FEINFOCUS (Stamford, CT), a supplier of  x-ray inspection systems and tube technology, announces two  new additions to the application engineering staff: Dr. Guido Rademaker and Thomas Pukall. With the addition of Dr. Rademaker and Pukall, the company has substantially increased its applications staff.

Under the leadership of newly appointed director of technology development, Dr. Udo E. Frank, the application staff is responsible for identifying future market demands in the global electronics industry and tailoring an x-ray solution to fit each requirement.

The company also announced that Dr. Frank will be the keynote speaker for FEINFOCUS' global technical seminar series on x-ray inspection technology. The company is sponsoring this program in an effort to educate customers on the most recent advances in x-ray inspection technology.

www.feinfocus.com

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

The new Universal Instruments (Binghamton, NY) AdVantis AFC-42 placement machine is designed to reduce the cost of entry for manufacturers needing high mix capability, increased speed and greater accuracy. The machine leverages Universal's platform concept to deliver a low priced but scalable solution ideal for low-margin assembly applications. The machine also has a smaller footprint to occupy less shop floor space.

Like its predecessor, the new machine features a single-beam positioning system. However, it employs dual-drive lead screws as well as 1um linear encoders for accuracy close to that of the GSMxs linear motor based platform.

"All of the capability and functionality of high-end assembly has been transferred to the AFC-42, including high magnification cameras, flip chip algorithms, low force capability, heated spindles, fluxing, several feeder types and dispensing," said Richard Boulanger, vice president of the advanced semiconductor assembly division.

The company believes the placer will be attractive to high-mix and high-volume manufacturers whose markets demand the utmost cost-per-placement efficiency in order to sustain narrow margins.

www.uic.com

The National Physical Laboratory (www.npl.co.uk) has announced the launch of a new report, "Susceptibility of Glass-Reinforced Epoxy Laminate to Conductive Anodic Filamentation," written by Alan Brewin, Ling Zou and Christopher Hunt.

Conductive anodic filamentation (CAF) is a subsurface failure mode for woven glass-reinforced laminate (FR4) materials, in which a copper salt filament grows and results in a consequential electrical short between plated through hole walls or adjacent copper planes. In the study, FR4 laminates in the form of high PTH density multi-layer test circuits were exposed to different manufacturing conditions and studied for resistance to CAF initiation and growth.

CAF performance was assessed using high temperature and humidity conditions to promote failures, with a voltage applied across adjacent vias. By applying a range of voltages and via geometries, the basis for a performance map for laminates was obtained for use in materials comparison. The changes due to exposure of laminates to lead-free temperatures and other processing steps were then examined using the technique and a number of important recommendations were made to minimize the possibility of CAF initiation and growth.

All reports released by the Electronics Group at NPL can be searched and downloaded free from: www.npl.co.uk/ei/publications.

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

Sanmina-SCI Corp. (San Jose, CA), a global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company, and Agilent Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, CA), have announced a new technique for rapidly generating high-resolution, sub-surface 3-D scans of complex multilayer backplane and printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs).

Using Agilent's 5DX Series 5000 automated x-ray system, the new method verifies how well press-fit connectors with compliant pins are positioned within plated-through-hole (PTH) conduits. 

Featuring multilayer construction that can exceed 48 layers, Sanmina-SCI's backplanes deploy high-density, press-fit connectors into PTH conduits with diameters that often measure 0.022 in. and smaller.

Kent Dinkel, Agilent's Imaging marketing manager, Automated Test Group, said, "Our 5DX system was designed to be a powerful x-ray tester always looking for new problems to solve. We salute Sanmina-SCI for galvanizing an application that has enabled the industry's first sub-surface 3-D scans of complex backplanes in production environments." 

Dinkel also noted that press-fit connectors having compliant pins are becoming more widely used in a number of PCBA markets. 

Sanmina-SCI noted that when multiple component types, including surface-mount devices, populate a backplane or PCBA, the new inspection method can scan the entire backplane—both surface and sub-surface simultaneously—to check solder contacts of components as well as press-fit connector contact integrity.

www.sanmina-sci.com

www.agilent.com

GE Commercial Finance, Global Electronic Solutions (GES, San Diego, CA), an equipment lifecycle management supplier, has appointed Roger Innes as president and CEO. In this position, Innes will be responsible for overseeing and directing all of GES on a global basis and ensuring continued GES growth. Under his leadership, GES will continue to add staff worldwide and develop new products and services.

