News
Carpinteria, CA - NuSil Technology, a manufacturer of silicone-based materials, has opened its first technical support office in Asia.
The office, located in Penang, Malaysia, will specialize in optoelectronics and electronic packaging, served by the company’ s Lightspan products and its low-outgassing electronic packaging materials respectively.
T.Y. Lim is the application engineer heading the office.
According to a press release, the company has noticed recent growth in the Asian optoelectronics industry.
NEW YORK -- 2008 will be the year MEMS take off in cellphones as the technology's small size, flexibility, and performance advantages become big drawcards, ABI Research said today.
According to ABI, MEMS finds five major application areas in the cellphone: RF filters, adaptive tuning circuits, resonators and oscillators, audio microphones, accelerometers and motion sensors. The challenge is their cost compared to incumbent solutions, but as volumes pick up for MEMS components in these newer markets, there will be a concomitant decrease in cost, the research firm asserts.
MEMS technology for consumer markets has been discussed for at least 10 years, says principal analyst Alan Varghese. "The traditional challenges for MEMS related to the difficulty of reliably manufacturing components at high volumes, effective packaging techniques, long-term device reliability, technology cost and supply chain robustness, all of which had a damping effect on the industry. However the MEMS industry has been addressing these concerns, and innovative solutions are being offered in high volume markets such as mobile phones and consumer devices."
According to ABI, MEMS finds five major application areas in the cellphone: RF filters, adaptive tuning circuits, resonators and oscillators, audio microphones, accelerometers and motion sensors. The challenge is their cost compared to incumbent solutions, but as volumes pick up for MEMS components in these newer markets, there will be a concomitant decrease in cost, the research firm asserts.
MEMS technology for consumer markets has been discussed for at least 10 years, says principal analyst Alan Varghese. "The traditional challenges for MEMS related to the difficulty of reliably manufacturing components at high volumes, effective packaging techniques, long-term device reliability, technology cost and supply chain robustness, all of which had a damping effect on the industry. However the MEMS industry has been addressing these concerns, and innovative solutions are being offered in high volume markets such as mobile phones and consumer devices."
COPENHAGEN -- Lego, the maker of the ubiquitous
building blocks and other toys, will outsource most of its production to
Flextronics over the next three years, with the EMS
provider taking over some Lego plants. Other production will be moved to Flextronics’
plants in Eastern Europe and Mexico.
No financial terms were immediately disclosed.
The move breaks new ground for Flextronics. "It's not electronics, it's plastic molding," said Alexander Blanton, an analyst at Ingalls & Synder told TheStreet.com. "This is the first major piece of business that I have seen of that nature."
BANNOCKBURN, IL – After nearly 15 years and plenty of promise but few successes, the IPC today disbanded its Government Relations committee.
The committee has been a focal point for years, having acted as the trade group’s member liaison to its lobbying activities. It coordinated an annual industry lobbying day, and helped to raise the industry’s awareness – if not its influence – at the congressional level.
The committee has been a focal point for years, having acted as the trade group’s member liaison to its lobbying activities. It coordinated an annual industry lobbying day, and helped to raise the industry’s awareness – if not its influence – at the congressional level.
PALO ALTO, CA -- New analysis from Frost & Sullivan reveals that the worldwide SMT cleaning equipment market generated revenues of $34.3 million in 2005 and is likely to reach $55 million in 2012.
"Lead-free manufacturing has caused process changes in the SMT line that have placed more emphasis on cleaning," notes F&S industry manager Keith Robinson. "With more residue left on the assembly during lead- free manufacturing, industries that did not historically clean are likely to do so between 2006 and 2010, thus creating new market opportunities."
Pb-free manufacturing requires higher preheating and heating temperatures, causing changes in the flux that make it more difficult to clean. It also calls for an increased amount of flux, which leads to more residues on the assembly. Defects can occur in products if the assembly is not thoroughly cleaned, thus creating increased demand for SMT cleaning equipment.
Pb-free assemblies more difficult to clean, causing concerns among electronic assemblers about the feasibility of becoming Pb-free compliant in 2006. Moreover, cleaning Pb-free materials is highly demanding and places increased stress on the entire cleaning process.
"Some companies have been very proactive in educating customers on how to clean lead-free assemblies effectively," says Robinson. "SMT vendors will need to be very aggressive in addressing customers' needs in 2006, because this is a critical year for the SMT cleaning equipment market."
"Lead-free manufacturing has caused process changes in the SMT line that have placed more emphasis on cleaning," notes F&S industry manager Keith Robinson. "With more residue left on the assembly during lead- free manufacturing, industries that did not historically clean are likely to do so between 2006 and 2010, thus creating new market opportunities."
Pb-free manufacturing requires higher preheating and heating temperatures, causing changes in the flux that make it more difficult to clean. It also calls for an increased amount of flux, which leads to more residues on the assembly. Defects can occur in products if the assembly is not thoroughly cleaned, thus creating increased demand for SMT cleaning equipment.
Pb-free assemblies more difficult to clean, causing concerns among electronic assemblers about the feasibility of becoming Pb-free compliant in 2006. Moreover, cleaning Pb-free materials is highly demanding and places increased stress on the entire cleaning process.
"Some companies have been very proactive in educating customers on how to clean lead-free assemblies effectively," says Robinson. "SMT vendors will need to be very aggressive in addressing customers' needs in 2006, because this is a critical year for the SMT cleaning equipment market."
Apart from electronics manufacturing, the medical device, aerospace and defense industries are likely to increase their demand for SMT cleaning equipment. F&S predicts that these industries will be the primary markets for SMT cleaning equipment in North America and Western Europe. In China, the expanding space program is likely to provide new opportunities to equipment vendors.
Taunton, MA – Following its acquisition last year by HumiSeal’s parent company Chase Corp., Concoat Ltd. has changed its name to HumiSeal Europe Ltd.
The UK conformal coatings supplier has been manufacturing HumiSeal products for the European marketplace for over 25 years.
David Greenman, managing director, noted in a press release: “By operating in the USA and Europe under the same name, we make it crystal clear that we can offer a seamless transition between our manufacturing, sales and technical support services, with products that are tested and certified independently to military and automotive standards throughout the world.”
The UK conformal coatings supplier has been manufacturing HumiSeal products for the European marketplace for over 25 years.
David Greenman, managing director, noted in a press release: “By operating in the USA and Europe under the same name, we make it crystal clear that we can offer a seamless transition between our manufacturing, sales and technical support services, with products that are tested and certified independently to military and automotive standards throughout the world.”
Greenman is enthusiastic about the company’s prospects, and about its new identity: “We expect to grow between 5 and 10% this year. We are winning new projects all the time, in a broad range of industries. With our new identity, we can build on our excellent market position and good name, and grow our global business still further. Our new name truly makes us part of the HumiSeal family and opens the door completely for real, in-depth co-operation."
Press Releases
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- Pillarhouse USA Expands BarTron, Inc. Sales Territory into Indiana
- Mycronic appoints Peter Andries as General Manager of MRSI Systems and VP of Global Technologies Division
- The Test Connection, Inc. Becomes First Test Engineering Company in Space