Solutions for High-Mix Electronics Production

By Susanne Oswald, ASM SIPLACE
Hardware, software and process expertise for high-mix electronics production are special focus areas of ASM Assembly Systems. An SMT line solution that has been optimized especially for high-mix applications will use a DEK Horizon 03iX printer and two SIPLACE SX2 placement machines ...

	Saline Lectronics' Lean Program


	By Mario Sciberras, President, Saline Lectronics Earlier this year (February), early-stage plans were released to implement a new lean manufacturing program factory-wide at Saline Lectronics (www.lectronics.net). Upon attending the IPC APEX EXPO (www.ipc.org) in San Diego, CA, feedback from industry colleagues indicated surprise at an electronics ...

	A New Paradigm in Crimping Press Design


	By Rob Boyd, Senior Product Manager, Schleuniger, Inc. It goes without saying that manufacturing companies want the highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost. These days, everyone is trying to do more with less in order to stay relevant in a highly competitive environment.

	How High Is My Component? Tolerancing in Electronics


	By Jason Tynes, Manufacturing Engineer, STI Electronics, Inc., Madison, AL, e-mail: jtynes@stielectronicsinc.com. Tolerance in manufacturing refers to the amount of variation from product to product. It is often the observable difference between idealized computer models and tangible hardware. In surface-mount technology (SMT), such variations impact all aspects of the fabrication process, from component placement ...

	What Every Contract Manufacturer Needs to Know About Product Development


	By Steve Owens, owner of Finish Line Product Development Services In the landmark HBR article, "The Four Things a Service Business Must Get Right," by Frances X. Frei, the author differentiates a product business from a service business. The author states that in a service business, unlike products businesses, the customer is a key part of the product realization ...

	Containers Cut Weight But Not Durability


	By Jim McMahon, SSI Schaefer, Charlotte, NC Containers for storage or transport are often overlooked in the electronics industry, even though they can be critical to the function of any manufacturing facility or warehouse. Properly designed containers can provide protection and durability while at the same time trimming weight for increased ...

	Handling Miniature Parts Safely With Vacuum Tweezers


	By Tom Mealey, Executive Vice President, Virtual Industries, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO Handling miniature parts is becoming more challenging for manufacturers since many parts continue to get smaller even as they increase their levels of integration and functional complexity. These miniature parts are being incorporated in a growing number of electronic products, including cellular ...

Case Study: Schleuniger Provides Automation and Quality for Draxlmaier Group

By April Grossman, Schleuniger, Inc., Manchester, NH
One thing all companies are continually looking to achieve is to cut costs and increase efficiencies. In addition, companies must remain compliant with the strict quality and safety standards of their industry, adding even more pressure. Because of this, innovative, automated and easy ...

	Lean NPI — Closing the Gaps


	By Julian Coates, Valor Division of Mentor Graphics Corp. Traditionally, PCB layout designers produce many drawings and data packages to send for manufacture. These traditional drawings and data contain specifications and requirements that the assemblers and fabricators need to know to deliver the correct product. When sent as separate BOM, Gerber files ...

	PCB Design Considerations for High Power LEDs (Part 1)


	By Stanley L. Bentley, P.E., Senior Technical Advisor, DIVSYS International LLC The transition to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) from conventional forms of lighting has not been without issues. However, the high light output vs. input power and long operating lifetimes make LEDs attractive for many applications, such as automotive systems. Engineers have quickly learned that the ...

	Solder-Bearing RF Shields Cut Costs, Improve Quality


	By Joe Praino, Interplex Industries, Inc., College Point, NY Radio-frequency (RF) shielding is an important part of the design and manufacturing of modern electronic products, including Smartphones, computer tablets, and other handheld electronic devices that require consistent quality from high-volume production environments. As these devices become smaller ...

	When a Corrective Action Report Corrects Nothing


	By Stanley L Bentley, P.E., Senior Technical Advisor, DIVSYS International, LLC An automotive company was experiencing field failures of an electronic module. Failure analysis on one module led to a via that, when cross-sectioned, showed a circumferential void. Predictably, the lab report regressed back through the system from the auto company to the module supplier to the contract ...

	Benelux EMS Pioneer Embraces 3D AOI Measurement


	By Thorsten Niermeyer Defects must be found and their causes corrected so that the EMS can deliver high-quality assemblies on time — a key focus at LIAD Electronics, a privately owned contract manufacturer in Breda, The Netherlands. The company has been at the forefront of manufacturing and quality assurance for its ...

	Understanding Component Library Management


	By Paul B. Taubman, Paul B. Taubman Engineering Component library management may not be the topic of greatest interest to design engineers, but it is certainly important to developers and users of electronic-design-automation (EDA) tools in the electronics industry. In performing test-and-measurement engineering for a large defense company, it ...

Solder Recovery: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse

By Graham Norman, Managing Director, EVS International
Solder recovery serves not just the electronics industry but the entire world, helping to make economical use of materials while avoiding poisoning the environment. EVS International supplies the solder recovery market, having received 16 international awards for its equipment, focuses ...

	Advanced Device Serialization Using an External Serialization Server


	By Nader Shehad, BPM Microsystems Serialization is the process of writing unique data to each programmed device. It can be used to program basic numeric serial numbers to a single device address and also to program more complex data such as MAC addresses, encryption keys, GUIDs, and randomization seeds to several device addresses ...

	Vertical Processing Line Etches Fine PCB Features


	Schmid Group Staff Printed-circuit-board (PCB) producers are being asked for thinner circuit boards, with narrower line widths and spacings. Fortunately, the Vertical Developing/Etching/Stripping (DES) line of PCB production systems from Schmid can help meet these demands. These high-performance production solutions can ...

	Why Is There So Much Variation in PCB Quotes?


	By Stanley L. Bentley, P.E., Senior Technical Advisor, DIVSYS International LLC, Indianapolis, IN There is no such thing as a "standard cost" for a PC board. What you have is a base cost derived from the number of layers to process and then adders that begin with the laminate choice and continue for every process operation. Every seller — Fabricator, Broker, Representative — have a concise ...

Onshoring with Automation

Automation GT Staff
Last quarter, Tim Cook announced that Apple would invest $100 million into US manufacturing. Although a small portion of Apple's total net worth, the announcement is a high profile example of the recent Onshoring trend that is predicted to be at the forefront of company agendas throughout ...

Change Is Coming to the Cleaning Industry — Again

By Bill Schreiber, President, Smart Sonic Corporation, Canoga Park, CA
Cleaning is once again the focus of new government regulation. The last big change in cleaning came in 1995 as a result of the Montreal Protocol which eliminated the use of chlorofluorocarbon solvents (CFCs) for cleaning everything from PCBs to aircraft engines.