News
phoenix|x-ray Systems + Services Inc. (Camarillo, CA) has introduced beryllium-free targets in all x-ray systems with open tubes. The new targets build on the company's commitment to produce an environmentally safe line of open tube x-ray systems. The new targets eliminate the potential harmful residual effect that can react from x-ray exposure to a beryllium target, resulting in possible operator exposure due to stress of long-term target exposure and or breakage.
The beryllium-free targets provide an advantage to boards and components that have a concern for over exposure and irradiation—such as hi-reel products—because new material used in the targets act as a filter to absorb a portion of the x-ray and minimize potential damages to samples. Combined with the company's low-dose|mode process that only exposes samples for the time that is obligatory to achieve a proper image, test samples will not receive any additional radiation than necessary to complete the inspection. This process and use of a beryllium-free target makes it easy to ensure the trace exposure to various radiations are lessened to ensure long-life operation.
As in space, the applications are on the extremes and require concern for operations in a variety of severe conditions and environments. Since the exposures are cumulative, production, test and inspection of the components and boards must take into consideration all aspects of this exposure during the manufacturing process.
phoenix|x-ray Systems + Services Inc. is the North American sales, service and applications engineering subsidiary of the Germany-based microfocus x-ray system manufacturer, phoenix|x-ray Systems + Services GmbH. This group of companies offers sealed tube and open tube microfocus/nanofocus x-ray systems dedicated to printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, back-end and multilayer inspection applications.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Elcoteq Network Corp. (Irving,TX), a provider of electronics manufacturing services (EMS) for the communications technology industry, announced that Joe Foster has been chosen as director operations for Elcoteq Americas.
Formerly vice president, general manager of EMS provider Solectron, Foster will oversee present and future operations in the Americas which include Elcoteq's manufacturing operations in Monterrey, Mexico, and its new product introduction (NPI) centers in Dallas, TX, and San Jose, CA.
Foster has over 25 years of domestic and international engineering, manufacturing and operations experience. Prior to Solectron, he was Director of Engineering Services at Alcatel/DSC, general manager at Tandy Computers and director of manufacturing at Wang Labs/Intecom during which he launched several computer and telecommunications products in the U.S. and overseas.
"Elcoteq Americas' business in Monterrey has grown dramatically during the past two years requiring addition of new surface-mount lines and doubling headcount," said Doug Brenner, president of Elcoteq Americas. "We are confident that Joe has the right mix of operational and business experience to meet the multiple challenges we have undertaken to drive profitability with explosive growth in meeting our goal of balancing business from the Americas with that of Europe and APAC."
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Fabrinet (Bangkok Thailand), an engineering and electromechanical manufacturing services company, announced the planned expansion of its operations in Thailand with the investment of $25 million (1 billion baht) in additional manufacturing facilities, equipment and training.
A portion of the funds was used in the acquisition of Fabrinet's new 115,000 sq. ft. factory outside of Bangkok, Thailand, completed in early April. Additional funds will be used to facilitate the new factory, which will be available to customers in June 2004. In addition, construction will begin later this year to expand the new factory space into a 340,000 sq. ft. campus, increasing the company's aggregate footprint to approximately 575,000 sq. ft.
The new factories will include complete automated assembly lines for the manufacture of optoelectronic components—from fiber align through assembly—and will include a full range of test capabilities. The factories will support a range of services, including design for manufacture, prototyping, product transfer and qualification, process development and optimization, test development, assembly and fulfillment.
As part of its investment in Thailand, the company plans to hire and train over 2,500 engineers, operators and technicians to support customer manufacturing requirements. The company will provide new employees with technical training, lean manufacturing and six sigma disciplines as required for the manufacture of precision optical and optoelectronic devices for the telecommunications, data communications, automotive, data storage, industrial and imaging markets.
Fabrinet currently operates a 232,000 sq. ft. facility with over 3,200 employees in Bangkok, Thailand.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
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