SMT Today Issue 8

Leadership Through Innovation

Phoenix Partners and Ersa GmbH

red carpetWho’s doing what, where?

meet the CEos Page 8

Jay Wimer of Valtronic Petri Halonen or JOT Automation Kevin Maddy of Zumtobel North America David Trail of Horizon Sales

| FEBRUARY 2015 ISSUE smttoday.com

Special edition2015

The Magazine for the Electronics Industry

Page 3

welcome to smt today

Lin Ramsay, EditorEmail: [email protected]: lin-smttodayCall: +44 1292 834009

Welcome to the IPC APEX edition of SMT Today – the leading global magazine which focuses solely on the electronics industry, providing the best content and largest distribution through the latest technology channels.

This edition of SMT Today includes technical articles, interviews and the latest product announcements with contributions from many of the electronic industry’s leaders and technology experts.

As a team we will be at the IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego and will be delighted to welcome any exhibitor or visitor to our booth # 3907. In addition, it will provide a great opportunity to share information on the additional services that SMT Today can offer in the form of marketing, media exposure, inclusion in a quality printed magazine with multi-platform compatibility and complimentary videoing capabilities.

The next issue of SMT Today will be published in March and will focus on the National Electronics Week trade show in April at The Pavilion Hall, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Therefore, if you’ve any articles or advertisements that you’d like included, please don’t hesitate to send them to me at [email protected].

In the meantime, if you’ve any feedback on the content/format of this magazine, together with suggestions or input for forthcoming issues, I’d love to hear from you. We publish on a bi-monthly basis and, for more information, our media kit can be found on our website at www.smttoday.com. Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly - my contact details are below.

Otherwise, I’ll look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

Page 3

welcome to smt today

Lin Ramsay, EditorEmail: [email protected]: lin-smttodayCall: +44 1292 834009

Welcome to the IPC APEX edition of SMT Today – the leading global magazine which focuses solely on the electronics industry, providing the best content and largest distribution through the latest technology channels.

This edition of SMT Today includes technical articles, interviews and the latest product announcements with contributions from many of the electronic industry’s leaders and technology experts.

As a team we will be at the IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego and will be delighted to welcome any exhibitor or visitor to our booth # 3907. In addition, it will provide a great opportunity to share information on the additional services that SMT Today can offer in the form of marketing, media exposure, inclusion in a quality printed magazine with multi-platform compatibility and complimentary videoing capabilities.

The next issue of SMT Today will be published in March and will focus on the National Electronics Week trade show in April at The Pavilion Hall, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Therefore, if you’ve any articles or advertisements that you’d like included, please don’t hesitate to send them to me at [email protected].

In the meantime, if you’ve any feedback on the content/format of this magazine, together with suggestions or input for forthcoming issues, I’d love to hear from you. We publish on a bi-monthly basis and, for more information, our media kit can be found on our website at www.smttoday.com. Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly - my contact details are below.

Otherwise, I’ll look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.smttoday.com


26

58

32

10

12

6 IPC APEX 2015 22nd - 26th February Take a look into some of the featured products

Technology Today Industry experts share their knowledge

12 Ten Technical Predictions for 2015 14 Inspiring System Partners18 The Future of Cleaning and the Environmental Implications22 Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer Embraces X-Ray Inspection for Next-Generation Devices30 PDR IR-E3Vi Gold - For SMT/BGA Reworking

…it’s the real package!36 Using Innovation to Improve Manufacturing40 ANewApproachtoReducingReflowCostswhile

Maintaining Oven Performance44 Using Advanced Technologies to Reach the ‘Pinnacle’ of Medical Training Excellence48 On-Shoring in the USA52 Samsung Sells Shares of Its SMT Business in a Win-WinthatBenefitsCustomers&CompaniesAlike54 Leadership Through Innovation62 VapourPhaseorConvectionReflow

Director Spotlight Interview with industry experts

10 Albrecht Beck, Kurtz Ersa North America Inc.

Industry News What’s happening in the world of electronics

New Products Exciting new industry innovations

Red Carpet Photo gallery of industry personalities and events

inside this issue...

magazine contacts...

36Using Innovation to Improve Manufacturing

6IPC APEX 2015

10Director Spotlight

8Meet the CEOs

58Red Carpet

Editor Lin Ramsay [email protected] +44(0)1292 834009 skype: lin-smttoday

Design Big Blue Dog bigbluedogdesign.com +44(0)1292 280022

Website smttoday.com

Articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily express the views of the Editor or the publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information published. No legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from articles/information contained and published.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publishers.

NEXT EDITION March/April’s edition will focus on the National Electronics Week Trade Show in Birmingham, UK 21st - 22nd April 2015

Book your space now

Advertising Enquiries To enquire about available advertising opportunities, please use the contacts below for more information.

European Advertising [email protected]

UK Advertising [email protected]

USA Advertising [email protected] Ramsay, Editor





26

58

32

10

12

6 IPC APEX 2015 22nd - 26th February Take a look into some of the featured products

Technology Today Industry experts share their knowledge

12 Ten Technical Predictions for 2015 14 Inspiring System Partners18 The Future of Cleaning and the Environmental Implications22 Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer Embraces X-Ray Inspection for Next-Generation Devices30 PDR IR-E3Vi Gold - For SMT/BGA Reworking

…it’s the real package!36 Using Innovation to Improve Manufacturing40 ANewApproachtoReducingReflowCostswhile

Maintaining Oven Performance44 Using Advanced Technologies to Reach the ‘Pinnacle’ of Medical Training Excellence48 On-Shoring in the USA52 Samsung Sells Shares of Its SMT Business in a Win-WinthatBenefitsCustomers&CompaniesAlike54 Leadership Through Innovation62 VapourPhaseorConvectionReflow

Director Spotlight Interview with industry experts

10 Albrecht Beck, Kurtz Ersa North America Inc.

Industry News What’s happening in the world of electronics

New Products Exciting new industry innovations

Red Carpet Photo gallery of industry personalities and events

inside this issue...

magazine contacts...

36Using Innovation to Improve Manufacturing

6IPC APEX 2015

10Director Spotlight

8Meet the CEOs

58Red Carpet

Editor Lin Ramsay [email protected] +44(0)1292 834009 skype: lin-smttoday

Design Big Blue Dog bigbluedogdesign.com +44(0)1292 280022

Website smttoday.com

Articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily express the views of the Editor or the publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information published. No legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from articles/information contained and published.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publishers.

NEXT EDITION March/April’s edition will focus on the National Electronics Week Trade Show in Birmingham, UK 21st - 22nd April 2015

Book your space now

Advertising Enquiries To enquire about available advertising opportunities, please use the contacts below for more information.

European Advertising [email protected]

UK Advertising [email protected]

USA Advertising [email protected] Ramsay, Editor

Page 6 | FEBRUARY 2015 ISSUEThe Magazine for the Electronics Industry

IPC APEX EXPO 2015 San Diego, USA | 22nd – 26th February

Professionals from 47 countries around the world and 49 US states will be represented and come together to participate in the technical conference, exhibition and professional development, standards development and certificationprogrammes.

Representatives of the supply chain – PCB manufacturers, designers, OEMs, EMS companies and more will be in attendance, providing the opportunity to renew or enhance business relationships through access to a diverse range of colleagues and industry leaders. Connections will be made everywhere - in educational sessions, on the show floor, at receptions and during networking events.

These activities offer seemingly endless opportunities to gain exposure to new products, network with industry colleagues, visit existing/new suppliers and continuous development through the training and educational programmes. All of which can positively impact careers and companies by providing the knowledge, technical skills and best practices to address any of today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

Here’s a snapshot of what some of the exhibitors will be displaying on the show floor:____________________________________

Akrometrix LLC Booth No: 2935

Akrometrix, the leader in elevated temperature surface characterization, will demonstrate the Interface Analysis software that allows high level and in-depth review of the attachment interface between two surfaces that warp during a micro-electronics production reflow profile.Surface-mount components may warp during the reflow process, as well as

the associated land area. This warpage between components and the land area can contribute to defects such as Head-on-Pillow, shorts and opens. Fully understanding the critical interface between surfaces is more important than ever.____________________________________

Aqueous Technologies Booth No: 1549

Aqueous Technologies, North America’s largest manufacturer of fully automated cleaning/defluxing machines and cleanliness testing equipment, will demonstrate a line-up of environmentally responsible cleaning and cleanliness testing products, including the Trident ZDO, the Trident LDO, the Zero-Ion G3 and the StencilWasher ZDO. The StencilWasher ZDO zero discharge ultrasonic stencil cleaning system is designed to remove all solder paste types including no-clean, rosin, and water soluble as well as all uncured SMT adhesives. StencilWasher-ZDO is equipped with a filtered and recirculated wash system and a fully closed-loop rinse system.____________________________________

ASC International Inc Booth No: 912

ASC International, a leading manufacturer of 3-D solder paste inspection and automated optical inspection (AOI) systems will demonstrate the new LineMaster DM platform, VisionPro AP500 and VisionPro M Series (SP3D/M500) SPI systems. The new LineMaster DM incorporates SPI and AOI into one platform for “Dual Mode”

performance. The solid AOI / SPI platform validates the overall variables associated with component placement and solder paste printing.

____________________________________

Essemtec AG Booth No: 1211

Essemtec, the Swiss manufacturer of production systems for electronic assembly and packaging, will demonstrate the multi-functional SMT centre Paraquda, Cubus SMT storage device and the new Lynx highly flexible and accurate pick and place system.

The Lynx bridges the gap between the Pantera X-plus and Paraquda SMT placers. It is ideally suited for high-mix SMT production. With 180 feeder lanes on 0.85 sqm it offers the highest feeder density on the market.

____________________________________

KYZEN Booth No: 1011

KYZEN’s innovative new product technology team will be introducing their new AQUANOX A4708 pH Neutral Electronic Assembly Cleaning Chemistry. The introduction of the AQUANOX A4708 also aligns with KYZEN’s announcement that 2015 is its 25th year anniversary serving the electronics manufacturing industry and plans for the anniversary celebrations will also be announced at the show.____________________________________

MIRTEC Corporation Booth No: 2333

“The Global Leader in Inspection Technology” will premier its complete line of 3D AOI and SPI Inspection Systems. MIRTEC will feature three distinct lines of inspection equipment specifically designed to address the full spectrum of inspection requirements associated with the electronics manufacturing industry – The Precision,

Performance and Advantage Series. MIRTEC’s ALL NEW MV-6E In-Line AOI Machine combines MIRTEC’s exclusive 10 Mega Pixel Top-Down camera with a Precision 13.4um Telecentric Compound Lens and four (4) 10 Mega Pixel Side-View Cameras in a newly designed cost effective platform.____________________________________

Nordson YESTECH Booth No: 1101

A subsidiary of Nordson Corporation, Nordson YESTECH, will showcase their FX-940 Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) in-line PCB inspection system and BX AOI benchtop system. The new FX-940 offers the latest multi-dimensional technology for the inspection of solder, defects/lifted leads, component presence and position, correct part/polarity, through-hole parts and co-planarity of chips, BGAs and other height sensitive devices. The new Nordson YESTECH FX-940 offers the latest multi-dimensional technology for the inspection of solder defects, lead defects / lifted leads, component presence and position, correct part / polarity, through-hole parts, and co-planarity of chips, BGAs and other height sensitive devices.____________________________________

Speedprint Technology Booth No: 2833

Discover low-maintenance screen printing with Speedprint Technology’s advanced systems. Two SP710s will be on display, equipped with a dual syringe advanced dispense unit for precise deposition of solder paste, adhesive and other materials. In addition, the Advanced Dispense Unit+ (ADu+) will be on show and, with the Velocity Plus throughput enhancement, the SP710 is the fastest printer in its class with a six second core cycle time.

Two SP710s will be on display, equipped with a dual syringe Advanced Dispense unit for precise deposition of solder paste, adhesive and other materials. ____________________________________

IPC APEX EXPO 2015 is a unique five-day event for the global printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing industry and enables product designers, technical experts and company executives from around the world to collaborate on new ideas. It will be the largest event in North America and focuses on printed board design and fabrication, electronics assembly and test.


IPC APEX EXPO 2015 San Diego, USA | 22nd – 26th February

Professionals from 47 countries around the world and 49 US states will be represented and come together to participate in the technical conference, exhibition and professional development, standards development and certificationprogrammes.

Representatives of the supply chain – PCB manufacturers, designers, OEMs, EMS companies and more will be in attendance, providing the opportunity to renew or enhance business relationships through access to a diverse range of colleagues and industry leaders. Connections will be made everywhere - in educational sessions, on the show floor, at receptions and during networking events.

These activities offer seemingly endless opportunities to gain exposure to new products, network with industry colleagues, visit existing/new suppliers and continuous development through the training and educational programmes. All of which can positively impact careers and companies by providing the knowledge, technical skills and best practices to address any of today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

Here’s a snapshot of what some of the exhibitors will be displaying on the show floor:____________________________________

Akrometrix LLC Booth No: 2935

Akrometrix, the leader in elevated temperature surface characterization, will demonstrate the Interface Analysis software that allows high level and in-depth review of the attachment interface between two surfaces that warp during a micro-electronics production reflow profile.Surface-mount components may warp during the reflow process, as well as

the associated land area. This warpage between components and the land area can contribute to defects such as Head-on-Pillow, shorts and opens. Fully understanding the critical interface between surfaces is more important than ever.____________________________________

Aqueous Technologies Booth No: 1549

Aqueous Technologies, North America’s largest manufacturer of fully automated cleaning/defluxing machines and cleanliness testing equipment, will demonstrate a line-up of environmentally responsible cleaning and cleanliness testing products, including the Trident ZDO, the Trident LDO, the Zero-Ion G3 and the StencilWasher ZDO. The StencilWasher ZDO zero discharge ultrasonic stencil cleaning system is designed to remove all solder paste types including no-clean, rosin, and water soluble as well as all uncured SMT adhesives. StencilWasher-ZDO is equipped with a filtered and recirculated wash system and a fully closed-loop rinse system.____________________________________

ASC International Inc Booth No: 912

ASC International, a leading manufacturer of 3-D solder paste inspection and automated optical inspection (AOI) systems will demonstrate the new LineMaster DM platform, VisionPro AP500 and VisionPro M Series (SP3D/M500) SPI systems. The new LineMaster DM incorporates SPI and AOI into one platform for “Dual Mode”

performance. The solid AOI / SPI platform validates the overall variables associated with component placement and solder paste printing.

____________________________________

Essemtec AG Booth No: 1211

Essemtec, the Swiss manufacturer of production systems for electronic assembly and packaging, will demonstrate the multi-functional SMT centre Paraquda, Cubus SMT storage device and the new Lynx highly flexible and accurate pick and place system.

The Lynx bridges the gap between the Pantera X-plus and Paraquda SMT placers. It is ideally suited for high-mix SMT production. With 180 feeder lanes on 0.85 sqm it offers the highest feeder density on the market.

____________________________________

KYZEN Booth No: 1011

KYZEN’s innovative new product technology team will be introducing their new AQUANOX A4708 pH Neutral Electronic Assembly Cleaning Chemistry. The introduction of the AQUANOX A4708 also aligns with KYZEN’s announcement that 2015 is its 25th year anniversary serving the electronics manufacturing industry and plans for the anniversary celebrations will also be announced at the show.____________________________________

MIRTEC Corporation Booth No: 2333

“The Global Leader in Inspection Technology” will premier its complete line of 3D AOI and SPI Inspection Systems. MIRTEC will feature three distinct lines of inspection equipment specifically designed to address the full spectrum of inspection requirements associated with the electronics manufacturing industry – The Precision,

Performance and Advantage Series. MIRTEC’s ALL NEW MV-6E In-Line AOI Machine combines MIRTEC’s exclusive 10 Mega Pixel Top-Down camera with a Precision 13.4um Telecentric Compound Lens and four (4) 10 Mega Pixel Side-View Cameras in a newly designed cost effective platform.____________________________________

Nordson YESTECH Booth No: 1101

A subsidiary of Nordson Corporation, Nordson YESTECH, will showcase their FX-940 Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) in-line PCB inspection system and BX AOI benchtop system. The new FX-940 offers the latest multi-dimensional technology for the inspection of solder, defects/lifted leads, component presence and position, correct part/polarity, through-hole parts and co-planarity of chips, BGAs and other height sensitive devices. The new Nordson YESTECH FX-940 offers the latest multi-dimensional technology for the inspection of solder defects, lead defects / lifted leads, component presence and position, correct part / polarity, through-hole parts, and co-planarity of chips, BGAs and other height sensitive devices.____________________________________

Speedprint Technology Booth No: 2833

Discover low-maintenance screen printing with Speedprint Technology’s advanced systems. Two SP710s will be on display, equipped with a dual syringe advanced dispense unit for precise deposition of solder paste, adhesive and other materials. In addition, the Advanced Dispense Unit+ (ADu+) will be on show and, with the Velocity Plus throughput enhancement, the SP710 is the fastest printer in its class with a six second core cycle time.

Two SP710s will be on display, equipped with a dual syringe Advanced Dispense unit for precise deposition of solder paste, adhesive and other materials. ____________________________________

IPC APEX EXPO 2015 is a unique five-day event for the global printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing industry and enables product designers, technical experts and company executives from around the world to collaborate on new ideas. It will be the largest event in North America and focuses on printed board design and fabrication, electronics assembly and test.


ValtronicJay Wimer is the President of Valtronic, a full-service global provider of engineering, industrialization and manufacturing for medical devices and related high-reliability products from microelectronics and precision machining to complex system integration. Wimer and his team work closely with customers across the globe. Valtronic’s customers are leading global suppliers of medical implants and devices, diagnostic imaging equipment, sensitive aerospace and industrial assemblies. For more than 30 years, Valtronic has helped hundreds of companies develop and produce Class II and III medical devices and advanced miniaturized electronic assemblies from its worldwide facilities.

JOT AutomationJOT Automation Ltd. is driven by a passion to develop and manufacture test and production solutions for mobile devices, components and electronics. The company offers product platforms to solve versatile volume manufacturing challenges in the most cost-effective manner. A global partner for several industry leading companies in the telecom, automotive and life science industries, JOT Automation is headquartered in Oulu, Finland, with a global presence covering 14 countries. Petri Halonen is the company’s new CEO (effective February 2015) and has versatile experience in managing industrial companies and tasks with responsibility for business results on international markets. His experience in business management, commercial and technical expertise will offer excellent support for JOT’s international growth strategy. Petri will lead JOT’s team in taking its product portfolio and customer relationships to the next stage.

Zumtobel North AmericaKevin Maddy is the North American CEO of Zumtobel, a leading international supplier of integral lighting solutions, enables people to experience the interplay of light and architecture. For more than 60 years, the Zumtobel brand has been synonymous with innovation, unique product and service quality and superior design. The brand has always been underpinned by knowledge of lighting and a profound understanding of its effects on people. Aspiring to create the best light for people and the environment, Zumtobel provides customised solutions featuring measurable added value. Maddy and his team use resources responsibly and strive to bring perfection in energy-efficient customer projects.

Horizon SalesA leading manufacturers’ representative corporation, specializing in the sales and marketing of premier electronics assembly equipment, President David Trail and his team provide high-quality, innovative machinery and supplies to the electronics industry. Located in Brighton, MI and Lockport, IL, Horizon manages and sells to the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania. The company prides itself on its customer service and focuses on advancing its customers to the top of their markets. Additionally, Horizon Sales is always on the lookout for new and emerging technologies in equipment and materials in order to offer its customers the latest, most cost-effective manufacturing solutions.

meet the CEOs the people who make it happen

Our industry is driven by a global network of CEOs with the energy and vision that brings new technology and innovation down the line. Every edition, we will introduce you to the faces behind the companies.


ValtronicJay Wimer is the President of Valtronic, a full-service global provider of engineering, industrialization and manufacturing for medical devices and related high-reliability products from microelectronics and precision machining to complex system integration. Wimer and his team work closely with customers across the globe. Valtronic’s customers are leading global suppliers of medical implants and devices, diagnostic imaging equipment, sensitive aerospace and industrial assemblies. For more than 30 years, Valtronic has helped hundreds of companies develop and produce Class II and III medical devices and advanced miniaturized electronic assemblies from its worldwide facilities.

JOT AutomationJOT Automation Ltd. is driven by a passion to develop and manufacture test and production solutions for mobile devices, components and electronics. The company offers product platforms to solve versatile volume manufacturing challenges in the most cost-effective manner. A global partner for several industry leading companies in the telecom, automotive and life science industries, JOT Automation is headquartered in Oulu, Finland, with a global presence covering 14 countries. Petri Halonen is the company’s new CEO (effective February 2015) and has versatile experience in managing industrial companies and tasks with responsibility for business results on international markets. His experience in business management, commercial and technical expertise will offer excellent support for JOT’s international growth strategy. Petri will lead JOT’s team in taking its product portfolio and customer relationships to the next stage.

Zumtobel North AmericaKevin Maddy is the North American CEO of Zumtobel, a leading international supplier of integral lighting solutions, enables people to experience the interplay of light and architecture. For more than 60 years, the Zumtobel brand has been synonymous with innovation, unique product and service quality and superior design. The brand has always been underpinned by knowledge of lighting and a profound understanding of its effects on people. Aspiring to create the best light for people and the environment, Zumtobel provides customised solutions featuring measurable added value. Maddy and his team use resources responsibly and strive to bring perfection in energy-efficient customer projects.

Horizon SalesA leading manufacturers’ representative corporation, specializing in the sales and marketing of premier electronics assembly equipment, President David Trail and his team provide high-quality, innovative machinery and supplies to the electronics industry. Located in Brighton, MI and Lockport, IL, Horizon manages and sells to the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania. The company prides itself on its customer service and focuses on advancing its customers to the top of their markets. Additionally, Horizon Sales is always on the lookout for new and emerging technologies in equipment and materials in order to offer its customers the latest, most cost-effective manufacturing solutions.

meet the CEOs the people who make it happen

Our industry is driven by a global network of CEOs with the energy and vision that brings new technology and innovation down the line. Every edition, we will introduce you to the faces behind the companies.


directorspotlight

The Kurtz Group of companies, founded in 1779 in Germany, is a collection of highly efficient small- and medium-sized companies representing diverse sectors in the Metals, Electronics and Plastics Industries. Founded in 1981, Kurtz North America and its specialized teams of technicians, engineers and sales specialists address the needs for ERSA and Kurtz customers in the NAFTA Region.

Our editors recently spoke with Albrecht Beck, President & COO of Kurtz Ersa North America, with responsibility for activity in the Americas, about the company’s latest product and service offerings and what industries are driving its demand particularly in that region.

Q. Congratulations to Kurtz Ersa North America – we understand that 2014 was the company’s best year in North America. Can you explain to our readers what made the year so successful?

A. Looking at North America’s overall investments in soldering equipment, we cannot really see a huge growth in 2014. The reasons Ersa grew over proportional rates are due to gaining market shares as well as selling into new markets such as electrical cars. Additionally, higher acceptance in full tunnel nitrogen wave soldering driven by cost savings on solder and improved yields helped significantly. At the end of the year, our best-in-class portfolio, highly innovative equipment and good local service helped the company succeed in its growth path. By the way, 2013 was an excellent year for us as well.

Q. How is 2015 looking for Ersa?

A. We will take a significant backlog into 2015 so the start is already promising and it has the potential to be a very good year. If everything goes as expected, we will top last year’s results and hopefully gain a third consecutive year where we are growing past our forecast numbers. We have a strong growth strategy and now is the right time for us to extend our market shares.

Q. We have noticed Ersa’s name in the news quite a bit recently. It appears the company is expanding its product offering.Whatarethecompany’shottestnew product offerings? What needsdo these systems meet for users that competing systems cannot?

A. One of our main focuses is selective soldering and, as everybody knows, our Versaflow has been the most popular Ersa product in the high-end selective soldering for several years. The next step is gaining entrance into the low-end market with high-end technology.

In 2015, we will bring a new selective soldering machine to help us enter that market. In reflow soldering, we are experiencing much success in Asia where customers rely on robust machines and stable processes. Due to those local demands, we also build high-end reflow ovens at our Chinese factory. Those ovens are equipped with European and US sourced key components and perform on the highest uptime scales. This concept worked well for us even with higher costs compared to 100 percent local sourcing. At the end, customers expect Ersa quality and that is what we have to provide. Recently, we started selling those ovens to the United States and Mexico as well. Customers like the performance so we are expecting additional growth in that sector.

Last but not least, our new products in the rework segment are becoming more and more successful. In this area, we will enter into higher automation on one side while introducing new products in lower cost segments. This year will show several new products and we are excited about that.

Q. When should our readers expect to hear more about these new product introductions?

A. Typically, Ersa brings its biggest and newest innovations to the IPC APEX EXPO and Productronica exhibitions in 2015.

Q. In which industries and regions is Kurtz Ersa represented? Currently, which are the most popular for the company? What is the company’s strategy to keep growth continuing in these industries and regions while trying to strengthen its presence in others?

A. Kurtz Ersa is one of the top manufacturers globally. A 235-year history proves a lot. We have to be present in each industry that is related to our businesses. Some new fields include alternative energies and electric automobiles as well as new processes in the semi-conductor industry.

Our aim is to be involved in new processes and products at the earliest possible stages. That way we can continue being innovative and be ready before others. There has to be a good mix in investment for research and development and production effectiveness. The Kurtz Ersa group has proved that overall and the result is continuous growth. It is not always as fast as everybody wishes but it is sustainable and reliable. This makes us a long term, reliable partner.

Q. What is Kurtz Ersa’s largest percentage of business currently? Do you anticipate that changing within the nextfiveyears?

This varies a bit in different segments around the globe but, overall, automotive is currently the strongest business. However, there is not a significant difference in this industry as opposed to others, which provides Ersa with a good balance. The automotive growth may slow down in general but new segments, such as e-cars and hybrid technology, will compensate.

an interview with Albrecht Beck, Kurtz Ersa North America Inc.Kurtz Ersa North America, a leading supplier of electronics production equipment, develops and produces high-quality machines and appliances for the electronics manufacturing industry under the ERSA trademark. Its portfolio includes stencil printers, reflow ovens, wave and selective soldering machines, hand-soldering tools, in addition to rework and inspection systems.


directorspotlight

The Kurtz Group of companies, founded in 1779 in Germany, is a collection of highly efficient small- and medium-sized companies representing diverse sectors in the Metals, Electronics and Plastics Industries. Founded in 1981, Kurtz North America and its specialized teams of technicians, engineers and sales specialists address the needs for ERSA and Kurtz customers in the NAFTA Region.

