Manassas, VA. - July 1st, 2009 - ZESTRON America, the world leader in high precision cleaning agents and services recently hosted a webinar in collaboration with the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) on the important topic of "Cleaning, Coating and Functional Climatic Reliability".

The webinar was organized in close collaboration with the SMTA. With the best attendance in the SMTA webinar history and registrations from three different countries, ZESTRON again delivered highest quality content and hit the mark by choosing the most newsworthy topic. "Congratulations on presenting to the largest webinar audience we have yet had at the SMTA….That was an excellent presentation," commended Ryan Flaherty, SMTA Director of Communications.

Over the years, ZESTRON has gained valuable knowledge for the unique and challenging processes in the industry. ZESTRON is always driven to deliver the best products and services, which is only feasible through the continued investment in our highly qualified teams and being present and most responsive to our customers cleaning issues.

(Cary, NC - June 16, 2009) - LORD Corporation - a leading supplier of thermal management materials, adhesives, coatings and encapsulants to the electronics industry - has announced that Sara Paisner, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist for Microelectronics Technology, has been elected President of the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society (IMAPS) Carolinas Chapter.

Paisner is well qualified for the position. She received her A.B. at Dartmouth College, and her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. During her postdoctoral research at UNC-Chapel Hill, she worked on developing new types of low K dielectric materials. She then moved to GE’s Global Research Center where she worked on a variety of projects focusing on developing new materials for the electronics industry. While at GE, Paisner utilized many different technologies, including nanotechnology, to develop new thermal and encapsulating materials.

At LORD, Paisner leads projects focused on developing the company’s next generation of thermal interface gels, greases and adhesives for the microelectronics industry. Paisner is the author of articles in peer reviewed journals, along with four patents and a book chapter. In addition to IMAPS, she is an active member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society and Iota Sigma Pi.

Elected for a one year term, Paisner has many goals and future plans for the chapter. One major responsibility will be the leadership of the 2010 National IMAPS meeting, to be held in Raleigh, N.C.  As a mid-size chapter, Paisner intends to have local section meetings with technical speakers to help and encourage local networking. She would also like to get the local academic community involved in events to show students the many opportunities that exist in the microelectronics industry and allow them to network with professionals in the field. Paisner also hopes to attract new membership and involve current members in events. Further, she plans to reach out to other organizations that are associated with the electronics industry to encourage networking among members.

S and Y Industries recently purchased an adjacent building with nearly 12,000 sq ft of space. The additional space was needed due to the steady growth experienced over the last several years. The new building will be used for the expansion of the Engineering department and additional manufacturing space.

Along with the real estate, S and Y also purchased additional equipment that will increase their manufacturing capacity by over 400%. In addition to expanding their capacity, S and Y's capabilities will also be dramatically affected. The 2 new surface mount lines will allow the company to place components as small as 0201 and install BGA components. To support this new equipment S and Y has also purchased an x-ray inspection station. This addition brings them up to 4 fully automated, surface mount lines. S and Y continues to operate 2 wave machines and various inspection equipment including an Automated Optical Inspection device. (AOI)

These exciting changes will allow S and Y to provide manufacturing services that meet most requirements of today's advanced electronics products.

S and Y Industries in Winfield, KS is a dynamic leader in the electronic manufacturing services industry. They have over 70 employees and operate in nearly 50,000 sq ft of space. For over 25 years S and Y has been serving the needs of their customers with a commitment to quality products and a genuine concern for their success. Some of the industries served by S and Y include: Consumer Electronics, Industrial, Construction, Aviation and Medical.

FINETECH Product Manager Dominik Horn will give a presentation titled "QFN Rework in OEM Quality" at the upcoming SMT/HYBRID/PACKAGING Exhibition & Conference, scheduled to take place Wednesday, May 6, 2009 from 1:40-2 p.m.

Flat packages such as QFNs (Quad Flat No-lead) and other MLFs (Micro Lead Frame) with outstanding thermal, inductive and capacitive characteristics increasingly are being incorporated into densely populated, space-saving assemblies. Unlike BGA components, QFNs do not provide a solder ball array for SMD assembly but must be soldered to the assembly with their contact pads attached directly to the metalized body (lead frames). This technology makes much higher demands compared to the handling of standard SMD components.
 
Therefore, the challenge is to apply fresh solder to the contact pad structure of the QFN component prior to placement and reflow. Typically, these packages are used in tight spaces where it is difficult to use conventional solder pasting methods (stencil and blade) because there is not enough real estate to place the stencil and draw paste over it. Direct dispensing of solder paste is not a viable option either. It is expensive, slow, and rarely available in rework environments.

As Horn will explain in his presentation, direct paste-pasting the component is the preferred method. Thin-film stencils, fixturing, and skillful hands can sometimes achieve wonders, but aren’t we supposed to be getting our hands out of the way? In this scenario, someone is usually left juggling a pasted component upside-down, and trying to position it onto a nozzle prior to reflow without disturbing the pasted work. Reworking MLF or QFN components repeatedly with high yield requires more of a hands-off approach that can be integrated easily into the rework tool. What is needed is an equipment module that ensures that the paste process does not limit rework yield. Because stencils are available with less than 300 micron pitch for component sizes in the millimeter range, there is a limit to successful paste printing that relies on hand/eye dexterity.

April 15, 2009 – Buffalo Grove, IL - Panasonic Corporation of North America has appointed Tom Gebhardt President of Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America. Gebhardt rejoins PFSA in a combined role as President of both Panasonic Industrial Company and Panasonic Factory Solutions. Two years ago Gebhardt moved from Panasonic Factory Solutions to Panasonic Industrial. Gebhardt’s previous time with Panasonic Factory Solutions was distinguished by record growth, expanded customer reach and the introduction of several innovative and successful solutions for the electronics assembly market.

Gebhardt has been with Panasonic twenty years and has proven himself as both a visionary and strong leader. Beyond success in the electronics assembly market, Gebhardt’s career includes championing the company’s expansion into the electronic component, motor and battery realms.