News
Reptron Electronics Inc. (Tampa, FL), an electronics manufacturing services company, reported that its Second Amended Plan of Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Jan. 14, 2004. Reptron anticipates the effective date of this confirmation to occur on Jan. 26, 2004, which is about 90 days from the original filing date.
Under the confirmed plan of reorganization, the company's unsecured class of creditors that includes its existing convertible notes will receive new notes with a total principal amount of $30 million. The existing notes, along with all accrued and unpaid interest, will be cancelled. The unsecured class of creditors will also receive 95% of the common shares of the reorganized company. Existing common shareholders will receive the remaining 5% of the common shares of the reorganized company.
"The restructuring of our convertible notes is a key component in our strategic plan, which we believe positions the company to take advantage of future growth opportunities," said Paul J. Plante, Reptron's president and chief operating officer. "Once the restructuring is completed, Reptron will have reduced its debt load by over $70 million over the past 12 months. We are extremely pleased to have completed this restructuring in such a short time frame."
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
IPC (Northbrook, IL) and JEDEC, the Solid State Technology Association, have announced plans to further their efforts in preparing electronics manufacturers for the inevitable European ban on lead by co-sponsoring three international conferences on Lead-Free Electronic Components and Assemblies in the U.S., Europe and Asia in 2004.
Ever since the European Union agreed upon the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive, in which all affected electrical equipment sold in Europe after July 1, 2006, must be free of lead, IPC and JEDEC have taken an active role in keeping the industry informed of changing requirements and encouraging the voluntary elimination of lead. In their second year of jointly producing domestic and international conferences on lead-free electronics, IPC and JEDEC will host lead-free conferences on March 17-19, 2004, in San Jose, CA; in August 2004 in Singapore and Oct. 20-22, 2004, in Frankfurt, Germany.
Each international conference provides tutorials focusing on subjects such as manufacturing with lead-free, halogen-free and conductive adhesive materials, as well as various workshops that introduce lead-free solders and present selection criteria for lead-free compositions.
The associations will also select industry experts to present a two-day technical conference covering crucial lead-free topics. Presently, conference chairs Jean Hebeisen and David Bergman of IPC and John Kelly and Donna McEntire of JEDEC are seeking papers and presentations in the following areas:
Policy: European lead ban status
Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Industry: On the front line of the change
Component issues (passives and actives)
Design issues
Environmental health and safety effects and alternatives
Printed circuit board (PCB) issues
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/Consumer demands/voluntary elimination dates
Recycling options
Substitutions: New commercially available alloys/conductive adhesives/ease of replacement
Cost issues
Reliability evaluations (such as temperature cycling data, tin whiskers)
Roadblocks to implementation
Finishes issues: Organic solder protectants, immersion tin, silver, electroless nickel and palladium
Lead-free and other product sectors
For more information on the conferences or submitting abstracts, visit: www.jedec.org or www.ipc.org.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
The monthly order index compiled by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA, Arlington, VA) took its annual December dip, but the outlook remains positive for 2004.
"Based on previous years, we expected a December dip," said Bob Willis, ECA president. "The good news is that the December dollar value is up by more than 20% over 2002, and the 12-month moving average ended on an upward note. Our members believe that 2004 might be the first year of sustained growth since 2000."
Electronic components are the building blocks of most consumer goods and technology hardware, so the industry normally reflects the movement of the economy as a whole. This year, the outlook is good. Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for Global Insight, predicts that economic growth in 2004 will be the strongest since the bursting of the high-tech bubble in 2000, with the U.S. and Asian countries outside of Japan enjoying the fastest growth.
Behravesh said, "The beleaguered manufacturing sector will finally enjoy a year of strong, uninterrupted growth - barring any unforeseen shocks."
According to Willis, the ECA has scheduled a full slate of events and marketing opportunities that will help its members make the best of the industry's rebound.
"There is a lot of justifiable optimism, but companies need the resources to manage the intricacies of demand, raw materials, supply flow, distribution, inventory and other interrelated issues," said Willis. "We had prosperity a few years ago, but it went bust. We want our members to have access to the information and opportunities that will allow them to take advantage of the good and mitigate the bad."
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Professor Deborah Nightingale, PhD., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI) will present a keynote presentation, "Transforming the Lean Enterprise Value Stream," on May 6, 2004, as part of the NEPCON East/Electro and Assembly East event. The co-located manufacturing shows will take place May 5-6 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA.
The conference program will begin one day earlier on May 4. Combined, the three shows will provide Northeast manufacturers with a single source for cutting-edge manufacturing solutions at the board, component and final product assembly levels. In addition, attendees can see even more new products with the concurrent running of The Vision East Show featuring automated machine vision solutions.
"Lean Manufacturing is a very hot topic," said Kelvin Marsden-Kish, vice president of the NEPCON/Assembly family of events, produced by Reed Exhibitions. "To have a world-class educator such as MIT's Professor Nightingale share their knowledge will be very valuable for NEPCON East/Electro and Assembly East attendees."