Our editors recently spoke with Albrecht Beck, President & COO of Kurtz Ersa North America, with responsibility for activity in the Americas, about the company’s latest product and service offerings and what industries are driving its demand particularly in that region.

Q. Congratulations to Kurtz Ersa North America – we understand that 2014 was the company’s best year in North America. Can you explain to our readers what made the year so successful?

A. Looking at North America’s overall investments in soldering equipment, we cannot really see a huge growth in 2014. The reasons Ersa grew over proportional rates are due to gaining market shares as well as selling into new markets such as electrical cars. Additionally, higher acceptance in full tunnel nitrogen wave soldering driven by cost savings on solder and improved yields helped significantly. At the end of the year, our best-in-class portfolio, highly innovative equipment and good local service helped the company succeed in its growth path. By the way, 2013 was an excellent year for us as well.

Q. How is 2015 looking for Ersa?

A. We will take a significant backlog into 2015 so the start is already promising and it has the potential to be a very good year. If everything goes as expected, we will top last year’s results and hopefully gain a third consecutive year where we are growing past our forecast numbers. We have a strong growth strategy and now is the right time for us to extend our market shares.

Q. We have noticed Ersa’s name in the news quite a bit recently. It appears the company is expanding its product offering.Whatarethecompany’shottestnew product offerings? What needsdo these systems meet for users that competing systems cannot?

A. One of our main focuses is selective soldering and, as everybody knows, our Versaflow has been the most popular Ersa product in the high-end selective soldering for several years. The next step is gaining entrance into the low-end market with high-end technology.

In 2015, we will bring a new selective soldering machine to help us enter that market. In reflow soldering, we are experiencing much success in Asia where customers rely on robust machines and stable processes. Due to those local demands, we also build high-end reflow ovens at our Chinese factory. Those ovens are equipped with European and US sourced key components and perform on the highest uptime scales. This concept worked well for us even with higher costs compared to 100 percent local sourcing. At the end, customers expect Ersa quality and that is what we have to provide. Recently, we started selling those ovens to the United States and Mexico as well. Customers like the performance so we are expecting additional growth in that sector.

Last but not least, our new products in the rework segment are becoming more and more successful. In this area, we will enter into higher automation on one side while introducing new products in lower cost segments. This year will show several new products and we are excited about that.

Q. When should our readers expect to hear more about these new product introductions?

A. Typically, Ersa brings its biggest and newest innovations to the IPC APEX EXPO and Productronica exhibitions in 2015.

Q. In which industries and regions is Kurtz Ersa represented? Currently, which are the most popular for the company? What is the company’s strategy to keep growth continuing in these industries and regions while trying to strengthen its presence in others?

A. Kurtz Ersa is one of the top manufacturers globally. A 235-year history proves a lot. We have to be present in each industry that is related to our businesses. Some new fields include alternative energies and electric automobiles as well as new processes in the semi-conductor industry.

Our aim is to be involved in new processes and products at the earliest possible stages. That way we can continue being innovative and be ready before others. There has to be a good mix in investment for research and development and production effectiveness. The Kurtz Ersa group has proved that overall and the result is continuous growth. It is not always as fast as everybody wishes but it is sustainable and reliable. This makes us a long term, reliable partner.

Q. What is Kurtz Ersa’s largest percentage of business currently? Do you anticipate that changing within the nextfiveyears?

This varies a bit in different segments around the globe but, overall, automotive is currently the strongest business. However, there is not a significant difference in this industry as opposed to others, which provides Ersa with a good balance. The automotive growth may slow down in general but new segments, such as e-cars and hybrid technology, will compensate.

an interview with Albrecht Beck, Kurtz Ersa North America Inc.Kurtz Ersa North America, a leading supplier of electronics production equipment, develops and produces high-quality machines and appliances for the electronics manufacturing industry under the ERSA trademark. Its portfolio includes stencil printers, reflow ovens, wave and selective soldering machines, hand-soldering tools, in addition to rework and inspection systems.


Ten Technical Predictions for 2015by Kim Sauer (@kimsauermedia), scoop communications

Scoop has just returned from CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, the traditional agenda setter for the technology year ahead. The consumer electronics industry passed through the one trillion dollar mark in 2014 and is expected to grow a further 3.3% in 2015, with major growth coming in developing countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia and even Africa.

Here’s what we think will drive the industry in 2015.

Innovation everywhere

It has never been such a good time to be an innovator. The democratization of capital thanks to crowdfunding from organizations like INDIEGOGO and KickStarter has combined with easy access to manufacturing through outsourcing to create halcyon days for inventors. Get a good idea, test the market, gain orders and create a community on a crowdfunding site. If that works, find the right outsourcing partner and all of a sudden you’re in business.

Everything is going to be connected, get over it

Enough talk about the Internet of Thing (IoT). Everything made this year will be connected and will be IoT ready. The real story is how to use the data that comes in from all those sensors to create value and an attractive user experience. We don’t need a complex solution to a simple activity that works perfectly well as it is. We need new applications that will enhance the user experience, improve medical outcomes and generally make the world a better place.

Wearables are finally becoming wearable and fashionable

At last the wearables industry is getting to grips with fabrics, with fibre-optics and other woven sensors operating within garments. This means the collision of the apparel and the electronics supply chain, perhaps with new manufacturing liaisons and even mergers and acquisitions. Next the fashion industry is suddenly interested in technology. Partnerships like Swarovski and Misfit to produce fashionable versions of their ‘Shine’ activity and sleep monitor. More will follow and expect to see the major high street and designer brands entering this space.

Automotive electronics is coming in a piloted car

The automotive electronics industry is growing year on year and expected to be

worth $14 billion next year in the US alone. Infotainment and engine management are still growing, but the two key sectors for growth are piloted functions and connectivity. The car brands want to let you take all your connected apps from your smartphone into your car in a safe hands-free manner. And, if you can’t be hands free, why not let the car drive itself. Autonomous mobility is coming but not all in one go. Applications like parking assist or even fully automated valet parking, lane assist, piloted motorway driving, piloted traffic jam driving are all the early applications for what will eventually be a fully automated experience.

A big buzz around drone

A new sector, which is expected to almost double in size in 2015, is drones. These small autonomous flying vehicles are expected to become more prevalent, buzzing around making deliveries as well as providing surveillance solutions and allowing people to make their own videos from above. This is a sector where the applications are not fully developed and where the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) are yet to have their say.

Blurred lines between industries

There was a time where you knew what a company did because it was in a particular industry. Expect these lines to blur considerably as automotive companies get into the smart home industry and wearables companies get into the medical space. Technology has many applications and the IoT suggests it will all be connected which means that traditional industry barriers are likely to be torn down.

Disruptive business models

Disruption is exciting but can be scary! New business models like AirBnB and Uber have hugely disrupted the hotel and taxi industries and it seems likely that more is to come. Look at what Amazon did to the book retail

industry. New business models are often enabled by technology and the socialization of data. What will drones do to the courier market? What will 3D printing do to the prototype market? Don’t be surprised if your industry is disrupted. Why not look at how you can disrupt it or adjacent sectors?

Never underestimate the three screens

All this new innovation is fabulous but the real engine of the technical industry is the three screens. They are the smartphone, the work device (PC, Laptop or Tablet) and the TV. This group represents almost 80% of the industry and it is expected to grow fastest in the developing countries where the middle class is growing fastest. In these regions some people’s first phone is a smartphone, their first TV is a HD flat screen and their work screen might be a tablet instead of a PC. This phenomenon is called leapfrogging as people skip technologies, opting for the newest and most relevant solution.

Chinese brands go global

Huawei have already shown how successful China’s brands can be but there are plenty following them. TV makers like Hisense and TCL are both innovative and great value. Smartphone makers like Xiaomi are now selling more smartphones in China than Apple and they are expected to be exporting this year with a smartphone at around $150. These brands are predicted to go global enjoying success particularly in developing regions like India, Brazil and even Africa.

Supply chains need to adapt and fast

All these trends mean one thing - supply chains need to be fast and flexible, getting innovation to market quickly, ramping up volumes when and where needed and exiting markets equally quickly. They also need to adapt to technology changes and sudden shock to the ecosystem, like floods, earthquakes or unrest.

All in all, an exciting year for technology again. The team at Scoop will be keeping a watchful eye on all of these trends along with the stuff that will come along unexpected. Follow us on twitter and in SMT Today to see what we are seeing.

If you agree or disagree with any of these predictions or think I’ve missed something tweet me @kimsauermedia with #thescoop.


Ten Technical Predictions for 2015by Kim Sauer (@kimsauermedia), scoop communications

Scoop has just returned from CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, the traditional agenda setter for the technology year ahead. The consumer electronics industry passed through the one trillion dollar mark in 2014 and is expected to grow a further 3.3% in 2015, with major growth coming in developing countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia and even Africa.

Here’s what we think will drive the industry in 2015.

Innovation everywhere

It has never been such a good time to be an innovator. The democratization of capital thanks to crowdfunding from organizations like INDIEGOGO and KickStarter has combined with easy access to manufacturing through outsourcing to create halcyon days for inventors. Get a good idea, test the market, gain orders and create a community on a crowdfunding site. If that works, find the right outsourcing partner and all of a sudden you’re in business.

Everything is going to be connected, get over it

Enough talk about the Internet of Thing (IoT). Everything made this year will be connected and will be IoT ready. The real story is how to use the data that comes in from all those sensors to create value and an attractive user experience. We don’t need a complex solution to a simple activity that works perfectly well as it is. We need new applications that will enhance the user experience, improve medical outcomes and generally make the world a better place.

Wearables are finally becoming wearable and fashionable

At last the wearables industry is getting to grips with fabrics, with fibre-optics and other woven sensors operating within garments. This means the collision of the apparel and the electronics supply chain, perhaps with new manufacturing liaisons and even mergers and acquisitions. Next the fashion industry is suddenly interested in technology. Partnerships like Swarovski and Misfit to produce fashionable versions of their ‘Shine’ activity and sleep monitor. More will follow and expect to see the major high street and designer brands entering this space.

Automotive electronics is coming in a piloted car

The automotive electronics industry is growing year on year and expected to be

worth $14 billion next year in the US alone. Infotainment and engine management are still growing, but the two key sectors for growth are piloted functions and connectivity. The car brands want to let you take all your connected apps from your smartphone into your car in a safe hands-free manner. And, if you can’t be hands free, why not let the car drive itself. Autonomous mobility is coming but not all in one go. Applications like parking assist or even fully automated valet parking, lane assist, piloted motorway driving, piloted traffic jam driving are all the early applications for what will eventually be a fully automated experience.

A big buzz around drone

A new sector, which is expected to almost double in size in 2015, is drones. These small autonomous flying vehicles are expected to become more prevalent, buzzing around making deliveries as well as providing surveillance solutions and allowing people to make their own videos from above. This is a sector where the applications are not fully developed and where the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) are yet to have their say.

Blurred lines between industries

There was a time where you knew what a company did because it was in a particular industry. Expect these lines to blur considerably as automotive companies get into the smart home industry and wearables companies get into the medical space. Technology has many applications and the IoT suggests it will all be connected which means that traditional industry barriers are likely to be torn down.

Disruptive business models

Disruption is exciting but can be scary! New business models like AirBnB and Uber have hugely disrupted the hotel and taxi industries and it seems likely that more is to come. Look at what Amazon did to the book retail

industry. New business models are often enabled by technology and the socialization of data. What will drones do to the courier market? What will 3D printing do to the prototype market? Don’t be surprised if your industry is disrupted. Why not look at how you can disrupt it or adjacent sectors?

Never underestimate the three screens

All this new innovation is fabulous but the real engine of the technical industry is the three screens. They are the smartphone, the work device (PC, Laptop or Tablet) and the TV. This group represents almost 80% of the industry and it is expected to grow fastest in the developing countries where the middle class is growing fastest. In these regions some people’s first phone is a smartphone, their first TV is a HD flat screen and their work screen might be a tablet instead of a PC. This phenomenon is called leapfrogging as people skip technologies, opting for the newest and most relevant solution.

Chinese brands go global

Huawei have already shown how successful China’s brands can be but there are plenty following them. TV makers like Hisense and TCL are both innovative and great value. Smartphone makers like Xiaomi are now selling more smartphones in China than Apple and they are expected to be exporting this year with a smartphone at around $150. These brands are predicted to go global enjoying success particularly in developing regions like India, Brazil and even Africa.

Supply chains need to adapt and fast

All these trends mean one thing - supply chains need to be fast and flexible, getting innovation to market quickly, ramping up volumes when and where needed and exiting markets equally quickly. They also need to adapt to technology changes and sudden shock to the ecosystem, like floods, earthquakes or unrest.

All in all, an exciting year for technology again. The team at Scoop will be keeping a watchful eye on all of these trends along with the stuff that will come along unexpected. Follow us on twitter and in SMT Today to see what we are seeing.

If you agree or disagree with any of these predictions or think I’ve missed something tweet me @kimsauermedia with #thescoop.


Inspiring System PartnersBy Phoenix Contact and Ersa GmbH

Founded 1923 in the German city of Essen, Phoenix Contact, with its present headquarters in Blomberg and Bad Pyrmont, Germany, is the worldwide leading supplier of components, systems and solutions in the areas of electro technology, electronics and automation. With the opening of its innovation center for electronics in Bad Pyrmont during 2007, the company concentrated all activities of the business areas automation systems and interface-technology at one location. For just as long and for all standard soldering processes, Phoenix Contact has relied on the support of Ersa, the worldwide acknowledged specialist in soft soldering technology.

Naturally, a sustainable system partnership between two corporations does not come into existence overnight. To enter into such a co-operation, there had to be some type of triggering off point, which happened to be present more than seven years ago. In their production of the power electronic product Contactron, Phoenix Contact was fast approaching technical boundaries in the process as well as limits in the production volume. For this reason, a group of engineers based in Bad Pyrmont started to look for a supplier who offered high-throughput and efficient wave soldering systems that would meet the challenging demands placed on them by Phoenix Contact, particularly as it relates to their thermal performance. Initially, three suppliers were on the short list but, after a relatively short time, only two competitors remained. Equipment evaluations based on a comprehensive matrix picked up speed, numerous trials and tests were undertaken, an intensive market analysis was conducted and, finally, the other business units and production facilities of Phoenix

Contact were queried for their standard soldering processes needs.

“This represented a substantial effort, yet it is standard procedure for us – and it has proven its effectiveness numerous times already. After all, the issue we were dealing with was by now no longer the purchase of a single system since, at that point in time, the scope of the inquiry had increased and we were asking ourselves to what extent a single supplier for wave- and selective soldering systems could cover all our demands for standard soldering processes,” said Dietmar Dux, Senior Specialist Process Engineering Interface Components, a staff member of the company for 28 years and responsible for the initiation of the corporate relations between Phoenix Contact and Ersa.

System partners for standard soldering processes

The actual product to be purchased was a wave soldering system for the Phoenix Contact power electronic product Contactron – but this was now tied in with the demand set by production management to search for a system partner who, over

the long term, could be called on to supply other production systems as well. At the end of the evaluation, the full-tunnel Powerflow N2 wave soldering system from Ersa GmbH was selected. This proved to be the start of a very productive and successful co-operation. Aside from the wave soldering system with its split conveyor segment, on which the thermally demanding assemblies of the hybrid-motor starter Contactron were being soldered from the time the system was delivered and installed, Ersa could further impress its future partner with its innovative range of products and services – a coherent package, where Ersa’s international presence with its worldwide sales and service network, which ensured a quick and efficient service to its customers, proved to be of prime importance. Of equal importance to Phoenix Contact are standardized, identical processes, since it has production facilities not only in Germany but also in China, the USA, India and Brazil.

“Having recourse to a modularized system is of extreme importance for us, since such equipment can be duplicated far more easily. Worldwide reproducible core processes in product manufacturing form an important base which allows us to supply our customers, independent of the manufacturing location, with superior quality products. The flexibility in configuring Ersa equipment has fulfilled our demands for the area of standard soldering processes to nearly 100 percent,” said Georg Beretitsch, Director Strategic Production Industrial Electronics of Phoenix Contact...continued

Figure 1. At the beginning of the relationship between Ersa and Phoenix Contact stood the full-tunnel wave soldering system POWERFLOWN2; pictured here is the current model POWERFLOW N2.

Figure 2: Optimally focused on the needs of the customer, and suitable for a wide range of applications: the Ersa wave soldering system POWERFLOW N2.

Figure 3: Technical discussion between two experts, who know and appreciate each other already for years: Phoenix Contact production engineer Heinz Krantz (rear) and Ersa Area Sales Manager Stefan Wurster (front).


Inspiring System PartnersBy Phoenix Contact and Ersa GmbH

Founded 1923 in the German city of Essen, Phoenix Contact, with its present headquarters in Blomberg and Bad Pyrmont, Germany, is the worldwide leading supplier of components, systems and solutions in the areas of electro technology, electronics and automation. With the opening of its innovation center for electronics in Bad Pyrmont during 2007, the company concentrated all activities of the business areas automation systems and interface-technology at one location. For just as long and for all standard soldering processes, Phoenix Contact has relied on the support of Ersa, the worldwide acknowledged specialist in soft soldering technology.

Naturally, a sustainable system partnership between two corporations does not come into existence overnight. To enter into such a co-operation, there had to be some type of triggering off point, which happened to be present more than seven years ago. In their production of the power electronic product Contactron, Phoenix Contact was fast approaching technical boundaries in the process as well as limits in the production volume. For this reason, a group of engineers based in Bad Pyrmont started to look for a supplier who offered high-throughput and efficient wave soldering systems that would meet the challenging demands placed on them by Phoenix Contact, particularly as it relates to their thermal performance. Initially, three suppliers were on the short list but, after a relatively short time, only two competitors remained. Equipment evaluations based on a comprehensive matrix picked up speed, numerous trials and tests were undertaken, an intensive market analysis was conducted and, finally, the other business units and production facilities of Phoenix

Contact were queried for their standard soldering processes needs.

“This represented a substantial effort, yet it is standard procedure for us – and it has proven its effectiveness numerous times already. After all, the issue we were dealing with was by now no longer the purchase of a single system since, at that point in time, the scope of the inquiry had increased and we were asking ourselves to what extent a single supplier for wave- and selective soldering systems could cover all our demands for standard soldering processes,” said Dietmar Dux, Senior Specialist Process Engineering Interface Components, a staff member of the company for 28 years and responsible for the initiation of the corporate relations between Phoenix Contact and Ersa.

System partners for standard soldering processes

The actual product to be purchased was a wave soldering system for the Phoenix Contact power electronic product Contactron – but this was now tied in with the demand set by production management to search for a system partner who, over

the long term, could be called on to supply other production systems as well. At the end of the evaluation, the full-tunnel Powerflow N2 wave soldering system from Ersa GmbH was selected. This proved to be the start of a very productive and successful co-operation. Aside from the wave soldering system with its split conveyor segment, on which the thermally demanding assemblies of the hybrid-motor starter Contactron were being soldered from the time the system was delivered and installed, Ersa could further impress its future partner with its innovative range of products and services – a coherent package, where Ersa’s international presence with its worldwide sales and service network, which ensured a quick and efficient service to its customers, proved to be of prime importance. Of equal importance to Phoenix Contact are standardized, identical processes, since it has production facilities not only in Germany but also in China, the USA, India and Brazil.

“Having recourse to a modularized system is of extreme importance for us, since such equipment can be duplicated far more easily. Worldwide reproducible core processes in product manufacturing form an important base which allows us to supply our customers, independent of the manufacturing location, with superior quality products. The flexibility in configuring Ersa equipment has fulfilled our demands for the area of standard soldering processes to nearly 100 percent,” said Georg Beretitsch, Director Strategic Production Industrial Electronics of Phoenix Contact...continued

Figure 1. At the beginning of the relationship between Ersa and Phoenix Contact stood the full-tunnel wave soldering system POWERFLOWN2; pictured here is the current model POWERFLOW N2.

Figure 2: Optimally focused on the needs of the customer, and suitable for a wide range of applications: the Ersa wave soldering system POWERFLOW N2.

Figure 3: Technical discussion between two experts, who know and appreciate each other already for years: Phoenix Contact production engineer Heinz Krantz (rear) and Ersa Area Sales Manager Stefan Wurster (front).


feature continued...

ECOSELECT follows POWERFLOW

The first POWERFLOW N2 was followed in 2012 by a second system, a virtual duplicate, which was installed in the Chinese facility of Phoenix Contact. Following this purchase, and after a relatively period of short time, additional equipment was purchased for a number of Phoenix Contact facilities – but the basic requirements had changed in the meantime and now selective soldering systems were required: four ECOSELECT units and one VERSAFLOW were purchased. The system partnership, which started with a wave soldering system, grew and flourished and had started to take shape. For the first two ECOSELECT units, the demands were for equipment suitable to manufacture one product group with a large number of different versions. This was the Phoenix Contact product group Varioface, an Interface Module, which establishes a connection between sensors as well as actuators in the field. About 3.000 different articles with numerous customer specific solutions, all in small to medium production volumes, need to be processed on the system. The ECOSELECT, with its superior flexibility and its short retooling time, proved to be the ideal system for this application.

This was followed by the third ECOSELECT system: Dedicated to one production line, a value system design representing a fully automatic inline concept was requested, in which all processes, starting with the SMD-populated assemblies, should be executed in a production island. But even though the soldering process itself represented a relatively small portion of the complete production sequence, Ersa never lost sight of the individual manufacturing stages of the entire process. Thus, because of the short cycle time of the production line, it was necessary to solder two assemblies simultaneously and, through the installation of a second solder bath and a second flux head, it was possible to achieve the required cycle time for the soldering process as well.

The design of the work place according to

ergonomic principles, whereby the strain on the worker was to be reduced, was an important issue during the planning of the new production line. Therefore, a permanently installed hold-down plate that could be lowered pneumatically was developed for the ECOSELECT, with which the components on the board that had to be soldered could be pressed down and/or centered. This task was implemented in close co-operation between Ersa, Phoenix Contact and the supplier of the soldering masks and the hold down device. Having to manually place the heavy hold down jig could thus be eliminated.

In the case of the VERSAFLOW, installed in 2012, Ersa proved that they are willing to go beyond the usual demands placed on soldering systems by designing customized conveyor- and material handling features. The task revolved again about the issue of worker’s health: The work piece carriers should no longer have to be carried or lifted by the employee, but it should, at a high throughput rate, rather be handled by being turned or rolled on a table. Furthermore, many different versions of the product needed to be processed on the system. Ersa’s solution: parallel soldering with two solder modules and the subsequent return of the assembly to the start of the system. Here again were a variety of special demands placed on the equipment, for which Ersa was able to supply optimal solutions. Whether POWERFLOW, ECOSELECT or VERSAFLOW – over the last seven years, Ersa was always able to provide Phoenix Contact, a manufacturer of demanding, high quality industrial electronic, with leading-edge technical solutions.

“The results we obtained in our co-operation with Ersa have fulfilled what we had hoped for when we purchased the equipment – Ersa’s systems have met our demands in all respects. For as long as Ersa continues to offer technologically mature, reliable and innovative equipment to acceptable conditions, buttressed by an excellent service, we will certainly continue to consider Ersa for future equipment purchases for our world-wide facilities,” added Dux, summing up the system partnership between Phoenix Contact and Ersa. “Nevertheless, Phoenix Contact performs equipment evaluations in periodic intervals, during which the capabilities of systems considered to be adequate are viewed in further detail and subsequently rated. Then the cards are newly mixed. However, there is nothing in our current status that would speak against co tinting our excellent co-operation”

New Roads to Innovative Solutions

Presently, another project with a selective soldering system for an in-line product (which has been on the market for quite some time already) is drawing to its conclusion. The starting point: an existing system functioned with certain limitations — yet it no longer conforms to today’s technological level. In close dialogue both companies were searching for a solution: “For dip-soldering we entered new venues, technologically speaking, with regard to nozzles since, for this product and on account of the fine structures present, the possibility existed that the standard soldering process components could be desoldered from the board,” said Stefan Wurster, Sales Area Manager from Ersa GmbH and point of contact for Phoenix Contact from the very beginning.

But that was not the only challenge: Based on its layout, the product is difficult to solder, since components are found in close proximity to the joints to be soldered. Furthermore, a technological contradiction needed to be solved: On this board assembly there are components with a very high thermal requirement, yet these components are embedded in a thermally limited plastic material.

Together, Ersa and Phoenix Contact have found solutions to both issues — to be able to produce the required production quantities and, at the same time, to ensure the solderability and the desired solder result for this product. With its extensive experience and knowhow in complex soldering processes and in close dialogue with Phoenix Contact, Ersa was able to present a solution which has not been on the market up to that time. A win-win situation for both sides out of which, during the coming years, further innovative solutions will surely arise.

Figure 4: Ersa Area Sales Manager Stefan Wurster in discussion with Heinz Krantz and Sebastian Sieg, both Production Engineers, and Dietmar Dux, Process Engineer(left to right), all of Phoenix Contact.

Figure 5: Practiced Partnership – Phoenix Contact components in the electrical cabinet of an Ersa system.



ECOSELECT follows POWERFLOW

The first POWERFLOW N2 was followed in 2012 by a second system, a virtual duplicate, which was installed in the Chinese facility of Phoenix Contact. Following this purchase, and after a relatively period of short time, additional equipment was purchased for a number of Phoenix Contact facilities – but the basic requirements had changed in the meantime and now selective soldering systems were required: four ECOSELECT units and one VERSAFLOW were purchased. The system partnership, which started with a wave soldering system, grew and flourished and had started to take shape. For the first two ECOSELECT units, the demands were for equipment suitable to manufacture one product group with a large number of different versions. This was the Phoenix Contact product group Varioface, an Interface Module, which establishes a connection between sensors as well as actuators in the field. About 3.000 different articles with numerous customer specific solutions, all in small to medium production volumes, need to be processed on the system. The ECOSELECT, with its superior flexibility and its short retooling time, proved to be the ideal system for this application.

This was followed by the third ECOSELECT system: Dedicated to one production line, a value system design representing a fully automatic inline concept was requested, in which all processes, starting with the SMD-populated assemblies, should be executed in a production island. But even though the soldering process itself represented a relatively small portion of the complete production sequence, Ersa never lost sight of the individual manufacturing stages of the entire process. Thus, because of the short cycle time of the production line, it was necessary to solder two assemblies simultaneously and, through the installation of a second solder bath and a second flux head, it was possible to achieve the required cycle time for the soldering process as well.

