CircuiTree articles from February 2005

CircuiTree archives from February 2005

Don't lose your spirit, America.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... Your editorial is very good in the recent December issue. Steve Gold's column "Can Miracles Happen?" ['The Way We See It' December 2004] gives a very realistic picture of the technological downturn in the U.S. I always admire the U.S. for its...

'We'll survive China'.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... How dare you call me and my fellow U.S. PCB manufacturers an "apathetic bunch"? How dare you accuse us of "whining" because we don't share your idea about how to help this industry? Participating in Capital Hill Day guarantees nothing. ...

Wise software's take on the future of PCB design.(SupplierSpotlight)(printed circuit boards)
February 1, 2005... Recently I was asked what sort of challenges I think the PCB Design community is going to face in 2005, with respect to manufacturing. Obviously, a big topic that has caused a great deal of discussion within the manufacturing community has been...

Better mail than jail ...(TheWayWeSeeIt)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... Christmas cards weren't the only mail we received this past December. Our last issue of 2004 inspired some spirited responses. In the words of a much maligned sports columnist, "Better mail than jail!" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I just...

Technology drivers that impact packaging and PWB structures: a discussion of how the IC, and electrical performance considerations influence material property and interconnect architecture requirements, using a CTQ (critical to quality) flow-down approach.
February 1, 2005... Integrated Circuits (ICs, chips) are "packaged," i.e., they are connected, or wired to first, second, and third level interconnect structures to become functional electronic devices (Figure 1). Advances in ICs have been driving changes in...

Electronic Packaging and Interconnection Handbook.(Book Review)
February 1, 2005... Charles Harper's popular "bible of electronic packaging" is an offspring of his original Handbook of Electronic Packaging. It is unique in the sense that it actually tries to cover all aspects of electronic packaging, which explains its...

Automotive electronics continues to boom.(Finance & Forecast)
February 1, 2005... The electronics content of motor vehicles--for ignition, engine diagnostics, anti-lock brakes, DVD players, and on-board infotainment--has surged in the last decade. Starting somewhere around 10 percent of the cost of an average vehicle in the...

Manufacturing integrated optical data buses: a discussion of the technology components required to create an integrated optical data bus using embedded optical interconnects.
February 1, 2005... Efforts to increase the speed of CMOS circuitry has led to the need for higher performing interconnects. This is especially true for backplanes and high-speed mother boards. While it has been challenging for the speed of electrical...

ACS Technologies installs lead-free HASL system.(Suppliers)(Hot Air Solder Leveling)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Dallas, TX -- ACS Technologies Inc. installed the first North American lead-free Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL) system at American PCB (Dallas, TX). ACS installed the Lantronic Model TT30 lead-free HASL system last November.

DDi gets second Ceco Hole Checker.(Suppliers)(Dynamic Details Inc.)(Ceco Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Anaheim, CA -- Ceco Industries Inc. recorded its second Hole Checker order from Dynamic Details, this time for the new model HC-8. The Ceco Hole Checker compares boards (after drilling, plating, and HAL) to the drill file to ensure that all...

Fabfile Online goes global.(Suppliers)(Computer hardware industry)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Palo Alto, CA -- Fabfile Online launched its international database of PCB fabricators. With over 1500 company listings, Fabfile Online offers the industry's most comprehensive directory of companies manufacturing PCBs. Fabfile founder, Harvey...

Systems Division gets $3.7 million in damages from Teknek.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Santa Ana, CA -- The Santa Ana Federal Court awarded $3 million to Systems Division, Inc., in its patent infringement lawsuit against Teknek Electronics Ltd. and Teknek LLC. The plaintiff company said the seven-member jury found that the...

TUC snags Panasonic order.(Suppliers)(Taiwan Union Technology)(Panasonic Mobile Communications Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Taiwan Union Technology (TUC) received verification for its inner-layer mass-lamination process from Panasonic Mobile Communications. The Japan-based handset maker will place orders with TUC starting in 2005 for laminates made with the process,...

Insulectro connects east and west coast ops.(Suppliers)(Insulectro Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Lake Forest, CA -- Insulectro completed start-up of a full fabrication and distribution center in Wood Dale, Illinois. The facility is located at 252 Beinoris Drive, in the heart of Chicago's PCB manufacturing region. The facility will support...

GOPEL opens more offices.(Suppliers)(GOPEL electronic GmbH )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The German company GOPEL electronic GmbH achieved record results in 2004. The vendor of electronic and optical test and measurement systems refers to a turnover of more than 11 million euro, which is an increase of 18% compared to the previous...

