News
Samsung Electronics Mechatronics Center (Suwon City, Korea) has given ASC International (Maple Plain, MN) sales and service responsibilities for their line of FARA-VSS Series automatic optical inspection (AOI) equipment in the North America. Founded in 1992, ASC International has grown as a supplier of AOI for 3-D solder paste measurement.
"The Samsung brand name has a reputation for providing reliable, feature-rich products at affordable prices," said Jon Arneson, president of ASC International. "Samsung's AOI products are no exception, and align very nicely with ASC's product strategy. Samsung provides a total solution for surface-mount inspection with post-paste, pre- and post- reflow inspection systems and have been very successful in Asia and Europe. We think the timing for right for North America, given the recent market turnaround."
At APEX 2004 in Anaheim, CA (Feb. 24-26), ASC will introduce Samsung's latest model, the VSS-3EL to the North American market. The color camera-based system provides high speed and high resolution with the capability of inspecting 0201s. In addition, options such as repair software, SPC software and line monitoring software help take the guesswork out of inspection data interpretation.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Universal Instruments (Binghamton, NY) and Hitachi High Technologies (HHT, Schaumburg, IL) have renewed their successful original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement for a further five years. HHT acquired Sanyo High Technologies, Universal's original OEM partner, in 2003. The partnership has enhanced Universal's turret-style high-speed placement (HSP) technology while affording HHT an extensive sales and support network.
Since it was first announced in 1989, the agreement has resulted in more than 1200 HSP platforms sold. Continued success of the partnership and sustained market demand for HSP equipment have allowed the agreement to be renewed several times in the past.
In addition to customers' access to the entire line of 4797-series HSP machines, extending the agreement until 2009 will allow further joint efforts to continue. Such efforts include recent line software development work and may extend in the future to additional joint technical projects, technology transfers and further product sharing.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Sanmina-SCI Corp. (San Jose, CA), an electronics contract manufacturer and printed circuit board (PCB) fabricator, has become the first company to enter a world-wide licensing agreement under Nortel Networks' Channel Routing technology licensing program, authorizing it to design and manufacture PCBs using Nortel Networks' patented technology.
Channel Routing allows designers the opportunity to improve the routability of signals out of dense array packages and potentially reduce the number of layers required to interconnect components. It is an algorithm that utilizes blind vias and/or microvias to open up routing channels in dense array packages allowing for improved wiring density. A software layout tool works with Sanmina-SCI's current ECAD tool to allow for auto-routing of designs with high I/O array packages, such as ball grid arrays (BGAs), speeding up the design process.
George Dudnikov, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Sanmina-SCI's PCB Division, said, " This is an opportunity for us to license someone else's innovation and provide products and services which utilize this licensed technology to all of our customers in addition to Nortel Networks. It also demonstrates a close collaboration between an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and EMS partner in developing and commercializing new technology."
"By using our patented Channel Routing technology, complex PCBs can be designed with fewer layers, thereby enabling even higher density products, improved manufacturing yields, and overall, a more cost effective PCB," said Ryan Stark, vice president, Advanced Technology Investments, Nortel Networks. "Channel Routing will benefit those who are pushing the envelope in complex PCB design."
With this license, Sanmina-SCI is immediately able to offer Channel Routing to all of its board layout and PCB customers.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
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