SAN JOSE -- Venture Outsource Group has reported a sharp rise in the number of employment searches it is conducting for EMS, ODM and technology OEM client companies.

The firm helps companies find candidates to fill internal postings for a variety of managerial and executive-level positions across the globe. In 2005, the firm has helped client companies fill nine positions. The company is on track to engage in more than twice the number of client search assignments it executed in 2004.

This is not necessarily a sign that the electronics outsourcing industry is improving as a whole, but may instead reflect the increasing role VOG is playing with company hiring activities in industry.  

Aurora, CO – Advanced Circuits, a quick-turn PCB manufacturer, has invested more than $1 million in new equipment to be installed between now and the end of the year. The investment will enable the company to keep its “On Time or It’s Free” guarantee.

New purchases include:

• Automated strip-etch-strip (SES) line.

• Debur equipment, offering cleaning for small holes.

• Lead-free hot air solder level (HASL) unit. 

• HASL pre- and post-clean lines.

• Handling equipment for the HASL and SES lines.

Dan Chouinard, VP of plant operations, said “Investing in new equipment allows us to not only produce superior boards, but also consistently ship them ahead of schedule. An extra day or two means a lot to our customers who are responsible for meeting tight deadlines and juggling numerous projects.”

Ashburn, VA – Recent studies by Zestron have concluded that the emergence of lead-free products will significantly increase the need for cleaning in the electronics industry.

“The use of alternative solvents with higher boiling points, increased rosin contents as well as more aggressive activators will change the particular application needs in the context of cleaning,” said Umut Tosun, application technology manager.

The study, which involved the 40 latest lead-free solder paste formulations, revealed that the removal of flux residues from soldered assemblies provided very satisfactory cleaning results.  In addition to flux residues, the company was also able to fully remove uncured, lead-free pastes from stencils and misprinted assemblies. Solvent and MPC-based products were used to conduct all trials.

For more info, visit: Lead-Free Cleaning: Moving from Eutectic to Lead-Free.

FREMONT, CA - Owens Design, a provider of turnkey product development outsourcing services, has partnered with Questar Products International to develop a line of automatic wire bonders built on Kulicke and Soffa’s  former Hybrid bonder platforms. The Questar Q2100 series bonders include capabilities for fine pitch, large table travel and ball bumping, as well as customizable software. 

John Apgar, president of Owens Design, said, “Our customer challenged us to come up with a cost effective design, replacing and upgrading older technology components, solving difficult electronics layout challenges, while packaging the system and all electronics in a very small footprint, and conforming to all SEMI and CE standards.”

Questar Products chose Owens Design due to its history in solving problems in complex electronics packaging and being able to design, prototype and continue to build ongoing machines in production volumes at prices that match or are below their own internal cost. 

Dennis Scott, president of Questar, said, “As a small company focused solely on delivering high quality wire bonding equipment at aggressive prices, we must partner with companies that can deliver on our customers high expectations. The fact that they could do both the design and the assembly made Owens an obvious choice.”

JERUSALEM – Shellcase Ltd., a provider of wafer-level electronic product miniaturization technologies, has developed a next-generation platform for optical devices, ShellUltraThin, that provides a true die-sized package.

Based on patented packaging technology, ShellUT provides x/y dimensions identical to the original chip and a reduced thickness. A glass-silicon structure, including a cavity between the image area and the glass, enables image-sensing capabilities through the packaging structure, allowing for the use of micro-lenses. Is available for captive and non-captive license for integration into existing processing lines.

Wafer-level packaging platforms enable economies of scale for manufacturers of semiconductor device, such as CMOS and CCD area array and linear sensors, other optical devices like photodiodes, as well as various types of RF-MEMS devices, memories and mixed signals.

The company estimates that its chip size packaging solutions are used in over 30% of the installed base of camera phone handsets worldwide.

WEST CHICAGO, IL – Sales of connectors for electronics products in 2004 hit an all-time high of $143 billion in the U.S. and $286 billion worldwide, boosted by consumer electronics and consumer electrical equipment such as home appliances and HVAC units which are increasing in electronics content.

Sales were driven by strong demand for digital audio, video and home information products, consumer electrical and electronics equipment, said Bishop and Associates in a research report. 

MELVILLE, NY – Nu Horizons Electronics Corp., a distributor of active and passive electronic components, posted first-quarter net income of $475,000, down from $1.2 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Sales for the quarter ended May 31 rose to $121.4 million from $118.2 million.

SAN JOSE – May sales of semiconductors worldwide declined 0.5% sequentially to $18.05 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported today. SIA cited a drop in DRAM prices as a major factor. 

May sales were up 4.1% year-over-year.

PHOENIX – Avnet Inc. has completed its acquisition of Memec, a distributor of semiconductors.

"This acquisition is significant for so many reasons," said Harley Feldberg, president of Avnet EM. "The acquisition allows us to provide a more balanced mix of these services to our customers regardless of location."

DORNSTADT, GERMANY – ASYS GmbH has stepped deeper into the screen printer market, acquiring EKRA, the Germany-based printer manufacturer, in a deal announced today. Financial and other terms were not disclosed.

The deal, which closed July 1, includes EKRA’s divisions in Asia and the U.S. The combined firm will employ more than 350 persons worldwide.

TEMPE, AZ – The manufacturing sector grew for the 25th straight month in June, boosted by spikes in new orders and production. Manufacturing rebounded from three months of slowing growth, according to the latest Institute for Supply Management poll.

“The improved rate of growth in new orders is quite encouraging, particularly when combined with a slower rate at which prices are escalating,” said ISM chairman Norbert Ore.

San Diego — DEK USA will host a lead-free workshop on Sept. 22 -23, at its Schaumburg, IL, facility. The workshop is co-sponsored by KIC, Henkel Technologies, DEK, Vitronics Soltec and OK International.

The hands-on training program is designed for engineers and engineering management, and aims to provide participants with a broader knowledge of lead-free materials interactions, and the advantages and limitations of the process. A sample lead-free board will be produced and taken away by each attendee.

The workshop will feature hands-on production floor training in the following areas:

· Screen printing surface mount adhesives and solder paste, and placement
· Reflow profiling

· Inspection/analytical

· Rework

· Wave.

A detailed agenda will be available mid-July at kicthermal.com/index.html. Reservations must be made in advance.