REDDITCH, UK – Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment for the electronics industry in the UK and Ireland, is pleased to announce a new partnership for Kolb Cleaning in the UK and first order with Reading-based contract manufacturer Active-PCB Solutions Ltd. After a thorough evaluation process of several customer variants, the company has invested in a Kolb cleaning system to enhance its cleaning processes further.

The partnership originated from discussions between Altus Group and Active-PCB Solutions at the 2023 Southern Manufacturing and Electronics exhibition. As an established leader in the EMS market offering responsive, fast-turn solutions for small to medium-batch, high-complexity assemblies, Active-PCB Solutions were looking to add to their PCBA cleaning capabilities.

Active-PCB Solutions conducted an extensive review of options to ensure quality and reliability in its production cleaning processes. After careful consideration, the company selected the innovative Kolb PSE LH7, known for its impressive cleaning finish and technical performance. The decision was guided by the machine's capability to integrate both cutting-edge cleaning systems and chemistry, the detailed pre-sales communication, and extensive support provided by Altus Group, making the Kolb PSE LH7 the ideal choice for advancing their cleaning procedures.

“I am really pleased for Active-PCB Solutions and their team on this latest investment with us,” said Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group. “They took a well-planned, thorough approach to selecting the right supplier and system. Kolb is an exemplary supplier that goes to great depths to explain not just the systems and chemistries they offer, but also the considerations and pitfalls of PCBA cleaning. This service makes a huge difference to our customers.

“We eagerly anticipate the installation of the new Kolb AQUBE® LH7, contributing to Active-PCB's ongoing commitment to maintaining and enhancing product quality.”

Luke Minnis, Manufacturing Product and Process Engineer at Active-PCB, added: "We are very happy to begin this partnership with Altus Group and invest in new cleaning technology. Throughout the project, Altus and Kolb have been great to work with. We’re looking forward to the new system enhancing our production and delivering great results. Based on the validation tests, and through our relationship with Altus, we feel confident in the ongoing support."

Kolb PSE LH7 is a fully automatic, high-volume cleaning system selected for its next-generation PCB cleaning capabilities. The two-tank, triple-circuit function configuration with ClosedLoop water reprocessing, ensures short cycle times and makes this system the perfect economical choice for the precision cleaning of assembled PCBs.

With a large capacity and quick cycle time, it will enable Active PCB to deliver finished products of the highest quality efficiently.

CLINTON, NY – Indium Corporation advisor, and founder/principal of DS&A LLC, Dave Saums will present on innovative thermal materials for semiconductor testing at TestConX 2024, held in Mesa, AZ, March 3-6. Saums will open the conference with a tutorial on March 3 and deliver a technical presentation on the topic on March 5.

The presentation, titled Testing Innovative Thermal Interface Materials for Semiconductor Test, will describe the testing practices for innovative thermal interface materials (TIMs) that are designed specifically for semiconductor test applications, or which are directly applicable. TIMs are available from hundreds of vendors, not all of whom are developers and manufacturers, in more than fourteen major, highly varied types, designed for a very wide variety of applications. Current industry standard test methodologies are outlined in ASTM D 5470-17, developed over three decades by a working committee of thermal industry engineers. This methodology provides a guideline for how test systems may be designed and constructed and for the general principals involved in testing TIMs. However, the very large number of different material types requires an understanding of the principal material categories, the intended purposes for the major types, and the differences encountered in thermal performance testing and reliability testing.

“Through the tutorial and presentation, my goal is to improve understanding of TIMs, the differentiators between categories, various testing methods, and types of TIM testing equipment,” said Saums. “I look forward to contributing to the industry’s collective tool kit by sharing these insights with my colleagues at TestConX.”

Saums has 45 years of experience in many aspects of electronics thermal management, for manufacturers and developers of military/aerospace high-reliability precision fans, high-volume heat-sinks and liquid cold plates, advanced TIMs, CTE-matched rigid thermal materials and substrates, and two-phase pumped dielectric liquid cooling systems. He operates a full-time consulting business addressing these products and markets, working with vendors, test equipment manufacturers, and system OEMs. Saums has previously conducted a tutorial for TestConX on thermal interface material classifications and has also given presentations at TestConX and BiTS. He holds B.S. and MBA degrees from Clarkson University, with post-graduate work at Union College.

ATLANTA – Koh Young, the industry leader in True3D measurement-based inspection solutions and the Premier Sponsor of IPC APEX EXPO, invites electronics manufacturers to booth 2112 for live demonstrations of our award-winning inspection solutions. At the show, you can discover the future of inspection technology as Koh Young highlights innovative machines and smart factory software offerings, unveils new solutions to handle your toughest challenges and releases new software enhancements to make your life easier. We look forward to welcoming you to our booth at IPC APEX Expo in Anaheim, California 09-11 April 2024.

