CircuiTree articles from January 2003

CircuiTree archives from January 2003

Letters.
January 1, 2003... Setting the Record Straight on Solderable Finishes There are a lot of misconceptions about solderable finishes. Nobody says anything new, so why is this subject so emotive? I am a materials scientist (used to be called metallurgy) in my...

Multek closes two facilities. (Web Spotlight).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Singapore -- Multek closed its PCB fabrication facilities in Irvine, Calif., and Kumla, Sweden. In an effort to reduce operating costs, the company is consolidating its North American operations by closing the facility in Irvine and...

Start International offers new copper thickness tester, white reticles. (Web Spotlight).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Dallas, Texas -- Start International introduced its new Coppertron copper thickness tester. The tester provides instant and precise measurement of copper foil thickness. Weighing in at 5.3 oz. (150 g) and, operating off one 9-volt battery, it...

Should we stay or should we go? (The Way We See It).(IPC Expo)(Column)
January 1, 2003... I'm finishing a dance at a Bay Area Christmas party when who should stride up alongside me but Joe Reader. "Boy were you ever wrong about this year," he says loudly with a pat on my back and a satisfied smile. "Should I even ask you for a...

Microvia drilling benefits from new Q-switched [CO.sub.2] laser technology.
January 1, 2003... New technologies must be developed for high-density via formation. One technology, a Q-switched RF-excited waveguide [CO.sub.2] laser, promises to increase via drilling output with its high-repetition rate performance. Even in the current...

MP&M victory expected. (Environmentally Speaking).(Environmental Protection Agency, Metal Products and Machinery regulations)(Column)
January 1, 2003... As we went to press with this issue, I am cautiously optimistic of a total industry victory on the EPA proposed Metal Products and Machinery (MP&M) regulation. When the EPA finalizes the proposed MP&M regulations in February 2003, I expect them...

Comdex '02: for everything there is a season. (Fein-Lines).
January 1, 2003... How many of you remember the early NepCon shows? The first one I attended was in Philadelphia in 1966, a modest affair where the founder of the show and publisher of EP&P, Milt Kever, walked the floor and spoke to everyone. Twenty years later,...

Shipley develops new copper plating chemistry.(Shipley Company L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Marlborough, MA -- Shipley Company LLC developed a new three-component copper plating chemical system for advanced interconnect applications. The benefits of the copper plating chemistry include: robust gapfill, ultralevel copper film...

Endicott Interconnect Technologies. (People).(new president and CEO)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Endicott, NY -- James J. McNamara, Jr. is now president and CEO for Endicott Interconnect Technologies Inc. McNamara has 33 years experience in building manufacturing and service-based business operations worldwide. In his former position, he...

Enthone. (People).(hires senior scientists )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... West Haven, CT -- Enthone Inc. appointed two senior scientists: Dr. Chen Xu and Dr. Chonglun Fan. Xu's primary responsibility will be materials development and characterization, evaluating structures and properties of electroplated films, and...

Advanced Circuit Technology. (People).(hires James M. Mahoney)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Nashua, NH -- Advanced Circuit Technology Inc. hired James M. Mahoney, former Teledyne Electronics Technologies' rigid-flex circuit manager. Mahoney will assume the role of Project Leader for Advanced Circuit Technology's entry into the rigid...

Taiyo America. (People).(promotions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Carson City, NV -- Taiyo America Inc. announced the following promotions. Rich Radigan was promoted to National Sales Manager for Taiyo America Inc. and will be responsible for sales and service of Taiyo products in North America and South...

Rohm and Hass. (People).(Rodel Inc.'s new CEO is Nicholas Gutwein)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Philadelphia, PA -- Rohm and Haas Co. announced new leadership roles for its Electronic Materials Group. Nicholas Gutwein became president and CEO of Rodel Inc., a division of the company's Electronic Materials Business Group. He will remain a...

IPC. (People).(Ron Underwood receives award)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Northbrook, IL -- IPC honored Ron Underwood with its 2002 IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at the 2002 IPC Annual Meeting (New Orleans, LA). Based on exceptional lifetime achievement, the award is IPC's highest level of recognition....

