Expert in Electronic Displays, Fiber Optic Packaging, COB/COF, Wire Bonding, Bondable Substrates, Heat Sinks


Expert 722421 Expert in RFID, Operations Management, R&D Strategy, Project Management, Supply Chain & Logistics


Expert 108031 Expert in Chemistry and Instrumentation, ISO 9000, Asbestos


Expert 716891 Expert in Soldering, Cleaning, Surface Mounting, PCBs


Expert 722841 Expert in Combustion, Air Pollution Control, Incineration, Permitting, Process Design, Lab/Bench/Pilot Tests


Expert 722893 Expert in Environmental Consulting - Industrial Wastewater & Process & Hazardous wastes


Expert 108395 Expert in Plating and Related Technologies


Expert 107707 Expert in Microvias, Blind Microvia Laser Drilling, Circuit Board Fabrication


Expert 722172 Expert in Environmental Compliance, Pollution Prevention, Health and Safety, and Fire Loss and Prevention


Expert 722724 Expert in EMC/EMI, RF/Microwave, Hardware, Firmware, Product Development


Expert 108292 Expert in Analytical, Polymer, & Organic Chemistry; Process Engineering; Competitor Analysis


Expert 723560 Expert in Provides consulting and training to semiconductor industry in IC package design and development


Expert 108017 Expert in Air Pollution Control and Waste Management Consulting Environmental Engineer


Expert 108131 Expert in Environmental Liability, Legal Interpretations, Construction, and Remediation


Expert 108334 Expert in Concurrent Engineering


Expert 108400 Expert in Electrical Insulating Materials, ASTM, Transformer Oil Processes, Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids


Expert 712047 Expert in Wireless Data Transmission


Expert 108199 Expert in Arc Technology, Plasma Process


Expert 107586 Expert in Multilayer Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing


Expert 108104 Expert in Analytical Chemistry, Chromatography, Mass Spectroscopy, Trace Organic Analysis, Pesticides, Etc.


Expert 107647 Expert in Technical Problem-Solving for Materials and Processes


Expert 108191 Expert in Electronics Reliability and Testing, Electronics Packaging Semiconductor Packaging, Patent Analysis


Expert 107603 Expert in Hazardous Waste Neutralization


Expert 108329 Expert in Stormwater Management, Environmental Spill Containment and Response, Radwaste Packaging and Filters


Expert 720719 Expert in Mass Spectrometry, HPLC/MS, Ion Trap MS, and LC/MS/MS

Machine Vision Systems: Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Inspection Results (1 to 12 out of 12)
Serving: All States/Provinces
PCB ASSEMBLY, STENCIL PRINTER, SOLDER REWORK, X-RAY INSPECTION, WAVESOLDERING EQUIPMENT

JUKI SMT Chip Shooters and Fine Pitch Assembly Machines

TDK Radial Inserters

EKRA Solder Paste Stencil Printers

KIRSTEN Wave Soldering Systems

VI-TECHNOLOGIES Auto Optical Inspection Systems (AOI)

ASYS Automation PCB Handling / Laser & Ink Marking / Depanelling Systems

ZEVAC PCB Solder Rework (Retouch) Systems

XTEK XRay (BGA) Inspection Systems

TECHNOLAB Inspection Microscopes, Videoscopes, Endoscopes

LAVORTEC Sticky (Gel) Flux for Solder Rework

PCB Assembly Equipment

JUKI (Japan, Switzerland, Germany)

SMT Chip Shooters and SMT Fine Pitch Assembly Machines – Lowest Cost of Ownership

As one of the top three SMT suppliers to the global market Juki has now installed more than 17,000 SMTplacement systems worldwide. All Juki assembly platforms are designed to guarantee the customers the Lowest Cost of Ownership. With outstanding flexibility and high placement rate the machines fit ideally the European market needs.

