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News
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Compiled By SMT Staff
British Electronics Industry Not Ready for Lead-free Conversion, Survey Says
SURREY, United Kingdom — According to an ERA Technology Ltd. survey of the U.K. electronics industry to gauge its readiness to transition from tin/lead solders to lead-free solders and components, it "has its head in the sand." The findings show that many manufacturers know little about the implications of the Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, and know even less about the problems that can occur with lead-free soldering.
More than 150 small-, medium- and large-sized companies participated in the survey. They comprised a cross-section of the country's electronics industry, proving that the results are representative.
While 87 percent of the sample was aware of the RoHS directive, half had contacted one supplier. However, the other half admitted to having little understanding of what the directive requires of them. Additionally, a quarter of the companies were unaware of how their products were affected. Only 9 percent had started trials of lead-free solders, and 3 percent already have developed lead-free products. However, even these companies were not certain that all the components did not contain lead.
Of the 23 contract electronics manufacturers surveyed, only nine had been asked about lead-free soldering by their customers.
ERA is disseminating the survey results in a detailed report, which will prove beneficial to companies beginning to investigate lead-free soldering. It includes a detailed guide to the transition process, and is based on the experiences of companies advanced in the lead-free transition process. The report's goal is to help with planning required activities and their duration. It also points out potential problems that may occur and how to avoid them. The report is expected to be useful to legislative authorities because it highlights the difficulties that companies are experiencing with interpretation of the RoHS directive.
A copy of the report is available for purchase from the ERA Web site, located at www.era.co.uk/product/lead-free-survey.htm.
Siemens Dematic Forms AAT Network
NUREMBERG, Germany — Siemens Dematic, known for its technology leadership, expanded its advanced assembly technology (AAT) services by forming the new SIPLACE Advanced Assembly Technology Network.
Members of this global network include the Georgia Institute of Technology, George Brown College, Gwinnett Technical College, Engent, Rochester Institute of Technology, Siemens Corporate Technology and Fraunhofer Institute in Germany for Europe.
For Asia, negotiations with partners in China — Shanghai and Singapore currently are being conducted.
The SIPLACE Advanced Assembly Technology Network will provide services covering all areas of assembly and packaging technologies including process development, reliability testing, semiconductor device and package qualification, process consulting, materials qualification, new product introduction, prototyping, failure analysis, and analytical services. Additionally, technology training from industry experts will be offered worldwide through the Advanced Assembly Technology Network.
PCB BOOK-TO-BILL RATIO
Book-to-Bill Continues to Rise
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The IPC PCB book-to-bill ratio for July was 1.04, meaning $104 worth of orders for new boards were received for every $100 billed (shipped). The ratio increased from the June level of 1.02. Sales billed (shipments) in July 2003 decreased 3.7 percent from July 2002, and orders booked increased 9.2 percent from July 2002. Compared to 2002, PCB bookings are up 0.3 percent YTD, while PCB shipments are down 4.0 percent YTD.
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July's book-to-bill level increased from June's numbers, while orders booked for July 2003 increased 9.2 percent above the level in July 2002.
NEMI Increases Membership
HERNDON, Va. — The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) added three new members to its roster.
The latest organizations to join NEMI are Cisco Systems, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tyco Electronics, a subsidiary of Tyco International Ltd.
NEMI states that the association is pleased to welcome these companies and looks forward to productive collaborations with all of them.
New Company Offers Flip Chip Technologies
BILLERICA, Mass. — Polymer Assembly Technology (PAT), a new company founded by industry veteran Jim Clayton, opened its doors to offer leading-edge flip chip technology featuring high-density, low-temperature processing through the use of polymer conductive adhesives. The company's founder and president previously was director of R&D at Polymer Flip Chip Corp. and brings more than 30 years experience in microelectronics assembly and packaging to the new company.
The company provides an alternative to traditional solder flip chip assembly by using electrically conductive and non-conductive inks that can be stencil printed and cured at temperatures as low as 80°C. This alternative flip chip technology is timely because new no-lead solder alloys are pushing processing temperatures higher than 250°C, placing additional strain on fragile components.
PAT also offers prototype development and low-volume assembly of high-density compound semiconductor devices. Cd/Zn/Te detectors, for example, currently are being developed for several medical and astronomical X-ray imaging applications. These detectors contain large numbers of contacts — some in excess of 1,000 — and cannot be exposed to temperatures above 90°C without altering their performance. Therefore, a low-temperature flip chip solution is necessary to assemble these devices. The company has developed precision techniques for depositing silver-filled conductive bumps on these types of components and then assembling them at temperatures of 80°C.
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DEK's ROI Calculator Shows Savings
FLEMINGTON, N.J. — An ROI Calculator enables potential and current users of DEK's ProFlow paste deposition process to place a financial value on the benefits of implementing the system.
Developed to assist customers with financial justification of the product, the calculator is a tool that allows engineers to make an informed purchasing decision by evaluating the total savings per machine per year, as well as the return on investment over one, two and three years. Formulated as an Excel spreadsheet, the tools takes four of the process' key benefits and measures the cost advantages of running ProFlow over squeegees based on a user's own data.