The design of the work place according to

ergonomic principles, whereby the strain on the worker was to be reduced, was an important issue during the planning of the new production line. Therefore, a permanently installed hold-down plate that could be lowered pneumatically was developed for the ECOSELECT, with which the components on the board that had to be soldered could be pressed down and/or centered. This task was implemented in close co-operation between Ersa, Phoenix Contact and the supplier of the soldering masks and the hold down device. Having to manually place the heavy hold down jig could thus be eliminated.

In the case of the VERSAFLOW, installed in 2012, Ersa proved that they are willing to go beyond the usual demands placed on soldering systems by designing customized conveyor- and material handling features. The task revolved again about the issue of worker’s health: The work piece carriers should no longer have to be carried or lifted by the employee, but it should, at a high throughput rate, rather be handled by being turned or rolled on a table. Furthermore, many different versions of the product needed to be processed on the system. Ersa’s solution: parallel soldering with two solder modules and the subsequent return of the assembly to the start of the system. Here again were a variety of special demands placed on the equipment, for which Ersa was able to supply optimal solutions. Whether POWERFLOW, ECOSELECT or VERSAFLOW – over the last seven years, Ersa was always able to provide Phoenix Contact, a manufacturer of demanding, high quality industrial electronic, with leading-edge technical solutions.

“The results we obtained in our co-operation with Ersa have fulfilled what we had hoped for when we purchased the equipment – Ersa’s systems have met our demands in all respects. For as long as Ersa continues to offer technologically mature, reliable and innovative equipment to acceptable conditions, buttressed by an excellent service, we will certainly continue to consider Ersa for future equipment purchases for our world-wide facilities,” added Dux, summing up the system partnership between Phoenix Contact and Ersa. “Nevertheless, Phoenix Contact performs equipment evaluations in periodic intervals, during which the capabilities of systems considered to be adequate are viewed in further detail and subsequently rated. Then the cards are newly mixed. However, there is nothing in our current status that would speak against co tinting our excellent co-operation”

New Roads to Innovative Solutions

Presently, another project with a selective soldering system for an in-line product (which has been on the market for quite some time already) is drawing to its conclusion. The starting point: an existing system functioned with certain limitations — yet it no longer conforms to today’s technological level. In close dialogue both companies were searching for a solution: “For dip-soldering we entered new venues, technologically speaking, with regard to nozzles since, for this product and on account of the fine structures present, the possibility existed that the standard soldering process components could be desoldered from the board,” said Stefan Wurster, Sales Area Manager from Ersa GmbH and point of contact for Phoenix Contact from the very beginning.

But that was not the only challenge: Based on its layout, the product is difficult to solder, since components are found in close proximity to the joints to be soldered. Furthermore, a technological contradiction needed to be solved: On this board assembly there are components with a very high thermal requirement, yet these components are embedded in a thermally limited plastic material.

Together, Ersa and Phoenix Contact have found solutions to both issues — to be able to produce the required production quantities and, at the same time, to ensure the solderability and the desired solder result for this product. With its extensive experience and knowhow in complex soldering processes and in close dialogue with Phoenix Contact, Ersa was able to present a solution which has not been on the market up to that time. A win-win situation for both sides out of which, during the coming years, further innovative solutions will surely arise.

Figure 4: Ersa Area Sales Manager Stefan Wurster in discussion with Heinz Krantz and Sebastian Sieg, both Production Engineers, and Dietmar Dux, Process Engineer(left to right), all of Phoenix Contact.

Figure 5: Practiced Partnership – Phoenix Contact components in the electrical cabinet of an Ersa system.


The Future of Cleaning and the Environmental Implications an interview with Mike Jones, Vice President, MicroCare Corporation

Q. Can you tell us a little about MicroCare Corp and what makes you unique in the European marketplace?

A. MicroCare Corp. has been helping customers with their precision cleaning processes across the EU since 1990. We place great emphasis on localizing products for each market. For example, Europe has a different economic environment than the USA and Asia, and definitely different regulatory atmosphere than other markets as well, so it’s important that we develop special products and special processes just for the European market.

Q. Everybody says they localise products for customers. But do they really? Can you give me a specificexample?

A. That’s easy. One of our most recent success stories — the VOC-Free Flux Remover–UltraClean™ — was developed specifically with the European market in mind. It is a benchtop cleaner that works on lead-free fluxes, plus it is water-free, halogen-free, chlorine-free, ozone-safe, low global warming, REACh-compliant, ROHS and WEEE compatible, and has a very good toxicity profile. UltraClean™ is a powerful cleaner with the environmental pedigree that European customers really appreciate.

We are also working on vapour degreasing products formulated specifically for the European market.

Here’s another example: MicroCare was the very first to use the new, ultra-low global warming HFO propellants in our spray cans — so we’re leading the industry in environmental stewardship.

Q. Are the characteristics in these products desirable all over the world so that they have a global reach?

A. It seems that European rules are pioneering the regulatory direction that everybody eventually follows. Electronics

assembly is identical globally and our customers are everywhere: Asia, Africa, North America and the Middle East. So it’s enormously helpful to those companies to be able to specify one product that can be used and sourced globally. MicroCare is able to service the entire marketplace, so products originally developed for countries like the UK can be sold and used globally.____________________________________

‘‘MicroCare was the very first to use the new, ultra-low global warming HFO propellants in our spray cans — so we’re leading the industry in environmental stewardship. ____________________________________

Q. What you are planning for the future?

A. Global warming is very much a driving force for us and that is why we have developed products that are far in advance of local regulations.

Another important direction is the emerging EU regulation on surfactants. This is a major issue in the EU, because the EU is determined to protect its water resources. So customers are migrating from water-based cleaning to solvent-based closed-loop cleaning systems. Even back to our parent company as long ago as 1956, MicroCare has always placed major emphasis on solvent cleaning and today we have more expertise on solvent cleaning than anyone in the world, bar none.

In addition, we continue to work on developing new capabilities in this area. One example is DuPont™ Sion® vapour

degreasing fluid which is being pioneered by MicroCare. This new chemistry delivers excellent cleaning and is a major move towards a neutral-global-warming operating environment.

Q. How is the electronics industry helping to reduce global warming and minimise the industry’s footprint on the environment?

A. This is very topical news right now and directly affects electronics cleaning. Three significant trends are at work here: the continued miniaturising of components, the need to reduce the use of water and the need to minimise production costs. To adapt to this new world, the only viable, low-risk option that meets all the requirements is solvent cleaning.

On the regulatory side, as one of my colleagues says people are sick of pollution “in their rivers and their livers.” The surfactants used in water-cleaning systems are being regulated for various reasons, some environmental and some because of health concerns. So to really protect people and the environment, water-cleaning needs to be minimised and its processes more tightly controlled.____________________________________

‘‘Global warming is very much a driving force for us and that is why we have developed products that are far in advance of local regulations. ____________________________________

Q. So people are moving away from water cleaning?

A. Water cleaning is becoming less effective as boards get denser and ...continued


The Future of Cleaning and the Environmental Implications an interview with Mike Jones, Vice President, MicroCare Corporation

Q. Can you tell us a little about MicroCare Corp and what makes you unique in the European marketplace?

A. MicroCare Corp. has been helping customers with their precision cleaning processes across the EU since 1990. We place great emphasis on localizing products for each market. For example, Europe has a different economic environment than the USA and Asia, and definitely different regulatory atmosphere than other markets as well, so it’s important that we develop special products and special processes just for the European market.

Q. Everybody says they localise products for customers. But do they really? Can you give me a specificexample?

A. That’s easy. One of our most recent success stories — the VOC-Free Flux Remover–UltraClean™ — was developed specifically with the European market in mind. It is a benchtop cleaner that works on lead-free fluxes, plus it is water-free, halogen-free, chlorine-free, ozone-safe, low global warming, REACh-compliant, ROHS and WEEE compatible, and has a very good toxicity profile. UltraClean™ is a powerful cleaner with the environmental pedigree that European customers really appreciate.

We are also working on vapour degreasing products formulated specifically for the European market.

Here’s another example: MicroCare was the very first to use the new, ultra-low global warming HFO propellants in our spray cans — so we’re leading the industry in environmental stewardship.

Q. Are the characteristics in these products desirable all over the world so that they have a global reach?

A. It seems that European rules are pioneering the regulatory direction that everybody eventually follows. Electronics

assembly is identical globally and our customers are everywhere: Asia, Africa, North America and the Middle East. So it’s enormously helpful to those companies to be able to specify one product that can be used and sourced globally. MicroCare is able to service the entire marketplace, so products originally developed for countries like the UK can be sold and used globally.____________________________________

‘‘MicroCare was the very first to use the new, ultra-low global warming HFO propellants in our spray cans — so we’re leading the industry in environmental stewardship. ____________________________________

Q. What you are planning for the future?

A. Global warming is very much a driving force for us and that is why we have developed products that are far in advance of local regulations.

Another important direction is the emerging EU regulation on surfactants. This is a major issue in the EU, because the EU is determined to protect its water resources. So customers are migrating from water-based cleaning to solvent-based closed-loop cleaning systems. Even back to our parent company as long ago as 1956, MicroCare has always placed major emphasis on solvent cleaning and today we have more expertise on solvent cleaning than anyone in the world, bar none.

In addition, we continue to work on developing new capabilities in this area. One example is DuPont™ Sion® vapour

degreasing fluid which is being pioneered by MicroCare. This new chemistry delivers excellent cleaning and is a major move towards a neutral-global-warming operating environment.

Q. How is the electronics industry helping to reduce global warming and minimise the industry’s footprint on the environment?

A. This is very topical news right now and directly affects electronics cleaning. Three significant trends are at work here: the continued miniaturising of components, the need to reduce the use of water and the need to minimise production costs. To adapt to this new world, the only viable, low-risk option that meets all the requirements is solvent cleaning.

On the regulatory side, as one of my colleagues says people are sick of pollution “in their rivers and their livers.” The surfactants used in water-cleaning systems are being regulated for various reasons, some environmental and some because of health concerns. So to really protect people and the environment, water-cleaning needs to be minimised and its processes more tightly controlled.____________________________________

‘‘Global warming is very much a driving force for us and that is why we have developed products that are far in advance of local regulations. ____________________________________

Q. So people are moving away from water cleaning?

A. Water cleaning is becoming less effective as boards get denser and ...continued



stand-offs smaller; it’s simply harder for water-cleaning to do the job. To compensate for these ever-increasing performance requirements, you need bigger cleaning machines, bigger pumps, bigger air knives, bigger heaters: ultimately, bigger budgets for cleaning. This is a function of the water molecule itself and, ultimately, no amount of surfactants, bigger air knives or longer drying cycles are going to cost-effectively change the outcome. As one of our experts at MicroCare keeps reminding us, “you cannot change Mother Nature.”____________________________________

‘‘as one of our experts at microcare keeps reminding us, ‘you cannot change mother nature.’____________________________________

So, because of all these hidden expenses, water-cleaning is losing its economic advantage. It’s our feeling that all of these changes will dramatically re-shape precision cleaning in the next 5-10 years. MicroCare is working today to ensure our customers that we will be ready with the cleaning products they need when water cleaning finally fades away.____________________________________

‘‘Water cleaning is becoming less effective as boards get denser and stand-offs smaller; it’s simply harder for water-cleaning to do the job.____________________________________

Q. How bad is the situation today?

A. How bad is it? Well, in China, United Nations estimates that more than 10,000 rivers have completely dried up, mostly from over-use of scarce water resources. China is spending $62 billion building a 1,500-mile network of canals and tunnels to divert water from the rain-abundant south to Beijing and other wealthy northern cities. China is so desperate for

more water it has been announced that they are going to try cloud seeding, to generate more rainfall in the increasingly parched north of China.

Water cleaning is also very energy intensive, because it uses electricity to purify, heat, pump and evaporate water during various phases of the cleaning cycle. But there are electrical shortages throughout the developing world, especially in Asian countries. Here’s a little known fact: burning fossil fuels to generate electricity is the source for 40% of the global-warming carbon emissions globally. So electricity is dirty AND expensive — the worst possible combination. If our industry is going to operate sustainably, we need to use our available resources smarter.

Q. So you’re saying that solvent cleaning, which became unfashionable in the 1990s, is coming back?

A. By replacing water cleaning with vapour degreasing we can cut water consumption completely and cut electricity consumption by up to 70%. This can go a long way to minimising emissions and protecting the environment.

Q. Why don’t we hear more about the capabilities of vapour degreasing?

A. Vapour degreasing technology was widely used in the 1950’s through the 1980s, but when the ozone-depletion issue arose in the 1990s, the old-style solvents disappeared and so did the cleaning machines. So for a decade, there was no genuine alternative to water cleaning.

However, early in the 2000s, new solvents came to the market that were low global warming, didn’t cause low-altitude smog, were completely ozone-safe and neither toxic or flammable. This enabled solvent cleaning to bounce back. So now we have new vapour degreasing choices from DuPont, MicroCare, 3M and Honeywell, complimented with benchtop cleaners like UltraClean™. This is proof that you don’t have to damage the environment to be profitable. There are many new options out there for customers who are ready to consider modern answers.____________________________________

‘‘electricity is dirty AND expensive — the worst possible combination. If our industry is going to operate sustainably, we need to use our available resources smarter.____________________________________

Q. In terms of cost of use, is vapour degreasingreallymoreprofitable?

A. One of our customers in Malaysia is actually saving half a million dollars a year by moving away from water to a vapour degreasing, which is a lot of money in anybody’s book. We have a customer in Ohio that saved so much electricity by retiring their water cleaning systems that their electric provider bought their new vapour degreasing machine for them! Vapour degreasing in particular, and solvent cleaning in general, is definitely the future of precision cleaning in terms of cleaning effectively, saving money and protecting the environment.

‘‘in China, United Nations estimates that more than

10,000 rivers have completely dried up, mostly from over-use of scarce water resources.



stand-offs smaller; it’s simply harder for water-cleaning to do the job. To compensate for these ever-increasing performance requirements, you need bigger cleaning machines, bigger pumps, bigger air knives, bigger heaters: ultimately, bigger budgets for cleaning. This is a function of the water molecule itself and, ultimately, no amount of surfactants, bigger air knives or longer drying cycles are going to cost-effectively change the outcome. As one of our experts at MicroCare keeps reminding us, “you cannot change Mother Nature.”____________________________________

‘‘as one of our experts at microcare keeps reminding us, ‘you cannot change mother nature.’____________________________________

So, because of all these hidden expenses, water-cleaning is losing its economic advantage. It’s our feeling that all of these changes will dramatically re-shape precision cleaning in the next 5-10 years. MicroCare is working today to ensure our customers that we will be ready with the cleaning products they need when water cleaning finally fades away.____________________________________

‘‘Water cleaning is becoming less effective as boards get denser and stand-offs smaller; it’s simply harder for water-cleaning to do the job.____________________________________

Q. How bad is the situation today?

A. How bad is it? Well, in China, United Nations estimates that more than 10,000 rivers have completely dried up, mostly from over-use of scarce water resources. China is spending $62 billion building a 1,500-mile network of canals and tunnels to divert water from the rain-abundant south to Beijing and other wealthy northern cities. China is so desperate for

more water it has been announced that they are going to try cloud seeding, to generate more rainfall in the increasingly parched north of China.

Water cleaning is also very energy intensive, because it uses electricity to purify, heat, pump and evaporate water during various phases of the cleaning cycle. But there are electrical shortages throughout the developing world, especially in Asian countries. Here’s a little known fact: burning fossil fuels to generate electricity is the source for 40% of the global-warming carbon emissions globally. So electricity is dirty AND expensive — the worst possible combination. If our industry is going to operate sustainably, we need to use our available resources smarter.

Q. So you’re saying that solvent cleaning, which became unfashionable in the 1990s, is coming back?

A. By replacing water cleaning with vapour degreasing we can cut water consumption completely and cut electricity consumption by up to 70%. This can go a long way to minimising emissions and protecting the environment.

Q. Why don’t we hear more about the capabilities of vapour degreasing?

A. Vapour degreasing technology was widely used in the 1950’s through the 1980s, but when the ozone-depletion issue arose in the 1990s, the old-style solvents disappeared and so did the cleaning machines. So for a decade, there was no genuine alternative to water cleaning.

However, early in the 2000s, new solvents came to the market that were low global warming, didn’t cause low-altitude smog, were completely ozone-safe and neither toxic or flammable. This enabled solvent cleaning to bounce back. So now we have new vapour degreasing choices from DuPont, MicroCare, 3M and Honeywell, complimented with benchtop cleaners like UltraClean™. This is proof that you don’t have to damage the environment to be profitable. There are many new options out there for customers who are ready to consider modern answers.____________________________________

‘‘electricity is dirty AND expensive — the worst possible combination. If our industry is going to operate sustainably, we need to use our available resources smarter.____________________________________

Q. In terms of cost of use, is vapour degreasingreallymoreprofitable?

A. One of our customers in Malaysia is actually saving half a million dollars a year by moving away from water to a vapour degreasing, which is a lot of money in anybody’s book. We have a customer in Ohio that saved so much electricity by retiring their water cleaning systems that their electric provider bought their new vapour degreasing machine for them! Vapour degreasing in particular, and solvent cleaning in general, is definitely the future of precision cleaning in terms of cleaning effectively, saving money and protecting the environment.

‘‘in China, United Nations estimates that more than

10,000 rivers have completely dried up, mostly from over-use of scarce water resources.


Nikon Metrology X-ray machine cuts the price of placing BGA devices by 70 percent

Subcontract manufacturers of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) for applications such as electric motorbike control, ground movement detection and touch-sensitive sound generation, generally use a number of different tools for quality control. These include flying probe testers, camera-based automated optical inspection, and X-ray equipment. Very few manufacturers in the UK, however, can boast such sophisticated X-ray inspection capability as Newbury Electronics, following the company’s purchase of a Nikon Metrology XT V160 in January 2014.Ball grid arrays (BGAs) and quad-flat no-lead (QFN) interconnections are two features of PCBAs that require close inspection. A challenge when inspecting modern BGAs in particular is that they have become very complex, with tighter pitches and smaller ball diameters. It means they are mounted so close to the body of the PCB that there is little space between them to enable visual inspection.

Newbury Electronics (www.newburyelectronics.co.uk) previously used an endoscope to access and view areas of interest, which was effective for small, basic devices, but time-consuming. Unfortunately, the technique was becoming ever more impractical, as it was increasingly difficult to position the endoscope without it being blocked by the components that invariably surround a BGA. In addition, the smaller sizes sometimes meant that the inspection equipment could not be used at all. Even if the device could be positioned well, seeing far enough down the rows of balls was also becoming more challenging.

In some instances, faulty boards would be returned by a customer and had to be sent by Newbury Electronics to a bureau for X-ray analysis. This typically took three days and cost around £100 for the board to undergo X-ray inspection, the fault to be fixed and another X-ray analysis to confirm that the board was fully corrected.

Philip King, managing director of Newbury Electronics commented, “As a subcontractor, we handle 10 to 15 different product lines every day and often do not know what we will have to produce next. PCBAs should be designed for easy inspection, but they rarely are”.

“Accurate inspection is important not only after repair, but also during series manufacturing so that results can be used for process control to maintain quality. The

larger the production run, the more potential there is for faulty boards, wasting time and money.”

While one-off prototype boards are frequently produced at Newbury and five-off is typical, recent contracts received by the company have involved much larger volumes. For example, Bare Conductive is a design and technology spin-off from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, which has developed Electric Paint. Multi-channel PCBAs are needed to enable human interaction with the paint and Newbury Electronics is producing 15,000 boards this year for the product launch. For Senceive, a University College London (UCL) spin-off producing radio-linked sensors that detect movement in the ground and buildings, used extensively in the construction of Crossrail, PCBAs are needed in annual quantities of 1,000s.

An X-ray machine was the only realistic solution for quality control of these larger volumes of boards and Mr King had been researching the market for several years. It was the manufacture of a particularly problematic batch of PCBAs with BGAs that triggered the investment in the XT V160 from Nikon Metrology (www.nikonmetrology.com), following a visit to the factory in nearby Tring, Hertfordshire. This X-ray machine provides a generous 400 mm x 400 mm scan area, large enough for most PCBAs, and its comprehensive specification included control and analysis software.

Mr King continued, “Low-end X-ray equipment, while cheap, provides such a poor image as to be virtually useless, especially given the increasing miniaturisation of BGAs.

“We knew we would only buy one X-ray machine in the foreseeable future, so decided to select a very capable model from Nikon with variable magnification, a tilting flat panel detector and a powerful, 160 kV / 20W X-ray source, which is at the higher end commonly used for PCBA inspection.”

The machine has to be operated at the highest power to generate a useable image only on the densest multi-layer PCBAs, such as those with multiple copper layers or high copper weight. An example is the backplane board manufactured by Newbury Electronics for controlling the hydrogen fuel cells on an electric motorbike being developed by an R&D firm. With 2,500 parts, the boards are particularly sensitive to quality issues and are 100 percent inspected using the Nikon Metrology system.

Although it has a high performance-to-price ratio, this was not the only factor that needed to be considered before the machine was purchased. The X-ray output also had to be exceptionally stable,

Figure 1. The Nikon Metrology XT V 160 X-ray machine installed at Newbury Electronics.

Figure 2. Newbury Electronics’ managing director, Philip King (right) and Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician, with the XT V 160.

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MANUFACTURER EMBRACES X-RAY INSPECTION FOR NEXT-GENERATION DEVICESby SMT Today Staff Editor

...continued

http://www.newburyelectronics.co.uk

http://www.newburyelectronics.co.uk

http://www.nikonmetrology.com

http://www.nikonmetrology.com


Nikon Metrology X-ray machine cuts the price of placing BGA devices by 70 percent

Subcontract manufacturers of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) for applications such as electric motorbike control, ground movement detection and touch-sensitive sound generation, generally use a number of different tools for quality control. These include flying probe testers, camera-based automated optical inspection, and X-ray equipment. Very few manufacturers in the UK, however, can boast such sophisticated X-ray inspection capability as Newbury Electronics, following the company’s purchase of a Nikon Metrology XT V160 in January 2014.Ball grid arrays (BGAs) and quad-flat no-lead (QFN) interconnections are two features of PCBAs that require close inspection. A challenge when inspecting modern BGAs in particular is that they have become very complex, with tighter pitches and smaller ball diameters. It means they are mounted so close to the body of the PCB that there is little space between them to enable visual inspection.

Newbury Electronics (www.newburyelectronics.co.uk) previously used an endoscope to access and view areas of interest, which was effective for small, basic devices, but time-consuming. Unfortunately, the technique was becoming ever more impractical, as it was increasingly difficult to position the endoscope without it being blocked by the components that invariably surround a BGA. In addition, the smaller sizes sometimes meant that the inspection equipment could not be used at all. Even if the device could be positioned well, seeing far enough down the rows of balls was also becoming more challenging.

In some instances, faulty boards would be returned by a customer and had to be sent by Newbury Electronics to a bureau for X-ray analysis. This typically took three days and cost around £100 for the board to undergo X-ray inspection, the fault to be fixed and another X-ray analysis to confirm that the board was fully corrected.

Philip King, managing director of Newbury Electronics commented, “As a subcontractor, we handle 10 to 15 different product lines every day and often do not know what we will have to produce next. PCBAs should be designed for easy inspection, but they rarely are”.

“Accurate inspection is important not only after repair, but also during series manufacturing so that results can be used for process control to maintain quality. The

larger the production run, the more potential there is for faulty boards, wasting time and money.”

While one-off prototype boards are frequently produced at Newbury and five-off is typical, recent contracts received by the company have involved much larger volumes. For example, Bare Conductive is a design and technology spin-off from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, which has developed Electric Paint. Multi-channel PCBAs are needed to enable human interaction with the paint and Newbury Electronics is producing 15,000 boards this year for the product launch. For Senceive, a University College London (UCL) spin-off producing radio-linked sensors that detect movement in the ground and buildings, used extensively in the construction of Crossrail, PCBAs are needed in annual quantities of 1,000s.

An X-ray machine was the only realistic solution for quality control of these larger volumes of boards and Mr King had been researching the market for several years. It was the manufacture of a particularly problematic batch of PCBAs with BGAs that triggered the investment in the XT V160 from Nikon Metrology (www.nikonmetrology.com), following a visit to the factory in nearby Tring, Hertfordshire. This X-ray machine provides a generous 400 mm x 400 mm scan area, large enough for most PCBAs, and its comprehensive specification included control and analysis software.

Mr King continued, “Low-end X-ray equipment, while cheap, provides such a poor image as to be virtually useless, especially given the increasing miniaturisation of BGAs.

“We knew we would only buy one X-ray machine in the foreseeable future, so decided to select a very capable model from Nikon with variable magnification, a tilting flat panel detector and a powerful, 160 kV / 20W X-ray source, which is at the higher end commonly used for PCBA inspection.”

The machine has to be operated at the highest power to generate a useable image only on the densest multi-layer PCBAs, such as those with multiple copper layers or high copper weight. An example is the backplane board manufactured by Newbury Electronics for controlling the hydrogen fuel cells on an electric motorbike being developed by an R&D firm. With 2,500 parts, the boards are particularly sensitive to quality issues and are 100 percent inspected using the Nikon Metrology system.

Although it has a high performance-to-price ratio, this was not the only factor that needed to be considered before the machine was purchased. The X-ray output also had to be exceptionally stable,

Figure 1. The Nikon Metrology XT V 160 X-ray machine installed at Newbury Electronics.

Figure 2. Newbury Electronics’ managing director, Philip King (right) and Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician, with the XT V 160.

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MANUFACTURER EMBRACES X-RAY INSPECTION FOR NEXT-GENERATION DEVICESby SMT Today Staff Editor

...continued


otherwise noise degrades the image. One of the reasons Mr King chose the XT V160 was its nanofocus X-ray spot source and advanced image processing capabilities. Focus of the electron beam is maintained by a computer-controlled, electromagnetic lens that ensures the target does not overheat whilst maintaining a nanometer spot size, even at high kV settings. In his view, these features are essential if potential defects are to be identified, especially in next generation interconnects and packaging technology.

BGA inspection assisted by locked region-of-interest movements

When looking at BGA solder joints, an operator needs to gain a clear view of the ball interconnect under inspection. This is normally achieved by combining tilt and rotate movements and scanning down the rows, ball by ball. The XT V 160 enables this function using single-axis control rather than the usual method of having to manipulate three axes. The operator can therefore concentrate on the inspection process rather than on guiding the machine. True concentric imaging makes it easy to rotate the view point through 360 degrees around the area of interest, which is intelligently locked onto.

