Circuits Assembly - September 2008 - (Page 33)

Better Manufacturing the UK, there was once a very good supported apprentice scheme: disclosure; I am one of its products who put all industry-based workers into a melting pot, whereby industry would assess and guide candidates toward the best career fit based on their individual skills and what industry needed. We now have a system that tries to persuade every young person to get a college degree. Consequently, we have far fewer specialist apprentices and craft technicians than are needed. Graduates, meanwhile, are convinced they are worth a fortune and are the best thing to industry since sliced bread. Asian industry is about to fall into the same trap. The Chinese government is rightly proud that it produces three million engineering graduates every year, but these graduates quickly join the spiral and force up wage rates. Europe and the US have already suffered this pain, but do not seem to have learned. In the UK, there was once an organization called the EITB (Engineering Industry Training Board) that supported all aspects of training from universities to technical colleges and craft apprentice training. It provided skills for all levels of industrial needs. Is it time to bring back this type of support? Long view. All “Western” governments operate on a political basis. If the parliament in question runs on a four-year term, for example, it is unlikely to set up a 12-year support program because subsequent administrations are likely to modify what has been established. The exception to this is Japan, whose MITI organization is basically funded by government, but has license to operate based on industry need and outside of political meddling. Industry needs the long view. circuitsassembly.com "Engineering graduates quickly join the spiral and force up wages." Some projects can last eight or more years from inception to fruition and need support all the way. The nature of this support may be financial, training, infrastructure, regional and so on. If industry sees stability, it is far more likely to start projects that might seem fragile at the start, but become stronger toward the end. There is a definite need to set up support structures that last the life of a project and not just the life of a government. Where do we go next? I suppose this could be construed as a plea for the EITB-type organizations of the past, but it goes beyond that. EITB worked well in the 1970s and 1980s, but as an entity may not be ideal today. Instead, this is a plea to all governments to think for the future and plan for long-term support of industry needs. In the UK, a new organization called the EKTN (Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network) provides connections between all relevant parties. This is a good start, but needs to be expanded to provide skills and knowledge. For now, EKTN tends to be used by graduates and postgraduates and is in danger of being hijacked by academics. Again, this is not a criticism, but a warning that all aspects of industry are important. Various trade bodies are actively pursuing industry-based needs and even support individual engineers, but their scale of operations is limited by funding. If governments can supply the level of support needed over the long term, we may have a chance of competing in the future. n LEADING PB-FREE SOLUTIONS FROM JAPAN Seika Machinery provides the North American market a line of advanced SMT and ATE machinery combined with world-class sales, service and support. Find out why Seika’s SMT product line has earned a higher sales volume and share of market in Japan. YOUNG JIN PCB HANDLING SYSTEMS Key Features • Industry first and patented magnetic roller mechanism eliminates the use of pusher which causes stress on PCB's during transfer • NG stocker can be linked with AOI/SPI via RS232C • Safety covers with interlocked doors • User friendly touch panel operation • Customized systems available HIROX DIGITAL MICROSCOPE SYSTEM Key Features • Inspect objects dynamically in 360 degrees with patented Hirox design • Superior BGA inspection capable of up to 200x magnification. Low maintenance costs achieved with use of spring loaded lens tip to protect samples. • Highly configurable and flexible lineup of lenses and peripheral devices • Optimal illumination using metal halide lamp for balanced color spectrum • A multitude of 2D/3D profiling features available for a wide range of applications • Customization available for tailoring to client-specific needs CALL TODAY! SEIKA Seika Machinery, Inc. 3528 Torrance Blvd, Suite 100 Torrance, CA 90503 Ph: 310-540-7310 Fax: 310-540-7930 Email: info@seikausa.com Visit the full product line at www.seikausa.com Circuits Assembly SEPTEMBER 2008 33 http://www.seikausa.com http://www.seikausa.com http://circuitsassembly.com

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

Circuits Assembly - September 2008 Contents Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Focus on Business Global Sourcing On the Forefront Screen Printing Better Manufacturing Reflow Soldering with a SnCu Eutectic Pb-Free Alloy Improving OEE in High Mix Facilities Effectively Managing RF Design in Utility Metering Applications Solder Joint Reliability of Different BGAs Reworked Using Low Melting Point Pb-Free Alloys Tech Tips Wave Soldering Pb-Free Lessons Learned Materials World Process Doctor Equipment Advances Product Spotlight Ad Index Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts

Circuits Assembly - September 2008

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