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AIM has announce an international series of seminars entitled "Finally! Practical Guidelines for Achieving Successful Lead-Free Assembly." The series will kick off in the Pacific Northwest later this month and continue throughout 2004. The seminars will be led by AIM and guest speakers from multinational original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers such as Intel and RadiSys.
With the WEEE/RoHS Directives outlawing lead from electronics in the EU by July 2006 and foreign competition driving the implementation of lead-free electronics assembly around the world, manufacturers need to fully understand the steps to take to successfully transition to lead-free assembly.
To successfully achieve lead-free electronics assembly, each participant in the manufacturing process, from purchasing to engineering to maintenance to quality, must have a solid understanding of the changes required of them.
While there are many theoretical workshops on lead-free assembly, this seminar focuses on the practical considerations for achieving successful lead-free assembly at your factory. Each step of the manufacturing cycle is addressed, from purchasing parts to inspecting assembled boards. Solid advice, real world examples and helpful images of the means to overcome the many challenges of lead-free assembly are presented.
Upcoming seminar dates are: March 30 in Spokane, WA; March 31 in Seattle, WA; April 1 in Portland, OR; April 7 in St. Louis, MO.
To participate, contact David Suraski of AIM: (401) 463-5605; email: info@aimsolder.com.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Digi-Key Corp. announced that they have signed an agreement with Analog Devices Inc. (ADI, Norwood, MA) that allows Digi-Key to distribute ADI products in the Americas. The relationship will give ADI customers increased access to product, as well as provide them uninterrupted services and support systems through Digi-Key's distribution channel and real-time online service capabilities.
Digi-Key now stocks a full line of ADI's product offerings, including analog integrated circuits (ICs), digital signal processors (DSPs) and micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) products. These products are in stock and available for immediate shipment to customers in North, Central and South America.
"By combining ADI's strong brand name and product presence with Digi-Key's ability to reach our growing customer base, this relationship is mutually beneficial to both companies and respective customers," said Richard Begen, director of worldwide distribution, Analog Devices. "Digi-Key provides a choice for customers interested in purchasing ADI products through the catalog distribution channel, thus providing ADI greater reach in servicing its large customer base."
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA), a supplier of machine vision systems, announced that Palomar Technologies (Vista, CA), a manufacturer of automated, high-precision assembly systems for the electronics, automotive, aerospace and medical industries, has integrated Cognex's MVS-8000(R) machine vision system into its new Model 8000 thermosonic wire bonder.
Wirebonders are automated, high-speed machines used during the manufacture of semiconductor chips to attach semiconductor die to lead frames and other substrates. The Cognex vision systems will be used to guide and monitor the bonding process by automatically determining where the connections between the die and lead frame are to be made. Using Cognex machine vision, the Palomar bonder is able to place eight tightly spaced wires per second, with a repeatability of better than five microns.
"Palomar has relied on Cognex as our primary vision supplier for the past 15 years," said Bruce Hueners, vice president of marketing for Palomar Technologies. "We consider the engineering staff at Cognex to be an extension of our own and we capitalize on their name recognition and position in the industry to help promote our products. Cognex machine vision has been one of the important features that differentiates our product, and it provides our customers with a strategic competitive advantage."
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Kester (Des Plaines, IL) and Metcal (Menlo Park, CA) will present a three-part lead-free assembly seminar at the Advanced Manufacturing Expo at The International Center in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on March 24 and 25, 2004. Kester and Metcal will both be featured in the Innovations Stage, located on the show floor and in a seminar room adjacent to the show floor as part of the Flex Forum.
Lead-free Assembly - Part 1 is designed to assist electronics assembly manufacturers with a reliable and cost effective implementation of lead-free assembly operations. The seminar covers the main issues with lead-free soldering in surface-mount technology, wave soldering and its rework operations. It also offers technical and practical information on preventing process issues usually associated with lead-free soldering. Successful case studies are also discussed, showing solutions to issues typically encountered with lead-free assembly. The seminar will have speakers who will address specific issues such as rework, profiling and inspection. This part of the seminar is designed for process engineers who are or will be implementing lead-free assembly and its rework operations. It will be beneficial to line supervisors, group leaders and line operators wishing to understand these processes as to offer immediate and effective process solutions.
Lead-free Assembly - Part 2 is also designed to assist electronics assembly manufacturers with a reliable and cost effective implementation of lead-free assembly operations. Additionally, it covers the main issues with lead-free soldering in surface-mount technology, wave soldering and its rework operations. Hands-on demonstrations of the following will be available to attendees:
• thermal requirements for lead-free rework operations
• flux selection for lead-free hand assembly and rework
• maintaining production yields and reliability with lead-free rework.
