global smt & packaging may 2010 - european edition

The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and Advanced Packaging Professionals

Volume 10 Number 5 May 2010

ISSN 1474 - 0893

Global SMT &

Packaging Volume 10 Num

ber 5M

ay 2010

The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and Advanced Packaging Professionals

Volume 10 Number 5 May 2010

ISSN 1474 - 0893

Saeed Taheri Interview Inside

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

Drag solDering: how, when & why

zoom fixture technology for ate testing

Basic printeD BoarD repair anD rework for copper tracks anD paDs

Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – May 2010 – 1www.globalsmt.net

Contents

ContentsGlobal SMT & Packagingis distributed by controlled

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scriptions are available at a cost of £181.50 for the

current volume (twelve issues).

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

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No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information

contained in the text, illustrations or advertisements. The opinions expressed in the

articles are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

ISSN No. 1474-0893© Trafalgar Publications Ltd

Designed and Published byTrafalgar Publications Ltd,

Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Printed by Ovid Bell,Fulton, MO, USA.

Volume 10, No. 5

May 2010

European edition

2 Is China opening a gap in the reliability debate? Trevor Galbraith

TechNoloGy FocuS

12 Drag soldering: how, when & why Bob Doetzer, Circuit Technology Inc.

16 Zoom fixture technology for ATE testing Gary F. St.Onge, P.E., Everett Charles Technologies

SPecial FeaTureS

26 IPC APEX EXPO round-up: The lights are back on in Las Vegas30 Technology focus: The VISKO control system34 Interview—Saeed Taheri, Acculogic Ltd.36 Show preview: 2010 SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING

REGULAR COLUMNS

4 Basic printed board repair and rework for copper tracks and pads, part 1 Bob Willis

20 Tsunami growth waves followed by modest swell Walt Custer and Jon Custer-Topai

46 The growing reliability gap and some thoughts on how to bridge it Joe Fjelstad

Put your company on the cover. Visit cover.globalsmt.net for info.

34

6 Industry News40 New Products

50 Association News52 International Diary

12

OThER REGULAR FEATURES

16

2 – Global SMT & Packaging – Celebrating 10 Years – May 2010 www.globalsmt.net

Editorial

Trevor GalbraithEditor-in-Chief

Editorial OfficesEuropeGlobal SMT & PackagingTrafalgar Publications Ltd8 Talbot Hill RoadBournemouthDorset BH9 2JTUnited KingdomTel: +44 (1202) 388997E-mail: [email protected]: www.globalsmt.net

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Editor-in-ChiefTrevor GalbraithTel: +44 (0)20 8123 6704 (Europe)Tel: +1 (239) 784-7208 (US)E-mail: [email protected]

Managing EditorHeather LackeyTel: +1 (866) 948-7778E-mail: [email protected]

Circulation & SubscriptionsKelly Grimm Tel: +1 (866) 948-7779E-mail: [email protected]

AdvertisingGlobal SMT & Packaging offers effective print, web, email and video advertising opportunities. Contact your local sales rep today.

Americas—Derek Laborie (print & video)Tel: +1 (866) 948-5557Mobile: +1 (603) [email protected]

Sandy Daneau (digital)Tel: +1 (866) 948-7775 Cell: +1 (603)[email protected]

Europe—Andy KellardTel: +44 7766 [email protected]

Asia/Pacific— Debasish P. ChoudhuryTel: +91 120 [email protected]

Korea— Sang Hun OhTel: +82 -(0)10-6833 [email protected]

Asia— Carol [email protected]

My annual sojourn to APEX produced its usual array of scintillating new products and nuggets of industry information and gossip.

One statement that stayed in my mind and has bothered me ever since was from a presentation by David Wolff from PD Circuits. Dave is a PCB broker, although he doesn’t like being called that. The truth is, his service goes far beyond simple brokerage, with a large team of auditors who constantly inspect and monitor facili-ties in China, the United States and other countries.

David said that he was concerned about a notable drop in quality he had noticed between American manufacturers and their counterparts in China. When I questioned him on it later, he said the reason he thought this was happening was because when US manufacturers replace equipment, they do so one or two machines at a time. In China, they replace the entire line.

In a recent email, he elaborated, “The difference between US and Asian fab shops is this: The Asian fab shops are much newer and are armed with the newest and best equipment from around the world. Last week, I visited three new shops in China. They were built to run 3 mil trace and space technology with high yields from day one. The average shop in U.S. is over 20 years old. It was set up to originally run 6 or 8 mil trace and space. To get down to the new requirements of today’s PCB designs, they have had to upgrade their equipment and processes. This has usually been done one or two pieces of equipment or one part of the process at a time. This had made it much more difficult to get the consistent quality and high yields needed to compete in a global market.”

My curiosity then drove me to wonder

if the same problems applied to quality and yield in assembled boards. This view was confirmed by an American tier one/two contract manufacturer who said he also believed this fact to be true and confirmed that when they upgrade, they replace the entire line.

The debate about Chinese quality is a multi-faceted one. About 80% of all PCBs come out of Asia, and I hear many manu-facturers lamenting about excess moisture in the boards, causing warpage, delamina-tion and other problems further down the manufacturing process.

The counterfeit component industry was almost non-existent before our manu-facturing went offshore, and it is now a major industrial headache which has so far baffled our industry. It is a problem that has driven many to source almost exclu-sively from mainstream component brokers such as Digikey, Arrow and Avnet, because they have the resources to better audit and monitor their sources.

And, of course, no discussion about quality and reliability would be complete without lead-free. This is a Japanese born and European propagated disease that has left many consumers complaining that their cellphones, laptops and other hand-held devices don’t last longer than two to three years!

In conclusion, there is no single answer to improving your quality and reliability. Without doubt, replacing an entire line will help to improve your first pass yield using the latest technology, but unless you have strict control of your goods-inward and materials management, you are going to be stuck in the same old quandary of “rubbish in = rubbish out.”

—Trevor Galbraith.

Is China opening a gap in the reliability debate?

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Bob Willis

Basic printed board repair and rework for copper tracks and pads, part 1

With the ever expanding electronics industry and the further integration of designs comes the reduction in size. Tracks and gaps become smaller, consequently increasing possibility for breaks to occur within the circuit. The cost of the basic board and the labour which has gone into its production does mean that repair is always a viable concern. It becomes even more viable after the board has been populated with components. The cost in most cases is not the only consideration; at this stage it is the delay that can be the important factor.

The use of parallel gap welding is not new to the circuit industry. It has been used in some companies for many years. Today systems are available which can repair basic and populated boards, both multilayer and double-sided rigid and flexible circuits, without the repair being detectable. Gap welding is one of the only methods agreed upon by customers for inner layer repair. Unfortunately, the solder mask colour match makes the repair visible, as shown in Figure 1.

ProcessThe process of parallel gap welding requires a combination of heat, pressure and time to be brought together to weld the materi-als together. The process is in fact a fusion/braze weld where the interface material is heated by resistance to produce sufficient heat to melt a third metal, such as gold, which alloys to both materials to form a permanent bond.

The resistance weld/braze falls between both extremes and does require all three variables of heat, time and temperature to produce the required result. The electrode pressure is used to force the metals together and crack the oxide layer. Heat is generated by resistance of the weld materials to the flow of current. Depending on the time, this will melt the coating to form an alloyed joint. When the flow of current stops, the pressure is still applied during the rapid cooling phase, which is usually in milliseconds.

Parallel gap welding is a form of resistance welding where both electrodes are placed on top of the materials to be joined. Parallel gap welding is in fact a

series weld in which the spacing between the electrodes is usually less than 0.015-0.025”. In this way, a single weld is formed between the electrodes. The bulk of the electrodes and the repair materials act as a heat sink and limit fusion to approximately 75% of the electrode gap.

MaterialsCopper is the base material for circuitry on basic boards, and it is this material which is required to be repaired. The most common material used is gold-plated Kovar, usually 0.003”-0.005” thick. The gold plating stabilises the surface condition and reduces contact resistance. During the joining operation, it is the gold acting as the alloying material which helps to create the permanent repair.

One of the problems with the use of Kovar is the expense and the limited available sizes to suit the track patterns. Depending on the gold plate thickness, the base material can also cause poor soldering. An alternative is the use of copper foils with a tin/lead coating. This is very easy to form into the required size to suit all circuit



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patterns, and it will form an adequate repair. This form of repair medium can cause a problem in its consistency, due to the range of machine settings which will produce a solder joint but not form a permanent bond to stand up to wave soldering operations.

From my experience, a combination of copper foils can be chemically milled to form any shape and size, with and without pads. A gold flash of 0.0004” will produce a satisfactory repair which will stand any subsequent production operations, even immersion directly into solder in a solder float test.

The copper foils allow the circuit house to produce its own foils to specific requirement, very economically. The size and shape can be made to accommodate all the requirements of modern circuit designs. Having made and used many of these repair foils over the years, I can tell you that the biggest problem is keeping them flat!

SpecificationThe use of this method of repair has been long recognised by both the British/IEC Standards and IPC specifications in the USA. The method of inter-connection has been used and approved for assembly of flat packs on printed boards, this being one of its original uses. The current issue of IEC standards the old BS IEC6221, Part 21, relates to repair methods for printed boards, covers methods of repair by parallel gap welding in great detail. Full evaluations on the use of the repair methods with customer inspectorates has continued to confirm the quality and reliability. It is also covered in IPC standards and training ap-provals offered by IPC instructors.

With regard to quality, this form of rectification can be invisible when produced at board level and is the only method of repair which can be effectively used on track sizes below 0.010”, due to difficulties caused by the size and handling of conventional repair materials.

repair MethodThe precise repair sequence will vary with the type of boards being repaired. With multilayer boards where inner tracks are re-quired to be remade, the board will require routing through the surface epoxy down to the broken conductor. With conventional P.T.H. boards the solder resist will require removal.

After initial steps of board preparation, a normal sequence of operations for gap welding can be follows:

1. Check the electrodes by cleaning and checking they are level. These two actions can be done using a piece of silicon carbide paper of approximately 800 grits. Placing the paper under the electrodes with the heads down allows the paper to be drawn forward against the electrode faces. This cleans the tips and checks they are level. This is indicated by two parallel lines drawn on the paper.

2. For welded repairs using gold plated copper foils the area to be repaired must be clear of solder or tin/lead coating. If this is left in place a solder joint may be formed rather than the more durable welded repair. The tin/lead coating can be removed with a combination of a knife blade and glass fibre brush (Fitch Brush).

3. The correct size repair foil can then be selected with the required weld voltage, time and electrode gap. A representative test board should be used to check the settings prior to conducting the repair operation. The board can then also be used by quality staff as a sample for whatever evaluation may be required to confirm the satisfactory repair. In the case of a gap weld a dark line should be visible across the position of electrode contact. This visible aspect is an indication of a satisfactory weld.

4. To form the weld repair the repair strip is positioned on the track across the defect, ensuring that the foil is aligned with the base conductor. The electrodes are then lowered holding the foil in position, when the force is applied the voltage is triggered to form the weld. This operation is repeated on the other side of the repair area.

5. On completion of the repair the foil may be tinned using a soldering iron, making the completed repair virtually invisible. This is of course for outer tracks if coated with tin/lead.

Quality/inspectionThe quality of welded repairs are visible directly by visual examination for a weld trace. This is visible as a dark line across the repair foil which shows that the repair has been completed.

The quality of this type of repair can be confirmed on sample welds by microscopic examination of metallurgical cross sections. A simple test for satisfactory welds on test boards is to try to remove the foil by peeling it back after repair. If a satisfactory repair has been produced, either the base/repair foil will break or

both will be removed from the board. A satisfactory weld will exhibit joint strengths which exceed the printed circuit pattern adhesion.

The parallel welding operation, due to the heat generation, will loosen the epoxy bond between the copper foil and base fibre glass. This can be minimised by use of the weld duration settings. Minimal time will limit heat, thus preventing epoxy spread.

Excessive weld duration will be indicated by an excess of epoxy adhesive visible at the weld point. This should be minimised.

The following points should be considered during the quality control of this method of board repair:

1. Operators should be properly trained in the use of the equipment and methods of repair.

2. The repair foil should be the same size as the track under repair and both should be aligned.

3. The basic board should show no signs of voids around the weld. A limited sign of epoxy melting around the fillet is acceptable.

4. The board track or foil should not be reduced in width at the repair area.

5. Prior to tinning the repair area, a weld should be visible as a dark line across the foil.

Parallel gap welding as a repair method is very economical and reliable. The reduction of standard track sizes below 0.008” makes conventional repair method impractical.

A system purchased as an additional part of repair area equipment will be utilised and quickly show a return on capital expenditure. The quality level as a visual appearance will also improve from the conventional methods. The ease of operation will also show improved productivity.

Next month brings part two of this column, covering the actual methods for repair and replacement of copper pads on surface mount boards.

Bob Willis is a process engineer providing engineering support in conventional and surface

mount assembly processes.He runs production lines for suppliers at exhibitions and also

provides seminar and workshops world wide. Bob will be presenting Master Classes at SMT

Nurenberg in Germany for those engineers visiting the show. For further information on

how Bob may be able to support your staff contact him via his web site, bobwillis.co.uk


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Industry NewsIndustry News

NVr forecasts ic economic outlookIC revenue will grow at 18.8% in 2010, with unit growth at 18%, according to New Venture Research (formerly Electronic Trend Publications). This is considerably better than the 8.8% decline in revenue and 6.9% decline in units in 2009. According to Sandra Winkler, Senior Industry Analyst at NVR, DRAMs are anticipated to be the largest growth area for ICs, with 40% revenue growth in 2010. Numerous analog chips, including regulators & references, computer, communications, automotive, and industrial applications; special purpose logic chips including consumer, computer, communications, and automotive; flash, EEPROM, 32-bit MCU, and standard cell and PLD chips will all see revenue growth rates in excess of 15%.

Low interest rates, low oil prices, and the stimulus packages that were instituted around the world are all contributing to a stabilizing economy and upturn. Purchases were less than the replacement market in 2009, and pent-up demand is pulling the market in a positive direction. www.newventureresearch.com

Nordson DaGe promotes Keith Bryant to global sales director— x-ray productsNordson DAGE, a subsidiary of Nordson Corporation, promoted Keith Bryant to the position of global sales director, x-ray products.