Previously, Innes was managing director of capital markets and business expansion for GES. Building upon his experience in the technology equipment leasing and finance industries, Innes will continue to promote GES' platform—equipment acquisition, optimization and disposition—to customers worldwide.

"Roger's 20+ years of technological experience in the equipment leasing and finance industries, coupled with being one of the founders of creating the platform for managing the lifecycle of semiconductor equipment, truly makes him the most appropriate person to continue growing GES on a global scale," said Paul Bossidy, CEO of GE Commercial Finance, Commercial Equipment Financing.

Innes was cofounder and president of Comdisco Electronics, whose portfolio was acquired by GE in April 2002. Prior to joining GES, Innes served in various leadership positions in both sales and general management with Comdisco, GE Capital and Equitable Life Leasing companies.

www.GEelectronicsweb.com

Recognizing the challenges facing electronics assemblers as they convert to lead-free processes, Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials (Jersey City, NJ) is launching the CE Analytics Lead-Free Process Capability Validation Program.

The program consists of two elements: a test kit containing Cookson's laminates, pad finishes, stencils, lead-free solder paste and cored wire combined with boards, lead-free components and set up software from Practical Components. The second element is a lead-free process capability report based on CE Analytics' analytical evaluation and process capability validation services conducted on finished assemblies tested to IPC and J-STD requirements. 

"We spoke with customers who were concerned about the time and cost associated with successfully transitioning to lead-free," said Tom Hunsinger, Cookson Electronics' product manager. "Their main concerns were reliably validating their lead-free process, and having a single source that offered all of the required materials and analytical services.  They wanted to make one call to get the complete package."

The kit contains the consumable materials needed to set up and run a lead-free surface-mount process. The test boards are then built and sent to CE Analytics where lead-free process capability assessment services are conducted. The output is a detailed laboratory analysis report with recommendations for process optimization.

Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials, a Cookson Electronics company, manufactures materials used in electronic assembly processes. CE Analytics is Cookson's resource for diagnostics solutions, analytical services and applications expertise. 

www.cooksonelectronics.com/no-lead

www.alphametals.com

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

Sanmina-SCI Corp. (San Jose, CA), a global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company, has entered into an agreement to acquire Pentex-Schweizer Circuits Ltd., a provider of printed circuit board fabrication. The acquisition includes operations in Wuxi, China and Singapore.

Under the agreement, Pentex-Schweizer shareholders will be entitled to elect to receive $0.2006 per share. The total transaction value, including consideration for shares and options, is approximately $78.8 million.

The transaction is subject to several conditions, including approval by Pentex-Schweizer shareholders and court approval of the transaction under Singapore law, and is expected to close in Sanmina-SCI's fiscal 2004 fourth quarter or in its first quarter of fiscal 2005.

In addition, Sanmina-SCI and Pentex-Schweizer Circuits Ltd. have entered into a transition manufacturing agreement under which Pentex-Schweizer will provide PCB fabrication services to Sanmina-SCI during the period prior to closing and under which the companies will undertake transition manufacturing activities.

The operations in Wuxi, China and Singapore comprise 470,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, with additional expansion capabilities in China of 450,000 sq. ft. These two operations complement Sanmina-SCI's PCB facility in Malaysia.

Jure Sola, chairman and chief executive officer of Sanmina-SCI, said, "For quite some time, we have been carefully evaluating a number of expansion opportunities in China.

Pentex-Schweizer Circuits Ltd., an efficient, well-run operation with a group of talented employees, will provide us with a solid foundation to support our customers' requirements in this region. We expect to capitalize on the company's ability to manufacture high quality boards by leveraging our vertical integration strategy.

www.sanmina-sci.com

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

Early recognition of errors is becoming increasingly important when inspecting assemblies. In addition to proven 2-D evaluation for offset, completeness and smearing, Viscom (Norcross, GA) now presents 3-D paste inspection as an auxiliary option for the familiar S3054QS QuickScan Inspection System. The 3-D option can be used particularly for critical components such as ball grid arrays (BGAs) and flip chips.

The inspection system is distinguished by it short programming times and high-speed error recognition for flexible production. The simple programming allows set-up operations for different products to be accomplished within a short time.

