PCB Laminates A Novel Halogen-Free, Phosphorus-Free Material for PCB Applications Some studies have found halogen-containing epoxy resin might produce hazardous carcinogenic gases, such as dioxin and furan, under certain combustion temperatures (i.e., <1000°C). Halogen-free flame retardants, which exclude TBBPA, are becoming increasingly popular as a replacement. There are a variety of approaches to replacing TBBPA and other halogenated flame retardants. Tests show a new novel halogen-free, phosphorus-free material can fulfill the environmental requirements, exhibit good characteristics and nonflammability without a high cost penalty. by Christina Jien and Johnson Chang
Retrospective In Memoriam 2011 will likely be recalled as a transitive year, one in which we took stock of the pros and cons of various geographies and business models as we tried to come to grips with very uncertain economic times. It will also be recalled as the year we lost some of the industry’s biggest names from all ends of the design and manufacturing spectrum, from Steve Jobs to Werner Engelmaier. This month we reflect on their impact on our industry and our lives.
Industrial Health Evaluation of Employee Exposures at a PCB Plant A confidential employee request for a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) at an electronics manufacturer specializing in PCB fabrication and assembly explains how third-party audits are initiated and reviews best-in-class controls for maintaining factory worker health. by Srinivas Durgam, Chandran Achutan, Ph.D., Carlos Aristeguieta, M.D., and Maureen T. Niemeier
DfT Smoothing the Layout to Test Flow When layout and test take place under the same roof, determining the right strategy to increase test coverage for a given product becomes much easier, and ensures the end-product will be successfully tested. by Zulki Khan
Transmission Lines Understanding PCBs for High-Frequency Applications Printed circuit boards for microwave circuits must support transmission of signals with the diminutive wavelengths of radio-frequency (RF) and microwave frequencies, and they must do so with minimal loss and stable, consistent performance. To best understand high-frequency PCBs, it helps to review the types of transmission lines and structures typically used in RF/microwave circuits and how PCB characteristics relate to electrical performance at higher frequencies. by John Coonrod
FIRST PERSON
Caveat Lector Unrepressing transference. Mike Buetow
NTI-100 The Asian Persuasion The 102 largest (by revenue) fabricators produced approximately 80% of the total worldwide output in 2010. And by and large, China is reaping the gains. In a PCD&F exclusive, we count them down, from Unimicron to Somacis. by Dr. Hayao Nakahara
Drilling Advances in Dual Spindle Technology For years it appeared laser technology would replace traditional mechanical drilling. As it turns out, the two processes complement each other. Mechanical circuit board processes have advantages, such as ease-of-adjustment and lower cost. Moreover, dual spindle technology can ramp productivity heavily. by Volker Feyerabend
Electronics Sustainability Green Machines EMS companies are no longer in the business of “just” making solder joints. Environmental and sustainability initiatives now permeate many large organizations. In a Circuits Assembly exclusive, Flextronics’ top engineer explains the world’s second-largest EMS/ODM’s approach to the new green world. by Mike Buetow
Print Inspection Man vs. Machine Does anybody really believe that in 2011 three-fourths of all SMT defects are generated in the print process? Of course not. But we accept this spurious, decade-old, seemingly baseless statistic on stencil printing without question because we know how important a good printing process is to a profitable SMT assembly operation. by Chrys Shea
FIRST PERSON
Caveat Lector Finally, a chance for a reset. Mike Buetow
Emerging Technologies The Rapidly Changing Interconnect A decade ago, North America made the conscious decision not to invest in HDI, a move that has hamstrung the continent ever since. With embedded components finally moving from potential to prime time, American manufacturing has another opportunity. by Matthew Holzmann
Cover Story Equipping the PCB Design and Supply Chain with 21st Century Data It’s an age-old story: A good design is undone at fabrication or assembly by a file transfer format that doesn’t accommodate key data. Yet, we still mechanically accept 30-year-old ways of communicating design intent to manufacturing. Change could finally be brewing, though, as a new industry consortium made up of OEMs, users and CAD/CAM providers drives for standardization across design, fabrication, assembly and test. by Keith Felton and Hemant Shah
Board Registration The Enigmatic Breakout Angle If plated through-holes in multilayer printed circuit boards are not suitably registered, board reliability is threatened. But industry standards call for vertical microsections of coupons on PCBs, which do not allow measurement of breakout in internal annular ring. A new design for quantitatively determining annular ring and breakout angle on PCB innerlayers. by Russell Dudek and Louis Hart
FIRST PERSON
Caveat Lector Unrepressing transference. Mike Buetow
MONEY MATTERS
ROI Hardly intellectual, and barely property. Peter Bigelow
IP Protection Royalty Treatment A patent is a time-limited monopoly granted by the federal government to inventors. A patent encourages innovation by giving a patent owner exclusive rights to his or her invention. On the surface, a patent is a fairly simple concept. It protects an invention. However, just as designing, engineering and manufacturing a product is a complex process fraught with potential risks, a patent is much more than simply protection for an invention. by Kathlene Ingham
On the Web ‘No One Knows Design Like the Designer’ Experience shows perhaps one out of 20 designs has a hitch where the Gerbers aren’t outputted how they are supposed to be. A free CAM tool compares the nets against the IPC netlist file, to ensure CAM that the Gerber will load and any errors caught. by Mike Buetow