Unique innovations have made Juki a technology leader in the SMT industry for almost 20 years. Based on this wide experience the customers are guaranteed extreme reliability with each production platform. Combined with outstanding accuracy and placement rates the machines are suited for all future applications. Each Juki placement module is an important investment into the long-term competitiveness of the customers SMT production.

To be close to the customers Juki runs its own sales, service and application organization in Europe. Besides the European headquarters of Juki Automation Systems and its direct distribution in Germany and the United Kingdom Juki cooperates with well established SMT specialists in many European countries.

More than 17’000 Juki SMT mounters sold worldwide ….

Super accuracy achieved by CAST FRAME (Monoblok D?küm)

SMT Mounter Models Placement head Placement rate

Comp / hour

(IPC 9850)

Component range

Placement accuracy PHOTO

High Speed Chip Shooter
KE-2050R

Quadruple head with multi-laser alignment
13,200 cph (IPC 9850)

0201 inch (0603 metric)
11 x 26.5mm or 20 x 20mm
±50μm (3 Sigma)

High Speed Fine Pitch Assembler

KE-2060R
Quadruple head with
multi-nozzle laser alignment and
multi-nozzle vision centering
(MNVC - optional)
1 high-precision placement head with
vision and laser alignment

12,500 cph (IPC 9850)
3,400 cph Fine-Pitch (with MNVC)

0201 inch (0603 metric)
High-precision head:
Up to 75 x 75mm or 50 x 150mm

High-precision head (vision centering):
±30μm (3 Sigma)
Laser alignment:
±50μm (3 Sigma)

High Speed Chip Shooter
KE-2070

(New)
One Multinozzle head with 6 nozzles. Std Laser centering for chip components. Optional vision centering for ICs. 16,000 cph (IPC9850)
4,600 cph for ICs
From 10050 inch (0402 metric) to 33.5mm x 33.5mm
Very high precision
Cpk >= 1.0

High Speed Fine Pitch Assembler KE-2080

(New)

One Multinozzle head with 6 nozzles plus one high-resolution head (nozzle). The best highflexibility and accuracy system for very-fine pitch and ultra-density PCBs 15,400 cph (IPC9850) for chips
and 1850 - 4800 cph for ICs
From 10050 inch (0402 metric) to 74mm x 74mm or 50mm x 150mm Very high precision
Cpk >= 1.0

Ultra High Speed Chip Shooter
FX-IR

Two quadruple heads
with multi-laser alignment

27,400 cph (IPC 9850)
0201 (inch)
11 x 26.5mm or 20 x 20mm
±50μm (3 Sigma)

What JUKI means by Lowest Cost of Ownership

Often when deciding on the purchase of a new SMT placement system, only the initial investment cost and the theoritical placement rate are considered. This overlooks many other factors that make up the overall production cost. Consumables, spare parts and service can be a big cost factor. Such things as changeover times, machine breakdowns and the difference between the theoretical and actual throughput rates significantly affect productivity.

Maintenance, programming and operator training account for additional personal costs. Thanks to their many years of experience building flexible modular placement systems Juki has gained an outstanding reputation. Data from the market has shown that compared to systems from other manufacturers, Juki clearly provides the highest reliability and lowest cost of ownership in the industry.

For more details, please check JUKI website

Top Of Page

TDK (Japan, Germany)

RADIAL Lead (through-hole) Component INSERTERS

Refurbished Radial Inserter VC-7C

Refurbished Radial Inserter VC-21S

TDK Flip-chip Bonding Machine / Dispenser -- Ultrasonic Gold-to-Gold : AFM-15
TDK FOUP LOAD PORT (for semiconductor manufacturing) : TAS300



Top Of Page

EKRA (Germany)



EKRA STENCIL ( SOLDER PASTE ) PRINTERS --- (Part of ASYS Group) Inline, automatic or offline semiautomatic Stencil Printers all made in Germany

Very Accurate printing with a Repeatability of +/- 15μm

Very easy to use software

Patented EKRA Vision Alignment System (EVA) with patented 2? D Inspection System, allowing also qualified paste thickness inspections

FREE OF CHARGE “Remote maintenance, service & support interface with software” allowing Ekra engineers to see customer machine over the internet and check the programs, settings, etc. to give our customers highly valuable support and reducing down time.

