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News

NEW YORK -- Companies that concentrate on process change, global branding and strategic relationships have the potential to shake up the competitive SMT landscape while transitioning to lead-free manufacturing. So said Frost and Sullivan analyst Keith Sullivan during a recent Webcast on the impact of RoHS on the SMT market.

Sullivan claims companies can “help tilt the competitive landscape” by leveraging potential Pb-free market opportunities for existing products, including value-added services, back-end semiconductor markets and expanding to China. For new products, Sullivan suggests looking to potential software developments and diversification.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – A group of leading vendors of solder today released its final results from a lengthy investigation on lead-free alloys, finding an alloy of Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5 to be the best candidate to replace tin-lead solder.

The three-year study also baselined a series of test methods for determining lead-free solder performance.

HOUSTON —BP Microsystems, a supplier of device programming systems, announced that Redback Test Services will represent its full line of device programmers throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Established in 2002, Redback Test Services is a supplier of test and test automation solutions for the Australian and New Zealand electronics industry. Based in Melbourne, the company presently supports local, interstate and international companies.

LOS ALTOS, CA -- Slowing GDP gains will have a domino effect on electronics equipment demand, with replacement cycles losing momentum, according to a just released report.

Demand for everything from PCs to handsets to autos will suffer, although unit growth will remain respectable, said research firm Henderson Ventures (hendersonventures.com).

CHICAGO -- Boeing Co. today named 3M chief executive James McNerney as chairman and CEO, bringing a long track record of integrity and success to a executive team recently marred by scandal.

McNerney, 55, formerly ran General Electric's jet engine division, and is credited with turning around 3M following his appointment there in 2001.

Menlo Park, CA – OK International announced that Mark Cowell has been named president, succeeding Michael Gouldsmith. Cowell has worked for OK and Metcal for 22 years, most recently as VP of engineering.

Gouldsmith, who started OK as a small tool company over 20 years ago and built it into an international firm, will remain as chairman and assist Cowell in the transition.

Gouldsmith said, “Mark has played a key role at OK and one of its predecessor companies Metcal and has been responsible for the design and development of its Smart Heat soldering tools. More recently, as a member of the Executive Management Team, Mark has played an increasing role in the overall management of the company and is the ideal person to fill this role."

BANNOCKBURN, IL – The 90-day moving average shipments of all types of circuit boards slipped 7.8% year-on-year in May, and bookings plummeted 17%, according to the latest poll of North American PCB fabricators. Yet despite a 7.5% drop in bookings year-to-date, the trade group which takes the poll said it expects a second-half rebound.

“It’s pretty clear that 2005 will be a year of flat growth [sic] for the North American PCB industry overall,” said IPC, which takes the poll, in a statement. “But positive book-to-bill ratios over the last several months and other leading indicators suggest that demand should remain stable throughout the remainder of 2005.”

SUNNYVALE, CA -- The battle of the chip titans is on. Again. Advanced Micro Devices on Monday filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging Intel forces customers into deals that excludes them from buying AMD's components.

In the suit, AMD alleges Intel has given cash and other incentives to companies such as Dell, Sony, Toshiba, Gateway and Hitachi -- 38 companies in all -- in exchange for exclusive deals.

RALEIGH, NC-- Weller, a Cooper Hand Tools brand (cooperhandtools.com), is presenting a series of lead-free soldering seminars to explain this essential technology and to prepare electronics manufacturers for the 2006 deadline for compliance with RoHS directives.

The seminars, presented in association with Omni Training and Techni-Tool, will be held in Cleveland, OH on August 24; Detroit, MI on August 26; and in Cedar Rapids, IA on August 27. Ken Moore, president of Omni Training, will conduct the sessions.

The sessions will cover the impact, challenges and risks associated with lead-free, including thermal-related damage to PWBs and components. The primary focus is on hand soldering, rework and inspection of solder joints made with lead-free alloys. Attendees will work with various lead-free alloys and soldering equipment.

For details contact Maria Eby, (610) 940-5425; mariae@technitool.com.

Irving, TX – EMS provider Elcoteq Network Corp. opens its Engineering Service Center (ESC) in Richardson, TX, today. A ceremony marking the event featured speeches by Richardson mayor Gary Slagel and Elcoteq Americas president Dr. Doug Brenner.

The center occupies 28,117 sq. ft and employs 100 people. Services include project management, prototyping, industrialization, low-volume manufacturing, test services and material management. Products will include mobile networks, broadband access and wireless LAN, and home communications products, as well as board assembly, module and systems for cellular base stations, switches, microwave and broadband access products.

The facility is ISO 9001 certified and RoHS compliant. Capabilities include automated PCB assembly and flip-chip assembly at less than 300 micron pitch, underfill, a lead-free production process, 0201 production placement and rework processes, AOI, BGA replacement and reball, x-ray inspection, mechanical assembly, final build packout service, design for manufacturing and build report documentation, real time quality data collection and an intranet based manufacturing data system.

FRANKLIN, NH – Polyclad Laminates, a business of Cookson Electronics, has published a Lead-free Material Selection Guide. It provides advice for selecting lead-free capable laminate base materials, and defines best practices for determining selection criteria for Pb-free or Pb/Sn assembly applications.

Available for all major Polyclad products, the guide reviews PWB design and assembly variables in making recommendations to use specific laminate and prepreg materials. It will be regularly updated as more data become available.

For an electronic copy, email: polyclad@cooksonelectronics.com.

ATLANTA, GA —UP Media Group Inc. (UPMG) has announced the conference program and event schedule for PCB Design Conference East 2005. The show will celebrate its 10^th anniversary Oct. 10-14 at the Expo Center of New Hampshire, in Manchester.

PCB East features a five-day conference program of targeted Professional Development and Technical Conference courses, plus a keynote address, a variety of free special networking events and a two-day exhibition.

The Welcome Luncheon and Industry Icon Roast on Oct. 10 will be the first special event. The roastee’s name is being kept under wraps but clues will be “leaked” on the show Website during the weeks leading up to the show. Free to all Monday attendees, others may register to attend this plated luncheon event.

An Opening Night Reception, featuring food and drinks, will be held on the show floor on Oct. 12. Book signings by industry authors will be held during the reception and at other times in the PCB East Book Store.

Pub Night at Jillian's, featuring live music by the infamous Porch Dawgs, will provide free pool, darts and shuffleboard, plus food and drinks, at Jillian’s in downtown Manchester.

An Ice Cream Social will be held on the show floor on Oct. 13. Other new events include Dinner With Strangers and Trivia Night.

Registration for the exhibition and most special events is free. The complete conference brochure is available at pcbeast.com.