Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

FRANKLIN, MA, Dec. 21 - Leading experts will explore SMT process challenges in a new series of free technical webcasts kicking off in January.

The events are sponsored by Speedline Technologies and are open to qualified individuals who register through the company's Web site.

"Speedline has designed these seminars to explore and deliver the in-depth information and how-to insight to help process engineers manage and control the major issues and challenges they will face daily throughout 2005," said Pierre de Villemejane, Speedline's president.

Each of the one-hour seminars will explore one of these challenges in a major manufacturing process - including lead-free wave and reflow, fine-pitch printing and underfill dispensing.

Hosted by experts who have been developing and implementing manufacturing techniques for more than 20 years, the sessions will include discussions of manufacturing floor challenges, new technologies, how-to implementation information and question-and-answer periods. Seminars begin at 11 a.m. Eastern.

Jan. 19: Statistical Process Control & Design of Experiments
Feb. 17: Lead-Free Overview
Mar. 17: Lead-Free Wave Soldering
Apr. 14: Lead-Free Reflow Soldering
May 17: Lead-Free Reflow Soldering Power and Nitrogen Consumption
Jun. 16: Underfill Dispensing
July 21: Fine Pitch Printing
Aug. 18: Lead-Free Overview
Sept. 15: Lead-Free Wave Soldering
Oct. 20: Lead-Free Reflow Soldering
Nov. 17: Tin Whiskers
Dec. 15: Fine Pitch Printing.

To register visit www.speedlinetech.com/seminars or call 508-541-4749.

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 21 -- The second International Wafer-Level Packaging Congress will take place Nov. 3-4, in San Jose, conference organizers announced today. The event will explore cutting-edge semiconductor packaging, including chip scale, 3D, system-in-package, system-on-chip, system-on-package and wafer level.

Co-chair Dr. Ken Gilleo of ET-Trends LLC said in a press release that feedback from attendees "will allow us to expand on topics that are the most important and useful to attendees. The goal is to enable attendees to gain a great deal of practical information about wafer-level packaging that they can immediately apply to their work."

Exhibit space will be available, said conference sponsor SMTA, adding that IWLPC 2004 sold out.

JUAREX, Mexico, Dec. 20 -- Electronics manufacturing services firm Elcoteq Network Corp. will buy consumer electronics giant Thomson's Juarez operations and take over its manufacturing in a deal worth over $1 billion.

Under the deal, expected to close Dec. 31, Elcoteq will acquire Thomson's manufacturing operation here, the companies annnounced today. Elcoteq is paying $33 million for the plant, which makes set-top boxes.

Elcoteq also signed a deal to build set-top box products for Thomson in Juarez. Thomson reportedly owns a 30% share of the global set-top box market.

Elcoteq expects the deal to boost the company's sales by approximately $300 million during 2005 and by $800 million to $1 billion during 2005 to 2007.

The acquisition of the Juarez plant will double Elcoteq's manufacturing capacity in Mexico. The Juarez personnel will be retained. Currently, the plant employs 2,000 workers.

In a statement Finland-based Elcoteq said the acquisition is part of a larger plan to balance its global footprint. The company earlier announced announced an expansion into Brazil.

"The Americas is the fastest growing geographical region within Elcoteq, and the addition of Thomson as a significant new customer both accelerates this growth and diversifies and expands the product and service portfolio within Elcoteq Americas," said Doug Brenner, president of Elcoteq's U.S. subsidiary.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Dec. 21 -- Global electronics service provider Jabil Circuit will add new plants in India and China, the company confirmed today.

The company announced plans for a 175,000 sq. ft. facility in Ranjangaon, India, its second in that nation. The plant is expected to be fully operational by mid-2005, and will perform assembly, enclosure integration, distribution and repair services and design.

"Planning this second facility in India underscores our commitment to this growing marketplace and the manufacturing needs of both global and indigenous electronic companies in India," said Bill Muir, regional president of Asia. "We see a growing need for full turnkey solutions to serve the India marketplace and our Ranjangaon facility will allow us to offer the full complement of services in close proximity to our end-customers."

Jabil also plans a groundbreaking for a fourth plant in Wuxi, China, next Monday. The 515,000 sq. ft. plant is planned to be fully operational in next fall.

Jabil currently operates 40 facilities worldwide.

MILPITAS, CA, Dec. 21 -- Solectron Corp. today reported sales of $2.7 billion for its fiscal first quarter, flat with 2004 and down from $3 billion sequentially. GAAP income from continuing operations were $47 million for the quarter ended Nov. 30, versus a GAAP loss of $52 million last year. The Q1 2005 results don't include a $2 million restructuring charge.

The drop in revenues was due to weakness in consumer demand for set-top boxes and 3-G wireless handsets, and lagging semiconductor equipment orders, Solectron said. Sales of networking gear also fell.

Earnings met the company's previous guidance.

The firm guided for sales of $2.65 billion to $2.8 billion for the February quarter. "Looking forward, we expect revenue growth in the second half of the year, driven by the expected ramp of recent wins and improved demand," said Mike Cannon, president and chief executive.

Gross margins improved 40 basis points sequentially and operating expenses were cut to $96 million. Cash flow from operations was $190 million. Inventory was reduced $52 million. Inventory turns were 7.1.

GLEN COVE, NY, Dec. 17 - Printed circuit board maker Photocircuits Corp. will cut its manufacturing operations outside Atlanta and lay off 500 staff, the company said today.

The site, located in Peachtree City, GA, will be cut to a single building, from 300,000 sq. ft. and four buildings over the next nine months. The staff will be reduced to 100 workers from the current headcount of 600.

"This change to the physical presence of Photocircuits in North America results from the changing competitive landscape for printed circuits," the company said in an unattributed statement. "More and more customers demand the economic advantages of sourcing in Asia."

Photocircuits will maintain print-and-etch operations in Peachtree City, plus sales and technical services, logistics and inventory management.

Backlogs will be sent to Photocircuits' facility in Glen Cove, New York, and factories in China, where the PCB maker partners with Japan-based CMK.

The company estimates that realignment of the site will last about nine months.

2004 has been unkind to Photocircuits, one of the oldest PCB firms in the world. The company, once the largest board shop in the U.S., is in the hands of outside management and two of its longtime owners -- John Endee and Steve Wohlgemuth -- have been let go. The company had sales of $234 million in 2003, according to PCD&M contributing editor Hayao Nakahara, making it the 32d largest PCB company in the world.