CircuiTree articles from March 2002

CircuiTree archives from March 2002

Letters.
March 1, 2002... Who Will Fill ITRI's Shoes? Good job on [Steve Gold's January column, "Without Research, There is No Development," page 9] regarding ITRI and R&D. I had to re-approach it a couple of times because it hit me so hard. Many years ago, I...

Help yourself. (The Way we See it).(role of trade associations and members)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... People like to let writers know what's wrong with the industry--off the record, of course. I can't tell you how many razor sharp comments are dulled by tactful "that was off the record" afterthoughts. Still, these non-printable statements help...

A review of filling high-density, high aspect ratio vias in a high-volume production setting: A study of microvia hole filling material requirements and machine process capability based on performance test results obtained from several PCB facilities.
March 1, 2002... We belong to a highly interdependent industry, comprised of circuit designers, material suppliers, circuit board manufacturers, service bureaus, and OEMs. Global competition drives us to manufacture products with higher density, enhanced...

Five Myths about IPC. (News from Northbrook).(Institute of Printed Circuits)
March 1, 2002... During the past decade, IPC, much like the industry it serves, has gone through significant changes. Offshore competition, the emergence of new market segments, mergers and acquisitions, industry expansion followed by gut-wrenching contraction,...

People.(appointments)
March 1, 2002... Sanmina-SCI San Jose, CA--As a result of their merger last year, Sanmina-SCI Corp. made several management changes. Robert Bradshaw, president and general manager of the EMS division, resigned. He has since become the CEO for MSL Corp. Han...

The principles of suistainability. (Environmentally Speaking).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The scale of the downturn in our industry, and the number of job losses has been greater than all expectations. Whilst the PCB industry will undoubtedly recover as it has in the past, it will be a different industry that takes us forward. In...

Germany: Europe's technical powerhouse; Fourteen profiles of German PWB suppliers reveal a long and distinguished history in electronics. Read how Germany is gearing up for future manufacturing requirements.(printed wiring board)(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2002... During Productronica 2001, I had the chance to talk to many German PWB industry suppliers. I met with several suppliers to gather background information on these companies for CircuiTree readers. I want to familiarize our readers with this...

A case for collaborative research and development. (Between the Conductors).(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2002... The current economic recession has had a significant impact on the printed circuit industry. When supply exceeds demand, consolidation inevitably follows. We have seen the consequence of the recession in the form of layoffs, plant closings,...

Sanmina, IBM announce major outsourcing deal.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... San Jose, CA--IBM and Sanmina-SCI announced an agreement under which IBM will outsource a significant portion of its desktop personal computer manufacturing needs to Sanmina-SCI, and Sanmina-SCI will acquire IBM's NetVista desktop manufacturing...

Embedded mezzanine capacitor technology for printed wiring boards.(Motorola Labs and Vantico A.G.)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... Motorola Labs and Vantico A.G. have developed a technology for fabricating embedded capacitors in a "mezzanine" layer of an HDI PWB. When asked to explain the term "mezzanine" in the context of discrete embedded passives, Aroon Tungare said,...

3M receives cyclone filter from ECI technology. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... East Rutherford, NJ--ECI Technology sold a PILL e. K stand-alone Cyclone Filter unit to the 3M Company (Eau Claire, WI). The Cyclone Filter consists of a centrifugal separator (hydrocyclone) combined with a filtering screen to separate stripped...

Park electrochemical opens business center in China. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Lake Success, NY--Park Electrochemical Corp. opened its newest business center to support the growing customer demand for advanced multilayer printed circuitry materials in China. The business center operates under the name Nelco Products...

Cimnet to support Valor's ODB++(X) format. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Downers Grove, IL--Valor Computerized Systems and Cimnet Systems announced that Cimnet will support Valor's ODB++(X) electronics CAD/CAM data format within its Paradigm(r) and Engenix[TM] products. Cimnet Systems joined the Valor OSA (Open...

Laminate supplier kingboard to buy PCB factory. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Hong Kong--While many PCB fabricators and assemblers continue to acquire an array of service and materials suppliers via acquisition, it is rare for a supplier to purchase a PCB manufacturer. But that is exactly what happened when Kingboard...