At Koh Young, we are revolutionizing process improvement for electronica manufacturers by harnessing the power of AI tools. Simply programming and expedite production with Koh young Auto Programming (KAP). Minimize false calls and prevent escapes while reducing operator judgement subjectivity with Smart Review 3.0. Apply real-time process control with KPO. Below is a sneak-peak into the booth:

Solder Paste Inspection (SPI)

In 2002, we introduced the concept of 3D measurement-based inspection – and it revolutionized the industry. Manufacturers recognize the value of the 3D measurement data and use it to improve the print process, in turn, improving production quality. Today, 3D SPI is a standard requirement for SMT lines. The 8030 Series is our SPI workhorse, and the most popular SPI solution in the market. With patented technology, we deliver trustworthy and repeatable measurement data, which manufacturers can use to reliably optimize the print process.

Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)

The Koh Young 3D AOI Zenith Series delivers accurate inspection performance with True3D measurement technology. At Koh Young, we measure components to precisely identify the component body based on profilometric information. Using this approach, we provide trustworthy inspection results, regardless of component or board color variations. When our 3D measurement data meets artificial intelligence, we can deliver even more advantages to manufacturers.

Automated Pin Inspection (API)

Built on its world-class True3D™ AOI technology, new enhancements help it break through barriers associated with inspecting products with a mix of both Pins and SMDs. The complete KY-P3 lineup provides an automated back-end solution combining advanced high-resolution optics and innovative AI-powered vision algorithms for single pin, press-fit, and Final Optical Inspection, as well as for pins inside a connector shroud, while also inspecting traditional SMDs on the same product. Because of its quantitative measurement-based approach, accuracy and repeatability is unsurpassed.

Dispense Process Inspection (DPI)

The award-winning Neptune is the industry’s first 3D optical measurement solution for transparent material inspection. Using Koh Young LIFT technology (Laser Interferometry for Fluid Tomography), the Neptune delivers non-destructive 3D inspection to precisely measure and inspect fluids – wet or dry. With its Machine-Learning algorithm, the Neptune accurately measures materials for coverage, thickness, and consistency with a user-defined threshold setting. It also identifies bubbles, cracks, and other defects in coating. It also measures underfill, epoxy, bonding, glue, potting, flux, and more to deliver an exact measurement of materials.

Process Control & Optimization Software

AI-powered KSMART solutions help automate process control, while focusing on data management, analysis, and optimization. It collects data from across the factory for defect detection, real-time optimization, enhanced decisions, and traceability to improve production, increase quality, and lower costs by eliminating variances, false calls, and escapes. Koh Young can help manufacturers solve significant business challenges by applying connectivity to modernize industry processes. By leveraging IPC-CFX with its AI-powered technologies, Koh Young successfully applies real-time data to improve the production process by converting data into process knowledge. Combined with IPC standards, Koh Young can open the gates to a smart factory for anyone. The award-winning Koh Young Process Optimizer (KPO) solution is an AI-based automatic process optimizer. This system improves the critical printer parameters to help manufacturers optimize the print and mount processes, without the need for dedicated manufacturing process experts. Furthermore, KPO monitors and perfects parameters in real-time to guarantee quality despite environmental changes.

To learn more about how our solutions boost your quality, visit us at the IPC APEX EXPO in Booth 2112 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. You can register to attend the in-person conference and exposition at https://www.ipcapexexpo.org/. If you cannot attend the show, you can learn more about our best-in-class inspection solutions at our regional website www.kohyoungamerica.com 

NEUSS, GERMANY – Yamaha Robotics SMT Section brought its European agents together at the branch headquarters in Neuss, Düsseldorf, for the 2024 distributor meeting from February 6-8. The annual event gives the team a regular opportunity to learn about the latest equipment updates and review the business outlook together ahead of the coming year.

The demonstrations highlighted innovations including AI-driven component recognition in the latest YRi-V inspection system, the new 3SR squeegee for fast and repeatable printing, and software innovations for the intelligent factory that help maximise end-of-line yield and efficiency. Delegates experienced these in small groups, each guided by a Yamaha product specialist, to learn how the new features can further elevate process performance and accelerate product assembly.

Yamaha’s expert guidance during distributor meetings gives detailed insights into the most recent enhancements available for the Company’s screen printers, mounters, and inspection systems. Together these comprise the 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION, connected by Yamaha YSUP software that ensures optimal integration and simplifies management of one or multiple SMT lines to maximise electronic manufacturing productivity.

Daisuke Yoshihara, General Sales Manager presented Yamaha’s awards to the top performers, including D.K.R Electronic Agencies as most valuable distributor, Elas for best service, and the special achievement award to Pro SMT. He commented, “We value the strength and experience of our distributor network. Each has contributed to our long-term growth and performed extremely strongly over the past year, sharing our commitment to developing new business while always delivering the best care for customers.”