Bryant will spearhead the international x-ray sales organization to further strengthen the market leading position of Nordson DAGE. Keith, with over 20 years experience in the electronics industry, is also chairman of the international SMART Group and has presented technical papers around the world. www.dage.com

etek europe opens new satellite office in Scotland

Etek Europe have opened a new satellite office in Scotland which will be the European centre for logistics, spare parts and marketing. The new premises are located in Ayr close to Glasgow Prestwick International Airport—a great location for all transport links. Etek have recently added PUREX International, the market leader in Fume Extraction to there already extensive list of products and are providing sales, spare parts and support to the UK market. www.etek-europe.com

Nordson aSyMTeK receives intel’s Preferred Quality Supplier awardNordson ASYMTEK has been recognized as one of 16 suppliers to receive Intel Corporation’s Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) award for their performance in 2009. Nordson ASYMTEK is recognized

for their significant contributions, providing Intel with dispense equipment, deemed essential to Intel’s success. The PQS award is part of Intel’s Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) program that encourages suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for PQS status, suppliers must score 80 percent on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and customer satisfaction goals. Suppliers must also achieve 80 percent or greater on a challenging improvement plan and demonstrate solid quality and business systems. www.nordsonasymtek.com

rehm Thermal Systems sign agreement with DPi SrlRehm Thermal Systems announced a new partnership agreement. DPI SRL, situated in Cassano d’ Adda, will now handle the distribution of Rehm’s Condenso condensation soldering systems in Italy. www.rehm-group.com

electrolube moving to bigger facilitiesElectrolube’s world headquarters and UK factory will be moving to new, larger premises. This is the third move that Electrolube, part of HK Wentworth Ltd, has made since its formation in 1956, when the company had a space of just 3,000 sq. ft. The new facility boasts 62,000 sq. ft. and is located in two state-of-the-art buildings in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. The move, which started in April, will take place progressively throughout the year from the existing site so disruption in development and manufacture is not affected. www.electrolube.com

european semiconductor industry leading indicator up in JanuaryThe leading indicator for semiconductor business activity in Europe, a forward-looking composite index that forecasts on the average five to six months ahead sales of chips, rose in January 2010. Following an increase of 1.5 percent in December 2009, the early bird of semiconductor sales in Europe increased by 1.3 percent to a reading of 183.3 in January 2010. The index is set to average 100 in 2000. Looking at the six-month growth rate of the leading indicator—which is used in

Mentor Graphics acquires ValorMentor Graphics Corporation completed its acquisition of Valor Computerized Systems, Ltd., for net consideration valued at about $50 million. Mentor paid approximately 5.6 million shares of Mentor stock and $32.5 million in cash. Immediately prior to closing, Valor had cash of approximately $29 million. Valor’s revenues for its last reported full year ending December 31, 2008 were approximately $40 million. Valor designs software for printed circuit board (PCB) design for manufacturing (DFM) and manufacturing execution (MES) systems targeting three key segments in the PCB manufacturing market: design of the physical layout of the PCB, fabrication of the bare PCB, and assembly of PCB components. With the acquisition of Valor, Mentor is now positioned as the only EDA supplier to provide the electronics industry with a PCB systems solution from concept through manufacturing. www.mentor.com, www.valor.com


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• Intelligent inspection system inspects virtually anything – Patented SAM™ technology inspects any component or surface – Detects both typical and unanticipated defects • SAM™ technology self teaches – NOT a simple image comparison software technology – Constantly learning technology – Does not have to be pre-programmed with defect images • High performance at high speed – Zero escapes with lowest false calls (<0.02%/200 ppm) – High speed pre- and post-reflow capabilities• Simple – saves time and cost – SAM™ technology eliminates complex algorithm selection – Only one moving part drives low maintenance cost

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Industry News

business cycle analysis for both signaling impending turning points in business activity and as a recession monitor—the semiconductor leading indicator rose 23.4 percent in January 2010, after an increase of 23.8 percent in December 2009. Consecutive negative values in the six-month growth rate predict an end to an economic expansion and the beginning of an upcoming recession. www.e-forecasting.com

c-Tech electronics orders Speedprint stencil printerC-Tech Electronics placed an order for a Speedprint stencil printer at the recent Southern Electronics Manufacturing Show, after testing their own PCBs and stencils on the machine at the Blackell Europlacer booth. A Worthing-based contract electronic manufacturer, C-Tech Electronics chose the Speedprint stencil printer as a part of a three-stage investment programme that has recently seen the addition of further surface mount placement capacity and a new reflow oven. www.europlacer.com

cynthia andersen Blank joins XyZTecBond test equipment supplier XYZTEC appointed Cynthia Andersen Blank as sales manager of the Americas, with responsibility for all sales and service support within the region. Cynthia has over ten years experience in the electronics industry, firstly with SIMCO and latter as national sales manager at Dage Precision Industries. www.xyztec.com

commsaudit takes board manufacture in-house with MyDaTa

A new-generation MY100LX pick-and-place machine from MYDATA has made it possible for Cheltenham-based CommsAudit, a major supplier of RF and digital systems and subsystems to the defence sector, to take all of its printed circuit manufacturing operations in house. As a result of this move, the company can now respond even faster to the requirements of its customers, while also

retaining total control over the quality of its products. To complement its MY100LX machine, CommsAudit also purchased MYDATA’s new MYCENTRE software, which runs on a PC and provides an intuitive and highly graphical interface for machine set up. www.mydata.com

New heads at MarTiN: change at the top of rework specialist

MARTIN GmbH has new management: Felix Frischkorn (left) is the new general manager and Franz Leitenstern (right) is the new sales manager. Felix Frischkorn has been the technical manager of ficonTEC GmbH in Bremen for over eight years. Franz Leitenstern has been working with finetech GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin for the last three years as regional sales manager. www.martin-smt.de

oeM semiconductor spend to rise 13 percent in 2010Semiconductor spending in 2010 among original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and electronic manufacturing service (EMS) providers will post double-digit increases, reversing the curtailment in spending from the two groups in the wake of the economic recession last year, according to iSuppli Corp. Among electronic equipment OEMs, spending in 2010 will rise to $177.9 billion, up 13 percent from $157.0 billion in 2009. iSuppli forecasts that the total spend by EMS providers in 2010 will amount to $37.7 billion, up 15.1 percent from $32.8 billion in 2009. The rise in spending among OEMs assumes the inclusion of all chips consumed by end products regardless of how the chips are purchased—including OEM direct purchases as well as procurement conducted through EMS or distributors. www.isuppli.com

Vi TechNoloGy inc. signs partnership with lewis & clarkVi TECHNOLOGY Inc. announced, the signature of a partnership with the American-based company Lewis & Clark, leader in selling and servicing SMT second hand equipments. On one end, Lewis & Clark is becoming Vi TECHNOLOGY

Licensed Service Partner for Americas and will be able to serve all Vi TECHNOLOGY AOI and SPI equipments from installation, basic operations to advanced support. On the other end, Vi TECHNOLOGY is integrating the unique Lewis & Clark experience of trading used equipment as new solution for customers. www.vitechnology.com, www.lewis-clark.com

cil purchases additional selective soldering machineCIL (Custom Interconnect Limited) continues to increase both its capacity and capability with on-going investment in new equipment, this time by purchasing a Handex selective soldering machine from Pillarhouse International. The new system will provide greater production throughput with the benefits of greater controls over positional accuracy and the benefit of dual solder pots. Selective soldering permits greater throughput with the benefits of process repeatability combined with providing the specific controls required for specialised components, such as heavy duty connectors and batteries and for soldering into ground planes. www.cil-uk.co.uk

New appointment drives Marantz’s expansion into solder paste inspectionMarantz Business Electronics appointed Jeremy Saise to the position of product manager, SPI. Jeremy brings 17 years of AOI industry experience to Marantz, including ten years specialising in solder paste inspection. The company recently introduced a revolutionary solder paste inspection system to complement its acclaimed iSpector and PowerSpector AOI product lines. Jeremy will provide process engineering expertise and direct point-of-sale support to customers for Marantz’s AOI and SPI product lines from his base in the UK. www.marantz.com/bus/eu

NePcoN china to relocate to Shanghai expo Venue in 2011To better serve the SMT and electronics manufacturing industries in China, Reed Exhibitions will hold NEPCON China 2011 at the Shanghai World Expo Venue (WEV) in 2011. NEPCON China is one of the largest surface mount technology and electronics manufacturing industry trade shows in China. www.nepconchina.com


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Drag soldering: how, when & why

BackgroundJust as the introduction of dual in-line packages (DIPs) in 1965 was a significant step in automation of the through-hole soldering process, so was the introduction of QFPs (Figure 1) to the surface mount technology (SMT) automated process.

During the initial SMT manufacturing process, solder paste is printed onto all the SMT lands of the printed circuit board (PCB), then the surface mount devices (SMDs), including QFPs are robotically placed on their corresponding land pat-terns. At this point, the entire assembly is processed through a reflow oven, resulting in a completely soldered assembly when it exits the oven.

One of the biggest yield detractors of any automated SMT process is the paste printing step. It has the largest amount of variables to control. Problems with the paste printing process can result in misalignment, skips, smear, slump, etc. As the lead count increased and the lead pitch decreased, QFPs became more problem-atic to process. Of course, this resulted in a greater need to rework QFPs after the initial manufacturing process.

There may be some cases where the device must be removed and replaced, and

other cases where the device only requires some portion of the leads to undergo some touch up.

QFP rework—hot airThere are many available hot air rework systems that can perform removal and replacement of QFPs (Figure 2). The difference in these systems is the level of automation and control. As the level of control on these systems increases, so does the cost. These systems do not have any capability to automate, touch up or rework solder connections; however, they are capable of removing and replacing devices.

At this point, it is important to add a note of caution. Handheld hot air guns (Figure 3) should never be used for QFP rework. Hot air guns have no control at all and completely rely on the techni-cian’s skill. While a skilled technician may become very proficient, they can become

Keywords: Drag Soldering, QFP, Rework, Hand Soldering

There is no doubt about it: automated machine processes are the most efficient methods for electronics assembly. That does not mean that there are not still occasions when hand soldering of individual components or assemblies is necessary. Hand soldering of electronic components, both through-hole and surface mount, has been going on for years and will continue for the foreseeable future. Some devices, like ball grid arrays (BGAs), defy traditional hand soldering methods, while others like quad flat packs (QFPs) require a great deal of skill and dexterity. High pin counts (greater than 100) and fine pitch (down to 0.015”) can present challenges for many experienced solder technicians. So what is the best way to handle these challenges?

This article clarifies the differences between methods of hand soldering QFPs and what to consider when selecting that method.

Bob Doetzer, Circuit Technology Inc., Holly Springs, NC, USA


Figure 1: Hot air gun

Figure 1. Top view of the corner of a QFP

Figure 2. Hot air rework station.

Figure 3: Hot air gun.



tired or distracted, which can lead to scrapped devices and assemblies due to thermal damage.

Some of these hot air systems can-not only mimic the reflow profile of the original process, but also robotically place and remove the devices. They will use some type of tooling to hold the assembly in place and then controlled hot air will be applied to the area until the solder connections are heated to their liquid state. Once the solder is in its liquid state, the device can be removed automatically by the system or manually by the techni-cian. This is, by far, the safest and most reliable method for device removal and, when available, should be the first choice for device removal. If removal is necessary and no hot air rework system is available, there are different contact tips available for manual device removal. Some of these may have an integral vacuum pick-up.

Once the device is removed, the land pattern has to be prepared for part place-ment. This preparation step typically is done manually; however, there are some automated and semi-automated scavenging systems that are available. Once the land patterns are prepared, a decision must be made for the method of solder deposit. There are two options for solder deposits for reflow: one is to selectively print or dispense solder paste on the lands, and the other method is to apply solder “bumps.” Neither of these methods of solder deposit provides the same level of control that was achieved by the original paste printing process. Now, the device has to be placed and reflowed.

QFP rework—point to pointPoint to point soldering is a manual soldering process in which individual solder connections are soldered or reworked one connection at a time (Figure 4). Obviously, when using this method to solder or rework QFP connections, progressively smaller soldering iron tips and wire solder diameters must be used as the lead pitch decreases. Since a technician will be soldering each connection individually, this allows the technician to adjust their heat bridge, dwell time and solder volume to suit the particular connection. This gives the technician significant discretion in regards to the rework process, but also reduces the uniformity and consistency of the solder connections. This process also is the most time consuming.

QFP rework—drag solderingDrag soldering is a manual soldering

process that uses a special soldering iron tip that may have a flat surface area or preferably a concave surface to hold molten solder. This “ball” of molten solder is then moved across the “feet” of the QFP leads, allowing the surface tension and natural wetting forces of the solder deposit the correct amount of solder on each lead (Figure 5). This is a similar process to

wave soldering only the assembly and the solder source are inverted. Instead of the assembly traversing the top of a wave of molten solder, the assembly is stationary and the solder source is passed across the leads. Thus, the drag soldering tip often is called a “mini wave” tip. Just as in the wave soldering process, drag soldering must be performed with external flux added to the

Figure 5: Drag soldering with a mini-wave tip.

Figure 4: Soldering of individual leads with the point to point method.



lead/land interface. Because drag soldering relies on the physics of the surface tension of the solder to form the solder connections, it results in very uniform and consistent solder volume and appearance. Typically, the quality of these solder joints will meet the requirements of IPC Class 3 inspection criteria.

QFP rework—pros and consSome hot air rework systems provide a great deal of control during the rework process. That same degree of control also may result in a somewhat lengthy process. They have almost no use for touch-up, only of QFP solder connections. With the complexity and lengthier times required to prepare, place and reflow the device, it generally is easier and faster to solder the device manually. There is no better method when a QFP has to be removed. Depending on the cleaning process used

after rework (no-clean, aqueous cleaning or manual solvent cleaning), the hot air rework method may prove to be necessary because it can more closely duplicate the original soldering process. Hot air removal also is preferred when the device must be recovered for future use because it is the least detrimental to the component body and leads.

Point to point rework and soldering of QFPs may be the best process if there is only a small quantity of leads that require rework (bridges, non-soldered connections and insufficient solder). If there is a large quantity of leads that need to be soldered or the entire device must be placed and soldered, then point to point soldering may take too long. When large quantities of leads are soldered point to point, it will be easier to see the variations in the solder volumes. The use of external liquid flux is highly recommended. This means that this will impact the selected cleaning method.

Drag soldering can be used for touch-up or for soldering an entire device. It is very fast and results in uniform solder connections. Even with this significant benefit, there remain some potential draw-backs to this method. Because the solder connection depends on the surface tension of the solder to provide consistent solder volumes, the volume typically cannot be adjusted. This may result in a problem trying to meet the IPC-A-610 Class 3 re-quirements for minimum heel fillet height (solder thickness plus lead thickness) on some lead/land configurations. There is a maximum amount of solder that will be deposited at each connection that is con-trolled by the geometries of the leads and lands (as well as lead placement and copla-narity). The other drawback is the fact that drag soldering cannot be accomplished

without the use of external liquid flux. As a matter of fact, greater quantities of flux typically result in greater ease of the drag soldering process and better results. This means that even when using low-residue fluxes, it is neces-sary to have a robust cleaning process after soldering to ensure that no flux residues remain on the assembly (Figure 6). Remember, low-residue flux is

not benign when not fully reacted and, therefore, must be properly cleaned.

QFP rework—the decision processWhen deciding which process to use when reworking a QFP (Figure 7), the first thing to determine is if the device has to be removed. Regardless of which soldering method is used, any time a QFP has to be removed it should be done with some type of hot air system. The control of these systems eliminates most of the risk of damage from the removal process. It then can be processed manually by point to point or drag soldering, or through the use of a hot air rework system. When only touch-up is required, one of the two manual methods should be selected. Generally, the quantity of leads to be reworked will determine whether point to point or drag soldering is used. Whenever contemplating drag soldering, always consider the effects on cleaning after rework and whether (when necessary) it can produce acceptable Class 3 results. If solder bridging is the problem, an empty “mini wave” tip can be used to remove the excess solder forming the bridge or even redistribute the solder forming the bridge across the remainder of the leads, eliminating the problem.

SummaryThe reason that so many different methods available for soldering and reworking QFPs is because not one method works in all circumstances. In most cases, drag soldering looks like a “silver bullet” for all QFP soldering needs and most of the time it is. This is why it pays to know the pros and cons before selecting the right process for your particular application. Proper technique and training are, as always, imperative for high quality, high yield and low cost.

Bob Doetzer, Circuit Technology Inc., may be contacted at 340 Raleigh St., Holly Springs,

NC 27540; 919-552-3434; E-mail: [email protected].

Figure 7: The decision process flow chart.

Figure 6: Cleaning after rework.


Title

SMT/HYBRID PACKAGING stand 7-531B


Zoom fixture technology for ATE testing

introductionThe spring test probe has been used for more than 30 years as the primary means for making electrical contact with boards under test during ATE testing. The Pogo, as it was first named has been a useful tool, but new technology boards with ultra-fine pitch and small test targets are testing and exceeding the physical limitations of this technology.

