INSPECTION What is FAI, and What is the Purpose? While SAE AS9102 defines first article inspection and its purpose, there is often confusion regarding that definition and its importance to an OEM. These concerns cause havoc in both the design and production worlds. Here, a leading defense contractor clears up FAI. by Karen Ebner, Charles A. Hill and G. Wilkish
PACKAGING Characteristics of a Third-Level PCB Assembly Under typical circumstances, engineers won’t know whether a design will work until the prototype is built. A package “implementation” approach, rather than package “installation” approach, can help EMS firms comply with OEM requirements. by Mueed Khan
PCB DESIGN Power Integrity and Power Distribution Design Tips A power integrity problem can be difficult to detect and recreate, which can slow time to market. Take these steps to improve the power integrity of a system. by Griff Derryberry
DFM Design Practices for Panelization and Depanelization Panelization keeps small boards attached to each other within a single, larger substrate. Using arrays benefits the fabricator and the assembler. Here’s how the designer can help. by Phil Lerma
PCB HISTORY A Trip through Time From manual drilling and fry pans to the highly automated production machines today, PCB manufacturing has come a long way in a relatively short period, as a walk through Electropac’s PCB Museum reminds us.by Mike Buetow
EMS TOP 50 A Muddled Recovery The EMS industry is recovering, but not broadly, with at least 22 of the top 50 companies experiencing lower sales last year, some by a billion or more.by Mike Buetow
COMPONENT PACKAGING Power Electronics Packages with Embedded Components – Recent Trends and Developments Power electronics packaging applications are in strong demand for their reliability and cost. Development work ranges from low-power converter modules, over single or multichip MOSFET or IGBT packages, to high-power applications. Recent developments toward module realization for high-power automotive applications include the screening and use of organic substrate materials for embedding and thermal management, as well as interconnection materials for die, module and heatsink assembly. by Lars Boettcher, Stefan Karaszkiewicz, Dionysios Manessis and Andreas Ostmann
STENCIL DESIGN Automating Stencil Design Stencil design calculation capability is not new to electronics manufacturing, but evolving software tools have brought about much-needed sophistication to stencil design calculations and analyses, all while slicing the time it takes to perform the calculations. by Chrys Shea
IPC APEX EXPO RECAP Good Values in Vegas LEDs and 03105 package styles were the main topics of conversation, but – surprisingly? – what really stood out at the annual IPC trade show was the exhibitors’ good vibes. by Mike Buetow (photos by Rebekah Venturini)
PROCUREMENT What Goes in the PCB RFQ Checklist? Want a quick response to the PCB assembly RFQ? Match the documentation that engineering has, plus the implementation that marketing envisions, plus the ramp time the boss has in mind. by Robert Simon
DESIGN VALIDATION Design for Reliability with Computer Modeling The most comprehensive analysis can best be done virtually using computer modeling of the PCB in the intended environment, revealing weaknesses prior to fabrication. by Dr. Randy Schueller and Cheryl Tulkoff
END-MARKETS The Emerging Market for Intelligent Self-Service Kiosks Originally electromechanical in design and largely electronic today, DIY machines will ring up big sales for some EMS/ODMs. by Randall Sherman
SYSTEM DESIGN Multi-Fabric Planning for Efficient PCB Design Traditional methodology for chip-package-board design has been a serial top-down flow where the chip drives package connectivity and, in turn, the package drives board connectivity. This approach worked when the largest device on a PCB was still well under 1,000 pins and the matrix was three to four rows deep. With more functional integration taking place at the chip- and package-level, package pin counts continue to grow to a point where several thousand pin packages will not be uncommon. Coordinated planning requires changes to methodology and tools and flows capable of delivering a simultaneous access to domain-specific data. by Kevin Rinebold
STENCIL CLEANING Reducing Stencil Wipe Frequency Do nanocoatings really extend stencil underwipe intervals? As part of a stencil study, two nanocoated fine-grain stencils were evaluated using a complex test vehicle. The investigators expected a tenfold extension of wipe intervals would show a definite decline in print quality. The results were amazing – and unexpected. by Chrys Shea and Ray Whittier
OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS Polymer Waveguide Silicones for High Bandwidth Applications System assembly using polymer waveguides can potentially be much lower in terms of cost and complexity, while also offering significantly higher bandwidth density. Best of all, they can be manufactured using conventional PCB methods. by Simon B. Jones
PRODUCTRONICA RECAP Big and Small in Munich It’s nearly impossible to summarize the aggregate interest of 1,200 exhibitors and 38,000 attendees. But 03015 components would certainly be a start. A review of the industry's flagship trade show. by Mike Buetow
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE What is 'Reengineering?' All the people who need to work together to produce a great product are in the same organization, receiving the same marching orders from the same boss, and are—ideally—in the same room. So how come this doesn't always lead to a smoother, faster product delivery that better satisfies the customer’s needs? by Bob Kotcher