The Electra Group. (People).(appointment of Shaun Tibbals)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Electra Group announced Shaun Tibbals has been appointed Business Manager, Electra Asia/Pacific. Tibbals will be responsible for the Electra Group's activities in the Pacific Rim, including Chinese-speaking countries, as well as Korea,...

Paar Physica USA. (People).(appointment of Pete Wheeler and Reinhard Eberl)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ashland, VA -- Paar Physica USA, the U.S. distributor of Physica research and quality control grade rheometers and viscometers announced the addition of Pete Wheeler as Consulting Rheologist for the mid-west, and Reinhard Eberl as National...

Plexus. (People).(appointment of Gordon Bitter)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Neenah, WI -- Plexus Corp. announced that Gordon Bitter joined the company as vice president and CFO. He will take over from Tom Sabol, who transitioned to the role of COO in July 2002.

Pro-Tech teaches Congressman about PWBs.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Pro-Tech is one of those companies that says what they think (just ask the IPC and CCA), and backs their words with action. Founded in 1983 by Chuck McGarry and Robert Walker, Pro-Tech grew rapidly in the 1990s. However, just as most in the PWB...

Impact of backplane characteristics on the production process: as backplane production becomes more specialized, state-of-the-art inspection and verification machines are essential.
January 1, 2003... The production process of PCBs is fairly standard and well known within industry circles. However, when it comes to the production of backplanes--large PCBs used to connect a number of boards to one system--the process is anything but standard....

Advanced West launches Web Site. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Advanced West, a leader for rebuilt equipment in the printed circuit and chemical milling industries, has launched its new Web Site, www.AdvancedWest.com. The site allows users to quickly access descriptions and photos of the company's...

Mask Tek expands service. (Suppliers).(Mask Technology Inc.'s hot air solder leveling services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Santa Ana, CA -- Mask Technology Inc. has expanded its hot air solder leveling services with the installation of a Teledyne Halco Model 350 Horizontal Solder Coating System.

Proms moves to new facility. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Lake Forest, CA -- Proms moved to its new facility located in Lake Forest, California, on November 1, 2002. The company is now at 1 Orchard Road, Suite 100, Lake Forest, CA 92610. After over a decade in Irvine, the company upgraded its...

Polyclad Laminates Malaysia receives ISO 9001:2000 certification. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Londonderry, NH -- Polyclad Laminates Inc. received certification to the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System (QMS) for its operation located in Kuching, Malaysia. Sirim QAS Sdn. Bhd. conducted the independent, third party certification. ...

ISU Petasys achieves ISO 9001:2000. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ISU Petasys announced it has achieved its ISO 9001:2000 certification. The company opened its Advanced Technology Quick-Turn facility in Southern California in August 2001. One year later, it celebrated with ISO certification. Thanks to the...

Wise Software Solutions, ScanCAD International strike deal. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Newberg, OR -- Wise Software Solutions Inc. formed an OEM partnership with ScanCAD International Inc. ScanCAD will bundle the Wise GT-Inspector product with its ScanStencil (Stencil/Screen Inspection) and ScanInspect AFI (Automatic Film...

Jet Circuits invests in AOT. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Walton-on-Thames, UK -- Jet Circuits' Wisconsin facility took delivery of an Excalibur AOT system. This system has the fastest scan speed for any given resolution from any contemporary system; it is being use by Jet for complex prototype work.

Shipley, Numerical Technologies forge partnership. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Marlborough, MA -- Shipley Company established a partnership for low k1 lithography imaging with Numerical Technologies Inc. The companies will work to optimize resist performance for use with alternating aperture phase-shift masks (AAPSM),...

Atotech USA to 'consolidate' State College facility. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... State College, PA -- Atotech USA Inc. announced it will close its State College operations in six to nine months, consolidating the operations with its U.S. headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The company's Electronics Surface Treatment...

FASTechnologies relocates. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Big Lake, MN -- FASTechnologies Corp. announced its office relocation and change of its phone numbers. The company is now located at 20021 215th Ave., Big Lake MN 55309. Call 949-551-4135 or visit www.fastechnologies.com.

Technic, MarkFine announce MoU for inkjet technology. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Cranston, RI -- Technic Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MarkFine Co. Ltd., a Japanese-UK joint venture company (Kyoto, Japan). MarkFine has developed equipment and materials using proprietary ink-jet technology for direct...

