Selecting the Right ERP and MES Software System

To avoid choosing the wrong software system for your company, a careful evaluation of your company's needs and the supplier's offerings is a must.

Test and Inspection Round Up: The Equipment Users' Needs

Measuring the Cost per Cleaned Part

By Harald Wack, Ph.D., ZESTRON - Cleaning processes in the electronics manufacturing industry are driven by two factors: achieving cleanliness requirements and optimizing economic efficiency. The only true method of analyzing a cleaning process is to use a systematic approach that analyzes the process with regard to four criteria: substrate being cleaned, contamination being removed, cleaning agent, and cleaning equipment.

Shea Keynote Looks Ahead

NASHUA, N.H. — Attentive to the electronics industry's burgeoning environmental responsibility, and the challenges associated with multiple, global legislative initiatives, Dan Shea, chief technology officer (CTO), Celestica, will offer knowledge and insight in his keynote address "Cradle to Rebirth — The Electronics Industry Goes Green," on October 17, 2006, at Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop.

New Products

Shape Memory Tooling

PCBs Constrained? Try Flexing Your Circuits

Consumers demand smaller and faster products that deliver more bang for the buck while still expecting reliability and long battery life.

Speaking of this Week -- March 7, 2003

They say March comes in like a lion, and we've got the news to prove it this week. The bellwether IPC book-to-bill ratio hit the streets, showing strong (but mixed) signs of life, and progress news abounded. We've also got personnel announcements, news of alliances, tradeshow news and a prediction.

Speaking of this Week - March 29, 2002

In the words of an old song, you've got to keep on pushin', and that's what companies in the electronics assembly industry are doing, with plenty of news of new developments, certifications and initiatives hitting the wires. Meanwhile, the IPC Book-to-Bill for February appeared this week, backing up IPC's prediction -- and that of others -- of flat growth for 2002.

Ask and Answer - January 23, 2002

Ask and Answer is a forum where SMT professionals with questions can meet up with those with the answers.

Publisher's Executive Council Interview

This month's Publisher's Executive Council Interview features one of the industry's leading innovators: TT electronics' Steve Wade.

Placement/reflow/rework System

The Cyclone 2000 placement/reflow/ rework system is said to be designed for precision placement and reflow soldering of CSPs, microBGAs and various other newly developed SMDs. It also performs as a component removal/PCB rework station. The combination of non-tactile laser height measurement, programmable AC servo-driven Z-axis with Z-force control, split vision with motorized zoom lenses, real-time temperature feedback, and advanced software and touch screen control reportedly ensure repeatabili

Low-volume Batch Assembly Line

The low-volume batch line demonstrates the processing of flip chips, CSPs and PBGAs in a low-volume production line using low-volume production and prototyping equipment.

Lead-free HDI Assembly Line

The evaluation and use of lead-free process materials has gained a lot of interest throughout the industry because of legislation that would ban lead use in the electronics industry. The lead-free HDI assembly line demonstrates the attachment of SMDs, BGAs, QFPs, and CSPs using a lead-free solder, lead-free component metallizations and a lead-free PCB pad finish for the top- and bottomside attachment processes.

High Expectations Force Action

In this issue, our roundtable participants grapple with issues pertaining to the growing needs of their OEM customers.

Industry Forecast 2010: Climbing Back Up

Forecasting the electronics industry's direction is never an easy task, but this year, with global economies in volatile flux and no sector left unscathed, it is even more difficult.

Solder Charge — An Alternative to BGA

By Herbert Endres, Molex - Traditional techniques of applying solder have become impractical for today's high-density mezzanine connector market. To stay relevant, connector manufacturers have designed new methods for attaching surface mounted connectors. A new solder charge method has proven to provide good fatigue strength and lower applied costs compared to traditional SMT mounting methods.

Conductive Inks Rework the Board

By Meredith Courtemanche, assistant editor - - Electrically-conductive inks challenge traditional etched or plated copper traces in circuit boards. Fast-drying and highly stable at room temperature, inks enable high-speed assembly with reduced product waste. Additional concerns, such as hazardous waste management and restrictions, as well as thermal management and cure time, determine the viability of conductive inks vs. copper traces on boards.

Lead-free Solder and the Rework Process

In three months, the electronics industry will shift from a proven, highly reliable, lead-containing solder alloy to a variety of lead-free alloys - creating extra work and raising concerns regarding long-term reliability.

Integrating New Business with an EMS Provider

Starting a new customer with an EMS provider has always been challenging for both parties.

Making the Move to Lead-free Requires Teamwork

(November 23, 2004) The reality of the reduction of hazardous substances (RoHS) regulations has many manufacturers in the United States seeking alternative materials for their products. Manufacturers who compete in the global marketplace must be prepared to with the regulations. Regardless of the debates over the science justifying the regulations, manufacturers need to explore alternative products and processes to enable compliance. by Brian Bauer

Speaking of this Week — August 20, 2004

With the fall trade show season drawing closer, it's no surprise that news of upcoming shows and events (many of them having to do with lead-free) dominated the news this week. There's also some progress news, alliances and sales, personnel and financial news, and some looks at the future of two different segments of the industry.

A Conversation with Chris Israel

(January 23, 2002) This is the fourth in a series of articles about APEX, held January 22-24 in San Diego. Chris Israel is the APEX keynote speaker for the second day of the show.

GSPK Circuits Ltd. Promotes Lean Manufacturing with Profitable Results

(November 6, 2002) Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England -- A full-service EMS provider incorporates lean manufacturing across all departments for increased effectiveness and efficiency.

SCI Expands eM-Verifeed to Latin American Operations

(November 1, 2001) Nashua, N.H. -- SCI Systems -Latin America has selected Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd.'s eM-Verifeed software for its real-time part and feeder control systems.

SMTA International 2001 Show Guide — Show Preview

Get Connected at SMTA International, the industry's best technical conference on electronics assembly and advanced packaging.

BGA Rework and Repair

Summit 2100RS can perform rework and repair on BGAs, CSPs and QFPs. The system`s automation allows performance of a single, continuous sequence to complete all four rework operations: removing components, non-contact site scavenging, solder paste applications, and placing and reflowing components. This is accomplished by adding a component print station to the rework and scavenging automated platform. The system has a menu-driven interface for programming the rework sequence.

Lead-free PBGA Assembly Line

The PBGA line features the full population and assembly of a BGA lead-frame strip containing the circuitry and bonding pads for four PBGA devices. The die-attach process demonstrates the population of a laminate strip containing four PBGA packages containing gold bonding pads for gold-to-gold interconnect COB wire-bond die and the BGA package. The wire bondable die is attached with a silver-filled adhesive, followed by thermal cure, plasma clean and die wire bonding to the pad sites for each dev

PCMCIA Assembly Line

The PCMCIA line highlights the assembly of a high-volume consumer electronics product that incorporates many high-technology facets, including advanced design techniques, a variety of high- pin-count component packages and die, along with cutting edge PCB fabrication technology. The assembly equipment is outfitted for processing the thin laminate that is typically used in PCMCIA panels.

New Products

Thin-film Fuses - The Accu-Guard Series of thin-film fuses have current values from 150 mA to 5 A in sizes including 0603, 0805, 1206 and 0612. Featuring accurate current ratings and fast response time, the fuses are reportedly ideal for telecommunications applications, battery chargers and packs, hard disk drives, LCD screens and digital video camera equipment. The fuses are sold on tape-and-reel packaging and are compatible with high-speed automated assembly equipment. AVX Corp., Myrt

Supply Management: The ROI in ERP

One PCB manufacturer invested in its ERP system, improving reporting, resource management, time-to-market, and other aspects of operation. What makes ERP worthwhile?

Competitive Differentiation: The Battle for Customer Perception, Part II

May Featured Products

Following are new products introduced to the testing market, pick-and-place innovations, PCB depanelers and other tooling, products in the emerging conformal coating sector, connectors for LCD assemblies, new packaging for sensitive devices, inspection tools for PCB fabricators, and more.

Lead-free Alchemy
The Full Story

By Meredith Courtemanche, SMT - - In the lead-free era, R&D dollars are devoted to understanding metallurgy. This article looks at how much of reliable lead-free assembly comes from process, and how much comes from the fundamental materials involved.

AOI: A Strategy for Closing the Loop

AOI has been a process-monitoring tool within the SMT industry for several years.

Lead-free: Screen Printing - Where to from Here?

The deadline for lead-free electronic assembly is less than 12 months away. Time is running out to get “production-wise.

Speaking of this Week — August 20, 2004

With the fall trade show season drawing closer, it's no surprise that news of upcoming shows and events (many of them having to do with lead-free) dominated the news this week. There's also some progress news, alliances and sales, personnel and financial news, and some looks at the future of two different segments of the industry.

SMTA International 2001 — Products

Following is a variety of products offered from just a few of the exhibiting companies slated to attend the SMTA International Show.

*** SMT MAGAZINE'S ASSOCIATION LINKS ***

Links to industry association web sites important to SMT Magazine readers.

Benchtop Dispensing

The Dispensit Contour 400-XYZ and 405-XYZ are benchtop dispense stations said to accommodate a variety of single-component time/pressure or positive displacement valves and material supply systems, from 10 cc to five-gallon transfer pumps. Each system has point-to-point and three axes continuous path dispensing.

