Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

BANGALORE – India’s embryonic EMS sector is preparing for a breakout, based on recent forecasts from various market watchers.

The Indian EMS industry will be worth $4 billion by 2010, growing over 30% annually, says the Electronics Component Industries Association (Elcina), a group of some 280 domestic electronics manufacturers.

Research firm iSuppli pegs the market at somewhat smaller, estimating contract assembly in India will increase 21% each year to $2.03 billion in 2009, from $935 million last year.

Among the EMS firms that are growing in India are Jabil Circuit and Celestica, which are acquiring Indian companies, and Hon Hai, which recently committed $110 million in investments over the next five years.

Driving investment are the telecom and computing sectors.

The number of telephone users is forecast to rise to 22 per 1000 by end 2007, from the current level of nine per 1000.

Also, computer peripherals are forecast to grow 23% annually through 2009.

Consumer electronics are expected to rise 18% per year during that span.

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Raven Industries today reported record sales and earnings for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2006. Net sales rose 22% to $204.5 million and net income climbed 36% to $24.3 million.

For the fourth quarter, net sales were up 24% to $54.4 million while net income jumped 50% to $5.5 million. Raven makes various end products and films, and performs electronics manufacturing services.

HERNDON, VA — iNEMI’s High-Reliability RoHS Task Force has published recommendations for Pb-free manufacturing of complex, thermally challenging electronic assemblies. The recommendations focus on thermal requirements for components, laminate and PWB materials, and equipment.

Most high-reliability products either have an exemption or are out of scope of the RoHS Directive, yet the companies that manufacture these products are evaluating the impact of Pb-free SAC solder assembly on the reliability of these more demanding applications. Complex high-reliability assemblies often feature broad component mixes and pose many thermal challenges. Pb-free assembly challenges are exacerbated by the variability of component mass, large size and high layer count of PWBs, the need to rework, and the high likelihood of mixed through-hole, surface-mount and back-side assembly.

“New soldering materials, maximum qualified component temperatures and primary attach and/or rework equipment all need to be addressed relative to reliability in the face of Pb-free assembly requirements,” said Joe Smetana, principal engineer, advanced technology, for Alcatel and co-chair of the iNEMI High-Reliability RoHS Task Force. “These recommendations were developed to communicate the needs of the high reliability segment to the supply chain and the relevant standards groups that must address these needs.”

The recommendations are available at inemi.org/cms/projects/ese/High_Rel_RoHS.html

Earnings reports are coming out this week for the mid-size EMS companies and the early results range from good to excellent.

View Mike Buetow's comments at http://circuitsassembly.com/blog/.

Teddington, UK -- David Hillman and Doug Pauls will present a class on “Crafting a Lead-Free Solder Process” at the National Physical Laboratory on June 21. The course covers the necessary elements to develop a robust, high-reliability, Pb-free manufacturing process.

Hillman is a metallurgical engineer in the Advanced Operations Engineering Department of Rockwell Collins. Pauls is a principal materials and process engineer, working on troubleshooting current manufacturing process and development of new materials and processes.

Topics will include: the metallurgy of Pb-free; finish on boards and components; effects on organic materials from higher reflow temperatures – laminates, solder masks, adhesives, fluxes, process aids; assembly equipment considerations; cleaning of Pb-free residues; testing for residues; reliability testing and case studies; process characterization and qualification; environmental waste stream considerations.

To sign up for the course, contact Roger Hughes, Roger.Hughes@npl.co.uk.