Once a region on the PCBA has been identified and positioned in the centre of the screen, it remains fixed in position no matter what tilt, rotation or magnification is applied. This is a great benefit when inspecting BGA balls and requires no special skills or training.

Excellent resolution and magnification lead to superior defect identification. The X-ray source is designed for a PCBA to be placed within 250 microns of the focal spot, allowing magnification up to x2400. The board can be viewed at steep angles of up to 75 degrees, enabling clear views of solder joints and through-holes while maintaining sufficient X-ray energy. Special analysis functions are available for inspection of semiconductor package voids, wire bonding and BGA solder bumps.

Low cost of ownership

Once the level of capability that was required by Newbury Electronics had been established, the search was narrowed down to just a handful of potential X-ray machine suppliers. The feature of the Nikon Metrology equipment that clinched the choice of the XT V 160 was that although it is a high power machine, it is of open-tube design. The latter means that the electron beam-producing filament can be replaced every six to nine months for a cost of under £10 each time. With closed-tube designs, the manufacturer has to be called in to renew the tube every couple of years at a potential cost of up to £15,000, which was unacceptable considering the lifetime cost. Carrying out filament replacement in-house reduces downtime to a matter of minutes rather than days.

Mr King said, “We have been pleased with this aspect of the XT V 160. It is no problem to replace the filament, which takes five minutes and requires little training.

“Nikon Metrology’s business model is not to lock the customer in to repeatedly replacing an expensive tube and we calculate that our machine will have very competitive lifetime costs.”

Not only are the PCBA manufacturers costs reduced, but so too are those of its customers. Mr King indicated that Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors, has reduced its in-house overheads and allowed the company to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 percent. To prove his point, he drew attention to the company’s online PCBA cost calculator at www.PCBtrain.co.uk

Computed Tomography extends versatility

The XT V 160 X-ray machine’s flat panel was supplied fitted with optional CT (computed tomography) inspection capability. CT re-constructs a 3D image from multiple 2D X-rays taken from a controlled angular rotational scan, allowing the operator to virtually rotate and slice the 3D image.

The extra functionality future-proofs the investment in case full 3D graphic displays are required, or if PCBA complexity becomes so high that a standard 2D image on the screen is not sufficient for quality control purposes. In other words, with this investment, Newbury Electronics is ready for the next generation of electronics devices and packaging technologies, regardless of complexity.Zero-fault PCBA deliveries

Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician at Newbury Electronics said, “We have not had a single board with mounted BGAs returned as faulty since we started using the XT V 160.

“The system is just as good at picking up QFN solder joint faults and shorts, which are difficult to check as the leads are hidden under components.”

Mr King added, “Our engineers were initially sceptical but became converts very quickly, as they were able to see results in seconds rather than spend days waiting to get results from a bureau.”

Non-destructive testing applications for XT V systems extend beyond surface mount technology to include through-hole boards, integrated circuit bonding and wafer level interconnectivity. Besides electronics inspection, the machines are also suitable for X-ray and CT inspection of a variety of small components, such as micro-electro-mechanical systems used in consumer electronics including smartphones, as well as accelerometers, pressure sensors and gyroscopes. Inspection of small cables, harnesses, plastic parts, LED lights, switches and medical parts is also straightforward.


Figure 3. PCBA assemblies positioned above the X-ray source, ready for inspection.

Figure 4. Mr King indicated that Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors allowed the company to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 percent.

Figure 5. The PCBAs are for the Seaboard GRAND, an evolution of the piano invented by ROLI in London (www.roli.com), which allows per-note vibrato, volume change and glissando - www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-bEy9ISpM

Figure 6. Dave Roe checking the X-ray results. The dual display facilitates combined measurement and real-time analysis.

http://www.roli.com

http://www.roli.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-bEy9ISpM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-bEy9ISpM

http://www.PCBtrain.co.uk


otherwise noise degrades the image. One of the reasons Mr King chose the XT V160 was its nanofocus X-ray spot source and advanced image processing capabilities. Focus of the electron beam is maintained by a computer-controlled, electromagnetic lens that ensures the target does not overheat whilst maintaining a nanometer spot size, even at high kV settings. In his view, these features are essential if potential defects are to be identified, especially in next generation interconnects and packaging technology.

BGA inspection assisted by locked region-of-interest movements

When looking at BGA solder joints, an operator needs to gain a clear view of the ball interconnect under inspection. This is normally achieved by combining tilt and rotate movements and scanning down the rows, ball by ball. The XT V 160 enables this function using single-axis control rather than the usual method of having to manipulate three axes. The operator can therefore concentrate on the inspection process rather than on guiding the machine. True concentric imaging makes it easy to rotate the view point through 360 degrees around the area of interest, which is intelligently locked onto.

Once a region on the PCBA has been identified and positioned in the centre of the screen, it remains fixed in position no matter what tilt, rotation or magnification is applied. This is a great benefit when inspecting BGA balls and requires no special skills or training.

Excellent resolution and magnification lead to superior defect identification. The X-ray source is designed for a PCBA to be placed within 250 microns of the focal spot, allowing magnification up to x2400. The board can be viewed at steep angles of up to 75 degrees, enabling clear views of solder joints and through-holes while maintaining sufficient X-ray energy. Special analysis functions are available for inspection of semiconductor package voids, wire bonding and BGA solder bumps.

Low cost of ownership

Once the level of capability that was required by Newbury Electronics had been established, the search was narrowed down to just a handful of potential X-ray machine suppliers. The feature of the Nikon Metrology equipment that clinched the choice of the XT V 160 was that although it is a high power machine, it is of open-tube design. The latter means that the electron beam-producing filament can be replaced every six to nine months for a cost of under £10 each time. With closed-tube designs, the manufacturer has to be called in to renew the tube every couple of years at a potential cost of up to £15,000, which was unacceptable considering the lifetime cost. Carrying out filament replacement in-house reduces downtime to a matter of minutes rather than days.

Mr King said, “We have been pleased with this aspect of the XT V 160. It is no problem to replace the filament, which takes five minutes and requires little training.

“Nikon Metrology’s business model is not to lock the customer in to repeatedly replacing an expensive tube and we calculate that our machine will have very competitive lifetime costs.”

Not only are the PCBA manufacturers costs reduced, but so too are those of its customers. Mr King indicated that Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors, has reduced its in-house overheads and allowed the company to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 percent. To prove his point, he drew attention to the company’s online PCBA cost calculator at www.PCBtrain.co.uk

Computed Tomography extends versatility

The XT V 160 X-ray machine’s flat panel was supplied fitted with optional CT (computed tomography) inspection capability. CT re-constructs a 3D image from multiple 2D X-rays taken from a controlled angular rotational scan, allowing the operator to virtually rotate and slice the 3D image.

The extra functionality future-proofs the investment in case full 3D graphic displays are required, or if PCBA complexity becomes so high that a standard 2D image on the screen is not sufficient for quality control purposes. In other words, with this investment, Newbury Electronics is ready for the next generation of electronics devices and packaging technologies, regardless of complexity.Zero-fault PCBA deliveries

Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician at Newbury Electronics said, “We have not had a single board with mounted BGAs returned as faulty since we started using the XT V 160.

“The system is just as good at picking up QFN solder joint faults and shorts, which are difficult to check as the leads are hidden under components.”

Mr King added, “Our engineers were initially sceptical but became converts very quickly, as they were able to see results in seconds rather than spend days waiting to get results from a bureau.”

Non-destructive testing applications for XT V systems extend beyond surface mount technology to include through-hole boards, integrated circuit bonding and wafer level interconnectivity. Besides electronics inspection, the machines are also suitable for X-ray and CT inspection of a variety of small components, such as micro-electro-mechanical systems used in consumer electronics including smartphones, as well as accelerometers, pressure sensors and gyroscopes. Inspection of small cables, harnesses, plastic parts, LED lights, switches and medical parts is also straightforward.


Figure 3. PCBA assemblies positioned above the X-ray source, ready for inspection.

Figure 4. Mr King indicated that Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors allowed the company to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 percent.

Figure 5. The PCBAs are for the Seaboard GRAND, an evolution of the piano invented by ROLI in London (www.roli.com), which allows per-note vibrato, volume change and glissando - www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-bEy9ISpM

Figure 6. Dave Roe checking the X-ray results. The dual display facilitates combined measurement and real-time analysis.


Industry News Keep up to date with what’s newWith each issue we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest industry news from around the globe.

Alpha presented technical paper on low Temperature Assembly of LED Packages at SMTA Final 2014 chapter meeting in Philadelphia

Alpha, the world leader in the production of electronic soldering and bonding materials, presented a technical paper on the assembly of LED packages on thermally conductive flexible substrates, at the SMTA Final 2014 Chapter Meeting held on December 4th in Philadelphia.

The paper, “Low Temperature Assembly of LED Packages on PET and Polyimide Flexible Substrates” was originally presented at SMTA International 2014 and is a joint venture between Alpha and Multek. Multek’s Polyimide and Polyester (PET) Q-Prime® flexible substrates were used with Alpha’s standard SAC and low temperature solder pastes while the feasibility of these materials were evaluated.

____________________________________

Blakell Europlacer International Ltd reflects growth in salesorganisation

Blakell Europlacer Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of comprehensive SMT placement systems for the global electronics industry, is both excited and pleased to announce that it is committing additional resources to the sales effort in Germany. David Kammerer, a very experienced industry professional, recently employed by Blakell Europlacer International, is to strengthen the German sales activity by opening an office near Frankfurt on January 1, 2015 and working closely with its distributor smartTec GmbH to increase market share with existing customers and to develop new accounts.

____________________________________

FSInspection signs exclusive distribution agreement with Etek in Europe FSInspection, a division of Freedom Scientific, announces the appointment of Etek Europe as its exclusive distributor for its

new FSInspection series throughout Europe. Designed for today’s industrial markets, the new FSInspection solutions include the HDMag® High-Magnification Visual Inspection Station, X-Mag™ Machine Vision Station and PKMag® 50 Portable Visual Inspection Device. Mike Nelson, Managing Director at Etek Europe, commented, “We are delighted to be appointed as FSI’s exclusive distributor for Europe. Their products provide us with the opportunity to further extend our portfolio of equipment offerings to our customers.”

____________________________________

Horizon Sales announces Q1 incentive on FSInspection equipment

Dave Trail, President of Horizon Sales, commented, “We proposed to FSInspection a one-time special deal to start Q1 2015 off big. They accepted our proposal and we have taken delivery of 25 reduced-cost

PKMag® 50s. We are excited to pass this savings onto our customers.”

FSInspection’s high-quality, industrial inspection solutions provide greater productivity, improved operator accuracy, and are more ergonomic and cost-effective vs. traditional microscopes. The result is a cost reduction in the overall quality inspection process. To find out more, visit www.fsinspection.com.

____________________________________

Apple licenses Ryder to make the next wave of smart devices

Ryder Industries Ltd, the Swiss-owned EMS provider with manufacturing facilities in China, announces that it has been awarded Apple’s latest MFi 6.2 manufacturing licence with Apple Inc.

With the latest license, Ryder is endorsed by the world’s most valuable company. Ryder is ready to rapidly bring new, smart devices to market, with its usual quality, speed and service. With the MFi 6.2 manufacturing license, Ryder is able to:

• Use Apple logos in product packaging as appropriate

• Design and manufacture products for the iPhone, iPad and iPod ranges

• Purchase parts and accessories from Apple agents

• Access full technical support from Apple, including product design and development, product certification testing and manufacturing.

What makes the MFi 6.2 special is that it provides new technology: Apple’s HomeKit is a home automation platform that brings the same protocols and security to all your connected devices, and allows you to control them simultaneously, with just one app. No more hopping in and out of multiple apps for your heaters, air conditioners, lights, doors; you will be able to control them all with a single action...continued

http://www.fsinspection.com


Industry News Keep up to date with what’s newWith each issue we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest industry news from around the globe.

Alpha presented technical paper on low Temperature Assembly of LED Packages at SMTA Final 2014 chapter meeting in Philadelphia

Alpha, the world leader in the production of electronic soldering and bonding materials, presented a technical paper on the assembly of LED packages on thermally conductive flexible substrates, at the SMTA Final 2014 Chapter Meeting held on December 4th in Philadelphia.

The paper, “Low Temperature Assembly of LED Packages on PET and Polyimide Flexible Substrates” was originally presented at SMTA International 2014 and is a joint venture between Alpha and Multek. Multek’s Polyimide and Polyester (PET) Q-Prime® flexible substrates were used with Alpha’s standard SAC and low temperature solder pastes while the feasibility of these materials were evaluated.

____________________________________

Blakell Europlacer International Ltd reflects growth in salesorganisation

Blakell Europlacer Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of comprehensive SMT placement systems for the global electronics industry, is both excited and pleased to announce that it is committing additional resources to the sales effort in Germany. David Kammerer, a very experienced industry professional, recently employed by Blakell Europlacer International, is to strengthen the German sales activity by opening an office near Frankfurt on January 1, 2015 and working closely with its distributor smartTec GmbH to increase market share with existing customers and to develop new accounts.

____________________________________

FSInspection signs exclusive distribution agreement with Etek in Europe FSInspection, a division of Freedom Scientific, announces the appointment of Etek Europe as its exclusive distributor for its

new FSInspection series throughout Europe. Designed for today’s industrial markets, the new FSInspection solutions include the HDMag® High-Magnification Visual Inspection Station, X-Mag™ Machine Vision Station and PKMag® 50 Portable Visual Inspection Device. Mike Nelson, Managing Director at Etek Europe, commented, “We are delighted to be appointed as FSI’s exclusive distributor for Europe. Their products provide us with the opportunity to further extend our portfolio of equipment offerings to our customers.”

____________________________________

Horizon Sales announces Q1 incentive on FSInspection equipment

Dave Trail, President of Horizon Sales, commented, “We proposed to FSInspection a one-time special deal to start Q1 2015 off big. They accepted our proposal and we have taken delivery of 25 reduced-cost

PKMag® 50s. We are excited to pass this savings onto our customers.”

FSInspection’s high-quality, industrial inspection solutions provide greater productivity, improved operator accuracy, and are more ergonomic and cost-effective vs. traditional microscopes. The result is a cost reduction in the overall quality inspection process. To find out more, visit www.fsinspection.com.

____________________________________

Apple licenses Ryder to make the next wave of smart devices

Ryder Industries Ltd, the Swiss-owned EMS provider with manufacturing facilities in China, announces that it has been awarded Apple’s latest MFi 6.2 manufacturing licence with Apple Inc.

With the latest license, Ryder is endorsed by the world’s most valuable company. Ryder is ready to rapidly bring new, smart devices to market, with its usual quality, speed and service. With the MFi 6.2 manufacturing license, Ryder is able to:

• Use Apple logos in product packaging as appropriate

• Design and manufacture products for the iPhone, iPad and iPod ranges

• Purchase parts and accessories from Apple agents

• Access full technical support from Apple, including product design and development, product certification testing and manufacturing.

What makes the MFi 6.2 special is that it provides new technology: Apple’s HomeKit is a home automation platform that brings the same protocols and security to all your connected devices, and allows you to control them simultaneously, with just one app. No more hopping in and out of multiple apps for your heaters, air conditioners, lights, doors; you will be able to control them all with a single action...continued



JOT Automation appoints Petri Halonen as CEO

Petri Halonen has been appointed as JOT Automation Ltd.’s new CEO. He will start in his new position on February 1, 2015. M.Sc. (Tech.) Petri Halonen has previously worked as the CEO of Oulu ICT Oy.

Petri Halonen, 43, has versatile experience in managing industrial companies and tasks with responsibility for business results on international markets. Before moving to Oulu ICT, he was the CEO of Kuusakoski Oy, and before that, in various leading positions at Pilkington and Draka NK Cables, for example.

“We believe that Petri’s experience in business management and commercial and technical expertise will offer excellent support for JOT’s international growth strategy. We expect Petri to lead JOT’s team in taking our product portfolio and customer relationships to the next stage,” said Veikko Lesonen, Chairman of the Board.

____________________________________

Juki launches new website Juki Automation Systems (JAS), Inc., a world-leading provider of automated assembly products and systems and part of Juki Automation Systems Corporation, announces the launch of its new Website.

The new site can be found at the same Web address, www.jukiamericas.com, but has been completely redesigned. The Juki Americas Website features a responsive, mobile-friendly framework for desktop, tablet and phone viewing. The updated product section includes an interactive overview with detailed features and specifications for all Juki products.

Juki’s latest news is now displayed in an updated blog format. The site features updated and expanded product features and photos, and YouTube Video Playlists are available for the most recent product releases and available machines. For more information about Juki Automation Systems or to view the new Website, visit www.jukiamericas.com.

____________________________________

Lufthansa develops preferred air traveler plan for NEPCON China 2015

As an event organizer deeply trusted by industry professionals, Reed Exhibitions China uses global resources to produce multidimensional exhibitions. As a mark of Reed’s propensity for trans-boundary co-operation, NEPCON China and Lufthansa, one of the world’s top 10 airlines, have customized and integrated their superior resources through a new trans-trade co-operation framework based on their high quality, specialized, internationalized brands. The result is a win-win partnership that will create new advantages in market competition.

Lufthansa will exclusively provide a customized preferred air traveller plan for visitors, exhibitors and partners, together with their travel companions, for the 25th edition of NEPCON China. These participants in the show can exclusively enjoy the high-quality services provided by Lufthansa via this platform.

____________________________________

ProWorks™ joins OK International

OK International, a Dover Company, officially formed a fourth business division earlier this year dedicated to process management under the ProWorks™ brand name.

Over the past 68 years, OK International has acquired leading-edge technology as well as a reputation for operating a portfolio of trusted brands. From the rapidly evolving electronics assembly industry to 3D printing technology, OK International has the leverage and resources to lead the newly acquired ProWorks™ work instruction software into new market applications.

____________________________________

Vi TECHNOLOGY opens new applications and training centre in Germany

Vi TECHNOLOGY, a leading provider of inspection solutions for PCB assembly, announces the opening of a new Applications and Training Center. The Vi TECHNOLOGY portfolio includes the Pi series revolutionary 3D solder paste inspection (3D SPI) system, K-Series automated optical inspection systems (AOI) and Sigma Link software solutions.

The new facility, in close proximity to the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and renowned research institutes, will be based in The Gate Garching, a cluster of high-technology companies. This location offers an innovative environment upon which to build and expand.

Industry News

http://www.jukiamericas.com





JOT Automation appoints Petri Halonen as CEO

Petri Halonen has been appointed as JOT Automation Ltd.’s new CEO. He will start in his new position on February 1, 2015. M.Sc. (Tech.) Petri Halonen has previously worked as the CEO of Oulu ICT Oy.

Petri Halonen, 43, has versatile experience in managing industrial companies and tasks with responsibility for business results on international markets. Before moving to Oulu ICT, he was the CEO of Kuusakoski Oy, and before that, in various leading positions at Pilkington and Draka NK Cables, for example.

“We believe that Petri’s experience in business management and commercial and technical expertise will offer excellent support for JOT’s international growth strategy. We expect Petri to lead JOT’s team in taking our product portfolio and customer relationships to the next stage,” said Veikko Lesonen, Chairman of the Board.

____________________________________

Juki launches new website Juki Automation Systems (JAS), Inc., a world-leading provider of automated assembly products and systems and part of Juki Automation Systems Corporation, announces the launch of its new Website.

The new site can be found at the same Web address, www.jukiamericas.com, but has been completely redesigned. The Juki Americas Website features a responsive, mobile-friendly framework for desktop, tablet and phone viewing. The updated product section includes an interactive overview with detailed features and specifications for all Juki products.

Juki’s latest news is now displayed in an updated blog format. The site features updated and expanded product features and photos, and YouTube Video Playlists are available for the most recent product releases and available machines. For more information about Juki Automation Systems or to view the new Website, visit www.jukiamericas.com.

____________________________________

Lufthansa develops preferred air traveler plan for NEPCON China 2015

As an event organizer deeply trusted by industry professionals, Reed Exhibitions China uses global resources to produce multidimensional exhibitions. As a mark of Reed’s propensity for trans-boundary co-operation, NEPCON China and Lufthansa, one of the world’s top 10 airlines, have customized and integrated their superior resources through a new trans-trade co-operation framework based on their high quality, specialized, internationalized brands. The result is a win-win partnership that will create new advantages in market competition.

Lufthansa will exclusively provide a customized preferred air traveller plan for visitors, exhibitors and partners, together with their travel companions, for the 25th edition of NEPCON China. These participants in the show can exclusively enjoy the high-quality services provided by Lufthansa via this platform.

____________________________________

ProWorks™ joins OK International

OK International, a Dover Company, officially formed a fourth business division earlier this year dedicated to process management under the ProWorks™ brand name.

Over the past 68 years, OK International has acquired leading-edge technology as well as a reputation for operating a portfolio of trusted brands. From the rapidly evolving electronics assembly industry to 3D printing technology, OK International has the leverage and resources to lead the newly acquired ProWorks™ work instruction software into new market applications.

____________________________________

Vi TECHNOLOGY opens new applications and training centre in Germany

Vi TECHNOLOGY, a leading provider of inspection solutions for PCB assembly, announces the opening of a new Applications and Training Center. The Vi TECHNOLOGY portfolio includes the Pi series revolutionary 3D solder paste inspection (3D SPI) system, K-Series automated optical inspection systems (AOI) and Sigma Link software solutions.

The new facility, in close proximity to the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and renowned research institutes, will be based in The Gate Garching, a cluster of high-technology companies. This location offers an innovative environment upon which to build and expand.

Industry News


PDR IR-E3Vi Gold – For SMT/BGA Reworking …. it’s the complete package!By Mark Kingham, Sales and Marketing Manager, PDR

PDR’s Focused IR technology, first introduced by the company in 1986, exposes a component and PCB to similar thermal conditions to those experienced in an in-line SMT reflow oven.

As a result, the solder joints produced are of an identical quality to those produced in the mainstream assembly process. Common soldering problems associated with oxidation or stray solder ball migration are also eliminated and, in practice, any component that can safely pass through an IR oven can be reworked using Focused IR.

Focused IR is a non-contact, tool-free and hands-free technique that subjects both the topside and underside of a board to remote IR radiation heating. Below the PCB, medium wave IR is used to preheat the board and reduce the amount of energy and time required for top-side heating. Above the PCB, short wave IR energy is collimated and focused through a lens system to allow precise heating control over the specific component area to be heated.

Focused IR is, therefore, a safe, simple and gentle heating method that offers precision process control. This allows rework technicians to focus their attention on effectively reworking any BGA/SMT device without having to cope with the complexities, frustrations and costs normally associated with traditional ‘high end’ rework systems.

The IR-E3Vi Gold from PDR is an extremely powerful and cost-effective SMT/BGA rework tool that has been designed to meet all the needs of its users. It is a professional,

high-end system aimed at reworking small- to medium-size PCBs with an extremely high degree of accuracy and producing 100% yields. Offering high levels of process control, the IR-E3Vi Gold is able to readily accommodate the demands of both new and existing SMT component packages such as BGAs, µBGAs, CSPs, QFPs, PLCCs, SOICs, standard SMDs and SMT sockets and connectors.

Central to the performance of the semi-automatic PDR IR-E3Vi Gold is PDR’s unique Focused IR technology which allows operators to both quickly and safely, solder and de-solder all types of SMT packages without risk of overheating a given component, adjacent devices or board substrate.

The PDR IR-E3Vi Gold comes complete with a range of standard features that ensures it is able to immediately deal with the vast majority of SMT rework demands which include:

• 150W top-side heating Focused IR lens system that is able to project a heating image of up to 70mm in diameter

• Choice of 2 lens attachments – F700, F400, F200, F150

• 2800w 3 zone switch back heater which ensures perfect pre-heating every time even on smaller boards

• Closed loop PCB and component temperature control; PC Control Package including PDR’s bespoke ‘ThermoActive’ software suite with simple profile setting and automatic heating

• CM type precision sensors for both component and PCB complete with readout facilities

• CCTV/prism-based BGA/uBGA alignment system

• Auxiliary Process Observation Camera

• Advanced, professional vacuum placement system, with precise ‘Pick & Place’ action, Y/Z axis movement and rotation; soft component landing and Z-axis stop for placement in paste.

• Component nest for precision component pick and flux application

• A precision, professional X/Y table with micrometre adjustments, accommodating PCBs up to 300mm x 450m in size.

PDR IR-E3Vi Gold package comes with a comprehensive range of additional features that deal with more complex rework requirements and specialised packages. For example, a fast reacting Conductive Back Heater (to rework metal backed PCBs) and responsive PCB Forced Air Cooling.

With over 4000 installations worldwide, PDR’s systems are used by many of the world’s leading OEMs and CEMs. As developed by PDR, Focused IR technology simplifies the soldering/de-soldering process and the passive nature of infra-red heat makes it much less likely to damage components or substrates. Additionally, nozzles and tips, which are an expensive part of other systems, are not needed.


PDR IR-E3Vi Gold – For SMT/BGA Reworking …. it’s the complete package!By Mark Kingham, Sales and Marketing Manager, PDR

PDR’s Focused IR technology, first introduced by the company in 1986, exposes a component and PCB to similar thermal conditions to those experienced in an in-line SMT reflow oven.

As a result, the solder joints produced are of an identical quality to those produced in the mainstream assembly process. Common soldering problems associated with oxidation or stray solder ball migration are also eliminated and, in practice, any component that can safely pass through an IR oven can be reworked using Focused IR.

Focused IR is a non-contact, tool-free and hands-free technique that subjects both the topside and underside of a board to remote IR radiation heating. Below the PCB, medium wave IR is used to preheat the board and reduce the amount of energy and time required for top-side heating. Above the PCB, short wave IR energy is collimated and focused through a lens system to allow precise heating control over the specific component area to be heated.

Focused IR is, therefore, a safe, simple and gentle heating method that offers precision process control. This allows rework technicians to focus their attention on effectively reworking any BGA/SMT device without having to cope with the complexities, frustrations and costs normally associated with traditional ‘high end’ rework systems.

The IR-E3Vi Gold from PDR is an extremely powerful and cost-effective SMT/BGA rework tool that has been designed to meet all the needs of its users. It is a professional,

high-end system aimed at reworking small- to medium-size PCBs with an extremely high degree of accuracy and producing 100% yields. Offering high levels of process control, the IR-E3Vi Gold is able to readily accommodate the demands of both new and existing SMT component packages such as BGAs, µBGAs, CSPs, QFPs, PLCCs, SOICs, standard SMDs and SMT sockets and connectors.

Central to the performance of the semi-automatic PDR IR-E3Vi Gold is PDR’s unique Focused IR technology which allows operators to both quickly and safely, solder and de-solder all types of SMT packages without risk of overheating a given component, adjacent devices or board substrate.