Area-array Assembly Line

The Area-array line features the assembly processes, materials and methods necessary for forming CSPs. The die-attach process shows the population of an organic strip containing multiple package interconnects with chip-on-board (COB) wire-bond die for the formation of CSPs. Processes featured include dispensing die attach and subsequent device placement with a single machine, curing the die-attach adhesive, plasma cleaning the wire-bond pad sites, ball-wedge gold capillary wire-bonding, dispensi

Lead-free PBGA Assembly Line

The PBGA line features the full population and assembly of a BGA lead-frame strip containing the circuitry and bonding pads for four PBGA devices. The die-attach process demonstrates the population of a laminate strip containing four PBGA packages containing gold bonding pads for gold-to-gold interconnect COB wire-bond die and the BGA package. The wire bondable die is attached with a silver-filled adhesive, followed by thermal cure, plasma clean and die wire bonding to the pad sites for each dev

Stencil Aperture Creation

There are several accepted methods for stencil manufacture, such as etch, laser-cut, and electroform.

productronica 2009: Product Showcase

An end to end software suite, DynamiX is designed to integrate solutions that will assist manufacturers in design, planning, monitoring, control, scheduling, box build, traceability, test, and rework processes.

Hand Soldering in a Mixed-alloy Environment

With the RoHS Directive date approaching, the big concern for many companies is compliance.

2005 Product Review

ASSEMBLY TOOLS & EQUIPMENTProcess Development Tool

EMS News

Chase EMS Group Announces New Test/Inspection Services - WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Chase EMS Group is offering a complete and comprehensive range of inspection and test services for electronics assemblies, including automated optical inspection (AOI); X-ray; GenRad in-circuit test (ICT); and functional testing capabilities.

Get Beamed@Pall Microelectronics at SEMICON Europa

April 18, 2001 - Pall announces the first downloadable pocket show guide for SEMICON Europa.

Temperature Profiling

The Surveyor is a temperature analysis tool for frequent monitoring of reflow oven performance. The tool consists of an adjustable width gauge designed to carry six custom temperature sensors through a reflow oven and software that provides traffic light indication of oven performance. Clear "go/no-go" indicators reportedly simplify the profiling process and indicate if oven performance is drifting out of tolerance.

PCMCIA Assembly Line

The PCMCIA line highlights the assembly of a high-volume consumer electronics product that incorporates many high-technology facets, including advanced design techniques, a variety of high- pin-count component packages and die, along with cutting edge PCB fabrication technology. The assembly equipment is outfitted for processing the thin laminate that is typically used in PCMCIA panels.

Area-array Assembly Line

The Area-array line features the assembly processes, materials and methods necessary for forming CSPs. The die-attach process shows the population of an organic strip containing multiple package interconnects with chip-on-board (COB) wire-bond die for the formation of CSPs. Processes featured include dispensing die attach and subsequent device placement with a single machine, curing the die-attach adhesive, plasma cleaning the wire-bond pad sites, ball-wedge gold capillary wire-bonding, dispensi

The Solder Paste Print Step

Solder paste, which serves primarily as the attachment medium between the device interconnection features and the PCB itself, is deposited (usually by printing) on the attachment sites (pads) of the PCB. Solder paste deposition is one of the most critical steps of SMT assembly. It’s normally accepted in the industry to consider that 60% of process defects can originate in the solder paste printing step.

Route SMT

SMT Magazine hit the scenic highways of New England - visiting Distron Corp. of Attleboro Falls, Mass., and Proxy Manufacturing in Methuen, Mass.

Using Stencil: Design to Reduce SMT Defects

Solder paste printing is known as the root cause behind assembly defects. Because yield accounts for much of the margin, the greatest opportunity to improve profits can be gleaned by eradicating solder defects.

Next-generation Optoelectronics Manufacturing

Reducing manufacturing costs for optical components is driving a trend towards adapting existing SMT and packaging design and manufacturing methodologies.

Stencil Printer Manufacturers Eye a New Round of Growth

In addition to manufacturers, vendors offering complete SMT lines are jockeying to increase their market shares.

COMING NEXT ISSUE IN SMT MAGAZINE . . .

TCM Manufacturing Software, 2-D Inspection Systems and Placement are all featured in the May 2001 issue.

Four-head Placement

The SDG-2000 placement system combines two vision placers with a connecting conveyor for a total of four heads, 200 tape/stick capacity, and 19,400 pph throughput. One vision placer is dedicated to high-speed chip placements and the other is used for ICs, QFPs, BGAs and connectors. Placers can be connected with the included conveyor for dual-gantry performance or used individually. Placers include laser alignment, 40 mm vision system and multiple field of recognition. Component range is from 040

Lead-free HDI Assembly Line

The evaluation and use of lead-free process materials has gained a lot of interest throughout the industry because of legislation that would ban lead use in the electronics industry. The lead-free HDI assembly line demonstrates the attachment of SMDs, BGAs, QFPs, and CSPs using a lead-free solder, lead-free component metallizations and a lead-free PCB pad finish for the top- and bottomside attachment processes.

Low-volume Batch Assembly Line

The low-volume batch line demonstrates the processing of flip chips, CSPs and PBGAs in a low-volume production line using low-volume production and prototyping equipment.

Laser-cut Electropolish and Laser-cut Nanocoat Stencils: A Comparison of Finish Performance for Complex Designs

Miguel A. Lara, Celestica, examines solder paste deposition for designs with miniature/fine-pitch and large components. This paper presents the results of solder paste deposition with an alternate post-process operation to SMT stencils that is claimed to improve paste release and consistency. There are two analyzed outputs: solder paste brick height and volume. Variation, normality, and process capability analysis is measured for electroformed and nanocoated laser-cut stencils in identical operations.

2007 Industry Vision Forecast

Predictions for 2007 are optimistic to say the least. We asked two questions from every SMT expert we could find: What is happening at your company and your market in 2007, and What challenges do you foresee in the coming year? Out of all respondents, we received only a few negative forecasts for the year ahead.

Open vs. Sealed Tubes in X-ray Inspection

A topic often discussed when assessing X-ray equipment capability is the configuration of an X-ray source characterized by open vs. sealed tube.

Speaking of this Week — June 4, 2004

In this short week, there's plenty of news, and it's overwhelmingly positive. The Book-to-Bill Ratio for April stayed over 1.00, there's plenty of partnership news, progress keeps on a-comin', and the industry continues to look ahead to some blockbuster trade events. There's even news of some promotions and hires.

ZESTRON Appoints New Executive President and CEO

(June 5, 2002) Ashburn, Va. -- ZESTRON Corp. has appointed Harold Wack, Ph.D. as its executive vice president and CEO.

The Benefits of a Supply Chain Manager in the Outsourced Manufacturing Model

(March 28, 2002) Outsourcing in the electronics manufacturing industry arose out of a financial model that pleased Wall Street. As manufacturing became more capital-intensive with the advent of SMT, OEMs shed their high-cost, low-volume manufacturing facilities to EMS industry providers that could aggregate customers and leverage economies of scale and specialization.

Advanced Issues in Assembly: Part 2 Causes and Cures in Solder Beading

Solder beading, a defect that can result in short circuits, may be reduced substantially by decreasing the solder paste volume deposited on a printed circuit board (PCB).

New Products

In-line PCB Support System - The In-line Red-E-Set substrate support system is for use in screen printers, dispensing systems and automated assembly machines. Unlike other optional in-line board support systems, it reportedly uses a patented spring-loaded pin support system to reduce setup time, eliminate board flex, reduce defects and increase throughput. The system is said to reduce setup times by as much as 84 percent. The system is compatible with all automatic screen printers disp

Step 10: Rework & Repair

The rework and repair of printed circuit boards (PCB) has never been more critical to the success of contract electronics manufacturers (CEMs) and OEMs than it is now. As repair and rework have grown in importance, the tools and procedures necessary to properly perform the work have become increasingly sophisticated – from solder/desolder machines, soldering irons and tips to hand tools, solder paste application equipment, cleaning chemistries and more.

Cleaners

The HFE line of products was reformulated and split into three groups. All are nonflammable, evaporate rapidly and contain no ozone-depleting solvents. The cleaner/ degreaser is a light-duty degreaser for the removal of oils, grease and other contaminants. The flux remover reportedly is safe on plastics. It removes type R, RMA and RA fluxes from PCBs, gold finders, contacts, connectors and relays. The contact cleaner is formulated to clean electrical contacts and switches. It can be used for han

Y2K Assembly Line

The Y2K assembly line is designed to allow attendees to witness a component attachment process at very low temperatures using a solder alternative. The line features bottomside in-line placement of bar-code labels, as well as the deposition of a solder alternative for the mechanical attachment of quad flat packs (QFP), BGAs, a flip chip and standard surface mount devices (SMD). The devices are cemented in place with a low-temperature heating process, and the flip chip device is underfilled with

Contract Manufacturing Demonstration Line

Located in the Contract Manufacturing Demonstration Area in Hall C, the Contract Manufacturing Demonstration Line is a complete SMT line that produces live products for one of the participating contract manufacturer`s customers.

Stencil Controls

By William E. Coleman, Ph.D., Photo Stencil - It is generally stated that over 70% of defects in surface mount assembly are related to the printing process. There are many factors involved with print, including the printer, squeegee blades, solder paste, printer set-up, and the stencil. All of these factors have a major influence, but I will confine this discussion to an analysis of stencil controls.

Facility Tour: NBS Design

SMT visited NBS Design’s new Santa Clara, Calif., facility, touring the EMS provider’s assembly lines and inspection systems, soon to include the first Agilent ×6000 on the West Coast.

Creative Solutions to Stencil Printing Challenges

By William E. Coleman, Ph.D., Photo Stencil - Too often we think of a stencil as a simple, single-thickness foil with apertures defining positions where solder paste bricks are to be deposited. In today's world of complex PCB and package designs, more versatility is required.

News from Nepcon NEC 2007

By Michelle M. Boisvert, managing editor - - BIRMINGHAM, U.K. — I had the chance to again visit Nepcon NEC, May 15–17, 2007. Considered a regional U.K.-based show, Nepcon NEC is host to more than 400 exhibitors within the PCB assembly, test-and-measurement, components, PCB fabrication, and microelectronics markets. Overall, I found the show to be livelier than last year, and exhibitors noted more confidence in the health of electronics manufacturing in the U.K.