X1
Semi-automatic screen-printing machine

The X1 Series has been developed for areas of application which require optimum precision and economy. As well as these, easy operation, short format conversion times and a great versatility were factors incorporated into the conception of this machine. It is possible to print...

[ datasheet ] [ accessories ]





X3
Automatic screen-printing and stencil-printing machine

Screen printing machine X3 for printing PCBs and flat assemblies with solder paste, glue or arbitrary functional layers. Stencil frames from 350 x 350 mm to 736 x736 mm can be used directly, without adapters and are clamped using pneumatics to the upper assembly. A combination of a squeegee and a flood bar...

[ datasheet ] [ accessories ]





X5 Serie
Automatic screen-printing and stencil-printing machine

The X5 series provides printing surfaces in the range between 460 x 460 mm and 915 x 610 mm as well as adjustable stencil sizes - without any need for an adapter - between 300 x 300 mm and 1270 x 1700 mm. The printable curcuit-board sizes are equivalent to the processing capacities of most ...

[ datasheet ] [ accessories ]




X6
Aegis unifies, within a single system, BOM Management, Process Routing, Revision Control, Machine Programming, Visual Aids, Electronic Sign-Off, Paperless Documentation, WIP Tracking, Quality Data Collection/Analysis, and the industry's most comprehensive Line Monitoring ever available.

Rework & Repair
SMT attachment and rework equipment for QFPs, BGAs, MicroBGAs, CSPs, Flip Chips, SOs, PLCCs and connectors. PTH rework and selective soldering.

Conveyor Systems
PCB Conveyors, peripherals and workstations

Depaneling
Stand alone and in-line PCB depanelization routers.

Pick And Place
High speed and flexible placers, screen printers, adhesive dispensers, and software solutions for PCB assembly.

Solder Reflow And Adhesive Curing Ovens

High Temperature Processing Furnaces

Forced convection solder reflow and adhesive curing ovens for electronic manufacturing applications.

Specialized furnaces for wafer bumping, die attach, underfill cure, package sealing, thickfilm firing, brazing, sintering and heat treating.

MVP Machine Vision Products
MVP provides benchtop and in-line AOI systems for Assembled PCB inspection. Coverage includes solder paste, pre-reflow,
post-reflow/wave, and inspection of SMT and mixed technology boards. MVP offers 2D and 3D inspection and state of the art, user friendly, measurement and process control capabilities.

X-Ray Inspection Systems
FocalSpot Inc. is a worldwide leader in design and manufacturing of affordable X-Ray Inspection Systems providing sales, service, applications support and training. Our X-Ray Products include: The Verifier and Verifier HR which feature : Small profile 32” x 34” footprint, 16”x 18” board size capability, up to 90 KVA, 5 micron focus for BGA inspection and measurement and up to 650 times magnification. The Concept FX which feature tube sizes up to 130 KVA, 20”x24” board sizes, 2- 6 axis sample manipulation, 5 micron focus, compact 44’ x 38” footprint , 450 x magnification and 3 imaging processor options.

Stencils
SolderMask, Inc – manufacturers, Laser Cut Stainless Steel Solder Paste Stencils, Stepped Stencils, Foil ONLY Stencils, Epoxy Stencils, Short run Prototype Stencils with fixture, Micro BGA and BGA rework stencils, Hybrid Stencils (Apertures Chemically etched and Laser Cut), Relief Stencils / Stacked Stencils, Large Area Stencils (LAS). Biggest one to date is 30.5" x 53", metal stiffeners for flexible panels and is a licensed by DEK to manufacture Vector Guard stencils.

