HANOVER, GERMANY — Viscom Inc., the US American subsidiary of Viscom AG, Germany, will showcase a selection of its highly advanced inspection systems for 3D SPI, 3D AOI, 3D AXI, and 3D MXI at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 – taking place January 24–26, 2023 in San Diego, California. Visitors are especially invited to discover exciting innovations from the system-related software area; highlights at the Viscom booth (No. 2501) include live demonstrations of the new digital platform vConnect.

Viscom's large system portfolio is designed for many different requirements of today's electronics manufacturing, including intelligent networking of the inspection gates. Standards for automated cross-manufacturer communication, such as IPC HERMES 9852 or IPC CFX, are used in conjunction with proprietary software applications like system operation with vVision or higher-level vConnect control tools.

“Our team of experts is ready to demonstrate live access to extensive information on well-arranged dashboards, fast SPI, AOI, and AXI programming with improved eCAD imports, and also the effective use of artificial intelligence, which enables even more reliable decisions when verifying inspection results,” states Ed Moll, President of Viscom Inc.

Going far beyond standard PCB sizes and addressing the specific requirements of industries such as telecommunications, electromobility or renewable energies, Viscom covers a wide range of customer needs in the field of inline X-ray inspection. Visitors of the IPC APEX EXPO can get an up-close and personal look at the 3D AXI system iX7059 PCB Inspection XL which can handle PCBs up to 63” (1600 mm) in length. The innovative dynamic acquisition mode of the machine ensures particularly fast back calculation to generate extremely accurate CT slice images and display full 3D volumes at the verification station. Additionally, artificial intelligence is now able to reliably segment voids, which can then be measured in detail.

Another X-ray highlight at the show will be Viscom’s X8011-III manual inspection system with intelligent capabilities for networking with the production line, measuring radiation dose to components, and automatically generating meaningful reports. The versatility of the X8011-III makes many applications possible, from comprehensive quality control for production start-ups to one-hundred-percent inspections in high-mix-low-volume manufacturing, including total support from process optimization to the handling of specific tasks.

The S3088 ultra chrome system will be presented as a 3D SPI and as a 3D AOI variant. Thus, a camera module for solder paste inspection with a comparatively large image field and height measurement range, excellent z-resolution and maximum flexibility in lighting technology will be on display. Extremely powerful high-speed image acquisition will be one of the main topics in the context of optical solder joint inspection.

Among the key software-related topics at Viscom’s booth will be intelligent condition monitoring, centralized IT management and high-performance Big Data processing, all of which are modular components of vConnect. The platform’s broad portfolio of scalable, higher-level applications is designed to provide the optimal environment and infrastructure for enhanced digital connectivity. Extensive data is available via freely configured menus and selected according to the requirements of operators, service personnel or management. Based on smart analyses, e.g., potential machine glitch can be detected at an early stage and maintenance intervals optimized.

BRUSSELS — SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today applauded the progress on the European Chips Act by the European Council, expressing strong support for the swift start of the negotiations in 2023.

With the European Council’s adoption today of its negotiating mandate, or so-called “general approach,” member states and the Czech Presidency of the Council have reached a critical milestone in supporting Europe’s efforts to advance manufacturing and supply of critical components, while bolstering R&D capacities for development of next-generation semiconductor innovations.

“The future for Europe as a region of semiconductor manufacturing excellence is brimming with possibility,” said Laith Altimime, president of SEMI Europe. “The adoption of the European Council’s general approach marks a critical step in passage of the European Chips Act as landmark initiative for our industry.”

As a next step, the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is expected to vote on the European Union Chips Act Report in January 2023. Once approved, the Committee will submit the text to plenary for adoption. The vote in plenary is scheduled to take place in February 2023. The text would constitute the European Parliament’s negotiating position and marks the last step before the start of trialogue negotiations among the European Commission, Parliament, and Council.

“SEMI looks forward to continued collaboration with the European institutions and our member companies to ensure the timely adoption and implementation of the European Chips Act, putting Europe’s semiconductor industry on a competitive footing with other regions,” said Christopher Frieling, director of Advocacy and Public Policy at SEMI Europe.

Visit SEMI Global Advocacy to learn more about public policy efforts and developments, and SEMI Workforce Development for more information on efforts to address the microelectronics industry’s talent needs.

MILWAUKIE, OR — ECD, pioneer of the traveling thermal profiler, will debut a brand-new data logging technology from booth #2425 at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 in San Diego, California next month. The novel innovation is designed to accelerate productivity through immediate access to profile statistics for fast decision-making through real-time actionable data. With on-demand demonstrations planned throughout the event, IPC APEX EXPO show delegates can experience ECD’s latest engineering advance first-hand.

In addition to new technology, ECD’s proven tools for high-value PCB assemblies will be on show. As automotive systems, data center server boards and 5G infrastructure technologies increase in complexity and soldering becomes more challenging, manufacturers are looking to solutions like OvenSENTINEL™ continuous reflow monitoring and the MEGAM.O.L.E.™ 20 high-channel-count thermal profiler for robust soldering control to enable high-yield production of high-reliability assemblies. Due to the growth in electric vehicle (EV) volumes, data center capacity, and 5G infrastructure devices, sales of OvenSENTINEL have more than doubled in the last year alone. MEGAM.O.L.E. 20 has likewise experienced notable increases in order volumes. This demand for quality and the assurance of robust equipment operation has also driven steady adoption of ECD’s suite of RIDER™ pallets for machine quality management of wave, reflow and selective soldering systems. All three pallet designs integrate with the SuperM.O.L.E. Gold 2 thermal profiler for a scalable platform approach to shop floor soldering oversight.

Finally, for industries -- including electronics -- where control of moisture is integral to product quality, ECD’s award-winning SmartDRY™ Intelligent Dry Storage portfolio is enabling exceptional humidity control. With an ultra-fast recovery time of less than three minutes, SmartDRY combines effective dry storage with the ability to access parts frequently for maximum productivity and product integrity assurance. SmartDRY’s unique features and proven performance have allowed it to maintain its leading market share in electronics manufacturing, while expanding into other markets such as 3D printing material storage, medical instrumentation, and filtration. The SmartDRY SD-30 will be on show at ECD booth #2425.

Learn more about ECD’s process control innovations by visiting www.ecd.com. To be among the first to see the company’s revolutionary thermal profiling technology at IPC APEX EXPO 2023, send an email to sales@ecd.com.

SAN JOSE, CA — Zero Defects International [ZDI] has announced their participation as an exhibitor at the Silicon Valley Expo & Tech Forum. This one day event, on December 8th, is organized by the Northern California SMTA Chapter and will be held at the Juniper Dome in Sunnyvale, CA located at 1081 Innovation Way.

Among the printed circuit board assembly [PCBA] products to be shown are Tagarno digital microscopes, Arcadia intelligent component storage and dispensing racks and ZDI's own PCBA contract test and inspection services. Additionally ZDI partner, Viscom USA, will be exhibiting their advanced PCBA X-Ray, AOI and SPI inspection systems in a booth adjacent to ZDI's.