Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - News

News

AUSTIN -- Smart Modular Technologies has inked a deal to license module and package stacking technologies from Staktek Holdings.

Smart makes memory products; Staktek is a provider of intellectual property and services for chip-stacking and module technologies.

Under terms of the agreement, Smart can use Staktek's ArctiCore technology for module products, and will be licensed to offer stacking technology for leaded and BGA packages. Financial terms were not disclosed.

San Diego — KIC, Henkel Technologies, DEK, Engent, Vitronics Soltec and OK International will co-sponsor a lead-free workshop this Thursday and Friday at DEK’s facility in Schaumburg, IL.

This hands-on training program is designed for engineers and engineering management, and will provide a broader knowledge of lead-free materials interactions, and a greater understanding of the process including advantages and limitations. A sample lead-free board will be produced and taken away by each attendee. Engineering and technical representatives will be available for one-on-one discussion.

The workshop will feature hands-on production floor training in the following areas:
· Screen printing surface-mount adhesives and solder paste, and placement
· Reflow profiling
· Inspection/analytical
· Rework
· Wave.

For agenda and additional information: kicthermal.com/index.html.
Reservations must be made in advance.

WORCESTER, MA -- Although some designs are pushing 10 Gb/s, a handful of connector and backplane manufacturers agreed that most designs continue to fall in the 3.125 to 6 Gb/s range.

Exhibiting at DesignCon East this week, Tyco and FCI, among others, claimed most interest remains centered in the mid-range, despite talk of high er speed applications.

Buffalo Grove, IL - Panasonic Factory Solutions Co. of America has moved from Elgin, IL, to a dedicated location in Buffalo Grove. The new facility will house three industrial market units: Welding and Robotics, Electronics Assembly (EAG) and Microelectronics (MEG).

"We're continually growing as an independent industrial division of the Panasonic family," said Tom Gebhardt, president. "This move is most advantageous: the location's proximity to O'Hare and other industrial corporations is far more convenient for customers visiting/training with us. We have expanded our MEG clean room by 60%, and added lab space specifically for metrology and solutions."

The company develops and supports innovative manufacturing processes around the core of welding, robotic, software and circuit manufacturing technologies.

ENDICOTT, NY -- Endicott Interconnect Technologies has achieved "Approved Vendor Status" for PWB design, fabrication and circuit card assembly by Raytheon Computer Products, a business unit of Raytheon's Network Centric Systems Division.

Endicott Interconnect supplies PCBs, organic chip carriers and first- and second-level assemblies to the defense and aerospace markets. It also suppliers chip packaging, PCBs, electronic assemblies, electro-mechanical equipment and services to the computer, telecommunications and communications markets.

NEW YORK -- Former Tyco International CEO L. Dennis Kozlowski and CFO Mark Swartz were sentenced on Monday to up to 25 years in prison and fined a collective $239 million for looting the company of hundreds of millions of dollars. The men were taken immediately into custody.

Kozlowski, 58, and Swartz, 44, will be eligible for parole after about eight years.

JACKSON, MI -- Sparton Corp. an EMS provider, announced its engineering and electronics manufacturing operations are in full compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. Sparton received third-party certification for establishing a fully compliant lead-free design and manufacturing process into its electronics services capabilities, the company said today.

TORONTO - Nortel Networks Corp. today said its manufacturing plant in Monkstown, Northern Ireland, would no longer be included in the sale of several of its factories to Flextronics. Instead, Nortel, will use the plant as its regional supply-chain center for operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

KENOSHA, WI — Promation, a company specializing in PCB handling equipment, selective robotic soldering, laser mark and technical workstations, has secured a sales relationship with Kintner Equipment Corp. (Endicott, NY) to serve customers in upstate New York and western Pennsylvania.

Gary Goldberg, president of Promation, said, “Kintner Equipment is a premiere capital equipment sales organization with many years of experience in both SMT and back-end manufacturing operations. Promation is delighted to have secured this business relationship.”

SAN JOSE -- Research firm Semico yesterday forecasted semiconductors would see an 18% jump in revenues next year, pushing out the start of the next downcycle to the second half of 2008.

The firm also called for stronger second half sales this year, due to traditional and emerging markets.

MIDLAND, MI -- Dow Corning's Photonics Solutions business development program will be merged into its Electronics business and the company will increase sales, marketing, and product development activities to support creation of "light-management" applications for a vast range of markets, including automotive, displays, and telecommunications.

The new Light Management group will focus on helping customers develop and commercialize applications that rely on the emission, transmission, amplification, detection, modulation, and switching of light.

BRUSSELS -- Technical experts from EU member states this week reviewed a draft environment assessment of the brominated flame retardant TBBPA.

The assessment is being carried out by the UK on behalf of the EU under the EU Existing Substances Regulation.