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Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider Flextronics (Singapore) and Hughes Network Systems Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The DIRECTV Group Inc., have signed an agreement for Flextronics to acquire Hughes Network Systems' entire ownership stake of 55% in Hughes Software Systems (HSS, New Delhi, India), a provider of software products and services to telecom infrastructure companies.

HSS' shares trade in India on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange . The company reported revenue of approximately $80 million and net income of approximately $17 million in its fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. Revenues grew approximately 63% in fiscal 2004 and are expected to grow 25% in fiscal 2005.

HSS provides convergent software solutions for fixed and mobile networks for both voice and data. Its products and services span a variety of domains, such as optical networks, wireless networks, satellite networks, switching systems, convergent networks and broadband networks. HSS' product portfolio includes protocol stacks and value-added frameworks and are comprised of licensable technologies focused on voice over packets (VoP), SS7, broadband and wireless (GPRS/UMTS) products that provide customers with open architecture solutions.

By partnering with HSS, Flextronics is the first EMS provider to offer embedded and application software development for telecom infrastructure products and customers. Flextronics can now provide a complete outsourcing solution to telecom original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close no later than October 2004 with an approximate total purchase price of $226 million.

www.hssworld.com

www.flextronics.com

The SMART Group (High Wycombe, UK), a European technical trade association, has announced the program for their sixth biennial European Conference to be held Nov. 16-18, 2004. The event, located at the Old Ship Hotel in Brighton, UK, includes a table-top exhibition, 9 half-day workshops, a gala-dinner, an ask the experts lead-free questions session and additional one-hour seminars.

Mark Hutton of BPA Consulting and Phil Zarrow of ITM Consulting will present keynote speeches covering the future worldwide demand for electronic systems and components and the true cost of going lead-free. A special presentation after the gala dinner will cover the Challenges of Manufacturing Electronics for Space.

Technical workshop topics include: Troubleshooting your lead-free reflow process; Components in a lead-free world; Lead-free reliability; Lead-free: a million and one practical issues; What does lead-free mean for electronics reliability?; X-ray and optical inspection for lead-free assemblies; and Troubleshooting your lead-free wave soldering process.

For more information, email: info@smartgroup.org.

www.smartgroup.org

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.

www.alphametals.com

The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN) is again co-locating its annual conference, SMTA International, with the Assembly Tech Expo (ATExpo) show this fall at the in Rosemont, IL, on Sept. 26-20.

As emerging technologies help to stimulate the recovering economy, the SMTA has once again organized an Emerging Technologies Summit to address the latest trends in electronics manufacturing and assembly. The summit will consist of three paper sessions and a concluding panel discussion.

The first session, MEMS Technology Trends and Reliability, will feature papers on Qualification and Reliability for MEMS and IC Packages; Hybrid RF MEMS Circuit Packaging; and Methodology for Prognosis of Electronics and MEMS Packaging.

The next session, Emerging IC and 3-D Packaging, will feature papers on Camera Module Packaging Technology; Sub 100nm Silicon - The Impact of Next Generation IC Packaging; and Development of 3D-Redistribution and Balling Technologies for Fabrication of Vertical Power Devices.

The last session, New Materials and Processes, will feature papers on Injection-Molded Packages; Joining Technology with Low Melting Solders and Heat Resistant Adhesives; Jet Dispensing Underfills for Stacked Die Applications; and Low Cost Air Cavity Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) Packaging.

Moderated by Steve Greathouse of Intel Corp., the panel discussion will feature key industry participants who will respond to audience and moderator questions.

http://www.smta.org/smtai/symposium.cfm

Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials (Jersey City, NJ) is launching a new ALPHA Cored Wire product series using Cookson's manufacturing methods to create consistent flux cores, assuring repeatability with a Cpk rating of 1.826. Available in 10 tin-lead and lead-free alloys, the new cored wire complies with J-STD-004, IPC-SF 818 and ISO 12224 and is offered in the following ALPHA brands: SMT Plus, Reliacore 15, Telecore Plus, Cleanline 7000, Energized Plus and Pure Core.

Cookson Electronics developed a layer winding process that ensures consistent smooth pay-out for manual and automatic solder rework. In addition, special attention was paid to packaging the new core wire line. New color-coded spools make identification of the flux chemistry easy, and thick flanges help reduce the risk of wire damage during transit. New color-coded labels also assist with product identification by flux type and alloy, and shrink-wrapping of the spools keeps the wire shiny and clean in transit and during storage.

Cookson EAM, a Cookson Electronics company, supplies a full line of solder paste, stencils, squeegee blades, stencil and printed circuit board cleaners, bar solder, cored wire solder, wave soldering fluxes and surface-mount device adhesives.

www.alphametals.com

The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI, Herndon, VA), an industry-led consortium focused on strengthening the global electronics manufacturing supply chain, is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its electronics manufacturing roadmap with a special banquet the evening of June 22 at NEMI headquarters. Featured speakers are Mauro Walker, chairman emeritus of NEMI, speaking on the NEMI legacy, and Dr. Iwona Turlik, corporate vice president for Motorola and director of the company's Physical Realization Research Center, who will discuss innovation through nanotechnology.

Walker was instrumental in the organization of NEMI and served as the consortium's founding chairman. He retired from Motorola in 1998, where he was senior vice president and director of manufacturing. Walker has had a long career of accomplishment in the advancement of electronic manufacturing and manufacturing technology in industry, academia and professional societies. He has testified before the U.S. Congress on the topic of U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. He is a recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers' (IEEE's) Special Manufacturing Technology Award and the Society for Manufacturing Engineers' (SME's) Total Excellence in Electronic Manufacturing Award. Walker is an IEEE fellow and founder of the IEEE International Manufacturing Technology Symposium. He was instrumental in the formation of the MIT Leaders for Manufacturing program as well the Georgia Tech and University of Illinois Manufacturing Research Centers.

Turlik has worked in the electronics industry and academia for more than two decades. She has been with Motorola since 1994 and was previously director of Motorola's Corporate Manufacturing Research Center. Turlik received her M.S. degree in electrical engineering and her Ph.D. in technical science from the Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland, where she started her professional career as a tenured faculty member. She has worked with Bell Northern Research and MCNC and was a tenured professor with the Electrical Engineering Department, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She was named one of the 10 most influential people in the printed circuit board (PCB) industry by PC FAB magazine and ATOMIC29 (2001-2002), and is an IEEE fellow. Turlik is a member of the NEMI board of directors and serves on the advisory boards of several colleges and universities.

The first roadmap, published in December 1994, was spearheaded by Walker and Lance Glasser, then director of the Electronics Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). These two individuals helped organize the National Electronics Manufacturing Framework Committee to study the challenges facing the nation in electronics manufacturing and to develop technology roadmaps and policy options with which to address these challenges. The resulting roadmap was published by the American Electronics Association (now AeA) and the Electronic Industries Association (EIA, now the Electronic Industries Alliance). NEMI was incorporated the following year (1995), and the consortium has published a roadmap every other year since 1994.

The tenth anniversary banquet begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30. The roadmap workshop, which will review year-to-date progress on the 2004 NEMI Roadmap and solicit feedback and input from workshop participants, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 23.

For more information, visit: http://www.nemi.org/roadmapping/june_TWG.html.

www.nemi.org