Resco announces new installations. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Hyderabad, India -- Resco announced it installed a new shadow line ECIL (Hyderabad, India). An informal technical cooperation was formed to insure that Resco's new Shadow design would process multi-layers with high reliability....

Automa-Tech signs Chinese joint venture agreement. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... China -- Following the establishment of its Chinese subsidiary in 2001, Automa-Tech announced it signed an agreement to create a joint venture with Sichuan Yijing PCB, a Chinese PCB equipment maker. Automa-Tech will have a controlling stake...

Ohio Design Automation releases InterComm 4.0. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Nashua, NH -- Ohio Design Automation Inc. announced that it has begun shipping InterComm 4.0 on UNIX platforms. Ohio-DA now offers InterComm on both UNIX and Windows.

CCA members gear up for 'Sacramento Day'.(California Circuits Association )
January 1, 2003... Sacramento, CA -- The IPC California Circuits Association (CCA) will hold its first annual "Sacramento Day" on February 4-5, 2003. Participants will meet with government agencies and selected legislators to discuss the status of the printed...

The strategic value of ISO. (View from the Middle).(Column)
January 1, 2003... Before beginning, I would like to submit some interesting background on ISO. The name ISO is not a misplaced acronym for International Organization for Standardization, as is widely believed. The word ISO is derived from the Greek word isos,...

Executive explanations.(Uri Feldman discusses PCB Solutions management goals and corporate strategies)(Interview)
January 1, 2003... Each month, CircuiTree publishes an interview with a business leader from the printed circuit industry. This month's guest is Uri Feldman, CEO of Frontline PCB Solutions, a joint venture of Orbotech and Valor, providing technology...

Hole preparation & metalization of high aspect ratio, high reliability backpanels: a discussion of what technology challenges face the fabricator in creating high-layer count, large format back planes.
January 1, 2003... High-layer count large format back planes are the life blood of several PWB fabricators. A review of several of these companies' technology roadmaps tells a vivid story. Certainly, manufacturers engaged in this type of work have invested...

Fine lines in high yield (Part LXXXVIII): step tablets (gray scales; step wedges) Part A. (Tech Talk).(Column)
January 1, 2003... Those of you who work in "yellow rooms are quite familiar with step tablets, but I suppose the rest of the world isn't. Tech Talk will feature a three-part series covering this topic, starting this month with an introduction to fundamental...

Process options for copper circuit manufacture. (Flexible Thinking).
January 1, 2003... Additive, semi-additive, semi-subtractive, subtractive.... Whether they are rigid or flexible, this is the basic shopping list of methods for creating copper circuits for printed circuits. While previous columns have touched on the different...

Arlon introduces halogen-free 65GT. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Arlon's new 65GT is the first UL 94V-O halogen-free epoxy on Thermount, laminate and prepreg system, allowing circuit designers the option of "going green" without sacrificing functionality or performance. Arlon 65GT comes with all of the...

Atotech introduces InPulse 2. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Atotech introduced the new InPulse 2 copper plating system, which extends the limits of horizontal plating technology. With a full range of technical improvements like minimum anode/cathode distance, wide area contact system and matching...

Maintech announces air cutter upgrade. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Maintech announced it has designed the air cutter system used on its Maintech DFL series laminators to be retrofitted onto all older model Hakuto laminators. These models include the Hercules AL200, the Dynachem 1500Bs and 1500Cs, and Hakuto's...

Acu-Gage reveals new measuring system. (Products).(Acu-Gage Systems )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Manchester, NH -- Acu-Gage Systems announced a new multi-sensor measuring system incorporating both video and high-resolution laser scanning capabilities. This new non-contact three-dimensional measurement system integrates the Optimet...

Laminate and prepreg systems. (Products).(Polyclad Laminates Inc. offers new products)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Londonderry, NH -- Polyclad Laminates Inc. introduced a new line of polyimide copper-clad laminates and prepregs. Based on bismaleimide (BMI) type resin, the systems are engineered for use in rigid, high temperature PWB applications. The pure...