SUPER DRY, MSD Control Cabinets
SUPER DRY was the first dry cabinet introduced in many Japanese Semiconductor factories. SUPER DRY is widely used in Asian, European, and American factories. With SUPER DRY, the moisture related defects of IC packages and Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) can be effectively and easily reduced or prevented. And with the introduction of lead-free processes the proper handling and care of MSD will become even more critical. A wide variety of cabinet sizes and shelves and options such as nitrogen purging are offered. Lizem Technologies is the distributor for SUPER DRY in North America.

Spray Fluxer
Ultrasonic spray fluxers for wave soldering.

XM
Semi-automatic Screen and Stencil printer

The XM is a manual, semi-automatic screen and stencil printer. The sideways guided squeegee traverse and the adjustable squeegee pressure, ensure a constant, high quality print. Simple operation, short conversion times all belong to the application oriented concept. It is possible...

[ datasheet ] [ accessories ]

Printed Circuit Boards > PCB Production Eqpt
1 - 57 of 57

A P Machinery
Dealer in used and refurbished bareboard equipment. valuations, auctions and factory clearances.

UK

ADTOOL Corp
Equipment & Supplies for the Electronics Industry
Montreal,QC
Canada

Advanced Automation, LLC
Binghamton,NY
US

Advanced West
Rebuilt PC Fabrication & Chem Milling Equipment
Santa Ana,Ca.
USA

AtlanDyess
Electronic Assembly and PWB Fabrication Products
Hutto,Texas
USA

BBT Group
Equipment for PCB Production
Verona,Italy
Italy

BMS Herbert Haller GmbH
Seller for New, used and refurbished PCB manufacturing equipment
Dreieich,
Germany

Bohan Engineered Design Ltd
Printed Circuit manufacturing equipment, Tooling system. Multilayer Presses, Drill spares, Press plates, Bonding plates. General Multilayer build equi
Calne,Wiltshire
United Kingdom

Bottom Line Management
Smart, ROI- Driven Equipment Solutions
Manchester,NH
USA

cab Technology, Inc.
Depanelizers, PCB Magazine, Label Printers
Tyngsboro,MA
USA

Canadian Circuits Inc.
Surrey,B.C
Canada

Changshu Huancheng Packing Product Co., Ltd.
high temperature resistant adhesive tape, polyimide tape, polyester tape
Changshu,Jiangsu
China

Chemcut Corporation
PCB Etching Machinery & Equipment
State College,PA
USA

CIF Circuit Imprim?Fran鏰is
CIF, french manufacturer for equipments, products & accessories pour PCB, assembly, CMS & BGA
Bagneux cedex,
France

Circuit Search China Office
Human Resource
Beijing,
China

Circuitos Impressos 2CI, SA
Express PCB manufacturer. Same-day, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more days PCB碨. Prototypes and production. Electrolitic gold flash. Fast quotations.
Montcada I Reixac,Barcelona
Spain

DoveBid, Inc.
Business Auctions & Valuation Services
Foster City,CA
USA

Dow Corning
Dow Corning Electronics is a globally integrated provider of materials, application technology and services.

Dynavest Pte Ltd
Solutions Provider for equipment, material and productivity software for mfg, test, measurement & inspection in PCB/Substrate, PCBA & Semicon industry
Singapore,Singapore
Singapore

Electronic Assembly Machinery Exchange
Buy/Sell used & reconditioned PCB assembly equipment
Lake Geneva,WI
USA

Europlasma N.V.
Vacuum plasma equipment for cleaning PCB's, activating flex-PCB's
Oudenaarde,Belgium
Belgium

First EIE SA
Geneva,
Switzerland

FlexLink Systems Ltd
First choice for easier automation
Milton Keynes,Buckinghamshire
United Kingdom

HongKong HuaXing Group Co.Ltd
Supply low cost PCB & FPC
Shenzhen,Guangdong P.R
China

