FEATURES

• Cover Story
  RoHS Conversion for Medical Devices
  Product marketing and component supply chain concerns are pushing many medical companies to assess RoHS conversion. Either way, companies face risks. The risks and considerations to take into account include tin whisker mitigation, analysis and criteria / rating methods; design changes and verification; material availability and cost; and component obsolescence and sourcing.
  By Kim Sharpe

• Value-Add Service
  Supporting Full-Service Customer Requirements at the Regional EMS Level
  OEMs, especially in medical, automotive, avionics and defense, want greater levels of value-added support from EMS providers. And the transition to RoHS manufacturing is driving a need for better process traceability to support OEM studies of the impact of new processes on long-term product reliability. This article discusses typical OEM process traceability requirements; strategies for automating process monitoring and real-time corrective action throughout the SMT process; benefits of the Process Window Index (PWI) in a multi-customer manufacturing environment; and examples of ways OEMs can team with EMS firms to translate improved process visibility to improved product quality.
  By Jeff Roberts

• Milwaukee Electronics Co.
  Speed Thrills
  MEC is distinct for its extreme use of Lean at all points within the facilities; the depth of consideration to the roadblocks–not just to process flow, but to customer deliverables; and a startling emphasis on understanding the role marketing plays in customers’ strategies.
  By Mike Buetow

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Fakes get high-tech.
  Mike Buetow

• Talking Heads
  Celestica’s Dave Ellison and Peter Tomaiuolo.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• Focus on Business
  Defining the service package.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  R&D not on P/L.
  E. Jan Vardaman

• Screen Printing
  Broadband printing suggestions.
  Dr. Rita Mohanty

• Better Manufacturing
  The education foundation.
  Peter Grundy

• Tech Tips
  Wirebonder pattern recognition.
  American Competitiveness Institute

• Wave Soldering
  Don’t shrink from these holes.
  Ursula Marquez de Tino

• Process Doctor
  Applications of FTIR.
  Terry Munson

• Pb-Free Lessons Learned
  A mystery no longer.
  Chrys Shea

• NEW!
  The Defects Database
  Defect analysis, online and interactive.
  Dr. Davide Di Maio

• Getting Lean
  “Wave” goodbye.
  By Chris Munroe

• Materials World
  Phase change materials.
  Dr. Renzhe Zhao

• Technical Abstracts

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Product Spotlight
Ad Index
Assembly Insider

On the cover: As RoHS spreads its reach, implantable medical devices will eventually need to go Pb-free too. (Cover illustration by Max Delson)