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2006 Issues

FEATURES

  • Equipment Procurement
    One-Stop Shopping
    Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent annually to determine general strategic directions for SMT production equipment requirements. A turnkey line can simplify purchasing, machine compatability and service.
    Jeffrey Stong

  • PCB Inspection
    A Primer on AOI and AOT
    Not all AOI systems are the same, but the big differentiator is programming time. Some systems take one to two days, others require only three to four hours for the same job.
    Zulki Khan

  • Vietnam
    Manufacturing in Vietnam
    The lowest fully burdened labor rate in an educated workforce is just one reason companies like Intel are investing in this Southeast Asia nation.
    Jason Craft

  • Cover Story
    'Choosing to Lead'
    Siemens this month launches a new placement platform in North America. Guenter Lauber, vice president of Siemens' electronics assembly equipment division in North America, talks about the new platform, the future addition of such features as optical inspection, and the process by which equipment is introduced and evaluated around the world.
    Mike Buetow

  • Solder Testing
    Environmental and Mechanical Stress Testing of Pb-Free and SnPb Solder
    Soldered boards subjected to accelerated aging tests showed that Pb-free solder beats SnPb on lead pull, but not shear force.
    Larry Fisher

  • Device Programming
    Programming and the Problem of Yield
    Optimized sockets should combine the durability and signal integrity of test sockets and the standardization (and cost) of burn-in versions.
    Nick Deppen, Erik Orwoll and Robert Duff

  • Rework Cleaning
    Cleaning Flux Residue in Hand Solder Rework and the Effects on SIR
    An investigation of the hand rework cleaning process found that SIR endpoint readings tend to be higher following IPA cleaning.
    Curt Alexander

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    Dover: weak-kneed or prescient?
    Mike Buetow

  • Letters

  • Talking Heads
    Unovis Solutions' Roland Heitmann.
    Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

  • Focus on Business
    One basket, but how many eggs?
    Susan Mucha

  • Global Sourcing
    Another side of procurement.
    Greg Papandrew

TECH TALK

  • On the Forefront
    A new model for IC packaging and assembly houses.
    E. Jan Vardaman

  • Screen Printing
    For IC deposition, dispense or print?
    Clive Ashmore

  • Better Manufacturing
    A trashy topic.
    Peter Grundy

  • Soldering Tips
    Reballing BGAs.
    American Competitiveness Institute

  • Wave Soldering
    Solder ball formation.
    Gert Schouten

  • Process Doctor
    Product performance risk.
    Terry Munson

  • Equipment Advances
    Speedline's new printer inspection tool.

  • Technical Abstracts

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Ad Index
Assembly Insider
ATExpo and Mexitronica Product Previews
Classifieds

On the cover: Siemens' Guenter Lauber with the company's new equipment platform. (Photo courtesy Siemens A&D)

FEATURES

  • The Lean Culture
    'Eyes for Waste'
    Celestica's Global Lean Architect explains why going Lean means persistently asking, Is this something the customer would for pay for?
    Robert Hemmant

  • Cover Story
    Interconnects and Their Effect on Automated SMT Placement
    More components than ever can be processed in an automated SMT line. The challenge: to combine the increasing spectrum into a single machine platform to minimize the need for different machine types.
    Frederik Moberg

  • Factory Floor Workcells
    Flexible Manufacturing Systems for Wave and Fountain Wave Soldering
    Using unique solder pots for each alloy is a low-cost, highly efficient solution for mid-volume environments.
    Lee Whiteman

  • Wire Bonding
    Large Diameter Wire Bonding to Organic Boards
    FR-4 substrates are showing up in high rel products as a cost-effective - and proven - alternative to ceramic.
    Mike McKeown and Gerard O'Brien

  • ICT ROI
    The Economics of In-Circuit Testing
    Even small improvements in defect coverage can have a large impact on more expensive downstream verification and diagnosis, repair and retest. A methodology for examining the effect of ICT alternatives on these costs.
    Michael J. Smith

  • Final Finishes
    Know Your Final Finish Options
    Pros and cons of the newest alternative finishes.
    Donald Walsh, George Milad and Donald Gudeczauskas

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    Proving RoHS compliance.
    Mike Buetow

  • Letters

  • Talking Heads
    An interview with Qualitek.
    Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

  • Focus on Business
    Puzzles with missing pieces.
    Dr. Jonathon Linton

  • Global Sourcing
    Don't outsource; automate!
    Michael Sivigny

TECH TALK

  • On the Forefront
    More power to you.
    Dr. Ken Gilleo

  • Screen Printing
    Lessons from Asia.
    Joe Belmonte

  • Better Manufacturing
    Tell me lies.
    Phil Zarrow

  • Soldering Tips
    How do Pb-free finishes hold up?
    American Competitiveness Institute

  • Wave Soldering
    Design for good solderability.
    Gerjan Diepstraten

  • Test and Inspection
    All shook up.
    Wayne Tustin

  • Process Doctor
    Selective soldering's residual effects.
    Terry Munson

  • Equipment Advances
    EVS's dross recovery system.

  • Technical Abstracts

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Assembly Insider
Ad Index
AT Expo and Nepcon South China Product Previews

On the cover: Tips on which nozzles work with certain parts. (Photo courtesy Mydata Automation AB)

FEATURES

  • Life After Lead
    The Greening of Electronics
    After a half-century of reliance on lead, we have entered an era where we are flying mostly blind. This is just the first of a sweeping wave of environmental impacts on product design and product life.
    Dan Shea

  • Cover Story
    Improving Hand Soldering Operational Costs and Process Control
    Equipment purchase decisions for soldering stations should guarantee high process stability at low running costs. Advances in intelligent equipment mean manual soldering and process control can finally go hand-in-hand.
    Mark Cannon, Bob Klenke and Phil Zarrow

  • RoHS Best Practices
    Getting RoHS Ready
    The E.U. RoHS directive, which goes into effect this month, is hardly the only environmental law with which manufacturers must comply: everywhere in the world legislation looms on the horizon. Five steps to preparing your company on a global basis.
    Dave Purvis

  • Annual Buyers Guide
    Circuits Assembly's Annual Guide to Products and Services

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    Happy hangovers?
    Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

  • Focus on Business
    Account acquisition at EMS firms.
    Susan Mucha

  • Global Sourcing
    International procurement hubs.
    Craig Schuster

TECH TALK

  • On the Forefront
    Manufacturing's rising costs.
    E. Jan Vardaman

  • Screen Printing
    Board transport systems.
    Clive Ashmore

  • Soldering Tips
    How to analyze and restore storm-damaged boards.
    American Competitiveness Institute

  • Wave Soldering
    Hole-fill solutions.
    Gert Schouten

  • Test and Inspection
    Board stress models.
    Gary St. Onge and Jesse Carpenter

  • Countdown to Pb-Free
    Tomorrow's environmental priorities.
    Joe Johnson and Bob Pfahl

  • ESD Basics
    Compliance verification programs.
    David E. Swenson

  • Process Doctor
    'Staging' a clean process.
    Terry Munson

  • Equipment Advances
    DEK's post-print verification system.

  • Technical Abstracts

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Assembly Insider
Ad Index
Semicon West Product Spotlight
Classifieds

On the cover: A new soldering station adds process control to the labor-intensive operation. (Photo courtesy ERSA GmbH )

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