The Paperless Supply Chain

SMT Magazine interviewed David Wolff, president and founder of P.D. Circuits in Hampstead, N.H., to learn about his company's "from the ground up" approach to managing supply chain data. As a distributor of bare boards, P.D. Circuits interacts with customers as well as suppliers, and manages domestic and offshore operations. It operates almost entirely without paper records, due to a proprietary software system, PDC2006.

Screen Printing in the Dawn of Fuel Cells

The world is ready for fuel cell technologies - more people are concerned with environmental damage from burning fossil fuels.

Keeping Lead Away from Lead-free During Cleaning

While the deadline for conversion is fast approaching, it does not mean that everyone will become lead-free all at once.

Speaking of this Week — June 4, 2004

In this short week, there's plenty of news, and it's overwhelmingly positive. The Book-to-Bill Ratio for April stayed over 1.00, there's plenty of partnership news, progress keeps on a-comin', and the industry continues to look ahead to some blockbuster trade events. There's even news of some promotions and hires.

Speaking of this Week — May 23, 2003

We're progressing towards summer, what with the long holiday weekend upon us, and the electronics assembly industry is moving ahead as well. We've got an important personnel announcement from right inside SMT, as well as partnership and (good) financial news. There's even a prediction thrown in for good measure.

Today's SMT Placement Equipment Market

Several successful strategies for surviving and thriving in the current global market are presented.

A Rough Guide to Tiny Dots

Despite the numerous technologies available to dispense dots, all is moot if these continuously shrinking dots cannot be placed accurately.

Defining Surface Mount Equipment Performance

The IPC 5-41 subcommittee, comprised of both SMT equipment users and suppliers, is developing the IPC-9850 standard, which simplifies the evaluation process by standardizing the performance parameters that describe placement machine capabilities.

Acoustic Imaging

The D-24 populated-board imaging system is an acoustic micro-imaging system that nondestructively images mounted components for internal defects. The system can scan an area up to 24 x 24". The system is said to be most sensitive to gap-type internal defects, such as delaminations, disbonds, voids and cracks. It has two modes of operations: single image, for boards populated with devices all having the same height and depth of interest, and multiple image, for boards with mixed components.

New Silicon Chip

The QRC 1284X2 chip is designed to be the single-chip solution to IEEE 1284 parallel port line filtering and termination. The 28-pin QSOP package uses thin film (tantalum nitride) on silicon technology. In each chip, there are 17 capacitors, 17 pull-up resistors and nine termination resistors, and for each of the 17 signal lines, a diode structure provides 8 kV of ESD protection.

Pick-and-place Evaluation Center

The Pick-and-place Evaluation Center, located in Hall B, provides a strategic approach to evaluating assembly pick-and-place equipment. Four high-speed placement machines are on display, set up side-by-side, with third-party technical experts providing in-use feedback and interpretation of manufacturers` published machine specifications.

Design, Manufacturing, and Reliability Challenges With QFNs

By Craig Hillman and Cheryl Tulkoff, DfR Solutions, Inc. - While the advantages of QFNs are well documented, they can be considered as a next-generation technology for non-consumer-sector OEMs. This article is designed to review specific concerns in relation to design and manufacturability by CMs and OEMs and provide possible mitigations or solutions to allow the reliable introduction of QFN components into products.

Design to Manufacturing ? Bridging the Gap

All PCB design systems have some method of producing manufacturing data at the end of the design process, but the fact is that three problems still exist when it comes to developing an electronic product efficiently.

Cleaning Up the SMT Production Environment

By Sheila Hamilton, Teknek - How clean is your SMT production environment? You would be surprised at the levels of contamination present that can impact yields and wastage levels. Before you can control contamination, you must be able to measure it and identify the sources.

Supply-chain Management: Asset Recovery & Disposition

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Amherst professor Joseph Ellis, in commenting about his book Founding Brothers, made the following observation: If Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were to be resurrected, they would surely be impressed with our scientific and technological advances. But, they would likely be more impressed with the sheer quantity of material goods that we have.

STEP 4: Printing

Consumer need for electronic devices is driving the industry to products that are smarter, more portable, highly functional, and cost-effective.

A Conversation with NASA Mars Team Leader Donna Shirley

(January 22, 2002) This is the second in a series of articles about APEX, held January 22-24 in San Diego. Donna Shirley is the APEX keynote speaker for the first day of the show.

Step 8: Test/Inspection

Many types of defects can be found on today's modern printed circuit boards (PCB).

Step 10 — Rework and Repair

Manufacturing defects on assembly lines can creep into products at any point in the production process, necessitating expensive repair and rework, and giving rise to the dreaded "hidden factory."

SMT PERSPECTIVES - Complete Series

SMT Perspectives, the forum where SMT industry leaders express their opinions on the latest and hottest topics!

Fine-pitch Lead Repair

The hand-operated benchtop Dana MLCS-1 corrects bent or skewed leads in fine-pitch components from 7 to 32 mm sq. With a footprint of 10 x 10", it is said to recondition packages with 0.5 mm pitch in less than 90 seconds, restoring lead pitch, sweep, standoff and coplanarity per JEDEC standards.

AOI System Introduces Synthetic Component Library

A universal component library of synthetic images was introduced as a standard feature on ViTechnology`s automated optical inspection (AOI) systems. This inspection and analysis capability reportedly allows for 100 percent component inspection at maximum throughput speeds. It is accomplished by analyzing key geometric features of runtime component images, as opposed to comparing gray-scale values to reference images or "golden boards."

Keynote Addresses

Tuesday, February 29, at 8:00 a.m., John Madden, sportscaster/analyst, author and football coach, will kickoff NEPCON West 2000 with a keynote speech.

Quality Verification with Real-time X-ray

One can look at trends in packaging and assembly and predict that geometries will continue to shrink and PCBs will become more complex.

X-ray Inspection of Harsh-environment Electronics

In X-ray inspection of harsh-environment electronics, there usually are materials involved that are not easily X-rayed.

Lead-free: Upgrading Thermoplastics for RoHS

When re-engineering to accommodate electronics and board components that can withstand the higher heat of lead-free soldering, one electronics manufacturer* met a new challenge - upgrading thermoplastic resins for connectors from a moderately heat-resistant one to a high-heat-resistant formulation.

IMAPS Announces Thermal Management for High-Performance Computing and Wireless Applications Workshop

(September 3, 2002) Washington, D.C. -- The International Microelectronics And Packaging Society (IMAPS) announces an Advanced Technology Workshop (ATW) on Thermal Management for High-Performance Computing and Wireless Applications, which will be held October 24 through 26, 2002, at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel in Palo Alto, Calif.

V.J. Electronix Forms Alliance With DG Marketing

(June 21, 2002) Bohemia, N.Y. and Moody, Texas -- V.J. Electronix has formed an alliance with DG Marketing for sales representation in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mexico.

Component Specifier

As SMT matures and its end products continue to shrink in size but grow in capability, manufacturers are constantly in need of components that satisfy demanding footprint, reliability and placement requirements. Modern manufacturing techniques are useless if a board's components are out of date, perform poorly or fail to satisfy end-user requirements. To assist manufacturers in this search, SMT Magazine presents Component Specifier, a product section designed to spotlight state-of-the-art active…

COMPLETE SMT STEP-BY-STEP SERIES

Now in one place is SMT's entire 2000 Step-by-Step Series that maps out the complete SMT process in 10 steps. Even for industry veterans, this series can serve as a resource that explains in detail the different aspects of SMT.

Fluid Dispenser

M-620 automated fluid dispenser is designed for dispensing processes such as flip chip and CSP underfill, dam and fill, silver epoxy, IC encapsulation, thermal grease, and lid seal. The system has a linear pump that reportedly delivers accurate, repeatable dispensing regardless of fluid viscosity. It also has the company`s Mass Flow Calibration technology, which is said to maintain a closed-loop dispensing process for accurate dispensing and fully automatic process control. Dual-mode contact and

IRC Expands Capabilities

Resistor manufacturer IRC expanded its series of integrated passive networks to include chip scale packaging (CSP). These integrated passive networks can be configured for a wide range of line termination and electromagnetic interference (EMI)/radio-frequency interference (RFI) filtering functions that are designed to meet the demands of wireless voice and data communications applications where high-density and high-frequency performance are critical.

Packaging Session

The packaging session, Component Packaging for the 21st Century, will be held Tuesday, February 29, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Packaging experts address the issues PCB assemblers need to understand to build the next generation of electronics products, including the impact of area-array packaging on the assembly floor, thermal management concerns, the effects of lead-free solder on component packages, and more.

Lasers Offer a Tracing Alternative

Many industries have precise traceability requirements to which PCB assemblers must adhere. Laser marking offers assemblers a cost-effective alternative.

BOM Products: Components, PCBs, and Associated Tooling

Following are the new connectors, components, PCB materials, and tooling options such as lead trimmers and wire crimpers available to increase assembly density, improve reliability, and deal with challenges such as harsh environments and high frequencies.

Oven Profiling Aids Contract Wins

In the highly competitive automotive electronics contract manufacturing market, full-service EMS providers constantly are challenged to improve processes and add traceability measures to their assembly processes.

Developing World Creates Electronics Niche

Conventionally, high-volume consumer electronics are manufactured in the developing world and marketed to developed regions throughout Western Europe, North America, and Asia. In recent years, however, the developing world has edged into the consumer market, and shown potential to grow into a larger segment. The increasing popularity of cell phones in India and Africa attests to this trend, and low-cost laptops — between $100 and $200 — could carry the electronics market's momentum.

