The Commercial Products division of Branson Ultrasonics announces a new industrial ultrasonic cleaning unit to handle difficult industrial cleaning applications all in a self-contained unit. Available in 10- or 22-gallon capacity, has digital display to set temperature and time.  Temperature and time can be set from 1-99 min.; temperature up 60°C.  Comes with basket and cover.
 
Compact units incorporate 3/16, 15 gauge stainless steel construction, and a modern, solid-state ultrasonic generator available in 25 or 40KHz. industrial transducers.
 
Branson Ultrasonics Corp., bransonic.com

Cobar Solder Products’ has sold over 200 units of its COBOX retrofittable spray fluxer.
 
Lance Larrabee, general manager, announced in a press release that “the COBOX 'Plug'n Spray' spray fluxer is a simple, drop-in replacement for foam, wave and first-generation spray-fluxers. It works with virtually any type of no-clean, alcohol or water-based, or VOC-free flux. Because it is so flexible, easy to clean and simple to install and operate, it has become especially popular, with over two hundred units sold since its introduction.”
 
The fluxer is easy to disassemble and service, manufactured of stainless steel and titanium parts and features a magnetically-driven nozzle assembly. Its simple design, computer-controlled movement and short distance of 50 mm (2”) to the board surface, ensures uniform wetting and through-hole penetration/top side wicking without excess deposition or flux waste. Reportedly saves more than 60% of flux over comparable foam-type fluxers.
 
Designed to work with the typical range for surface tension and capillary viscosity of water-based (VOC-free) fluxes, and eliminates over and under spraying problems. Features an air-driven, high precision nozzle with an adjustable cone. Is a field-retrofittable system, compatible with many soldering systems, and includes a fluxing unit, control cabinet and exhaust hood.
 

QTEK Stencil Clean removes solder paste, Pb-free pastes and other stencil print materials. Suitable for use in both vacuum and non-vacuum under-stencil cleaning mechanisms.                            
 
Formulated specifically for the removal of stencil contaminants, and is effective on solder paste residue. 
 
The aliphatic hydrocarbon chemistry is non-flammable and non-corrosive, safe for use with stencils, frames, boards and the printer itself. Contains no ozone-depleting substances, is RoHS and WEEE compliant.
 
Penetrates solder paste and lifts it from the screen, removing contaminants from small apertures without scouring the stencil surface. 
 
Has a high evaporation rate to leave surfaces clean and dry, and is said to provide superior solvency, as well as good wetting and dispersing characteristics. 
 
QTEK Manufacturing Ltd., qtek.com

Legex 574 CNC Coordinate Measuring Machine features ultra-high accuracy (MPE_E = [0.35+L/1000] µm), a large measuring range (510 x 710 x 455mm), high traverse speed (200mm/sec.) and robust worktable loading capacity (200kgf). Applications include measurement of large lenses and inspection of metallic molds, engine blocks and similar components, whether in production runs, or small lots.
 
Driven by MCOSMOS (Mitutoyo Controlled Open System for Modular Operation Support) software with modules supporting virtually every CAD format while providing routines for in-line measurement, data feedback and process management. 
 
Spheroidal graphite ductile cast iron is used for the chassis which, together with air-damped spring isolators, attenuate vibration. Design used FEM (Finite Element Modeling) analysis to optimize configuration to ensure geometric accuracy by minimizing deformations caused by normal machine operations. Thermally-stable components and real-time temperature compensation maintain high accuracy, even under a wide range of operating temperatures (64.4° to 71.6°F / 18° to 22°C).
 
A variety of probes is supported including contacting scanning and touch-trigger as well as laser and vision.
 
Mitutoyo America Corp., mitutoyo.com 

ProcessMate 5000 centrifuge is a fast, simple way to purge medium- to high-viscosity fluids like epoxies, greases and silicones of bubbles and air pockets that can affect shot-to-shot consistency in pneumatic dispensing processes.
 
The compact benchtop unit can be used with prepackaged or user-loaded syringes. It is simple to operate, and will purge up to (4) 3cc, 5cc, 10cc or 30cc syringes at a time.
 
Has an on-off switch, timer and tachometer.  Safety features include a locking lid and an electric brake that stops the rotor before the lid is opened.
 
EFD Inc., efd-inc.com

ADS1F Modular depaneling system was developed for a production environment that requires quick changeovers. Adaptations to the different PCB shapes and sizes are taken care of by the servo gripper that can be programmed to accommodate a range of products. Three different gripper sizes are available.
 
Available features include: automatic product recognition at the inlet, servo grippers, automatic toll exchange, automatic tool changer, etc.
 
ASYS Inc., asys-group.com

 

 

Customers can access Micron’s complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors through Digi-Key’s streamlined process, which includes 24-hour online purchasing of sample, prototype and production quantities.  

The imaging products will be available in Digi-Key’s print catalog and online. The company also stocks Micron’s Flash memory products, RAM ICs, memory card modules, and development kits.
 
Micron Technology, micron.com
Digi-Key Corp., digikey.com

Valor’s TraceXpert solution now offers real-time performance monitoring and process verification for all machine brands and machine generations from Fuji, Panasonic, Siemens and Universal. Following the availability of these latest generation interfaces, TraceXpert provides machine vendor neutrality for line-monitoring, exact traceability, real-time materials management and optimized assembly line performance.
 
According to Henning Maerkedahl, executive VP at the development centre for TraceXpert, traceability is now the key driver in over 60% of new project implementations, and is one of the main reasons for introducing floor-level MES systems into a manufacturing environment.
 
Maerkedahl also noted, “Many customers either have SMT lines from multiple vendors or a mix of different machine generations across lines. TraceXpert is the only monitoring, verification and traceability solution that delivers proven integration for all machine vendor brands and their generations. This allows electronics manufacturers to achieve faster set-up time and reduce costly reworks; deliver higher quality and manufacturing yield - with one factory-wide solution. The multi-function, real-time control interfaces developed by Valor for the four leading machine vendors in the market are in addition to Valor’s general line-monitoring solution that covers all types of machines from all machine vendors.”
 

Valor Computerized Systems, valor.com

MicroMark precision spray marking system produces neat, consistent spots and stripes from 5 to 30 mm wide without overspray or clogging. Designed for reliability and low maintenance, it reportedly reduces downtime on automated and semi automated production lines.
 
Applications include color-coding to differentiate between similar components, indicating pass/fail status and showing whether a specific process has been performed.
 
Uses a precision spray valve and Low Volume Low Pressure (LVLP) air to make uniform spots and stripes without mist or overspray. The system’s high transfer efficiency and quick cutoff improve part appearance and keep work areas clean. A short microburst of air after each shot keeps the nozzle from clogging and reduces maintenance.
 
The system includes a microprocessor-based controller that simplifies system setup and operation. The controller can be easily interfaced with a PLC if desired. Ink or paint is supplied from a fluid tank with a constant-bleed air regulator that prevents fluctuations in fluid pressure.