News
UP Media Group Inc. (UPMG) has announced the promotion of Andy Shaughnessy to the position of editor of Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture, the premier trade magazine serving the printed circuit board (PCB) design and manufacture markets. Shaughnessy will take the magazine's helm on July 16, the same day that current PCD&M Editor-in-Chief Mike Buetow will replace Lisa Hamburg Bastin as editor-in-chief of UPMG's Circuits Assembly magazine. Hamburg Bastin has resigned to take a position outside the electronics assembly industry.
Shaughnessy, who is currently Conference Chair for the PCB Design Conferences in addition to being associate editor of PCD&M, joined the magazine (then known as Printed Circuit Design) in 1999 as assistant editor. He has been writing and editing for daily newspapers and trade magazines since 1992, including serving as a crime reporter for a metro Atlanta daily newspaper prior to joining Printed Circuit Design. In addition to PCD&M, Shaughnessy's articles have been published in PC FAB, Circuits Assembly and EE Times.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to serve as editor of Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture. My main goal will be to continue providing the most up-to-date technical information to PCB designers, design engineers and fabricators," said Shaughnessy, who will work closely with UPMG Publisher Pete Waddell to ensure that PCD&M continues to capitalize on an improving electronics design and manufacture landscape.
"Fortunately, Mike Buetow is leaving PCD&M in great shape. With his background and knowledge of PCB assembly issues, Mike is the perfect choice for editor of Circuits Assembly. I look forward to working with Mike in the future," stated Shaughnessy.
"I have every confidence in Mike and Andy," said UPMG Publisher Pete Waddell. "They have both proven very skillful at taking the pulse of the markets we serve, not only reporting on these markets, but providing a leadership role as well. Our culture at UP Media Group has always been to promote from within when the situation presents itself and seems logical. With Mike replacing Lisa as editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly and Andy being promoted to editor at PCD&M, we're putting that internal policy to the best use."
Buetow has more than 13 years of experience in the electronics industry, including six years at electronics trade association IPC and editorial positions at SMT Magazine. Hamburg Bastin led Circuits Assembly for over six years as editor-in-chief. She leaves to become editor of the National Maritime Center's publications branch. The Arlington, VA-based NMC is a Coast Guard Headquarters field unit established to promote marine safety, environmental protection and security.
About Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture
Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture is the premier trade magazine for electronics interconnect professionals, exclusively serving the PCB design and manufacture markets. PCD&M provides printed circuit board engineers, designers, managers, manufacturers and their suppliers with the latest technologies, techniques, processes and market conditions relating to the design and manufacture of PCBs, PDLs, MCMs and other high-density interconnects. PCD&M is free to qualifying PCB industry professionals. Visit www.pcdandm.com for more information.
About UP Media Group Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, UP Media Group (UPMG) is a privately held company that specializes in magazine publishing and trade show and conference production. UPMG currently publishes two high-tech magazines, Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture (www.pcdandm.com) and Circuits Assembly (www.circuitsassembly.com), and one high-tech e-mail newsletter, PCB UPdate (www.pcbupdate.com). In addition, UPMG produces two annual conferences and trade shows for the printed circuit board design and manufacture industry—PCB Design Conference West (www.pcbwest.com) in the Silicon Valley area, and PCB Design Conference East (www.pcbeast.com) in the New England area. UPMG also hosts the PCB Design Conference Road Series (www.pcbshows.com) of courses in cities throughout the U.S.
Agilent Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) recently introduced its Versatest Series Model V5400. The system includes a dynamic algorithmic pattern generator (APG) and patented tester-per-site (TPS) architecture, which provide configuration flexibility and throughput improvement for wafer sort and final memory testing.
Compatible with the company's Versatest Series Model V4400, the Model V5400 overcomes the challenge of testing standard and stacked memory modules such as flash, DRAM and SRAM while offering up to 4,608 channels and 144 independent test sites. The increased performance and lower system costs helps reduce the overall cost of test for semiconductor contract manufacturers, fabless design houses and memory integrated device manufacturers.
The growing consumer demand for digital devices with added functionality and smaller footprints at lower prices has given rise to new test challenges. The devices require higher frequency test systems and the flexibility to test multiple types of memory such as flash and DRAM concurrently, while continuing to require a lower cost of test. Until now, memory manufacturers have purchased separate systems for testing the different kinds of memory embedded in handheld consumer devices. The system's single, scalable platform architecture will allow users to test standard memories, reduced pin-count devices, BIST-enabled devices and stacked memories at up to four times higher throughput compared to existing systems.