Invint Limited
Innovative Interconnect
Nerston,East Kilbride
Scotland

IPS Group, LLC (THE)
Production Supplies, Tools & Test Products
Flower Mound,TX
USA

JBC Tools, Inc
Soldering and Rework Techniques for Electronics
Cary,Illinois
USA

Kingfield Electronics Limited
Kingfield Electronics specialises in providing low to medium volume Contract Electronic Manufacturing
Chesterfield,Derbyshire
United Kingdom

Lewis & Clark, Inc.
Used Electronic Manufacturing, Test, and New AOI Equipment
Nashua,NH
USA

Litho Circuits Ltd
One Stop Shop for all your PCB requirements
Limerick
Ireland

LPKF Laser & Electronics
Solution providers for PCB production, PCB prototyping & the SMT industry.
Wilsonville,OR
U.S.A.

M/S Caliber Infotech (India) Pvt Ltd
Connect with the future
Coimbatore,Tamilnadu
india

Top Of Page

WAVE SOLDERING SYSTEMS

1. Beltronics, Inc. - Needham, MA - E-mail this company
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.beltronicsinc.com/index.html
Company Profile: Design & custom manufacturer of machine vision systems for printed circuit board (PCB) inspection. Features include format inspection greater than 1,200 mm, sub-micron defect detection & programmable...

2. Omron Electronics, LLC - Schaumburg, IL - E-mail this company
Manufacturer
http://www.omron247.com/Industrial-Automation/Store/TopCategoriesDisplay_-1...
Company Profile: A Full Line Of Machine Vision Sensors With Single & Dual Camera Capability & Color, Binary, & Gray Scale Pattern Matching Functions
Website Links: Online Catalog

3. Dynamic Precision Tool & Manufacturing - Troy, MI - E-mail this company
Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.dynamicprecision.net/
Company Profile: Manufacturer Precision Tools, Dies, Special Machine Components Servicing Automotive & Aircraft Industries. Specializing In Jig/Surface Grinding, Wire EDM Services, & CNC Machining. Tolerances In The...

4. Dark Field Technologies, Inc. - Orange, CT - E-mail this company
Distributor, Manufacturer, Service Company
http://www.darkfield.com/cameraandvision.html
Company Profile: Custom manufacturer of industrial inspection automation systems. Inspection automation systems include camera & vision, retro-reflective & high resolution laser systems. Features of inspection...

5. Inspec, Inc. - Canton, MI E-mail this company Click to Call
Distributor, Service Company
http://inspecinc.rtrk.com/?scid=483738
Company Profile: ISO 9001:2000 certified & ISO 17025 accredited distributor of new & used parts & equipment. Measurement & analysis software upgrades including dimensional inspection software, LK CAMIO/STUDIO,...
Website Links: Certifications

6. Komax Systems - Rockford, IL - E-mail this company
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer
http://www.komaxgroup.com
Company Profile: ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturer of automated assembly systems including stand-alone & turnkey machine vision systems for printed circuit board inspection. Products include electric & electronic...

7. Tate Technology - Spokane, WA - E-mail this company
Manufacturer, Custom Manufacturer
http://www.tatetech.com/
Company Profile: Worldwide electronic manufacturing services including printed circuit board assembly services. Printed circuit board assembly includes plated-through-hole, surface mount, & mixed technology printed...

8. Aegis Solutions - Raleigh, NC - E-mail this company
Distributor, Manufacturer
http://www.aegis-solutions.com/services.html
Company Profile: Turnkey Engineered Systems & Custom Software For Test & Measurement, Inspection, Process Control & Monitoring & Laboratory Automation

9. Cincinnati Automation Ltd. - Erlanger, KY - E-mail this company
Distributor, Manufacturer, Service Company
Company Profile: Complete line of standard inspection machines, custom automated inspection systems, color inspection systems, sorting machines, measuring & gauging machines, general purpose automation & test...