TruCure system approved by Electra Polymers & Chemicals. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Farmington, AR -- ACS Technologies Inc.'s TruCure process was approved by Electra Polymers & Chemicals Ltd. A document sent to ACS Technologies from Electra Polymers stated "Electra has tested [PCBs] processed using Carapace [R] EMP110 and the...

Polyclad introduces polyimide HMS, announces first sale of HMS Speedline HDI to Taiwan. (Products).(Phoenix Precision Technology orders Desmear-Electroless-Copper system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Hollmuller Maschinenbau GmbH (HMS) announced that Phoenix Precision Technology (Taiwan) ordered another Desmear-Electroless-Copper system, based on the latest HMS Speedline HDI technology. The new Desmear-Electroless-Copper system is a logical...

The China syndrome: addressing a new paradigm.(printed circuit manufacturing and assembly industries grow in China)
January 1, 2003... A recent trip to Asia highlighted many of the issues facing the printed circuit manufacturing and assembly industries, and the challenges facing us. Meetings with suppliers and manufacturers from all over the world and data from industry trade...

Carolina Circuits closes. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Greenville, SC -- In another blow to U.S. printed circuit board capacity, Carolina Circuits, a subsidiary of Solectron Corp., announced it closed its doors in November, ITN Technology Corp., a Taiwanese PCB broker, initially planned to acquire...

M~Wave strikes multi-million dollar agreements. (Fabrication).(M-Wave Inc. reaches deal with Harvard Custom Manufacturing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Chicago, IL -- M-Wave Inc. announced that it signed a three-year supply chain management agreement with Harvard Custom Manufacturing (Salisbury, MD). HCM assembles and tests electronic equipment for OEMs. The company expects to ship...

Zincocelere buy-out complete. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Cavaglia Italy -- Zincocelere is once again Italian-owned thanks to a 10 million Euro management buy-out operation conducted by four managers, and supported by Centrobanca. The company supplies European companies of the automotive,...

TTM Technologies closes Burlington plant. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Redmond, WA -- TTM Technologies Inc. will close its plant in Burlington, Washington, by the end of 2002. Production from Burlington will be consolidated into TTM's Redmond facility. As a result, the company expects to generate annual cost...

DDi adds Kamtronics. (Fabrication).(DDi Europe)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Wiltshire, UK -- DDi Europe announced it has acquired Kamtronics, a PCB reseller. Kamtronics will be merged into one of DDi's European subsidiaries, DDi International. The new organization will be located in Kamtronics' facilities in Wiltshire,...

Crest Circuits, ACS announce TruCure delivery. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Farmington, AK -- ACS Technologies Inc., in conjunction with its Canadian sales representative, Novotron International Technologies, announced that Crest Circuits (Markham, Canada) took delivery of the TruCure model TC243.

PC Boards wins Preferred Supplied award from Tektronix. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Chanute, KS -- PC Boards Inc. achieved Preferred Supplier status as a PCB supplier from Tektronix Inc. The award was given in recognition of PC Boards' performance in the areas of quality, delivery, pricing and responsiveness.

More Taiwanese building PCB plants in China. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Wuxi, China -- Even as PCB analysts raise fears of over-capacity in China's PCB industry, companies continue to build more factories. Yang An Electronics Co. Ltd. announced it will build a PCB plant in Wuxi, China, with an expected capacity of...

Electropac, PCC agree to combine business. (Fabrication).(signs deal with Printed Circuit Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Woburn, MA -- Electropac Co. Inc. (EPAC) announced an agreement with Printed Circuit Corporation (PCC) to combine PCC's business base into Electropac's manufacturing operations in New Hampshire and Canada. PCC agreed to transfer intellectual...

Polyclad Laminates expands Elk Grove, California operation.
January 1, 2003... Londonderry, NH -- Polyclad Laminates Inc., a Cookson Electronics PWB Materials & Chemistry business, announced it will invest over $6,000,000 to expand and advance laminate and prepreg manufacturing at the company's Elk Grove, California...

IPC participates in Optoelectronics: Packaging and Manufacturing symposium. (News from Northbrook).
January 1, 2003... I recently returned from Binghamton (NY) University that hosted a symposium titled "Optoelectronics: Packaging and Manufacturing." IPC, JEDEC--the solid state technology association, the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA), and the...

