The encapsulation of ignition distributors requires special materials and a dispensing system with precision temperature controls and exact material metering.

The encapsulation of ignition distributors requires special materials and a dispensing system with precision temperature controls and exact material metering. Manufacturers of sensitive electronic components often use an encapsulating compound to guard against dust, moisture and vibration. This under-hood application involves the protection of an ignition module against environmental factors and the high voltage output of the ignition system.

As vehicles become dependant on computer chips and electronics, it become important to protect these components against the constant heat, moisture, oil, dirt, vibration and in this case - high voltage.

The requirements are very demanding: the encapsulating compound that fills the distributor modules must act as a high quality insulator protecting the electronics from continuous high voltage.

The material must not contain any air inclusions (bubbles).

Bubbles lead to sparking which destroys the printed circuit board in the distributor.

This encapsulating compound consists of two parts; one is filled with a glass fiber.

Kern-Liebers Dispensing Technology developed a solution for this very difficult application in cooperation with the automotive component supplier.

During system development, attention is focused on temperature monitoring since acceptable results can only be obtained when specified temperatures are stringently maintained.

System temperature is continuously monitored at twenty measuring points and corrected if necessary.

Both material reservoirs are temperature-controlled, one at 80 degrees, the other at 60 degrees Celsius preventing the formation of bubbles and allowing the material reach the required fluidity.

A vacuum system used in the reservoirs reduces the pressure to 3 millibars removing trapped air bubbles.

The parts are pre-heated to 60 degrees Celsius, ensuring the mixed material retains it fluidity during dispensing.

The material is fed to the mixing unit by a reliable and proven media transfer system.

This system and all transfer hoses are temperature-controlled, keeping the material flowing properly.

A material ratio of 1:1 is precisely mixed with Kern-Liebers metering pumps ensuring an accurately mixed final compound.

Curing takes place in two, five-meter continuous furnaces, the first at 80 degrees and the second at 120 degrees.

Overly high temperatures are also not permitted since the module electronics are temperature sensitive and can be ruined by excessively high temperatures.

The system controller has the temperature indicators along with pressure sensors for the material reservoirs.

The operator keeps all system data in sight because it is displayed on a monitor at the loading and unloading position.

Kern-Liebers is a manufacturer or precision dispensing equipment with corporate offices in Schramberg, Germany employing more than 2700 employees in 21 operating companies on all continents.

Assembleon is launching a new semiconductor component placement machine which delivers high speed and accuracy for applications involving tight tolerances and critical handling restrictions

Assembleon is launching a new semiconductor component placement machine which delivers an unbeatable speed/accuracy combination for applications involving tight tolerances and critical handling restrictions. One of foremost players in SMT component placement, Assembleon has seen component dimensions rapidly reduce as cost considerations have driven the electronics manufacturing industry towards assembly of flip chips, bare dies and chip-scale packages. Because parallel trends in the semiconductor industry now see manufacturers here assembling a variety of GaAs, optical, silicon and chip components on a common substrate, Assembleon is able to introduce the D-9 component mounter for this sector based on technology already proven in the SMT marketintroduces a new version of its Advanced Component Mounter (ACM) specifically dedicated to this sector.

A combination of accuracy, speed and versatility makes the ACM D-9 Semicon the platform of choice for a wide range of applications including stacked die, multi-chip modules, multi-chip packages, flip chip in package, flip chip on foil, flip chip on board, and high-accuracy optical component placement.

Based on state-of-the-art linear motor technology, touchscreen display, and modular design, Assembleon's technology the ACM has proved a strong contender in the SMT market and is now making a natural progression to the semicon industry, where it provides verified placement throughput of 2700 flip chips per hour with 9 micron accuracy at 3 sigma, delivering performance which is unprecedented in this sector.

With capability for handling a wide range of hybrid fabrication applications combining flip chips and bare dies with passive components, the ACM SemiconD-9 is ideal for the packaging and module markets.

The machine accommodates up to 75 different components simultaneously, with dimensions ranging from 0.3 to 44mm square and with a vision system which can recognise ball sizes down to 70 micron.

Advanced closed-loop z-axis design provides controlled placement forces from 0.9 to 40N, or fixed placement forces from 0.06N, ideal for fragile GaAs products.

The ACM SemiconD-9 accepts numerous feeder options, including tape and reel, surftape, waffle pack, direct wafer and gel pack, and supports a wide variety of substrates including FR4, flexfoils, boats, ceramics, leadframes, carriers, and so on.

An integrated flux dipping unit, depositing a flux layer from 20 to 120 micron in thickness, is an option.

Also optional is direct wafer feeding capability handling wafer sizes from 100 to 300mm (four to 12 inches), and die sizes from 0.5 to 25mm square.

