Circuits Assembly Online Magazine

Circuits Assembly April 2009 cover

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FEATURES

America’s Next Model?
New Opportunities in Electronics Manufacturing
The offshore model was built on extremely high volumes with high operating rates, thin margins, and an abusive relationship between customer and vendor. The trend, however, is toward high-mix/low-volume and flexible response. Implementing MEMS, HDI and embedded components requires significant investment and a change in the way the factory floor is run, but could mean more stable business relationships, technology partnerships, and significantly improved margins and yields.
By Matthew Holzmann
Cover Story
Near-Term Opportunities for Large Area Flexible Electronics
Large area flexible electronics is expected to become a multi-billion dollar clean-tech industry that will revolutionize how society interacts with intelligent and responsive electronics-based systems.
By Daniel Gamota
Workcell Design
The In-House Micro Facility
EMS firms employ dedicated manufacturing cells and teams of dedicated multi-skilled technicians and assemblers – akin to mini factories within the factory. Each cell is optimally designed to support an individual product build process, and focuses exclusively on that customer or project. Assembly equipment in cells is located within close proximity to minimize product transportation and to maintain continuous flow with zero inventory between operations. This eliminates risk and increases predictability for the OEM and the assembler.
By Dave Fahey
STI Electronics
A Return to Roots
A recent plant opening took Circuits Assembly to Huntsville, AL, the cradle of the EMS industry, where a soldering pioneer is now engaged in the unusual – but successful – combination of assembly engineering, distribution and training.
By Mike Buetow