When first introduced, the probes were designed for use on a minimum pitch of 0.100". Over the years, these probes have been miniaturized, using the same design methodology, to also include 0.075" and 0.050" center probes. To alleviate the pitch problem, designs were modified slightly to allow use of these same probes on a finer pitch. This feature was achieved by eliminating the traditional receptacle, or outer barrel used to retain and seal the probe in place. Two such approaches are shown in Figure 1. This enhancement allowed the test center spacing limit to be lowered from 0.050” to 1 mm (0.0395”).

These new probes are working for ATE test, but are extremely expensive, require expensive kit hardware, and are very time consuming to wire. It appears the lower limit has been reached for this design methodology. Primarily due to the limited

spring force available and subsequent target penetration, it is doubtful smaller versions will still provide a robust and repeatable electrical contact.

The cost of the hardware and the labor for wiring these test fixtures has risen to an undesirable level and in some cases unacceptable levels. The additional plates and hardware required to support this technology adds to the cost and complexity. The sheer mass of wires used in a typical test fixture and the wire density add to manufacturing time. The wires are especially dense in the small area under the unit under test (UUT). Once fully wired, ECOs and ECNs are very difficult to perform.

Figures 2 and 3 show some common fixture applications used in manufacturing test and reveal the common situation. From these figures, it can be seen how cost, delivery time and access are negatively impacted by the density and wire mass.

Discussion of the new technologyThe introduction of newer ATE testers, which feature universal test point electronics, has allowed some exciting new opportunities for test fixture solutions. Test points on the UUT now can be assigned to the closest tester electronics. When the

x-y locations become a part of the test fixture and test program

process, the shortest possible

Keywords: Test, Ultra-Fine-Pitch, Small Test Targets, Universal Test Point Electronics, Zoom

This paper details a breakthrough technology for automatic test equipment (ATE) fixtures. These new fixtures address the current market needs for faster delivery times, lower cost and access to finer pitch and smaller test targets.

Gary F. St.Onge, P.E., Everett Charles Technologies, Clifton Park, New York, USA


Figure 1. Receptacle-less probes for 1 mm pitch (Ref. 1 & 2). Figure 2. Sample Gen Rad test fixture.

Figure 3. Dense wire wrap (Ref. 3).



connection between the tester electronics and the test target can be achieved. Many opportunities for improvements arise because of this new flexibility in tester electronics, even the potential for eliminating all wires from the fixture. And in the case of ATE test, a completely new fixturing approach can be used.

Figure 4 depicts the cross section of this new fixture technology called Zoom (patent #5,818,248 and patents pending). There are a few

key elements to note: first, the fixture does not contain any spring test probes for making contact

with the UUT. Rather, there are pins that tilt to make contact with the UUT and the tester electronics. The spring force is supplied by the probes

in the tester interface or an adapter that sits on the tester interface. Now, higher spring forces can be utilized on a very fine pitch, eliminating the previously discussed problems with miniature probes.

The tilt pin fixture approach, while new to fully populated printed

circuit board (PCB) testing, has been used on bare board test fixtures for many years. So it is a time-proven technology for making electrical contact. The simplicity of the fixture design is apparent in Figure 4. The complexity of this approach is involved in determining the geometry of the pins and location of the plate holes. This is addressed with custom software.

The savings achieved with this fixture approach come from the elimination of many expensive hardware items. The most expensive are the spring probes in the fixture. And, as noted earlier, the only spring probes are in the interface, and they are used for every fixture. These probes will supply adequate spring force for making reliable electrical contact and they have long probe life, unlike the fragile probes used for 50 mil and 1 mm pitch today. Also, all probes in the interface are the same head style and spring force, so there is no reason to maintain a huge spring probe inventory, supporting various center spacings, head styles and spring forces. The fixture tilt pins are inexpensive and reusable.

The tilt pins are smaller in diameter than a probe assembly, so they can test on a finer pitch. Instead of the current 1

Figure 4. Zoom fixture cross section (patent #5,818,248 and patents pending).

Figure 5. Multiple resources added to a single test pin (patent #5,818,248 and patents pending).

Figure 6. Top view of pin tilting to make connections.



mm limitation, the tilt pins have proven to be reliable down to 0.5 mm (0.020") center test targets. The accuracy of the straight pin also is superior to their spring probe counterparts. Unlike the spring probe assemblies that must have internal clearances to prevent binding, while still maintaining an electrical connection, the straight pin is maintained in position by precisely drilled holes. As such, the Zoom tilt pin fixture can reliably contact test targets as small as 0.015" diameter.

In addition to the accuracy and fine-pitch capability improvement, cost is reduced dramatically. The cost reduction is achieved through the use of lower cost hardware, fewer materials and much lower labor content. In most cases there is little or no wiring of the Zoom fixture. Wired points are only necessary when two or more tester resources must be connected to a single test point, such as in a 4-wire measurement, or when the necessary resource is too far away. An example showing how multiple resources are added to a single test pin is shown in Figure 5. Note that the added wires are located

between plates. Finally, due to the large reductions

in manufacturing time, assembly time and wiring time, the delivery cycle is dramatically reduced. In so doing, fixtures that used to take two to three weeks to build, now can take two to four days. This fixture solution is especially ideal for analog-only testing where quick turns and low cost are required.

The effective “wire lengths” now become the length of the pin, about 3". And all of the issues with crossing wires such as crosstalk are virtually eliminated. All electrical connections are the same length, as noted: about 3" rather than the feet of wire that may be used in a standard ATE fixture. So there is now uniformity in the length of the signal path.

What once seemed to be a dense mass of wires now looks like numerous small jumper wires. Custom software quickly determines the appropriate connections and the manufacturing of the plate stack. The software also addresses contact angle issues and tilts the pins appropriately to avoid any side-load issues that could be

created by the pins. To highlight the extreme difference

in the technologies, the fixture shown in Figure 4 was redesigned to use the Zoom technology. A top-down view of the results of the Zoom connections are depicted in Figure 6. It can be seen that the tilted pins do not travel very far in the “x” or “y” direction to connect to their intended resource. From this plan view, the connections appear to be an uncluttered series of short jumpers.

Data & resultsThe Zoom fixture technology is only applicable on testers that have universal test point electronics, sometimes referred to as un-multiplexed. They are the best choice when quick delivery, close center spacing and low costs are essential. Table 1 can be used as a reference and as a comparison of key parameters of the two fixture technologies.

conclusion & summaryThe Zoom technology offers a migration path for ATE testing of PCB assemblies in the future. By allowing the accessing of smaller targets, on finer pitches, using a less expensive fixture solution, this test strategy remains a long range solution for testing current and future assemblies. These fixtures address and meet the market demands for “faster, cheaper, and smaller.” Additionally, they allow the current test strategies of ATE to remain a viable test tool for the foreseeable future.

The main hurdle for many users will be transitioning to the necessary tester hardware that allows this solution to be used. But the cost reductions allowed by this new fixture technology will help reduce overall test cost significantly, and so the investment in the necessary capital equipment will be offset by a quick return on the investment.

*By building the adapter into the zoom fixture itself, any tester can be utilized

references1. 1. QA Technology Company, Inc., QA

Catalog 2009, Page 1052. 2. IDI, Focal Probes, http://www.

idinet.com/Technical/focalProbe.aspx3. 3. QA Technology Company, Inc., QA

Catalog 2009, Page 107

Gary St.Onge has been in the electronics test industry since 1977, working for companies

such as Fault Finders, Fairchild, Schlumberger and Everett Charles Technologies. Gary holds

ten US patents related to ATE, has BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering, and is a

licensed professional engineer in New York State.

Measure Standard fixture technology Zoom fixture technology

Smallest center spacing 1 mm (0.0395") pitch 0.5 mm (0.020") pitch

Smallest test target 0.024" 0.015"

Delivery time 2-3 weeks 2-4 days

Fixture cost Average $8-$10/point Average $2-$3/point

Tester type Any tester Only un-multiplexed testers*

Table 1. Comparison of key parameters.

Figure 7. Fixture with top plate removed.


Addressing package advancement challenges with innovative contactor probe technology

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ALPHA® solder paste consistently met their needs in 2009.Challenge us to meet yours in 2010.

For information about ALPHA solder paste, go towww.alphasolderpaste.com.

Worldwide/Americas Headquarters • 109 Corporate Boulevard • South Plainfield, NJ 07080 • USA • +1-800-367-5460 • www.alpha.cooksonelectronics.comEuropean Headquarters • Forsyth Road • Sheerwater • Woking GU215RZ • United Kingdom • +44-1483-758-400Asia-Pacific Headquarters • 1/F, Block A • 21 Tung Yuen Street • Yau Tong Bay • Kowloon, Hong Kong • +852-3190-3100© 2010 Cookson Electronics

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Globally the current electronics industry business cycle is approaching its peak growth rate (Chart 1). Certainly our industry is far from “recovered,” but relative to 1Q’09’s recession-driven chasm, 2010 growth is now near its high point.

Electronic equipment sales increased over 20% worldwide in 1Q’10 vs. 1Q’09 (Chart 2). In this same first quarter world semiconductor shipments rose over 50% and printed circuit boards grew 36%. Whopping first quarter growth rates!

SE Asia (Chart 3) is driving the current electronics end market recovery. The USA (Chart 4) is up slightly while Europe (Chart 5) and Japan (Chart 6) still have a way to go.

Regional semiconductor (Chart 7) and printed circuit board (Chart 8) shipments tell a similar story—SE Asia is driving the recovery.

A strong rebound in personal computer purchases by both businesses and consumers (Chart 9) is just one reason for continued optimism. Per

Chart 10 electronic equipment growth looks solid in all regions through at least 2012. Key challenges will be material and labor cost increases, material and component shortages and proper inventory management.

2010 should be an interesting year! This current “growth” wave is impressive.

end marketsComputers:• Global PC shipments are projected

to total 366.1 million units in 2010.—Gartner

• Global PC market is expected to grow 12.6% y/y to 333.2 units in 2010.—IDC

• HPC (high performance computing) server market declined 11.6% to $8.6 billion in 2009. It is projected to return to growth in 2010.—IDC

Storage:• Global external disk storage revenue

fell 0.7% y/y to $5.29 billion in 4Q’09.—IDC

• Hard disk drive shipments increased

8% q/q to 49.9 million in 4Q09.—iSuppli

Consumer:• Consumer electronics market is

expected to grow from $375 billion in 2009 to $406 Billion in 2010.—IMS Research

• Worldwide TV market will reach 228 million units in 2010.—DisplaySearch

• LCD TV shipment will increase 32% y/y to 180 M. Units in 2010.—DisplaySearch

• Worldwide set-top box shipments will grow 11.5% y/y to 147.8 million in 2010.—iSuppli

• Video game hardware sales fell 20% to $426.4 million in February.—NPD Group

• Worldwide e-book reader forecast expects shipments to grow from 700k in 2008 to 28 million by 2013.—Digitimes Research

Peripherals:• EMEA-market for printer, copier &

multifunctional product shipments fell 17.8% to 39.6 million units in 2009.—

Walt Custer and Jon Custer-Topai

Tsunami growth waves followed by modest swell

Chart 1. Chart 2.

World Electronic Equipment, PCB & Semiconductor Shipments

Converted @ Constant 2008 Exchange Rates

3 6 912 3 6 9123 6 9 123 6 9 123 6 912 3 6 912 3 6 912 3 6 912 3 6 9123 6 9 12300 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

CALENDAR YEAR

0.5

0.7

0.9

1.1

1.3

1.5

3/12 rate of change

PCB "0" Growth SIA El Equip

Source: Custer Consulting Group

20100411

Global Equipment RevenuesQuarterly Growth

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 101 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

0

10

20

30

-10

-20

% Growth (quarter vs same quarter in prior year)

20100418

Custer Consulting Group: World Electronic Equipment Model

Estimated fromJan & Feb 2010 growth +Taiwan/China 3/10




Gartner• Worldwide LCD monitor shipments

grew 3.8% y/y to 176.5 million units in 2009.—iSuppli

• Worldwide hardcopy peripheral shipments grew 3.6% y/y to 34 million units in 4Q’09.—IDC

Mobile:• Femtocell base station shipments

should grow from 571,000 units in 2009 to 1.9 million in 2010.—iSuppli

• Worldwide touchscreen mobile device market to increase 96.8% y/y to 362.7 million units in 2010.—Gartner

World’s industrial/medical electronics market revenues are expected to grow by 11% y/y to $560 billion in 2010.—SemicastChina:• Mobile phone usage grew to over 756

million users in January 2010.—MIIT• Handset production reached 619

million units in 2009, increasing 10.7% from a year earlier.—Sina.com

• New-vehicle sales increased 46.3%

to 1.21 million units in February.—China Association of Automobile Manufacturers

• New-car sales are expected to reach 15mn units in 2010.—China Association of Automobile Manufacturers

• 25-26 million LCD TVs sold in 2009.• TV shipments should rise 11% to 41.3

million units in 2010.—iSuppli

eMS, oDM & related assembly activitiesBESTProto received ISO 9001:2008 certification.Cal-Comp Electronics:• Acquired a 53.08% equity interest in

Avaplas from Arrk Corporation.• Will establish a set-top-box

manufacturing plant in Europe.Celestica closed its Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, facility.CirTran sold its electronics contract manufacturing business to Katana

Electronics.CommsAudit added a MYDATA MY100LX pick-and-place machine and took board manufacturing in-house.Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) closed and consolidated one of its two production facilities in Liberec, Czech Republic.Compal expects personnel costs in China to increase 8-10% this year due to labor shortages.Creation Technologies named Andy Hyatt as new executive VP—business development. Congratulations Andy!C-Tech Electronics added a Speedprint stencil printer and Vantage ERF series reflow oven.Dell delayed its Winston-Salem assembly plant closing for third time.Efore appointed Vesa Vähämöttönen president and CEO.Elcoteq:• appointed Jari Hakkarainen director,

group legal affairs.

Taiwan/China Electronic Equipment ProducersComposite of 101 Manufacturers

1 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 302 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

CALENDAR YEAR

0

100

200

300

400

500

600NT$ (billions)

20100411

Taiwan listed companies, often with significant manufacturing in China

2009/2008 up 3%

US Electronic Equipment Orders & ShipmentsCommunications, Computer, Military, Instruments

http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/

1 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 710198 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

CALENDAR YEAR

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34$B (Monthly Orders - Seasonally Adjusted)

OrdersShipments

20100331

Chart 3. Chart 4.

European Computer, Electronic & Optical products Production

Eurostat, C26 category, EU 27 countries

1 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 7101 4 710198 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

CALENDAR YEAR

80

90

100

110

120

130Index (2005=100), Seasonally Adjusted

20100418 Japan Electronic Equipment Production2000 to Present

JEITA www.jeita.or.jp/

1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 100 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

CALENDAR YEAR

0

500

1000

1500

2000Yen billion

Consumer Electronic EquipmentElectronic Measuring InstrumentationCommunications EquipmentComputers & Related EquipmentElectronic Business MachinesElec Application Equip

-3% +1%-32%

+3%

20100321

+2%-7%+3%

-1%-30%

Chart 5. Chart 6.



• opened a 4200 sq. m. plant in Tallinn, Estonia.

• restructured Finish operations.• started manufacturing Philips’ SSL

products in Dongguan, China.• received a global manufacturing

services contract from Philips Lighting.EPIQ CZ received ISO 14001:2004 certification in Tremosna, Czech Republic.Flextronics:• dedicated one million SF to clean tech

at its facility in Malaysia. It expects to reach 1 GW solar module capacity in two years.

• began producing solar cells for Q-Cells in Malaysia.

• received a mobile phone manufacturing contract from Puma.