Gore hosts technology seminar, opens PCB technology lab.(Fall Technology Days seminar)
January 1, 2003... Elkton, MD -- W. L. Gore and Associates Inc. hosted its first "Fall Technology Days" seminar on October 22-23, 2002. The event spotlighted new products and technologies for multiple sectors of the electronics industry, while also celebrating...

Trade show tenacity in Taiwan: impressions from the TCPA Show and Technical Forum 2002.(Taiwan Printed Circuit Association)
January 1, 2003... The Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) held its third show under the motto "Lighting PCB New Vision" from October 31 through November 2, 2002 at the Taipei World Trade Center. While the show opened on the day of Halloween, it did not...

So, you want to know more about lasers? (Seeing the Light).(laser materials processing )(Column)
January 1, 2003... I am frequently contacted by a number of people asking me where they can get more information on laser materials processing. I try to present a good deal of information in this column which I have been writing now going into my third year, but...

The road ahead: generally flat with some curves and potholes. (Market Outlook).(PCB orders dip in October)
January 1, 2003... After three months of successive order growth, N. American rigid PCB orders dipped in October (Chart 1). It appears that there just wasn't enough end-market demand to sustain a recovery. Electronic equipment orders, which have been...

Siemens divests Beeston PCB factory. (Board Buyers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In the latest move that has an OEM divesting a PCB facility, Siemens announced that it sold its PCB plant (Beeston, UK) to a management buy-out group for an undisclosed sum. The new organization, SMS Electronics, makes, assembles and tests...

Nam Tai completes new factory. (Board Buyers).(Nam Tai Electronics Inc. completes factory in China)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Vancouver, Canada--Nam Tai Electronics Inc. completed construction work of its new factory in Shenzhen, China. The newly built five-story factory adds approximately 138,000 sq. ft. of production facilities to Nam Tal, increasing manufacturing...

Sanmina not done cutting PCB capacity. (Board Buyers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Owego, NY -- Sanmina-SCI Corp. said it will make more cuts in its operations, including PCB manufacture, reducing its global manufacturing space by 3.5 million square feet. Although the company would not provide specific details, Sanmina-SCI...

Flextronics receives award for lead-free process. (Board Buyers).(acquires Azisa )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Singapore -- Flextronics received an award from Motorola GTSS Operations for its lead-free manufacturing process. In cooperation with Motorola, the plaque was awarded to Flextronics for developing and implementing a lead-free solder process at...

Solectron, Lucent announce 'buy-back' deal. (Board Buyers).(Solectron Corp., Lucent Technologies )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Milpitas, CA -- Solectron Corp. announced that it struck a deal with Lucent Technologies to unravel an earlier outsourcing and asset purchase agreement signed last May. Per the agreement, Lucent will buy back equipment and unused inventory...

Philips sells PCB plants. (Board Buyers).(Philips India Ltd. to sell facility in Pimpri, India)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Pune, India -- Philips India Ltd. (PIL) announced it is selling its PCB plant (Pimpri, India) to PCB Contract Manufacturing Services (India) Private Ltd. (PCMSL). This comes on the heels of PIL's parent, Koninklike Philips Electronics NV...

IPC's Printed Circuits Expo opens doors to PCB designers. (Board Buyers).(2003 IPC Designers Summit )
January 1, 2003... Northbrook, IL -- The PC, along with its Designers Council, announced the creation of the 2003 IPC Designers Summit. This event, which is targeted specifically at PCB designers, will take place March 22-27, in conjunction with PC Printed...

Ahoy! Software pirates off the EDA bow. (Moving Downstream).(counterfeit EDA software available through Web sites oin Taiwan, China, and India)
January 1, 2003... The widely publicized flap over the swapping and burning of music and video files has overshadowed an alarming situation that directly impacts everyone in the EDA community. Software pirates have sailed into the EDA seas and are operating...

[PCQR.sup.2] Industry Statistics: soldermask registration. (Between the Conductors).(printed circuit board industry)
January 1, 2003... The Industry Statistics (Ref. 1), a summary of information collected by the IPC Printed Board Process Capability, Quality and Relative Reliability ([PCQR.sup.2]) Benchmark Test Standard and Database (Ref. 2), illustrates the capability,...