-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
The Cost of Rework
In this issue, we investigate rework's current state of the art. What are the root causes and how are they resolved? What is the financial impact of rework, and is it possible to eliminate it entirely without sacrificing your yields?
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
News
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Frost & Sullivan Report Evaluates Prospects of Lead-free Electronics Assemblies
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Lead-free solder paste is technologically feasible and, in most cases, as reliable as traditional eutectic lead-based solder paste, according to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.
But the analysis also explains that, although the industry at large has identified possible alternatives to traditional tin-lead solder alloy, much work needs to be done, especially in the areas of component and board reliability and assembly process development.
An exception to the rest of the industry is Japan. Lead-free solder paste consumption is highest there, with consumer electronics the most notable driver for adoption of the technology, according to the report.
In lead-free adoption, efficient temperature control is an important issue. Unless manufacturers improve the thermal efficiency and profiles of the lead-free products being processed, the problems posed by high temperatures are likely to continue to restrain market growth.
The analysis, World Surface Mount Technology Roadmap, evaluates the current and future prospects of lead-free electronics assemblies in the electronics industry, including their impact on SMT equipment suppliers, manufacturers of printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies and solder paste, and suppliers of electronics components and advanced electronics packaging. It provides insight into the drivers and roadblocks that influence the market and provides detailed information on market growth trends.
PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio
New July Book-to-Bill Ratio Rises SlightlyNORTHBROOK, Ill. — The IPC IMS/PCB book-to-bill ratio for July rose from June to 1.10, calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period for the companies in IPC's survey sample. IPC now is reporting separate statistics for the rigid PCB and flexible circuit segments of the industry, with a book-to-bill of 0.99 for rigid PCBs and 1.57 for flexible circuits. For these two segments combined, sales billed (shipments) in July 2004 increased 31.1 percent year-over-year, and orders booked increased 42.2 percent from July 2003.
July's overall book-to-bill level rose from June's numbers, and orders booked for July 2004 increased 42.2 percent from July 2003.
APE Announces Customer Contest
KEY LARGO, Fla. — APE is currently seeking customer testimonials about the durability of their equipment to be used in a national ad campaign.
The grand prize winner will be awarded a trip for two for a week in Key Largo, including airfare and accommodations. Contestants must be customers of APE and submit a minimum 50-word testimonial along with a picture of the equipment in use. The winner will be featured in a national ad campaign and must be willing to have their picture and company name featured in the upcoming APE ad. All qualified submissions will receive a prize.
For more information contact Cathy Patterson at APE at (305) 451-4722 or cathy@ape.com. The contest ends October 31, and the grand prize will be awarded in January 2005.
Speedline Announces New Alliances in Asia
FRANKLIN, Mass. — Speedline Technologies Inc. has entered into five new alliances to strengthen its sales, customer service and marketing reach throughout Southeast Asia.
Speedline's new alliances are with Niche Tech (2004) in Thailand; SIGMATEK Corp. in Taiwan; SIP Technology Sdn Bhd in central and northern Malaysia; SIP Technology Pte Ltd in southern Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia; and Tamura FA System Corp. in Japan.
Niche Tech (2004), SIGMATEK, SIP Technology Sdn Bhd and SIP Technology Pte Ltd will provide service and support resources to Speedline customers throughout southeastern Asia. Tamura will market Speedline's Accuflex and AP Excel stencil printers under the MPM/Tamura brand in Japan, as well as provide local service and support to Japanese customers.
DEK Gains First VectorGuard Licensee
FLEMINGTON, N.J. — DEK has licensed its VectorGuard stencil technology to Christian Koenen GmbH of Munich, Germany, at SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING 2004 in June.
Christian Koenen is the first licensee of this DEK technology. The licensing agreement allows Christian Koenen to manufacture VectorGuard stencils from foil blanks supplied by DEK, and to supply VectorGuard frames to its customers throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
DEK evaluated Christian Koenen's manufacturing and logistical capabilities before agreeing to the license, and found the company equipped to deliver satisfactory VectorGuard service and gain market advantage through the performance and turnaround advantages of this technology.
Introduced by DEK in 2003, the VectorGuard stencil system features extruded aluminum safety edges and plastic corner pieces on each stencil, which reportedly are easy to remove for recycling, as well as able to be mounted and dismounted from the new VectorGuard frame without using special equipment.
AIM Forms New Semiconductor Packaging Materials Division
CRANSTON, R.I. — AIM has formed a new division, AIM Semiconductor Packaging Materials. This division is a direct subsidiary of AIM Specialty Materials, which specializes in indium and gold alloys for a variety of joining applications. It supplies products such as BGA solder spheres, preforms, epoxies, BGA/CSP fluxes, solder pastes and touch-up materials to the semiconductor packaging industry.
AIM Semiconductor Packaging Materials also supplies a wide range of advanced thermal interface materials (TIM). These metal-based TIMs provide thermal transfer in applications where the performance of thermal grease is insufficient.
Soldertec Requests Nominations for 2004 Lead-free Solder Awards
United Kingdom — Soldertec Global is accepting nominations for this year's Lead-free Solder Awards. These awards recognize the contributions of researchers, engineers and companies to development and implementation of lead-free electronics soldering during 2004.
The Soldertec award was established in 1999 to mark the launch of Tin Technology's Lead-free Soldering Centre (Soldertec Global), and was first awarded to Kenichiro Suetsugu, Ph.D., of Panasonic in Japan. Suetsugu was recognized for the successful introduction of lead-free soldering in mass production of the portable MiniDisc SJ-MJ30-S.
Individuals or companies may apply directly for an award, but industry participants are encouraged to nominate other individuals and companies they feel deserve acknowledgement. Applications or nominations can be sent to tom.perrett@tintechnology.com, explaining in 300 words or less the individual or company contribution to lead-free electronics.
The deadline for all submissions is October 15, 2004. Winners will be announced in November 2004.
Indium Introduces Assessment Tool
UTICA, N.Y. — Indium Corp. of America has launched its Lead-free Readiness Assessment, an online, interactive tool developed to help manufacturers identify strengths and weaknesses in implementing a comprehensive lead-free workflow.
This online assessment tool requires companies to answer questions in four separate categories: Plans and Processes, PWB Components and Materials, Compliance and Procedures and Logistics, and Repairs and Inspections. Results are calculated and displayed immediately. A company's overall performance is measured against others in the industry, and it can track its progress through periodic reassessments.
electronica 2004 to Feature Wireless Exhibit
MUNICH, Germany — For the first time, the wireless communications industry will have its own exhibition area and user forum at electronica 2004, an international trade show for electronic components, assemblies and high-growth electronics. This event will be held at the New Munich Trade Fair Center from November 9 through 12, 2004.
Wireless communications exhibitors will offer their expertise in electronic components and solutions for WLAN and WPAN, along with solutions for embedded wireless, wireless security and other application areas. The Wireless Communications user forum will offer developers, designers, project managers and executives networking opportunities. It also will include individual presentations in English that cover the basics of wireless technologies and applications, as well as examine market opportunities, explain standards and discuss security considerations.