2006 Product Review

ASSEMBLY TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Ask and Answer - March 27, 2002

Ask and Answer is a forum where SMT professionals with questions can meet up with those with the answers.

EMS News

Sparton Adds to Board of DirectorsJACKSON, Mich. Sparton Corp., an electronics design and manufacturing services provider, elected James D. Fast to the Board of Directors.

*** TODAY'S NEW PRODUCTS ONLINE ***

April 12, 2001 - Featuring Assembly Tools & Equipment

Electrically Conductive Adhesive

A single-component, silver-filled, electrically conductive adhesive, 121-06 is said to be suitable for application by syringe dispensing. This product is designed for assembling PTC pills as well as electrical and electronic components. The resulting bond reportedly exhibits thermal cycling resistance, electrical and thermal conductivity. It is ready to use as supplied. Users apply the adhesive to the surface to be bonded by hand or automatic method and assembly. Best properties for most applica

Single Piece Board-to-board Connector

The new Series HO connectors have surface mount contacts on one side and pressure-actuated pad mating contacts on the other. Pads on the mating board do not have to be gold plated for further cost effectiveness, and they may be sized to absorb board misalignment. These low-profile connectors permit adjacent board spacing of only 3.9 mm (0.154"). Contact pitch is 1.25 mm (0.049") with 22 dual-row circuits provided. Current rating is 1.0 A AC/DC (250 V AC/DC). Contact material is copper alloy, cop

Contract Manufacturing Senior Executive Forum

Presented by Technology Forecasters Inc. on Monday, February 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., this forum will be chaired by Pamela Gordon, certified management consultant and president of Technology Forecasters Inc.

Get a Jump on the Lead Ban

The inside tract on what to expect over the coming years.

Emerging Materials for EMS: Modifiable Silicone Foams Reduce Contamination

Silicone foams are highly adaptable products for potting, gasketing, and encapsulation. Michelle Velderrain, NuSil Technology, explains the benefits of silicone foams, and how their materials properties can be tailored for processability, chemical resistance, temperature cycling, vibration dampening, and other functions.

Alkalinity, Defluxing, and Materials Compatibility

By Harald Wack, Ph.D., ZESTRON - From solvent replacements to modern chemistries, materials compatibility is the key for cleaned parts to perform better than uncleaned assemblies and better than assemblies cleaned with prior-generation chemistries. Defluxing under low standoff components, non-corrosive cleaning, and other challenges are met by materials compatibility. Now, neutral — neither base nor acidic — product technologies are bringing cleaning chemistries new capabilities.

Legitimate Legislation? From Lead to Halogen

Just when the industry thought it had a little breathing room, there are rumblings of yet another push to eliminate certain substances ? namely halogen ? from soldering materials.

Electronics Manufacturing Trends in the U.S.

By Gary Tanel - - Each of us has a perspective on where we think the country is going regarding electronics manufacturing. Recently, I posed that question to 700 EMS executives across the country. Below are the general thoughts and some specific comments as the EMS industry looks to the second half of 2007.

Strategies In Optical Manufacturing Provides Insight on Optoelectronics, Photonics

(March 26, 2002) Held April 23 through 24, 2002, at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, Calif., Strategies in Optical Manufacturing is the first event anywhere in the world to focus specifically on the strategic manufacturing issues facing commercial producers of optoelectronic and photonic components and systems.

Component Reconditioning Adds to Bottom Line

This value-added service turns "scrap" into healthy parts ready for assembly.

Speedline Announces Organizational Changes

April 11, 2001 - Franklin, MA - Speedline Technologies centralizes the management of its research and development, product development, manufacturing, procurement, and marketing functions.

Electroformed Stencils

VECOPLUS electroformed stencils reportedly are ideal for fine-pitch and ultra-fine-pitch SMT applications including wafer bumping and flip chip, BGA and µBGA. Reportedly featuring smooth aperture walls and tight dimensional tolerances, the stencils allow users to precisely apply the amount of solder paste or other desired material. Available in thicknesses from 25 to 200 µm, the maximum sheet size of 740 x 600 mm suits many types of printing machines.

Resettable Circuit Protection Device

The new 2.6A 1812 Series surface mount, positive temperature coefficient resettable circuit protection device has been designed to protect multiple USB ports. It offers 0.050 W maximum on-board resistance, and protects electrical circuits against over-current conditions in a wide range of computer and peripheral applications, including USB ports, PC cards, modems, keyboard and mouse ports, printers, and network cards. The device conforms with USB standard voltage drop and safety requirements for

Advanced Packaging Symposium

Held on Monday, February 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and chaired by John Lau, Express Packaging Systems, the symposium will address wafer-level packaging and interconnection.

Program ICT for the UUT

The goal of in-circuit test is to ensure that the PCB is operational and ready for system assembly, i.e., the integrity of all units under test — connections, components and functional circuits — on the board must be checked.

Interoperability: The Next Big Thing in QMS/MES

When quality management systems (QMS) or manufacturing execution systems (MES) in electronics manufacturing are discussed today, a new buzz word keeps flying around: interoperability. There is good reason for the excitement in cost and quality ROI. Bruce Isbell and Jay Gorajia, Valor Computerized Systems Ltd., provide real-world examples.

STEP 9: Root Cause Analysis in Test-and-Inspection

Integrating automated root cause analysis during PCB assembly, based on inspection data, provides an effective way to boost profit margins.

From the Editor:
The Lead-free Dilemma

In his book on the modern state of agriculture and eating, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan states that few dominant products on the food market have risen to prominence wholly on their own; federal policies often play a vital role. One could say the same for certain technologies, with the relationship between the EU's RoHS directive and XRF analyzers being the most obvious example.

NEWS ANALYSIS

Review: BPA’s High–value Flex Report

Electronica 2002 Show Guide

Munich, Germany -- Electronica 2002 bills itself as the largest international trade show for electronics, and with good reason. Held from November 12 through 15 here at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, more than 3,000 exhibitors will be on hand, and more than 85,000 international visitors from 80 countries are expected to attend.

New Products

Getting Started in 2001 Rework

As space on circuit boards continues shrinking, 0201 component use is becoming standard.

SCI Systems and e4eNet enter eCollaboration partnership

QUINCY, MA - e4eNet enters into a joint development partnership for engineering collaboration services with SCI Systems.

Placement Machine

The MCF compact flex high-speed flexible placement machine reportedly uses a flexible head design that places 28,800 cph at 0.7 seconds per QFP with 10 nozzle heads. Providing high productivity and multifunctional flexibility in a space of 5`8" wide x 7` deep, the machine table moves to minimize pick-and-place distances, and cameras located at each end side of the machine reduce head travel distances.

Subminiature TCXO

This subminiature TCXO is designed for portable, telecommunication, data and test equipment applications. The 312BE TCXO, which measures 7 x 5 x 2 mm, is said to be ideal for surface mount applications and has low-profile packaging with a ceramic base and a metal cover. The 312BE has a frequency range of 12,600 to 19,800 MHz. Frequency tolerance at 25∞C is -0.5 to 0.5 ppm, and frequency stability is -2.5 to 2.5 ppm over the operating temperature range of -20∞ to 75∞C. Storage t

Contract Manufacturing Symposium

Presented by Sharon Mecum and Dr. Charles Mullen of Technology Forecasters Inc., "The Contract Manufacturing Game: Skills, Tools, and Insights for OEMs and Contract Electronics Manufacturers," will be held Tuesday, February 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

How Heat Generation in Stencil Printing Affects Solder Joint Quality

The challenge of stencil printing in the midst of ongoing miniaturization is achieving repeatable solder paste deposition from print to print and pad to pad; this requires an understanding of paste rheology characteristics and the influences of temperature.

Can Nondestructive Techniques Identify BGA Defects?

The industry needs nondestructive techniques to identify BGA opens and cracks. Currently, X-ray and TDR are most widely used.

NEW PRODUCTS

Dual-port Soldering System

A "Closer" Look at Area-array Components

Combining endoscopic technology and X-ray imaging adds greater dimension to BGA, flip chip and CSP inspection.

Back-end Services

Offering complete solutions for all aspects of back-end packaging, this company is said to examine the packaging operation to determine the package type and operations best suited for each specific component, allowing parts to be delivered without lead or device damage, and according to JEDEC standards. Services include: tape-and-reel packaging with in-line lead inspection; BGA and µBGA ball inspection and taping; drop test engineering services, lead form and trim; and lead/mark inspection

Aluminum-electrolytic Capacitors

The new EYX snap-in aluminum-electrolytic capacitors were designed for use at high ambient temperatures and with high alternating currents. The capacitors are intended mainly for use in automotive and consumer electronics, as well as in telecommunications, where they are said to withstand temperatures of up to 125∞C and loads of up to 400 V. The capacitors are available in capacitance values from 47 to 33,000 µF with (nominal) voltage ratings of 10 to 400 V. They come in industry stan

Soldering Application

Reflow with no-clean ovens and real-time thermal managers can maximize throughput and increase yield.

Step-by-Step
Step 4: Solder Print: 3D SPI and Process Control

By Jean-Marc Peallat, Vi Technology - Solder paste inspection (SPI) becomes necessary to the SMT line as a process control tool, especially with small components' landing pads, such as the pads for microBGAs and 01005s. This article reviews the available SPI technologies (laser triangulation, Moiré methodology, flying absolute height profilometry), usefulness of SPI on the line, and the cost/benefit equation of adding solder paste inspection post-print.

Inside Reflow

Over time, the basic equipment for mass board assembly changes, adapting to various updated practices.