The TPS architecture allows each device under test (DUT) to receive its own set of tester resources. Dynamic APG can independently test up to four low-pin-count DUTs per site module. For complex tests or high pin count devices, dynamic APG can reallocate all site module resources toward testing a single DUT. Configurable solely through software, the dynamic APG enables the system to test a broad spectrum of devices without a change in tester hardware.
Complementing the flexibility of dynamic APG is the parallelism offered by the testhead. The system with 4608 I/O pins can asynchronously test up to 144 independent devices.
www.agilent.com/see/memorytest
UP Media Group and Circuits Assembly, the premier magazine serving the printed circuit board (PCB) and electronics assembly marketplace, today named Mike Buetow as editor-in-chief. He replaces Lisa Hamburg Bastin, who has resigned to take a position outside the industry. The appointment is effective July 16.
Buetow is currently editor-in-chief of Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture, a UP Media Group publication, for which he has overseen all editorial and production aspects for five years. He has more than 13 years of experience in the electronics industry, including six years at electronics trade association IPC, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. Buetow is very familiar with the surface-mount and electronics assembly industry, previously holding editorial positions at SMT Magazine. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois.
"Having begun my career covering the SMT industry, and having worked on standards on soldering and components, I feel like I'm coming home," stated Buetow. "I look forward to assuming the lead on the world's best magazine for electronics assembly."
Hamburg Bastin led Circuits Assembly for over six years as editor-in-chief. She leaves to become editor of the National Maritime Center's publications branch. The Arlington, VA, based NMC is a Coast Guard Headquarters field unit established to promote marine safety, environmental protection and security.
"Circuits Assembly is in a very strong position to capitalize on the currently improving electronics manufacturing landscape," stated Hamburg Bastin. "Our editorial mission has always been simple: to educate assemblers about current technologies and to prepare them for future changes in packages and assembly/attachment methods. With exciting changes on the horizon such as lead free, the continuing growth in outsourcing and the narrowing barrier between back-end semiconductor manufacturing and PCB assembly, Circuits Assembly will maintain its dedication to leading-edge, award-winning editorial under the helm of Mike Buetow. I leave the magazine in the very best of hands."
Andy Shaughnessy, currently associate editor at PCD&M, has been promoted to editor of that magazine effective July 16. Shaughnessy will be working closely with publisher Pete Waddell.
"It has been my pleasure and honor to work with Lisa for over 10 years," stated Waddell. "During that time I have been impressed by her talent, her dedication and growth. I know that she will succeed in her new position, and the industry will miss her.
"On the other hand, I have every confidence in Mike and Andy," continued Waddell. "They have both proven very skillful at taking the pulse of the markets we serve, not only reporting on these markets, but providing a leadership role as well. Our culture at UP Media Group has always been to promote from within when the situation presents itself and seems logical. With Mike assuming the helm of Circuits Assembly and Andy being promoted at PCD&M, we're putting that internal policy to the best of use."
About Circuits Assembly
Circuits Assembly is the premier, award-winning magazine exclusively serving the PCB and electronics assembly marketplace. It focuses on the entire assembly process and business, including surface-mount/mixed-technology; HDI/back-end semiconductor manufacturing; component placement; screen printing; soldering; rework; test/inspection; materials; process control; data management; advanced component packaging; emerging technologies, plus much more. Circuits Assembly and its email newsletter, www.pcbupdate.com, are free to qualified professionals. Visit www.circuitsassembly.com for more information.
About UP Media Group Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, UP Media Group (UPMG) is a privately held company that specializes in magazine publishing and trade show and conference production. UPMG currently publishes two high-tech magazines: Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture (www.pcdandm.com) and Circuits Assembly (www.circuitsassembly.com). In addition, UPMG produces two annual conferences and trade shows for the design and manufacture industry—PCB Design Conference West (www.pcbwest.com) in the Silicon Valley area, and PCB Design Conference East (www.pcbeast.com) in the New England area. UPMG also hosts the PCB Design Conference Road Series (www.pcbshows.com) of courses in cities throughout the U.S.
