BANNOCKBURN, IL– PWB fabricators have raised salary budgets by 3% from 2006 to 2007, a new study found. Hourly wages have been on the rise since 2004, IPC said, based on results from two recently released biennial studies undertaken by the trade group.
At EMS companies, budgets for salaried positions rose a 3.1% on average from 2006 to 2007, while hourly wages rose 3.3%.
The reports, 2006–2007 IPC Wage Rate and Salary Report for the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Industry and 2006–2007 IPC Wage Rate and Salary Report for the PCB Industry, list historical and current wage and salary data, in the US and Canada, for dozens of industry positions and their related job descriptions.
Data are segmented by company size, personnel and compensation policies, benefits and sales compensation structure.
TUCSON, AZ– Prototron Circuits recently achieved compliance to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the board fabricator announced.
ITAR is a US federal regulation governing the export or import defense-related articles and services as designated on the US Munitions List.
“Now we are able to offer customers the security and ease of mind of knowing that when they order boards, they are dealing with a fully ITAR compliant vendor,” explains Dave Ryder, president and founder of Prototron
SURREY, B.C..– Tiffany Charles recently joined the inside sales team of Canadian Circuits, Inc. She brings a strong background in customer service and sales. “We are very pleased to have someone with Tiffany’s energy and customer focus join our team,” says Pam Arya, president and owner of Canadian Circuits.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA– Arlon Materials for Electronics Division recently attained a significant safety milestone– 10 years of operation without one lost-time injury. The success for the company can be attributed to maintaining an open line of communication and to making safety a major priority, not to mention the top-notch employees, nearly 30% have been with Arlon for the company’s entire 10 years.
“Safety is an integral part of each employee’s contribution to the work environment. An injury-free workplace is a top priority for us, and 10 years without a lost-time injury is an extremely significant achievement. All our employees have done a fantastic job in reaching this milestone,” explains Bob Carini, president of Arlon.
SHANGHAI–While consumers are becoming aware of the growing problems from electronic waste accumulating in landfills, chemists at Jiao Tong University may have developed a method that converts printed circuit board refuse into viable building material.
After valuable metals are recycled from PCBs, the debris, typically comprised of epoxy resin, glass fibers and metallic residue from laminate and plating, ends up in landfills. With the new process, chemists can turn the debris, or pulp, into a material suitable for a number of applications. First, the pulp is crushed and any residual metallic components are removed using an electrostatic separator. The fine powder is then mixed and kneaded with unsaturated polyester to form a dough-like substance that can be heated and pressed into shapes such as planks.
The recycled material has the properties consistent with construction materials, the scientists claim. “We tested the strength and hardness of our planks and showed that they have properties that are comparable with other building materials,” explains Zhenming Xu, leader of the research team. “We are confident that this material can be used for making products such as fences, sewer grates and park benches.”