ManiaBarco, valor complete system interface. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Yavne, Israel-ManiaBarco and Valor announced they completed development of a ODB++ interface between Valor's Enterprise 3000 DFM system for PCB designers, and ManiaBarco's Ucam CAM system for PCB fabrication. Valor and ManiaBarco have worked...

Micronic sells Omega6600. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Taby, Sweden-Micronic Laser Systems AB sold an Omega6600 laser pattern generator to a major commercial photomask manufacturer in Asia. Delivery will take place this year. The Omega6600 is a volume production tool capable of writing photomasks...

MacDermid to close Adams facility. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Waterbury, CT -- MacDermid Inc. announced the planned closing of its Adams, Mass., manufacturing facility. It is anticipated that the closure will be completed in the third quarter of 2002, and that about 60 positions will be eliminated. The...

Microtek expands environmental test services, adds equipment. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Anaheim, CA-Microtek Labs announced the addition and expansion of its environmental test department, and the acquisition of new test equipment and expansion of several areas of testing. The expansion and new equipment added includes two...

Coates appoints MFS as U.K. distributor. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Coates Circuit Products appointed MFS U.K. Ltd. as its official U.K. distributor. MFS has serviced the printed circuit industry for many years. Managing Director Mike Teagles was glad to conclude the agreement, not just for what it meant for...

Polyclad laminates Asian operations receive ISO 14001 certifications. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Londonderry, NH-Polyclad Laminates Inc. received certification to the international environmental management standard ISO 14001 for its operations located in Huizhou, China and Taoyuan, Taiwan. The Polyclad operation in Huizhou received its...

Innoveda, DownStream technologies form agreement. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Marlboro, MA-Innoveda Inc. announced an agreement with manufacturing software solutions provider DownStream Technologies for ongoing development, marketing and distribution of its CAM product line. The move is part of Innoveda's previously...

Taiyo Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd. announces new internal organization. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Tokyo, Japan-Taiyo Ink Mfg. Co. Ltd. announced a new internal organization to better serve their customers and shareholders. Taiyo Ink will consist of the following three in-house companies: 1) Head Office of Taiyo Ink Mfg. Co. Ltd.; 2) Nippon...

New soldering technology training facility opens. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Madison, AL--Soldering Technology International (STI) Inc. opened its new training facility in Madison, Ala. This facility is located adjacent to the main STI facility, and has expanded classrooms with state-of-the art equipment. Combined with...

AkroMetrix announces new installations. (Suppliers).(measurement technology)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Atlanta, GA--AkroMetrix announced orders from two manufacturers for its patented shadow moire-based measurement technology. Both 3M (Eau Claire, WI) and Philips Center for Technology (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) will receive a TherMoire...

Ciposa appoints Douthitt as North American rep. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Detroit, MI--Ciposa S.A., a Swiss manufacturer of PCB and inspection equipment, including BGA and flexible circuits, appointed the Douthitt Corporation (Detroit, MI) as their representative for North America. Douthitt is a manufacturer of PCB...

Zuken backs U.K. design initiative. (Suppliers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Westford, MA--Zuken announced it is the first EDA software vendor to sponsor the PCB Design Scheme, represented by the Federation of the Electronics Industry (FEI), and part of a [pounds sterling]2.8 million program jointly funded by the...

Overcoming the home run mentality of American PCB manufacturers. (Asian Aspects).(printed circuit boards)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Ichiro Suzuki, the Seattle Mariner's rookie baseball star, burst onto the scene last year, capturing several major league records. He recorded the league's highest hitting average for 2001, led in stolen bases, and was the American league's...

Is process control for You?(in manufacture of printed wiring boards and semiconductors)(Technical)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Both semiconductors and PWBs have fine features affected by changes in the composition of the plating solution, thereby creating a high demand for process control techniques. An old standard for monitoring plating additive in PWB manufacturing...

Contract electronics manufacturers are here to stay. (View from the Middle).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Like many of you, I grew up in this business. I cut my teeth (and more than a few appendages) in this industry working for my dad in the family business. This was well before the advent of CNC machines and automatic plating equipment. I have...