The CLM9000plus from ESSEMTEC (Glassboro, NJ) is based on a new software and hardware platform. The mechanical improvements include a complete new drive system which results in 20% placement speed increase, as well as improved accuracy and repeatability. Improved bearings result in longer lifetime and less wear. A newly available calibration set that includes glass plates and components allows customers to verify on-site the accuracy of the machine if needed for ISO9000 protocols.
The software is based on the Easyplacer plattform and includes new possibilities to run complete sets of boards or place single boards in multiple boards in any angle in the machine. Automatic height detection of the feeders is now integrated and the software includes an improved link to the management information system software that optimizes the production and keeps track of components and production data.
The integrated vision system from Cognex accurately locates fiducials marks, but also allows to placement beside micro ball grid arrays (BGAs), BGAs, fine pitch components and odd-shape components.
The bad mark sensing option excludes boards automatically from placement or dispensing. Free definable marks can be taught and verified. The new multi field of view option centers and inspects components up to 65 x 65 mm.
Up to 190 feeders with LED indication can be mounted and are now directly linked with ESSEMTEC's MIS system to load/reload components while the machine is placing. The machine can be equipped with a bar code-based set up control to eliminate possible set up errors.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
"Endicott Interconnect's printed circuit board (PCB), semiconductor packaging and complex electronic assembly business are all experiencing strong growth, and this additional expansion will position us to meet our customers' demands this year," said Jim Herard, marketing manager.
The capital package includes monies for equipment to produce PCBs greater than 28 in. long and additional lamination capacity for high performance materials. Other capacity increases for semiconductor packaging production and printed wiring board production are also included.
Also included in the package were funds for expansion and equipment for the production of complex electronic assemblies that will enter volume production later this year and additional funding for expansion in the precision machining area to be used for production of the SureScan explosive detection system announced previously by Endicott Interconnect.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Ultrasonic Systems Inc. (Haverhill, MA) has developed a new solution to apply no-clean, low solids flux for lead-free wave soldering. Nozzle-free Ultra-Spray technology with reciprocating motion enables the proper amount of flux to be applied uniformly and repeatably with complete through-hole penetration.
The higher operating temperatures of lead-free alloys require flux chemistries with stable activators, excellent wetting properties and minimal post wave residue. But flux chemistry alone cannot guarantee good soldering success. Precision fluxing technology is the solution. Too little flux can cause bridging and poor wetting. Poor through-hole penetration can result in insufficient solder joints. Too much flux can cause solder balls or leave harmful residues that are not removed in modern no-clean operations.
Visit the company's Web site to learn more about the lead-free spray fluxing solution.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI, Herndon, VA) has announced that Centor Software Corp. (Irvine, CA), Foxconn (Taiwan), MatrixOne (Westford, MA), Microsoft (Redmond, WA) and Speedline Technologies (Franklin, MA) are the latest companies to join the industry-led consortium.
"NEMI attracts organizations from across the supply chain, and this latest group of new member companies demonstrates our broad range of appeal," said Jim McElroy, executive director and chief executive officer of NEMI. "Our newest members include a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) (Microsoft), a major component module move service (CMMS) provider (Foxconn), two software solution providers (Centor and MatrixOne) and a capital equipment manufacturer (Speedline). Our methodology brings together diverse interests and fosters a collaborative environment that benefits the entire industry. These new participants further strengthen our membership base and improve our effectiveness in facilitating change as we address gaps in the global electronics manufacturing infrastructure."
Dan Camarda, vice president of marketing with Centor, said, "NEMI member firms face a wide range of challenges in dealing with environmental concerns, specifically RoHS transition issues such as materials declarations. Centor is pleased to have the opportunity of working in collaboration with NEMI firms in leveraging our experience to help drive industry-standard solutions for these challenges."
Centor Software Corp. provides business analytics applications for manufacturers focused on the end-of-life and customer use stages of a product's lifecycle. Its suite of applications helps decision makers reduce regulatory compliance costs and improve product quality, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction, lowering product lifecycle costs and reducing producer liabilities. Centor's customer base includes OEMs and supply chain companies in the automotive, electronics, electrical equipment and aerospace industries.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., with the registered trade name Foxconn, is an integrated global CMMS provider. The company specializes in components, modules, moves and services for computers, communications and consumer electronics. With subsidiaries and operations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, Foxconn is a manufacturer of PC connectors, motherboards and PC system integration..