Orbotech gets multiple orders from LG Electronics.(Suppliers)(Orbotech Ltd.)(LG Electronics Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Yavne, Israel -- Orbotech received a major, multi-million dollar order from LG Electronics (Seoul, Korea) for a Paragon[TM]-8000 Laser Direct Imaging system, Discovery[TM], Spiron-AVIP[TM] and InFinex[TM] AOI systems and CAM software for use in...

Speedline home page now in Chinese.(Suppliers)(Speedline Technologies launches chinese language version of its website )
February 1, 2005... Singapore -- Speedline Technologies developed and launched a Chinese language version of its website (www.speedlinetech.com) as part of its expanding service to distributors, customers, and manufacturers throughout Asia. The new website...

Showa Denko goes green.(Suppliers)(Showa Denko KK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Showa Denko K.K established Green Purchase Guidelines as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Based on the guidelines, SDK will preferentially purchase environment-friendly products to contribute to the protection of...

SCS expands presence in China.(Suppliers)(Specialty Coating Systems)
February 1, 2005... Indianapolis, IN -- Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) opened SCS Shanghai, a full-service Parylene conformal coating facility in China. The facility will allow SCS to better serve its customers, respond to the growing demand for its specialized...

Park Electrochemical to double capacity in Waterbury.(Suppliers)(Park Electrochemical Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Park Electrochemical Corp. said it will effectively double production capacity at its FiberCote Industries Inc. plant in Waterbury, Connecticut once new equipment being installed comes on line late next year. The company did not say how much...

Printar named one of 2005's Technology Pioneers.(Suppliers)(Printar Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Rehovot -- Printar Ltd., a manufacturer of digital printing equipment for the PCB industry, was nominated as one of 29 companies selected by the World Economic Forum as 2005's "Technology Pioneers." The companies, whose products range from...

Park Electrochemical names Elliot President of Neltec.
February 1, 2005... Lake Success, NY -- Park Electrochemical Corp.appointed Howard R. Elliott as the President of Neltec, Inc., Park's high-technology circuitry material business unit located in Tempe, Arizona. Elliott has over twenty years of management...

Innovex buys Gould's base material manufacturing assets.(Innovex Inc.)(Gould Electronics Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Maple Plains, MN -- Innovex Inc. bought the assets used to manufacture adhesiveless, copper clad polyimide from Gould[.sup.-] Electronics Inc. Copper clad polyimide is the base material utilized by Innovex to manufacture flexible circuits....

Dow Corning hopes for good chemistry.(Interview with Marjorie Dwane )(Interview)
February 1, 2005... The conductive polymer market is expected to see significant growth over the next few years, with demand in the U.S. alone increasing 5.9 percent annually to become a $4.5 billion market by 2008. As the specialty chemicals market for...

Excellon releases 'Concept 129'.(Products)(Excellon Automation Co. launches routers (Network hardware))(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Torrance, CA -- Excellon Automation released its Concept 129 Precision Driller/Router. With all of the high value features of the Concept 129 including vision, the Concept 129 Precision Driller/Router is equipped with a 20,000-125,000 rpm Air...

Advanced Coatings International, Tech-Etch reach agreement.(Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Akron, OH -- Advanced Coatings International (ACI) completed an agreement with Tech-Etch (Plymouth, MA) in which the latter will test ACI's patented water-borne photoresist technology to manufacture high precision parts. Tech-Etch is a leader...

Mentor Graphics announces new design capabilities.(Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Wilsonville, OR -- Mentor Graphics incorporated advanced design capabilities for flex and rigid-flex boards into its Expedition[TM] and Board Station[R] RE PCB layout tools. Mentor Graphics is meeting the growing need of customers in the...

LPKF Laser & Electronics simplifies MIDs.(Products)(LPKF Laser and Electronics AG)
February 1, 2005... Garbsen, Germany -- LPKF Laser & Electronics AG developed a new technology that drastically simplifies Molded Interconnect Device (MID) production. The company's Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) method can produce a MID in three steps. The...

PTC develops new tools for validation, WEEE compliance.(Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Needham, MA -- PTC is developing new product capabilities for electronics design validation and advanced environmental regulation compliance support. With its release of InterComm[TM] EDAcompare, PTC provides a solution that allows users to...

StrataFlex increases capacity with OEM Vacuum Press.(Products)(StrataFLEX Corp)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Fullerton, CA -- As the demand for its high reliability flex and rigid-flex circuits continues to grow, StrataFLEX Corporation has increased production capacity with the installation of an OEM Vacuum Lamination Press System designed for the...