• expects over 10% business growth in southern China.

• began high-volume production of SolarEdge’s distributed photovoltaic power harvesting and monitoring systems.

• integrated SloMedical into its medical disposables business unit in Slovakia.

• began manufacturing RIM’s Blackberry handsets in Brazil.

• chip spending will increase 8.8% y/y to $7 billion in 2010.—iSuppli

• became microinverter EMS provider for Enphase Energy.

Foxconn/ Hon Hai:• purchased a 90.1% stake in Sony’s

LCD TV factory in Slovakia.• received an order for two million

notebooks from Sony.• allocated NT$10 billion to build a

solar cell and module plant in Miaoli County.

• is investing billions to develop a hi-tech complex in central Vietnam.

• is adding a shipping hub at Kaohsiung Harbor.

• was the top 2009 patent recipient in

Taiwan.• joined the global LED commission.• Its chip spending will increase 18.7%

y/y to $22.6 billion in 2010.—iSuppliHana Microelectronics is spending $30 million to expand its Lamphun, Thailand, assembly plant.Herley subsidiary, CTI received a $5 million IMA contract for a U.S. Navy electronic attack aircraft.Incap closed and moved it Vuokatti, Finland, production to Estonia.Inventec is building a new notebook PC production base in Chongqing, China.Jabil Circuit:• leased new site in Szombathely, West

Hungary, due to higher order volume.• Maquiladora, Mexico, production was

temporarily halted by bomb threat.• received printer assembly contract from

Zebra Technologies in China.• began producing LCD TVs at its new

production unit in Tver, Russia.Jaltek achieved BS EN 9100 and ISO 13485 defense and medical accreditations.JVC Kenwood ended TV production in Mexico.Kenmec spun-off its EMS business.Kinpo-Compal shifted its production deployment focus to Brazil and Poland.Kitron closed its development department in Karlskoga, Sweden.KOR Electronics received $44.4 million in U.S. military supply contracts for digital RF jammers and electronic warfare systems.Lightspeed Manufacturing moved to new 60,000 SF manufacturing facility in Haverhill, MA.Neways reduced its number of suppliers by 12% to 750 in 2009.NBS deployed a RFID intelligent feeder system at its Santa Clara, California, manufacturing facility.

Note closed its manufacturing facility in Skänninge-Nyköping (Sweden).Pantech named David Ronis chief marketing officer.Parsec installed new SMT line in Centurion, South Africa.Plexus:• plans to occupy its $20 million global

headquarters in Neenah, Wisconsin, in summer 2010.

• selected TRC Global Solutions for domestic and international relocation services.

Quanta Computer is investing $40 million to set up notebook PC and peripheral subsidiaries Tech-Front Computer in Chongqing, China and Tech-Full Computer in Changshu, China.RUAG received a 5.5 million Swiss franc production order for RBE2 radar subassembly for France’s Rafale fighter jet from Thales.Sanmina-SCI:• entered a optical polymer modulator

manufacturing partnership with GigOptix.

• Gunzenhausen, Germany facility received AQAP and NADCAP certifications.

• opened its Chennai, India unit and plans to raise its headcount from 1,500 to 10,000 in five years.

Smiths Interconnect acquired Interconnect Devices for $185 million.Sparton received a $14.5 million U.S. Navy ADAR Sonobuoy manufacturing subcontract.Sypris received a $6 million of F-16 Digital Flight control computer follow-on orders from Honeywell International, Defense and Space Electronic Systems.Topco Technologies spun-off its electronics manufacturing business group into a 100%-owned subsidiary.

Monthly Shipments - Reporting Firms

1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 1 5 9 195 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14$B - 3-Month average

JapanN AmericaEuropeAsia Pac

SIA website: www.sia-online.org/

SEAsia

20100404

Total Semiconductor Shipments to an Area World PCB Monthly ShipmentsConverted @ Constant 2008 Exchange Rates

1 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 3 5 7 9111 399 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

CALENDAR YEAR

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500N America Europe Japan SE Asia

Source: Custer Consulting Group

20100411

Chart 7. Chart 8.


Title



TPV obtained LCD TV orders from Sharp through Mitsui.TT electronics’ Rogerstone (South Wales) facility became UK’s first manufacturing site to achieve the IRIS Revision 02- Rail Industry Standard.Victron:• named Jim Williams VP of North

America sales.• received device manufacturing license

renewal from CAFDB.Wintech added a MYDATA MY100 DX14 and a Pillarhouse selective solder machine in Estonia.

Materials & process equipmentAmpoc Fareast entered the HDI board production equipment market.APS Novastar commercialized ESS selective soldering machines.Atotech opened a new European TechCenter in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic.Cadence Design Systems acquired Taray.Camtek entered a distribution agreement with Canon for FALCON and Gannet systems in Japan.Christopher Associates and Japan Unix introduced a fluxless ultrasonic soldering robot.Cookson appointed Jeff Harris non-executive director and chairman designate.DEK: • received Intel’s Supplier Continuous

Quality Improvement award.• appointed Laser Stencil Technology

Ltd, as its new stencil licensee for South Africa region.

DKN Research developed cut & paste printed resistors and capacitors for flexible film substrates.DuPont Circuit & Packaging Materials: • opened a new technical lab in

Shanghai, China.

• introduced new screen printed ink materials for printed circuit boards.

Elite Material, Iteq, Taiwan Union Technology and Uniplus Electronics are expanding CCL capacity on strong demand from smartphones and LCD panels.ESI expanded its Singaporean operations and opened a new Asian manufacturing and service plant in Kaki Bukit industrial hub in Singapore.Essemtec introduced its new Pantera-XV SMD placement machine for small production.Henkel: • received “World’s Most Ethical

Company” ranking by US Ethisphere Institute.

• plans to close its U.S. adhesives production plant by the end of 2011.

Honeywell named Dr. Krishna Mikkilineni and Bask Iyer to its executive management team.Huntsman appointed Dr. Patrick Harker as its new independent director to its board of directors.Indium:• named Jacques Matteau global sales

manager (NanoBond and NanoFoil).• had 20 employees complete IPC-A-

610D certification program.•• Isola:• appointed David Luttrull to director of

development.• received U.S. Patent No. 7,687,556 for

flame retardant compositions.Intrinsiq Materials developed a 12 wt% copper ink formulation designed for photonic curing at room temperature in air.JPSA completed the first phase of its 20,000 SF facility expansion.Kester received ISO 9001:2008

certification.KMG Chemicals acquired General Chemical’s electronic chemicals business for $25.7 million in cash plus approximately $850,000 of liabilities.Laminating Company of America added an Excellon Concept 129 drilling machine.Lincoln International:• opened office in Amsterdam.• named Eric Wijs managing director for

Benelux Countries.LPKF appointed Elis Hirvonen its LDS product manager.Luther & Maelzer GmbH, in cooperation with Everett Charles Technologies, appointed Peter Brandt as European sales manager.Marantz appointed Jeremy Saise product manager, solder paste inspection.Mentor Graphics acquired Valor Computerized Systems for $50 million.Microtek Laboratories signed a preferred partner agreement with UL for PCB test and certification services.Nippon Steel Materials acquired subsidiaries Micron and Nittetsu Composite.Nordson:• ASYMTEK received Intel’s Preferred

Quality Supplier award.• DAGE appointed Hal Hendrickson

sales director, global accounts for its x-ray product line and promoted Keith Bryant to global sales director, x-ray products.

• YESTECH launched new website to promote its new branding and expanded inspection capabilities.

Orbotech and Mentor Partner formed Frontline PCB Solutions JV.Ovation launched its Grid-Lok Gold fully automatic tooling solution for board and substrate support.Paragon is spending NT$208 million

Personal Computer Market GrowthWorld & USA

IDC 1/2010

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 198 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

0

10

20

30

40

-10

-20

% Unit Growth

World USA

20100416

Electronic Equipment Production GrowthCurrent $ Growth Rates Converted @ Constant Exchange Rates

Henderson Ventures 4/2010www.hendersonventures.com

World 0.5 -9.9 8.3 9.5 6.9

USA -0.6 -5.4 6.8 6.4 4.8

W Europe -3.3 -18.0 1.5 3.8 4.2

Japan -11.6 -24.1 3.2 5.4 4.8

Four Tigers -1.2 -8.3 9.1 10.2 9.0

China 4.1 -5.2 14.8 15.4 9.1

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

20100405

Chart 9. Chart 10.



(US$6.54 million) to expand capacity.Park Electrochemical:named David Dahlquist VP and CFO.appointed Steven Jolly VP of facilities engineering, Robert Nurmi director of marketing for industrial PTFE materials and Gregory Strand VP of aerospace structures marketing and engineering.Rehm Thermal Systems introduced its enhanced reflow cooling technology for its Vision Series convection reflow ovens. Rogers:• acquired SK Utis Co., Ltd.• technical paper was voted Best in

“Board and System Design” category at Designcon 2010.

Rohwedder AG filed for insolvency proceedings at the German district court in Konstanz.Schmoll Maschinen added OptiFlex to its product line.Seica SpA introduced its “Flying IC Thermal Detection Units” on its line of Aerial flying probers.STI Electronics received a contract from IPC to update existing IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 training and certification programs from the D to the soon-to-be-released E revision of the standards.SunRay Scientific introduced NANOGLOW conductive silver inks for roll-to-roll printing of electronics.Techcon Systems appointed Karl Fischbeck its eastern territory sales manager.Tokyo Ohka terminated its printed circuit board dry film photoresist business due to

low market prices.Tongtai plans to increase PCB drilling machine shipments by 40% y/y to 300 units in 2010.Uyemura named Shunsaku Hoshi to its US Tech Center’s R&D and technical support team.Ventec:• established Ventec Europe South SA in

Switzerland.• Europe Limited received

ISO9001:2008.

components & related• Worldwide semiconductor revenues

fell 10.5% y/y to $228.4 billion in 2009.—Gartner

• IC market is expected to grow 27% in 2010 to $253 billion and another 15% in 2011 to $290 billion.—IC Insights

• Global semiconductor materials market value fell 19% to $34.6 billion in 2009.—SEMI

• Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales declined 46% to $15.92 billion in 2009.—SEMI

• Semiconductor capital equipment spending will grow 76.1% to $29.4 billion in 2010.—Gartner

• South-east Asian semiconductor capital equipment market is expected to grow 65% to $2.31 billion in 2010, after 46% fall in ’09.—SEMI

• Microcontroller market value will exceed $12 billion in 2010.—Databeans

• Global LED market is facing a supply shortage in 2010; total consumption reached 63 billion units in 2009, up

from 57 billion in 2008.—iSuppli• Optoelectronics sales are expected to

increase 27% to $23.3 billion in 2010, sensor/actuator revenues to grow 33% to $6.8 billion, and discretes will expand 29% to $19.7 billion.—IC Insights

Walt Custer is an independent consultant who monitors and offers a daily news service

and market reports on the PCB and assembly automation and semiconductor industries. He

can be contacted at [email protected] or visit www.custerconsulting.com.

Jon Custer-Topai is vice president of Custer Consulting Group and responsible for the

corporation’s market research and news analysis activities. Jon is a member of the IPC and active in the Technology Marketing Research Council.

He can be contacted at [email protected].

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IPC APEX EXPO round-up: The lights are back on in Las Vegas

Among the many events held during the week, Bob Black (JUKI Corporation) was awarded the IPC Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to the IPC and the electronics interconnect industry.

Exhibitors received serious enquiries from leading OEMs, CEMs and other EMS companies throughout the three day show. Many exhibitors also made equipment sales off the booth—always a nice little bonus at a trade show, as you don’t have to ship the machine home.

Here are the highlights from the show floor:

Seika introduced a new Japanese product that recovers solder paste. That’s right—the Solder Paste Recycling Unit takes in paste deposits left over in jars, tubs, syringes and ProFlow cassettes, heats them burn off the fluxes, then produces a bar solder at the end. The cost is around $50,000, and the distributors claim that payback is around 6 months.

Seika also introduced another novel tool, the SAWA Eco-Roll. This system is a wiper roll cleaner that can extend the life of a stencil roll up to 10 times.

ECT (Everett Charles Technologies) probably had one of the most exciting developments of the show with their new ZOOM tester. ZOOM is a one-time adapter that is retrofitable into existing ICT testers and replaces the rat’s nest of wires and the need for expensive tooling for every new test job. ZOOM is fitted with 0.395" test probes that contour

like a bed of nails onto the board. This increases the speed and reduces size and cost. Delivery of test fixtures can now be completed in as little as two to three days. ECT claim this new system will replace much slower flying probe systems.

MILARA had one of the largest

booths at APEX, shared with Korean manufacturer, Mirae. The booth was not the only thing they shared, as demonstrated by the P3 printer and pick and place machine. The combined printer and mounter are all in one box, offering customers a substantial cost savings over buying the two units individually.

Another innovative product on the Milara/Mirea booth was the Touchprint 2929 Cyber 3D model. The printer has been redesigned from the ground up and now comprises an Asymtek dispensing head within the printer and a full 2D/3D solder paste inspection unit from Cyberoptics, all in the same box—again saving considerable cost against buying these units separately. The printer has a cycle time of around 4.5 seconds and a price tag in the region of $135,000.

MIRTEC made a giant leap in AOI inspection with the introduction of a new 15-megapixel camera on their MV 7L AOI system. The company established their own in-house camera development team and plan to utilize the latest camera technologies across their product range. The ISIS (Infintely Scalable Imaging Sensor) has an 18 µm lens, capable of inspecting an 87 mm x 67 mm board

in 55 seconds.MIRTEC’s MS-11 SPI system currently

uses four-megapixel cameras and a 10 µm lens to inspect 40 cm³ per second, using a top camera and one side camera plus a galvo to create the triangulation needed for solder paste inspection.

IPC APEX EXPO round-up:

The lights are back on in Las VegasIPC/APEX 2010 lived up to expectations and confirmed the fact that the global recession was truly behind us. Although the traffic on the show floor was heavier than last year, the aisles were far from packed, but it is fair to say that the quality of the visitors couldn’t have been better.

Watch videos from the show at http://tv.globalsmt.net



Victron, the contract manufacturer, announced the opening of a new 30,000 sq. ft factory in Rosarita, Mexico, which they claim will handle much of the medium- to high-volume projects from their Fremont plant. The company is also on the lookout for an EMS acquisition on the east coast of the United States for 2011. Victron has many accreditations including ITAR and FDA approvals.

David Wolff at PD Circuits made one of the most surprising statements of the week. As PCB brokers who are constantly auditing companies in the US and China, he was lamenting on the falling quality standards in US manufacturing. The reason he gave for this was that US manufacturers are working with older equipment and only tend to replace machines one at a time. Their Chinese counterparts on the other hand are newer facilities and replace whole lines, resulting in higher quality and reliability.

On the show floor, Siemens were demonstrating the SiPlace SX, a single gantry machine capable of 60,000 cph using up to 120 8 mm feeders and handling components from 01005 up to 1" tall. The demonstration showed an additional gantry being added in a matter of minutes. Gantries can be rented to meet peaks in demand throughout the year, saving manufacturers the cost of buying new machines or gantries. The modularity and easy changeover also enable the gantries to be moved to other SX machines within the factory.

DEK witnessed a dramatic rise in printer sales through Q1 from Mexico and Brazil, according to Brian Lau, general manager of the Americas. The technical drivers seemed to be principally 3G infrastructure and greater accuracy required in board assemblies containing CSP packages and 0201 and 01005 components.

Acculogic unveiled the Scorpion 980 DXI flying prober, which is 40% faster than its predecessor. The Scorpion is a double-sided board tester and also performs ICT and functional test. The maximum

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board size is 26" x 41" making it the largest flying probe machine on the market.