10. Agris-Schoen Vision Systems, Inc. - Merrifield, VA
Manufacturer, Service Company
Company Profile: Machine Vision Systems For Quality Control Inspection Of Printed Circuit Boards: Powered & Unpowered, Component Checking (OCR, Presence/Absence, Location & Skew, Polarity, Color). Board...

11. Indigo Systems - Goleta, CA
Manufacturer
Company Profile: ISO 9001 Manufacturer Of Custom Integrated Circuit Design, Including Silicon Readout Integrated Circuits (ROIC) For Infrared Vision & Telecom Systems & Focal Plane Arrays (FPA) For...

12. Thales-Optem Inc. - Fairport, NY
Manufacturer
Company Profile: Designs, Develops & Manufactures Precision Optical Equipment. Products Include Zooms, Fixed Magnification Optical Systems, Video Couplers, Confocal Accessories, Analytical SMT Table Of Contents

SMT Magazine, September 2000 Articles
View Archives

Volume: 14 Issue: 9
September 2000

Departments
New Products
New Products
Depaneling Systems from MJ automec USA Inc., Grand Prairie, Texas; Stencil Printer from Automated Production Systems Inc., Huntingdon Valley, Pa; Profiling Equipment from Saunders Technology Inc., Hollis, N.H.; Four-head Placement from Manncorp, Huntingdon Valley, Pa ...

Selector Roundup
Soldering Equipment & Materials
Soldering is a critical step in the SMT process. Because high reliability and throughput rates rely on defect-free soldering, it is important that soldering equipment and materials meet the needs of the assembler.

Features
Modern PCB Test Strategies
Design for test (DFT) is not the job of an individual, but a group with representatives from design engineering, test engineering, manufacturing and purchasing. Design engineering must specify the functional product and tolerance requirement.

Streamlining Production and Device Programming Processes
Increasing time-to-market pressure continually presents high-volume electronics manufacturers with the challenge to streamline production. Recent advances in manufacturing equipment and processes means that many traditional production constraints no longer exist.

Modern PCB Test Strategies
Design for test (DFT) is not the job of an individual, but a group with representatives from design engineering, test engineering, manufacturing and purchasing. Design engineering must specify the functional product and tolerance requirement.

Effects of Bi Contamination on Sn/Pb Eutectic Solder
Aternary phase diagram of Sn/Pb/Bi1 indicates the presence of a ternary eutectic composition of 16Sn/32Pb/52Bi with a melting temperature of 96°C. Additionally, two low-temperature binary eutectic reactions — 43Sn/57Bi at 139°C and 43.5Pb/56.5Bi at 125°C — extend into the ternary domains.

Cover Story
Technology Drives Process Solutions
Ultra-small footprint passives, such as 0201 components, are a hot topic in the electronics industry. Existing as a compliment to high input/output (I/O) devices, such as chip scale packages (CSP) and flip chip technologies1, these components are needed for electronic package miniaturization.

News
Association News
Association News
Attendees to Learn 'State of the Industry' at SMTA International; IPC/NEMI Shop Floor Standard Available for Review; SMTA Sites Hawaii for Sixth Pan Pacific Symposium ...

B2B Update
B2B UPDATE
New Team Ready for Online Business; A Data Service for PCB Designers

PCB Book-to-Bill Ratio
Book-to-Bill Experiences Slight Decline
The IPC PCB book-to-bill ratio for June was 1.18, meaning $118 worth of orders for new boards were received for every $100 billed (shipped). The ratio is down from the May level of 1.23. Sales billed (shipped) in June increased ...

News
Speedline/Manncorp Partner to Serve Low-volume Market
FRANKLIN, Mass. — Speedline Technologies' partnership with systems integrator and equipment reseller Manncorp of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., has in mind a convenient method to serve the low-volume, prototype manufacturing SMT market. Under the agreement, Manncorp will sell a variety of Speedline equipment, including MPM stencil printers, CAMALOT dispensers, and Electrovert reflow ovens and wavesoldering machines.