Chaucer Group renamed R L Harmon Group.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The former Chaucer Group, Concord LLC (Concord NH), was renamed R L Harmon Group, LLC. The primary focus will continue to be executive searches for high-tech manufacturing companies on a national basis and manufacturing in the automotive,...

Temporary Process Change control.(ViewFromTheMiddle)
February 1, 2005... Change is a given. While this adage may be quite true and normally a good thing, it can cause havoc in the documentation system of a printed circuit operation. Change is good, but the operative word is "controlled" change relative to the...

Coretec.(People)(Appointment of Jonathan Schofield )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Toronto -- Coretec Inc. appointed Jonathan Schofield as COO. He assumes the operational leadership role for Coretec's facilities in Canada and the U.S. The company also announced the departure of its current COO, Barry Bristow. He was one...

Rohm and Haas.(People)(Dr. J. Michael Fitzpatrick retires)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Philadelphia, PA -- Rohm and Haas announced that Dr. J. Michael Fitzpatrick, president and COO, retired in January.

Ceco Industries.(People)(Appointment of John Sun)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... John Sun joined Ceco China as Sales Manager and International Liaison. Sun has a degree in mechanical equipment manufacture and design, with extensive background in equipment sales and customer support.

Prestwick Circuits.(People)(Appointment of Alan Forrest )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... TT electronics Prestwick Circuits appointed Alan Forrest as the engineering team's New Product Development Engineer; Gary Bradbury as Multilayer Production Manager; and Nicholas Rutherford as Manufacturing Engineer. The company also appointed...

Enthone.(People)(Appointment of Huub van Dun )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... West Haven, CT -- Cookson Electronics has named Huub van Dun president of Enthone Inc. van Dun will have profit and loss responsibility for the entire worldwide Enthone business. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

IPC Steering Committee.(People)(Institute of Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Bannockburn, IL -- IPC announced new steering committee members have been appointed to the TMRC Steering and IMS/PCB Management Council Steering Committees. The following four individuals were recently elected new TMRC Steering Committee...

Park Electrochemical.(People)(Appointment of Wilson Zhiyu Xia, Louis J. Stans and Jonathan Spiegel )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Lake Success, NY -- Park Electrochemical Corp. appointed Wilson Zhiyu Xia as Director of Technology, Asia Pacific region. The company also named Louis J. Stans as Vice President of Engineering, and Jonathan Spiegel as Product Director.

Heraeus Circuit Materials Division.(People)(Appointment of Maureen Nunn)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... West Conshohocken, PA -- Maureen Nunn was named Senior Research Chemist for Heraeus Circuit Materials Division R & D group. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Showa Denko.(People)(Mitsuo Ohashi resigns)(Showa Denko KK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Tokyo -- Showa Denko K.K. announced that Mitsuo Ohashi resigned as president and CEO to become Representative Director and Chairman of the company. Kyohei Takahashi, Senior Managing Director, succeeds Ohashi.

Speedline Technologies.(People)(Appointment of Keith Favre )
February 1, 2005... Speedline Technologies named Keith Favre as the Vice President, Marketing and Business Development.

Taconic.(People)(Appointment of Jim O'Keefe)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Petersburgh, NY -- Taconic announced that Jim O'Keefe, president and co-CEO of Taconic left under mutual agreement to pursue other interests. A new president and co-CEO will not be named. Andrew Russell will continue as sole Taconic CEO and...

ZMD AG.(People)(Appointment of David Sanchez )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Melville, NY -- ZMD AG appointed David Sanchez as its Distribution Sales and Marketing Manager for the North American standard products (ASSP) business unit. For a list of positions available, check in at NDS Associates Web Site...

Executive explanations: Harald Ahnert.(Interview)(Interview)
February 1, 2005... While traveling in Europe late in 2004, CircuiTree had the opportunity to visit Atotech's global headquarters in Berlin, Germany. We sat down with Atotech's Harald Ahnert to discuss the company's current progress and future product development...

Marketing matters.
February 1, 2005... I would guess that the vast majority of people reading this column have bought--or may be in the process of buying--a house. It's a big investment for most of us, and one that we do not take lightly. There are so many things to consider. The...

The future of Direct Writing in electronics: Direct Writing allows designers and manufacturers to bypass the traditional staged assembly process or part-specific tooling and "grow prototypes" that will operate as a final product.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... Direct Writing describes any technique or process capable of depositing, dispensing, or processing (including removal of) different types of materials over various surfaces following a preset computer-generated pattern or layout. A general...