Lead-free Assembly - Part 3 is part of the Flex Forum and will be presented in Seminar Room. The final part of the seminar details the "8 Steps to Lead-Free Assembly," in the implementation of a lead-free process. This seminar will be beneficial for those seeking to be in a position to implement lead-free soldering or in the process of drafting an implementation plan. For those who have or who are currently implementing a lead-free process, this seminar will help greatly in developing a solid understanding of the process variables. Monitoring of these variables will maintain excellent production yields and product reliability with lead-free operation. Topics covered include:
• lead-free alloy selection
• component and board finishes for reliable lead free
• selecting the flux chemistry for lead-free operations
• Optimizing lead-free surface-mount technology, wave and rework operations
• prevent soldering defects with lead free.
Assembly Canada is Canada's only tradeshow dedicated to the function of assembling discrete parts into finished products. Canadian High Technology Show (CHTS) is a forum for industry professionals to assess and compare the latest products and services for electronics manufacturing. These two events form the basis of Advanced Manufacturing Expo.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Foresite Inc. (Kokomo, IN)has recently earned ISO 9001:2000 certification, which assures its customers that the highest and most current quality standards are used. The certification is based on an audit by third party agency Quality Systems Registrars Inc (QSR) and indicates that Foresite has successfully revised its quality management systems to meet the updated criteria of ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System standards.
The assessment by QSR certifies Foresite as a provider of laboratory testing and consulting services for its Kokomo facility. The facility services the electronics manufacturing industry.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world's largest developer of standards. The non-governmental organization acts as a bridge to meet the needs of global businesses and societies. ISO's network includes 148 countries with a Central Secretariat in Switzerland that oversees the system. QSR is an international certification organization established in 1991, and located in Sterling, VA.
Foresite (formerly CSL Inc.) is a process consulting house and analytical laboratory dedicated to solving reliability issues for electronic assemblies. The company specializes in failure analysis, process qualification and investigative analysis.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
DEK (Flemington, NJ), a high accuracy, mass imaging solutions provider, has announced a new representative structure in support of its Canadian customer base. The expansion of DEK's Canadian presence aligns customers with DEK representatives who have specific expertise in capital equipment sales and consumables sales.
Representing DEK's line of capital equipment offerings will be Mektronix Systems Corp., a 15-year veteran in the electronics capital equipment market in Canada. With a specific focus on the equipment market, Mektronix can deliver superior customer service and technical knowledge to DEK equipment customers throughout Canada.
Mektronix will represent DEK's capital equipment line throughout Canada and can be reached via phone: (905) 791-9977 or email: sales@mektronix.com.
Focusing specifically on DEK's line of process support products, which includes tooling, stencils and consumables, will be Arbell International Corp.
"Arbell has done a great job representing DEK over the last 9 years," said Craig Brown, DEK vice-president and general manager. "They have tremendous expertise in the consumables market and we are confident that our customers will benefit greatly from their technical knowledge in this area."
Arbell will represent DEK Process Support Products in all of Canada. They can be contacted at (905) 332-7755.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Dow Corning Corp. (Midland, MI) has expanded its base of thermal management solutions for the electronics industry by introducing three new thermal interface materials (TIMs). Two of the new materials—TP-1600 film series and TP-2400 pad series—are the first fabricated TIMs to emerge from Dow Corning following its acquisition of Tyco Electronics' Raychem Power Materials Business Unit last year.
The thermally conductive films and pads help customers improve thermal dissipation in electronic components and assemblies and are designed for ease of use and process flexibility. Because they are pre-cured, the fabricated TIMs do not require special application tools, are re-workable and are available in a range of thicknesses. They are suited for electronics applications in the automotive, display, computer and power markets.
For similar heat management needs in high-powered CPU applications, the company has introduced TC-5021, a thermally conductive grease. As a wet-dispensed material, the grease enables customers to achieve thin bond lines and can be used in high-volume automated manufacturing environments.
Dow Corning's newest fabricated and wet-dispensed materials are part of the company's growth strategy in the TIMs market, which, according to electronics industry market research firm Prismark, is expected to more than double to $419 million by 2007, up from $170 million in 2002. The market expansion is driven by a growing need to control heat and electrical resistance in electronics devices. As these devices get smaller, faster and less expensive, electronics manufacturers need a broad selection of thermal management solutions to help them address a dynamic range of process needs.
www.dowcorning.com/electronics
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
The monthly order index compiled by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA, Arlington, VA) continued its upward movement in February, extending an industry comeback that began last fall. ECA's 12-month moving index is up nearly 10 points in the last six months after being flat for much of the first half of last year.
