Circuits Assembly - January 2008 - (Page 10)

NEWS People Cobar Europe named Stan Renals operating director, COO. He has 20 years’ experience in electronics, most recently with Indium Corp., and also as general manager of Cookson Electronics in Singapore, and has held various senior management positions in the UK and Europe. Zestron America named Mike McCutchen national sales manager, responsible for domestic products and services. He has a master’s in organic chemistry from John Hopkins University. Photo Stencil named L. Todd Woods vice president of operations, responsible for daily business operations, manufacturing and supply chain management. He has held positions with EMD Associates, Johnson Matthey, Vari-L, SMTC Manufacturing and Plexus. VJ Electronix named Stephen Bowler engineering manager, responsible for envisioning, implementing and driving engineering improvements. He was previously in new product development at NEXX Systems, and also held positions at Integrated Solution, Ultratech, and Lucent Technologies. VJ also named Corbin Lane product manager for its recently acquired PMT product line. He has 27 years’ experience managing and developing training and customer technical support organizations for semiconductor equipment OEMs. Landrex Technologies named Todd Malesky Western regional sales manager and Derek Crouchman European regional manager. EMS firm VirTex Assembly named Cathy Armstrong Chamseddine vice president of manufacturing operations. Industry Edited by Mike Buetow Asset InterTech Acquires ITT RICHARDSON, TX – Asset InterTech (asset-intertech.com) in December acquired International Test Technologies (intertesttech.com) of Ireland. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The acquisition will bring together JTAG-based structural test technology and functional testing capabilities based on ITT’s processor emulation. The companies have worked together for the past three years on product development and marketing activities. Asset provides boundary-scan systems for test, in-system programming and design-for-test, as well as for advanced embedded instrumentation applications involving signal integrity analysis, bit error ratio testing, pattern generation testing and others. – Chelsey Drysdale Wisconsin, NYC Pushing Electronics Recycling Bills MADISON, WI – Wisconsin State Senator Mark Miller is preparing legislation that would set up a state electronics waste recycling program, according to published reports. Modeled after a bill in Minnesota, the proposed legislation would require manufacturers to pay for recycling computers, TVs, cellphones and more. The bill would also ban toxic electronics devices from landfills. Meanwhile, the New York City Council is pushing a similar bill. Under the NYC bill, computer, TV and handheld electronics recycling would be mandatory. The bill contains incentives to limit the amount of toxic materials used to make electronics. A 2006 Wisconsin state survey showed 3.8 million computers and nearly 7.5 million TVs in state households. Some 25% of computers and televisions become obsolete in any one year, said Cynthia Moore, DNR recycling program coordinator, while only 14% are recycled, and the number of discarded TVs are expected to rise dramatically during the next two years, as a law requiring new TVs to be digital takes effect, she told a local paper. Under proposed legislation, electronics manufacturers would be required to recycle 60% of the electronic products sold in Wisconsin the first year of the law and 80% the second year. Manufacturers would be exempt from antitrust laws, so they could work together to create cooperative programs, according to the report. – Chelsey Drysdale Are Flextronics, Foxconn Sniffing Around Balda? BAD OEYNHAUSEN, GERMANY – Several leading EMS companies have approached Balda AG (balda.de), a maker of cellphone parts, for a possible strategic partnership, a local German newspaper reported. Flextronics (flextronics.com), Asustek Computer (asus.com.tw), Quanta Computer (quanta.com.tw) and Foxconn International Holdings (fih-foxconn.com) are interested in Balda’s production of touchscreen components, a technology used in Apple’s iPhone, the newspaper reported. Among the reported options is a complete takeover of Balda. As a first step, the potential Balda partner may acquire a 29% stake to avoid having to make a mandatory offer to all shareholders under German law, according to the report. – Chelsey Drysdale Henkel Expands UK Lab HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, UK – Henkel (henkel.com/electronics) has completed the expansion of its Electronics Group’s R&D and applications laboratory here, the site of the company’s European headquarters. The recent investment in the 225-sq. meter facility permits additional development and testing capabilities and a complete remodel, Henkel says. The lab has advanced conformal coating development tools, including various automated selective dispensing applicators, and is equipped with a full production line for PCB assembly and the latest testing equipment. Equipment includes screen printers, reflow ovens, solder paste deposition measurement systems, x-ray equipment, wave soldering systems, and analytical, microscopy and metallurgical tools. – Chelsey Drysdale Henkel’s new apps lab. circuitsassembly.com 10 Circuits Assembly JANUARY 2008 http://asset-intertech.com http://intertesttech.com http://flextronics.com http://www.asus.com.tw http://www.quanta.com.tw http://www.fih-foxconn.com http://henkel.com/electronics http://circuitsassembly.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Circuits Assembly - January 2008

Circuits Assembly - January 2008 Contents Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Focus on Business On the Forefront Screen Printing Better Manufacturing Walking on Water Flux Selection for Lead-Free Wave Soldering An A-to-Z Guide to X-Ray Inspection, Part II Evolution in Action Research Priorities for the Electronics Industry Selective Soldering Process Doctor Pb-Free Lessons Learned Materials World Product Spotlight Ad Index Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts

Circuits Assembly - January 2008

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