The user is required to input data about the current process, such as the amount of solder paste used, the cost of the paste, the cost of the operator to run the current system, the cost of defects and the average profit on a board produced on the line. Based on this information as well as DEK ProFlow projections (which can be adjusted if required), the spreadsheet outputs the potential savings per machine per year for each of the benefits.
Users get the most out of the tool by going through it with a DEK applications engineer; however, it also is available on CD or from the Web site for any registered user at www.dek.com/roi.
Kyzen Introduces ContractCleaning Services
NASHVILLE — Kyzen Corp. introduces a new service — contract cleaning. From parts washing to wafer defluxing, the company's service is said to clean to customer specifications.
The service includes:
- A trained staff
- Cleaning system available the same day
- Quick turnaround
- No waste issues
- No cleaner maintenance costs
- No need to purchase equipment.
Additionally, Kyzen features two cleaning facilities — one located in Manchester, N.H., and the other in Nashville, Tenn.— to ensure that there will be quick turnaround for time-critical cleaning projects. The fully outfitted cleaning facilities offer many advantages, including aqueous, semi-aqueous and vapor phase cleaning technologies.
Kyocera Transfers SLC Business
TOKYO — Kyocera Corp. and IBM Japan Ltd. have reached an agreement for the transfer from IBM Japan to Kyocera of the SLC (laminated high-density printed circuit board) business of the Yasu Site of IBM Japan, and have executed a business transfer agreement relating to the arrangement.
Kyocera will incorporate a successor company on the location of the Yasu Site of IBM Japan, which will undertake the operation of the transferred business.
Demand for high quality and expanded functionality in communications equipment has increased. Semiconductors and electronics devices used in such equipment will be required to accommodate even higher speeds as well as the integration of multiple functions, high density, and more reliable chip carriers and substrates made from ceramic and organic materials.
As a result of the business transfer, the company will further enhance its organic circuit board business through synergistic effects among the range of technologies covering materials, products and analysis developed by Kyocera, and the SLC technologies encompassing design, manufacturing engineering and packaging technology of IBM Japan.
BRIEFS
Newport Launches Same-day Shipping Program
Newport Corp. implemented a same-day shipping program for orders placed as late as 5 p.m. Pacific time and shipped within the United States. In an effort to continually improve and adapt to customer expectations, the warehouse distribution team has extended shipment processing time immediately, allowing customers placing domestic orders via telephone or over the Web for off-the-shelf products to have the option for same-day shipment.
Photo Stencil Partners with Pentagon
Photo Stencil partnered with Pentagon, EMS Inc., designers and manufacturers of custom SMT pallets and process carriers. The investment enables the sales specialists at Photo Stencil to provide solutions for the SMT printing and assembly process. Now fixtures and tooling for electronics manufacturing are available to complement other company products. The Photo Stencil product offering has been expanded to include custom stencil/product design under ISO 9001-2000; custom stencil manufacturing; PCB process fixtures, printer plates and custom tooling; squeegee blades, wiper blades and accessories; ESD-safe Accu-check inspection templates; and BGA replacement and repair tools.
Zestron and Enthone Team for OSP Cleaning
With increasing PCB values, the cleaning of double-sided assemblies is key. The frequent use of OSPs has electronics manufacturers facing an additional process requirement. To ensure that soldering of the cleaned substrate remains feasible within a viable timeframe, the OSP layer can be removed only marginally during the misprint cleaning. Zestron and Enthone have teamed to establish the most suitable processes windows for MPC-based cleaning of Enthone Plus coated misprinted PCBs. The test results confirm that a sufficient OSP layer remains, allowing for the reintegration of cleaned assemblies into the manufacturing process.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
SMTA Establishes MSD Council
MINNEAPOLIS — The SMTA established a Moisture Sensitivity Devices (MSD) Council, which is a voluntary group, under the auspices of the SMTA, dedicated to advancing the understanding and practice of MSD control in electronics assembly procedures and practices.
The MSD Council is chartered to expand awareness through information available on www.smta.org, as well as through educational programs, tutorials, symposia, publications and events for extensive networking. With the increasing need for globalization in the area of industry standards, and with the understanding and proper practice of such standards, the MSD Council also will establish formal and informal relationships with international organizations responsible for publishing related information.
The Council represents engineering, production management, quality assurance and reliability, research, sales and marketing, education, purchasing, and other industry functions. Companies and institutions represented include electronics manufacturers and users, research laboratories, consultants, universities, component manufacturers, and manufacturers of related products.
IPC's SPVC Begins Reliability Test Program
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries announced that its Solder Products Value Council (SPVC) has begun a comprehensive study of the three leading lead-free alloys (tin/silver/copper) in an effort to analyze the properties of the leading candidates for lead-free assembly.
The research will cover assembly performance and basic materials properties, such as wetting, phase structure of the materials, thermal shock performance, long-term thermal cycling behavior and solder joint reliability.
A complete data analysis and white paper summary of the work is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2004, upon completion of the testing. Additionally, once published, the data will be used not only by IPC's Technical Committees, but it also will influence the standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee TC 91 — "Electronics Assembly Technology."