This facility accommodates up to 25 unique part numbers, with automatic wafer change and wafer expansion, adjustable anvil, and further options such as a die flipping unit, barcode reader and wafer mapping.

In order to address the semiconductor market, the ACM SemiconD-9 is Assembleon's first venture into cleanroom compatibility, with Class 1000 and SEMI S2/S8 compliance.

The machine features a Windows NT-based GUI for ease of use, and is compatible with the SECS/GEM production management system interface.

The ACM SemiconD-9 is backed by comprehensive line engineering, set-up, ramp-up and production support worldwide.

A multi-tool soldering system allows up to five different bench top tools to be connected simultaneously such as soldering irons, hot tweezers and desoldering irons.

Soldering systems specialist JBC has introduced the MS 9000 multi-tool system that allows up to five different bench top tools to be connected simultaneously. This can be up to five soldering irons, five hot tweezers, two desoldering irons, or a combination of these. The system has four main components; control unit, tools stand block, electric desoldering pump and low voltage power supply.

The tools stand block, which accepts the quickly interchangeable tool modules, also has a connector for a second desoldering pump module.

The control unit monitors the complete system, enables the temperature of each tool in the stand to be set independently, displays the parameters for each tool and provides operational history such as total hours, sleep cycles and iron changes.

Features of the JBC Advanced range, including low temperature soldering and lightweight hand pieces, are incorporated in the multi-tool system.

Furthermore JBC soldering systems are not only fast, reaching working temperature in only two seconds, but new technology, it is claimed, enables tips to last up to four times longer than those of conventional systems.

Designed to precisely meter, mix and dispense potting compounds for electronics applications, a programmable servo-driven dispensing system is quick, clean and cost-effective.

The programmable servo-driven Servo-Flo 302 dispensing system is designed to facilitate quick, clean and cost-effective potting operations. The state-of-the-art meter/mix/dispense system precisely dispenses metered shots or beads of a single- or two-component epoxy, silicone, urethane or other potting compound used to protect electronics from harsh operating environments, including high temperatures and moisture. Servo-Flo's servo-motor drive with high-resolution, absolute encoder feedback delivers accurate and reliable performance for the most demanding applications.

The system dispenses programmable, profiled volumetric metered shots or beads at either a selectable pre-set speed or a variable analog-input speed for integration with X-Y-Z automation.

Servo-Flo 302 produces consistent, repeatable, accurate volumetric shot sizes for flow rate profiles programmed for filling the electronic module.

The Servo-Flo 302 system also features a full-color touch-screen operator interface, positive-displacement, precision metering pumps to ensure exact mix-ratio control, Snuf-Bak No-Drip dispense valve, No-Flush disposable static mixer and many more standard features.

The dispensing system offers advanced dispensing technology fully backed by an experienced technical support team and a two-year warranty, the best in the industry.

The system is available in two models, one for single-component materials, and a second model for two-component materials.

Sealant Equipment and Engineering is a leading manufacturer of precision meter/mix/dispense equipment and valves.

Palm-sized high performance vision sensor identifies and tracks wafers through the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Cognex, the world's leading supplier of machine vision systems to the semiconductor industry, today introduced a new high performance vision sensor for identifying and tracking wafers through the semiconductor manufacturing process. The palm-sized In-Sight 1701 is an enhanced version of Cognex's industry-leading In-Sight 1700 wafer reader, offering the most advanced optics technology ever available for reading identification scribes on wafers. 'As the need to identify wafers at virtually every step of the manufacturing process becomes essential, wafer readers must offer a high degree of mounting flexibility without any compromise in reading performance,' said Peter Neve, Director of Marketing, International Operations for Cognex.

'With its revolutionary new optical system, the 1701 delivers the best wafer images possible, regardless of how close or far away the reader is positioned from the wafer.

This makes it the ideal choice for those who need the reliability of Cognex wafer ID technology in a package that can be easily integrated with a variety of process equipment types, including handlers, probers, and other tools.' With its unique optical system, the 1701 is able to provide the largest area of illumination ever available in a wafer reader.

This enables the 1701 to image heavily degraded marks on wafers, even if the wafers are misaligned due to mechanical pre-alignment errors.

Like the In-Sight 1700, the 1701 wafer reader offers robust, reliable reading performance, utilising advanced OCR, 2D matrix, and bar code recognition algorithms to read soft-marked, super-soft-marked, or hard-marked SEMI standard codes on the front or back side of a wafer.

These algorithms also provide exceptionally high read rates on wafer marks that have been affected by CMP, edge beads, copper metalisation, blue nitride coating, and other process effects.

The 1701 also features an intuitive graphical user interface for easy set up and modfication, image 'tuning' capabilities that automatically balance lighting and image filters for optimal read settings, and built-in network and serial communications for connectivity to other process tools and/or the fab network.