In her address, Professor Nightingale will share the successes that the MIT LAI has experienced with its implementations of Lean. The presentation will focus on the need for contemporary networked enterprises transforming the entire value stream, including suppliers and partners. Dr. Nightingale will explain how applying lean principles to all life cycle, enabling and leadership processes will be required to achieve value for the total enterprise.
Nightingale is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Engineering Systems Division. She serves as the MIT lead on the Lean Enterprise research and product development team within the LAI. Prior to joining MIT in 1977 she worked for AlliedSignal Aerospace for 17 years, serving in executive leadership positions across the entire enterprises.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
IPC (Northbrook, IL) has announced the schedule for its second annual Sacramento Day, taking place Feb. 3-4, 2004, at the California Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Sacramento, CA.
Open to all companies in the electronic interconnection industry with operations in California, IPC and its California Circuits Association's (CCA) two-day event will assist businesses in lobbying the California Legislature to develop and pass a pro-growth, pro-manufacturing, fiscally responsible agenda for California's printed circuit board industry.
On the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 3, participants will kick off the event with dinner and a presentation by Richard Costigan, legislative secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Costigan will address the attendees on the Governor's recently released 2004 budget blueprint and present the keys to returning California to fiscal stability.
Fred Main, counsel, government and policy division of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips LLP, will commence Wednesday's activities with a primer on lobbying the California Legislature. Then, Dominic DiMare, vice president of government relations for the California Chamber of Commerce, will discuss the key business issues facing the legislature in 2004.
Next, the attendees will meet their Assembly Members and Senators to share crucial industry concerns, such as workers compensation reform and the creation of a pro-business environment to foster increased investment, innovation and jobs in California's high-tech manufacturing community.
After a morning of lobbying, the attendees will hear luncheon speaker Dan Walters, political columnist for the Sacramento Bee, discuss the historic recall effort, the election of Governor Schwarzenegger and its impact on the political environment in the Golden State. Following lunch, attendees will participate in afternoon lobbying visits before a wrap-up session to compare notes from the day.
For more information, visit www.calcircuits.org/sacday or contact Dick Crowe, CCA's executive director, (714) 343-6267.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
"As the U.S. encounters new global realities policy makers face a choice: we can compete in the international arena or we can retreat," said Craig Barrett, chief executive officer of Intel Corp. "America can only grow jobs and improve its competitiveness by choosing to compete globally, and that will require renewed focus on innovation, education and investment."
In a report issued today, the Computer Systems Policy Project said U.S. companies "must engage in business worldwide to capitalize on opportunities and respond to competitive challenges."
"Countries that resort to protectionism end up hampering innovation and crippling their industries, which leads to lower economic growth and ultimately higher unemployment," said CSPP in its report.
CSPP, whose members include Michael Dell, Carly Fiorina, Sam Palmisano, Joseph Tucci, Ed Zander and Barrett, among others, lobbied Congress for programs that promote technological innovation and improve education and training for American students and workers.
"As a nation we must renew our investment in competitiveness, just as businesses must do," said Fiorina, chairman and CEO of HP. "Today we're calling on our national leaders to partner with the private sector to develop a competitiveness agenda that maintains the processes and discipline that made the U.S. the leading technology exporter it is today."
Barrett said white-collar jobs in the U.S. are no longer a guarantee. "It had been assumed we had a lock on white-collar jobs and high-tech jobs. That is no longer the case."
Noting the disparity in federal subsidies for agriculture, which number the in the tens of billions of dollars, versus those for physical sciences--reportedly just $5 billion--Barrett said, "I can't understand why we continue to pour resources into the industries of the 19th century."
AMTECH Inc. (Branford, CT), a supplier of solder powders, pastes, fluxes and associated products used in electronic assemblies, has introduced NoVOC™, a water-based, no-clean liquid flux for use in wave soldering.
The low solids liquid flux contains no rosins, resins or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It improves solder joint reliability and reduces the risk of rework since it leaves no insulating residue on test pads or conductive pads. The no-clean formula eliminates the need for wash-up, since any residual flux residues are non-corrosive and halide-free.
The flux features low surface tension, for wetting prior to wave soldering double sided or multi-layer boards. It is ideal for board assemblies containing sensitive sliding switches or conductive carbon pads.
With water as the main ingredient, the flux is inherently more economical to manufacture than rosin-based fluxes. As a non-hazardous material, it easily transported and contains no irritants.
The flux is available in 1, 5 and 55 gallon containers. It can be applied by spraying or dipping and can be diluted when required by using deionized water.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Shoda Techtron Ltd. (Hamamatsu, Japan), a manufacturer of printed circuit scoring, beveling and shear/beveling systems, announced that it has entered into a sales and service agency agreement with Christopher Group Inc. (Santa Ana, CA) for distribution of their complete product range of products in the North American market.