"All signs continue to be positive," said Bob Willis, ECA president. "One of the trends ECA watches is participation in upcoming industry events. These are the forums where the industry should be actively exchanging information and taking advantage of business opportunities."
ECA has a full slate of industry conferences coming up where it can gauge industry momentum, beginning with CARTS 2004, the passive component technology conference and exposition, in San Antonio, TX. Other events in the ECA line-up include the International Relay Conference (IRC), the Electronic Distribution Show (EDS), the Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), CARTS Europe and the International Wire and Cable Symposium (IWCS).
The ECA represents manufacturers and producers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and materials and support services. It is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), comprising more than 2,100 members that reportedly represent 80% of the $430 billion U.S. electronics industry.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Celestica Inc. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has completed its acquisition of Manufacturers' Services Limited (MSL, Concord, MA), a full-service global electronics manufacturing services and supply chain services company.
Pursuant to the merger agreement, in consideration for the acquisition, Celestica will issue to holders of MSL common stock and certain holders of MSL preferred stock approximately 14.3 million subordinate voting shares and will pay cash consideration to certain MSL preferred stock holders totaling approximately $50.6 million.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Agilent Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) has introduced a comprehensive purchasing approach for pre-owned test instruments. Agilent CertiPrime and Agilent Advantage Assurance are two programs that provide low-cost and low-risk options for purchasing pre-owned test equipment.
Bill Highstreet, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Financial Solutions Unit, said, "Previously, customers had to choose between purchasing new test equipment from Agilent or refurbished, as-is equipment of unknown quality from a third party. Now customers have multiple options to purchase high-quality, pre-owned Agilent test instruments with total confidence."
In the more comprehensive of the two programs, CertiPrime units are fully remanufactured by Agilent to Agilent standards. In addition, the equipment undergoes the same production-quality calibration as new units and it includes the latest compatible software and firmware updates. The instruments typically are demonstration and off-lease units less than three years old and represent the most popular models and configurations of Agilent's current test equipment.
The fully remanufactured products are ordered directly from Agilent and ship within five days of receipt of order. The products carry the same warranty as new instruments and the same 60-day return policy as new products. Free technical support is offered during the warranty period. The test equipment is expected to be available in volume starting in April 2004. Prices are reduced 30 to 50% from list prices.
The Advantage Assurance program consists of pre-owned instruments purchased through an approved channel partner. Instruments purchased through the program have been fully calibrated and come with one year of protection against all repair costs, along with one year of free technical support. The program is initially available through eBay.
Under the terms of the program, an eBay seller may ship a pre-owned instrument to Agilent, where it receives an initial evaluation and then is fully calibrated by Agilent technicians. Once Agilent determines the unit meets its specifications, the seller is allowed to post the unit for sale on the eBay Web site. At the end of the listing duration, the instrument is shipped directly from Agilent to the winning bidder within 24 hours. Buyers are fully insured against all repair costs for 12 months. Also, should the instrument require repair during the first 12 months, it will receive a free calibration to ensure it meets all published specifications.
The program is expected to be extended to additional U.S. channel partners by April 2004, and to channel partners in Europe and Asia Pacific later in 2004.
For more information, visit: www.agilent.com/find/used.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials (CEAM, Jersey City, NY) has introduced a new dulling flux technology, ALPHA EF-9301. The product is compatible with both tin/lead and lead-free processes and is designed to help manufacturers meet environmental regulations without sacrificing productivity.
Tested under real-world conditions, the flux was shown to deliver higher first pass yields, more throughputs and require less rework than competitors. It reduces bridging on connectors and bottom side components and provides superior hole filling. Additionally, it minimizes solderballing, significantly reducing board handling time. The flux creates smooth, fully dull solder joints, easing the visual inspection process. It is designed for both spray and foam applications, eliminating the need for investment in additional equipment.
CEAM has also announced the worldwide availability of ALPHA OM-338, an ultra fine lead-free solder paste. The no-clean solder paste is designed for a broad range of applications and is formulated to minimize the transition concerns from tin/lead to lead-free processes. It yields print capability performance across various board designs and is ideally suited for ultra fine feature and high throughput applications.