RMD released an updated software module for detecting counterfeit components and minimizing risk. The software documents the elemental composition from a known good component, creating a baseline against which it compares all other components sampled from the reel or batch.

Bliss Industries have witnessed a remarkable resurgence in business with their dream-team group of US reps established last year. At the show they introduced a new SMT Splicing Cart that can be taken around the factory floor as needed. They also introduced a new design for PCB magazine holders, a new Cantilever Cart and a new Burn-in Test Cart for use in box build with power coeds built into each tray within the cart. Ken Bliss also made the surprise announcement promoting his daughter, Shana, to the position of vice president of the company in recognition of the substantial contribution she made in reorganizing the company over the last year.

Finetech acquired the rework company MARTIN last year and demonstrated their unique BGA reballing tool, along with a semi-automatic rework system with an under-board convection/IR heater that provides a uniform temperature across the work area.

Aqueous Technologies demonstrated their award-winning Trident batch cleaners. Mike Konrad, president, said that the Quad configuration of Tridents provided the same cleaning power as inline systems at 20% of the cost. The latest Tridents are now fitted with a new Windows® 7 interface that enables operators to interface directly with their service team using Skype, enabling real-time cleanliness testing.

ETEK Europe will be continuing their remarkable growth to the Unites States later this year. ETEK is a Master Distributor for Aqueous Technologies and

PUREX in Europe. The US office will handle sales, servicing and spare parts out of California.

R&D Technical Services have made a number of improvements to their V-Works 24 vapor phase rework system. The new-look system has an x y table with a vision system added and is capable at working down to the single-component level.

APEX was the debut for the Paraquda from Essemtec. Originally released at Productronica last year, this 9-10,000 cph (IPC) pick and place machine takes Essemtec firmly into the mid-range market. The Paraquda has an H-drive configuration and accommodates up to 240 feeders. The user-friendly ePlace software offers manufacturers a GUI driven multi-lingual environment.

Nihon Superior introduced SN100C 040 cored wire, a new halogen-free alloy that has been tested to 85˚ relative humidity and suppresses tin whiskers. Meanwhile, the SN100C P602 D4 halogen-free paste has improved wetting and solderability over its predecessor.

KIC unveiled the MVP Manual Virtual Profiling system. A frame that supports a board assembly on one end and a KIC Explorer on the other with two dedicated thermocouples on the MVP frame and up to five additional thermocouples for measuring oven temperatures periodically to make sure they stay in spec.

SonoTek demonstrated their Sonoflux servo ultrasonic spray fluxing nozzle that can produce droplets down to a size of 20 µm. The spray fluxer can coat any selective area or a completely different pattern. The SonoTek Easy spray head is an economic version of the Servo.

Cobar exhibited a new water soluble paste. Aquasol is lead-free and halaogen- and halide-free. Complementing this is the 396 series of VOC free, lead-free fluxes. The company also has a SnPb version that is halide- and halogen-free for selective and wave soldering machines.

Christopher Associates introduced

the Japan Unix Unisonik 414R ultrasonic robotic soldering technology. The Unisonik is an enabling technology that allows fluxless soldering to materials such as glass, aluminum and molybdenum. It also is useful for advanced manufacturing processes requiring extreme cleanliness.

Production Solutions were the proud winners of an SMT Vision Award at APEX for their RED-E-SET HD (high density) board support system.

On-site Gases provide oxygen and nitrogen systems. The systems can save manufacturers up to 70% on nitrogen costs and have an ROI of 12-24 months, depending on consumption. The Pressure Swing Absorption Filtration System is the only renewable part and should be replaced once per year at a cost of approximately $200.

FCT Assembly acquired the franchise from DEK for stencil manufacturing. The moved the Oregon facility to a new state of the art facility in Memphis, next to the Fedex hub. This enables FCT to accept stencil order up to 6:00 pm in the evening for delivery anywhere in the country by the next day. Since securing the franchise, FCT have tripled the size of the stencil business.

STI Electronics continued its expansion by announcing the installation of their third into their new factory in Huntsville, Alabama. Company president David Raby also confirmed that there has been a notable increase in the demand for their patented embedded die technology.

KYZEN celebrated their 25th Anniversary with an SMT Vision Award for their Aquanox A4703 chemistry.

Europlacer displayed the new XPii placement machine. Originally launched at Productronica, the XPii uses the same linear motors, software and placement heads as the inneo. It can be used as a standalone pick and place machine or as an odd-form placement unit after an inneo chipshooter.

The new SE350 from Cyberoptics can inspect boards at a whopping 80 cm³ per



second, which is only slightly slower than their industry-leading SE500 that can do 100 cm³ per second. The SE350 is attractively priced, but both inspection machines exhibit exceptional repeatability.

Assembléon gave us a sneak preview of their Twin Placement Robot (TRP) that will launch at NEPCON Shanghai. The new dual head will give the Assembléon chipshooter a placement speed of 111,000 cph (IPC) with an accuracy of ± 35 µm.

Assembléon also introduced the MC24X high mix pick and place machine. It has an IPC rating of 54,000 cph, 96 feeders and a small footprint of 5’ 6” x 5’ 6”. The component range is from 0201 up to 100 mm x 45 mm x 15 mm. The MC 24X is 10% more energy efficient than it’s predecessor.

MVP have updated their 850 G AOI system to incorporate new features. The 2D + 3D configuration now has an automatic loader and unloader. The MVP 850G is ideally suited for microelectronics applications and can inspect wire bonds down to 1 µm, board finishes, BGA coplanarity and board warpage.

MVP introduced the Spectra XL for inspecting large boards up to 24” x 36”. It uses triple linear motors and a 64 bit operating system to provide an accuracy of 7 – 17 µm using global and local fiducials. The Spectra XL is 01005 capable and available in a dual lane configuration.

Henkel exhibited their improved Macromelt encapsulants that eliminate the need for messy potting processes many other steps in molding electronics enclosures. The Macromelt material is color sustainable, UV stable and biodegradeable.

Henkel also demonstrated their PSX Powerstrate, a printable phase change material that allows for precise thickness control and automated processing via a stencil printing process.

Universal Instruments introduced their next-gen software to support their GenesisSC (semiconductor) platform. The company manufactures the widest range of placement machines in the industry. A full 20% of their current business is still based in through-hole sales.

The nex-gen software is a truly versatile and user-friendly software platform that can create component definitions from multi-vendor machines. The SMS Line Chart monitors all machines on the lines and provides SPC data showing the machine uptime and basic reasons for machine downtime.

SEHO demonstrated a range of wave and selective soldering machines. The Go Wave 1030 has an improved conveyor with rubber grips. It has twin-wave capability and a new fluxer than produces a more atomized spray. The system has an improved exhaust management with filtration and easy to use software with USB interface to enable off-site data storage.

The Go Selective is an inline machine that uses fiducial recognition to provide an accuracy of ±0.1 µm. It has a top and bottom heater and a micro piezo flux applicator with tight droplet control. The Go Selective is fully programmable and complemented by a batch version that contains the same features as the inline.

These are the highlights of the 2010 show. Next year, APEX will be held on April 14-16 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. After that, it moves to San Diego Convention Center for two years, before returning to Las Vegas in 2014.

—Trevor Galbraith.


Technology focus: The VISKO control system

Modern solders, chemicals and materials need close process control in order to achieve today’s requirements for quality and consistency of solder joints. Now that a truly modular wave soldering system exists that can be programmed to allow each solder, chemical or material to receive exactly the right parameters, we can achieve repeatable and consistent quality. Such a modular soldering system therefore needs the best type of machine control in order to offer this necessary process control.

Modern factories are built on lean manufacturing principles and thrive on maximum efficiency. Therefore, the equipment that is used in them must also be efficient and flexible in order to maximise production output and allow batch sizes as low as one to be handled as efficiently as large batches. The control system allied to each piece of equipment therefore plays a vital role in maintaining the drive towards lean manufacturing.

Traditionally, controls have tended to be centralised, monolithic structures that offer little flexibility and are somewhat rigid. Modern, modular systems need controls that offer flexibility and utilise networked distributed control so that each element of the process to be controlled has its own specific set of instructions and a link to the other processes, but without any influence over them.

This is best achieved by CAN—controller area network. CAN data input and output points are nodes which, in the case of the modular wave soldering system, mean an individual electronic card. Each module can have several cards or nodes. At the machine level, CAN is ideal but we also need an interface for the operator, supervisor or production/process engineer. In order to visualise what is going on and then control it, VISKO was developed to provide the full possibility of simulating (visualising) a production run and then ensuring that production adheres to programme parameters (controlling).

VISKO is also used to check and set up the operator configuration (e.g. input conveyor, flux, preheat, solder and output conveyor) and ensures that the appropriate number and sequence of cards is present. It then ensures that setting ranges for each node cannot be exceeded (e.g. maximum and minimum transport speed).

CAN allows basic consistent control

over the operation, parameter setting and reporting from each node and runs seamlessly in the background. It is the building block for the success of the modular principle. CAN takes away the need for a monolithic centralised control and frees the operator interface to be just that—a programming and status reporting interface. However, such a control structure offers much more than mere system control. It is also capable of providing optimisation of the system and its batches.

Today’s manufacturing companies need to organise themselves to respond to orders and not to build for stock in order to keep inventories to a minimum. Therefore, flexibility in a manufacturing cell is vital to allow rapid responses to changes and modularity offers a good way to achieve flexibility. A centralised, monolithic control restricts the ability to deal with unpredictability and sudden change and the modern system must be able to manage modular equipment dynamically and with minimum manual intervention so that unpredictability and change can be accommodated easily.

The new generation of software provided by VISKO fulfils a number of advanced requirements whose value is to minimise the complexity of development, operation and maintenance of machines and systems, without reducing any degrees of freedom for future, and as yet unknown, applications. This includes such things as:

Equipment Adaptation• The control software adapts to the ideal

equipment configuration for each order or batch. It practically eliminates the need for manual re-configuration and ensures that future enhancements of the system remain possible with only minor outlay

Dynamic Performance Optimisation• The capability of dynamically optimising

capacities with changing configurations is a high priority. It ensures maximum throughput with minimum waiting or idle times

Failure Resistance• All malfunctions are detected

immediately and they are assessed for impact. The system then decides if the malfunction can be resolved or ignored.

• The software agent system (see

Autonomic Module Control below) supports customisation of process logging so that more helpful and efficient methods of error monitoring and analysis are available

Log File• All of the activities mentioned above

and below are continually logged so that Managers, Engineers or Operators constantly get information on how the system is performing.

Integration• The proper identification and

establishment of interfaces that allow the control system to integrate seamlessly into the rest of the manufacturing controls is provided so that total production control is standard

Ease Of Use• Although the system is capable of a

high degree of automatic self-control, there will always be the need for various operators, process/production staff and maintenance technicians to interface with it from time to time. Functions such as password access are mandatory and the system is internet based so that remote information on production or maintenance can be set up.

“Autonomic” Module Control• Each machine module is represented by

a specifically adapted software agent that optimises the module’s functioning and capacity utilisation.

• Whenever a new module type is developed, the base architecture of the system remains the same and the only software development is the agent to handle the CAN for the new hardware.

CAN Control• Together with the software agents, each

module’s CAN controller corresponds with its neighbours and constantly adjusts the system to achieve programme coordination. Therefore, a central control unit is not necessary.

• This form of distributed control allows almost limitless scalability so that the manufacturing system can expand or contract to suit circumstances, thereby offering future-proofing

Job Control• The software agents are also responsible

for managing every production order or



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• job. They manage the progress of the job through the machine and ensure that all requirements relating to efficiency, speed and quality are met.

Simulation• The physical modelling of the

equipment allows various different machine states and process flows to be assessed quickly. This assists training, New Product Introduction (NPI) and prototype runs

Dynamic Optimisation• Each time a product enters the system,

its production programme is attached to it and the two move together through the modules. If a bar-code or RFID reader is used, the system automatically adapts itself within every module so that maximum programme performance is gained. Batch sizes of 1 can receive exactly the correct process parameters without having to wait for the system to empty before loading new parameters or using a compromise programme that does not perform optimally in every part of the system.

Diagnosing malfunctions or optimising the administration of a control system used to be sensibly performed by human resources but modern systems are complex enough that human intervention is both difficult and time-consuming. This particularly true

of distributed control systems but it is also true for centralised monolithic systems which are asked to perform increasingly large tasks. The following are examples of autonomous self-control:

Self-configuration• The system changes its operating

parameters to accommodate variable production requirements by using a configuration file. A change to the hardware of a modular machine does not require a re-load of software. All the software agents that relate to CAN control, automatically re-set themselves when the hardware changes. The operator merely has to instruct the machine what its new configuration will be. This is standard in the software.

Self-optimisation• The control system continually assesses

its own performance and explores the possible courses of action that would result in improvements in performance.

It chooses those courses of action that show the most promise to achieve efficiency gains.

Self-healing• The system has the ability to recover

from certain unfavourable conditions that could result in malfunctions. It automatically determines actions that will compensate for malfunctions and implements them

Self-protection• The system detects threats against itself

and takes preventative and corrective actions. This provides robust and reliable machine functioning and a software base that is resistive to errors such as unwanted “crashes”

A strong, efficient, flexible software structure is now available so that users can gain maximum operational advantage from an adaptable system. It is not only easy to use but easy to live with and look after. The use of bar code readers automates the selection of programmes and allows very small batches to be processed automatically one after another. Unless a change of solder type or flux type is required, it is not necessary to purge the soldering system of products when a new programme is required. VISKO works out the buffering and speeds up the throughput.

Figures 1-4 show VISKO menus with

typical MMI (man-machine interface), HI (human Interface) or GUI (graphical user interface) appearances.

Figure 1 is the main menu page showing the current configuration of the system and the status of each module within it. If the system has been purchased with a separate docking station that maintains a second solder cart—perhaps with different a solder alloy or perhaps with a second cart full of the same alloy—this menu will display the status of the docking station. The docking station is another CAN node on the network and so is compatible with the overall control. This means that solder types are in readiness for a change dictated by the job or product and minimum production time is lost changing over from one type of solder to another.

A tiny yellow dot at the right-hand end of each green conveyor line displays the signal from the sensor that resides there and which shows where each frame is within the soldering system.

All the menus are intuitive and logical and guide the operator to the correct course of action. The main maintenance and programme control menu (Figure 2) is split into three: system configuration, administration and service. The operator or process technician can quickly choose a course of action.

If any sensors detect a state that is not expected by the control or programme, the green lights on the warnings and alarms menu (Figure 3) change to yellow or red in the appropriate section of the machine allowing the operator instant knowledge of issues affecting the production or programme. Once the reason for the alarm or warning has been resolved, the “re-evaluate warnings” button at the bottom right of the screen allows a re-set of the status lights.

Yellow warnings are just that—warnings. The system will continue to function but requires the operator to act on the warning.

Red warnings are catastrophic warnings. If a red light shows, the system will stop because it is unsafe to proceed. It will also shut off heating to the pre-heaters and the solder pot.

This set of warnings is mirrored by a physical warning light tower on the soldering system.

The management information page (Figure 4) is a constant, real-time display of everything that happens in the machine.

Not only can the data be stored and displayed at the machine but it can also be transmitted via a LAN or via the internet to remote offices. For example, an HQ or administration centre.

It is important to move away from centralised monolithic control systems and allow rapid, efficient changes to production that cater for batch variations, material variations, throughput variations and product variations all in the minimum possible floor area and offering future changes to suit as yet unknown future products or speeds.

VISKO was developed to provide the most up-to-date control for wave soldering but the principle applies to any form of process control and so it could easily be adapted to suit other forms of manufacturing if required. Connecting a VISKO controlled system to other systems merely relies on the standard SMEMA interface and so future changes can be accommodated easily.

