Press Releases
Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, has seen an increasing interest in laser depaneling systems from LPKF in 2024. Laser depaneling is an advanced method for separating PCBs from their panels using precise laser cutting technology. This innovative process offers significant benefits in efficiency and versatility, making it increasingly relevant across various manufacturing sectors.
Laser depaneling has emerged as a superior alternative to conventional separation methods. It allows for stress-free, non-contact separation, enabling cuts to be made close to mounted components without damaging them. The precision cutting with narrow channels, combined with the flexibility to process various materials—both rigid and flexible—makes it a highly efficient solution for electronics manufacturers. Especially those that are looking for cost saving on their bill of materials, as using a laser can significantly reduce the amount of PCB needed for break out areas providing material and immediate ROI. This digital, software-based and laser beam guided method accommodates complex geometries while eliminating tool wear, significantly reducing maintenance and changeover costs.
Joe Booth, Altus Group CEO, said: "We've seen growing interest in LPKF laser depaneling solutions, particularly the CuttingMaster 3000 series with Tensor technology. Manufacturers are increasingly recognising the benefits of this advanced approach to PCB separation. The precision, flexibility, and efficiency offered by these systems allows our customers to stay competitive in demanding industries such as automotive, medical technology, and consumer electronics where accuracy is key."
The LPKF CuttingMaster 3000 series is recognised as one of the most flexible and precise laser depaneling systems on the market. Equipped with linear drives, these systems ensure exceptional positioning accuracy and high-quality results with a large working range.
These systems can integrate a wide variety of laser sources with different wavelengths and pulse widths in the nano or picosecond range. Many of the models also feature LPKF's advanced Tensor technology, making them suitable for a diverse range of applications and materials. This ultrafast beam deflection technology offers up to a 70% reduction in cycle times when combined with LPKF CleanCut. It significantly increases performance potential while maintaining maximum transmission and high robustness for excellent reliability, improving cost efficiency.
As the complexity of electronic devices continues to increase, Altus sees laser depaneling as an important technology for manufacturers looking to enhance their production capabilities.
www.altusgroup.co.uk.
Indium Corporation today announced that InnoJoin GmbH will be the exclusive global sales partner for NanoFoil® in component mounting applications. NanoFoil® is a leading nanotechnology material that delivers energy in a controlled and precise manner for joining, energetics, and heating applications.
InnoJoin, based in Bremen, Germany, has been working with NanoFoil® technology since its inception and has since developed extensive expertise in this field. The company utilizes two in-house laser systems for precision cutting of NanoFoil®, ensuring high accuracy and flexibility in the production process. It operates its own dedicated laboratory for nanobonding trials, enabling rigorous testing and process optimization for bonding applications. The lab is fully equipped with advanced metallographic analysis tools, allowing comprehensive evaluations of bond quality and material integrity in-house.
“We’ve worked with InnoJoin for several years to provide NanoFoil® to customers in Europe and other markets, and it has been an extremely positive collaboration,” said Jon Major, Associate Director, ESM Project Management, Indium Corporation. “By expanding our partnership, we are able to provide even better service to our customers in critical markets around the world while simultaneously expanding the NanoFoil® product line.”
“Collaborating with Indium Corporation has been an exceptional, reliable, and trustworthy experience. We are more than delighted to continue this successful journey with them,” said Christian Walz, CEO, InnoJoin. “The NanoFoil® technology is a perfect addition to our portfolio, allowing us to provide our customers with the best possible technical solution for their bonding applications.”
NanoFoil® is a predictable, controllable, and affordable material that is industry-accepted and proven to lower manufacturing costs while providing repeatable and reliable bonds and reactions. It has applications in many industries, including semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and defense markets.
About Indium Corporation
Indium Corporation is a premier materials refiner, smelter, manufacturer, and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil®. Founded in 1934, the company has global technical support and factories located in China, Germany, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
About InnoJoin
InnoJoin GmbH, based in Bremen, Germany, specializes in advanced welding and coating solutions. The company focuses on providing reliable, economical, and high-quality solutions for its customers, including welding tasks, wear or corrosion protection requirements, and worn component refurbishment.
For more information about Indium Corporation, visit www.indium.com or email jhuang@indium.com. You can also follow our experts, From One Engineer To Another® (#FOETA), at www.linkedin.com/company/indium-corporation/.
HUTTO, TX – November 2024 – ViTrox Americas Inc. is proud to announce the expansion of the ViTrox Demo Center in Hutto, Texas. The company has doubled its capacity to meet growing customer de-mand. This expansion supports ViTrox’s commitment to timely deliveries and enhanced services for customers across North and South America.
SANTA CLARA, CA – Absolute EMS, Inc., a six-time award-winning provider of fast turnaround, turnkey contract electronic manufacturing services (EMS), proudly announces its ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) registration, reinforcing its commitment to serving military, aerospace and defense OEM customers. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Absolute EMS provides advanced PCB assembly (PCBA) and box-build manufacturing solutions, supporting industries where precision and AS9100 certification compliance are critical.
With this ITAR registration, Absolute EMS is now fully authorized to manufacture and manage ITAR-compliant products, ensuring the strict handling of sensitive materials in accordance with U.S. export control laws. This registration is a key milestone for Absolute EMS, allowing the company to deepen its involvement in military manufacturing and expand its offerings to defense OEM customers.