The PDR IR-E3Vi Gold comes complete with a range of standard features that ensures it is able to immediately deal with the vast majority of SMT rework demands which include:

• 150W top-side heating Focused IR lens system that is able to project a heating image of up to 70mm in diameter

• Choice of 2 lens attachments – F700, F400, F200, F150

• 2800w 3 zone switch back heater which ensures perfect pre-heating every time even on smaller boards

• Closed loop PCB and component temperature control; PC Control Package including PDR’s bespoke ‘ThermoActive’ software suite with simple profile setting and automatic heating

• CM type precision sensors for both component and PCB complete with readout facilities

• CCTV/prism-based BGA/uBGA alignment system

• Auxiliary Process Observation Camera

• Advanced, professional vacuum placement system, with precise ‘Pick & Place’ action, Y/Z axis movement and rotation; soft component landing and Z-axis stop for placement in paste.

• Component nest for precision component pick and flux application

• A precision, professional X/Y table with micrometre adjustments, accommodating PCBs up to 300mm x 450m in size.

PDR IR-E3Vi Gold package comes with a comprehensive range of additional features that deal with more complex rework requirements and specialised packages. For example, a fast reacting Conductive Back Heater (to rework metal backed PCBs) and responsive PCB Forced Air Cooling.

With over 4000 installations worldwide, PDR’s systems are used by many of the world’s leading OEMs and CEMs. As developed by PDR, Focused IR technology simplifies the soldering/de-soldering process and the passive nature of infra-red heat makes it much less likely to damage components or substrates. Additionally, nozzles and tips, which are an expensive part of other systems, are not needed.


new products exciting new industry innovationKeeping you informed of the latest developments in technology and innovation within our global electronics industry.

DKLMetalsOffersFreeSamplingKits with Routine Bath Analysis DKL Metals Ltd., the largest solder manufacturer in the UK, now offers customers a free sampling kit with its free routine bath analysis service. The company has always offered its customers a free routine bath analysis service (subject to conditions) and has added the sampling kit to complement its analysis service.

DKL Metals’ bath analysis service is particularly important with lead-free alloys as the monitoring of copper and lead levels is critical to a smooth running controlled process. Routine samples must be prepared using the DKL Metals sampling kit in order to benefit from continued free analysis. Additional sampling kits are also available for purchase for non-customers.

____________________________________

Gen3 Systems Installs MBTech NC25 PCB Cleaner at Briton EMS

Gen3 Systems Limited, a specialist British manufacturer and distributor, is pleased to announce the successful installation of the MBTech NC25 PCB Cleaning System at Briton EMS’ facility in Bedford, England. Briton EMS purchased the MBTech NC25 Conveyorised Batch Cleaning Machine from Gen3 Systems.

The NC25 Batch Cleaner is specially designed around a patented filtration system, providing high cleaning

performance. The system is designed for use with a number of chemistries in a closed-loop configuration that offers optimum performance with minimum waste and hence reduced operating costs. The machine also benefits a unique process of combining forced convection and vacuum.

The NC25 system boosts one of the most cost efficient and waste friendly systems available on the market. Mb-Tech equipment is designed in order to respond to three essential criteria; efficiency, low running costs, and environmental respect.

____________________________________

GKG Asia Receives Coveted TÜVSÜDCertificationforItsGLPrinter GKG Asia Pte Ltd, a leading supplier of fully automatic vision printers, announces that the GL printer is now TÜV SÜD certified for both the United States and Canada.

The certification comes to GKG from TÜV SÜD America Inc. and means that customers that require equipment to be accepted by nationally recognized testing laboratory programs (NRTLs), now can select the GL printer.

“TÜV SÜD Certification is a true accomplishment for a company our size,” said LS Lim, Engineering Director at GKG Asia Pte Ltd. “We are proud to say that GKG GL printer now carries the TÜV SÜD approval and certification.”

TÜV SÜD America is an internationally accredited certification body for various management systems that certifies and

audits a wide range of internationally recognized management systems related to quality, environment, energy, safety, risk, health, education, and business continuity. The agency works with various sectors and industries such as automotive, rail, aerospace, mechanical engineering, information technology, and healthcare.

____________________________________

GOEPEL electronics introduces new test and programming strategies for Bay Trail processors from Intel®GOEPEL electronics announces the development of specific model libraries for testing and programming of Intel® Bay Trail processors, which are part of the Intel® Atom™ family. The libraries called VarioTAP® models allow flexible execution of processor emulation tests using the native debug port. Users are now able to use the processor as an instrument for hardware design validation of prototypes as well as programming of Flash devices.

Intel® Bay Trail is a series of multi-core SoC (System-on-Chip) solutions based on the Silvermont architecture. Manufactured in a 22nm process, the Chips offer optimized performance with low energy consumption. Main application fields of the Bay Trail processors are mainly mobile applications such as tablets and notebooks, but also hybrid and embedded devices. There are various Intel® Bay Trail series with up to four processor cores and clock speeds up to 2GHz...continued


new products exciting new industry innovationKeeping you informed of the latest developments in technology and innovation within our global electronics industry.

DKLMetalsOffersFreeSamplingKits with Routine Bath Analysis DKL Metals Ltd., the largest solder manufacturer in the UK, now offers customers a free sampling kit with its free routine bath analysis service. The company has always offered its customers a free routine bath analysis service (subject to conditions) and has added the sampling kit to complement its analysis service.

DKL Metals’ bath analysis service is particularly important with lead-free alloys as the monitoring of copper and lead levels is critical to a smooth running controlled process. Routine samples must be prepared using the DKL Metals sampling kit in order to benefit from continued free analysis. Additional sampling kits are also available for purchase for non-customers.

____________________________________

Gen3 Systems Installs MBTech NC25 PCB Cleaner at Briton EMS

Gen3 Systems Limited, a specialist British manufacturer and distributor, is pleased to announce the successful installation of the MBTech NC25 PCB Cleaning System at Briton EMS’ facility in Bedford, England. Briton EMS purchased the MBTech NC25 Conveyorised Batch Cleaning Machine from Gen3 Systems.

The NC25 Batch Cleaner is specially designed around a patented filtration system, providing high cleaning

performance. The system is designed for use with a number of chemistries in a closed-loop configuration that offers optimum performance with minimum waste and hence reduced operating costs. The machine also benefits a unique process of combining forced convection and vacuum.

The NC25 system boosts one of the most cost efficient and waste friendly systems available on the market. Mb-Tech equipment is designed in order to respond to three essential criteria; efficiency, low running costs, and environmental respect.

____________________________________

GKG Asia Receives Coveted TÜVSÜDCertificationforItsGLPrinter GKG Asia Pte Ltd, a leading supplier of fully automatic vision printers, announces that the GL printer is now TÜV SÜD certified for both the United States and Canada.

The certification comes to GKG from TÜV SÜD America Inc. and means that customers that require equipment to be accepted by nationally recognized testing laboratory programs (NRTLs), now can select the GL printer.

“TÜV SÜD Certification is a true accomplishment for a company our size,” said LS Lim, Engineering Director at GKG Asia Pte Ltd. “We are proud to say that GKG GL printer now carries the TÜV SÜD approval and certification.”

TÜV SÜD America is an internationally accredited certification body for various management systems that certifies and

audits a wide range of internationally recognized management systems related to quality, environment, energy, safety, risk, health, education, and business continuity. The agency works with various sectors and industries such as automotive, rail, aerospace, mechanical engineering, information technology, and healthcare.

____________________________________

GOEPEL electronics introduces new test and programming strategies for Bay Trail processors from Intel®GOEPEL electronics announces the development of specific model libraries for testing and programming of Intel® Bay Trail processors, which are part of the Intel® Atom™ family. The libraries called VarioTAP® models allow flexible execution of processor emulation tests using the native debug port. Users are now able to use the processor as an instrument for hardware design validation of prototypes as well as programming of Flash devices.

Intel® Bay Trail is a series of multi-core SoC (System-on-Chip) solutions based on the Silvermont architecture. Manufactured in a 22nm process, the Chips offer optimized performance with low energy consumption. Main application fields of the Bay Trail processors are mainly mobile applications such as tablets and notebooks, but also hybrid and embedded devices. There are various Intel® Bay Trail series with up to four processor cores and clock speeds up to 2GHz...continued


new products continued...

AOI for oversized PCBs: size doesn’t matter

GOEPEL electronics now offers a new variant of the inline AOI system AdvancedLine for the inspection of overlength PCBs. The longboard AOI system enables testing of assembled and soldered PCBs with a length of up 1,600mm. An adjustment for even longer PCBs is also possible due to the flexibility of the overall design.

A suitable usage scenario is the quality control of lighting modules, which are used for cabin lighting of passenger aircrafts.

The system is available in a variety of speeds, depending on customer requirements. The AOI system can be configured with the rotating angled-view module “Chameleon” and a laser height measurement system. Integration of the additional measuring module “3D·EyeZ” allows real three dimensional measurements of solder joints and components.

____________________________________

Javad EMS Adds Large Board LineIn the past, traditional EMS companies used a batch process approach to assemble large boards. In a batch process, the board is manually moved from one machine to another during the assembly process. This was acceptable when board thickness was more than 0.100 in thickness. However, over time, the boards themselves have gotten thinner and the components much smaller, creating the need for an inline process with value-added process controls such as SPI, AOI, 3-D and X-ray.

JEMS’s process parameters and commitment to producing large boards will follow the same production

procedures as all its other assemblies. All boards, regardless of volume, will be produced in an in-line process on the same lines as production quantity assemblies:

• All boards will have 100 percent 3D solder paste inspection anywhere solder paste is deposited on a board.

• All boards will have 100 percent AOI on every single component that AOI can effectively inspect, regardless of whether it is a prototype build or a production-level build.

• All boards and solder joints will have 100 percent fully automated 3D X-ray inspection.

____________________________________

Innovative Filter Concept enables long-term Cost Savings

ULT AG presents an ideally designed filter concept implemented in its extraction and filtration system for laser processes, LAS 260. Due to significantly increased filter life times, users are able to save costs on long-term basis in terms of filter exchange and energy management. Compared with the current state of the art, ULT succeeded in halving filter costs. Consequently, the company introduces an extremely attractive particle filter technology.

The filter’s large storage capacity results in less downtime and reduced maintenance and operating costs. This is achieved through the utilization of an F9 particle filter cassette as extensive prefilter and a combinational filter cassette H14/A10 as

particle and adsorption filter. A filtration efficiency for fine dust (DIN EN 779) and suspended solids (DIN EN 1822) up to 99,995 % as well as gases, vapours and odours is now possible.

____________________________________

Hunter Technology Installs Vi TECHNOLOGY’s PI SPI System

Vi TECHNOLOGY, a provider of state-of-the-art inspection systems for the SMT industry, announces that the revolutionary PI SPI system has been purchased by Hunter Technology and installed in its state-of-the-art Silicon Valley facility. In a competitive side-by-side evaluation, the PI was the clear choice for Hunter Technology.

With its first installed base in the Silicon Valley, PI is the most groundbreaking SPI system developed to date since solder paste inspection first was introduced to the SMT industry. This next-generation SPI features ease of programming, ease of maintenance, operator friendliness and automatic threshold settings, providing solutions to improve users’ processes.

Combined with Sigma Link, it features a comprehensive range of data management software tools that deliver a complete enterprise solution that is unlike any other SPI technology ever introduced. PI enables users to improve processes through a complete analysis of the solder joints vs. solder paste deposit. Additionally, PI is compatible with all major printers, making it extremely flexible and cost-effective.

KICON

BOARD

POWERPOWERF CUSF CUSAu

to

TMKIC®

APEX Booth #3032

KIC World [email protected] www.kicthermal.com

KIC International Sales - [email protected]

KIC International Sales - Singapore [email protected]


• Onceyouhaveoneprofilevariableinspecandyouadjustforthesecond,thefirstvariablegoesoutofspec

Rubik’s Cube would be easy...

Oven setup made easy

The KIC Auto-Focus Power helps select your correct recipe in record time regardless of application, oven, personnel, or location

...if you had

• JustliketheRubik’sCube puzzle,adjustingtheoven recipetopositiontheprofileinspec isadifficultandtimeconsumingjob

• AndifyouhavemorethanoneTCormorethanonetypeofPCB,wellthen...


new products continued...

AOI for oversized PCBs: size doesn’t matter

GOEPEL electronics now offers a new variant of the inline AOI system AdvancedLine for the inspection of overlength PCBs. The longboard AOI system enables testing of assembled and soldered PCBs with a length of up 1,600mm. An adjustment for even longer PCBs is also possible due to the flexibility of the overall design.

A suitable usage scenario is the quality control of lighting modules, which are used for cabin lighting of passenger aircrafts.

The system is available in a variety of speeds, depending on customer requirements. The AOI system can be configured with the rotating angled-view module “Chameleon” and a laser height measurement system. Integration of the additional measuring module “3D·EyeZ” allows real three dimensional measurements of solder joints and components.

____________________________________

Javad EMS Adds Large Board LineIn the past, traditional EMS companies used a batch process approach to assemble large boards. In a batch process, the board is manually moved from one machine to another during the assembly process. This was acceptable when board thickness was more than 0.100 in thickness. However, over time, the boards themselves have gotten thinner and the components much smaller, creating the need for an inline process with value-added process controls such as SPI, AOI, 3-D and X-ray.

JEMS’s process parameters and commitment to producing large boards will follow the same production

procedures as all its other assemblies. All boards, regardless of volume, will be produced in an in-line process on the same lines as production quantity assemblies:

• All boards will have 100 percent 3D solder paste inspection anywhere solder paste is deposited on a board.

• All boards will have 100 percent AOI on every single component that AOI can effectively inspect, regardless of whether it is a prototype build or a production-level build.

• All boards and solder joints will have 100 percent fully automated 3D X-ray inspection.

____________________________________

Innovative Filter Concept enables long-term Cost Savings

ULT AG presents an ideally designed filter concept implemented in its extraction and filtration system for laser processes, LAS 260. Due to significantly increased filter life times, users are able to save costs on long-term basis in terms of filter exchange and energy management. Compared with the current state of the art, ULT succeeded in halving filter costs. Consequently, the company introduces an extremely attractive particle filter technology.

The filter’s large storage capacity results in less downtime and reduced maintenance and operating costs. This is achieved through the utilization of an F9 particle filter cassette as extensive prefilter and a combinational filter cassette H14/A10 as

particle and adsorption filter. A filtration efficiency for fine dust (DIN EN 779) and suspended solids (DIN EN 1822) up to 99,995 % as well as gases, vapours and odours is now possible.

____________________________________

Hunter Technology Installs Vi TECHNOLOGY’s PI SPI System

Vi TECHNOLOGY, a provider of state-of-the-art inspection systems for the SMT industry, announces that the revolutionary PI SPI system has been purchased by Hunter Technology and installed in its state-of-the-art Silicon Valley facility. In a competitive side-by-side evaluation, the PI was the clear choice for Hunter Technology.

With its first installed base in the Silicon Valley, PI is the most groundbreaking SPI system developed to date since solder paste inspection first was introduced to the SMT industry. This next-generation SPI features ease of programming, ease of maintenance, operator friendliness and automatic threshold settings, providing solutions to improve users’ processes.

Combined with Sigma Link, it features a comprehensive range of data management software tools that deliver a complete enterprise solution that is unlike any other SPI technology ever introduced. PI enables users to improve processes through a complete analysis of the solder joints vs. solder paste deposit. Additionally, PI is compatible with all major printers, making it extremely flexible and cost-effective.

KICON

BOARD

POWERPOWERF CUSF CUSAu

to

TMKIC®

APEX Booth #3032

KIC World [email protected] www.kicthermal.com


KIC International Sales - Singapore [email protected]


• Onceyouhaveoneprofilevariableinspecandyouadjustforthesecond,thefirstvariablegoesoutofspec

Rubik’s Cube would be easy...

Oven setup made easy

The KIC Auto-Focus Power helps select your correct recipe in record time regardless of application, oven, personnel, or location

...if you had

• JustliketheRubik’sCube puzzle,adjustingtheoven recipetopositiontheprofileinspec isadifficultandtimeconsumingjob

• AndifyouhavemorethanoneTCormorethanonetypeofPCB,wellthen...


http://www.kicthermal.com






http://www.kic.cn


Using Innovation to Improve ManufacturingBy Gary Walker, Vice President, JAVAD EMS

JAVAD EMS (JEMS) was founded four years ago, during an economic downturn, with the belief that both equipment and process investments had to be made to keep pace with the company’s technology needs and end product quality requirements. So, even though used equipment was available at low prices, JEMS bought only new equipment that could meet the future challenges of the most complex products and technologies. Advanced equipment and processes allow JEMS to build advanced products with the highest levels of quality, regardless of the build: all are built the same way on the same equipment.

“While we cannot eliminate entirely the need for human intervention in the manufacturing process, we do all we can to provide advanced automation, maximum knowledge and repeatable/defined processes to our operators,” commented Gary Walker, Vice President at JEMS.

Top-of the-Line Equipment on JEMS’ Floor

JEMS purchased and installed an Aegis MES system that provides detailed work instructions at point-of-use via touch screens from the screen printing process all the way to the pack-out process for a finished product. This guarantees that all operators are using the latest revision document for them and that the process parameters they will use or inspect to have been clearly defined and validated for their use. This ensures continuity and consistency from job to job. It is a workflow-based system so a defined process is

established for each product and by placing bar code serial numbers on every board that is processed, the company not only tracks finite quality details to an individual board level but also controls the flow of each and every product, ensuring there are no missed steps or ‘walk-arounds.’ This is a live system so process and quality data are constantly updated and provided to the operators and engineers as products run on any one of the four production lines JEMS has, enabling constant process monitoring and immediate intervention when required.

As previously discussed, all parameters for the screen printing process for all the different printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) are defined and provided in Aegis. Many industry studies show that 60-80 percent of surface mount solder joint defects are due to the issues associated with screen printing. The Automatic Pin Guidance (APG) function offered by EKRA X4 screen printers has significantly reduced insufficient and open solder defects at JEMS that are caused by inappropriate printer setup for double-sided assemblies. These screen printers incorporate a vision-mounted laser pointing system and the support pin locations can be taught easily via the vision system. According to the comparison study result of EKRA APG implementation

at JEMS, the insufficient and open solder defect appearances on the boards were reduced by 55 percent compared to the boards set up without APG. Additionally, this repeatable process helps engineers discover the true root cause of the printing defects for repeat builds. ____________________________________

‘‘The Automatic Pin Guidance (APG) function offered by EKRA X4 screen printers has significantly reduced insufficient and open solder defects at JEMS that are caused by inappropriate printer setup for double-sided assemblies. ____________________________________

To validate the screen printing process, JEMS installed a CyberOptics fully automated 3D solder paste inspection (SPI) system on every surface mount (SM) line. “Our belief is that this is one of the most crucial processes of the line because we are checking not only registration of paste but, more importantly, the volume of the paste deposited on each and every pad on the PCB,” said Walker. This machine provides instantaneous feedback to the line operators if there is any deviation of the printing process which guarantees that when a part is placed on a PCB, the correct amount of solder paste is there for a reliable solder joint after reflow or, if not, the board is pulled offline for paste removal cleaning, and the correction/adjustments are made to the screen printer. This is critical when building highly complex products that use high-density BGAs, microBGAs, PoP, QFNs, LGAs and 01005 devices to avoid assemblies going offline and the need to rework them due to poor solder joints. ...continued

Figure 1. SM lines running at JAVAD EMS’s facility


Using Innovation to Improve ManufacturingBy Gary Walker, Vice President, JAVAD EMS

JAVAD EMS (JEMS) was founded four years ago, during an economic downturn, with the belief that both equipment and process investments had to be made to keep pace with the company’s technology needs and end product quality requirements. So, even though used equipment was available at low prices, JEMS bought only new equipment that could meet the future challenges of the most complex products and technologies. Advanced equipment and processes allow JEMS to build advanced products with the highest levels of quality, regardless of the build: all are built the same way on the same equipment.

“While we cannot eliminate entirely the need for human intervention in the manufacturing process, we do all we can to provide advanced automation, maximum knowledge and repeatable/defined processes to our operators,” commented Gary Walker, Vice President at JEMS.

Top-of the-Line Equipment on JEMS’ Floor

JEMS purchased and installed an Aegis MES system that provides detailed work instructions at point-of-use via touch screens from the screen printing process all the way to the pack-out process for a finished product. This guarantees that all operators are using the latest revision document for them and that the process parameters they will use or inspect to have been clearly defined and validated for their use. This ensures continuity and consistency from job to job. It is a workflow-based system so a defined process is

established for each product and by placing bar code serial numbers on every board that is processed, the company not only tracks finite quality details to an individual board level but also controls the flow of each and every product, ensuring there are no missed steps or ‘walk-arounds.’ This is a live system so process and quality data are constantly updated and provided to the operators and engineers as products run on any one of the four production lines JEMS has, enabling constant process monitoring and immediate intervention when required.

As previously discussed, all parameters for the screen printing process for all the different printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) are defined and provided in Aegis. Many industry studies show that 60-80 percent of surface mount solder joint defects are due to the issues associated with screen printing. The Automatic Pin Guidance (APG) function offered by EKRA X4 screen printers has significantly reduced insufficient and open solder defects at JEMS that are caused by inappropriate printer setup for double-sided assemblies. These screen printers incorporate a vision-mounted laser pointing system and the support pin locations can be taught easily via the vision system. According to the comparison study result of EKRA APG implementation

at JEMS, the insufficient and open solder defect appearances on the boards were reduced by 55 percent compared to the boards set up without APG. Additionally, this repeatable process helps engineers discover the true root cause of the printing defects for repeat builds. ____________________________________

‘‘The Automatic Pin Guidance (APG) function offered by EKRA X4 screen printers has significantly reduced insufficient and open solder defects at JEMS that are caused by inappropriate printer setup for double-sided assemblies. ____________________________________

To validate the screen printing process, JEMS installed a CyberOptics fully automated 3D solder paste inspection (SPI) system on every surface mount (SM) line. “Our belief is that this is one of the most crucial processes of the line because we are checking not only registration of paste but, more importantly, the volume of the paste deposited on each and every pad on the PCB,” said Walker. This machine provides instantaneous feedback to the line operators if there is any deviation of the printing process which guarantees that when a part is placed on a PCB, the correct amount of solder paste is there for a reliable solder joint after reflow or, if not, the board is pulled offline for paste removal cleaning, and the correction/adjustments are made to the screen printer. This is critical when building highly complex products that use high-density BGAs, microBGAs, PoP, QFNs, LGAs and 01005 devices to avoid assemblies going offline and the need to rework them due to poor solder joints. ...continued

Figure 1. SM lines running at JAVAD EMS’s facility



Once the board passes through the SPI system, all devices are placed using a Juki inline system. JEMS has four lines with a combination of 12 machines in total. Walker said that buying the new Juki systems and not purchasing used legacy SM equipment allows the company to confidently place any of the devices previously listed at production-level speeds and with ±0.03 mm accuracy. The Juki machines are also equipped with feeder trolley carts such that they allow for quick product-to-product changeover. To guarantee that the correct parts are loaded on the respective feeders at initial feeder set up, JEMS performs an automated offline verification of all the feeders on each cart. Once the trolley cart is inserted into the machine, there is a validation program through Cogiscan in conjunction with Juki to ensure that the right component/feeder is in the right location for the PCBA placement program.

Another critical in-process check is the company’s automated optical inspection (AOI) systems and it has one on each of the assembly lines and completes a 100 percent inspection of every single board that is assembled. “We place so much emphasis on AOI that, depending upon the PCBA being built, this machine potentially gates the entire SM line,” added Walker. Nordson YESTECH’s advanced 5-megapixel color camera imaging technology offers high-speed PCB inspection with exceptional defect coverage. With one top down viewing camera and four side viewing cameras, the FX Series inspects solder joints, lead banks and verifies correct part value and placement, enabling JEMS to improve quality and increase throughput. Programming the FX Series is fast and intuitive. Operators typically take less than 30 minutes to create a complete inspection program including solder inspection.

Advanced Fusion Lighting™ and 5 megapixel image processing technology integrate several techniques, including color inspection, normalized correlation and rule-based algorithms, to provide complete inspection coverage with an extremely low false failure rate. Walker said that these features make the FX AOI system ideal for JEMS and the performance value of the machines is outstanding. ____________________________________

‘‘The Juki machines are also equipped with feeder trolley carts such that they allow for quick product-to-product changeover.____________________________________

Another critical process step JEMS performs in-house to validate and improve quality is automated 3D X-ray. While the company does 100 percent AOI on every board it assembles, the machine cannot inspect for what it cannot see so devices such as BGAs can only be validated for correct part and alignment at this step. The solder joints themselves must be inspected by using X-ray, which JEMS also performs on 100 percent of the products it assembles. JEMS uses two of ViTrox’s automated X-ray (AXI) systems and views them as “best in class” for production-level,

fully automated X-ray capabilities. The V810 state-of-the-art technology is based on digital tomosynthesis methodology and the use of proprietary Hybrid Auto Focus technology that enables the system to intelligently focus on the desired z-height. This is accomplished without any mechanical movement from an X-ray source or stage that can help to significantly reduce the measurement uncertainty of the system. The X-ray system uses advanced package inspection capability that includes three layers for PoP, LGA and pin-in-paste. The test coverage of the V810 Series2 XXL is improved through non-linear reconstruction technology that enables better inspection of highly shaded parts such as connectors and power transistors. The new flood-fill voiding algorithm enhances the accuracy and various detection types for voiding including barrel fill for through-hole devices.

Most of JEMS customers have high-complexity products, high-mix, low- to medium-volume production requirements so the company uses only the most advanced equipment and systems to provide continuous monitoring, verification and feedback of 100 percent of our process steps regardless of board quantity (prototypes through production). As a result, JEMS continually targets customers with complex assemblies while improving its quality significantly so that it has average first pass yields greater than 96 percent and average defects per million opportunity (DPMO) rates less than 70, allowing JEMS to build more efficiently and to optimally use its manufacturing facility.

Figure 2. ViTrox system at JAVAD EMS

Figure 3. Nordson YESTECH system at JAVAD EMS



Once the board passes through the SPI system, all devices are placed using a Juki inline system. JEMS has four lines with a combination of 12 machines in total. Walker said that buying the new Juki systems and not purchasing used legacy SM equipment allows the company to confidently place any of the devices previously listed at production-level speeds and with ±0.03 mm accuracy. The Juki machines are also equipped with feeder trolley carts such that they allow for quick product-to-product changeover. To guarantee that the correct parts are loaded on the respective feeders at initial feeder set up, JEMS performs an automated offline verification of all the feeders on each cart. Once the trolley cart is inserted into the machine, there is a validation program through Cogiscan in conjunction with Juki to ensure that the right component/feeder is in the right location for the PCBA placement program.