Celestica's Dan Shea Keynotes Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop

NASHUA, N.H. — Sharing his extensive knowledge of the electronics industry's shift toward environmental responsibility, Dan Shea, chief technology officer (CTO), Celestica, will present the keynote address "Cradle to Rebirth — The Electronics Industry Goes Green," on October 17, 2006, at Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop, at the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) Center for Manufacturing and Assembly (CEMA) in Rochester, N.Y.

Speaking of this Week — October 17, 2003

News of awards dominates progress news this week, and progress news itself is found all over the place. Companies are also looking ahead to big shows like Productronica and IPC's APEX/Printed Circuits Expo, as well as their own personnel situations with new hires and promotions. We've also got companies coming together, as well as looks at the industry present and future.

SEC Converts to Lean Manufacturing, Shortens Product Delivery Time by 80 Percent

(June 7, 2002) Moorpark, Calif. -- Semiconductor Equipment Corp. (SEC) has converted all of the company's production lines to lean manufacturing operations, and has seen an improvement in product delivery time in the process.

IPC--Conquering Chaos with Standards

(January 21, 2002) This is the first in a series of articles about APEX, held January 22-24 in San Diego. IPC Standards Development Meetings are being held January 19 through 24th.

Zygo Receives Multi-Million Dollar Contract Award from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for Optomechanical Assemblies

(August 30, 2002) Middlefield, Conn. -- Zygo Corp. has received a contract award for 192 vacuum relay telescopes from the University of California-managed Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

High-temperature Environments Create New SMT Challenges

Through-hole components are becoming more obsolete as the demand for surface mount grows.

Rework System

AT-707 is a rework system reportedly offering a unique split-beam vision. The combination of light and split beam is said to provide clear vision of the component and the board. During alignment, the component is placed 90° to the board. Placement and reflow are co-located, eliminating errors caused by board movement after placement.

Flat-top Inductor

The Model DR332 Dataline Series inductors provide filtering of RFI in a surface mount package that is compatible with automated assembly equipment, high-temperature soldering and immersion cleaning processes. The inductors are said to provide a cost-effective means for filtering RFI in high-speed data transmission lines. These data line chokes filter common-mode interference induced on the data transmission lines at frequencies of 10 kHz and higher while allowing data signals of up to almost 100

The User Benefits of a Supplier Partnership

Equipment suppliers have become a resource for process control expertise, even in the reflow operation.

Can AXI Meet Zero Defect Quality Standards?

Setup Parallelization Enables Flexible SMT Production

By Adrian Schärli, Essemtec - Constant changeover is the norm in today's SMT production. In such an assembly environment, the largest costs are accrued by machine set up, set-up change, and product changeover. These costs can be minimized through set-up optimization and parallelization. It is a concept that saves costs and increases productivity. It also puts high demands on personnel, your organization, and placement machines.

Faster Flying Probe ROI

Flying probe test systems have captured a significant and growing section of the global production test market.

Henkel Appoints Todd V.P. of PD&E

(Sept. 4, 2007) Irvine, Calif.— Michael Todd, Ph.D., was promoted to the position of vice president of product development and engineering for semiconductor and assemblies technology at Henkel.

Speaking of this Week — October 17, 2003

News of awards dominates progress news this week, and progress news itself is found all over the place. Companies are also looking ahead to big shows like Productronica and IPC's APEX/Printed Circuits Expo, as well as their own personnel situations with new hires and promotions. We've also got companies coming together, as well as looks at the industry present and future.

Step 7: Soldering

After SMT component placement, boards are typically wave soldered to permanently and securely affix the components to the board surface.

Cleaning

The advance of lead-free solder paste has stepped up its pace recently.

Dissolvable Spacers

Designed to provide consistent spacing between PCBs and components, Wash-Aways spacers are organic polymer spacers that locate and reinforce PCB components during soldering operations. After soldering, the spacers dissolve in most water-solvent baths, leaving uniform spacing between components and boards and providing free circulation of air, mechanical protection, optimum filleting, and greater accessibility for inspection, cleaning and conformal coating.

Ultra-thin Inductors

This new line of Power Wafer inductors is designed to meet the height restrictions of PC cards and other low-profile applications. The LPO2506 surface mount power inductor series has an above-board height of 1.19 mm and a footprint of 7.87 x 9.14 mm. Custom designs can reduce the height to as low as 0.9 mm, depending on board thickness. An on-board version with an overall height of 1.65 mm is also available. The series can handle currents up to 1.9 A rms. There are 15 inductance values ranging f

STEP 1: Left Shift the Bottom Line

It’s documented that using DfF techniques for PCB design produces higher yields and lower cost. The real question is how. After taking a brief look at the problem, the “how” steps are enumerated in the left-shift methodology.

APEX Product Guide

Following is a conglomeration of products exhibited at the IPC Printed Circuits Expo/APEX/Designers Summit, February 20–22, 2007, in Los Angeles.

News

Compiled By SMT Staff

Profit-Driven Manufacturing: A Window to Hidden Profits

(May 29, 2002) Fremont, Calif. -- It's safe to say the technology crash of 2001 was intensified by the obvious overbuild of electronics manufacturing infrastructure. Why was there such a gross excess of capacity when orders began to decline? A portion of this was avoidable. If 7,000 domestic SMT assembly lines could have produced the same amount of output as 10,000, would the bubble have grown so large, or deflated so fast?

Effective Creation of Test Programs - Decisive Cost Factor for the Use of AOI Systems

(August 31, 2001) Jena, Germany -- Today, electronic production is unthinkable without optical inspection systems. In addition to the increased efficiency, the extraordinary enhanced cost effectiveness is a reason for its indispensability.

Solder-alternative Adhesive

CE 3101 electrically conductive adhesive is said to replace solder and provide ultra-fine-printing capability in SMD interconnect formation. This product also reportedly has a low-temperature-cure capability that makes it compatible with all flex substrates. A blend of fillers with controlled particle sizes makes the ultra-fine-pitch printing possible with this adhesive. Printing can be achieved with a screen or stencil on standard SMT equipment. It can cure as low as 130°C or through a typ

EMI Gaskets

GORE-SHIELD SMT gaskets can be installed with standard pick-and-place equipment. The gaskets are said to decrease the total cost of EMI shielding in cell phones and other wireless infrastructure. Rather than a continuous bead, the gaskets are a series of small GS 5200 pads that have a solderable shim attached and are packaged in EIA-standard tape-and-reel format. Using high-speed chipshooting SMT equipment, these pads are placed on the ground trace of the PCB, at typical rates of nine per second

From the Fire: EMS Recovery

In December 2005, the team at Fawn Electronics Company received news no one wants to hear: the manufacturing facility had burned down and was a total loss.

New Products

Lead-free Capable Reflow Oven

Soldering BGAs: Assuring the No-defect Joint

(March 25, 2002) This project examined how soldering results with ball grid array (BGA) packages are influenced by solder paste volume, placement errors and other variables; optimal manufacturing procedures are suggested.

VPI Expands Regional Sales Force

(June 19, 2002) Sheboygan, Wis. -- Deborah L. Drinan has joined VPI Floor Products Division as a regional sales manager.

Aegis Industrial Software, MIMOT Form OEM Agreement

(August 31, 2001) Horsham, Pa. - Aegis Industrial Software, developer of FUSION TransCollaborative Manufacturing (TCM) software, has formed an OEM agreement with German-based MIMOT, an international manufacturer of intelligent and flexible automatic SMD placement systems.

software

The adaptive artificial intelligence technology implemented in AIMS 3.l was developed to address the task of inspecting small and fine-pitch SMT components at any position in the assembly line. It inspects all components on every board for defects, such as missing component, reversed component, wrong component, bent/lifted leads and insufficient/excess solder, without any programming. The user is guided through the inspection process by a graphical interface that allows new operators to set up n

Thin-film Chip Resistors

There are three different chip resistors in this line. The first are the rectangular thin-film chip resistors, designed for high precision with stability and reliability. They are said to be suitable for reflow soldering. Second in the line are ultra-precision thin-film chip resistors, designed to offer minimized aging with low TCR and tolerance values of ±5 ppm per ∞C and ±0.05 percent, respectively. Third in the line are MELF thin-film chip resistors, made of a tantalum alloy.

Competitive Differentiation: The Battle for Customer Perception, Part I

By Ted Turner, CoGen Marketing This two part series will discuss competitive differentiation — why it's important, market segmentation, competitive comparisons, and how to take action to win business. Competitive differentiation is the life blood of every company. All too often, competitive differentiation slides into complacency as the company and its products mature, leaving the company vulnerable to competitive attack.

New Products

Following are products from companies exhibiting at SMTA International (SMTAI), October 7-11, 2007, Orlando, Fla.

APEX Show Guide 2003

"We're showing new products at APEX" seemed to be the mantra for the embattled electronics assembly industry in 2002. Entering its fourth year, APEX 2003, sponsored by IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries, has changed times and location, now moved to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. from San Diego and taking place March 31 through April 2 instead of the traditional January.

Ask and Answer - June 19, 2002

Ask and Answer is a forum where SMT professionals with questions can meet up with those with the answers.

***TODAY'S NEW PRODUCTS ONLINE***

August 31-September 3, 2001 - Featuring Test Equipment

rework & repair

The LS-100 is a semiautomatic, off-line rework system that prevents overheating and thermal stress of components, the board, and adjacent components. It performs selective soldering and rework of all types of components, from µBGAs to large QFPs and even odd-shaped and hybrid devices. This system is ideal for soldering and desoldering RF shielding and various paste-in-hole and solder-paste-on-thorough-hole applications. It employs a YAG laser beam, a pyrometer for program and process contro

Extended Temperature VCXOs

Two variations of the K1526 VCXO Series, the K1526 EAMX and the K1526 AQB, are now available. They are identical in most respects to other units in the series, having a four J-lead SOJ-20 industry-standard footprint with frequency performance from 2 to 80 MHz. Both versions provide temperature stability (±13 ppm maximum) over broad industrial temperature ranges. The products were originally developed for a telecommunications company. The primary application for both devices is to provide ph

Focus on the Present, Plan for the Future

By Ajit Utagikar, Core Capital ESG - For the past decade or so, we have seen vigorous consolidation in the SMT world driven by mergers and acquisitions. At the same time, electronics companies have shifted to the outsourcing model, where the components and products are manufactured by subcontractors. The drive is for SMT companies to transform themselves, increase volumes, and recession-proof their portfolios through diversification.

