Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Current

Press Releases

REDDITCH, UK – Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, in partnership with Fuji Corp., recently held its second ‘Factory of the Future’ event at the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC) in Coventry. The two-day symposium marked a significant milestone as the largest event ever organised by Altus, showcasing the latest advancements in electronics manufacturing.

Building on the success of its inaugural event in 2022, this year's ‘Factory of the Future’ attracted over 200 participants and featured nearly 30 suppliers, offering hands-on experiences with nearly 40 unique processes. This expanded scale allowed attendees to explore a comprehensive range of technologies essential for SMT, NPI, and through-hole production lines, as well as component management and peripheral production.

The event introduced several innovations to the UK market for the first time, including the Scienscope Xspection 3000 Batch Xray, the Inertec Cube 460 selective soldering unit, the Koh Young Neptune Conformal Coating Inspection System, actnano's disruptive coating materials, and the YJ Link vision inspection buffer.

Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group, said: “What an incredible few days! Organising an event of this scale is a monumental effort, and the Altus team truly outdid themselves this time. The positive feedback from our customers and partners has been exceptional, and having over 200 participants is a clear indicator of our growing presence in the UK and Ireland. We’re excited to build on this momentum and turn the interest from the event into successful projects in the months ahead.”

Artur Tobolski, Fuji Regional Account Manager, said: “The Factory of the Future event was a tremendous success, bringing together top industry leaders and showcasing the latest innovations. It gave UK manufacturers a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technology and gain insights into future trends. Fuji is proud to have partnered with Altus for this landmark event and looks forward to continuing our collaboration with the industry.”

The comprehensive program included 16 presentations from industry leaders, addressing several topics, including the future of electronics manufacturing and current industry trends and challenges. The timing of the event was particularly opportune, coinciding with a notable increase in capital equipment investment following the new government's election, which has contributed to enhanced stability and growing manufacturing demand.

ATLANTA – The ECIA Executive Conference Committee is pleased to announce the speaker for the session on carbon emissions regulations will be Gregory Norris, MIT. With global carbon emissions reporting on the minds of executives in the electronic component industry, the ‘E’ in ESG has never been more important. This session will focus on sustainability, carbon emissions and reporting. What do we need to know now? How do we prepare? What is to come later?

Gregory Norris directs SHINE (the Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise) at MIT, where he advances and applies methods for creating handprints, which are positive sustainability impacts outside the scope of the actor’s footprint. He has also taught Life Cycle Assessment (and handprinting) at Harvard for the past 25 years.

Norris is Vice President for Life Cycle Sustainability at the Green Building Alliance, where he helps small and medium enterprises and communities to reduce their footprints and create handprints. Norris co-founded and is Director of Science at Earthster.org, a web-based platform democratizing LCA. He is a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, which seeks to build a scientific understanding of the mind to reduce suffering and promote well-being. In 2012 Time Magazine named his work on Handprints as one of “10 ideas that are changing your life.”

“This topic was high on the priority list from our member survey,” explained Stephanie Tierney, ECIA’s Director of Member Engagement. “Compliance is a fast-moving target. ECIA’s Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) has been closely watching the global regulatory environment in order to keep members updated on what the components industry needs to do.”

Learn more about the conference and register.

SINGAPORE – SP Manufacturing Pte Ltd., a global leader in comprehensive electronic manufacturing services, is pleased to announce its participation in MD&M South, taking place October 16-17, 2024 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Visitors to Booth 3009 will have the opportunity to explore SP Manufacturing’s comprehensive services and innovative solutions tailored specifically for the healthcare and medical technology sectors.

Recognizing the mission-critical nature of medical equipment and devices, SP Manufacturing is committed to supporting healthcare technology customers throughout the entire product lifecycle. The company provides end-to-end traceability and ensures high availability, enabling seamless support and service delivery across its global network. With strategic partnerships across the USA, Europe, Southeast Asia and China, SP Manufacturing guarantees reliable and timely manufacturing solutions for its healthcare clients, regardless of location.

