Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

News

SHANGHAI -- UGS, a provider of product lifecycle management software and services, announced that Alcatel-Shanghai Bell has selected its Tecnomatix eM-Execution software for its board assembly operations and to provide traceability support and lead-free compliance.

Alcatel-Shanghai Bell will implement eM-Execution to provide full component, product and process traceability to comply with both customer and regulatory requirements. Alcatel-Shanghai Bell is also the launch customer for the new eM-Execution Lead Free solution as it prepares to meet the July 1, 2006 RoHS regulations.

"As the telecom solutions provider, we will continue to improve our product and process traceability to ensure quick response to market demands. We rely on UGS to further improve our shop floor data collection, analysis and management to meet the new Lead Free regulations," said Martin Lehnich, executive vice president of Alcatel-Shanghai Bell.

Tecnomatix is the digital manufacturing brand of UGS, which acquired Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd. on April 1.

LIVINGSTON, SCOTLAND -- Cadence Design has closed its design services unit in Scotland's "Silicon Glen" and up to 60 staff are expected to lose their jobs.

In a published report, the company confirmed it had put its local design services staff on a 30-day consultation period from April 10, and that "a significant number" of the 90 staff were likely to lose their jobs.

Tim Barnes, vice president for marketing at Cadence, said, "We made a strategic decision two years ago to focus on our software products, which design and develop integrated circuits for semiconductor makers and others.

"As part of this strategy, we must balance our design-service capabilities as makes sense. Our core business is software."

ST. LOUIS -- LaBarge Inc., a provider of electronics manufacturing services, has fully integrated a completely lead-free manufacturing process into its 
Pittsburgh facility, the company said today. 

LaBarge handles materials, manufacture and testing of assemblies for customers 
whose products must comply with new European environmental legislation.

Everything from components sourcing to soldering applications has been updated, 
the company said.

Londonderry, NH - Cobar Solder Products, the U.S. subsidiary of Cobar Group, today celebrated its first anniversary.

In a press release, the supplier of soldering materials said its customer base is expanding.

In a statement, general manager Lance Larrabee said Cobar's "vast experience with VOC-free and lead-free products [is] a tremendous benefit to U.S. companies converting to lead-free soldering, since our products have proven their compatibility in factories around the globe."

Earlier this year, Cobar introduced a low-VOC soldering flux for lead-free soldering in wave and selective soldering systems.

WEST CHICAGO -- Samtec led all suppliers of connectors last year in customer satisfaction with lead times, according to a just released survey.

With a score of 4.829, Samtec outpolled Phoenix Contact, which scored 4.265.

Respondents to the survey, which was taken last year, described its satisfaction with each supplier on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being "extremely satisfied." A score of 3.50 or above indicates a degree of satisfaction. The industry average was 3.902, Bishop said.

A total of 1,604 persons responded to the poll, which was conducted by Bishop & Associates, a consulting firm. Of the respondents, 41.1% were in engineering and 40.5% were in purchasing. Just under half (49.4%) the respondents were with OEMs, while 20% were with EMS firms and 18.3% with distributors.

Finishing third was Tompeter, at 4.232, followed by W.L. Gore (4.219) and Weidmuller (4.172).

Rounding out the top 10 were Johnson Components (4.163), EDAC (4.148), Molex (4.108), Teradyne (4.07) and Kycon (4.056).

PLANO, TX, and HERZLIA, Israel - UGS Corp. has completed the acquisition of the outstanding equity of Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd., a provider of manufacturing process management software, for approximately $228 million in cash.

The acquisition is UGS' fourth since launching independent operations in May 2004.

The PLM software provider will market Tecnomatix as its digital manufacturing brand to include both Tecnomatix and former E-factory software. The company will offer a fully integrated solution of Tecnomatix MPM to UGS Teamcenter software users while continuing to offer the open standalone MPM solution integrated with the PLM environment of choice for its customers.

UGS plans to announce additional digital manufacturing-related technology enhancements later in 2005.

Atlanta, GA — More than 700 PCB design and engineering professionals, managers and quality engineers were introduced to a new high-reliability PCB technology for extreme environments, including life-sensitive and high-temp lead-free applications, during a live Webinar hosted by PBR Seminars on Wednesday.

Sponsored by Sierra Proto Express, a Sunnyvale, CA, PCB fabricator, the "Tomorrow's Technology, Today" Webinar featured presentations by Sierra Proto Express CEO Ken Bahl and VP of R&D Bob Tarzwell.The seminar introduced attendees to the first true lead-free compatible PCBs that are guaranteed not to fail in process or use in a lead-free assembly environment, and addressed two urgent needs in the PCB Industry:

· Complying with the European Lead-Free RoHS initiative by July 1, 2006.