“Our ITAR registration demonstrates our dedication to meeting the stringent requirements of the military and government sectors,” said Doug Dow, COO at Absolute EMS. “We are proud to add ITAR to our existing suite of certifications, which includes ISO 13485:2016, AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001:2015, IPC-A-610 Class 3, J-STD-001 Class 3, and more, ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of reliability and quality.”
Absolute EMS’s state-of-the-art facility offers touchless electronics contract manufacturing, nitrogen reflow, and a satellite manufacturing model designed to enhance flexibility and efficiency. The company's capabilities serve a variety of industries, including medical manufacturing, military manufacturing and high-reliability applications, with a focus on printed circuit board assembly in Silicon Valley. Absolute EMS also operates under NAICS code 334418 and is UL Registered.
This ITAR registration further strengthens Absolute EMS's position as a high-performance EMS provider, delivering PCB assembly solutions that meet the most demanding requirements of the defense and aerospace sectors.
For more information about Absolute EMS and its ITAR-compliant services, visit www.absolute-ems.com.
FONTENAY-AUX-ROSES, FRANCE – The ICAPE Group (ISIN code: FR001400A3Q3 – Ticker: ALICA), a global technology distributor of printed circuit boards (“PCB”) and custom-made electromechanical parts, today announced its participation at the 2024 edition of Electronica, where it will present the ICAPE Shop, its new online purchasing platform.
Every two years, the main players in the electronics industry gather in Munich, Germany, to take part in the Electronica trade show, the largest event dedicated to this industry. Attending since 2002, the Group will once again be taking part alongside its industrial partners, not only to discuss their joint projects, but also to seize new business opportunities. At the last event in 2022, almost 1,000 meetings took place during the exhibition week, with nearly 700 companies. For this new edition, which will take place from November 12 to 15, 2024, the aim is to go even further, and to acquire new market share, thanks in particular to the launch of the Group's new digital tool: the ICAPE Shop.
Developed over two years, the ICAPE Shop enables customers to receive a quotation in 5 minutes, with prototypes and small series deliverable in 2 days. The Group's online service guarantees fast, secure production, with data encryption and anti-fraud monitoring. This high-quality product is based on particularly strict standards and the Group's proven expertise in this sales channel. In 2023, the ICAPE Group delivered 3.5 million PCB to 70 countries through its online platform, with production possible in 2 days.
Yann Duigou, the ICAPE Group’s CEO, stated: “We are proud to present the new generation of the ICAPE Shop to our partners at Electronica. We designed an even more effective solution to meet the needs of our customers, who generate over 40,000 quotations on our platform every year. With the launch of this innovation accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, applying the strictest standards and supported by our teams available in all time zones, the ICAPE Group confirms its key position as a global technology expert in printed circuit boards supporting the digital transformation of the electronics industry."
HEERBRUGG, SWITZERLAND – Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider, ESCATEC, has successfully integrated a UV light feature to its die bonder, significantly enhancing the precision and efficiency of the micro-assembly processes. This latest innovation underscores ESCATEC's commitment to pioneering sophisticated technologies that advance the electronics manufacturing industry.
The team at ESCATEC Switzerland have built a customized UV-curing system with two 365nm light sources on the die bond head of their Tresky T6000 fully automatic machine. This solution enables ESCATEC to achieve exact positioning of components and direct snap-curing required during the passive alignment process. The enhancement accelerates and improves the process of adhesive curing during the pick-and-place operations, streamlines the manufacturing process overall and boosts the accuracy of component placement, which is critical for the assembly of complex electronic parts.
Micro-assembly processes traditionally face challenges such as achieving high precision and managing adhesive curing times effectively. The UV light feature directly addresses these issues by significantly reducing the time required for the adhesive to set, which in turn, speeds up the entire assembly process.
The integration of UV light technology into ESCATEC's die bonding process brings several benefits to clients:
- Increased Precision: The precise control over UV exposure ensures accurate placement and bonding of components, crucial to produce high-quality electronic devices.
- Quality Improvement: Improved bonding techniques increase the durability and reliability of the finished products, meeting the high standards required in the electronics industry.
- New possibilities: There are some chips that need to vibrate, such as piezos, which means they must ‘float’ in the air, for which this process is perfectly suitable.
This technology holds vast potential for various applications across multiple sectors, including medical devices, automotive electronics, and industrial electronics. Each of these industries benefit from increased precision and reliability in component manufacturing, which is now achievable with ESCATEC's UV-enhanced die bonder.
"This integrated UV light into our die bonder is a game changer for micro-electronics assembly," said Wolfgang Plank, Head of the MOEMS Department at ESCATEC Switzerland. "This innovation is a testament to our commitment to leading the way in micro-assembly technology and our continuous effort to meet and exceed our clients' expectations. We are excited about the new possibilities this technology opens for current and future applications."
The introduction of the UV light feature by ESCATEC represents a significant leap forward in micro-assembly technology, reinforcing the company's role as an innovator in the electronics manufacturing industry.
ESCATEC invites industry professionals and potential customers to witness firsthand the capabilities of its new technology. For more information or to arrange a demonstration, please contact ESCATEC.
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