SP Manufacturing’s approach to supporting healthcare technology involves close collaboration with customers, ensuring that every aspect of the supply chain is optimized for efficiency and reliability. By understanding the complex frontiers of innovation, globalization, and market uncertainty, SP Manufacturing delivers tailored solutions that help healthcare products succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

Attendees of MD&M South are invited to visit Booth 3009 to learn more about how SP Manufacturing can support their healthcare and medical technology projects with world-class manufacturing services. For more information, visit www.sp-manufacturing.com

MORRISVILLE, NC – iNEMI’s PCB Connector Footprint Tolerance Project investigated industry capability, risks and mitigation strategies associated with high-bandwidth I/O connector footprints. As bandwidth continues to double every three years, the reduction in connector pitch imposes stringent design requirements on PCB fabrication processes. The project team aimed to provide product designers with the information necessary to ensure predictable quality levels when using high-bandwidth connectors. A literature review, along with team experience, helped identify potential risks and create a PCB industry survey to assess supplier capabilities for appropriate quality mitigation.

Join us for this end-of-project webinar where we will review survey results and highlight areas of expectations and gaps between PCB fabricators and connector manufacturers. Additionally, the team will present recommendations for quality assessment and dimension control.

Registration
This webinar is open to industry; advance registration is required. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Mark Schaffer (marks@inemi.org).

Monday, September 30, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT (Americas)
5:00-6:00 p.m. CEST (Europe)
Register for this webinar

HAVERHILL, MA – Circuit Technology Center announces it has expanded its electronic component tinning services capacity. Four (4) Hentec-Odyssey 1325 robotic hot solder dip machines are in full operation to meet the increasing demand from the defense and high-reliability customer base that requires component tinning services for tin whisker mitigation, gold mitigation, and lead re-conditioning. The equipment is also used for automated, touch-less BGA component de-balling, required as part of converting BGA's with lead-free solder to tin-lead solder.

These state-of-the-art machines are high-volume, high-mix systems featuring auto load/unload, multi-component vacuum pickup heads, and dynamic solder waves. All process parameters are controlled, including immersion depths, dwell times, insertion and extraction speed, acceleration, solder pump speed, and temperatures, ensuring that the tinning process complies with stringent industry standards including GEIA-STD-006, J-STD-001, and IEC-TS-62647-4.

"For over 40 years, leading defense and aerospace companies have relied on Circuit Technology Center as the world leader in circuit board level modification, rework, and damage repair services," said Andy Price, Sales Manager. "We are thrilled to announce our increased capacity, offering our defense and high-reliability customers electronic component tinning and alteration services with the same exceptional quality and service that they have come to expect from our company."

OULU, FINLAND – Scanfil, a leading provider of advanced electronics manufacturing services, is proud to announce the approval of its near-term science-based targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This significant achievement underscores Scanfil’s commitment to sustainability and climate action.

The SBTi has validated that Scanfil’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets align with the latest climate science and are consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Specifically, Scanfil commits to:

Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 55.8% by 2030 from a 2020 base year. Scope 3 inventory was not reported for that year.
Reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel- and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, and employee commuting by 25% by 2030 from a 2022 base year.

“These ambitious targets reflect Scanfil’s dedication to driving meaningful change and contributing to a sustainable future. By setting and achieving these goals, Scanfil not only demonstrates leadership in environmental stewardship but also inspires other organizations to take bold steps towards reducing their carbon footprint”, says CEO Christophe Sut.

SBTi’s Target Validation Report highlights Scanfil’s comprehensive approach to GHG emissions management. In 2020, Scanfil reported a total of 16,901 tCO2e for scope 1 and 2 emissions. By 2022, the company reported 955,102 tCO2e across scopes 1, 2, and 3, with a significant portion (65.22%) attributed to purchased goods and services. The report confirms that Scanfil’s targets meet the SBTi’s stringent criteria and are aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory.

“We are thrilled to receive this validation,” says Mats Lindblad Director of Quality and Sustainability at Scanfil. “SBTi’s approval is a testament to our team’s hard work and our commitment to making a positive impact on the environment. We believe that by taking decisive action today, we can help create a better tomorrow for future generations.”

Scanfil’s sustainability journey is a continuous one, and the company remains dedicated to exploring innovative solutions and partnerships that will further enhance its environmental performance.