Bead Probe Implementation: A No-clean Case Study

By Mike Farrell, Agilent Technologies Inc. and Glen Leinbach, Caber Contacts LLC - - Relying on conventional in-circuit test (ICT) pads could result in test coverage reduction in cases where density and speed requirements are demanding. A major OEM using DDR2 technology encountered this problem, and conducted an experiment with bead probe technology.

Reducing Total Cost of Ownership

Many variables comprise total cost of ownership (TCO). To determine TCO for the life cycle of a product, variables such as bill of materials (BOM), time-to-volume (TTV), field return rate (FRR), and end of life and product ramp-down processes (ELPR) matter most, and often get insufficient attention.

EMA Targets RoHS Compliance in Design Process

(March 29, 2006) ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Adding to its recent RoHS/WEEE compliance technologies, EMA Design Automation integrated Omnify software, a data management system, into its engineering data management (EDM) solution. After having used Omnify's software internally to manage RoHS data for customers, EMA Design Automation realized it could also benefit their customers, giving them the ability to design-in RoHS complexities and issues from the beginning.

The Inside Line

Intel Inside Out

Keeping Pace with Device Programming

At Productronica last November, Bill White, CEO and president of Houston-based BP Microsystems talked about his company's approach to device programming.

Ask and Answer - May 29, 2002

Ask and Answer is a forum where SMT professionals with questions can meet up with those with the answers.

Speaking of this Week - January 18, 2002

Speaking of this Week reflects on events in the electronics assembly industry every Friday. Along with the flurries of snow some of us are getting come a flurry of news releases about quarterly earnings. Some are dark and gritty, like slush, while others shows the lightness of the newly fallen snow. There's more hope, mostly in the way of new hires, upcoming trade shows (such as APEX next week), and certifications, as well as predictions.

soldering Equipment

The Profile Series of reflow ovens features Dynamic Flow Engineering (DFE), which delivers superior thermal performance, filterless flux management and gas-to-gas cooling modules. Its multi-port blower produces overlapping cones of heat for more consistent board temperatures and even heating at lower recirculation volumes and power. The Aurora filterless flux management system removes up to 80 percent of flux contaminants. The series` Genesis cooling module (for nitrogen models) and Polaris cool

Electromechanical Supercapacitors

The new BestCap electromechanical supercapacitors are based on an aqueous chemistry known as rechargeable hydrogen ion solid state (RHISS). This technology is said to be ideal for high-power pulsing and is designed for use in hand-held and mobile communications equipment to extend battery life. RHISS reportedly also results in an environmentally friendly nonhazardous material, designed to provide an advantage over other lithium- or nickel-based power sources. The capacitor provides a combination

Selective Soldering with Dispensable Solder Paste

Paste print and mass reflow are the standard processes for soldering PCBs. The exceptional wetting characteristics of solder paste, along with the precise temperature control of reflow ovens, combine to produce billions of circuit boards each year. Sometimes, however, printing is neither possible nor practical. In these situations, states John Vivari, Nordson EFD, dispensable solder paste can be a reliable, cost-effective, and easily implemented solution for rework, prototyping, high-volume repair, and other selective soldering applications.

From the Show: SMT's Packaging Panel at IPC Midwest

SMT editor-in-chief Gail Flower chaired a panel comprising equipment supplier, laboratory, EMS provider, and consultant voices at IPC Midwest in Schaumburg, Ill. David Geiger, Flextronics International; Jacques Coderre, Unovis Solutions; Vern Solberg, STI ? Madison; and Gene Dunn, Panasonic Factory Solutions of America spoke about emerging packaging technologies. We gathered some key points to share with our online audience.

Conference Focuses on Green Manufacturing, Recycling

(March 29, 2006) MINNEAPOLIS — Some believe that China may be nearly five years ahead of the U.S. in WEEE/RoHS compliance. With the China RoHS law slated to go into effect March 1, 2007, the Third International Conference and Exhibition on Green Manufacturing, May 13-14, 2006, in Tianjin, China, may offer attendees additional compliance information.

News

NEMI, IEEE CPMT Society Form Strategic Partnership

Speaking of this Week — March 12, 2003

What many of us suspected was true: Attendance WAS up at the recent APEX/IPC Printed Circuits Expo show, as confirmed this week by IPC. We've got lots of other progress news, trade show happenings past and present, companies coming together, financial results, a bit of personnel news, and a look at the state of the industry.

News

Speedline is Sold, Reorganizes

soldering materials

Polymeric technology was leveraged from the food and pharmaceutical industries to develop the Time/Temperature Indicator labels. Although paste is shipped with an expiration date, unpredictable environmental factors in shipping, storage and handling can negatively affect its viability and performance in day-to-day assembly line operations. The label is affixed to a jar of solder paste and uses a simple color to reflect time and temperature variations that the paste undergoes after shipping. The

TCXO Custom Chip

The Model RTVY-174 TCXO is for use in pagers, cell phones, two-way radios, GSM, PDC, and other wireless and telecom systems. It incorporates a custom IC chip and has a footprint of 6 x 3.5 mm. It has a ±2.5 ppm stability over the temperature range of -30∞ to 80∞C as a standard feature. The component is powered by a single 3.0 V supply; current drain is 2 mA maximum. Output voltage is 0.9 Vp-p minimum. It is capable of driving a 10 kW load shunted by 10 pF. The unit is available

Improved Performance Properties for Adhesives

Adhesive suppliers must meet the demands that improved designs in assembly equipment place on their products.

The Small Component Printing Challenge

Small components, current and future form factors, present challenges to the solder paste printing and SMT assembly process. These challenges exist for tools including stencils, squeegee blades, and under board support. They also pose troubles for materials including solder paste and the PCB; and equipment including stencil printing equipment and pick-and-place equipment. William Coleman, Ph.D., Photo Stencil, considers the challenges in two categories: positional accuracy and the solder paste printing process.

STEP 9 Test and Inspection: Maximizing Production Efficiency through Automated Inspection

Lean manufacturers are relying on automated inspection equipment (SPI/AOI/AXI) to streamline the manufacturing process and provide real-time root cause analysis of manufacturing defects. The objective is to increase profitability through improved production yields and reduced costly rework. Brian D’Amico, MIRTEC Corp., reviews the types of SPI and AOI technology, and how to choose and implement inspection machines.

Newsmakers

People

Speaking of this Week — March 12, 2003

What many of us suspected was true: Attendance WAS up at the recent APEX/IPC Printed Circuits Expo show, as confirmed this week by IPC. We've got lots of other progress news, trade show happenings past and present, companies coming together, financial results, a bit of personnel news, and a look at the state of the industry.

Cleaning Underneath 4 Mil Standoffs

The miniaturization process has not reached its physical limits in the electronics industry. The increase in component complexity results in a continuous decrease in standoff spacing between the components and the substrate's surface (currently 0.002 to 0.004", or 2 to 4 mil). This article looks at mechanical agitation cleaning systems for best cleaning results.

Advancements in Water-soluble Solder Pastes

The more successful formulations have provided several benefits over traditional products, including robustness, environmental variation resistance, compatibility with modern printing technology and void reductions under ball grid arrays (BGA).

ESD-compliant Bar-code Scanner

The IR-2000 ESD 2D scans 1-D and 2-D symbologies and is available in standard or high-density versions. It is rated and tested to discharge less than 20 V maximum, the average discharge time from 1,000 to less than 20 V does not exceed 15 seconds, and it has a surface resistivity greater than or equal to 105 W2 to less than 107 W2.

TCXO

The CFPT-635 is an ultra-compact TCXO with frequency stability to within ±2.5 ppm over a temperature range from -30∞ to 80∞C. The device package measures 6.0 x 3.5 x 1.7 mm and weighs 115 mg. Its current consumption is less than 2 mA from a 3 V supply, reportedly suitable for mobile telecommunications devices. It is available in ex-stock with output frequencies of 12.8, 13.0, 14.4 and 16.8 MHz. Ageing is specified to within 1 ppm per year, and devices can be trimmed to nominal f

Two-dimensional, Closed-loop Inspection of Stencil Printing

Traditionally, post-print "paste on pad" inspection has been used to determine if the area of deposition on the board exceeds (or lacks) acceptable limits in either direction.

The Role of Carts and Carriers in Lean Manufacturing

By Bob Douglas, Inovaxe - Little has been done in the way of integrating lean manufacturing techniques to the management and presentation of inventory. Electronic component inventory control has to be integrated into a total lean manufacturing philosophy in today's competitive environment to save time and reduce costs.

EMS News Update

ASTEEL will acquire Flash Electronics, adding U.S.- and Asia-based manufacturing sites; Synchro Corporation added another SMT production line, and created a dedicated lead-free line to serve current and projected needs; and MEC, The Milwaukee Electronics Company, named Hani Malek as GM and national sales and marketing manager.

The Maturing of Lead-free Assembly

From Implementation to Optimization - By Jim Hall, ITM Consulting - - When we observe all the new materials being offered and all of the product and process data that is being published, it appears clear that lead-free (LF) assembly is transitioning from initial implementation to an optimization phase. Or from "How do I build an acceptable LF product?" to "What can I do to my materials and processes to make my LF products less expensive, easier to assemble, and more reliable?"