Figure 1. Main menu showing current system configuration and module statuses. Figure 2. The main maintenance and programme control menu.

Figure 3. The warnings and alarms menu. Figure 4. The management information page.

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stand 6-300

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Interview—Saeed Taheri, Acculogic Ltd.

Interview

Acculogic designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of systems and instruments for testing electronic devices, circuit boards and systems. The company offers short turnaround time, high fault-coverage and fast cycle-time solutions. Its services and products are used to validate designs, ensure integrity of prototypes, improve production processes and yields, and deliver defect-free final products. Acculogic is in the business of “Test Engineering” and helps customers to reduce risks and increase profits by striving to provide innovative technologies that are required now and anticipated in the future. To ensure that customers maintain a competitive advantage in their marketplace, Acculogic continues to make significant investments in new product development and value-added services. Trevor Galbraith recently spoke with Acculogic’s general manager, Saeed Taheri.

Saeed, can you tell us who Acculogic’s primary customer base is?

Acculogic has operations in all major parts of the globe, including America, Europe and AsiWe measure our success based on customer satisfaction and retention, and over the past 18 years that we have been in business, we have consistently achieved more than 98 percent customer satisfaction/retention. In our most recent fiscal year, 2009, our customer retention rate was 98.76 percent.

Acculogic has a broad range of customers in various segments of the industry, including defense aerospace, computers, communications and networking, medical, automotive, industrial equipment and controls, semiconductors, security systems, and EMS. We do business with more than 1200 companies worldwide, including ABB, Alcatel, BAE, Bosch, Celestica, Ericsson, Flextronics, Foxconn, GE, General Dynamics, Honeywell, HP, Hitachi, IBM, Intel, ITT, Jabil, Kostal, Lockheed, Marconi, Motorola, NEC, Nokia- Siemens, Northrop-Grumman, Omron, Panasonic, Raytheon, Sanmina-SCI, Sony, Solari, Teradyne, TI and Xerox.

Acculogic is a provider of flying probe systems, in-circuit test systems, boundary scan test and test programming. Can you tell us about some of the other services the company provides?

In addition to our Manufacturing Test System Division, which designs and manufactures the flying probers, in-circuit testers and boundary scan, we also have a Contract Test Engineering Services Group, which provides turnkey application development and custom test system design. We support our own test platforms, as well as systems from Agilent, Teradyne and GenRad. Our locations in Massachusetts, Minnesota, California, Canada, Mexico and Germany are close to many of our customers. Later this year we will expand with new locations in Florida and Texas.

Why should customers looking for best-in-class test systems come to Acculogic?

Acculogic works with many leading-edge customers around the globe to facilitate the testing of complex electronics accurately and cost effectively. As a result, all of our products are designed to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Acculogic has a

unique business model that provides state-of-the-art equipment, as well as the support services to help our customers deliver quality products to market on time and within budget.

How can Acculogic’s core competency in test program generation and application services help customers shorten their time to market?

We are quite unique in this respect, being the only ATE company that provides application development services on competing products as well as on its own systems. We believe in providing our customers with the best solution that gets the job done on time and on budget, and sometimes that means helping customers to use their current systems as opposed to buying new ones. With our multiple locations and large and experienced team of engineers equipped to support several in-circuit platforms and flying probe systems, we are able to respond quickly to our customer’s needs.

Acculogic’s Test Engineering division offers a comprehensive range of turnkey services, from in-circuit test fixture and program development to sophisticated


Interview

application development on custom functional test platforms. Can you tell us more about this division?

Our customers are often looking for a production test solution that can validate their assembly process as well as the product’s functionality. Our Customer Test Engineering Division works with our customers to develop an efficient test strategy that detects manufacturing and performance defects before they reach their customers. Once a test strategy is agreed upon, our engineering department will complete the project. We will design and build the test hardware (for example an application-specific functional test system), write the test software and deliver a turnkey system. These projects vary in size and complexity, from an in-circuit test application and fixture for an Agilent 3070, to a complex PXI-based functional test system with advanced analog, digital, boundary ccan (JTAG) and device programming.

Shrinking component sizes and denser packaging technologies are posing new challenges to test. How does the FLS 980Dxi Flying Scorpion solve this chal-lenge?

As you know, component packaging has been shrinking for many years. As components get smaller, more are placed on the same or smaller circuit boards (combining several circuit boards into one, for example). As packaging density shrinks, it forces the designer to reduce test access (or the test pad size). Since in-circuit test relies on the test access for coverage and bed-of-nail test fixtures require test pad sizes 29 mil or larger, they are often unable to test due to lack of access. Flying prober systems are able to probe smaller targets compared to bed-of-nail In-circuit test systems. The probing accuracy on the flying prober system is a function of probe design and movement accuracy. Acculogic’s FLS980Dxi flying prober is designed using our AccuFast Drive™ System, a closed-loop system (±0.1 micron positioning resolution), and probe modules that feature a patented programmable probe angle between 0 and 5°. FLS980Dxi uses highly repeatable closed-loop linear motor drives and joystick-like variable angle probe modules to maximize physical access and guarantee repeatable probing of fine-pitch devices and small components, such as 0201s and 01005s.

Warping of printed circuit boards is a common issue that should be taken into account in SMT board assembly,

inspection and test processes. During flying probe test, board warp changes the physical position of target points by an offset. When the probing angle is 0° from vertical, board warp will not cause any probing errors; however, as the probing angle increases, the probing error also increases. A 0201 chip on a board with 0.5 mm warp using 15° probing angle cannot be probed dependably. Decreasing the probing angle to 3° or 4°reduces warp-related uncertainty and leads to reliable probing.

The FLS900 series is capable of detecting open-pin and orientation faults on digital devices, polarized caps and connectors. How is this accomplished?

Acculogic detects open-pin and orientation faults using a variety of methods:

• PinScan™ is a complimentary suite of analog and digital test techniques for detecting open pins on ICs, including BGAs, as well as connectors and polarized capacitors.

• CScan™ is a patented technique used in vectorless testing of ICs and connector pins. CScan is used to test open pins, as well as the polarity of electrolytic capacitors. CScan functionality detects open pins on devices located on the top and/or bottom side of the board.

• ChipScan™ is a patented three-pin technique for vectorless open testing on digital IC pins. It exploits the parasitic diodes/transistors in each digital IC and tests each pin for open faults. Power-up is not required in order to use ChipScan. This method is particularly useful where bus structures are used. ChipScan detects wire bonding defects, open pins and cold joints. ChipScan functionality is available on all probes covering the top and bottom side of the unit under test.

• ScanProbe™ is a digital technique that uses flying probes to detect opens on digital IC pins of devices that are IEEE-1149.1(JTAG) compliant. ScanProbing is fast and repeatable, and uses the digital and boundary scan capability of the FLS980 for fault detection.

The FiS640 compact in-circuit test system is a small-footprint in-circuit tester that can be configured with up to 2048 all-real (non-multiplexed) channels, a high-accu-racy analog measurement instrument and patented vectorless test techniques for

detection of open pins on digital devices. How does this system provide cost savings for the high- and medium-volume auto-motive, industrial, consumer, computer and communications electronics markets?

Manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Our new FiS640 features special packaging with a small footprint and is configured to handle 80 percent of circuit board testing needs at a reduced price. It has all of the test capabilities of our larger ICT7000 system, including analog measurement, vectorless open pin detection, power-on digital testing using boundary scan, and can be configured with up to 2048 test points.

The latest version of Acculogic’s Scan-Navigator™ and Victory™ software offers full support for IEEE1149.6, an extension to the IEEE1149.1 standard. How do customers benefit from this?

Most digital boards today use one or more programmable devices, such as FPGAs and PLDs, which are often compliant with the IEEE1149.1 standard. Our ScanNavigator/Victory software provides test pattern generation for boundary scan (JTAG) test and on-board device programming. The test vectors are based on industry standard serial vector format (SVF); therefore, they can be used on a range of test platforms from PC-based systems to a variety of in-circuit, functional and flying probe systems.

What changes should we expect to see from Acculogic throughout the year?

We have seen a significant increase in our flying prober business over the last three years, and our year-after-year challenge is to make sure we carefully grow our support infrastructure to provide exceptional after-sale support for all of our customers around the globe. During the last three years, we have significantly increased our presence in growing markets in Asia, Eastern Europe and South AmericIn the United States, we added a new facility in Southern California during the third quarter of 2009, and for 2010 we plan to add two new support facilities―one in Florida and one in Texas.

Thank you, Saeed.

Trevor Galbraith.


Show preview: 2010 SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING

Show preview:

2010 SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGINGSMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING presents the latest trends, developments and solutions with regards to system integration in microelectronics. Held every year in Nuremberg, Germany, this event draws an audience from over 50 countires. From design and development to PCB production, components, packaging and test systems - SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING offers a comprehensive and compact presentation of products all under one roof. Here is just a taste of what will be on offer this June 8-10th at the Messezentrum Nuremberg:

Panel discussions and vendor presentations

Panel discussions and vendor presentations will be held on a forum within the exhibition hall. Here are select presentations you may be interested in adding to your agenda:

Tuesday, June 8thCounterfeit Components—Industry Problems and Solutions, presented by Bob Willis at 1:00 pm. Hall 6-226.Bond Testing Made Easy, presented by XYZTEC b.v. at 1:20 pm. Hall 9-508.Turnkey manufacturing lines, presented by ESSEMTEC at 3:00 pm. Hall 9-508.Trends in SMT, presented by Assembléon Netherlands B.V. at 4:20 pm. Hall 9-508.

Wednesday, June 9thFINEPLACER® core—Einstieg in die professionelle Reparatur, presented by FINTECH at 1:00 pm. Hall 9-508.Lowering Cost of Ownership by Selecting Pre-Owned Production (SMT) Systems, presented by EUROPE-SMT at 1:40 pm. Hall 9-508.Neue Flipchip Technologien, presented by Pansonic Factory Solutions (PFE) at 2:20 pm. Hall 9-508.

Thursday, June 10thAktuelle Markttrends und Aussichten EMS/ODM/OEM, presented by Siemens AG at 11:00 am. Hall 9-508.

Special feature: Service Point eMS

This group stand, located at hall 9-512 and coordinated by ElektronikPraxis, offers a direct comparison of electronics manufacturing services suppliers.


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Show preview: 2010 SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING

Regular columnist Bob Willis will be giving a workshop and a keynote talk at SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING. Package On Package Assembly and Inspection WorkshopAs real estate is at a premium for logic and memory, PCB designers say the only way to go is up and up. Package on package (PoP) assembly is new to many contract and OEM assembly staff, but with the demands of paste dipping, reflow warpage and increased placement accuracy/z-height control, process introduction can be demanding. The difficulty in multi level ball inspection can be a challenge for x-ray equipment procedures—manual inspection can be used, but with these applications space is often not available for side viewing. Workshop attendees will receive a FREE set of package on package inspection and quality control wall charts covering optical and x-ray inspection, dip flux and paste application, placement criteria and defects seen during assembly, as well as the opportunity to win a copy of the IPC’s recently published Technology Road Map 2009-2010. Workshop takes place Tuesday, June 8 from 9:00 am till

12:00 pm.Counterfeit Components—Industry Problem and SolutionsQuality, purchasing, design and production engineers need to review the growing commercial and technical issues surrounding counterfeit electronic

components. They can look right and solder to the PCB, but just fail to function. A typical first assumption by test engineering is it’s a component failed due to the assembly process, but its what’s inside the package that counts—sometimes there’s nothing at all.

Rather than making complicated copies of parts, the simplest thing for counterfeiters to do is to remark the packaging or the component body. Remarking the packaging is simple and quick, and provided the component identification is not checked, all the parts would be placed and soldered to the board before the problem was identified. AOI should find incorrectly marked or variations on the parts, but marking is becoming very sophisticated.

This presentation will not only illustrate the problems raised by counterfeit components within the electronics industry but it will also show you some of the different test methods that can be used to confirm the integrity of the components. This presentation takes place Tuesday, June 8 from 1:00 pm till 2:00 pm at the Forum in Hall 6-226.

Bob Willis looks into the future and can see for miles and miles and miles!!!!

Special feature: live production line

The live production line demonstration, organised for many years by VDI/VDE-IT, has this year been taken over by Fraunhofer IZM. With a focus on “PCB for Medical Electronics,” the production line will enable visitors to watch the manufacturing of medical electronic devices in daily guided tours at 10:00 am, 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm. Experts from industry and research will demonstrate the technological parameters and the demands on the equipment.

Special feature: optics meets electronics: Photonic system integration at SMT

In the electronics sector, the emergence of optical technologies is currently under discussion. Join the conversation at the joint stand “Opto Electronics,” located at hall 6-115 and organized by Fraunhofer IZM. Key topics revolve around electro-optical packages, modules and assemblies, optical interfaces and materials, and production technologies and equipment for optical communications, automotive communications, optical sensors and sensor systems, integrated lighting systems and illumination, optical analysis and detection, and optical process management.


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Presenting the IPC APEX EXPO 2010 Conference and Exhibition

Milara integrates 3-D inspection head on inline printerMilara Incorporated has integrated the CyberOptics 3-D post-print inspection head on its TouchPrint Digital TD2929 inline printer to enable 100-percent 3-D solder paste inspection within a solder paste printer without slowing the cycle time of the print process. Coupling CyberOptics’ proven measurement accuracy and speed with Milara’s high speed, precision print process will ensure consistent, reliable prints. CyberOptics’ patented, on-the-fly 3-D inspection head is manufactured as an integrated assembly with no moving parts, thus requiring no calibration in the field. Milara’s TD2929 is a fully automatic inline printer that offers new SimuTech™ Technology: the system incorporates a dual overhead camera gantry system with twin conveyors which allows for concurrent processing capability (print & inspect, bottom side clean & inspect, inspect & inspect, print & dot dispense, inspect & dot dispense). www.milarasmt.com

enhanced reflow cooling technology introduced by rehm Thermal Systems

Rehm Thermal Systems has introduced new cooling zone designs for their Vision Series convection reflow ovens. The new technology is particularly effective for the homogenous cooling of large thermal mass PCBs. Depending upon the length of the system, the cooling area in the VisionXP is laid out in two, three or four stages. The fans in the individual zones, which are available with separate speed/volume control, can cool even lead free processed PCBAs to below 50˚ C. The system also

thereby provides precise cooling gradients that are critical to reduce thermal stress and resulting board twist and warp. www.rehm-group.com

smtsolderpaste.com offering free shipping to online solder paste customers

Manncorp is now offering free shipping on all pastes purchased online at www.smtsolderpaste.com. The solder paste line includes no-clean lead-free, water soluble lead-free, and Pb no-clean and water soluble. For quantity purchases, the price including shipping per 500-gram jar of lead-free types can be as low as $51, while Pb pastes run as low as $38 per jar. Free shipping is applicable to USA destinations only. With distribution centers on both coasts, smtsolderpaste.com can quickly supply paste to end users throughout America. www.smtsolderpaste.com

labeler integrated in SMD placerSMD assembly systems from Essemtec can now mark the printed circuit board with an identification label while placing components. The integrated labeler delivers on demand a label with bar code, matrix code, date or serial numbers. Consistent

quality assurance and traceability in electronics manufacturing requires first of all the correct identification of a PCB. ID marking is best done where the product is made: during the SMD assembly process. Essemtec’s integrated label feeder can feed labels with any code: bar codes, matrix codes, date or serial numbers are possible. Therefore, its integration of into an existing production line is very simple and quick. www.essemtec.com

innovative process gas cleaning system for reflow systems

SEHO Systems GmbH redesigned the process gas cleaning system for its reflow ovens to further reduce maintenance costs