Labtech to participate in EU broadband wireless research program. (Fabrication).(European Union)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Presteigne, UK--Labtech received funding from the European Union's Information Society Technologies program for participation in the SMACKS (Surface Mount Assembly for Communications Ka band Systems) project. Together with partners Alcatel...

Alliance Garners new member. (Fabrication).(EGL Eagle Global Logistics)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Elkhart, IN--CTS Corp. announced that Eagle Global Logistics (EGL) will join the CTS cooperative partnership alliance. Houston-based EGL Inc. operates under the name EGL Eagle Global Logistics, and is a global transportation and supply chain...

Coretec recommended for QS-9000 certification. (Fabrication).(circuit board fabricator)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Toronto, Canada--Coretec Inc. announced that its Toronto-based facilities have been recommended for QS 9000 registration, a comprehensive international standard for the automotive industry. Official notification was made by SGS International...

PNE to establish printed circuit plant in China. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... PNE PCB Berhad announced plans to establish a subsidiary in China to make printed circuit boards. Tan Kong Heng said the company expected the new factory to come on line before the third quarter 2002. The group recorded a turnover of RM94.2...

Matsushita, Victor to develop new printed circuits. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Tokyo, Japan--Matsushita Electronic Components Co. and Victor Co. of Japan (JVC) announced they will jointly develop new printed circuit boards for use in cell phones and other digital gadgets. Sample shipments of the new boards are scheduled...

M~Wave announces profits, partners with Westell. (Fabrication).(circuit boards)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Bensenville, IL--M~Wave, Inc. announced it expects revenue to be approximately $55 million in 2001 compared with $57 million in 2000. Gross margins will be between 18 percent and 20 percent, and pre-tax income will be between 11 percent and 13...

Shenzhen Huafa electronics expands plant. (Fabrication).(China)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Shenzhen, China--Shenzhen Huafa Electronics Co. Ltd. announced it has completed the first part of its plant expansion, raising its monthly capacity for single-sided PCBs to 50,000 square meters, and those for double-sided and multilayer PCBs to...

TTM Technologies sells shares to raise money. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Redmond, WA--TTM Technologies Inc. announced it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed public offering of 7,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 2,250,000 shares will be offered...

Laminate maker to finance PCB plant. (Fabrication).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Tapei, Taiwan--Formosa Plastics, of which Nan Ya Plastics is a prominent member, announced it is trying to procure $400 million in loans from Hong Kong banks to build a PCB facility in China. According to published reports, the capital would...

A decade of flexible circuit innovation and growth. (Flexible thinking).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... During the decade of the 1990s and into the first years of the new millennium, flexible Circuits have enjoyed sustained growth. Annual sales in the U.S. flexible circuit market grew from approximately $400 million in 1991 to roughly $1 billion...

Buying power supplies for return on investment.(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... There is no question that reliable information and technology play a large role in design and manufacturing printed circuits. To succeed, printed circuit makers must be innovative, leveraging new technology, equipment, people, and processes. To...

NT vs. UNIX: A debate of Olympic proportions. (Plane Talk).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... I may be taking a bigger leap here than a 148-meter ski jump, but while reading the hype about the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, I couldn't help remembering the excitement generated by past publicity for EDA operating systems. As we all...

Embedded passives: Laser trimmed resistors; Trimming embedded resistors prior to lamination to within 1 % tolerances of target values is now achievable for a variety of materials.(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... The evolution of technology continues to drive innovation in the electronics industry. Consumers maintain a steadfast expectation for products to consistently enter the market in smaller, cheaper and faster forms with enhanced quality,...

High ohmic value Embedded resistor material: The market for embedded passives is poised for take-off with the initial thrust provided by high-density and high-speed circuit applications. (High Ohmic Value).(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... The technology for integrating passive circuit elements in PWBs has been around for a number of years, achieving limited market penetration. While active semiconductor devices continue their relentless march towards higher levels of...

Has the recovery begun? (Fein-Lines).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... The turn around has begun; do you feel better yet? One of the tasks that keeps me busy these days is the significant interview processes needed to complete the market research studies and market data due for publication by Spring 2002. By...