Coming soon: upward PCB correction in a flat market?(MarketOutlook)(printed circuit boards)(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2005... The world's rigid and flex PCB industry grew about 13% in 2004 (at constant currency exchange) based upon Ed Henderson's and Dr. Hayao Nakahara's ongoing market analyses. Asia's total share now exceeds 75% with N. America below 15% (Chart 1)....

A year in review: China's PCB industry of 2004; China Printed Circuit Association's President opens up about China's success--and anxiety--on what 2005 holds as his country becomes one of the world's leading PCB manufacturers.(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2005... What a year for China's electronics industry! The electronic information industry has become one of China's primary industries, and the importance of printed circuits is gaining more and more recognition. In 2003, there were two breakthroughs....

The continuing saga of tool development for flex circuit manufacturing.(FlexibleThinking)
February 1, 2005... Flexible circuit technology continues to grow in strength and influence. While PCB manufacturing continues to move to the Far East, the development of innovative tools for their manufacture is still alive and well--and remaining at home. ...

Parlex, Infineon Technologies create JV.(Fabrication)
February 1, 2005... Methuen, MA -- Parlex Corp. and Infineon Technologies AG agreed to establish a joint venture company to manufacture and sell advanced technology substrates for secure mobile electronic identification products. The joint venture will be...

Merix acquires Data Circuit Systems.(Fabrication)(Merix Corp. (Forest Grove, Oregon))(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Forest Grove, OR -- Merix acquired Data Circuit Systems (San Jose, CA), Inc., a provider of high velocity, quick-turn PCB services for a total purchase price of $43 million, consisting of $41 million in cash and a $2 million note. For its...

Ruwel to lease $76 million plant.(Fabrication)(Tetarom SA)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Cluj-Napoca, Romania -- Ruwel AG signed an agreement with Tetarom SA, operator of the Cluj-Napoca industrial park in Romania, to lease a 7.4-ha plot for its $76.4 million plant. The construction of the plant, to produce PCBs for the automobile...

Coretec ponders consolidation of factories.(Fabrication)(Coretec Inc. consolidates its three facilities into a single site)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Toronto -- Coretec is considering the consolidation of its three Toronto facilities into a single site. The company said it's examining a range of alternatives, which includes reconsidering plans to sell its 95,000 square foot Sheppard...

GSPK to merge fab and design operations.(Fabrication)(GSPK Circuits Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Knaresborough, UK -- GSPK is lining up a merger of two of its operating divisions. Steve Lloyd, MD of GSPK Design has taken on a similar role at GSPK Circuits. "This is a long-term plan and it is hoped that GSPK Design and GSPK Circuits will...

IPS completes 'best' merger.(Fabrication)(Integrated Performance Systems merges with Lone Star Circuits )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Frisco, TX -- Integrated Performance Systems completed its merger with Best Circuit Boards, DBA: Lone Star Circuits (LSC), a contract manufacturer of complex, high performance circuit boards located in Wylie, Texas. LSC will be a wholly owned...

Topsearch invests millions in new China plants.(Fabrication)(Topsearch International Inc)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Hong Kong -- Topsearch International said its new $51.4 million facility in Shekou, and its $29.6 million facility in Shaoguan opening in the first quarter of 2005 will increase sales of higher margin, multilayer products to 50 percent of total...

Photocircuits stays in New York.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Glen Cove, NY -- Photocircuits Corp. plans to fold the bulk of its manufacturing operations from Georgia into its facility in Glen Cove, New York. The company will invest $3.6 million in machinery and equipment as part of the consolidation, and...

AT & S chooses Camtek's Dragon.(Fabrication)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Israel -- AT & S selected Camtek's Dragon, an automatic optical inspection (AOI) system for inspection of mass PCB production. The order included systems for new automated AOI lines in AT & S' plants in Austria and China. The Dragon systems...

XAAR, Invint agree to pool resources in printable electronics.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... XAAR, the Cambridge-based manufacturer of ink-jet printheads, and Invint Limited of East Kilbride, leaders in the application of conductive polymers to interconnect applications, announced an agreement to jointly pursue opportunities in the...

Fine lines in high yields (Part CXII): alkaline etching (Part B).(TechTalk)
February 1, 2005... Basic Chemistry The basic chemistry of ammoniacal etching was covered in Part A but is highlighted here again to facilitate the lead into the following discussion of process parameters. The basic chemical reaction for alkaline cupric...