New Products

New productsNew Products

Techcon Systems introduces the Techkit MixerTechcon Systems’ Techkit Mixer provides automatic mixing of two-component materials filled in a cartridge kit for a quick and simple setup process. The Techkit Mixer is equipped with an automatic fluid level sensing device and user-friendly electronic control system. The automatic injection feature provides even distribution of hardener into resin during the mixing cycle to ensure uniform mixed result. The Techkit Mixer accommodates all standard size cartridge kits ranging from 2.5 oz (74ml) to 20 oz. (591ml) and is immediately usable anywhere in the world with its accompanying tools, accessories and universal power supply. www.techconsystems.com

www.globalsmt.net

in electronics production. The SEHO MaxiReflow is equipped with the latest cyclone technology. The system extracts the contaminated process gas from all heated zones, leads it through a cyclone and then directs the cleaned gas back to the heating area. The temperature inside the cyclone is controlled to allow optimum condensation. SEHO’s new and innovative process gas cleaning system not only saves time and money in electronics production, but it also helps to protect the environment. www.seho.de

Fully automatic heavy wire bonder increases productivity by 30%Hesse & Knipps recently launched its newest Bondjet models, the Bondjet BJ935 and the Bondjet BJ939 fully automatic heavy wire bonders for processing aluminum wire, copper and HCR™ (high current ribbon). The new Bondjet models set new benchmarks for process speed, precision and low maintenance requirements, resulting in significantly increased productivity. The Bondjet 935 and 939 are the only heavy wire bonders available today with non destructive pull test and PiQC™ Process Integrated Quality Control—a unique transducer integrated sensor for 100% quality monitoring in real-time. These features and more work together to improve productivity over previous heavy wire bonder models by up to 30%. www.hesse-knipps.com

First ph-neutral defluxing cleaning agentZESTRON introduced their latest innovative defluxing agent, VIGON® N 501, at NEPCON Shanghai 2010. VIGON® N 501 is the first pH-neutral defluxing cleaning agent worldwide. Due to its neutral pH-value, the cleaning agent demonstrates the highest level of compatibility on sensitive materials of SMT production, such as aluminum, copper, brass, nickel, plastics or labels. The water-based MPC®-cleaner was specifically developed for spray-in-air processes. Being used at short contact

times and with concentrations as low as 10-15%, VIGON® N 501 shows very good cleaning results, even under low standoff components. www.zestron.com

SiPlace oiB: efficient software integration across the entire SMT process chain

With the new version of its SIPLACE OIB (Operations Information Broker), Siemens Electronics Assembly System (SEAS) now offers an optimized multi-vendor integration platform for electronics production. With SIPLACE OIB, applications from different vendors can exchange data with each other in order to completely and transparently map the SMT process chains in heterogeneous IT infrastructures. SIPLACE OIB can link previously isolated applications both horizontally across different machines and lines as well as vertically from the machine controller to MES and ERP systems. As an especially attractive feature, SIPLACE OIB maintains this integration even after updates, version changes or the replacement of individual software components. This makes it easier to link previously separate software modules, minimizes the risk of production failures after software updates, and reduces administrative requirements to a fraction of what they were before. By integrating their processes and software with SIPLACE OIB, electronics manufacturers can significantly improve the transparency, speed, flexibility and productivity of their SMT activities. www.siplace.com

Bliss industries introduces multipurpose cantilever cartBliss Industries Inc., provider of material handling carts and racks for PCB assembly, introduced its new multipurpose Cantilever Cart, available in both standard and custom versions. The cart offers the engineer complete flexibility, light weight, and a small footprint. A whole host of accessories can be simply clipped onto the cart, making it an

New Products


New Products

extremely adaptable and user-friendly solution. The cart can be adapted for many uses, including kanban, staging, test equipment, transport, and more. www.blissindustries.com

FcT assembly introduces Nl930PT pin probable solder pasteFCT Assembly introduces its NL930PT no-clean, lead-free, halide-free pin probable solder paste. The product is unique in that it is a clear residue paste that can print down to low surface area ratios consistently. Combined with SN100C, this solder paste produces the most cosmetically appealing solder joint available on the market. It also has excellent pin probability, good print release down to .55 SAR when used with the Slic Stencil and excellent wetting on all surface finishes. All this is accomplished without using any halides. www.fctassembly.com

Glenbrook Technologies introduces The Dual-Vu system

Glenbrook Technologies introduces The Dual-Vu system providing simultaneous and corresponding magnified real-time x-ray and optical imaging of electronic and medical components. This unique patented development provides a quality control and component authentication capability never before realized. The Dual-Vu system employs Glenbrook’s patented ‘Magnification Fluoroscopy” x-ray camera technology, unsurpassed in providing x-ray image detail at low radiation levels, insuring operator safety. www.GlenbrookTech.com

lee ritchey’s high speed design handbook now available for free downloadBR Publishing announced the immediate availability of “Right the First Time: A Practical Handbook on High Speed

PCB and System Design” by Lee Ritchey, president of Speeding Edge. Ritchey, one of the world’s foremost authorities on high-speed design, first published the hard copy of “Right the First Time” in 2003. Today, Ritchey, BR Publishing and their sponsors are making this updated, how-to guide available to all PCB and system designers at no cost. www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com

converting to automated selective soldering has never been easier...Converting from manual or semi-automatic to automated selective soldering has never been easier and more practical than with the new ESS selective soldering machines from APS Novastar. The new ESS selective soldering machines provide a new entry point in cost-effective, easy to operate options for short run, batch selective soldering applications. Models ESS310 and ESS500 provide easy to operate, robust systems for batch processing of mixed technology boards that require selective soldering of through-hole components. The exceptional accuracy and repeatability, with near “zero defect” solder joint yields, and the flexibility to perform single point, drag, mini-wave or dip soldering, increases solder joint quality and board throughput. www.apsgold.com

Go green and get more power with BlueWave® leD uVa spot-curing system

The BlueWave® LED Prime UVA high-intensity spot-curing system offers many advantages over conventional spot-curing systems including no consumable bulbs to change, no warm-up, cool cures, and constant intensity for thousands of hours. The BlueWave LED Prime UVA generates curing energy using high-intensity LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and produces

nearly double the intensity of any LED spot-curing lamp on the market today. The BlueWave LED Prime UVA also includes an intensity adjustment feature which allows users to adjust and control intensity output from 0% to 100% to assist with process validation and control. www.dymax.com.

New online training service launchesBob Willis launches new online training programs. Training online is very flexible for small and large groups of staff and can be arranged very quickly, even in hours, to solve specific production problems half way round the world. With a good practical approach and the successful use of internet-ready video material, Willis’s new online training service conveys a one-to-one, personal feel. Monthly 90-minute technical seminars with question-and-answer periods will be offered to the public. Company training seminars that can be arranged in hours or days, rather than weeks, will also be available. www.bobwillisonline.com

Mil/aero reliability inspection for latent defects

Sonoscan’s Sonoscan Critical Evaluation™ (SCE) is a confidential service that acoustically inspects critical electronic components, such as hybrids, capacitors and plastic-encapsulated microcircuits, used in military and aerospace systems. Acoustic micro imaging nondestructively images hidden latent defects such as delaminations, cracks and voids—for example, a delamination on the face of a silicon chip. It also characterizes materials such as encapsulants. SCE handles individual components, hybrid devices, and printed wiring boards. The purpose of imaging is to locate, identify and analyze internal anomalies that can cause electrical failures in service, such as die attach voids in a hybrid device or singulation cracks in a capacitor. In some applications, the interest is on purely mechanical features in items such as micro spot welds or multi-layer composite materials. For more


New Products

information, contact SonoLab manager Ray Thomas at 847-437-6400 x 245. www.sonoscan.com

New company introduces x-ray imaging system for electronics manufacturersUnicomp North America LLC, a joint venture from Innovative Equipment Technology, Inc., and Equipment Services LLC, introduces the all new AX-7100L x-ray imaging system. The Unicomp X-Ray AX7100L is effective for many applications within the PCB manufacturing process. BGA, CSP, flip-chip, COB, QFN standard SMT and PTH attachment quality can be analyzed using the AX7100L. As a flexible workstation, the AX7100L is a powerful support tool for process development, process monitoring and refinement of the rework operation. In addition to the PCBA analysis, the AX7100L can be utilized for many other electronics applications within a typical PCBA factory. www.unicomp-na.com

adjustable and stackable storage racks for any size PcBThe FKN Systek F9000 is the solution to finding the right size PCB rack for your board holding and transport requirements. You can customize your own board storage solution with this modular system. The basic unit holds 32 boards up to 6.7” (170mm) long. Modules can be assembled side by side to hold longer Printed Circuit Cards. Standard extrusions allow card width up to 10.25”. Extrusions can be cut to custom length for wider cards. Pop in molding strips for the back of the side plate can be used as PCB stops. Card guides are tapered at the front end for easy PCB insertion. Runner spacing is .39” (10mm) with a depth of 0.079” (2mm). Capacity: 30 PCBs 6.7” (170mm) long. www.fknsystek.com

Digi-Key Tools Xpress program for embedded design engineersElectronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation launched Digi-Key Tools Xpress in partnership with

Embedded Developer, LLC. Digi-Key Tools Xpress provides embedded design engineers with a worldwide sales and distribution network for development tools. Digi-Key Tools Xpress is the only development tool program in the industry that gives engineers the capability to compare tools based on features and performance before making a purchase. This comparison capability was developed by Embedded Developer and is modeled after its signature device-compare process. Additionally, the Digi-Key Tools Xpress

program provides embedded engineers with more purchasing options from Digi-Key’s extensive offering of embedded development tools. The program also allows engineers to minimize research time concerning tool options and availability and maximize design efficiency. www.digikey.com, www.EmbeddedDeveloper.com

STi electronics introduces products and services to support cable/harness assemblySTI Electronics, Inc., introduces cable

The Award Winning XD7600NT100HPThe Ultimate in X-ray Inspection

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• Distortionfree2.0Mpixelimages with>65,000greyscalelevelsall displayedona24”HDmonitor

Computerised Tomography

TheXD7600NT100HPcanbeequippedwithacomputerisedtomography(CT)optionproviding3Dmodelingandvolumetricmeasurementofsolderjoints,ideallysuitedforanalyticalinvestigationsofsolderinterconnectionsforcriticalapplicationssuchasstackeddie,MEMS,package-in-packageandpackage-on-package.

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DG-3110 Single half page island.v3 AW.indd 1 07/04/2010 11:32


New Products

assembly kits and training to support customers involved in cable and harness assembly. STI’s Cable Assembly Kit addresses the majority of component types that are encountered in operational production. It utilizes Mil Spec style connectors that have two sizes of contacts, combined with the appropriate insertion/extraction tools. Additional terminals, solder sleeves, and crimp lug terminations are provided for broad skill development. Additionally, as a result of customer requests, STI has included a terminal soldering kit for enhanced soldering skill development. The Cable Assembly Kit is effectively used in STI’s NASA Cable and Harness Training program. www.stielectronicsinc.com

Free ‘top tips’ dispensing guide

Download “25 Top Dispensing Tips” from Intertronics’ website, free. The free guide covers the ins-and-outs of fluid dispensing with top tips on subjects such as the best type of tips to use for solder paste or conductive epoxies, dispensing of light sensitive materials, how to prevent dripping or backflow, how to increase accuracy and how to minimize clogging in the dispensing tip. There are also tips on low viscosity materials and micro-dispensing, right down to correct tip angles. Intertronics are also offering a free sample kit including a selection of tips, barrels and other consumables, all featuring industry-standard fittings and total backward compatibility. www.intertronics.co.uk/25toptips

BPM Microsystems introduces new generation flash memory programming systemBPM Microsystems announces the release of its latest generation Flashstream® flash vector programming system, the Flashstream 2800F-MK2. This new addition to BPM Microsystems’ flash memory device programmer family combines the largest memory capacity on the market with the latest 64-bit architecture. Breaking past the

32-bit barrier is another industry first for BPM Microsystems and a true milestone in programmer evolution, with full data capacity support for devices larger than 4 GB. By combining the latest 64-bit architecture with the new 16 GB memory module, the Flashstream 2800F-MK2 currently supports device data files up to 125.5 Gb with theoretical device size support up to 8 Eb. Programmers that still use 32-bit architectures are limited to device data file sizes of less than 4 GB. As device densities and file sizes continue to increase, the 2800F-MK2 is ready to handle the most demanding flash memory programming requirements. www.bpmmicro.com

New method for reworking bottom termination devices

BEST Inc. has developed a new, simple method for reworking and hand-placing leadless devices such as QFNs, MLFs and LGAs. The new, patent-pending BEST StencilMate™ polyimide stencil helps simplifies the rework process by controllably “bumping” leadless devices. In addition, build to order stencil pairs prevent the bridging of neighboring solder joints while allowing technicians to “fit” QFNs into “stay-in-place” stencils onto the PCB thus eliminating the need for high-end rework equipment with placement equipment and highly experienced repair technicians. Each StencilMate™ pair is custom engineered to the application at hand. Deliveries are (5) business days with 24-48 hr expedites available. There are no NRE charges for custom stencils. www.solder.net

Need eSD protection?—don’t overlook the labelTRIBOGARD antistatic label materials,jpgPolyonics announces the release of TRIBOGARD® antistatic label materials; XF-781 and XF-782 polyimide. A possible root cause for electronic device failure is

an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event at the board level. Using antistatic labels can be an effective corrective action step to help prevent static discharge events. TRIBOGARD® label materials are designed to address two major ESD concerns that standard labels can present. First, they eliminate the charge generated when the label is removed from the liner that can discharge and destroy sensitive components during application. Second, after the label has been applied and during the label life, the TRIBOGARD® label has been designed to prevent significant charge build-up on the label surface which can result in a static discharge event. www.polyonics.com

low cTe reworkable underfill for superior thermal cycle performance

Zymet has introduced a new silica-filled reworkable board-level underfill encapsulant, X2825, whose coefficient of thermal expansion, CTE, is 26 ppm/˚C. The underfill enhances drop and shock test reliability and, compared to higher CTE underfills, provides superior thermal cycle performance. X2825’s lower CTE imparts superior thermal cycle performance. In one trial, thermal cycling of a BGA between -20°C and +85°C, an unfilled version of this product, with a CTE of 60 ppm/°C, resulted in first failure at 500 cycles. X2825 had no failures after 1500 cycles. www.zymet.com

high strength composite bonding adhesive cures within an hourMaster Bond fiberglass adhesive EP33 facilitates the reliable bonding of fiberglass to a variety of different substrates. It has been specially designed to overcome CTE mismatch complications. Curing at room temperature, it produces durable, high strength, and tough bonds between fiberglass, wood, metals, vulcanized rubbers and many plastics. The cured fiberglass adhesive composition is an excellent electrical insulator with superb dielectric performance. It maintains an impressive strength profile of 220 Kg/cm²


New Products

(3100 psi) in shear even after exposure to temperatures in the 205-235°C (400-450°F) range. Curing can be accelerated to as short as 1 hour at 95°C. www.masterbond.com.

rFiD Wizard for eaSylaBel® labeling softwareEASYLABEL®’s RFID Wizard allows you to easily create EPC (electronic product code) and DoD (Department of Defense) smart labels. The RFID Wizard will prompt you for the necessary information and EASYLABEL will do the rest. RFID projects that do not require the EPC or DoD RFID code can use EASYLABEL to directly program HF (High Frequency) or UHF (Ultra High Frequency) smart labels in a hexadecimal or ASCII format. A complimentary trial edition is available for download from Tharo’s web site at www.tharo.com.

