SANTA CLARA, CA – Promex Industries, a Silicon Valley–based provider of advanced design, packaging, and microelectronics assembly services, today announced the next key addition to its die-bonding service capabilities: a Finetech FINEPLACER® sigma advanced sub-micron bonder. Designed to deliver high placement accuracy for an array of processes (flip chip, wafer-level packaging, package stacking, and chip-on-glass/flex/board, to name a few), the FINEPLACER® sigma system was received at the Promex facility in December.

The FINEPLACER® sigma purchase is the second Finetech system selected by Promex, joining a FINEPLACER® pico system purchased in 2019. The new sigma system delivers several features that will further benefit Promex customers seeking die bonding for precision bonding requirements in optical, medical, biotech, automotive, and other applications.

Combining sub-micron placement accuracy with a 450 mm x 150 mm working area and bonding forces up to 1000 N, the sigma system features a modular design for valuable flexibility. Modules can be easily combined or exchanged to pursue various projects within a single tool. Key technologies that can be performed, depending on the modules selected, include sintering, thermocompression bonding, ultrasonic bonding, eutectic soldering, adhesive bonding, and precision vacuum die bonding.

Placing small devices on large substrates is achieved via the FINEPLACER® sigma’s ultra-high-definition FPXVisionTM vision alignment system. FPXVisionTM allows the smallest structures to be viewed across the entire field of view, at the highest magnification, and enables pattern recognition with manual bonder alignment across a large bonding area.

“Choosing our next-generation sub-micron FINEPLACER® sigma illustrates the trust that Promex places in us and our bonding-technology expertise,” stated Neil O’Brien, General Manager, with Finetech. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Promex as they bring the sigma system online and are able to share the benefits with its vital customer base.”

“The FINEPLACER® sigma is a perfectly paired addition to our Finetech FINEPLACER® pico and extends our extreme placement accuracy and control to the next level,” said Chip Greely, vice president of engineering for Promex. “We’re excited about the additional capability and capacity we now have available to support our customer’s precision flip chip and placement needs.”

CLINTON, NY – Indium Corporation is pleased to introduce Taylor Wang Yong Xing as the company’s China Country Sales Manager.

In this role, Wang leads the China sales team and is responsible for all sales in the China region. He works with multiple departments to develop sales strategies and facilitate strong connections to customers throughout China.

Wang has more than 10 years of sales and multinational account management experience with focused knowledge of the semiconductor assembly and automotive electronic business sectors. Prior to joining Indium Corporation, he worked as vice sales director for assembly materials, bonding wires, DCB substrate, and thick films products at a German global materials company. Wang earned his bachelor’s degree in Medicine English at Sichuan University.

ATLANTA – 3D technology can be utilized in manufacturing to improve a variety of processes, including design, prototyping, training, and quality control. Utilizing VR and 3D technology in manufacturing environment can help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a variety of manufacturing processes, while also helping to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase customer satisfaction.

Scanfil is piloting 3D technology in its Atlanta project

Scanfil has utilized 3D technology in its expansion project in Scanfil Atlanta. The decision to utilize the 3D technology stemmed from the need to address issues of misalignment and misinterpretation that arose due to team members located in multiple countries and working with 2D layout drawings.

“I had experience utilizing 3D tools in similar projects in the past, so I proposed making this a pilot project to gather some experiences and assess the benefits. This type of tool has not been utilized in our company before, so this is more like a pilot to gather experiences and opinions on the process,” explains Miikka Ahola, Director of Manufacturing Technology.

Using 3D technology aids in visualizing and bringing plans to fruition

The utilization of 3D technology has helped in the layout and planning stages of the project. The detailed plans created with 3D technology have allowed for better indication of needs and improved process flow.

The project has been moving forward quickly. It started in November 2022, and the team is planning to have first stage ready already in January 2023. According to Miikka, they are exploring the possibility of creating simulations of material flow in later stages.

The benefits of using 3D technology in the Atlanta expansion project have been clear. “We can easily go through the changes in plans remotely, so this reduces the need for travelling during the planning stage. Also, the marketing and even production operators, that don’t have deep knowledge of the machines, can easily understand the plans, and see the working environment we are setting up”, says Miikka.

The future of 3D in the manufacturing industry seems to be promising

After the pilot project, our team will share views on how this has affected our way of working and possible future benefits. “There is still a lot of potential to be utilized in the future with simulation and testing new technologies in a virtual environment,” says Miikka and continues “also, doing NPI and proto builds in a simulated virtual environment before having actual parts is an interesting concept”. Overall, the future of 3D in the manufacturing industry and in Scanfil appears to be very promising.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The SMTA is excited to announce they are currently accepting student applications for the JoAnn Stromberg Student Leader Scholarship by April 28, 2023.

The $3,000 JoAnn Stromberg Student Leader Scholarship is given in honor of the nearly 30 years of service dedicated by former Executive Administrator, JoAnn Stromberg. The scholarship was established after her retirement in 2015. The purpose of this award is to encourage students to take on more leadership opportunities and encourage more students to engage in the electronics industry.

The Stromberg Scholarship is awarded annually to a student pursuing a degree in electronics (or surrounding industry) and actively involved in the SMTA. The scholarship is intended for the purchase of technical books and research materials, for participation in conferences related to electronics assembly and packaging, and for living expenses if necessary.

For more information about the JoAnn Stromberg Student Leader Scholarship, contact Saniya Pilgaonkar at +1-952-920-7682 or saniya@smta.org.