Another critical in-process check is the company’s automated optical inspection (AOI) systems and it has one on each of the assembly lines and completes a 100 percent inspection of every single board that is assembled. “We place so much emphasis on AOI that, depending upon the PCBA being built, this machine potentially gates the entire SM line,” added Walker. Nordson YESTECH’s advanced 5-megapixel color camera imaging technology offers high-speed PCB inspection with exceptional defect coverage. With one top down viewing camera and four side viewing cameras, the FX Series inspects solder joints, lead banks and verifies correct part value and placement, enabling JEMS to improve quality and increase throughput. Programming the FX Series is fast and intuitive. Operators typically take less than 30 minutes to create a complete inspection program including solder inspection.

Advanced Fusion Lighting™ and 5 megapixel image processing technology integrate several techniques, including color inspection, normalized correlation and rule-based algorithms, to provide complete inspection coverage with an extremely low false failure rate. Walker said that these features make the FX AOI system ideal for JEMS and the performance value of the machines is outstanding. ____________________________________

‘‘The Juki machines are also equipped with feeder trolley carts such that they allow for quick product-to-product changeover.____________________________________

Another critical process step JEMS performs in-house to validate and improve quality is automated 3D X-ray. While the company does 100 percent AOI on every board it assembles, the machine cannot inspect for what it cannot see so devices such as BGAs can only be validated for correct part and alignment at this step. The solder joints themselves must be inspected by using X-ray, which JEMS also performs on 100 percent of the products it assembles. JEMS uses two of ViTrox’s automated X-ray (AXI) systems and views them as “best in class” for production-level,

fully automated X-ray capabilities. The V810 state-of-the-art technology is based on digital tomosynthesis methodology and the use of proprietary Hybrid Auto Focus technology that enables the system to intelligently focus on the desired z-height. This is accomplished without any mechanical movement from an X-ray source or stage that can help to significantly reduce the measurement uncertainty of the system. The X-ray system uses advanced package inspection capability that includes three layers for PoP, LGA and pin-in-paste. The test coverage of the V810 Series2 XXL is improved through non-linear reconstruction technology that enables better inspection of highly shaded parts such as connectors and power transistors. The new flood-fill voiding algorithm enhances the accuracy and various detection types for voiding including barrel fill for through-hole devices.

Most of JEMS customers have high-complexity products, high-mix, low- to medium-volume production requirements so the company uses only the most advanced equipment and systems to provide continuous monitoring, verification and feedback of 100 percent of our process steps regardless of board quantity (prototypes through production). As a result, JEMS continually targets customers with complex assemblies while improving its quality significantly so that it has average first pass yields greater than 96 percent and average defects per million opportunity (DPMO) rates less than 70, allowing JEMS to build more efficiently and to optimally use its manufacturing facility.

Figure 2. ViTrox system at JAVAD EMS

Figure 3. Nordson YESTECH system at JAVAD EMS


A New Approach to Reducing Reflow Costs while Maintaining Oven PerformanceBy Fred Dimock, Manager, Process Technology, BTU International, Inc

Process Engineers are often given the task of reducing manufacturing costs. Even if the task is not “official,” most engineers are aware that keeping manufacturing costs down is an important part of their job. In many cases, the focus is on lowering the cost of materials and eliminating defects, but today we hear a great deal about using less energy. This is not only good for the health of the company, but also for the good of the environment.

One of the largest energy users in the SMT process is the reflow oven because it takes a significant amount of the electricity to obtain the temperatures needed to melt the solder. It is possible to add insulation to the oven to reduce heat loss but if it is overdone, the zone separation that solder paste profiles require cannot be obtained. One could also increase the heating efficiency of the oven by running higher convection rates (AKA impingement velocity) but that has its limits as well due to component movement. ____________________________________

‘‘It is possible to add insulation to the oven to reduce heat loss but if it is overdone, the zone separation that solder paste profiles require cannot be obtained.____________________________________

That leaves engineers with finding innovative ways to reduce energy during non-productive times. The functional time of a reflow oven can be divided into four categories: setup, idle, hold and processing. Setup is when the oven is not ready for processing such as when it is heating up, changing recipes or waiting to stabilize oxygen levels. Idle is when the oven is ready but there is no product available. Hold is

when the oven and product are ready but the downstream process equipment is not ready. Processing is when the oven is doing the required job.

A recent review of these times revealed that the non-processing time (setup, idle and hold) can approach 50 percent in continuous operations and can be even higher in small shops where product is placed sporadically in the oven.

When the oven is in line with other equipment, users will turn the oven off or lower the setpoints during changeovers or downtime, but the problem is that they have to remember to turn the oven on before starting production. In smaller shops where the oven is not inline and the product loading is non-continuous, significant energy is wasted. A few reflow oven manufacturers have begun to address these issues and are developing “automatic” energy savings systems. These systems can consist of a single low energy state or multiple states depending on the oven and production line needs. An example of a multiple state system is

Energy Pilot by BTU. The BTU approach consists of three modes (Standby, Sleep, and Hibernate) that supplement the active recipe.

In the Standby Mode, the oven automatically lowers the belt and blower speeds when product is not in the oven. Normally a short time delay is used between the no load condition and activating Standby. Then when the sensor at the entrance of the oven identifies that a board is present, the control system returns the belt and blower speed to the original state. The belt speed increases immediately and by the time the board enters the first zone the blower speed has stabilized. This is reported to save about 25 percent of the energy during nonproduction intervals and, most importantly, does not affect the thermal profile.

The Sleep mode is slightly different. When the oven is in Standby Mode for an extended time and product is not at a location further up the line, the oven can take the additional step of lowering the zone temperatures to a preset level such as 150˚C. When the up-line sensor sees a board, the oven returns to the active recipe. With the correct choice of the preset temperature level, the recovery time can be quite short because the oven does not have to heat up from room temperature...continued

Figure 1. BTU’s Energy Pilot uses a three-mode approach: Standby, Sleep and Hibernate.

Figure 2. A demonstration of BTU’s Energy Pilot


A New Approach to Reducing Reflow Costs while Maintaining Oven PerformanceBy Fred Dimock, Manager, Process Technology, BTU International, Inc

Process Engineers are often given the task of reducing manufacturing costs. Even if the task is not “official,” most engineers are aware that keeping manufacturing costs down is an important part of their job. In many cases, the focus is on lowering the cost of materials and eliminating defects, but today we hear a great deal about using less energy. This is not only good for the health of the company, but also for the good of the environment.

One of the largest energy users in the SMT process is the reflow oven because it takes a significant amount of the electricity to obtain the temperatures needed to melt the solder. It is possible to add insulation to the oven to reduce heat loss but if it is overdone, the zone separation that solder paste profiles require cannot be obtained. One could also increase the heating efficiency of the oven by running higher convection rates (AKA impingement velocity) but that has its limits as well due to component movement. ____________________________________

‘‘It is possible to add insulation to the oven to reduce heat loss but if it is overdone, the zone separation that solder paste profiles require cannot be obtained.____________________________________

That leaves engineers with finding innovative ways to reduce energy during non-productive times. The functional time of a reflow oven can be divided into four categories: setup, idle, hold and processing. Setup is when the oven is not ready for processing such as when it is heating up, changing recipes or waiting to stabilize oxygen levels. Idle is when the oven is ready but there is no product available. Hold is

when the oven and product are ready but the downstream process equipment is not ready. Processing is when the oven is doing the required job.

A recent review of these times revealed that the non-processing time (setup, idle and hold) can approach 50 percent in continuous operations and can be even higher in small shops where product is placed sporadically in the oven.

When the oven is in line with other equipment, users will turn the oven off or lower the setpoints during changeovers or downtime, but the problem is that they have to remember to turn the oven on before starting production. In smaller shops where the oven is not inline and the product loading is non-continuous, significant energy is wasted. A few reflow oven manufacturers have begun to address these issues and are developing “automatic” energy savings systems. These systems can consist of a single low energy state or multiple states depending on the oven and production line needs. An example of a multiple state system is

Energy Pilot by BTU. The BTU approach consists of three modes (Standby, Sleep, and Hibernate) that supplement the active recipe.

In the Standby Mode, the oven automatically lowers the belt and blower speeds when product is not in the oven. Normally a short time delay is used between the no load condition and activating Standby. Then when the sensor at the entrance of the oven identifies that a board is present, the control system returns the belt and blower speed to the original state. The belt speed increases immediately and by the time the board enters the first zone the blower speed has stabilized. This is reported to save about 25 percent of the energy during nonproduction intervals and, most importantly, does not affect the thermal profile.

The Sleep mode is slightly different. When the oven is in Standby Mode for an extended time and product is not at a location further up the line, the oven can take the additional step of lowering the zone temperatures to a preset level such as 150˚C. When the up-line sensor sees a board, the oven returns to the active recipe. With the correct choice of the preset temperature level, the recovery time can be quite short because the oven does not have to heat up from room temperature...continued

Figure 1. BTU’s Energy Pilot uses a three-mode approach: Standby, Sleep and Hibernate.

Figure 2. A demonstration of BTU’s Energy Pilot


Depending on the settings, the heating time can be as short as a few minutes. This is reported to save about 40 percent in energy when activated but it depends upon the preset temperature levels and the original recipe. Although there are factory settings for delay time between Standby and Sleep and the temperature presets, they are all user-controlled. The location of the remote sensor will determine what is best for each factory because of the time needed to enter the ready state.

The third mode is Hibernate. This is like the Sleep Mode but, instead of going to a lower temperature, the oven automatically goes into shutdown after an extended delay. Just like Sleep Mode, the wake-up sensor has to be far enough upstream to give the oven time to heat up. It is important to note that nitrogen ovens usually require 30 minutes to purge but, in each case, the nitrogen atmosphere is maintained. Thus, when the oven is in Hibernate it only takes about 15 minutes to reach a stable temperature.

The key to enabling this system to function with minimal disruption to manufacturing is

the oven’s ability to respond and stabilize quickly. The Pyramax can stabilize from Standby Mode in as little as one minute and in 10 minutes from Sleep Mode.

As previously mentioned, in all cases the software allows users to select which modes are desired to automatically activate, the delay times and the sleep temperature presets. Additionally, the system can be placed into any mode or awakened manually when there are no boards in the oven.

Finally, the Energy Pilot does not conflict with “Dynamic N2 Idle” so during Standby, Sleep or Hibernate the nitrogen consumption is lowed for additional savings.

Taking advantage of non-process time with a system such as Energy Pilot is a winning addition to the reflow process. It not only allows the engineer to lower energy usage without sacrificing performance, it also eliminates the risk of misprocessing from forgetting to turn the oven back on, thus both maximizing yield and reducing operating costs.


Depending on the settings, the heating time can be as short as a few minutes. This is reported to save about 40 percent in energy when activated but it depends upon the preset temperature levels and the original recipe. Although there are factory settings for delay time between Standby and Sleep and the temperature presets, they are all user-controlled. The location of the remote sensor will determine what is best for each factory because of the time needed to enter the ready state.

The third mode is Hibernate. This is like the Sleep Mode but, instead of going to a lower temperature, the oven automatically goes into shutdown after an extended delay. Just like Sleep Mode, the wake-up sensor has to be far enough upstream to give the oven time to heat up. It is important to note that nitrogen ovens usually require 30 minutes to purge but, in each case, the nitrogen atmosphere is maintained. Thus, when the oven is in Hibernate it only takes about 15 minutes to reach a stable temperature.

The key to enabling this system to function with minimal disruption to manufacturing is

the oven’s ability to respond and stabilize quickly. The Pyramax can stabilize from Standby Mode in as little as one minute and in 10 minutes from Sleep Mode.

As previously mentioned, in all cases the software allows users to select which modes are desired to automatically activate, the delay times and the sleep temperature presets. Additionally, the system can be placed into any mode or awakened manually when there are no boards in the oven.

Finally, the Energy Pilot does not conflict with “Dynamic N2 Idle” so during Standby, Sleep or Hibernate the nitrogen consumption is lowed for additional savings.

Taking advantage of non-process time with a system such as Energy Pilot is a winning addition to the reflow process. It not only allows the engineer to lower energy usage without sacrificing performance, it also eliminates the risk of misprocessing from forgetting to turn the oven back on, thus both maximizing yield and reducing operating costs.


USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES TO REACH THE “PINNACLE” OF MEDICAL TRAINING EXCELLENCE By Rick Wassermann, CEO, Pinnacle Technology Group

Headquartered in Michigan for nine years and in business in excess of 20 years, Pinnacle Technology Group, Inc. has been serving customers in the medical training market and a variety of other industrial and commercial markets with the goal of providing the highest quality state-of-the-art products possible.

“At Pinnacle Technology Group, we take pride in our ability to help our customers from concept to completion,” said President CEO Rick Wasserman. “With our short lead times, turnkey procurement, surface mount, and thru-hole technologies, we provide perfect solutions for all of our customers’ manufacturing and design requirements. Together we can develop and produce an affordable solution to your needs.”

Because of this, the company accepts nothing less than the latest, proven innovations and the highest quality in the technologies it uses on its lines. Additionally, its goal is to be a world class organization that engineers, designs and manufactures the finest electronic medical training products available.

Pinnacle recently completed a 7,500 sq. ft. building expansion. Included with the expansion are two new wave solder machines, stencil washer, and a touch-free SMT line, along with additional staff members. “We have been busy over the past year, building a new facility and implementing lean/agile business systems

to increase our efficiency and productivity. We are committed in our efforts to be an industry leader,” added Wasserman. The combination of the finest facilities, best processes and brightest people will allow Pinnacle to be the first choice for a business partner.

Technology is the company’s focus and, as such, it has a focused effort to continuously improve its resources. The expanded facility is instituting a completely paperless manufacturing environment from administration through invoicing. Additionally, its state-of-the-art custom manufacturing facility is tuned specifically for electronics manufacturing. To keep its strategy of working with innovative, advanced partners, Pinnacle added two high-speed mounters, a screen printer and a soldering robot to its expanded facility.

Pinnacle Technology Group has worked with Morrisville, NC-based Juki Automation Systems for more than 15 years. Pinnacle Technology started with Juki’s 730 and 760 and both are still running and producing product after 15 years. Three years ago, the company purchased Juki KE-1070 and KE-1080 placement systems, and recently installed FX3 and KE3020 high-speed mounters. Wasserman added that the company also just acquired a Juki K3-R screen printer, and that the Juki equipment produces all of Pinnacle Technology’s SMT production. “The Juki equipment continues to keep Pinnacle competitive with state-of-the-art technology and manufacturing capabilities,” said Wasserman.

Pinnacle Technology chose Juki 15 years ago because of the technology’s functionality, continuity with current placement equipment, cost of operation as well as return on investment and total acquisition cost and terms and confidence in the sales and technical support. Wasserman confirms those qualities remain true today, which is why the company continues to purchase new equipment from Juki Automation Systems. The Juki equipment provides benefits that help Pinnacle

Technology meet its goal of being a world-class service provider, including ease of use for the operators as well as overall reliability, repeatability and quality.

In addition to the high-quality equipment, Wasserman said that Juki provides strong customer service. “The Juki relationship has been very good over a number of years. The technical service is always prompt and highly professional as well as the local sales representation. Our most recent purchases involved the negotiation, help, support and assistance from the regional as well as national executives.”

Pinnacle also purchased a new solder robot. Wasserman said that earlier in 2014, the company began vetting options for point-to-point solder robots and chose Japan UNIX as its partner. The company recently finished installing and training on the UNIX-415R, a soldering robot designed specifically to meet Pinnacle Technology’s requirements. Wasserman said that so far the machine is performing as expected but that he’s looking forward to seeing what the system is going to do in terms of speed, quality and cost performance for the company.

Japan UNIX’s compact soldering robot is a high-grade model of the Solder Meister UNIX-410G series, which will help Pinnacle automate its soldering process. Easy-to-install, the robot provides high-reliability automation for customers that want to progress from hand soldering to automated soldering...continued

Figure 1. Pinnacle Technology Group is a leading medical training provider based in Ottawa Lake, MI. A facility expansion resulted in additional SMT production lines. Among other companies, Pinnacle turned to long-time partner Juki and new partner Japan UNIX.

Figure 2. Pinnacle Technology CEO Rick Wasserman believes the UNIX-415R point-to-point solder robot is the best fit for the company.


USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES TO REACH THE “PINNACLE” OF MEDICAL TRAINING EXCELLENCE By Rick Wassermann, CEO, Pinnacle Technology Group

Headquartered in Michigan for nine years and in business in excess of 20 years, Pinnacle Technology Group, Inc. has been serving customers in the medical training market and a variety of other industrial and commercial markets with the goal of providing the highest quality state-of-the-art products possible.

“At Pinnacle Technology Group, we take pride in our ability to help our customers from concept to completion,” said President CEO Rick Wasserman. “With our short lead times, turnkey procurement, surface mount, and thru-hole technologies, we provide perfect solutions for all of our customers’ manufacturing and design requirements. Together we can develop and produce an affordable solution to your needs.”

Because of this, the company accepts nothing less than the latest, proven innovations and the highest quality in the technologies it uses on its lines. Additionally, its goal is to be a world class organization that engineers, designs and manufactures the finest electronic medical training products available.

Pinnacle recently completed a 7,500 sq. ft. building expansion. Included with the expansion are two new wave solder machines, stencil washer, and a touch-free SMT line, along with additional staff members. “We have been busy over the past year, building a new facility and implementing lean/agile business systems

to increase our efficiency and productivity. We are committed in our efforts to be an industry leader,” added Wasserman. The combination of the finest facilities, best processes and brightest people will allow Pinnacle to be the first choice for a business partner.

Technology is the company’s focus and, as such, it has a focused effort to continuously improve its resources. The expanded facility is instituting a completely paperless manufacturing environment from administration through invoicing. Additionally, its state-of-the-art custom manufacturing facility is tuned specifically for electronics manufacturing. To keep its strategy of working with innovative, advanced partners, Pinnacle added two high-speed mounters, a screen printer and a soldering robot to its expanded facility.

Pinnacle Technology Group has worked with Morrisville, NC-based Juki Automation Systems for more than 15 years. Pinnacle Technology started with Juki’s 730 and 760 and both are still running and producing product after 15 years. Three years ago, the company purchased Juki KE-1070 and KE-1080 placement systems, and recently installed FX3 and KE3020 high-speed mounters. Wasserman added that the company also just acquired a Juki K3-R screen printer, and that the Juki equipment produces all of Pinnacle Technology’s SMT production. “The Juki equipment continues to keep Pinnacle competitive with state-of-the-art technology and manufacturing capabilities,” said Wasserman.

Pinnacle Technology chose Juki 15 years ago because of the technology’s functionality, continuity with current placement equipment, cost of operation as well as return on investment and total acquisition cost and terms and confidence in the sales and technical support. Wasserman confirms those qualities remain true today, which is why the company continues to purchase new equipment from Juki Automation Systems. The Juki equipment provides benefits that help Pinnacle

Technology meet its goal of being a world-class service provider, including ease of use for the operators as well as overall reliability, repeatability and quality.

In addition to the high-quality equipment, Wasserman said that Juki provides strong customer service. “The Juki relationship has been very good over a number of years. The technical service is always prompt and highly professional as well as the local sales representation. Our most recent purchases involved the negotiation, help, support and assistance from the regional as well as national executives.”

Pinnacle also purchased a new solder robot. Wasserman said that earlier in 2014, the company began vetting options for point-to-point solder robots and chose Japan UNIX as its partner. The company recently finished installing and training on the UNIX-415R, a soldering robot designed specifically to meet Pinnacle Technology’s requirements. Wasserman said that so far the machine is performing as expected but that he’s looking forward to seeing what the system is going to do in terms of speed, quality and cost performance for the company.

Japan UNIX’s compact soldering robot is a high-grade model of the Solder Meister UNIX-410G series, which will help Pinnacle automate its soldering process. Easy-to-install, the robot provides high-reliability automation for customers that want to progress from hand soldering to automated soldering...continued

Figure 1. Pinnacle Technology Group is a leading medical training provider based in Ottawa Lake, MI. A facility expansion resulted in additional SMT production lines. Among other companies, Pinnacle turned to long-time partner Juki and new partner Japan UNIX.

Figure 2. Pinnacle Technology CEO Rick Wasserman believes the UNIX-415R point-to-point solder robot is the best fit for the company.



Juki Automation’s systems also will help Pinnacle be as efficient and quality-driven as possible. The FX-3R high-speed modular mounter is part of the company’s “3E EVOLUTION” concept, providing users with ease of use, efficient, cost effectiveness and increased expandability as well as compatibility. By using new, highly efficient linear servomotors, lightening and stiffening the head unit and reviewing the placement sequence, the FX-3R has an effective takt time of 90,000 cph (IPC 9850).

The KE-3020V high-speed flexible mounter is the 7th generation modular placement machine from Juki and represents the latest leading-edge technology for improved flexibility and production quality. It supports a hybrid feeder mix of electronic and mechanical feeders, with up to 160 dual lane electronic 8 mm tape feeder capacity per machine and a maximum board size of 610 x 560 mm. The KE-3020V, in combination with the optional linear and rotary fluxer, is the ideal solution for package on package (PoP).

The K3-R is a large-platform printer designed by GKG Asia and distributed by Juki Automation. This printer can handle PCBs up to 24x24” (610x610 mm) and has an adjustable stencil frame size (minimum of 650x650 mm and maximum of 850x850 mm) with no adaptor needed. Additionally, the printer features an auto

conveyor with adjustment, auto pressure check (APC) system and a patented PCB “flexible auto clamp” system. The printer also provides a stencil position memory function that provides quick, easy changeover, auto stencil cleaning for dry, wet or vacuum, and a core cycle time of less than 9.5 seconds.

Pinnacle Technology provides a range of comprehensive services to its customers, including:

Engineering Services: The engineering and prototype team turns customers’ ideas into low-cost, reliable products. The engineers also are skilled at software development system verification and compliance testing.

Medical Training Products: The company leads the field with innovative products that are designed to help students learn and assist instructors with the highest quality training equipment. Pinnacle simulators use “Real Patient Data” for a more realistic training experience. The company prides itself on superior customer service. The relationships it builds are long-term customer-oriented to best serve its customers and partners.

Electronic Manufacturing: Pinnacle’s goal is to provide a world-class product on time at the highest quality. Perfecting processes on the front end is key to the company. All of the products manufactured go through an extensive new product introduction process in which Pinnacle Technology identifies all of the assembly requirements. Our goal is to provide a world class product on time at the highest

quality. It has numerous manufacturing capabilities including surface mount assembly, through-hole assembly, conformal coating, box build, functional text, PoP placement, fine-pitch BGAs, AOI, wave/selective/reflow and more.

Quality Standards: Quality is job one. Every employee is certified to IPC-A-610D and the company’s organizational initiative is to spend at least 200 hours in job specific training throughout the year.

Prototype / Quick Turn: Speed to market and “drop-in” requirements are what differentiate Pinnacle Technology’s services to its customers. Pinnacle’s rapid response team can handle requirement changes efficiently and effectively, providing the product when it is most needed:

• One-week turnkey assembly (procurement and assembly)

• Order pull-ins (ability to shift requirements to ship the following day)

• On-the-fly engineering change requests/ orders/notices

Pinnacle Technology’s goal is to be a world-class solutions provider that meets all of its customers’ challenges and needs, both today and into the future. To do that, Wasserman concludes that the company will continue to be a market leader and improve its facilities, equipment and processes with the help of technologically-advanced partners that share the same core values and vision.

Figure 3. Juki‘s FX-3R and KE-3020V high-speed flexible mounters help improve Pinnacle’s efficiency, ease of use, cost effectiveness and ability to expand in the future.

Figure 4. Juki’s K3-R screen printer will provide Wasserman and his team with the flexibility needed print large format boards.



Juki Automation’s systems also will help Pinnacle be as efficient and quality-driven as possible. The FX-3R high-speed modular mounter is part of the company’s “3E EVOLUTION” concept, providing users with ease of use, efficient, cost effectiveness and increased expandability as well as compatibility. By using new, highly efficient linear servomotors, lightening and stiffening the head unit and reviewing the placement sequence, the FX-3R has an effective takt time of 90,000 cph (IPC 9850).

The KE-3020V high-speed flexible mounter is the 7th generation modular placement machine from Juki and represents the latest leading-edge technology for improved flexibility and production quality. It supports a hybrid feeder mix of electronic and mechanical feeders, with up to 160 dual lane electronic 8 mm tape feeder capacity per machine and a maximum board size of 610 x 560 mm. The KE-3020V, in combination with the optional linear and rotary fluxer, is the ideal solution for package on package (PoP).

The K3-R is a large-platform printer designed by GKG Asia and distributed by Juki Automation. This printer can handle PCBs up to 24x24” (610x610 mm) and has an adjustable stencil frame size (minimum of 650x650 mm and maximum of 850x850 mm) with no adaptor needed. Additionally, the printer features an auto

conveyor with adjustment, auto pressure check (APC) system and a patented PCB “flexible auto clamp” system. The printer also provides a stencil position memory function that provides quick, easy changeover, auto stencil cleaning for dry, wet or vacuum, and a core cycle time of less than 9.5 seconds.

Pinnacle Technology provides a range of comprehensive services to its customers, including:

Engineering Services: The engineering and prototype team turns customers’ ideas into low-cost, reliable products. The engineers also are skilled at software development system verification and compliance testing.

Medical Training Products: The company leads the field with innovative products that are designed to help students learn and assist instructors with the highest quality training equipment. Pinnacle simulators use “Real Patient Data” for a more realistic training experience. The company prides itself on superior customer service. The relationships it builds are long-term customer-oriented to best serve its customers and partners.

Electronic Manufacturing: Pinnacle’s goal is to provide a world-class product on time at the highest quality. Perfecting processes on the front end is key to the company. All of the products manufactured go through an extensive new product introduction process in which Pinnacle Technology identifies all of the assembly requirements. Our goal is to provide a world class product on time at the highest

quality. It has numerous manufacturing capabilities including surface mount assembly, through-hole assembly, conformal coating, box build, functional text, PoP placement, fine-pitch BGAs, AOI, wave/selective/reflow and more.

Quality Standards: Quality is job one. Every employee is certified to IPC-A-610D and the company’s organizational initiative is to spend at least 200 hours in job specific training throughout the year.

