MONROVIA, CA – Miyachi Unitek announces the release of its next generation weld monitors, MM370 and MM380. The machine mounted MM370 builds on the MM326, with increased capability and new features. The hand-held MM380 has been designed to provide quick, precise and comprehensive measurements of the weld process.
 
Both monitors feature a 5” color display that is said to provide precise graphical displays of waveform time and amplitude, in addition to numeric peak and average values. The MM-370 measures current, voltage, force and displacement, and is capable of setting limits and configuring comprehensive machine I/O. The hand-held MM-380 utilizes a weld-through sensor that measures current, voltage and force simultaneously between the electrodes. Waveforms and data can be output through a built-in printer (standard on the MM370 and optional on the MM380), or via a COM port for screen capture and data collection. Both monitors can reportedly measure single phase AC, DC and AC inverter weld controls.
 

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Cimnet Systems Inc. has released a bundled solution that helps PCB manufacturers automate their entire front-end operation, from quoting to pre-production engineering and design.
 
The solution begins with i-Quote, an intelligent, Web-enabled quotation system designed specially for the PCB industry. i-Quote automates the quoting process by capturing customer specifications and using predefined workflows and a rules-based costing engine to calculate an instant quote.
 
Cimnet Systems’ front-end automation solution also includes Engenix, a pre-production engineering solution that extracts and analyzes job data from CAM systems. Customizable and rules-based, Engenix uses CAM data to generate stack-ups, travelers and reports that can be integrated with any ERP system. Engenix also is balanced by services from Cimnet Systems, where both pre-CAM and CAM activities may be outsourced to Cimnet’s development center.
 

AUSTIN, TX – 3M’s new EMI absorber AB-5000 series was created for EMI attenuation applications requiring electromagnetic-absorbing properties in mobile phones (SAR reduction), computers, notebooks, digital cameras, LCD/PDP TVs and PCBs for communications. This absorber reportedly suppresses radiated noise from emitting devices designed in the broadband radio frequency range.
 
The series is said to be different from other absorbers in that it is made with a flexible polyurethane resin loaded with a soft metal-flake filler. It has an acrylic, pressure-sensitive adhesive and is protected by a removable liner. The typical attenuation range of the absorbers in this series depends on thickness; the EMI absorbers in this series come in thicknesses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 1mm. They are supplied in roll form, 210mm by 15M (8.26 inches by 16.35 yards) for the 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5mm thicknesses and 210mm by 10M (8.26 inches by 10.9 yards) for the 1 thickness, making continuous rotary die cutting possible. The AB-5000 absorber is rated UL94V0 flame retarded.

ORLANDO, FL – Control Micro Systems Inc. has released the latest generation of its printed circuit board laser markers, the Gen4 product line.
 
The Gen4 laser system is designed to mark and verify ECC200 Data Matrix symbology as well as other machine code formats, man-readable text and graphic images.
 
Adjustable width through-conveyor and programmable mark locations accommodate panels of virtually any size and array configuration. The Gen4 is available with a wide variety of air-cooled CO2 and solid-state lasers including the Ytterbium Fiber laser to mark almost any board substrate material and coating combination, usually without requiring a preprinted ink block.