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Friday, 01 February 2008 |
FEATURES
Program Management
Maximizing Lean
While customers want flexibility and long-term paths to cost reduction that Lean supports, they aren’t always agreeable to the necessary internal changes. But the smaller the effort, the smaller the result.
By Todd Baggett
Component Packaging
Copper as a Viable Solution for IC Packaging
As gold prices spike, some are turning to copper in ball-bonding processes for its conductivity and lower cost.
By Sheila Rima C. Magno, Jean Ramos, Eduardo Pecolera and Chris Stai
Recent Patents
Embedded Active Components for High-Rel Products
Inside the missile, a heavy module on the board surface was breaking loose and failing. The answer: A solderless, wire-bonded chip-to-board solution covered with copper "lids" to quell vibration.
By Jim D. Raby
COVER STORY
XRF Equipment as a RoHS Screening Tool
A jointly funded industry/DTI collaborative project, led by the National Physical Laboratory, investigated the suitability of XRF techniques for determining the presence and levels of RoHS-restricted substances in typical electronics components. The 15-system study found most – but not all – are viable.
By Martin Wickham and Dr. Christopher Hunt
FIRST PERSON
MONEY MATTERS
Global Sourcing
Bad parts, like colds, come from anywhere, and no one is immune. A new database might help.
Mike Buetow
TECH TALK
DEPARTMENTS
Industry News
Market Watch
Product Spotlight
Ad Index
Assembly Insider
On the cover: An NPL study finds XRF systems beat chemical analysis for unit and operational costs, and time to results. (Photo courtesy RMD Instruments) |
Circuits Assembly 