Directional ionisation possible with Static Solutions’ Dc ionising air nozzlesThe GO Stat 4000 series of DC ionising air nozzles from Static Solutions is ideal for providing static control and particle dispersion, as well as enabling ionisation in difficult to access locations. In the electronics industry, particularly in chip production and PCB cleaning, static problems can be confined to a small, local area. The DC ionising nozzles can precisely direct an ionised air stream with pinpoint control. www.static-solutions.comNew low cost boundary scan controller for Pci BusAt the “Embedded World” in Nuremberg/Germany GOEPEL electronic introduced the SCANBOOSTER/PCI-DT, a new high-performance, low cost boundary scan controller, as an addition to the company’s SCANBOOSTER™ product line. The new controller is compliant with the PCI bus specification and supports JTAG/boundary scan tests, VarioTAP® emulation tests, in-system programming (ISP) for PLD and FPGA, as well as in-system programming for flash serial EEPROM devices of moderate size. Programs developed for the controller are cross-compatible with any controller of the SCANBOOSTERr™ series or the innovative SCANFLEX® Boundary Scan platform. www.goepel.com

honeywell announces new thermal management materials for portable computing devicesHoneywell Electronic Materials announced today a new printable thermal

management material designed to help manage the tremendous heat produced by increasingly powerful semiconductors in portable computing devices such as laptops and netbooks. In typical mobile computing applications, chip temperature rises steeply at start-up and remains high during operations. The new material, Honeywell PCM45M-SP, is designed to meet these specific thermal management requirements, delivering reliable power

cycling performance where other thermal materials would typically fail. The application is not limited to heat sink design, and the material may be applied to a component, heat sink or thermal spreader in any shape built into the printing screen. www.honeywell.com/em

GOT BALLS?Not Likely… and if so, got more than you can handle?Ordering solder spheres can be difficult. Our competitors would rather not entertain your order for solder spheres … unless, of course, you are looking to order a cool quarter of a million. But what about different alloys and sizes? Yeah, looks like you will have to order too much.

EasySpheres solves this dilemma. You need 10,000 of a Sn63/Pb37 .020” diameter? No sweat, we can help. How about filling that engineering request for Sn10/Pb90 .030” diameter? Your engineer can have those in his hands tomorrow morning*. At EasySpheres, we stock a broad selection of first run solder spheres, alloys and sizes. We can easily fill your order whether you want 10,000 or several million. Our state-of-the-art Web site can process your request in three easy steps. After all, our name is our word.

* Orders placed by 11:00 AM Pacific Standard will ship the same day.

Visit us at www.easyspheres.com


New Products

Last month this column addressed, somewhat philosophically, the subject of reliability, but it was insufficient in and of itself to cover all the important point,s so this column will build and expand on the earlier notions.

Those who have taken up the burden of trying to assure product reliability in the realm of electronics are increasingly finding themselves faced with grim reality that the current trajectory of electronics manufacturing, based on legislative mandates such as the EU ban on lead in electronic solder, is taking the industry in

the wrong direction relative to reliability. To date, the global electronics industry has spent several tens of billions of dollars to make the conversion to lead free. Unfortunately, it appears that both the consumer and the environment will be paying an ongoing price for the folly of “feel good” legislation, both in terms of wasted energy and less reliable products. Poor reliability is not cheap, and it never will be. Early product failures result in higher warranty costs to the manufacturer and the potential for product recalls, the cost of which can run into tens of

millions of dollars. That number could be multiplied many times over as every manufacturer faces the same risk.

While lead-free is an increasingly identified target, it is not the lone culprit. Dr. Craig Hillman of DfR Solutions, Inc., has pointed out that the semiconductor industry’s relentless effort to keep the faith with Moore’s Law is not going to make the job of those tasked with assuring reliability any easier. It is worrisome that little attention seems to be given to the impact of such pursuits on the long-term reliability of semiconductor (i.e., integrated circuit) products. The problem is that each new generation of integrated circuit technology, which must adhere to the laws of physics, is proving less reliable over time than the past. In a presentation at a Coventry, England, SMART Group-sponsored Technology World conference in November 2008, Dr. Hillman presented a graph in his talk, titled “Technology Breakthroughs- Bending the Design Rules,”1 which showed that long term reliability of ICs has been in rapid decline since feature sizes dropped below 250 nm. A modification of that graph is provided in Figure 1. The implications are that the industry is now on the cusp of producing products that might have mean life times of less than five years, when only a few short years ago lifetime expectations ran to several decades, or even as long as a few centuries.

In response to the challenges faced by the industry in this regard, one potential solution might be found by turning the

The growing reliability gap and some thoughts on how to bridge it


Joe Fjelstad

Figure 1. The overall reliability of electronic products is predicated on the reliability of the IC itself. For most of the history of electronics, the IC has been the single most reliable element; however as feature sizes shrink, the reli-ability is also being reduced as the chart indicates creating an ever enlarging gap between customer expectations/demands and physical reality, especially for higher reliability applications. How that gap might be closed is a subject that must be addressed sooner or later.



clock of technology backwards just a few years to an earlier technology node, while at the same time continuing to press out the edges of 3D technologies, which is and activity presently underway with TSV (through silicon via) and stacked chip solutions. Interestingly, 3D technologies have been viewed by some as a way to extend Moore’s Law (or predictions) by going vertical. The 3D approach has the potential to extend the reach of the spirit of Moore’s Law without suffering the potential loss of reliability due to leakage caused by diffusion of metals through silicon at lower nanometer nodes.

If one is to entertain the heresy of going backwards to find the future, then one might as well consider something else that may be even more radical, and that is to simplify design rather than to increase complexity as we are continuing to do. This non-standard prescription was being formulated even before an IBM researcher recently warned during a paper presentation at the International Symposium on Physical Design (ISPD) of “design rule explosion” beyond the 22-nanometer node2. Another thing is worth noting here, and that is that IC designers are presently putting more and more function into chips that is much too often untapped by the next level circuit designer. While the most common defense is that they add the extra circuits “because they can,” this actually creates a great deal of waste in terms of both money and energy. So this gives rise to a simple question: “What if the product level circuit designer could design using only the exact IP circuit blocks he needed and nothing more?”

In actuality, this is not a completely radical idea; it is the way things used to be in earlier days circuit design. The older readers will likely remember Heathkit electronics, which provided such simple building block components that the hobbyist could use to create their own electronic products and systems. These early designs were crisp designs, designs that were comprised of nothing more than was needed and in keeping with the advice of Albert Einstein, who once stated that “one should make things as simple as possible and not one bit simpler.”

Carrying the thought forward a bit further, the reader is asked to consider the possibility that all of the components produced containing those IP blocks were produced and packaged on a wafer, each of them having their I/O on a universally

used common I/O pitch. The IP block chips produced in such a manner would also be both small and cheap and equally important highly reliable. While granting that there will be concerns about handling devices that might be vanishingly small, there are now emerging developments in component handling technology described in this column a few months ago that will make possible the assembly of devices as small as 100 µm on a side.

The designer could then lay out his or her circuit in much less space with fewer circuit layers, yet with much greater ease as routing channels would be predictably and easily navigated, in a manner described by Professor Len Shaper and his colleagues at the University of Arkansas in their IMPS design concept. The final product might well look something like (or even very much like) LEGO® blocks, another concept which has been suggested in this column more than once in the past, and Figure 2 is provided to help the reader with that visualization.

All of the supporting technology could follow a similar path making equally simple products that fit the basic pattern of a common grid. This would include connectors, sockets, test systems and the like. This provides a path to the future that is clear and easily understood, and interestingly, it takes its lessons from the past when most companies designed and manufactured PCBs using a fundamental grid pitch 100 mils (0.100" centers) because most components lead pitches were as well. It was then and still is, at its core, both simple and powerful. Moreover it could

well pave the way to much easier and improved system design and a less expensive alternative to system on a chip and system in a package.

As a final thought looking forward with these concepts from the past, while solder technology can easily be adapted to the concepts described, given the problems of lead-free solder, the concepts are perhaps better suited to solderless manufacturing concepts that sidestep the soldering process3 altogether.

In summary, the tailings removed from the intellectual mine in which the electronics industry has been digging for the last several decades is a high value ore, rich in opportunities and capable of providing significant and sustainable value to the electronics industry and its customers, both now and in the future but reliability is key. The simplicity of many past concepts that have been

discarded should be reevaluated in the presence of new and evolving technologies which can extract the value that has been left behind.

1. http://www.dfrsolutions.com/press-releases/2008_11_dfr_technology_world_england.pdf

2. http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224200982&cid=NL_eet

3. http://www.semiconductor.net/article/440040-Reversing_the_Electronic_Assembly_Process.php

Verdant Electronics founder and president Joseph (Joe) Fjelstad has more than 35 years

of international experience in electronic interconnection and packaging technology in

a variety of capacities from chemist to process engineer and from international consultant to CEO. Mr. Fjelstad is also a well known author writing on the subject of electronic

interconnection technologies. Prior to founding Verdant, Mr. Fjelstad co-founded SiliconPipe

a leader in the development of high speed interconnection technologies. He was also

formerly with Tessera Technologies, a global leader in chip-scale packaging, where he was

appointed to the first corporate fellowship for his innovations.

Figure 2. LEGO® blocks can serve as an easily identifiable inspi-ration for a fresh way of looking at the intrinsic benefit of employ-ing a standard grid for electronic circuit design if the designer will allow. The solution has benefits that cascade over into all areas of the manufacturing cycle including: design, production and test.


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Association & institutes newsNMi membership hits 200 with areva T&DThe membership of the National Microelectronics Institute (NMI), the trade association representing the semiconductor industry in the UK and Ireland, has reached 200. The Institute, which has seen its membership increase by 100% over the last 3 years, has welcomed global energy transmission and distribution company AREVA T&D as its 200th member.

Derek Boyd, CEO, NMI said, “A particular area of activity where we see opportunity for improving synergy with Government policy is low carbon industrial strategy and initiatives. As a result, we’ve expanded our work in power electronics and created a new NMI Network called ‘Electronics Enabling the Low Carbon Economy’. This will embrace companies in sectors actively involved in reducing carbon emissions, such as energy generation, energy distribution and transport. We’re very excited therefore to pass the 200

member landmark with AREVA T&D.”He added, “It’s become vital that

industry works together to enrich the UK’s eco-system in key application areas such as low carbon and communications for example. Expanding the NMI’s remit therefore to include more companies like AREVA T&D helps us to achieve this aim by stimulating yet more innovation and investment.”

Dr. Norman MacLeod, Technology Director, AREVA T&D PES said, “We chose to join the NMI because it has proven its ability to grow from its micro-electronics roots to embrace a far wider ‘mega-electronics’ community. By joining we aim to increase our involvement with the UK electronics industry and

Government and better compete in the exciting international power electronics arena.”

A not-for-profit organisation funded by its members, the NMI was founded in 1996 and provides leadership on industry issues and a range of activities designed to encourage innovation, communication and collaboration. Membership features electronic product companies, fabless semiconductor manufacturers, IDMs, foundries, design services, IP and EDA tool providers, research and academic institutions. www.nmi.org.ukeiPc Summer conference 2010—Nuremberg, GermanyThe European Institute of Printed Circuits (EIPC) has announced that their Summer Conference will take place at the NürnbergMesse & CongressCentre Nürnberg (CCN Ost), Germany on Monday June 7th and Tuesday June 8th 2010.

EIPC have teamed up with

Association & institutes news


Association News

the organisers of SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING to bring to the annual Nuremberg event a perspective on the basic building block of the electronics industry which the event is aimed at. In addition to the conference the EIPC offers a Bonus Programme on Reliability on June 8. The bonus programme is organised based on the request of EIPC members and delegates of the EIPC Summer Conference St. Michael and the EIPC Winter Conference Toulouse. Furthermore, the JISSO European Council Seminar will also be held at the same venue on June 9. This will be the first open-to-the-public JISSO event in Europe, so within the space of a few days there will be much to see and hear.

The Summer Conference this year will cover a wide range of topics, with speakers from companies such as AT&S, Eltek, Würth Elektronik, Isola GmbH, BPA Consulting, Enthone, Atotech, Coates, as well as leading names within the drilling industry. The focus will be on cost reduction, yield improvement, and energy efficiency. Walt Custer will be looking at the markets and new technologies.

To register, contact the EIPC office at [email protected] or [email protected]. www.eipc.org

iMaPS-uK “Beyond Solder” technical seminar announced“Beyond Solder—Helping You Make Reliable Connections”When:30.06.2010

Where:The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington, UKIMAPS-UK, the UK Microelectronics Packaging Society has announced details of their one day technical seminar “Beyond Solder” being held at the National Physics Laboratory, London on the 30 June 2010, in conjunction with the Innovative electronics Manufacturing Research Centre (IeMRC).

As engineers are presented with the challenge of fitting more functionality into smaller spaces, getting more power out of devices, dissipating increasing levels of heat from components and ensuring improved levels of reliability, the methods used for interconnect are often key in achieving these goals.

The IMAPS-UK “Beyond Solder” Technical Seminar investigates the different interconnection methods being used and developed today, which overcome these challenges. These include ultrasonically

bonded interconnects, reliable connections for harsh environments, conductive adhesives, press-fit connections for high reliability applications, parallel welding of ultra thin wires & ribbons, innovative die attach materials, flip chip connections & nano-scale interconnects.

The Seminar will comprise eight technical presentations in four sessions, with coffee & lunch breaks in between. These will be followed by a general discussion, which will review and assess the challenges in packaging that need to be addressed for different applications. There will also be ample opportunity for networking with fellow delegates from leading companies and institutions in the UK. In addition, there is a complementary tabletop exhibition showcasing leading companies in the field.

The event is open to all, including non IMAPS-UK members; however space for the event is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Further details of the Seminar can be obtained by visiting the IMAPS-UK website www.imaps.org.uk or by emailing the Societies Secretariat: [email protected]. www.imaps.org.uk

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International Diary18-19 MayNational Electronics Week London, UKnationalelectronicsweek.co.uk

2-4 June Protec JISSO/JPCA Tokyo, Japanwww.jpcashow.com

8-10 June SMT/Hybrid/Packaging Nuremberg, Germanywww.smt-exhibition.com

13-15 July Semicon WestSan Francisco, Californiawww.semiconwest.org

7-10 September electronica India/productronica India Bangalore, Indiawww.productronica-india.com

15-17 September GlobalTRONICS Singaporewww.globaltronics.com.sg

28-20 September IPC Midwest Conference & Expo Schaumburg, Illinois, USAwww.ipcmidwestshow.com

5-7 October GEM Expo Brazil São Paulo, Brazilwww.gemexpobrazil.com

24-28 October SMTA International Orlando, Florida, USAwww.smta.org/smtai

31 October-4 November IMAPS Symposium Raleigh, North Carolina, USAwww.imaps2010.org

International Diary

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A GLOBAL Technology Award sends the message that your product or service is an innovation and quality leader in an industry crowded with competing products.

Sponsored by Global SMT & Packaging magazine, the GLOBAL Technology Awards are now in their sixth year of recognizing and celebrating innovation in the electronics manufacturing industry. Entries are being accepted now through July 31st.

Entries are invited from equipment, materials and EMS companies of all sizes. In addition to the award statue, winners receive publicity in a special awards issue

of each of Global SMT & Packaging magazine’s five editions (US, Europe, China, Korea & South East Asia) as well as on the Global SMT & Packaging and GLOBAL Technology Award websites and in the Global SMT & Packaging email newsletters. Winners also receive a small poster for use at trade shows and an image and logo for use in advertising, websites and other promotional materials.

Enter now: http://awards.globalsmt.net

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global smt & packaging may 2010 - european edition

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