FEATURES

• Cover Story
  Will Electronics Follow the Sun?
  Those who invested in SMT in the early 1980s benefited from higher demand driven by the Internet, telecommunications and computing products. Those who do invest in alternative energies today might see the same results.
  By Irene Sterian

• Emerging Technologies
  ‘Warm’ Manufacturing Heats Up
  Low-temperature or room temperature assembly has the potential to improve field reliability, streamline manufacturing and reduce cost.
  By Dr. Alan Rae, Dr. Andrew Skipor and Marc Chason

• Domestic Production
  Reputation Trumps Recession, China
  Mid-tier EMS providers are alive and well, thanks to rising offshore logistics costs, inflation in China, quality concerns and a growing “Made in USA” fervor.
  By Art Rutledge

• PWB Rework
  ‘Web Circuits’
  A major OEM has five boards with OSP finish requiring four additional components and the boards. Most companies would re-spin the design. But there’s a less expensive, more elegant solution.
  By Mike Buetow

• Conformal Coatings
  A Novel Non-VOC Conformal Coating
  Moisture-cure coatings tend to be fast-reacting and could block dispensers. New chemistries, however, have led to a polyurethane pre-polymer, 100% solids material that performs well in SIR and thermal shock tests.
  By Jade Bridges

• SEA Profile
  Krypton: Benchmarking Customer Satisfaction
  A newcomer to Circuits Assembly’s Service Excellence Awards, Krypton Solutions walked away with the highest overall customer rating for EMS providers with revenues less than $20 million. What drives the emerging EMS firm?
  By Chelsey Drysdale

• 2008-09 Circuits Assembly Buyers Guide

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  iNEMI: Rooted in history?
  Mike Buetow

• Talking Heads
  Kester’s Bill Spring and Jeff King.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• Focus on Business
  When selling, go positive.
  Susan Mucha

• Global Sourcing
  ‘Mis-’leading indicators.
  Jennifer Read

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  Hopping on PoP.
  E. Jan Vardaman

• Screen Printing
  Stencil design mistakes.
  Clive Ashmore

• Tech Tips
  The hardest cuts.
  American Competitiveness Institute

• Wave Soldering
  Protecting your pot.
  Ursula Marquez de Tino

• Pb-Free Lessons Learned
  The head-on-pillow epidemic.
  Chrys Shea

• Process Doctor
  Plugged microvia residues.
  Terry Munson

• Materials World
  New silicone technology.
  Dr. Renzhe Zhao

• Technical Abstracts

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
SMTA Int'l Product Preview
Ad Index
Assembly Insider

On the cover: Jumping into solar cells is expensive, but so was SMT in the 1980s. (Photos by Lucwa and Celestica)

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