New Products

Traceability Software Module

Current Trends in Lead-free Solder

The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive will ban the use of lead in electronics assemblies in Europe effective July 1, 2006. Electronic and electrical waste is the fastest growing category in the municipal waste stream, and legislators are concerned that lead may leach from these disposed devices into ground water.

Preventing Contamination with Process Optimization

Reliability problems stemming from ionic and non-ionic printed circuit board (PCB) contamination traditionally were only problems in the high-reliability, safety-critical sector.

A Five-Step Approach to A Successful Cleaning Process

(August 28, 2002) Austin, Texas -- Defining and implementing a successful cleaning process, no matter what the product -- circuit assemblies, components, stencils or others -- involves a five-step process. The technology can range from a simple hand-cleaning system to a sophisticated high-ticket inline cleaning machine with multiple solvent systems, but the step-by-step procedure is the same for all. These steps are also applicable regardless of volume -- one item or a thousand.

Component Specifier

As SMT matures and its end products continue to shrink in size but grow in capability, manufacturers are constantly in need of components that satisfy demanding footprint, reliability and placement requirements.

Heel Grounder

The MG-7010 series heel grounders are based on the company`s D-ring design. Features of the heel grounders reportedly include: a two-part heel cut with smudge-free interior, tab design ensuring effective contact, elastic relief band, and 1 or 2 MW value resistors.

BGA MOSFET

The 30 V PowerTrench MOSFET BGA, FDZ5047N, offers a RDS(ON) of 2.5 mW typical (3.5 mW max), reportedly less than half the RDS(ON) of the industry`s highest performance SO-8 and in a smaller package size at less than 28 mm2. The BGA has a thickness of 0.8 mm. The component reportedly lowers heat dissipation, which boosts the efficiency and power density of DC/DC converters in notebook computers and voltage regulation modules. The device is offered in 5 x 6 mm and 5 x 5.5 mm package versions.

Trends in Wavesoldering Technology

The fundamental mass-joining technology has evolved to meet industry demands for better, faster and cheaper assembly.

Corner and Edge Bond Dispensing for BGAs

The underfill process was designed to improve the reliability of flip-chip packages, specifically the fatigue resistance of C4 interconnect bumps during thermal cycling.

Step 1: Design for Manufacture

Electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) geometry creation primarily has been a manual process.

Divide and Conquer: The New Team Design Methodology

In the early to mid-1990s, printed circuit board (PCB) designers heralded design reuse and variant tools that improved productivity. But their biggest challenge today is trying to incorporate new methodologies with existing processes.

Publisher's Executive Council Interview

SMT Magazine's Publisher's Executive Council consists of 38 electronics industry executives hand-picked by publisher Jim Collins. They share their expertise and insights with our editorial staff and act as a sounding board for new editorial concepts and projects.

Dual Continuous Monitor

The 3300 Moisture-barrier Bag was reportedly designed to meet the moisture-protection needs of the electronics market. It is said to offer long-term protection from moisture, high-frequency protection and static shielding to protect sensitive electronic components or parts. The bag is constructed of a multilayer 0.0036" film that provides puncture- and tear-resistance. The clean, opaque barrier film reportedly meets the requirements of EIA-583 Class I and contains no amines, amides or N-Octanoic

Calibration Software

This product is a new release of the Calibration Manager software. Designed to meet ISO 9000, QS 9000 and other standards, this software combines a database and report writing capabilities to assist users in maintaining the full cycle of calibration management. The latest release, Version 3.0, is said to offer many new features, including electronic-signature tracking, auto-reminder, satellite module, Crystal Reports 7.0, easier to use select/sort capabilities, tag ID system and more.

Environmental Impact of Lead-free Solders

Although the movement to regulate and eliminate lead-bearing solders has picked up speed worldwide, there has been little published research on the environmental effects of the available lead-free formulations.

Component Traceability Issues

In addition to the nightmare of managing component-lot traceability from receipt to final assembly, manufacturers also must routinely manage RoHS-compliancy, time- and moisture-sensitive devices (MSDs), and the integration of vendor- or customer-consigned materials into the product.

Route SMT

SMT Magazine is getting out of the office and hitting the highways to visit you - our readers within the surface mount industry.

Q & A: World-class manufacturing

As the manufacturing sector continues to recover and orders continue to grow, I hear a lot of claims about world-class manufacturing.

Technology for Next-generation Assembly Equipment

The next generation of assembly equipment must be able to handle, in real time, positioning relative to pads, as well as pick-up relative to packet/tape.

Speaking of this Week — May 16, 2003

It's so heartening to see all the progress news this week — everywhere you turn, there's more good news. There's also financial news, which also is generally looking up, as well as tradeshow events, partnerships, personnel and a prediction.

FeinFocus USA, Siemens Dematic Announce Technology Alliance Related to Advanced SMT Process Development and Control

(January 17, 2002) Stamford, Conn. and Norcross, Ga. -- FeinFocus USA and Siemens Dematic have formed a joint technology alliance working to develop and control advanced SMT manufacturing processes using off-line Microfocus X-ray technology.

Step 4 — Printing

In the reflow soldering of surface mount assemblies, solder paste connects the leads or terminations of surface mount components to the lands. There are many variables in this process — paste, screen printer, paste application method and printing process.

Aerosol Coating

Staticide ESD is a permanent ESD acrylic coating that can reportedly be applied to most any insulative material or surface. It comes in a 16 oz aerosol spray can containing 12 oz of ESD coating. It is said to use a mixed-metal-oxide semiconductor as the static-dissipative agent in a clear acrylic-polymer coating. It does not contain carbon black, which can slough and leave black marks when rubbed. It also does not contain amines, quaternary ammonium salts or organic acid salt anti-stats. The pro

Placement Conversion

SMS Linecontrol is an industry-approved software package that is tailored for SMT manufacturers seeking stable CAD-conversion software for SMT placement files. It reportedly is designed to enable operators to communicate freely with individual placement machines, minimize programming time and eliminate downloading complexities. The software also is said to offer seamless communication across different brands of equipment and is an integrated, multitasking product.

Environmentally Certified Technologies

Currently viewed by industry as "the bad guys," regulating agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have a plan to improve their image and help manufacturers attain their goals.

Surface Mount Components Show Their Hidden Benefits

By Craig Hunter, Vishay - Surface mount components usually are marketed with their most apparent benefits in view. But a look at some recently introduced surface mount components, both passive and semiconductor devices, shows some benefits enabled by this technology that are nearly as important without being quite so obvious.

Wave Height Monitor

The monitor and control feature for KISS selective soldering equipment can maintain solder wave heights to within ±0.005", targeting soldering operations with small, tight-pitch components in high-volume automated production environments.

The Need for More Than Speed

Pick-and-place equipment providers often highlight capabilities such as component-per-hour (CPH) placement metrics, flexibility, and placement accuracy.

Highlights from Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop

By Michelle M. Boisvert, managing editor - - Will the industry still have questions about lead-free process implementation after the July 1^st deadline? When planning Implementing Lead-free: A Hands-on Workshop, in conjunction with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), we asked industry experts, who noted that the industry was not ready for RoHS; and likely would not be fully compliant after July 1^st. Following are some highlights of the workshop.

New Products

The VIGON A 201 removes a number of flux residues with short contact times.

Speaking of this Week — August 13, 2004

Progress news, especially having to do with the industry hot topic right now, lead-free, was in wide abundance this week. We've also got news on trade shows to come as we look toward the busy fall show season. And just for good measure, quarterly financial news, partnerships, legislative news and a look at the components market are thrown in as well.

New Products

Semiautomatic Screen Printers

EMS Providers and OEMs in China

The Chinese domestic market for consumer electronics has grown to more than one-fourth of the total market.

Integrating Complex Technologies into Today's SMT Environment

Taking a look at the topics covered by any of the numerous conferences occurring in the United States annually, one can identify the latest technologies appearing in electronic products.

Metal Stencil Overview

A definite learning curve exists when ordering the stencil for a printing process. When familiarization with its technologies helps produce desired results, the stencil becomes a constant in an otherwise variable assembly operation.

Static-dissipative Vinyl Upholstery

Microcon white is a static-dissipative vinyl for the company`s chair models. With this vinyl seating upholstery, the chairs are said to offer critical environments (including cleanrooms) static-dissipative protection in three colors: white, blue and black. Average component resistance to the ground is 1.2 x 107 W. The surface resistivity is 5.3 x 106 to 108 W per square surface at 500 V. Reportedly, the decay time from 5,000 V to technical zero is 0.44 seconds.

Solder Wires

The W300, W400 and W500 series of cored, high-purity solder wires include no-clean, water-soluble and rosin-based wires for use in rework and attachment of thermally sensitive components. The W300 Series no-clean wires consist of a blend of rosins designed for user flexibility and a high level of protection against corrosion. The W500 Series water-soluble wires are reportedly designed for a high level of wetting and ease of cleaning. The W400 Series is available with a rosin-based flux core.

Understanding Placement Rate: A Common-sense Guide

Although there are currently no industry standards for specifying placement rate, the authors offer advice on how to determine a machine's realistic cph and how some machines perform closer to their advertised rates than others.

New Products of September

Following are some of the new testing, component handling and parts, defluxing, photovoltaics manufacturing, soldermasking, cleaning, X-ray inspection, and printing products on the SMT assembly market. These products are introduced by Agilent, Virtual Industries, Stackpole Electroncs, Scapa, Manncorp, and more.

Alternatives Replace Older Cleaners

Existing product choices for cleaning lead-free assemblies are being phased out, providing weak results, or are overly expensive.

