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From the Editor:
Tradeshow Participation Anticipation
December 31, 1969 |
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Time seems to be speeding up lately, as it has ever since the glorious three-month summer vacations we had in grade school. Although I'm trying to savor the summer weather and get-togethers, I can't help but spend a lot of time looking ahead. What's down the road? SEMICON West is just around the bend, then SMTA International next month, and IPC Midwest in September. We at the magazine have unique opportunities to participate in each of these major shows.
Ironically, the September event is the one most on my mind these days. SMT partnered with IPC to present a live production line on the floor at IPC Midwest. The A-Line has generated a lot of enthusiasm and interest around the industry, with participants like Juki Corporation, Senju Comtek, and MYDATA supplying the necessary equipment to turn out functional electronic souvenirs for attendees to bring home. Planning the A-Line also has given us as magazine editors normally on the observation end of manufacturing a chance to actively participate in the process of producing product. We've worked with The Morey Corp. to develop a product design, bill of materials, budget, and manufacturing parameters, getting a glimpse into the intricacy and detailed effort that goes into even the simplest of new product introductions (NPIs). Stepping back into an editor's comfort zone, I'll be hosting a panel at the show to discuss this topic the roles and responsibilities shouldered by EMS companies on Wednesday, September 24th, at IPC Midwest. I hope you'll join us and tour the A-Line, which puts so many concepts and thoughts into action.
Since we started our discussion in September, let's continue to backtrack to the here-and-now by stopping at the August event that promises a wealth of specialized, categorical information for SMT manufacturers. You could try to attend every event at SMTAI, perhaps with the aid of jet propulsion to get you around, but with so much to choose from, the SMTA wisely organized content into a handful of symposiums within the conference. Choose from the Evolving Technologies Summit, the inaugural Alternative Energy Symposium, a Contract Manufacturing Symposium, and the Lead-free Soldering Technology Symposium. SMT editor-in-chief Gail Flower and I will be hosting a free panel discussion for attendees interested in the packaging technologies that shape electronics manufacturing. "3D Stacked Packages: Which Way to Go?" on August 20 will examine the multiple options for creating more advanced, more compact, more functional packages, and how these new mega-packages meet board-to-package interconnection requirements. Paul Siblerud of SEMITOOL, Jan Vardaman of Techsearch Intl., Lee Smith of Amkor, Jean-Christophe Eloy of Yole Development, and Rao Tummala of Georgia Tech PRC will be joining Gail and I, and you, to talk about 3D packages.
Advanced packaging is the perfect segue to move us back to July, and the mammoth semiconductor manufacturing and packaging technology show that is SEMICON West. EMS providers should take particular interest in the opening opportunities for board-level technologies in advanced package assembly. I strongly suggest paying attention to the winners of our sister publication's Advanced Packaging Awards (APAs), to see what materials, equipment, and related technologies will help bridge the gap from silicon to package to the board. Similar to our VISION awards presented earlier this year at APEX, the Advanced Packaging Awards are independently judged with demanding criteria to determine the right tools for assemblers to advance technological capabilities and business. Consider the awards both a celebration of innovation in the industry, and a vetting process for investments that could better your business.
Participating in a major show each month is a huge undertaking, but worthwhile for the experiences and knowledge you can glean from involvement with major associations and industry. They may seem a bit far off in the future, but the shows will be here before you know it, so try to take advantage of every opportunity to improve your operations through the technical instruction and discussions they offer. In the mean time, I'll work on enjoying the summer at as slow a pace as I can muster, with so much excitement coming up in the next few months.
Meredith Courtemanche, managing editor