Circuits Assembly - December 2007 - (Page 8)

NEWS In Brief Universal Instruments (uic.com) and Valor (valor.com) have formed an OEM partnership under which Valor’s Dimensions Data Prep Studio tool will be integrated with Universal’s Dimensions Programming and Optimization software to provide comprehensive CAD/CAM translation, advanced Gerber support and the ability to view and verify results on a graphical representation of the board. Valor will also implement its DfM software for PCB layout design verification at Kontron Manufacturing Services’ Penang, Malaysia site. Europlacer (europlacer.com) named SmartTec GmbH its exclusive distributor in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. Jabil Circuit (jabil.com) workers in Brest, France, struck in October to protest pending layoffs, several local media outlets reported. Integrated Test Corp. (integratedtest. com) established a sales and applications office in Taiwan. EMS provider I. Technical Services (itechserv.com) added an SMT production line to its new facility in Alpharetta, GA. The line includes a DEK screen printer, Assembleon Topaz X-II and Emerald X-II placement machines, and a BTU reflow oven. Industry Edited by Mike Buetow Next year’s Nepcon East is scheduled much earlier in the year: the end of April. The rescheduling had a few exhibitors scratching their heads, as the event will land on the heels of Apex. A few suggested the show be moved to June, while allowing exhibition hall availability may have played a role in the timing. In general, while many exhibitors reported trade-show fatigue from the litany of events this fall, most seemed to feel attendance was strong enough to merit continued presence. – Mike Buetow Solectron Deal Done, Closings Next SAN JOSE – In the wake of its purchase of Solectron, Flextronics (flextronics.com) will shutter up to 43 plants around the world, totaling some 8.3 million sq. ft., says one Wall Street analyst. Bear Stearns analyst Kevin Kessel, citing the managing director of Flextronics France, says the EMS company will shutter former Solectron plants in Canjan, France; Raleigh, NC; Wilmington, MA; Montreal and Istanbul. The moves come as little surprise as the company indicated its plans for the $3.6 billion deal to be accretive in its first full quarter. The Youngsville, OH site employs 650 workers, while the Canjan, France site has 540 employees. The Wilmington plant is a 65,000 sq. ft. factory that Solectron moved into in 2005 after acquiring and relocating the assembly division of Teradyne. – Mike Buetow Elcoteq May Cut European Ops HELSINKI – Elcoteq (elcoteq.com) may further reduce its production footprint in Europe, as sales at the EMS company continue to slump. Elcoteq reported a third-quarter pretax loss of 7.5 million euros on restructuring charges and weak demand, down from 10.1 million euros a year ago, on a 9.4% drop in revenues. The company blamed a “significant customer” for the drop. In response, the company said it may cut or sell production capacity, particularly in Europe, and adopt a more flexible corporate structure beginning next January. – Mike Buetow Note to Buy Shares in Fideltronik JV KRAKOW, POLAND – Note AB (note.se) has agreed to acquire half the shares of a new joint venture with Polish EMS provider Fideltronik (fideltronik. com). The JV will be based at Fideltronik’s plant in Krakow and will have some 220 employees. No other terms of the agreement were disclosed. Arne Forslund, Note’s CEO and president said, “The acquisition brings us access to additional cost-efficient production capacity in Poland that complements our other international facilities in the Baltic States and China.” Earlier this year, Note acquired 50% of an Ionics EMS facility in China. – Mike Buetow People Cobar Europe BV named Gerjan Diepstraten process support manager. He was previously a senior engineer with Vitronics Soltec, and began his career in 1989 as a mechanical designer at Soltec B.V. He is also a CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY columnist. Wolf Electronix named Robert Greiner chief executive. He was CFO of a management group, and has 10 years of financial and operational management in the EMS industry. EMS provider Millennia Technology named Douglas S. Harchick manager of customer service. EMS firm Sunburst Electronics named Sandy Barretta sales manager. Forslund: Acquiring minds Titan Nabs Nexus Nano DALLAS – Titan Global Holdings (titanglobalholdings.com) will acquire the assets of EMS provider Nexus Nano Electronics (nexuscei.com) in an equity-based transaction conducted through a third-party investment group. The acquiring company, YA Global Investments, LP, will in turn sell Nexus to Titan and a subsidiary for $7.3 million of convertible preferred stock and 2 million shares of common stock (valued at $2 per share). The convertible preferred stock issued to YA Global is convertible into the common stock of the planned spinout of Titan Electronics Group. Titan previously announced plans to spinout its Electronics Group, which includes two bare board fabrication operations. The acquired company will be renamed Titan Nexus Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Titan Electronics Group. Nexus had revenues of $12 million in the period ended June 30, and employs 90 workers in its facilities in Brandon, VT, and Woburn, MA. Over the past year, the company has struggled financially and had inadequate working capital to continue its operations. – Mike Buetow 8 Circuits Assembly DECEMBER 2007 circuitsassembly.com http://uic.com http://valor.com http://flextronics.com http://www.europlacer.com http://jabil.com http://www.elcoteq.com http://integratedtest.com http://integratedtest.com http://itechserv.com http://note.se http://fideltronik.com http://fideltronik.com http://titanglobalholdings.com http://www.nexuscei.com http://circuitsassembly.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Circuits Assembly - December 2007

Circuits Assembly - December 2007 Contents Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Global Sourcing Screen Printing Better Manufacturing Metalization Options for COB Assembly A Test Comparison of SAC and Non-SAC Pb-Free Solders An A-to-Z Guide to X-Ray Inspection BEST: A ‘Funky Chicken’ with an EMS Niche Tech Tips Wave Soldering Process Doctor Pb-Free Lessons Learned Getting Lean Eastern Approaches Product Spotlight Ad Index Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts

Circuits Assembly - December 2007

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