Lead-free Alchemy

In lead-free manufacturing, R&D dollars are devoted to understanding metallurgy - how does lead-free solder work; and what changes will make it wet better, or reduce brittle joints? Adjusting reflow profiles, assembling with nitrogen, underfilling and encapsulating, and designing boards with end-use in mind are all important to global electronics assemblers - the lead-free solder alloy that performs as well as or better than tin/lead.

Vapor-phase Soldering Systems

Suited to lead-free or tin/lead production, the Asscon vapor-phase line of soldering and rework systems is said to eliminate temperature differentials and failed liquidous during reflow or component removal/replacement.

Assembly: Where Speed and Flexibility Meet

In any conversation concerning SMT assembly, achieving speed and flexibility simultaneously will almost always be cited.

The Inside Line

Industry, Academia Look to Lead-free

Speaking of this Week - March 22, 2002

Lots of companies seem to be shaking off the difficult year that was 2001 and forging ahead with new developments, whether they be expansion into new areas or development of new programs. Meanwhile, the passage of the long-promised Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act has trade associations IPC and AeA cheering about the accelerated depreciation benefit, which will directly benefit the electronics assembly industry. Finally, some personnel announcements and good news.

Advances in Lead-free Soldering and Automatic Inspection

A color-highlight technology offers new solutions for inspecting lead-free solder joints using existing automatic equipment.

Ask and Answer - October 31, 2001

Ask and Answer is a forum where SMT professionals with questions can meet up with those with the answers.

Is Outsourcing for Everyone?

Over the past few years, contract manufacturing (CM) activities have exploded. Before eagerly embracing this alternative, however, these elements should be evaluated: What factors are encouraging the trend? What criteria determine the decision to outsource? Should everything be outsourced? And, how is control maintained when products are made by others?

Adhesives/Epoxies & Dispensing

Surface mount adhesives (SMA) are used in both wave and reflow soldering to maintain component positioning on the printed circuit board (PCB), and to ensure that parts are not displaced in transit through the assembly line (see sidebar).

Colorless Residue Paste

A no-clean, colorless residue solder paste, DSP 691 reportedly supports print speeds of 1 to 8" per second. It has a 24-hour stencil life, up to 48-hour tack time and 72-hour open time. The paste is said to be 100 percent ICT pin probable and leave clear, minimal post-solder residue. It will reflow with or without nitrogen, and is said to be tested and approved for the DEK ProFlow cassette package.

BGA/CSP Issues

This month, experts in the area of ball grid array (BGA) and chip scale package (CSP) technology discuss current and future BGA and CSP issues.

Getting Direction at APEX: Roadmaps from IPC and iNEMI

Trade organizations IPC and iNEMI both revealed their industry roadmaps at IPC APEX in Las Vegas this week, structuring the short- and long-term goals of the electronics industry. These include challenges to overcome, new plateaus of technology to achieve, and likely areas of growth or decline in the years to come. Highlights from both roadmaps are reported here.

Essential Electronics Assembly Cleaning

Requirements for high performance and reliability are stronger than ever. To achieve good insulation resistance, cleanliness of electronics assemblies is essential.

Focus on Expansion and Time-to-Market

Much has happened since I visited JOT Automation - now part of Rohwedder’s Electronic Production Solutions (EPS) - in Tallinn, Estonia.

Thru-hole Plating

The Contact RS, and MiniContac RS for smaller PCBs, thru-hole plating system targets professional prototyping and small-batch PCB production. The systems fit small runs and tight work areas.

Quality Control Software

The key to true quality control (QC) is prevention, rather than detection. Electronics-manufacturing operations demand quality management software that monitors and controls processes prior to and beyond inspection.

Speaking of this Week — August 1, 2003

For a time of the year that's typically the doldrums of summer, this week has been chock-full of important announcements. IPC's Book-to-Bill ratio for June showed the industry is bouncing back, while some major, mixed progress announcements gave more evidence as to where the industry is heading as well. Companies continue to woo, court and sometimes even marry one another, and financial news is showing a mixed picture. There's also personnel and trade show news, as well as some study results.

Laser Marking Enhances Assembly Traceability

Labels, direct inkjet and stencil-based etch marking (dry and chemical) techniques currently are facing difficulties in the application of substantially more data on ever-shrinking printed circuit board (PCB) real estate.

Different Dispensers for Different Materials: DCA, Flip Chip Underfill and SMA

(March 21, 2002) Underfill dispensing is becoming a standard operation and, though not yet well understood, can be integrated easily into the process if the right tools are used.

Part II: Series in Optoelectronics, Optical Assembly Manufacturing Evolution

Will Adding automation to the fusion splicing process contribute to lower costs and increased quality levels.

Uniroyal Technology Partners with Educational Institutions on Ultraviolet LEDs

(August 30, 2001) Sarasota, Fla. -- Uniroyal Optoelectronics is working with three of Florida's leading research universities - the University of Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida - on UV Florida, a project that will help advance the company's development of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes, or UV LEDs.

Micro Dispensing Comes of Age

With semiconductor components and packages continuing to shrink in size, dot diameters of 0.01" and under mandate an "integrated engineering" approach to the design of dispensing equipment.

Assembly tools

Unlike other depanelers, the SpeedRouter uses ultra-accurate linear motors with 5 µm resolution, as well as a vibration-absorbing granite base and rigid, cast-aluminum superstructure. It is the only depaneler to incorporate cutting disks for faster straight cuts and router bits for contour cuts in a single machine. The disks cut twice as fast as bits (approximately 6.4" per second, compared to 3.3" per second for bits) and are much less expensive per linear unit of board cut. A CAD link all

Static Control

The Minimeg is designed for accurate measurement of surface resistivity and surface-to-ground resistance of work surfaces. The unit is reportedly suitable for spot-checking dissipative and conductive surfaces. It operates on a 9 V battery and measures surface resistivity up to less than 1010 W/square or surface-to-ground resistance up to less than 109 W. Both NIST and non-NIST models are available.

CSP On-board Assembly: Implementation and Qualification

The objectives of these studies are to develop optimized assembly processes, demonstrate the production assembly processes developed and provide reliable solder connections.

Inside ACI: RoHS and Lead-free Update

The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) hosted a day with Ron Lasky, Ph.D., Indium, as a free workshop focusing on critical areas of lead-free assembly. Indium Corporation and SMT co-sponsored this educational program, which reviewed recent activity in RoHS, especially as related to medical exemptions.

Unified EDA Flow for Analog Designs and PCB Implementation

In analog design, designing for simulation and for PCB implementation are two parallel flows.

3D Inspection has Quaint Beginnings

Nestled in the quaint village of Tring in Hertfordshire, England, U.K., is a company that has positioned itself for growth in the electronics manufacturing industry - with roots in industrial inspection equipment.

Economic Assembly of Small SMT Batch Sizes

For SMD prototyping or small-batch production, equipment requirements are different compared to those of mass production.

Speaking of this Week — August 13, 2004

Progress news, especially having to do with the industry hot topic right now, lead-free, was in wide abundance this week. We've also got news on trade shows to come as we look toward the busy fall show season. And just for good measure, quarterly financial news, partnerships, legislative news and a look at the components market are thrown in as well.

Comparing Digital and Analog X-ray Inspection for Component Analysis

Increasing use of BGAs and chip scale packages (CSP) within products, which provide increased functionality at the same or smaller size, has reinvigorated the need for X-ray inspection.

Soldering Techniques for OptoElectronics

Soldering is the typical method of preference to join and connect many components of hermetically sealed optoelectronic packages. Most solders tend to require a reducing atmosphere and surface preparation, or a flux to aid adhesion but a flux is not acceptable within optical systems where trace amounts of organic on the optical train can absorb the infrared (IR) laser radiation.

Design for Assembly: High-density Circuits for Hand-held and Portable Products

Chip scale ball grid array (BGA) packaging is seen by many as a viable answer to the space restrictions necessitated by new generations of hand-held and portable electronics products, as well as to the demand for their higher functionality and performance.

ADHESIVES/ COATINGS/ ENCAPSULANTS

The first commercially available reworkable underfill, Loctite 3567 provides the reliability and processing ease of conventional thermoset underfills. It allows flip chips to be replaced on any device after testing determines that a chip is defective, minimizing board disposal and improving the cost-effectiveness of the manufacturing process. The underfill improves the reliability of BGA and CSP assemblies, particularly important for roughly handled consumer electronic applications. Simply heati

EMI Shielding Gasket

Gore-Shield SMT gaskets are said to be high-performance EMI shielding gaskets that can be installed with standard pick-and-place equipment. The gaskets reportedly decrease the total cost of EMI shielding in cell phones and other wireless infrastructure. They employ a form factor and the company`s GS5200 material, a nickel filled expanded polytetrafluoroethylene that is said to be suitable for wireless applications. Rather than a continuous bead, these gaskets are a series of small pads that have

CM News

GISSMO System Implemented - CONCORD, Mass. — Manufacturers' Services Ltd. implemented a global materials and supplier information system known as GISSMO. The move is a part of the company's strategy to build a supply-chain solution that will allow it to serve customers in a real-time environment.

Asymtek Celebrates 25 Years

Alec Babiarz is one of the co-founders of Asymtek and now serves as president of business development.

iSuppli Report: Electronic Manufacturing Capacity Undergoes Global Rebalancing

In the early 2000s, manufacturing capacity abruptly shifted from the high-cost regions of North America and Western Europe to the low-cost nation of mainland China. However, in the second half of the decade, iSuppli Corp. is tracking a new series of evolutionary and strategic steps for electronics contract manufacturers that focuses on other factors beyond labor cost when it comes to selecting a location for production.

STEP 8: Cleaning

As the demand for cleaning increases, some essential rules remain the same. For example, do not combine too many different cleaning processes into one machine using the same cleaning product.