The paste provides voiding resistance and maximizes reflow yields across a range of thermal profiles. Full alloy coalescence can be achieved at circular dimensions as small as 0.25 mm. Use of the paste results in print consistency and rapid cycle times. It can be applied at print speeds of up to 200 mm/sec. The high performance of the solder paste increases plant efficiency, increases yield and reduces rework requirements. It meets the highest IPC voiding performance classification and is reliable, ensuring product longevity. The paste is halide-free and compatible with either nitrogen or air reflow processing.
CEAM has also introduced ALPHA Vaculoy SACX307 lead-free wave solder alloy, which will be available worldwide through Cookson's global distribution network. The alloy delivers high yield and fast throughput, while meeting the strict lead-free environmental mandates.
Its fast wetting speed delivers improved solderability, outperforming all Sn/Cu based alloys. It provides excellent drainage and minimizes bridging defects. The alloy creates strong, mechanically sound joints with long-term reliability. The solder minimizes dross generation, resulting in low process maintenance and reduced product waste.
The process window supports the use of a wide range of flux technologies.
CEAM, a Cookson Electronics company, develops, manufactures and sells materials used in the electronics assembly process. CEAM supplies a full line of solder paste, stencils, squeegee blades, stencil and printed circuit board (PCB) cleaners, bar solder, cored wire solder, wave soldering fluxes and surface-mount device adhesives.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
As attendance totals indicate, the first co-located IPC SMEMA Council's APEX/IPC Printed Circuits Expo/IPC Designers Summit exhibition and conference, held Feb. 24-26 in Anaheim, CA, proved to be a wise investment for the show's exhibitors. IPC (Northbrook, IL) announced today that the attendance increased 8% over last year, from a combined exhibition total of 5,300 in 2003 to 5,700 attendees this year. Additionally, the co-location increased traffic at both shows, with 60% of attendees indicating they would take part in the offerings of both the APEX and Expo events.
The three-day event attracted 10,200 total visitors (attendees and exhibitors) to the Anaheim Convention Center, which featured 480 companies covering more than 154,350 sq. ft. of exhibit space. The professional development courses welcomed nearly 1,300 participants and 1,100 people attended the technical conference. Also, this year's Interconnect Manufacturing Services (IMS) / Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Presidents Management and Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Management Council meetings continued to draw strong numbers, with a total of 105 senior level managers in attendance.
Wendy Stallman, corporate communications manager at Electro Scientific Industries, concurred with McGuirk, "The quality of attendance at this year's event shows that the market is turning around. It is refreshing to see that people are beginning to make purchases again for existing equipment and that they are beginning to embrace new process technologies, such as embedded passives."
Attendee Mark Basich, manufacturing manager at Rauland Borg, siad, "The show was highly informative this year. It was well organized and having the shows at the same time allowed us to reduce the amount of time and energy we spent in previous years to meet and greet others in the industry."
Next year's co-located show will take place Feb. 22-24, 2005 in the same location.
IPC also recognized this year's best U.S. and international papers at its co-located exhibition and conference. Each winning paper received a $1,000 honorarium and a commemorative plaque from IPC.
"Tin Whisker Growth—Substrate Effect Understanding CTE Mismatch and IMC Formation" received the Best U.S. Paper award. Cookson Electronics' Dr. Yun Zhang, Chonglun Fan, Dr. Chen Xu, Oscar Khaselev and Dr. Joseph Abys co-authored the winning paper.
In addition, IPC recognized the following papers as Honorable Mentions: "Mechanical Bending Technique for Determining CSP Design and Assembly Weaknesses," by Mark R. Larsen and Dr. Ian R. Harvey from the University of Utah, David Turner of Inovar, Inc., Brent Porter of Bourns Electronics and James Ortowski from EDO Ceramics; and "Design of Experiment in Micro-Via Thermal Fatigue Test," by Dr. Tse Eric Wong, Harold S. Fenger and Dr. Isaac C. Chen of Raytheon Electronic Systems.
The Martin L. Barton Best International Paper Award, named for former APEX Technical Conference Director Martin Barton, was awarded to "Phosphorus in Electroless Nickel Layers—Curse or Blessing." The paper was authored by Atotech Deutschland GmbH's Sven Lamprecht and Hans Jurgen Schreier, as well as Kuldip Johal and Hugh Roberts of Atotech USA.
IPC recognized "The Effect of Thermal Loaded Bend Test on the Solder Joint Reliability," co-authored by Yuanze University Taiwan's Dr. Yeongshu Chen, C.S. Wang and C.H. Chen, as well as Solectron Corp.'s Dr. Aichyun Shiah, with an Honorable Mention for this international paper.
Copies of the winning papers are included in the 2004 Technical Conference Proceedings. They will also be published in the IPC's Review, a monthly publication distributed to IPC members.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
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