TUC Launches laser drillable prepregs. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Taiwan, ROC--Taiwan Union Technology Corp. (TUC) launched its laser drillable prepregs for HDI application. These improved Laser Drillable (LD) prepregs have no limitation on build-up layer, possess better insulation resistance and dimensional...

Enthone introduces copper system. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... West Haven, CT--Enthone Inc. introduced its CUPROSTAR[R] ST-2000 direct current acid copper system. The system combines high-current density capability with thermal cycle properties, surface distribution and throwing power to meet high aspect...

Polyclad laminates conforms to new IPC materials spec. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Franklin, NH--Polyclad Laminates Inc. announced its Polyclad[R] LD-621 low Dk/Df laminates and prepregs are the first materials to conform to the new requirements of IPC-4101A: Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Boards,...

ECI technology introduces on-line CVS chemical analyzer. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... East Rutherford, NJ--ECI Technology introduced the Quail-line[R] QLPC on-line chemical monitoring system (CMS) designed for control of the PCB production plating process. This system is a self-contained, fully automated analysis tool for...

Exergy technologies installs acid recycling unit. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Irvine, CA--Exergy Technologies Corp. completed the first installation of its acid recycling technology--diffusion dialysis--at Precision Anodizing and Plating. Funding support for the project was provided, in part, by Anaheim Public Utilities....

Polar instruments debuts new system. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Garenne Park, UK--The RITS520a will make its U.S. debut at IPC Expo in the Polar Instruments booth (522). According to the company, the new instrument is the first turnkey system to offer repeatable, automated controlled impedance testing of...

Circuit search creates virtual job posting. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Circuit Search, a recruiting service for the PCB industry, developed a new service called CircuitMatch, an electronic job board that automatically matches an employer's professional openings with job seekers who have complementary skills and...

W. L. Gore offers 'mixed dielectric approach' prepreg. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Newark, DE--W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. is offering a new, mixed dielectric approach using its Speedboard C prepreg. The mixed dielectric approach combines standard fiberglass reinforced materials for non-critical signal layers, such as power...

Polyonics reveals XF-550. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Westmoreland, NH-Polyonics Inc. announced a new product specifically designed for 600-dpi high resolution printing: XF-550. High-resolution barcodes allow for more information per label while taking up less space on a circuit board. XF550 is a...

Ube industries announces new polyimide composite film. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Tokyo, Japan--Ube Industries announced a new development in polyimide composite films. Used for preparing a heat-resistant metal foil/polyimide film composite, this polyimide film has a high heat resistance, as well as good electric...

Coherent launches new laser system. (Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Santa Clara, CA--Coherent Laser Division (CLD) unveiled the Azure[TM], a continuous-wave (CW), diode-pumped, deep-ultraviolet (UV) laser at Photonics West (San Jose, CA) in January. A "hands-free" 266-nm laser source, the Azure has been...

Fine lines in high yield (part LXXVIII) problems with residual, excess copper in print/etch and tent/etch processes (Part A). (Tech talk).
March 1, 2002... The list of potential causes for excess copper seems endless (see Ref. 1), and for most defects it is impossible to assign a single most likely cause. However, some excess copper defects are quite characteristic and unique in nature and...

Sanchez visits TTM power circuits.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Santa Ana, CA--Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez recently visited TTM Power Circuits (Santa Ma, CA) at the invitation of Shane Whiteside, the company's vice president of operations, and Matt Holzmann of Christopher Associates. Holzmann, an active...

Juniper to miss earnings estimates. (Oems).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Sunnyvale, CA--Juniper Networks Inc. posted a fourth-quarter loss of $5.13 million on stock compensation and acquisition costs, as customers reduced spending on its equipment. Juniper said first-quarter and first-half profit will miss analysts'...

Lucent makes financial progress. (Oems).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Murray Hill, NJ--After laying off thousands of employees and writing off millions in inventory, Lucent Technologies is making progress in restoring its profitability. Lucent reported revenues of $3.5 billion for the first fiscal quarter of 2002...

