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AIM Opens Shenzhen Campus
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
SHENZHEN, China - Responding to an expanding customer base throughout China, AIM has opened a campus, including manufacturing and office buildings, two warehouses, and a dormitory, in Shenzhen, China, for its full range of tin/lead and lead-free solder pastes, bar and wire solders, and liquid fluxes. The new campus will replace several separate manufacturing facilities spread throughout Southern China - bringing all capabilities under one roof.
“The solder market in China has grown quickly, and continues to do so,” says David Suraski, communications manager for AIM. “We have about 10-20% sales in China now, but with the new facility, we expect that to rise rapidly,” he adds. AIM recognizes that the market is moving to China. “We’re following the market and greatly improving our presence there,” says Suraski. In the past, most sales in China were in paste and wire solder, but this facility allows the company to expand its bar and flux sales there as well. “This facility addresses the tremendous demand for our solder products in the Chinese market,” comments Rick Black, AIM president. “Offering rapid customer response, a full product line, solid after-sales technical support, and a direct presence throughout the country, AIM is well-positioned to support the electronics assembly industry of China.”
But, obviously, AIM won’t be the only solder manufacturer in that region. China is possibly one of the most competitive markets. Currently, there are some global solder manufacturers that supply solder in every geographic location. Then there are the mid-tier companies that may supply strictly to the U.S., Europe, or Asia. “China is the place where every company comes together,” notes Suraski. “Everyone is competing in the market there. This potential market makes it a very attractive place.”
AIM’s 50,000-square-foot Shenzhen facility, which employs up to 50 people, is up and running, and producing flux, paste, bar, and wire.
Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop
NASHUA, N.H. - Attentive to the electronics industry’s burgeoning environmental responsibility, and the challenges associated with global legislation, Dan Shea, CTO, Celestica, will offer knowledge and insight in his keynote “Cradle to Rebirth - The Electronics Industry Goes Green,” on October 17, 2006, at Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop. Hosted by SMT Magazine and RIT’s Center for Manufacturing and Assembly (CEMA), the workshop will be held October 16-19, 2006, in Rochester, N.Y.
The European Union’s (EU’s) RoHS Directive shook up the global electronics industry - prompting global debates, research, and actions on “greening.” Although the July 1, 2006 deadline has passed, electronics companies still seek solutions to technical and sourcing challenges associated with the conversion to lead-free assembly processes. Despite these trials, the industry is looking ahead - anticipating a phase-out of exemptions and a multitude of new laws that will affect the entire product life cycle. In “Cradle to Rebirth - The Electronics Industry Goes Green,” Shea explores contemporary challenges, risk categories, and crucial steps to prepare and implement lead-free.
As Celestica’s CTO, Shea is responsible for all aspects of technology and engineering, including compliance with environmental legislation such as RoHS and WEEE, and the company’s Green Services product-conversion offering.
Workshop attendees will also benefit from hands-on labs presented by Doug Peck, Scott Anson, and others, as well as lectures from Paul Vianco, Ph.D.; Ron Lasky, Ph.D., PE; and Dennis Barbini, Ph.D. Professor S. Manian Ramkumar will explain lead-free process, inspection, and control from A-Z. Tabletop exhibits will be available Oct. 17-18. Visit www.smtmag.com or call 1-888-299-8016 for workshop details and registration information.
EKRA Ships 500th Printer
MALBOROUGH, Mass. - EKRA America, a business of EKRA Automatisierungssyteme GmbH of Bonnigheim, Germany, shipped its 500th stencil printing machine to the American market. “The U.S. still provides our largest customer base,” said Steven Hall, president of EKRA America. Brazil is the fastest growing market for the company, though it will not overtake the U.S. for orders. EKRA America services countries in North, Central, and South America.
EKRA attributed its increased business partially to ASYS purchasing the company in July 2005. Operational capability for EKRA America increased with ASYS’s backing, said Hall.