (SMEMA) Council Steering Committee chair. Leo van de Vall, president and chief executive...

RFID market continues to grow.(News)
August 1, 2008... Cambridge, U.K. -- According to IDTechEx, the global RFID market continues to grow rapidly, with record orders up to USD 0.5 billion each. In 2008, demand for RFID is on target for USD 5.3 billion globally, and IDTechEx predicts the market will...

Fine lines in high yield (part CLV): advances in copper plating (part B).(Tech Talk)
August 1, 2008... Last month's Tech Talk covered several advances in copper plating, including environmental advances, and new applications such as copper pillar plating on wafers. But the focus was on bottom-up via fill processes for plating microvias shut and...

The importance of clean room space in flex circuit manufacturing.(Flexible Thinking)
August 1, 2008... While John Wesley is credited with saying "cleanliness is next to godliness," the proverbial concept has reportedly been used since biblical times to extol the importance of this fundamental virtue. Today, with flexible circuit features...

Creating connections between electronics design and manufacturing.
August 1, 2008... PCB design is just not what it used to be. Even though it has dramatically evolved over the last couple of decades, it has always tended to be a singular, focused task that a board designer can get stuck in while surfacing periodically for...

Have you considered the new market of photovoltaics?(Happy Thoughts)
August 1, 2008... Previously I talked about solid-state illumination. This installment is about another new PCB market, photovoltaics, also known as solar cells. It's curious, but the photovoltaic cell is another solid-state P-N junction, just like the LED, only...

Delighting the customer--one company that gets it.(View From the Middle)
August 1, 2008... In the last installment of this prolonged series on lean, I talked about the importance (and benefits) of having a good Voice of the Customer (VoC) program in place within your organization. This column will focus on the benefits portion of...

Seasonal upturn in a difficult economy.(Market Outlook)
August 1, 2008... Electronic equipment production growth slowed significantly this winter and spring in Southeast Asia and Japan (Chart 1). Consumer-focused goods (often made in Asia) have felt the brunt of the current economic downturn. Concurrently a stronger...

Photovoltaics: perhaps the best opportunity since plated through-hole.(Fein-Lines)
August 1, 2008... What are the topics you hear most about, well, besides the Hillary/Obama soap opera? They are dependence on foreign oil, price of oil, greenhouse gasses, and global warming. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let me start off by saying that I...

Minco releases expanded line of flexible heaters, free Sensors and Instruments Solutions Guide.(Technical Product Spotlights)
August 1, 2008... Minneapolis -- Minco released Thermal- Clear[TM] heaters, a new, expanded line of flexible heaters designed to provide accurate, reliable, and rapid heat in a light-weight, thin profile. The Thermal-Clear[TM] heaters feature a micro-thin...

HumiSeal publishes Conformal Coating Facts and Data Handbook.(Technical Product Spotlights)
August 1, 2008... Surrey, U.K. -- HumiSeal[R] published a new edition of the Conformal Coating Facts and Data Handbook, a 30-page guide designed to be a portal of information regarding the technology and processes surrounding conformal coatings. The book is...

YESTech releases new X3, 3D X-ray inspection system.(Technical Product Spotlights)
August 1, 2008... San Clemente, Calif. -- YESTech released a new X3, 3D x-ray inspection system for populated PCBs; the X-Series Automated X-Ray Inspection System (AXI) off ers PCB assembly manufacturers advanced 3D inspection capability for fast and complete...

Plasma3[TM] VCP replaces chemical priming for difficult to treat surfaces.(Technical Product Spotlights)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Enercon released the Plasma3[TM] VCP, which provides variable chemistry atmospheric plasma for difficult to treat surfaces. Specifically designed for treating sheets, boards, and objects with minimal contour, such as tubing and wire, the...

AWR introduces Version 2008 of its Microwave Office design environment.(Technical Product Spotlights)
August 1, 2008... El Segundo, Calif. -- AWR[R] released Version 2008 of its Microwave Office design environment; the upgraded software includes more than 100 enhancements and changes to the user interface, dramatically increasing user flexibility. Features such...

SunJet develops platform inkjet chemistry for conductive silver inks.(Technical Product Spotlights)
August 1, 2008... Dusseldorf, Germany -- SunJet, Sun Chemical's inkjet ink division, developed ink chemistry designed to support and deliver conductive films using nanoparticles of silver. According to Nigel Caiger, Sun Chemical's director of digital technology,...

PCB Matrix releases Constraint Rules Editor, free upgraded IPC-7351 LP Calculator.(Technical Product Spotlights)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Des Plaines, IL -- PCB Matrix Corp. released the PADS Layout Constraint Rules Editor, a software tool for PADS V5, V2004, V2005, and V2007. The editor optimizes the use of constraints and rules within PADS layout and provides constraint setup....

Laird deploys advanced 3D simulation tool to aid design of electronic devices.(Technical Product Spotlights)
August 1, 2008... St. Louis, Mo. -- Laird Technologies, Inc., deployed an advanced 3D simulation tool that aids the design of electronic devices; Laird is currently using the tool in rigorous 3D simulations for the design of complex mobile devices and advanced...

Events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... IPCA Expo 2008/ electronicIndia 2008 September 2-5, 2008 Bangalore www.ipcaindia.org IPC Midwest September 24-25, 2008 Schaumburg, Ill. www.ipc.org TPCA Show October 22-24, 2008 Taipei ...

6th annual buyers guide: your directory to PWB services and suppliers.(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2008... The CircuiTree 2008/2009 Buyers Guide is the one resource to keep on your desk this year when looking for products and services for your business. Go to p. xx for contact information for these companies. For up-to-date listings, go to...