Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

SEATTLE -- Microsoft has delayed -- again -- the launch of its Windows Vista operating system, pushing out the next generation software for PC consumers to January 2007. Business customers will get in the door a couple months earlier, in November.

Analysts are mixed on whether the delay will impact overall PC sales, but the consensus is that buyers will wait the extra few months for the new OS. Thus, fourth quarter shipments might not be as robust as previously forecast.

SIOUX FALLS, SD – Electronic Systems Inc. recently shared lessons learned from its RoHS compliant processes at a workshop for executives and engineers.

About 70 persons from two dozen electronics companies attended the in Bloomington, MN, seminar to hear the EMS company, which has RoHS compliant products in production and pilot stages, describe everything from solder materials and profiles to supply chain management.

ESI said the seminar was meant to be a jump start for those who’ve not yet committed to a RoHS strategy. The first deadline for compliance is July 1, 2006.

According to company vice chairman Leo Reynolds, the seminar was not for “answer(ing) the unanswerable questions but rather to make our customers aware of the impending deadline and jog them into the realization that they need to be very aware of what may or may not have to do with their products and processes.”

Questions revolved around tin whiskering, preferred PWB finishes and soldering temperatures, he told Circuits Assembly. There were “a lot of questions on component availability and compliance [and] on verifying compliance, how can the EMS company ensure that every component is in fact lead-free compliant.”

“Obviously, there are as many unanswerable questions as there are solid ones in this whole RoHS issue.”

Speakers included Tony Hilvers, vice president of industry programs at IPC, who reviewed RoHS requirements and discussed issues related to managing the supply chain, processes and verification. Dave Paluck, ESI manufacturing engineering supervisor, gave an overview of the company’s soldering and assembly processes, while director of program management Steve Hillesheim explained the logistics and planning needed for an OEM to move product into compliance.

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that attorneys say stretches the boundaries of what should be patentable, Circuits Assembly's Mike Buetow reports in today's blog.

http://circuitsassembly.com/blog/

Clinton, NY -- Indium has begun manufacturing wave solder fluxes in its European facility. The company hopes the added capability from its Milton Keynes, England, facility will improve customer service in the region.

The company produces a full line of wave solder fluxes, including no-clean, residue-free fluxes that accommodate Pb-Free and Sn/Pb processes.

Rochester, NY – EMA Design Automation and Ageus Solutions have joined forces to provide environmental compliance solutions from design through manufacturing.

“We’re adding the ability to supply the mechanical portion of RoHS/WEEE compliance,” said Manny Marcano, president and CEO of EMA. “Aligning forces with Ageus allows us to expand our Engineering Data Management (EDM) solution to cover the entire manufactured product, which supports the entire RoHS/WEEE directive.”

EDM allows product development teams to record, manage and report the design and development data used in the creation of manufactured products.

Ageus provides RoHS/WEEE consulting, assessment and process of mechanical components and drawings. The company also has a comprehensive recycling network in Europe.

“RoHS compliance should not be dominating the agenda of electronics companies,” said Bruce Calder, president of Ageus. “Our focus is to seamlessly integrate RoHS/WEEE compliance into engineering systems and business practices allowing electronics companies to keep their focus on the core business of designing, manufacturing and selling electronics products.”