Prototype / Quick Turn: Speed to market and “drop-in” requirements are what differentiate Pinnacle Technology’s services to its customers. Pinnacle’s rapid response team can handle requirement changes efficiently and effectively, providing the product when it is most needed:

• One-week turnkey assembly (procurement and assembly)

• Order pull-ins (ability to shift requirements to ship the following day)

• On-the-fly engineering change requests/ orders/notices

Pinnacle Technology’s goal is to be a world-class solutions provider that meets all of its customers’ challenges and needs, both today and into the future. To do that, Wasserman concludes that the company will continue to be a market leader and improve its facilities, equipment and processes with the help of technologically-advanced partners that share the same core values and vision.

Figure 3. Juki‘s FX-3R and KE-3020V high-speed flexible mounters help improve Pinnacle’s efficiency, ease of use, cost effectiveness and ability to expand in the future.

Figure 4. Juki’s K3-R screen printer will provide Wasserman and his team with the flexibility needed print large format boards.


On-Shoring in the USABY Michael Ford, Senior Marketing Development Manager, Mentor Graphics Corporation

For many years, our once proud manufacturing industry has sought to increase competitiveness by moving off-shore to countries with lower labor costs. Fierce arguments were put forward to protect the loss of local jobs, although the result was, in almost all cases, inevitable. Today, however, some critical things have changed. The “pros” of off-shoring are no longer what they were and the “cons” have become more significant. Some people are now saying that off-shore electronics manufacturing will soon no longer be able to satisfy the demand patterns of the market in a sustainable way. There may, therefore, be opportunities.

The key question to be answered, however, is whether the cost savings associated with on-shore manufacturing being closer to the market can be greater than the differential of labor costs in manufacturing to the extent that a compelling event can be created. Let’s explore the current state of on- and off-shore manufacturing today as compared with what they once were, putting key issues such as labor cost differentials into perspective.

Is it actually a manufacturing problem?

In the United States, you can walk into many stores, such as Home Depot, and you will find several examples of what is becoming a revolution in domestic lighting. After about a hundred years of heating up pieces of metal to light our homes, there is now the viable alternative of LED lighting, the latest of which can provide the same light output of incandescent bulbs using only about a tenth of the electricity. Unlike other low energy bulbs, LED lights come on to full brightness immediately, no messing about with warm up times or irritating flashing. This technology comes at a premium price in western countries, where bulbs offered are often a step behind the latest being made. To buy a decent LED bulb in any popular store in the US can cost around $20.

On the packet is often an indication of how many years it will take to break-even on the cost of electricity versus the purchase price. Even if the couple of years is not too long to appeal to the environmentally conscious individual, when scaling this up to replace every bulb in the house, the initial purchase price can be overwhelming. After a quick search on the Internet, we can find very similar bulbs on sale, for example on Amazon, Alibaba etc., for less than $4. They have the same shape, look, power

consumption and brightness. The $20 bulb at the store was made in China, the merchant on the Internet is based in China. It is likely that the bulbs are very similar, if not identical. The price from the merchant in China, assuming that he is legitimate, must cover the cost of the bulb from the manufacturer and one would expect some profit for the merchant themselves, who are probably little more than a single drop-point between the factory and the customer.

The difference between the two prices must then represent the cost of transportation and distribution. The merchant in China is, however, offering free shipping to any destination worldwide. If you are willing to wait the few weeks it takes to receive the bulbs, your environmental return on investment can be a few months as opposed to years.

It was acceptable in the 80s

Japanese companies were among the first to move manufacturing off-shore. The critical difference is that the motivation was to manufacture their products close to their target markets. Japanese electronics factories were all over Europe and the United States by the end of the 1980s, employing thousands of local engineers, operators and managers, plus the massive supporting supply chain infrastructure.

Off-shoring motivation then changed as companies sought instead to place manufacturing sites in locations that offered reduced cost of labor, which had become a critical fixed cost for electronics manufacturing, where automation beyond SMT had been very difficult to achieve successfully. Inexpensive transportation was seen as one of the enablers for this move as was the emergence and growth of EMS companies. It was not only the biggest companies in the world that could relocate, the path was open to almost everyone and the flood-gates naturally opened. During the many debates that took place at the time, issues of transportation cost, time to market, and geographical risk were raised but, in those pre-Internet days, it was thought that these issues could be controlled.

Distribution Goes Out of Control

Our earlier example of the domestic LED light bulb is a simple illustration that control of the off-shore manufacturing business has been lost. It is not a matter of control of the manufacturing operation itself, it is more an issue of distribution. Through the

use of the Internet, companies like Amazon marketplace are able to effectively short-circuit the traditional manufacturer-controlled distribution chain between the factories and retail outlets. A lot of genuine costs are associated with the distribution chain which, of course, includes transportation through many warehouse hubs as well as the voyage across the sea. Each part of the chain represents a cost and each will take their profit, adding to the cost of the landed goods in the country of sale over and above the original manufacturing cost.

Allowances have to be built in, not only for the risks and insurance of the journey, but also to cover the cost of depreciation in the value of the product from when it leaves the factory until the time it is offered for sale, several weeks later. This depreciation cost has become very significant for electronic products that feature fast changing technologies, are fashionable, or where there is intense competitiveness. Product lifecycles have shortened to become only a few months or weeks in some cases. Mobile handsets were one of the first areas to experience this issue, with the result that many handsets are shipped by air freight directly from the production lines to end-customers. The additional cost of air freight is more than offset by the reduced costs of depreciation. For other products such as large TV sets, this is not so much of an option.

A natural cycle

For those who promoted off-shoring, it was thought that technology advancement would settle down and that they could control the market demand for products through their dominant positions. In reality, technology continues to evolve at an ever increasing pace, with consumers hungry for product performance, fashionable technology and energy efficiency, attracting new entries into the market. This trend is not likely to go away or settle down. If nothing is done, main-stream electronics manufacturing will continue to be strangled by the ineffectiveness of long distribution chains resulting in the inability to meet customer demand fluctuation. At the factory, frustration will grow as seemingly random and unnecessary changes in production schedules are demanded in an attempt to compensate for distribution chain issues. It is only going to get worse, rapidly.

So what’s the difference?

With the $16 per product price differential available, taken from the example of our LED ...continued


On-Shoring in the USABY Michael Ford, Senior Marketing Development Manager, Mentor Graphics Corporation

For many years, our once proud manufacturing industry has sought to increase competitiveness by moving off-shore to countries with lower labor costs. Fierce arguments were put forward to protect the loss of local jobs, although the result was, in almost all cases, inevitable. Today, however, some critical things have changed. The “pros” of off-shoring are no longer what they were and the “cons” have become more significant. Some people are now saying that off-shore electronics manufacturing will soon no longer be able to satisfy the demand patterns of the market in a sustainable way. There may, therefore, be opportunities.

The key question to be answered, however, is whether the cost savings associated with on-shore manufacturing being closer to the market can be greater than the differential of labor costs in manufacturing to the extent that a compelling event can be created. Let’s explore the current state of on- and off-shore manufacturing today as compared with what they once were, putting key issues such as labor cost differentials into perspective.

Is it actually a manufacturing problem?

In the United States, you can walk into many stores, such as Home Depot, and you will find several examples of what is becoming a revolution in domestic lighting. After about a hundred years of heating up pieces of metal to light our homes, there is now the viable alternative of LED lighting, the latest of which can provide the same light output of incandescent bulbs using only about a tenth of the electricity. Unlike other low energy bulbs, LED lights come on to full brightness immediately, no messing about with warm up times or irritating flashing. This technology comes at a premium price in western countries, where bulbs offered are often a step behind the latest being made. To buy a decent LED bulb in any popular store in the US can cost around $20.

On the packet is often an indication of how many years it will take to break-even on the cost of electricity versus the purchase price. Even if the couple of years is not too long to appeal to the environmentally conscious individual, when scaling this up to replace every bulb in the house, the initial purchase price can be overwhelming. After a quick search on the Internet, we can find very similar bulbs on sale, for example on Amazon, Alibaba etc., for less than $4. They have the same shape, look, power

consumption and brightness. The $20 bulb at the store was made in China, the merchant on the Internet is based in China. It is likely that the bulbs are very similar, if not identical. The price from the merchant in China, assuming that he is legitimate, must cover the cost of the bulb from the manufacturer and one would expect some profit for the merchant themselves, who are probably little more than a single drop-point between the factory and the customer.

The difference between the two prices must then represent the cost of transportation and distribution. The merchant in China is, however, offering free shipping to any destination worldwide. If you are willing to wait the few weeks it takes to receive the bulbs, your environmental return on investment can be a few months as opposed to years.

It was acceptable in the 80s

Japanese companies were among the first to move manufacturing off-shore. The critical difference is that the motivation was to manufacture their products close to their target markets. Japanese electronics factories were all over Europe and the United States by the end of the 1980s, employing thousands of local engineers, operators and managers, plus the massive supporting supply chain infrastructure.

Off-shoring motivation then changed as companies sought instead to place manufacturing sites in locations that offered reduced cost of labor, which had become a critical fixed cost for electronics manufacturing, where automation beyond SMT had been very difficult to achieve successfully. Inexpensive transportation was seen as one of the enablers for this move as was the emergence and growth of EMS companies. It was not only the biggest companies in the world that could relocate, the path was open to almost everyone and the flood-gates naturally opened. During the many debates that took place at the time, issues of transportation cost, time to market, and geographical risk were raised but, in those pre-Internet days, it was thought that these issues could be controlled.

Distribution Goes Out of Control

Our earlier example of the domestic LED light bulb is a simple illustration that control of the off-shore manufacturing business has been lost. It is not a matter of control of the manufacturing operation itself, it is more an issue of distribution. Through the

use of the Internet, companies like Amazon marketplace are able to effectively short-circuit the traditional manufacturer-controlled distribution chain between the factories and retail outlets. A lot of genuine costs are associated with the distribution chain which, of course, includes transportation through many warehouse hubs as well as the voyage across the sea. Each part of the chain represents a cost and each will take their profit, adding to the cost of the landed goods in the country of sale over and above the original manufacturing cost.

Allowances have to be built in, not only for the risks and insurance of the journey, but also to cover the cost of depreciation in the value of the product from when it leaves the factory until the time it is offered for sale, several weeks later. This depreciation cost has become very significant for electronic products that feature fast changing technologies, are fashionable, or where there is intense competitiveness. Product lifecycles have shortened to become only a few months or weeks in some cases. Mobile handsets were one of the first areas to experience this issue, with the result that many handsets are shipped by air freight directly from the production lines to end-customers. The additional cost of air freight is more than offset by the reduced costs of depreciation. For other products such as large TV sets, this is not so much of an option.

A natural cycle

For those who promoted off-shoring, it was thought that technology advancement would settle down and that they could control the market demand for products through their dominant positions. In reality, technology continues to evolve at an ever increasing pace, with consumers hungry for product performance, fashionable technology and energy efficiency, attracting new entries into the market. This trend is not likely to go away or settle down. If nothing is done, main-stream electronics manufacturing will continue to be strangled by the ineffectiveness of long distribution chains resulting in the inability to meet customer demand fluctuation. At the factory, frustration will grow as seemingly random and unnecessary changes in production schedules are demanded in an attempt to compensate for distribution chain issues. It is only going to get worse, rapidly.

So what’s the difference?

With the $16 per product price differential available, taken from the example of our LED ...continued



light-bulb, is there not then the possibility to bring electronics manufacturing back to where the market is? The immediate reaction to this question takes us back to the core argument, labor cost differentiation. After investment in plant and machinery and taking out the materials cost, labor is the most significant fixed cost of manufacturing. There is no getting away from that. The reduction in the cost of shipping by on-shoring is still only really the time at sea, as logistics are still required from the on-shore factory to the customer. The difference comes when you look at the issue from another level.

The contribution of labor cost to the manufacturing cost may be significant but what does it look like as compared to the whole business? The additional distribution cost, for whatever reason in our simple LED bulb case, seems to be four times the manufacturing cost, including the raw materials, which can represent 80% of the product cost. Having a labor cost of 10 times that of the current low cost off-shore areas would initially seem a real challenge in a competitive landscape, but consider the people who will be motivated to wait several weeks for their LED bulbs to make a cost saving.

If those bulbs had been made in a similar manufacturing facility in the United States, with labor cost say 10 times that of China, the overall contribution would be just a couple of dollars to the manufactured price of each bulb. In the traditional view of retail sales, it would put the bulb for sale in the store at say, $12.99. It is not only the Chinese who might then take advantage of local supply availability and set up an Internet marketplace presence to sell the bulbs for say, $7.99. This is something far more attractive to consumers than having to either pay top dollar for “off the boil” technology today, or, having to accept the wait and the risks involved with buying directly from China.

Although these numbers may work out to be attractive for some sectors of electronics manufacturing, the compelling event is still missing. This is where we need to look toward the market trends and expectations in electronics. Technology has become a fashionable commodity. We buy new mobile phones that look or perform better, even though our old ones work perfectly adequately. The recent iPhone 6 launch broke the record for pre-launch sales and the phenomenon is still growing. At the other end of the spectrum, we are also now buying massive 4k Ultra HD TV sets, even though there is not even a plan to start Ultra HD broadcasting and very few people have even seen what a true Ultra HD video will look like.

People are buying electronic products, simply motivated by wanting the latest, best

and most energy-efficient technologies. This causes market-demand patterns to exhibit that of fashionable goods, bringing much faster requirement for new product development, very short product life-cycles, multiple product variants, enabling premium sales opportunities for hit products in the market, but also, a sharp and sudden price depreciation risk. Never before has it been so important to get new products into the market quickly and then be able to produce them with as little stock in the distribution chain as possible. The principle of direct shipping with an Internet marketplace model suits this demand pattern far better than the complex traditional distribution chain process, maintaining stock in multiple hub warehouses and in thousands of stores across the country.

Being able to be competitive in this emerging environment is the compelling issue that is coming close for many, who can already feel it today in the way they experience increasing product mix, smaller lot sizes and sudden changes in demand from the customer, all of which create havoc for the traditional way of manufacturing.

The rise of flexi-automation

Once the on-shoring decision is made, manufacturing itself, together with supporting supply chain operations, cannot simply go back to their old practices. Establishing new on-shore operations gives the opportunity to create flows and processes that meet the evolving market demand trends. This is a major challenge for PCB electronics assembly, where new solutions will need to be considered. Once again, the EMS companies may be the leaders for this with their ability to do “one for many” factory setups.

Two key challenges to address in these new on-shore factories are how to operate with the minimum labor requirement, as opposed to the common approach in China which is to throw people at every problem and, secondly, how to gain the required flexibility in automated processes, not least of which is SMT. On the automation side, things are quite different today than the crude assembly robots that were experimented with previously, which inevitably ended up being dedicated to a particular task or range of tasks, after days, weeks, or even months of fine tuning. Automation today must be flexible, so that an automated station can be immediately re-programmed and set to execute on a completely different product. The Baxter robot is a great illustration of this. Even SMT machines, however, are internally much more flexible and programmable than they used to be. There are options out there.

The second challenge is to then find a way to use the processes of SMT, manual and automated assembly, as well as other necessary processes such as test and

inspection in a way that meets the flexibility goals, being able to satisfy the immediate order demand, with the absolute minimum of stock. The answer here lies with software. This is where many different elements that are specific and detailed for PCB-based electronics assembly are required.

It starts with design through manufacturing, a lean flow for new product introduction where a qualified product model from design is all that is needed to set up how each product is to be made, without the need for data reconstruction and introduction of human error. ERP-based shop-floor planning needs to be enhanced with the use of a specialized SMT inclusive production planning solution which manages production flow in real-time, continuously optimizing based on changing customer needs.

The high mix of products, especially in SMT, needs to be a central part of the optimization, where product assignment to machines and lines is fluid, using flexible common material setups as a critical tool to retain productivity for high-mix production in the same region as that for high-volume. The ability to operate in a Lean way is also essential, with shop-floor processes being driven by the production plan engine but with minimum commitment of materials and resources until actually needed, promoting the ability to implement changes rapidly without loss or risk. These kinds of software tools are available and are differentiated by their ability to manage all of the key variables for manufacturing, from the flow of incoming design data into operational instructions and machine programs, real-time planning and lean materials, as well as support for quality including complete traceability, all under one dedicated platform.

The revolution is ready to go

The decision to move towards on-shoring for manufacturing is a business decision, which should be made based on the market of the whole business, including both manufacturing and distribution. Over the last few years, development of the technology for automation and software development supports the changes needed specifically for SMT-based assembly operations, and they are the key enablers to ensure that on-shore manufacturing meets its goals from the business perspective. If these tools and technologies had been available 20 years ago, the manufacturing world would be significantly different from what it is today. Whether we see a revolution, as the most senior management in manufacturing are prepared to take advantage of the opportunity, or whether this is simply just the point at which the tide changes, remains to be seen.

I personally am never one for waiting.



light-bulb, is there not then the possibility to bring electronics manufacturing back to where the market is? The immediate reaction to this question takes us back to the core argument, labor cost differentiation. After investment in plant and machinery and taking out the materials cost, labor is the most significant fixed cost of manufacturing. There is no getting away from that. The reduction in the cost of shipping by on-shoring is still only really the time at sea, as logistics are still required from the on-shore factory to the customer. The difference comes when you look at the issue from another level.

The contribution of labor cost to the manufacturing cost may be significant but what does it look like as compared to the whole business? The additional distribution cost, for whatever reason in our simple LED bulb case, seems to be four times the manufacturing cost, including the raw materials, which can represent 80% of the product cost. Having a labor cost of 10 times that of the current low cost off-shore areas would initially seem a real challenge in a competitive landscape, but consider the people who will be motivated to wait several weeks for their LED bulbs to make a cost saving.

If those bulbs had been made in a similar manufacturing facility in the United States, with labor cost say 10 times that of China, the overall contribution would be just a couple of dollars to the manufactured price of each bulb. In the traditional view of retail sales, it would put the bulb for sale in the store at say, $12.99. It is not only the Chinese who might then take advantage of local supply availability and set up an Internet marketplace presence to sell the bulbs for say, $7.99. This is something far more attractive to consumers than having to either pay top dollar for “off the boil” technology today, or, having to accept the wait and the risks involved with buying directly from China.

Although these numbers may work out to be attractive for some sectors of electronics manufacturing, the compelling event is still missing. This is where we need to look toward the market trends and expectations in electronics. Technology has become a fashionable commodity. We buy new mobile phones that look or perform better, even though our old ones work perfectly adequately. The recent iPhone 6 launch broke the record for pre-launch sales and the phenomenon is still growing. At the other end of the spectrum, we are also now buying massive 4k Ultra HD TV sets, even though there is not even a plan to start Ultra HD broadcasting and very few people have even seen what a true Ultra HD video will look like.

People are buying electronic products, simply motivated by wanting the latest, best

and most energy-efficient technologies. This causes market-demand patterns to exhibit that of fashionable goods, bringing much faster requirement for new product development, very short product life-cycles, multiple product variants, enabling premium sales opportunities for hit products in the market, but also, a sharp and sudden price depreciation risk. Never before has it been so important to get new products into the market quickly and then be able to produce them with as little stock in the distribution chain as possible. The principle of direct shipping with an Internet marketplace model suits this demand pattern far better than the complex traditional distribution chain process, maintaining stock in multiple hub warehouses and in thousands of stores across the country.

Being able to be competitive in this emerging environment is the compelling issue that is coming close for many, who can already feel it today in the way they experience increasing product mix, smaller lot sizes and sudden changes in demand from the customer, all of which create havoc for the traditional way of manufacturing.

The rise of flexi-automation

Once the on-shoring decision is made, manufacturing itself, together with supporting supply chain operations, cannot simply go back to their old practices. Establishing new on-shore operations gives the opportunity to create flows and processes that meet the evolving market demand trends. This is a major challenge for PCB electronics assembly, where new solutions will need to be considered. Once again, the EMS companies may be the leaders for this with their ability to do “one for many” factory setups.

Two key challenges to address in these new on-shore factories are how to operate with the minimum labor requirement, as opposed to the common approach in China which is to throw people at every problem and, secondly, how to gain the required flexibility in automated processes, not least of which is SMT. On the automation side, things are quite different today than the crude assembly robots that were experimented with previously, which inevitably ended up being dedicated to a particular task or range of tasks, after days, weeks, or even months of fine tuning. Automation today must be flexible, so that an automated station can be immediately re-programmed and set to execute on a completely different product. The Baxter robot is a great illustration of this. Even SMT machines, however, are internally much more flexible and programmable than they used to be. There are options out there.

The second challenge is to then find a way to use the processes of SMT, manual and automated assembly, as well as other necessary processes such as test and

inspection in a way that meets the flexibility goals, being able to satisfy the immediate order demand, with the absolute minimum of stock. The answer here lies with software. This is where many different elements that are specific and detailed for PCB-based electronics assembly are required.

It starts with design through manufacturing, a lean flow for new product introduction where a qualified product model from design is all that is needed to set up how each product is to be made, without the need for data reconstruction and introduction of human error. ERP-based shop-floor planning needs to be enhanced with the use of a specialized SMT inclusive production planning solution which manages production flow in real-time, continuously optimizing based on changing customer needs.

The high mix of products, especially in SMT, needs to be a central part of the optimization, where product assignment to machines and lines is fluid, using flexible common material setups as a critical tool to retain productivity for high-mix production in the same region as that for high-volume. The ability to operate in a Lean way is also essential, with shop-floor processes being driven by the production plan engine but with minimum commitment of materials and resources until actually needed, promoting the ability to implement changes rapidly without loss or risk. These kinds of software tools are available and are differentiated by their ability to manage all of the key variables for manufacturing, from the flow of incoming design data into operational instructions and machine programs, real-time planning and lean materials, as well as support for quality including complete traceability, all under one dedicated platform.

The revolution is ready to go

The decision to move towards on-shoring for manufacturing is a business decision, which should be made based on the market of the whole business, including both manufacturing and distribution. Over the last few years, development of the technology for automation and software development supports the changes needed specifically for SMT-based assembly operations, and they are the key enablers to ensure that on-shore manufacturing meets its goals from the business perspective. If these tools and technologies had been available 20 years ago, the manufacturing world would be significantly different from what it is today. Whether we see a revolution, as the most senior management in manufacturing are prepared to take advantage of the opportunity, or whether this is simply just the point at which the tide changes, remains to be seen.

I personally am never one for waiting.


Samsung Sells Shares of Its SMT Business in a Win-Win that Benefits Customers and Companies AlikeBy SMT TODAY EDITOR

Since 1989, SAMSUNG Techwin has developed advanced technology for electronic and mechanical design, process and production with high speed and accuracy, leveraging the technical expertise of developing and producing jet engines, industrial robots, semiconductor equipment, and opto-electronic machines. Based on these technologies, the company develops and provides high-speed equipment, next-generation equipment corresponding to package processes, and multifunctional instruments with the highest reliability and productivity. We recently spoke with Mr. KS Kwon, CEO of SAMSUNG C&T Automation, to clear up some rumors we’ve heard about the sale of SAMSUNG Techwin.

Q. IsSAMSUNGC&TCorporation(Korea)stable and successful?

A. Yes, SAMSUNG C&T is secure, profitable and here for the long term. SAMSUNG C&T is the parent company of SAMSUNG C&T Automation.

Q. What is SAMSUNG Techwin’s focus andhowdoesitfitintoSAMSUNGC&T?

A. SAMSUNG Techwin is the manufacturer of SAMSUNG SMT placement and select printer platforms among other technologies including those related to chemicals and defense businesses. Keeping pace with the current trends of semiconductor package process, SAMSUNG Techwin provides chip mounters for assembling PCBs necessary for high-performance electronic products and communication instruments with lightweight, thin profiles and small sizes. The company also offers an SMT total solution, as well as semiconductor assembly equipment including automatic ball bonders and beam lead bonders.

Q. We’ve read recently that SAMSUNG Techwin is being sold. Who has purchased it and what is the advantage?

A. SAMSUNG Techwin’s majority shareholdings (approximately 32 percent) are being sold to Hanwha Group. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first half of 2015, subject to approval from antitrust regulatory authorities in relevant jurisdictions. Hanwha is interested in SAMSUNG Techwin’s defense businesses. Hanwha Group’s investment in Samsung Techwin will enable us to continue research, design, and development of innovative, market-leading solutions that will create new business opportunities and ensure future growth.

Q. Why does SAMSUNG feel secure in selling its SAMSUNG Techwin shares to the Hanwha Group?

A. Founded in 1952, Hanwha Group is a global leader in a broad range of businesses spanning the spectrum of manufacturing, construction, finance, services and leisure industries. The Group’s 52 domestic and 90 overseas affiliates together provide a multitude of customers around the globe with premier products and services. In 2013, Hanwha Group achieved a total revenue of USD 35.13 billion, while its assets were valued at approximately USD117.4 billion.

The transaction with SAMSUNG Techwin will strengthen Hanwha Group’s position in the defense and machinery industry.

Q. How will this transaction affect theSAMSUNG company?

A. This transaction is seen purely as a transfer of majority shareholding. People, technology, support and systems are the same as before. SAMSUNG facilities remain committed to purchasing and using SAMSUNG SMT assembly solutions in the future, which ensures continued research, development, production and support of respective technologies.

Q. How will this transaction affectSAMSUNG’s SMT customers?

A. SAMSUNG Techwin’s manufacturing of SMT placement and printer platforms combined with research & development (R&D) related to the SMT assembly equipment business will remain unaffected. Therefore, SAMSUNG C&T Automation and the respective SAMSUNG SMT assembly technology is secure for years to come. SAMSUNG C&T will negotiate

direct control of the SMT placement and printer technologies in a best effort to support R&D including the prospect of accelerating production-readiness of strategically competitive features/benefits under the TD2WIN initiative.

Customers can be assured that it is “business as usual” and that there will be absolutely no disruption to the supply of products or to the normal high levels of pre- and post-sales support that customers have come to expect from Samsung Techwin.

Q. Above you mention TD2WIN. Can you briefly explain this concept to ourreaders?

A. Technology Development Collaboration™ (TD2WIN) is an agreement between SAMSUNG and select clientele to collaborate, share and exchange ideas for the development and/or enhancement of specific technology features and benefits relating to clients’ applications, production and financial requirements. TD2WIN is important to SAMSUNG because it promotes cultural continuity for bigger/better/best technology partnerships between our company and our customers.