Shoda has also announced the introduction of the ACS-1500NC III automatic laminate cutting saw, developed for materials to .002 inches in thickness, and the IT-700HA automatic printed circuit board (PCB) thickness measurement system. The system was developed to accurately measure thickness of PCBs for controlled impedance applications.
Shoda has installed over 1,500 systems worldwide, while Christopher provides distribution and engineering support focused on the North American market.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Universal Instruments (Binhamton, NY) has trimmed the footprint and increased the maximum board size for its high-speed placement platform. According to the company, the result is more flexibility in a smaller shop-floor space. The new 4797R HSP accepts up to 96 feeders with placement speed maintained at 48,000 cph.
The machine is capable of handling boards up to 610 mm (24 in.) x 460 mm (18 in.) within a footprint machine measuring 3,100 mm (122 in.) x 2,155 mm (84.8 in.). Three-sigma accuracy is 0.08 mm for MELFs and small chips and 0.05 mm for leaded components.
Accepting up to 72 components on standard 8 mm tape feeders, or 96 components with dual-track feeders, the machine has a minimum placement tact time of 0.075 seconds. Feeder axis tact time is 0.09 seconds or 0.08 seconds with the dual-track feeder.
Standard equipment includes 12 five-spindle, advanced direct-drive placement heads and Universal's software for offline programming. Available options include component library data teach, pattern program data teach, barcode validation system (BVS), traceability package, ball grid array (BGA)/ chip scale package (CSP) recognition, and GEM/SECS II.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
The Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association (ECA, Arlington, VA) has acquired CARTS, the conference and exposition for passive components.
CARTS USA 2004, the 24th Capacitor and Resistor Technology Symposium, will be held March 29-April 1 in San Antonio, TX. CARTS Europe will be held Oct. 18-21 in Nice, France.
ECA purchased CARTS from the Components Technology Institute (CTI). CTI will continue to manage CARTS during the next two years as ECA takes an increasingly more active role. ECA and CTI will establish a CARTS advisory board that will include officers from both organizations and senior-level executives from electronic component companies.
Leon Hamiter, the show's founder and CTI president, said, "ECA has the membership connections, the conference experience and the reputation within the worldwide resistor and capacitor community to ensure the health and vitality of CARTS into the future."
CARTS will benefit from ECA's extended reach into the electronics industry, according to James Kaplan, chairman of Cornell Dubilier and ECA industry vice president.
CARTS will join an ECA conference line-up that includes the International Relay Conference (IRC), the Electronic Distribution Show (EDS), the Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) and the International Wire and Cable Symposium (IWCS).
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
For the second year in a row, GSI Lumonics Inc. (Wilmington, MA) has been recognized by Samsung Electronics as one of its top 20 equipment suppliers. This recognition took the form of an award presented to GSI Lumonics at Samsung's supplier appreciation day last October in Vallejo, CA. Yoonwoo Lee, president and chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics' Device Solution Network, presented the award.
GSI Lumonics supplies Samsung with its M430 WaferRepairT system, used by Samsung to improve yield during the production of dynamic random access memory (DRAM). In addition, Samsung uses other semiconductor and electronics manufacturing equipment from GSI Lumonics, including marking systems and circuit trimming systems.
Nino Federico, vice president and general manager of GSI Lumonics' Systems Group, said, "We are proud to have been honored with this award from Samsung for the second year straight. The award reflects the continuing hard work of our worldwide product and support teams, and again illustrates GSI Lumonics' commitment to advancing technology and solutions in memory repair."
GSI Lumonics supplies precision motion control components, lasers and laser-based advanced manufacturing systems to the global medical, semiconductor, electronics and industrial markets.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
FocalSpot Inc. (San Diego, CA), a provider of inspection and rework/repair solutions and services, has announced the North American debut of a cost-effective solution for rework applications, Den-on Instruments RD-500SH. Designed for lead-free and standard solder, the system is a vision-based, semi-automated reflow, removal and placement rework station for all printed circuit assemblies, including connectors.
The station combines top and bottom heaters with advanced auto-profiling technology to efficiently heat and reflow rework applications from small PDAs and cell phones, to motherboards and multi-layered avionics back planes. The rework station is ideal for depot repair centers, prototype houses, electronic manufacturers, contract manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers.
The system uses a combination of dark IR and localized hot gas heating technology to deliver temperature and time profiles for even thick boards and high (>40 mm) input/output count area array packages. Rework profiles can easily be established and verified using auto-profiling software. A simple interface enables operators to remove and replace ball grid arrays (BGAs), chip-scale packages (CSP), lang grid arrays (LGAs), quad flat packs (QFPs), plastic leaded chip carriers (PLCCs), connectors and other surface-mount components. The software program and profile information is stored in a Windows XP-configured computer.
The standard station can handle boards up to 400 x 420 mm, but can accommodate larger and smaller boards using optional or custom board holders. Components are quickly aligned and positioned using a digital dual-vision imaging system that views the board and component simultaneously. The system comes with an ultra-quiet vacuum pump capable of running standard air or nitrogen gas.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
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