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News
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Compiled By SMT Staff
Teradyne Expands Chinese Presence
SHANGHAI — Teradyne Inc. recently opened the doors of a new Shanghai office and manufacturing facility, expanding the company's operations in China. The 84,000 sq ft office will serve Chinese and multinational customers requiring test systems for a broad range of test and inspection systems for printed circuit boards (PCB), semiconductor devices, high-density connectors and backplanes, and complex system integration and test services.
"Technology is driving much of China's growth," said George Chamillard, chairman and CEO. "Teradyne is a technology leader, and we've built a very successful business over the years by developing local operations that provide solutions and support for customers, wherever they are in the world."
Since 1979, when the company's first test system was shipped to a Chinese factory for semiconductor device manufacturing, Teradyne has grown with China's technology industry. A large number of semiconductor and PCB test and inspection systems are installed in the country. Additionally, the company provides connections systems' products and services to a growing list of Chinese communication companies. Driven by these combined activities, Teradyne expects to double the current employment of 80 people by year-end.
PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio
Book-to-Bill Bests All of 2001 and 2002
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The IPC PCB book-to-bill ratio for February was 1.03, meaning $103 worth of orders for new boards were received for every $100 billed (shipped). The ratio increased from the January level of 1.02. Sales billed (shipments) in February 2003 decreased 23.6 percent from February 2002, while orders booked decreased 16.2 percent from February 2002. Compared to 2002, PCB bookings are down 18.8 percent YTD, while PCB shipments are down 23.4 percent YTD.
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February's book-to-bill level increased from January's numbers, while orders booked for February 2003 decreased 16.2 percent below the level in February 2002.
ZESTRON Relocates Headquarters
ASHBURN, Va. — ZESTRON Corp. announced that the headquarters of all ZESTRON operations, including its European and Southeast Asian operations, have been relocated here.
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ZESTRON is a global provider of cleaning solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry. According to management sources, this strategic move was made to service it international market more efficiently and to better serve its expanding U.S. market
Assembly East Joins NEPCON East/Electro
NORWALK, Conn. — Assembly East, a Northeast trade event dedicated to final product assembly, is moving north. After three years in the Philadelphia area, Assembly East is moving to Boston to join NEPCON East/Electro, June 10 to 11, 2003, at the Bayside Expo and Conference Center in Boston.
Three free special events will be offered: Gregory S. Shelton, Raytheon Co., will present his insights into Design for Six Sigma; Pam Gordon, Technology Forecasters, will speak on "Designing and Manufacturing to be Lean and Green;" and a panel, "20/20 Vision: A Look into the Future of U.S. Manufacturing," will be presented. In addition to these events, the combined show will offer a comprehensive conference program as well as technical programs designed to help improve the assembly process and reduce manufacturing costs.
As part of the technical conference, the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) will again present the SMTA Boston Conference, which provides conferees with the latest technical solutions needed to remain competitive in today's market.
Improved Production Yields
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — As the sluggish economy and weakening demand force manufacturers to improve quality and increase production yields, the market for SMT inspection equipment — especially automated optical inspection (AOI) — is seeing new growth opportunities.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, "World Surface Mount Technology Equipment Market," reveals that the industry generated revenues totaling $403 million in 2002. Total market revenues could reach almost $1.1 million by 2009.
Continuing integration of machines and software coupled with increasing circuit density on PCBs and finer pitches is driving the need for state-of-the-art SMT inspection equipment. Additionally, the accelerated trend toward miniaturization and the higher use of advanced packaging technologies are forcing assembly manufacturers to buy new equipment.
Leading OEMs and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers are relocating their production facilities to lower cost areas such as China and the Asia-Pacific region, simultaneously rushing to build into the rapidly growing telecommunication infrastructure in these regions. This is boosting the demand for SMT inspection equipment. However, not all suppliers have the resources to extend their global reach and maintain a presence in new markets. As competition increases and new companies emerge, suppliers are exploring opportunities outside computing and communications, in end-user industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical and defense.
Among the SMT capital equipment markets, inspection equipment has the potential for strongest growth. For now, the market is expected to continue being a recipient of venture capital funding.
AIM Signs Lead-Free Agreement
MONTREAL — AIM Inc. and The Torrey S. Crane Co. signed a worldwide license agreement for AIM's patented lead-free alloy, trade named CASTIN. The agreement enables The Torrey S. Crane Co. to manufacture and sell the CASTIN alloy worldwide in all solder forms, including ribbon, wire solder, solder paste, solder bar and preforms.
CASTIN is an environmentally safe, lead-free solder comprised of tin, silver, copper, and a grain-refining and temperature-reducing dopant. It features a relatively low melting temperature, offers joint strength and inhibits intermetallic growth during high thermal temperature cycling. Containing commonly found non-toxic elemental constituents, CASTIN is positioned as a cost-efficient alternative to conventional Sn/Pb solders, as well as to common lead-free alternatives Sn/Ag and Sn/Ag/Cu.
ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE
NPL Lead-free Service
Middlesex, United Kingdom — The impending lead-free deadline of July 2006 is getting closer daily. The increased awareness of this was reflected in the level of attendance at a joint National Physical Laboratory (NPL)/SMART lead-free event in February, which sold out the 128-seat venue in Teddington, United Kingdom.