MatrixOne Inc. delivers collaborative product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions. The flexible solutions unleash the creative power of global value chains to inspire innovations and speed them to market. The company's from the aerospace and defense, automotive, consumer products, high technology, life sciences, machinery and process industries include Agilent Technologies, General Electric, Honda, Johnson Controls, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, and Toshiba.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is a provider of software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft's Home and Entertainment Division products include Xbox game consoles and accessories and PC hardware such as keyboards, mice and other devices.
Speedline Technologies is a provider of single-source process knowledge, solutions and service to the printed circuit board assembly and semiconductor packaging industries. The company sells five brands: ACCEL microelectronics cleaning; CAMALOT dispensing systems; ELECTROVERT wave soldering, reflow soldering and cleaning equipment; MPM stencil and screen printing systems; and PROTECT global services, support and training solutions.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Assembly Technology Expo (ATExpo) will mark its 25th anniversary as the trade show kicks off on Sept. 28-30, 2004, in Rosemont, IL. The ATExpo conference opens one day earlier on Sept. 27.
The event features a showcase of assembly solutions, from advanced robotic systems to hand tools. Nearly 600 suppliers will display and demonstrate new products in more than fifty categories, for use in a range of manufacturing industries, including: automotive, electronics, industrial equipment, computers, household appliances, motors and generators, medical, telecommunications and aeronautics/aerospace.
The conference will offer ten free special events as part of the Free Educational Program. The program is highlighted by three entertaining and informative keynote presentations.
The opening keynote, "Made in America," will be presented by television star John Ratzenberger, the producer and host of the Travel Channel's John Ratzenberger's Made in
America series. On the second day, "A Tale of Two Rovers—Integrating, Testing and Operating the Mars Exploration Rovers," will be delivered by Christopher Salvo, Mission Manager, Mars Exploration Rover for NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratories. And on Sept. 30, Karl Eberle, vice president and general manager of Harley-Davidson's Kansas City assembly facility will share manufacturing successes in the revolutionary, "Relationship Driven Leadership, a Unique Manufacturing Environment."
The conference offers over 30 sessions organized into six tracks: Adhesives,
Automated Assembly, Lean Manufacturing, Manufacturing Management, Materials
Joining and Wire Processing. The organizations presenting conference sessions at the conference include: The Automated Imaging Association (AIA), APICS - the Educational Society for Resource Management, the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC), the Edison Welding Institute (EWI), the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the Wiring Harness Manufacturers Association (WHMA) and ASSEMBLY magazine. Sessions will focus on a variety of topics, including lean production, flexible assembly and robotics in assembly.
Three dedicated technology pavilions make it easier for attendees to locate the specific products and suppliers they want to see. The Electronics Manufacturing Pavilion features nearly 200 suppliers offering solutions for every phase of the electronics manufacturing process, from design, packaging and fabrication to assembly and test. The pavilion also features the EASi Line, a working assembly line that incorporates sample equipment from the areas of material handling and transport, stencil printing, component pick-and-place, reflow wave solder, visual and x-ray inspection, robotic point-to-point soldering, packaging, microcontroller programming, and factory modeling and simulation. This year's line will manufacture a Light Chaser game that visitors can take home.
The Robotics Pavilion, endorsed by the RIA and AIA, is the place to find industrial robotics, flexible automation, machine vision solutions and related technologies.
The Wire Harness Pavilion showcases wire-processing solutions. Endorsed by the Wire Harness Manufacturers Association, the pavilion features new products and services for electronic cable assemblies, cord sets, wiring harnesses and other products within the wire processing industry. The Wire Processing Assembly Line (WPAL) theme this year is, "Lean Sigma Technologies To Support Wire and Cable Processing."
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Cookson Group plc (London, UK), an international materials technology company, announced the appointment of Nick Salmon as Group Chief Executive.
Salmon has held leadership positions within major international organizations over many years. At Babcock International plc, the engineering services group, he was chief executive from 1993 to 1997. From 1997 to 2001, Salmon was executive vice president of ABB Alstom Power and president of Alstom's Energy Sector. From 2001 until March of this year, he was executive vice president of Alstom SA.
In May, Cookson announced that Stephen Howard intended to relinquish the role of group chief executive, after the identification and appointment of a successor. Howard will step down as on July 19, and will continue as an executive director until the end of the year.
