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FEATURES

Underfilms
Assembly and Reliability of Preform Underfilmed BGAs in Drop Test and Thermal Cycling
Pb-free solders generally are inferior to Pb-free solders in drop or shock testing. Preform underfilms can provide greater BGA to PCB mechanical robustness in a fairly seamless way – attached on reels similar to passives and reflowed simultaneously with the components, with only a minor design change required. And the results are impressive.
by Andrew Mawer, Thomas Koschmieder, Paul Galles, Randy Anding, George Skevofilax and Tim Lippe

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Remembering our heroes.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Ideas and enablers.
  Peter Bigelow

• Focus on Business
  Program management strategies.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• Designer’s Notebook
  Polarity markings.
  Duane Benson

• Screen Printing
  ”Good“ cavities.
  Clive Ashmore

• Selective Soldering
  Concurrent selective soldering.
  Alan Cable

• Test and Inspection
  Overlapping test strategies.
  Andrew Tek
• Materials World
  Reworkable underfills.
  Jie Bai

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.

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FEATURES

Conformal Coatings
Current Trends in Conformal Coatings
An automotive recovery is driving demand for silicone coatings, but in general, custom formulations are becoming the new norm.
by Frank Hart

EMS Outlook
The Worldwide Industrial Electronics Assembly Markets Defined
Industrial products make up an attractive, profitable industry for many EMS suppliers, and the potential for growth remains high because more than three-fourths of the segment remains in-house. A look at the state of outsourced test & measurement, clean energy and process control electronics build.
by Randall Sherman

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Pay day.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  It's not about survival.
  Peter Bigelow

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  Back from Japan.
  E. Jan Vardaman

• Vapor Phase Soldering
  Pass the heat.
  Jochen Lipp

• Process Doctor
  When passing isn't really passing.
  Michael McCuthen

• Getting Lean
  Holistic approaches..
  Todd Baggett

• Tech Tips
  Collapsing the bridge.
  Robert Dervaes

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.

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FEATURES

Apex Expo Recap
'Trekking On'
Following three tepid years in Las Vegas, a move to San Diego offered the annual trade show a new lease on life. And like the last time it was held in this Southern California city, Apex did not disappoint. Plus: Our annual SEA and NPI Award winners.
by Brian Chambers

EMS Top 50
Hard Lessons Learned
Mother Nature put the hurt on contract assemblers from Japan to Thailand last year, but it wasn't just gravity that brought the once high-flying Elcoteq back to earth. It was almost enough for us to overlook another year of controversy at Foxconn. (Almost.) Elcoteq notwithstanding, the 10 largest EMS companies remained mostly static in 2011. But there was plenty of movement below.
by Mike Buetow

Talking Heads
ACDI: Integration, Then Acquisition
ACDI bills itself as the largest EMS company in Maryland. The firm, which was launched as a PCB design bureau, recently acquired Fawn Electronics' EMS operations in Nashville, NC. Circuits Assembly editor-in-chief Mike Buetow in March spoke with ACDi vice president of operations Joe Rogers about the integration, the company's strategy and reshoring.
by Mike Buetow

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  ITAR'd and feathered.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Changes in attitude.
  Peter Bigelow

• Focus on Business
  Mixing generations.
  Susan Mucha

• Forefront
  Going for broke.
  E. Jan Vardaman

TECH TALK

• Screen Printing
  Printing PoP.
  Clive Ashmore

• Test and Inspection
  Looking at LEDs.
  Mark Lau

• Solar
  Progress on efficiency.
  Tom Falcon

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.