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Sunday, June 25, 2017

VOLUME - NUMBER

Juki Enables Connect Tech's "Exact Fit" Solutions

By Dan Banks, Technology Lead — Manufacturing Operations, Connect Tech
When off-the-shelf products are not an option, a nimble engineering team steps in. A designer and manufacturer of computer interface products, Connect Tech specializes in providing these "exact fit" solutions for a wide range of industries. The company continues to build a reputation ...

Preserving Signal Integrity in RF Probing Applications

By Don Feurestein, Applied Engineering Solutions
It is often assumed that signal transition is ideal from microstrip or coplanar waveguide transmission lines to coaxial connectors when high-frequency signals are measured on a PCB. In reality, this transition is not ideal and may be the source of measurement inaccuracies.

Rapid Finds a Niche: Quick-Turn Automated Conformal Coating

By Jake Grom, Industry Consultant
(FL}Successful companies often begin with a single good idea. Sometimes it is a matter of capitalizing on an opportunity that is too good to pass up. Automated conformal coating services provider Rapid Coatings, Inc. found a niche for itself in a segment of the industry that has, for decades ...

Tate Technology Says Yes to E by SIPLACE

By Michael Skinner, Assistant Editor
(FL}Admittedly a lower-volume contract manufacturer, 25-year-old Tate Technology was an unlikely adopter of the market's newest mid-speed placement technology. But, its visionary leader knew that if the company was to grow, its placement capability needed an overhaul. "My job is to say ...

When Did Smart Become So Sexy?

By Philip Stoten (@philipstoten)
One of my favorite quotes this year came from an automotive engineer at CES 2017: "Smart is the new sexy." This came during a press conference for a concept car that focused on data speed, rather than road speed. When did "smart" become so attractive?

Bringing PCB Prototyping to the Workbench

By Carlos Ospina, CTO and Cofounder, BotFactory, Inc.
The vast majority of electronics, from medical devices to smartphones, are designed and purchased in the United States, yet are nearly always manufactured offshore in Asia. Prototyping the first iterations of these electronic devices is often done in the same factory where millions ...

How to Choose the Best EMS Provider

By David Raby, President, STI Electronics, Inc.
When choosing an EMS provider, its capabilities must be carefully taken into account. Capability includes equipment, supply chain options and control, staff, facility/process quality certifications, ITAR and security clearances (if applicable), and the facility's location.

Intelligent Power Converters Provide Flexibility for Marine Electronics

By Ed Sullivan
To operate marine electronics and communication devices, power converters such as inverters, battery chargers and power supplies are often installed to convert available DC or AC to the appropriate power outputs required.

OEMs Consider Cross-Border Move in Face of Uncertainty

By Jeff Elliott
For OEMs that rely on the Maquiladora industry in Mexico, such as the automotive, electronics and medical device industries, the threat of increased tariffs on imports as high as 35 percent has caused considerable uncertainty. Factor in that such a move could spark a trade war and OEMs ...

Setting the Standard for Tray-Rated Fiber Optic Cable

By Del Williams
For copper wiring installations, engineers often choose tray-rated cables to deliver signals and power to industrial control systems, heavy machinery, and other ancillary business equipment. As outlined in the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 70, these cables must be third ...

U.S. Politics Aside, Mexico is in Great Shape

By Philip Stoten (@philipstoten)
I spent much of the month after February's APEX Expo in Guadalajara, Mexico, meeting with EMS companies, vendors, the local government, innovators, and those in academia, in support of this June's upcoming inaugural InnovationsFORUM in the city. While it is hard to avoid the inevitable ...

Artificial Intelligence and EMS

By Philip Stoten (@philipstoten)
Artificial intelligence was front and center this year at CES 2017, but what does it mean for manufacturing? Each keynote at the consumer electronics show mentioned artificial intelligence (AI) in some capacity. More than one mentioned AI in combination with manufacturing. ...

Ensuring Quality in High-Reliability Electronics

By Robert Martini, Director of Business Development, Precision Assembly Technologies
Keeping up with the demands of high-reliability electronic systems requires continual investment in state-of-the-art technology and production equipment. Along with a focus on equipment, manufacturers must comply with stringent regulations. EMS provider Precision Assembly Technologies ...

Improving PCB Assembly for New Product Introductions

By Mark Laing, Mentor Graphics Corporation
Streamline Electronics Manufacturing's (SEM) the engineering teams work under high pressure and at a breakneck pace — the kind of environment that a company has to endure when processing multiple new product introductions (NPIs) every day.

Metcal Steadies Inovar's Hand Soldering

By David Griffith, Inovar
During solder joint construction, it is important that the soldering iron have a constant tip temperature. Often the temperature of the solder tip is increased to improve throughput and reduce recovery time. This can increase the chance of accidental damage from overheating. To combat ...

Proving Process Quality through Track, Trace and Control

By W. Scott Fillebrown, Chief Technology Officer, Libra Industries
We often think of traceability as a process for medical or military OEMs supported by large EMS companies. It was not long ago that this was actually the case. This was driven by large investment to internally develop the MES software tools to manage the traceability. Today, there are ...

2017: What's Next in Tech?

By Philip Stoten (@philipstoten)
Lately, my Januaries have started with a trip to Las Vegas, not to ring in the new year, but to visit the world's largest consumer electronics trade show, CES. I always enjoy this optimistic start to the year and the enthusiasm that both large and small companies bring to the world ...

21^st Century Inspection: Lectronics Gains X-ray Vision

By Davina McDonnell, Marketing Director, Saline Lectronics
Analyzing solder joints for leadless components has always been tricky business. Traditionally, the electronics manufacturing industry has relied on manual visual inspection or 2D X-ray systems to determine whether or not a connection is acceptable.

Better Together: Yamaha, Trans-Tec and ADCO Circuits

By Ed Nauss, Global Account Manager — SMT Business Group, Yamaha Motor IM
There are few things as valuable to a growing business as an excellent partnership. The success story behind ADCO Circuits, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, and Trans-Tec Worldwide, Yamaha's global service and support partner, is one example of an EMS provider, an OEM and a service and ...

Successfully Navigating the Nearshore Movement

By Steve Heinzen, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, NEO Tech
When OEMs design a supply chain, the factor that speaks the loudest is total landed cost (TLC). Wrapped up in this figure are variables that include labor, material, transport, and regulatory costs. Overall, the supply chain must balance a slew of considerations — product lifecycle ...