Trade Shows
What Drives the Crowd?
A survey of 1,400 North American readers of Circuits Assembly and Printed Circuit Design & Fab finds engineers are most turned on by a great technical conference and location.
By Mike Buetow
Controlling Static
Mastering ESD Control in Automated Handling Systems
ESD control has always been critical to high production yields, but programs are generally geared toward operators. The best ESD control programs ensure such equipment is capable of handling highly sensitive devices.
By Bob Taplett
Cover Story
Beating the RoHS Heat
Once on the outs over environmental concerns, vapor phase improvements have broadened the process window, reduced changeover time and lowered peak temperatures.
By Chris Munroe
Trade Groups
Trade Secrets
Tax-exempt electronics trade associations took in over $110 million in revenues during fiscal 2006. The growth of the sector has led to a first-of-its-kind review of the last three years’ worth of tax filings.
By Mike Buetow
Morey Corp.
True to Its Roots
Most EMS companies talk customer service, or technology, or supply-chain management. This family-run Chicago-based company touts something else.
By Mike Buetow
Offshore Expansion
The Road Abroad – Strategic Alliance or Greenfield Facility?
A management insider explains the main models for establishing manufacturing in low-cost regions.
By Paul Plante
Caveat Lector
Fueled up.
Mike Buetow
Letters
Talking Heads
Nihon Superior’s Tetsuro Nishimura.
Mike Buetow
Focus on Business
Where trust trumps execution.
Susan Mucha
On the Forefront
Embedded applications are coming up.
E. Jan Vardaman
Screen Printing
Verification and traceability.
Clive Ashmore
Tech Tips
Intermittent BGA connections.
American Competitiveness Institute
Wave Soldering
Air and joints.
Ursula Marquez de Tino
Test and Inspection
Cutting AOI data to size.
Jeff Bishop
Process Doctor
Inline vs. batch cleaning.
Ravi Parthasarathy
Pb-Free Lessons Learned
Concerns from the board level.
Chrys Shea
Getting Lean
Optimizing flow.
Robert Hemmant
Materials World
Package-on-package configurations.
Dr. Renzhe Zhao
Equipment Advances
Juki’s FX-3 placement machine.
Technical Abstracts
Industry News
Market Watch
Apex Product Preview
Ad Index
Assembly Insider
On the cover: After 30 years, vapor phase is finally finding a place in soldering. (Images courtesy R+D Technical Services)