Q. What is the most important thing that you want customers to know as a result of this translation?

A. Regarding the transaction, the most important point is that there will be no alteration of the SMT business, and that management and all operations at SAMSUNG Techwin will remain the same with no significant changes in the near future. That is to say that we will be in complete control of R&D, manufacturing (in Korea) and supportability not only as before but in a bigger, better way going forward. Through this opportunity, it is expected that SAMSUNG Techwin will move forward in technologies and products by cooperating with our valuable customers more closely. SAMSUNG’s user/maker advantage of industrial automation is a matter – and an indicator – of national pride. As before the transfer of stock, we will continue devoting our resources and technology to creating superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better, stronger global society. We remain committed to providing user-oriented equipment, concentrating on quality, innovation and customer voices.


Samsung Sells Shares of Its SMT Business in a Win-Win that Benefits Customers and Companies AlikeBy SMT TODAY EDITOR

Since 1989, SAMSUNG Techwin has developed advanced technology for electronic and mechanical design, process and production with high speed and accuracy, leveraging the technical expertise of developing and producing jet engines, industrial robots, semiconductor equipment, and opto-electronic machines. Based on these technologies, the company develops and provides high-speed equipment, next-generation equipment corresponding to package processes, and multifunctional instruments with the highest reliability and productivity. We recently spoke with Mr. KS Kwon, CEO of SAMSUNG C&T Automation, to clear up some rumors we’ve heard about the sale of SAMSUNG Techwin.

Q. IsSAMSUNGC&TCorporation(Korea)stable and successful?

A. Yes, SAMSUNG C&T is secure, profitable and here for the long term. SAMSUNG C&T is the parent company of SAMSUNG C&T Automation.

Q. What is SAMSUNG Techwin’s focus andhowdoesitfitintoSAMSUNGC&T?

A. SAMSUNG Techwin is the manufacturer of SAMSUNG SMT placement and select printer platforms among other technologies including those related to chemicals and defense businesses. Keeping pace with the current trends of semiconductor package process, SAMSUNG Techwin provides chip mounters for assembling PCBs necessary for high-performance electronic products and communication instruments with lightweight, thin profiles and small sizes. The company also offers an SMT total solution, as well as semiconductor assembly equipment including automatic ball bonders and beam lead bonders.

Q. We’ve read recently that SAMSUNG Techwin is being sold. Who has purchased it and what is the advantage?

A. SAMSUNG Techwin’s majority shareholdings (approximately 32 percent) are being sold to Hanwha Group. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first half of 2015, subject to approval from antitrust regulatory authorities in relevant jurisdictions. Hanwha is interested in SAMSUNG Techwin’s defense businesses. Hanwha Group’s investment in Samsung Techwin will enable us to continue research, design, and development of innovative, market-leading solutions that will create new business opportunities and ensure future growth.

Q. Why does SAMSUNG feel secure in selling its SAMSUNG Techwin shares to the Hanwha Group?

A. Founded in 1952, Hanwha Group is a global leader in a broad range of businesses spanning the spectrum of manufacturing, construction, finance, services and leisure industries. The Group’s 52 domestic and 90 overseas affiliates together provide a multitude of customers around the globe with premier products and services. In 2013, Hanwha Group achieved a total revenue of USD 35.13 billion, while its assets were valued at approximately USD117.4 billion.

The transaction with SAMSUNG Techwin will strengthen Hanwha Group’s position in the defense and machinery industry.

Q. How will this transaction affect theSAMSUNG company?

A. This transaction is seen purely as a transfer of majority shareholding. People, technology, support and systems are the same as before. SAMSUNG facilities remain committed to purchasing and using SAMSUNG SMT assembly solutions in the future, which ensures continued research, development, production and support of respective technologies.

Q. How will this transaction affectSAMSUNG’s SMT customers?

A. SAMSUNG Techwin’s manufacturing of SMT placement and printer platforms combined with research & development (R&D) related to the SMT assembly equipment business will remain unaffected. Therefore, SAMSUNG C&T Automation and the respective SAMSUNG SMT assembly technology is secure for years to come. SAMSUNG C&T will negotiate

direct control of the SMT placement and printer technologies in a best effort to support R&D including the prospect of accelerating production-readiness of strategically competitive features/benefits under the TD2WIN initiative.

Customers can be assured that it is “business as usual” and that there will be absolutely no disruption to the supply of products or to the normal high levels of pre- and post-sales support that customers have come to expect from Samsung Techwin.

Q. Above you mention TD2WIN. Can you briefly explain this concept to ourreaders?

A. Technology Development Collaboration™ (TD2WIN) is an agreement between SAMSUNG and select clientele to collaborate, share and exchange ideas for the development and/or enhancement of specific technology features and benefits relating to clients’ applications, production and financial requirements. TD2WIN is important to SAMSUNG because it promotes cultural continuity for bigger/better/best technology partnerships between our company and our customers.

Q. What is the most important thing that you want customers to know as a result of this translation?

A. Regarding the transaction, the most important point is that there will be no alteration of the SMT business, and that management and all operations at SAMSUNG Techwin will remain the same with no significant changes in the near future. That is to say that we will be in complete control of R&D, manufacturing (in Korea) and supportability not only as before but in a bigger, better way going forward. Through this opportunity, it is expected that SAMSUNG Techwin will move forward in technologies and products by cooperating with our valuable customers more closely. SAMSUNG’s user/maker advantage of industrial automation is a matter – and an indicator – of national pride. As before the transfer of stock, we will continue devoting our resources and technology to creating superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better, stronger global society. We remain committed to providing user-oriented equipment, concentrating on quality, innovation and customer voices.


LEADERSHIP THROUGH INNOVATION By smt today editor

MIRTEC is a leading global supplier of Automated Optical Inspection systems to the electronics manufacturing industry. MIRTEC products have been extremely successful in high-volume markets including cell phone and MP3 player manufacturing, as well as low-volume, high-mix markets such as medical, automotive, aerospace and defense. “The Global Leader in Inspection Technology,” the company lives up to its name by having equally strong divisions in Korea, the United States, Europe, China and Japan.

MIRTEC has grown rapidly over the last 15 years and has maintained an aggressive campaign to strengthen its brand perception on a global level through constant innovation and worldwide expansion of its sales and service network. Over the past decade MIRTEC has established a total of 11 worldwide “Centers of Excellence.”

The company opened subsidiaries in the United States and in Hong Kong, China in 2004; a new manufacturing plant in An-sung, South Korea and a European subsidiary in 2008. In 2009, MIRTEC opened local support centers in Vietnam and China, followed by official incorporation in China in 2011. In 2012, MIRTEC established a Core Technology Research Center in Korea and opened support offices in Slovakia and Hungary. MIRTEC founded a Fusion Technology Center in 2013, followed by official incorporation in Japan. Additionally, in terms of expansion plans, the company is in the process of opening a Competence Center in Germany to meet growing demand for its equipment in this market.

In other growth news for the company, ISVI Corp., MIRTEC’s industrial camera division, has experienced overwhelming growth in sales revenue. According to Brian D’Amico, President of MIRTEC’s North American Sales and Service Division, the electronics manufacturing industry is a very demanding market with a wide range of inspection requirements.____________________________________

‘‘the company is in the process of opening a Competence Center in Germany to meet growing demand for its equipment in this market.____________________________________

At one end of the spectrum is the high-speed, high-volume production requirements associated with mobile device and LED Back Light Unit (BLU) manufacturing. On the other end of the spectrum is the high-end, high-accuracy inspection requirements associated with the manufacturing of microelectronic components. Although several industrial camera manufacturers have designed cameras suitable for the inspection industry, none have developed cost-effective camera technology capable of addressing this diverse range of requirements. With this in mind, in 2010 MIRTEC established an Industrial Camera Division, ISVI Corp., for the

design and manufacture of high-speed, high-resolution camera systems for its entire product line of inspection equipment. “Based on the overwhelming success of these advanced camera systems, ISVI began to market its camera products worldwide and has quickly become a recognized leader in this industry,” added D’Amico. “ISVI services span a wide range of industrial camera applications such as microscopy, machine vision, factory automation, robotics, medical and more. Customers include OEMs, system integrators, end-users, researchers and developers.”

The company is always looking to add value to the SMT process whenever – and wherever – possible. This has helped MIRTEC record consistent revenue growth for the past several years. Current global market conditions also help fuel this significant growth. Advancements within the electronics manufacturing industry have led to ever-increasing PCB density and complexity. As a direct result of this phenomenon, a growing number of OEM and EMS providers have begun to invest in new inspection equipment capable of meeting today’s higher standards of productivity and provide them with a much needed competitive edge...continued

Brian D’Amico – President of MIRTEC’s North American Sales and Service Division

25 Mega Pixel CoaXPress Camera


LEADERSHIP THROUGH INNOVATION By smt today editor

MIRTEC is a leading global supplier of Automated Optical Inspection systems to the electronics manufacturing industry. MIRTEC products have been extremely successful in high-volume markets including cell phone and MP3 player manufacturing, as well as low-volume, high-mix markets such as medical, automotive, aerospace and defense. “The Global Leader in Inspection Technology,” the company lives up to its name by having equally strong divisions in Korea, the United States, Europe, China and Japan.

MIRTEC has grown rapidly over the last 15 years and has maintained an aggressive campaign to strengthen its brand perception on a global level through constant innovation and worldwide expansion of its sales and service network. Over the past decade MIRTEC has established a total of 11 worldwide “Centers of Excellence.”

The company opened subsidiaries in the United States and in Hong Kong, China in 2004; a new manufacturing plant in An-sung, South Korea and a European subsidiary in 2008. In 2009, MIRTEC opened local support centers in Vietnam and China, followed by official incorporation in China in 2011. In 2012, MIRTEC established a Core Technology Research Center in Korea and opened support offices in Slovakia and Hungary. MIRTEC founded a Fusion Technology Center in 2013, followed by official incorporation in Japan. Additionally, in terms of expansion plans, the company is in the process of opening a Competence Center in Germany to meet growing demand for its equipment in this market.

In other growth news for the company, ISVI Corp., MIRTEC’s industrial camera division, has experienced overwhelming growth in sales revenue. According to Brian D’Amico, President of MIRTEC’s North American Sales and Service Division, the electronics manufacturing industry is a very demanding market with a wide range of inspection requirements.____________________________________

‘‘the company is in the process of opening a Competence Center in Germany to meet growing demand for its equipment in this market.____________________________________

At one end of the spectrum is the high-speed, high-volume production requirements associated with mobile device and LED Back Light Unit (BLU) manufacturing. On the other end of the spectrum is the high-end, high-accuracy inspection requirements associated with the manufacturing of microelectronic components. Although several industrial camera manufacturers have designed cameras suitable for the inspection industry, none have developed cost-effective camera technology capable of addressing this diverse range of requirements. With this in mind, in 2010 MIRTEC established an Industrial Camera Division, ISVI Corp., for the

design and manufacture of high-speed, high-resolution camera systems for its entire product line of inspection equipment. “Based on the overwhelming success of these advanced camera systems, ISVI began to market its camera products worldwide and has quickly become a recognized leader in this industry,” added D’Amico. “ISVI services span a wide range of industrial camera applications such as microscopy, machine vision, factory automation, robotics, medical and more. Customers include OEMs, system integrators, end-users, researchers and developers.”

The company is always looking to add value to the SMT process whenever – and wherever – possible. This has helped MIRTEC record consistent revenue growth for the past several years. Current global market conditions also help fuel this significant growth. Advancements within the electronics manufacturing industry have led to ever-increasing PCB density and complexity. As a direct result of this phenomenon, a growing number of OEM and EMS providers have begun to invest in new inspection equipment capable of meeting today’s higher standards of productivity and provide them with a much needed competitive edge...continued

Brian D’Amico – President of MIRTEC’s North American Sales and Service Division

25 Mega Pixel CoaXPress Camera



MIRTEC is regarded as one of the most progressive and dynamic equipment suppliers to the electronics manufacturing industry. The company invests heavily in research and development (R&D), combining sophisticated vision algorithms with state-of-the-art optics, lighting and laser technology in the development of its Technologically Advanced Inspection Systems. This unwavering commitment to product innovation, combined with a talented team of sales and support professionals, has resulted in a continued expansion of MIRTEC’s market share in this highly competitive industry.

MIRTEC’s growth is due to many other reasons as well, including the fact that it listens to customers and creates products to meet those current needs. Its global presence, strong customer service and advanced technologies combine to make MIRTEC an industry leader. MIRTEC has the largest R&D division of any automated optical inspection company throughout the world. D’Amico said, “We are also unique in that we are the only AOI company that actually manufactures its own optics. This has allowed MIRTEC to offer unparalleled advantages with which all other manufacturers are unable to compete.” MIRTEC’s revolutionary OMNI-VISION® 2D/3D Inspection Technology, for instance, combines MIRTEC’s exclusive 25 Mega Pixel 2D CoaXPress Camera Technology with a proprietary 3D Digital Multi-Frequency Moiré System to provide precision inspection of SMT devices on finished PCB assemblies. “This advanced technology not only provides unprecedented speed and performance to the electronics inspection industry, but has set a new standard by which all other inspection equipment is measured,” he added.

As a market leader, the company constantly watches trends and technologies that meet current industry challenges. As a result, MIRTEC has entered the LED arena with the debut of the MV-9XP LED Package Inspection System. This technology was developed to specifically

address the inspection requirements of the LED manufacturing Industry. Automated optical inspection is required at two different stages within the LED packaging process. In the first stage, the bond wire, chip die and stitch ball are inspected for defects prior to encapsulation. In the second stage, post-encapsulation, the epoxy is inspected for foreign materials, bubbles and sufficient volume.

MIRTEC’s MV-9XP Inspection Machine was developed to specifically address the inspection requirements of the LED manufacturing industry. This specialized system is configured with a 15 megapixel camera combined with an ultra-high-resolution 5 micron telecentric lens and high-intensity blue LED lighting to perform bond wire, chip die and stitch ball inspection of LED packages prior to encapsulation.

For years, the AOI industry has relied solely upon two-dimensional (2D) inspection principles to test the quality of workmanship on electronic assemblies. While advancements in conventional 2D optical inspection have made this technology suitable for detecting such defects as missing components,

wrong components, proper component orientation, insufficient solder and solder bridges, there is an inherent limitation in the ability to inspect for co-planarity of ultra-miniature chips, leaded devices, BGAs and LED packages. True co-planarity inspection of these challenging devices is an absolute necessity and literally requires the addition of a third dimension in inspection capability – 3D inspection technology.

____________________________________

‘‘The company invests heavily in research and development (R&D), combining sophisticated vision algorithms with state-of-the-art optics, lighting and laser technology in the development of its Technologically Advanced Inspection Systems.____________________________________

It is important to understand that there are advantages and disadvantages associated with both 2D and 3D inspection technology. In order to achieve the highest level of quality assurance, the AOI system must, therefore, employ a combination of both 2D and 3D inspection technology in a single platform.

As a world-leading supplier of 2D AOI inspection systems, MIRTEC recognized the requirement of 3D technology to complement the capabilities of its award-winning 2D technology, not to replace it. This is the reason MIRTEC’s 2D/3D combination is unrivaled when it is in a production environment, whereas several other offerings are useful only in a low-volume laboratory setting.

Besides LED production, industrial cameras and 2D/3D inspection, MIRTEC is looking at other game-changing technologies. “MIRTEC has several exciting developments with camera and sensor technologies but, of course, we need to keep these close to our chest until we are ready to release them. However, one area where MIRTEC is making big advances is in process feedback control. No longer does the customer simply rely upon their inspection system to catch “bad” PCBs, now MIRTEC has the means to help them stop making them in the first place. We believe this will become a standard requirement for the world’s most advanced manufacturers, and again, MIRTEC has the solution ready for them,” concluded D’Amico.

OMNI-VISION 2D/3D Inspection Technology

MV-9XP LED Inspection Machine



MIRTEC is regarded as one of the most progressive and dynamic equipment suppliers to the electronics manufacturing industry. The company invests heavily in research and development (R&D), combining sophisticated vision algorithms with state-of-the-art optics, lighting and laser technology in the development of its Technologically Advanced Inspection Systems. This unwavering commitment to product innovation, combined with a talented team of sales and support professionals, has resulted in a continued expansion of MIRTEC’s market share in this highly competitive industry.

MIRTEC’s growth is due to many other reasons as well, including the fact that it listens to customers and creates products to meet those current needs. Its global presence, strong customer service and advanced technologies combine to make MIRTEC an industry leader. MIRTEC has the largest R&D division of any automated optical inspection company throughout the world. D’Amico said, “We are also unique in that we are the only AOI company that actually manufactures its own optics. This has allowed MIRTEC to offer unparalleled advantages with which all other manufacturers are unable to compete.” MIRTEC’s revolutionary OMNI-VISION® 2D/3D Inspection Technology, for instance, combines MIRTEC’s exclusive 25 Mega Pixel 2D CoaXPress Camera Technology with a proprietary 3D Digital Multi-Frequency Moiré System to provide precision inspection of SMT devices on finished PCB assemblies. “This advanced technology not only provides unprecedented speed and performance to the electronics inspection industry, but has set a new standard by which all other inspection equipment is measured,” he added.

As a market leader, the company constantly watches trends and technologies that meet current industry challenges. As a result, MIRTEC has entered the LED arena with the debut of the MV-9XP LED Package Inspection System. This technology was developed to specifically

address the inspection requirements of the LED manufacturing Industry. Automated optical inspection is required at two different stages within the LED packaging process. In the first stage, the bond wire, chip die and stitch ball are inspected for defects prior to encapsulation. In the second stage, post-encapsulation, the epoxy is inspected for foreign materials, bubbles and sufficient volume.

MIRTEC’s MV-9XP Inspection Machine was developed to specifically address the inspection requirements of the LED manufacturing industry. This specialized system is configured with a 15 megapixel camera combined with an ultra-high-resolution 5 micron telecentric lens and high-intensity blue LED lighting to perform bond wire, chip die and stitch ball inspection of LED packages prior to encapsulation.

For years, the AOI industry has relied solely upon two-dimensional (2D) inspection principles to test the quality of workmanship on electronic assemblies. While advancements in conventional 2D optical inspection have made this technology suitable for detecting such defects as missing components,

wrong components, proper component orientation, insufficient solder and solder bridges, there is an inherent limitation in the ability to inspect for co-planarity of ultra-miniature chips, leaded devices, BGAs and LED packages. True co-planarity inspection of these challenging devices is an absolute necessity and literally requires the addition of a third dimension in inspection capability – 3D inspection technology.

____________________________________

‘‘The company invests heavily in research and development (R&D), combining sophisticated vision algorithms with state-of-the-art optics, lighting and laser technology in the development of its Technologically Advanced Inspection Systems.____________________________________

It is important to understand that there are advantages and disadvantages associated with both 2D and 3D inspection technology. In order to achieve the highest level of quality assurance, the AOI system must, therefore, employ a combination of both 2D and 3D inspection technology in a single platform.

As a world-leading supplier of 2D AOI inspection systems, MIRTEC recognized the requirement of 3D technology to complement the capabilities of its award-winning 2D technology, not to replace it. This is the reason MIRTEC’s 2D/3D combination is unrivaled when it is in a production environment, whereas several other offerings are useful only in a low-volume laboratory setting.

Besides LED production, industrial cameras and 2D/3D inspection, MIRTEC is looking at other game-changing technologies. “MIRTEC has several exciting developments with camera and sensor technologies but, of course, we need to keep these close to our chest until we are ready to release them. However, one area where MIRTEC is making big advances is in process feedback control. No longer does the customer simply rely upon their inspection system to catch “bad” PCBs, now MIRTEC has the means to help them stop making them in the first place. We believe this will become a standard requirement for the world’s most advanced manufacturers, and again, MIRTEC has the solution ready for them,” concluded D’Amico.

OMNI-VISION 2D/3D Inspection Technology

MV-9XP LED Inspection Machine


Aqueous Technologies Moves to New Facility to Keep Up with Growth. Photo: Aqueous Maple

Bentek Celebrates 30 Years in Business.Photo: Mitch SchochErsa Holds 235th Anniversary Party in Germany

red carpet out & about in the industry what’s

happening in your business?

send your event pictures [email protected]

KYZEN Celebrates 25 Years of Providing Precision Cleaning ChemistriesPhoto: Kyle Doyel, President and CEO

Congressman Price Tours Juki HeadquartersPhoto: Bob Black, JAS CEO, Congressman David Price, and Dave Frac, JAS CFO

Libra Industries Honors Michelle Marino for 20 Years of ServicePhoto: Rod Howell presents the Hawaii trip for two to Michelle Marino

Nordson DAGE X-ray Systems Announces European Distributor of the Year 2014

Sono-Tek Corporation Celebrates 40-Year Milestone in 2015Photo: Dr. Coccio

Congressman Rob Woodall Visits Viscom for 30th Anniversary CelebrationPhoto: Carsten Salewski, CEO of Viscom, Rep. Woodall and John Hasselmann, IPC’s VP of Government Relations

In this feature we follow our industry movers and shakers throughout the world. Time to take a bow...


Aqueous Technologies Moves to New Facility to Keep Up with Growth. Photo: Aqueous Maple

Bentek Celebrates 30 Years in Business.Photo: Mitch SchochErsa Holds 235th Anniversary Party in Germany

red carpet out & about in the industry what’s

happening in your business?

send your event pictures [email protected]

KYZEN Celebrates 25 Years of Providing Precision Cleaning ChemistriesPhoto: Kyle Doyel, President and CEO

Congressman Price Tours Juki HeadquartersPhoto: Bob Black, JAS CEO, Congressman David Price, and Dave Frac, JAS CFO

Libra Industries Honors Michelle Marino for 20 Years of ServicePhoto: Rod Howell presents the Hawaii trip for two to Michelle Marino

Nordson DAGE X-ray Systems Announces European Distributor of the Year 2014

Sono-Tek Corporation Celebrates 40-Year Milestone in 2015Photo: Dr. Coccio

Congressman Rob Woodall Visits Viscom for 30th Anniversary CelebrationPhoto: Carsten Salewski, CEO of Viscom, Rep. Woodall and John Hasselmann, IPC’s VP of Government Relations

In this feature we follow our industry movers and shakers throughout the world. Time to take a bow...





VAPOUR PHASE OR CONVECTION REFLOW – SELECTING A REFLOW PROCESS By smt today editor

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in the UK will be holding an Electronics Manufacturing Workshop at their world-class facility in Ansty Park, Coventry, Warwickshire, UK: Wednesday 11th March 2015 - 10.00 am to 4.00 pm

This event is being run as a service to the electronics manufacturing community by the Manufacturing Technology Centre. The workshop will combine hands-on sessions on the centre’s full set of SMT manufacturing and characterisation equipment, with presentations by renowned industry trainer Bob Willis.

Book now at http://www.the-mtc.org/events to take advantage of this unique training opportunity combining theory and practical experience, and covering some of the industry’s hottest topics.

Each delegate will also receive a FREE set of Bob Willis Inspection Wall Charts covering reflow soldering of lead-free terminations and common defects found in manufacture, plus all the presentation slides.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) represents a £40.5million publicly funded investment in the future of UK manufacturing.

Working together with industry, academia and other institutions, we provide an open access centre for the proving of new technologies on an industrial scale. In the electronics sector the MTC’s state-of-art suite of assembly and characterisation equipment is positioned to support electronics companies in accessing new markets and driving their outputs to higher levels of quality, delivery and productivity.

Bob Willis currently operates a training and consultancy business based in England and has created one of the largest collections of interactive and online training material in the industry. Mr Willis has provided world-wide consultancy in most areas of electronic manufacture over the last 25 years, earning him numerous awards such as the SOLDERTEC/Tin Technology Global Lead-Free Award, the SMTA International Leadership Award, an IPC Committee Award for contribution to their standards and awards from the SMART Group and Institute of Circuit Technology.

Bob Willis - BobWillisOnline.com

• Vapour phase (VP) and convection reflow overview

• Process parameters for lead-free and leaded solder alloys

• Nitrogen/inert environment soldering myths

• Advantages and disadvantages of the process options

• Design and layout considerations for VP

• PCB solder finishes for VP and convection

• Vapour phase materials and cost

• Batch or inline operation

• User experiences with VP materials and equipment

• Common reflow problems with small chip components and area array devices

• Profiling board assemblies in both processes

• Solder paste requirements

• Comparing single and double sided reflow yields

• Soldering flexible assemblies

• Inspection results for reflow soldering

• Microsection examination

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

http://www.the-mtc.org/


VAPOUR PHASE OR CONVECTION REFLOW – SELECTING A REFLOW PROCESS By smt today editor

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in the UK will be holding an Electronics Manufacturing Workshop at their world-class facility in Ansty Park, Coventry, Warwickshire, UK: Wednesday 11th March 2015 - 10.00 am to 4.00 pm

This event is being run as a service to the electronics manufacturing community by the Manufacturing Technology Centre. The workshop will combine hands-on sessions on the centre’s full set of SMT manufacturing and characterisation equipment, with presentations by renowned industry trainer Bob Willis.

Book now at http://www.the-mtc.org/events to take advantage of this unique training opportunity combining theory and practical experience, and covering some of the industry’s hottest topics.

Each delegate will also receive a FREE set of Bob Willis Inspection Wall Charts covering reflow soldering of lead-free terminations and common defects found in manufacture, plus all the presentation slides.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) represents a £40.5million publicly funded investment in the future of UK manufacturing.

Working together with industry, academia and other institutions, we provide an open access centre for the proving of new technologies on an industrial scale. In the electronics sector the MTC’s state-of-art suite of assembly and characterisation equipment is positioned to support electronics companies in accessing new markets and driving their outputs to higher levels of quality, delivery and productivity.

Bob Willis currently operates a training and consultancy business based in England and has created one of the largest collections of interactive and online training material in the industry. Mr Willis has provided world-wide consultancy in most areas of electronic manufacture over the last 25 years, earning him numerous awards such as the SOLDERTEC/Tin Technology Global Lead-Free Award, the SMTA International Leadership Award, an IPC Committee Award for contribution to their standards and awards from the SMART Group and Institute of Circuit Technology.

Bob Willis - BobWillisOnline.com

• Vapour phase (VP) and convection reflow overview

• Process parameters for lead-free and leaded solder alloys

• Nitrogen/inert environment soldering myths

• Advantages and disadvantages of the process options

• Design and layout considerations for VP

• PCB solder finishes for VP and convection

• Vapour phase materials and cost

• Batch or inline operation

• User experiences with VP materials and equipment

• Common reflow problems with small chip components and area array devices

• Profiling board assemblies in both processes

• Solder paste requirements

• Comparing single and double sided reflow yields

• Soldering flexible assemblies

• Inspection results for reflow soldering

• Microsection examination

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Documents

SMT Today Issue 8