Newsmakers
Newsmakers
With the creation of a new office of the president, Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., Willow Grove, Pa., appointed two senior executives to operate out of that office. Morton K. Perchick, who continues as executive vice president, and Alexander A. Oscilowski, who was promoted from vice president of strategic marketing to senior vice president, will jointly assume the management of all K&S businesses worldwide...

Briefs
Briefs
Universal Renames Used Machine Division; Glenbrook Technologies Opens Hong Kong Office; Zebra Technologies Asian Office ...

Features
Components
Mass Reflow Assembly 0201 of Components
The need to reduce the size and weight of electronic products continues as SMT advances. Size reductions of passive components, coupled with improved printed circuit board (PCB) technology, produces smaller, lighter and higher performing end products.

Rework & Repair
Reworking Area-array Packages
Over the last several years, standard area-array devices [ball grid arrays (BGA), chip scale packages (CSP), flip chip, etc.] have become preferred packages in design and manufacturing. Reasons for moving away from traditional leaded packages include increased input/output (I/O) per unit of printed circuit board (PCB) area ...

Columns
Speaking of SMT
Outsourcing Trends Accelerate
The good times have fully returned to electronics manufacturing in general and printed circuit board (PCB) assembly in particular. Communications devices, the Internet, and computers and peripherals are the main drivers responsible for this solid growth and, by all accounts polled, these applications are expected to continue propelling growth for the foreseeable future.

Speaking of Cleaning
New Cleaning Agents and Challenges
This month, we have the pleasure of seeing two new cleaning solvents emerge that will find applications in various parts of our industry. Both are fluorinated materials, so they should be quite mild when used alone but more aggressive with the addition of various other solvents.

Speaking of Components
Solder Paste Printing
In surface mount assembly reflow soldering, solder paste is used for the connection between surface mount component leads or terminations and the lands. There are many variables, such as paste, screen printer, paste application method and printing process.

Speaking of Manufacturing
Less Is More
In several of my columns this year, I have written about decreasing mass inspection in favor of more process measurement. However, some amount of product inspection is necessary and desirable. The challenge is defining inspection frequency if a sampling plan is used.

Speaking of Materials and Production
Another Strong Lead-free Candidate: the Sn/Ag/Bi/In System
My June column ("Lead-free Solder: the Sn/Ag/Bi System," p. 20-22) highlighted the ternary Sn/Ag/Bi system. This month, I will look at a quaternary lead-free system — Sn/Ag/Bi/In. When compared to Sn/Ag/Bi alloys, Sn/Ag/Bi/In offers additional benefits for surface mount manufacturing, particularly by further relieving some reflow process demands.

SMT Perspectives
Lead-free Soldering: Short-term Fix or Long-term Cure?
The implementation of lead-free soldering technology accelerates constantly. There are numerous forces driving this momentum, and while every aspect of the conversion may not be completely understood, there is a natural desire to see a smooth transition.

Step-by-Step
Cleaning
Step-by-Step: Cleaning
Lead-free alloys will change soldering technology as well as the entire manufacturing process, including assembly materials and components. Additionally, this change highlight questions relating to awareness and dissemination of existing information, materials availability, soldering technology, and implementation requirements.

Partners in Manufacturing
EMS Features
Implementing AOI in a CM Environment
The SMT contract manufacturing (CM) world is undergoing dramatic changes. Many companies are growing more than 40 percent per year, as OEM companies in the telecommunication, computer and other industries divest themselves of assembly operations.

Board-support Analysis During Component Placement
Various board-support tooling systems are available for processing, including manually placed pins, automatic programmable arrays and custom-machined plates.

EMS News
EMS News
Communications Drives Southeast Asia; Solectron and Nortel Continue to Deal; MSL Expands in U.S. and Overseas ...

Component Specifier
Component Specifier
As SMT matures and its end products continue to shrink in size but grow in capability, manufacturers are constantly in need of components that satisfy demanding footprint, reliability and placement requirements.