Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

SHANGHAI -- Tyco Electronics is "aggressively" expanding its operations in Shanghai, adding thousands to its workforce while it trims its capacity in the U.S. and Europe.

According to a report today from Deutsche Bank analyst Carter Shoop, Tyco is Electronics hired 4,000 employees in China in fiscal 2005, and plans to add another 6,000 to 7,000 in fiscal 2006. A new engineering center is planned as well.

SAN FRANCISCO -- 2005 was a year for consolidation among distributors, and market conditions will drive further merger activity in 2006, an analyst said today.

In 2005, Avnet bought Memec, Arrow acquired Ultra Source, World Peace teamed with SAC and RichPower. Also, Yosun acquired two smaller Asia-based distributors for Texas Instruments.

"Look for more of the same in 2006," wrote Carter Shoop, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, in a research note issued today.

Shoop said that lack of growth in North America and Europe, "coupled with incentives from suppliers to develop a more comprehensive Asian footprint and pressure from customers to offer a broader line card, are driving consolidation in the fragmented Asian distribution market."

Munich, Germany, and Westford, MA – Zuken has signed an eight-year, $1.2 million contract with the Transportation Systems Group (TS) of Siemens. Zuken will provide an integrated, enterprise-wide PCB design environment for the group's Rail Automation Division.

After identifying the need for more advanced schematic and library software for PCB design, Siemens TS decided to implement Zuken’s CR-5000 design environment. It is already installed in sites in Braunschweig and Berlin.

Siemens TS is a leading supplier to the railways industry. The Rail Automation Division, based in Braunschweig, provides products and services from electrical interlockings and level crossing protection systems to power supply systems.

Hudson, NH – CeTaQ America has enhanced capability for testing live QFPs during Machine Capability Analysis (MCA) testing.

“Rather than using dummy components, the ability to use the live QFPs brings MCA testing right up to the electronics manufacturer’s real-world manufacturing scenario,” Michael Sivigny, general manager, said in a statement. “This makes our testing methodology the most relevant and accurate that it can possibly be.”

MCA testing is a third party evaluation methodology that uses special vision algorithms, glass plates and components to measure Cp and Cpk indices on production equipment. All brands and models of SMT printers, dispensers, placement and semiconductor machines are validated. The goal is to verify that a machine is performing to the manufacturer’s original specifications, and make any necessary corrective adjustments if it is not.

In testing placement accuracy, for example, the actual fine pitch QFP components and various types of leaded devices can now be used. The pick-and-place machine places components on the test fixture marked with local reference points and fiducials. The components are analyzed against data from component data sheets. Measurements and statistical data are collected for calculating Cp and Cpk indices on side overhang, toe overhang and lead pitch, for example. These results can be used to feedback quality of incoming component material to component suppliers. The QFP components are not harmed during testing and can be returned to parts inventories for assembly after passing capability inspection.

ATLANTA -- Visiprise completed its merger with HMS Software, forming a manufacturing software environment provider with more than 270 employees and more than 200 customers.

To facilitate the transaction, Visiprise closed on over $30 million of new financing led by Investor Growth Capital and Westbury Partners. This financing also included participation from the company’s current investors.

Visiprise has re-organized into industry business units (IBUs), creating more focus around the company’s selected vertical markets – aerospace and defense, electronics, automotive and specialty vehicles, and medical devices.

Visiprise focused on high-volume, high-mix manufacturing environments with HMS Software adding low-volume asset and labor-intense manufacturing capability.

Menlo Park, CA - Arena Solutions released its Fall ’05 PLM updates this week, available immediately to new and existing subscribers. The latest release for the on-demand solution enables collaboration with suppliers; management of regulatory standards (such as RoHS, and WEEE); and customization options through a point and click, Web-based interface.

"We realize that PLM is a cross-enterprise application that involves multiple companies, all of which are affected by recent trends in outsourcing, the need to access the evolution of a products, etc.," CTO Erik Larkin told CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY last week. "Multiple customers use it to access data, provide product records and engage with suppliers, and this 45th upgrade reflects the increased needs for collaboration, compliance management and customization."

The release also introduces Arena PLM Enterprise Edition, with increased customization; adaptable compliance management; advanced reporting features for product performance visibility; and integration into applications such as CAD, EDA and ERP.

Design for Compliance (DfC)

On-demand, scalable compliance management enables manufacturers to comply with current regulations, as well as pending and future regulations.

"Arena recognizes the increased public interest in regulations, which will extend past the upcoming RoHS deadlines," said Larkin. "Compliance management and documentation diligence are integrated into our solution, with all information available down to the design level to enable DfC."

"In today’s global economy compliance is not achieved in isolation, but through a collaborative effort between a manufacturer and their supply chain," Michael Topolovac, CEO, said in a statement. "[We] enable simplified collaboration and shared responsibility for product manufacturing across the entire value chain."

Web-Based Collaboration

The Fall release extends collaboration capabilities to address the earlier research and discovery phase of supplier engagement. Subscribers can find new supplier relationships via the Supplier Marketplace, an online directory of product design firms, CMs, component suppliers and fabricators.

User interface improvements are based on the latest Web standards including AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML).

Point and Click Customization

A simple, point and click interface allows companies to tailor their PLM to best match their product data and business processes - without having to pay high-customization costs or write a single line of code. Companies can customize their data model within Arena PLM to define and classify the unique nature of their products, down to the component level. They can also model business processes tailored to their best practices, such as product enhancement requests, new part number creation or even cost reduction improvements. Users can also organize and present information, such as BOM and item specifications, in customized views and forms.