CPCA show 2005: product preview; A quick preview of new products you can find exhibited this year at the CPCA show in Shanghai.(International Electronic Circuits Exhibition)
February 1, 2005... The annual International Electronic Circuits Exhibition (CPCA Show 2005) will be held March 16-18, 2005, in Shanghai, China. CircuiTree has once again solicited information from its advertiser-exhibitors to create a product preview section...

Elcoteq buys Thomson's Mexican fab operations.(Board Buyers)(Elcoteq Network Corp. buys Thomson (Paris, France))(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Helsinki -- Finland's Elcoteq signed an outsourcing deal with French technology company Thomson, which will boost sales for Europe's largest electronics contract manufacturer by some $300 million in 2005. Elcoteq said the deal, which includes...

Flextronics acquires .(Board Buyers)(Flextronics International Ltd. (Singapore) acquiresDeccanet Designs Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Bangalore, India -- Flextronics International Inc. acquired Deccanet Designs Ltd., a telecommunications supplier providing software and hardware design services. The sale price was not disclosed. "The addition of Deccanet will strengthen...

Preco Electronics gets Excellence Award.(Board Buyers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Morton, IL -- Preco Electronics was awarded the 2004 Lincoln Bronze Award for Commitment to Excellence by the Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence. The Lincoln Award is Illinois' version of the Baldrige National Quality Award, the...

Jabil to add 1,000 jobs in Hungary.(Board Buyers)(Jabil Circuit Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Szombathely, Hungary -- Jabil Circuit Inc. is likely to create some 1,000 new jobs in Szombathely, central Hungary, once its plant there is completed and starts operations. The local subsidiary of the U.S. company Jabil Circuit Kft., has...

IBM, Lenovo finalize PC deal.(Board Buyers)(Lenovo Group Ltd. acquires International Business Machines Corp. division)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Armonk, NY-IBM and Lenovo Group Ltd. announced a definitive agreement under which Lenovo will acquire IBM's Personal Computing Division to form the world's third-largest PC business, bringing IBM's leading enterprise-class PC technologies to...

Philips establishes R & D campus in Shanghai.(Board Buyers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Amsterdam -- Dutch Philips Electronics said it and the science and technology commission of the Shanghai municipality would establish a Philips innovation campus in the Chinese city. Philips said in a statement that the total construction area...

Sanmina-SCI gets auto standard certification.(Board Buyers)
February 1, 2005... Gunzenhausen, Germany -- Sanmina-SCI Corp. announced that its automotive manufacturing facility in Gunzenhausen, Germany, has successfully passed the registration audit for ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification. The newly received certification is...

Controlling size-change of phototooling films: having a good understanding of phototooling film characteristics can make the difference between using the materials easily and always fighting problems.
February 1, 2005... In the manufacture of multi-layer PCBs there are many causes of layer-to-layer mis-registration. One of the more common problems is phototools that are not the correct size. Although this is a common problem, most people don't understand the...

Orbotech gets major order from Quanta Display.
February 1, 2005... Yavne, Israel -- Orbotech Ltd. received a major additional order from Taiwan-based Quanta Display Inc. for multiple automated optical inspection (AOI) systems, in both in-line and off-line configurations, as well as EYES-2020[TM] data analysis...

A complete offering of surface finishes: from OSP to immersion silver; The plating and surface finishing contract manufacturer Markus Hofstetter (Switzerland) is investing in modern processing equipment.
February 1, 2005... Copper can tarnish under normal ambient conditions relatively quickly. To preserve solderability and avoid corrosion over extended periods of time, all exposed copper features on a PWB are protected by a surface finish. The importance of...

DownStream Technologies announces CAM350 Release 8.7.
February 1, 2005... Bolton, MA -- DownStream Technologies, LLC announced CAM350 Release 8.7, the latest version of its PCB CAM solution. With this release DownStream begins to execute on its 2005 corporate roadmap that will include updates to their flagship...

Southern China's trade fair blossoms in winter: the Pearl River Delta is now one of the world's premier manufacturing regions. Suppliers still not targeting this part of the world do so at their own peril.(2004 International Printed Circuit and Electronics Assembly Fair)
February 1, 2005... Hong Kong -- The 2004 International Printed Circuit and Electronics Assembly Fair, jointly organized by Hong Kong Printed Circuit Association (HKPCA) and IPC, is quickly becoming another "must attend" event for suppliers looking to serve PCB...

Events.(Calendar)
February 1, 2005... February 1-2, 2005 CCA Sacramento Day Sacramento, CA E-mail: rcrowe@ipc.org Visit: www.calcircuits.org/sacday.htm February 19-27, 2005 IPC Designers Summit Anaheim, CA Visit www.ipc.org February 21-25,...