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The Hidden Factory
Eliminating Muda: One Company’s Journey
When the Milwaukee Electronics Companies decided to implement Lean manufacturing principles in 2003, its implementation team thought the major benefit would be increased throughput on the manufacturing floor. While those goals were achieved, the most significant lesson learned was the true bottleneck lay in supply-chain management.
By Don Sivilotti
Cover Story
Selective Wave Soldering DoE to Develop DfM Guidelines for Lead and Pb-Free Assemblies
The reduced pallet opening size on a selective wave solder pallet hampers the ability to successfully fill PTH barrels, a problem amplified when using Pb-free alloy due to differences in fluid properties. An intensive DoE finds several ways to quantify the impact of design, component spacing and hole-fill criteria in terms of DPMO.
By Makram Boulos, Craig Hamilton, Mario Moreno, Ramon Mendez, German Soto and Jessica Herrera
Test Developments
Overcoming Limited Access at ICT
A new novel technology delivers in-circuit test stimulus signals via a boundary scan device, a method said to reduce the number of ICT probes needed to test all the board components – and the ICT system cost, too.
By Jun Balangue
Caveat Lector
‘Virtually’ exciting.
Mike Buetow
Focus on Business
Candidness beats surliness.
Susan Mucha
Global Sourcing
This QML should be trashed.
Greg Papandrew
On the Forefront
Are there any bright spots?
E. Jan Vardaman
Screen Printing
Good chemistry.
Dr. Rita Mohanty
Tech Tips
Tricked out.
American Competitiveness Institute
Reflow Soldering
The 7 key profile parameters.
Ursula Marquez de Tino
Process Doctor
XRF, examined.
Terry Munson
Pb-Free Lessons Learned
Hard data ease hole-filling.
Chrys Shea
The Defects Database
Plating adhesion problems.
Dr. Davide Di Maio
Getting Lean
Ten Lean lessons.
Chris Munroe
Industry News
Market Watch
Product Spotlight
Ad Index
Assembly Insider
On the cover: A DoE offers optimized solder pallet designs for selective soldering. (Photo courtesy Celestica)