While worldwide NPL research is minimizing some of the uncertainty about the generic concerns with lead-free production and electronics reliability, many companies still have specific concerns associated with their product, production processes, suppliers and customers.
Recognizing this, NPL is offering an on-site lead-free health check, in which lead-free issues are examined in the context of each individual company. The on-site consultant can involve staff presentations (production, design, quality, buyers and managers); a review of production, rework and inspection procedures; and equipment suitability.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
SMTA Forms MSD Council
MINNEAPOLIS — The SMTA formed a Moisture-sensitive Devices (MSD) Council to expand MSD awareness through educational programs, publications, tutorials, symposia and certification.
The Council is a voluntary group, which under the auspices of the SMTA, is dedicated to advancing the understanding and practice of MSD control in electronics assembly procedures and practices. Additionally, the Council establishes formal and informal relationships with other organizations that are responsible for publishing related industry standards. With the increasing need for global harmonization in the area of standards and the understanding and proper practice of such standards, the international focus of the council is key.
Membership is open to any SMTA member. MSD Council members include engineers, production management, quality assurance and reliability personnel, research, sales and marketing, education, purchasing, and other functions. The membership represents electronics manufacturers of related products. These MSD processionals locate the help and resources necessary in the council's membership, activities and programs.
SMTA Releases Testability Guidelines
MINNEAPOLIS — Led by SMTA Testability Committee Chair Louis Ungar of A.T.E. Solutions Inc., the SMTA Testability Guidelines TP-101C were developed in an effort to present information to comprehensively test and accurately diagnose the complex circuitry produced in modern electronics manufacturing.
Considering the variety of issues currently associated with the subject of testability, it was decided the SMTA Testability Committee would be expanded temporarily to include specialized task forces, each with a designated leader and each concentrating on its own discipline. The work of the various task forces is featured as separate chapters within a general format that is intended to assist the reader in dealing with the testability considerations that go into the design, development and test of a product. Each chapter begins with an introduction intended to put into perspective the many testability guidelines. Finally, a glossary is provided and a reference section is included for further research.
Q & A: Optical Component Splice Loss
Q: Our company is beginning to handle optical components on our PWB products that require fiber splicing. We are experiencing inconsistent splice loss measurements. What are some factors that cause splice loss?
A: Fiber ends that are contaminated from improper handling, lack of environmental cleanliness control or coating residuals will result in poor transmission loss properties after fusion splicing. Most fusion splicing equipment on the market today use an electric arc discharge to remove dust and other contamination off the ends of the fibers prior to splicing. The fibers are then analyzed immediately afterward using image processing to check for any remaining contamination on the fiber. If the cleaning process was not sufficient to remove the contamination, the subsequent fusion splicing will not occur.
Contamination in the v-grooves of the fiber splicing equipment will result in an excessive fiber core axis angle between the fibers to be spliced. With the potential problems that contamination can cause, it is best to institute cleanliness control and proper fiber handling during the fiber preparation and splicing process step.
Other geometrical factors must be controlled for optimal splicing, including radial core offset, core bending and dopent diffusion. Splicing equipment today can minimize the core offset using active alignment of the fiber cores. Core bending is reduced using precise fiber cleaving during the fiber preparation step. Properly controlled cleaving will result in minimizing unnecessary glass flow. Proper and repeatable heating of the fibers during splicing will aid in controlling the dopent diffusion.
Effects of the geometrical incompatibilities between fibers are magnified as the mode field diameter of the fibers to be spliced is reduced. The mode field diameter is generally the size of the area that transports the light inside an optical wave-guide within the fiber core. Single mode fibers have a mode field diameter of about 10.4 µm, while erbium-doped fibers have a mode field diameter of about 6.25 µm.
There are methods for transitioning the core areas and the mode field diameters between the fibers during the fusion splicing process. However, the splice loss will increase when splicing fibers with excess combinations of these diameters.
Craig Beddingfield is senior market and business development manager for SiemensDematic Electronics Assembly Systems Inc., Norcross, Ga.
Newsmakers
People
Jean Lamontagne was appointed operations manager for Quebec, Canada-based Cogiscan's complete line of material tracking and control systems. In this position, responsibilities include purchasing, subcontracting, inventory, quality and production at the company's Quebec headquarters.
David Samyn has been named general manager of Des Plaines, Ill.-based Littelfuse Inc.'s electronic business. He will focus on refining and executing the company's long-range business plan to offer the broadest range of circuit protection solutions in the industry.
Enthone Inc., a Cookson Electronics PWB Materials & Chemistry business, West Haven, Conn., named Yun Zhang, Ph.D., research director. Zhang will lead the global research and development and product formulation activities of the company's tin, tin alloy and lead-free technologies.
Companies
March Plasma Systems, Concord, Calif., strengthened their sales network by adding five representative firms to support their PCB plasma product lines. The representatives include: Allen Woods & Associates, Arlington Heights, Ill.; Atlan-Dyess Corp., Fort Worth, Texas; EMX Enterprises Ltd., Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada; JCL Nationwide, East Hampstead, N.H.; and Technica U.S.A., Menlo Park, Calif.
San Clemente, Calif.-based Unichem Industries Inc. has been appointed as North American distributor for Micro Tec Screen Printer, Tokyo, Japan. Sales, parts and service will be handled from Unichem's corporate headquarters in San Clemente.