Beginning immediately, 3-D inspection is available for checking paste printing. For this application, Viscom implemented a light section method using a dual-line laser illumination to allow image recording. With the aid of this new, modular 3-D height sensor, a height resolution of 10mm is possible.

In addition to the error characteristics of missing paste, smearing and short circuits, the height of the past print, the volume and the topography can be measured and evaluated.

The 3-D option fits in the company's existing automatic optical instpection environment and is compatible with all known tools and auxiliary tools.

www.ViscomUSA.com

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

According to IPC (Northbrook, IL), the North American IMS/PCB Industry book-to-bill ratio for May 2004 remained steady at 1.11. 

The ratio is calculated by averaging the index numbers for orders booked over the past three months and dividing by the average index numbers for sales billed during the same period. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which indicates probable near-term growth.

Shipments increased 41.3% from May 2003 and orders booked increased 62.4%. Compared to last year, shipments of printed circuit boards are up 36.3% year-to-date, with bookings up 50.3%.

The shipment index was up 5.5% sequentially to 138.7 and the booking index was 168.8, up 23.8%.

The indices are calculated by setting the base year (1992) equal to 100 and then multiplying the monthly growth rates of the actual shipments and bookings by the corresponding index number. A shipment index number of 117.0, for example, indicates that shipments are 17% higher than average monthly shipments in 1992.

Based on "same store" data -- a measure of those companies that reported last year and this year -- PCB shipments grew 43.8% in May over last year, and orders jumped 67% year-on-year.

www.ipc.org

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

• To obtain sufficient information through inspection activities at vendor and licensee/applicant facilities to assure part authenticity.
• To ensure that vendors are complying with the applicable industry requirements.
• To inform industry/vendors of instances involving substandard, suspected counterfeit or fraudulently marketed vendor products and to gather and provide timely information to system users.
• To assure that counterfeit and fraudulently marketed products are traced to their source and that system users are informed and alerted of possible suspected parts.
• To inform private and federal agencies of appropriate matters involving substandard products.
• To assure that system users' programs and their subsidiaries, as applicable, have an effective system for reporting counterfeit and fraudulently marketed products.
• To provide technical assistance to system users for identifying counterfeit and fraudulently marketed products.

According to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune, business is looking up for maquiladora factories in Mexico. After surviving the loss of nearly 300,000 jobs nationwide, Mexico is reaping the benefits of U.S. economic recovery, with new and expanding manufacturing companies now seeking workers to fill 18,000 job openings.

The maquiladora program allows foreign manufacturers to ship components into Mexico duty-free for assembly and subsequent re-export. Industry established under the maquiladora program is Mexico's second largest source of foreign revenue (following oil exports).

According to the article, employers are increasing worker benefits and wages to fill the new demand for factory workers—with some companies even going door-to-door to find applicants.

Demand for engineers and technicians is especially high since many Mexican factories survived the economic downturn by turning to more sophisticated processes to manufacture advanced products in the electronics, automotive and medical industries.

The more sophisticated manufacturing activities mean higher salaries for qualified workers—with wages for engineers now reaching $20,000-$40,000 a year. Companies are struggling to find college graduates and other workers that they can educate for the newly available highly skilled positions.

While the electronics, automotive, aerospace and medical parts factories that seek the workers are unable to predict whether or how long the economic rebound will last, the companies understand the importance of recruiting and training workers now in the high-tech skills that are increasingly required.

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.

The Ultra 2800 DispensLink system from EFD (East Providence, RI) uses positive displacement technology to produce consistent, volumetric shots of epoxies, adhesives and many other assembly fluids—regardless of changes in fluid volume, viscosity or temperature.

The mechanical benchtop system operates on electricity and does not require the use of compressed air. It is ideal for applications that require precise metering of assembly fluids with changing viscosities, or where specific flow rates are necessary.

The patented technology uses a stepper motor and hydraulic cable to advance and retract a piston inside the fluid reservoir in precise increments. This results in consistent volumetric fluid deposits, without the need to adjust settings to compensate for changes in fluid characteristics.

EFD Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nordson Corp., a producer of precision dispensing equipment. Nordson and EFD systems apply adhesives, sealants and other assembly fluids to a range of consumer and industrial products during manufacturing operations.

www.efd-inc.com

Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.