The company also announced the appointment of Jan Pieter Oosterveld as a non-executive director, with immediate effect.
Oosterveld spent his career at Royal Philips Electronics. Until his retirement in March, he was a member of the Group Management Committee, CEO of Philips Asia Pacific, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LG.Philips LCD Seoul, South Korea and Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of LG.Philips Displays NV, Hong Kong.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Indium Corp. (Clinton, NY) has promoted Leo M. Devine to market development manager for wave solder products.
In this role, Devine will be responsible for the marketing of the company's fluxes, chemicals and alloys for through-hole circuit board assembly.
Devine has several years of industry experience. He will be based in the company's global headquarters in Clinton.
Indium is a supplier of electronics assembly materials including solder pastes, solder preforms, fluxes, lead-free solder alloys, underfill materials and die-attach materials.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
UP Media Group Inc. (Atlanta, GA) announced the final conference program and event schedule for PCB Design Conference East 2004—the premier East Coast conference and exhibition for printed circuit board engineering, design and manufacture professionals.
The ninth annual PCB East 2004 will be held at a new venue, the Radisson Hotel Manchester, in Manchester, NH, a location that's central to the New England technology corridor and a short distance from Canada's "Silicon Valley North."
PCB East 2004 features a theme that is extremely relevant and on target for today's PCB designers, engineers and managers: "Education For Your Most Pressing PCB Design Challenges, Including Lead-Free, Embedded Components, High Speed and PCB Design Fundamentals." In fact, more than a third of this year's 36 Professional Development and Technical Conference courses focus on the challenges posed by lead-free printed circuit board design/manufacture/assembly, embedded components and high-speed design.
Additionally, over 80% of this year's courses are new to PCB East, with the rest returning due to popular demand.
"When conference attendees participate in classroom discussions, show floor presentations, networking events and vendor-sponsored activities, they learn about PCB design/manufacture technologies and techniques that they can take back to their employer and share with their coworkers," said UPMG President Pete Waddell. "Participating in a terrific technical conference like PCB East is a win-win situation for everyone involved—our attendees, their companies, and our exhibitors."
PCB East 2004 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 terrific two-day exhibition of the industry's hottest products and services. The three-day technical conference (Oct. 5 - 7) includes 26 short courses—19 of them new to PCB Design Conference East.
Also offered: 10 Professional Development Certificate Program courses, including seven full-day tutorials and three two-day Design Excellence Curriculum courses for which attendees will receive certificates of completion.
The two-day exhibition begins Oct. 5 at 10 a.m.
Registration for the two-day exhibition and most special events is free.
Attitudes were upbeat at the annual SMTA/IMAPS Upper Midwest Industry Appreciation Day on June 2, 2004, as attendees and exhibitors looked to network with customers and gather sales leads during the small exhibition. The one-day event is designed to showcase surface-mount materials and services from adhesives to laser stencils to flip chip underfills.
Hosted at 3M (St. Paul, MN) headquarters for the third time, the show sold out, attracting more than 170 attendees and 55 exhibitors.
"Compared to a year ago, business is picking up and we're a lot more hopeful than we were last year at this show," said Richard Brooks, technical manager at Indium Corp. of America, supplier of electronics assembly materials.
Representatives from other companies—including JMW Enterprises and 3M—agree that business has been picking up.
"We were fortunate that we remained busy even during the downturn due to the nature of our business [selling pre-owned electronic assembly equipment]," said Brian Ebbinger, sales manager for JMW Enterprises. "Electronics manufacturing is booming across the board. We're anticipating that business will continue to increase throughout the year."
"Business in electronics has been very promising," said Greg Eick, market development manager for 3M Electronics Markets Materials Division, a supplier of adhesives, tapes, abrasives and specialty fluids and gases to electronics manufacturers. "We've seen double digit sales increases every quarter. With the help of great networking opportunities like this show, we continue to gather solid leads and meet our goals."
"This is our first year exhibiting and we're pleased with the number of quality leads we've received," said Cris Smith, national sales manager for Global Stencil, a supplier of surface-mount stencils, inspection templates and customized parts. "The return on investment at smaller shows like this more than covers the cost of attending. The show also provides a personable venue to meet with current and potential customers, which aligns directly with our philosophy of offering a high level of customer service."
www.3M.com/electronicmaterials
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
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