LG Electronics, Ericsson sign contract. (Oems).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... LG Electronics signed a contract with Ericsson for third-generation (3G) handset platforms. Under the terms of the agreement, LG Electronics gets access to Ericsson's handset technology in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), also...

Labarge to make baggage inspection systems. (Oems).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... St. Louis, MO--LaBarge Inc. has begun production of electronic equipment for an airport checked-baggage inspection system. PerkinElmer Detection Systems (Woburn, MA) awarded the company contracts valued at $3.5 million to produce electronic and...

Filtran microcircuits receives telematics order. (Oems).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... West Caldwell, NJ--Filtran Microcircuits Inc. received a production order to provide customized circuitry used in adaptive cruise control sensors manufactured by M/A-COM. Built for the Mercedes Benz, the device is a wireless sensor that senses...

Tyco to split into four units; Kozlowski to head electronics unit. (Oems).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Pembroke, Bermuda--Tyco International Ltd. plans to separate into four independent, publicly traded companies: security and electronics; healthcare; fire protection and flow control; and financial services. It expects to complete the first of...

IPC Printed circuits expo 2002 anticipates industry improvement: Painful memories of 2001 are beginning to fade as PCB demand stabilizes. Will IPC expo mark the beginning of an upturn for industry suppliers?(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It's that time of year again, where spring waves goodbye to winter and our industry gears up for its most important event. Another IPC Printed Circuits Expo[R] is upon us, but this is no ordinary Expo. For many suppliers, this might be the most...

Michigan PWB fabricator creates legacy.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2002... In today's world, where people tend to float from job to job, exploring several "careers" during their lifetime, it's always refreshing to hear about those tenacious souls who remain devoted to one industry. Earl Kincaid, founder of K&F...

Going the right way: The light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter. (Market Outlook).(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2002... While PCB business conditions remain difficult, the leading indicators are pointing in the right direction. January's Purchasing Manager's Index (Chart 1) climbed to nearly 50, the "break even point." As it crosses 5O, hopefully in February,...

Micromachining with ultra-fast pulse lasers. (Seeing the Light).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... All things considered, the shorter the length of the laser pulse, the better the material-processing capability. Commercially available lasers have pulse lengths of anywhere from 10 nanoseconds (ns = [10.sup.-9] second) to a few hundred...

SCI cuts 200 jobs at Finnish plant. (EMS Report).(SCI Systems Finland Oy)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2002... Haukiputaa, Finland--SCI Systems Finland Oy announced it is laying off 200 employees at its Haukiputaa facility in Finland. This follows a move last October in which SCI required 220 employees take a three-month leave. The layoffs are due to a...

Solectron closing Everett assembly plant. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Everett, WA--Solectron Corp. announced it will shutter its Everett assembly plant in April, releasing 324 workers. Although the new 179,000 square foot plant has only been open since 1998, Solectron was forced to close the facility due to...

Flextronics acquires Teraforce, Xerox facilities. (EMS Report).(Flextronics Inc.)(Xerox Corp.)(TeraForce Technology Corp.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2002... Richardson, TX--Flextronics and TeraForce Technology Corp. announced an agreement in which Flextronics Design, a business unit of Flextronics, has acquired the engineering design service operation from TeraForce's wholly owned subsidiary, DNA...

Sanmina-SCI receives MIL-PRF-31032 certification. (EMS Report).(military qualification)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2002... San Jose, CA--Sanmina-SCI Corp. announced its Tech Center East (Ward Hill, MA) has successfully completed certification assessment by the Defense Supply Center, Columbus (DSCC), meeting all the requirements necessary to obtain MIL-PRF-31032...

Teradyne reports sales loss. (EMS Report).(Teradyne Inc.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2002... Boston, MA--Teradyne Inc. reported sales of $220 million for the fourth quarter of 2001, and a net loss of $75 million, or $0.42 per share, excluding special charges. Including special charges, the net loss was $112.6 million ($0.63 per share)....

ACT Manufacturing files for chapter 11. (EMS Report).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2002... Hudson, MA--ACT Manufacturing Inc. filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The company's overseas operations are unaffected by the filing. According to ACT management, the filing of the petition was...