· Fabrication of new high-reliability PCBs for extreme environments and life-sensitive applications that can withstand up to 2,000 cycles of -45 to +145˚ C.

The Webinar reviewed the needs associated with lead-free printed circuits and discussed materials suitable for meeting the lead-free directives. It is now available for free on-demand viewing.

Three additional technical Webinars featuring industry experts Doug Brooks and Rick Hartley will debut in April and May. For more information, visit www.pbrseminars.com.

FRANKLIN, MA - SMT manufacturing experts from Speedline Technologies will address the issues involved in "Lead-Free Reflow Soldering Power And Nitrogen Consumption" during a free, live, Web seminar on May 19 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, ET.

Selecting a reflow oven for an SMT manufacturing process requires numerous engineering considerations, including board size capacity, heating zones, nitrogen compatibility and the ability to maintain even heat. With the introduction of lead-free materials, new and more complicated factors are compounding the decision.

With the introduction of lead-free requirements, process engineers must now also consider the ability to achieve the heat required to reflow the lead-free solder paste and to cool the soldered joints at a rate that will provide the best possible product quality. In a lead-free process, two "cost of ownership" issues now gain additional significance: energy consumption and nitrogen consumption. The seminar will discuss an analysis of energy and nitrogen consumption in lead-free reflow soldering equipment.

Topics will include: a comparison of energy consumption in new reflow oven designs versus previous reflow oven designs; an actual power consumption case study of lead-free versus tin lead process; and methods for controlling nitrogen consumption.

For more information or to register, visit speedlinetech.com/seminars.

Zurich, Switzerland -- DEK has signed a supply and license agreement for its VectorGuard stencil technology with Gemido, a France-based designer and manufacturer of machines for the electronics industry. Gemido will manufacture the stencils from foil blanks supplied by DEK and will also provide customers with VectorGuard frames.

Gemido will implement this agreement in France and the French part of Switzerland.

Tokyo -- The 35th International Electronic Circuits Expo will take place June 1-3 at the Tokyo Big Sight center. The show, sponsored by JPCA (Japan Printed Circuit Association) -- a member of the WECC (World Electronic Circuits Council) -- will focus on "The Challenge, Starting for the Next Evolution."

The show is offered in conjunction with the JIEP (Japan Institute of Electronics Packaging) 2005 Microelectronics Show: "Discover the Next Generation Technologies on Electronics Packaging."

The two shows will feature 530 exhibiting companies with 1,531 booths, and the producers expect more than 100,000 global attendees during the three-day period.

Participants can attend three keynote sessions: professor Dr. Kenichi Ohmae of UCLA will address "The Next Global Stage - Challenges and Opportunities in our Borderless World;" Dr. Takeo Nakagawa, CEO of Fine Tech Corp., will talk about strategies for the future of manufacturing in Japan; and Dr. Tsugio Makimto, Sony's corporate advisor will address the role of electronics packaging in the paradigm shift era of electronics industry.

The concurrent Jisso (Advanced Electronics Packaging) Technology Symposium will offer technological sessions such as SiP/Multi Chip Package, Thin Wafer/Chip Packaging, High Frequency Packaging/New Substrate Materials, FPC, MEMS, Embedded Packaging Board and Opto-electronics Packaging technologies on the topics.

Click here for early registration.

Edina, MN -- Two new software applications for materials and RoHs declaration are available from the Surface Mount Technology Association's Web site.

For small-to-medium size enterprises with RoHS-related obligations, the Material Declaration Wizard (MDW) is an automated substance-level data collection software.

The Windows desktop application collects, aggregates and distributes substance data that allows you to declare substances required by RoHS, JIG A, B, & C, or to declare that your components have been lead-free assembly tested.

GLEN COVE, NY - Photocircuits Corp. has a new venture with Global Brands Manufacture Group in China. The plant, completed in 2004 in Kunshan (near Shanghai), Jiangsu Province, China, occupies approx. 70,000 sq. m. Terms of the venture were not disclosed. GBM will be investing an undisclosed amount into the new venture while Photocircuits will provide operational technical controls and systems along with marketing and sales.

Located on a 409-acre campus in the KunShan Economic and Technical Development Zone, the factory's current manufacturing capacity is 400,000 sq. ft. of imaged area per month. Three planned expansions over the next 18 months will increase capacity to 1.5 million sq. ft. per month.