The topic Voice of the Customer always creates some confusion in the context of lean practices. Although there should be no disagreement on the point that everything starts and ends with the customer, people typically have a difficult time connecting the dots between the customer and process improvement during the early stages of lean implementation. But I would argue that before you can define your process defects and opportunities, you need to understand the needs of your customers.
Ripping on IPC by industry press is a pretty easy thing to do and is something that is done with a fair amount of regularity. As former staff of the organization, I’ve had my moments where it would have been juicy to lay into them, but I choose to keep objectivity in order.
The term electroless, as in electroless nickel process, is a curious one and has led to considerable confusion. In its literal meaning, it labels processes that proceed without applying an external electrical potential to drive the reaction. Thus, the English language defines electroless processes by what they are not, namely, electroplating processes driven by an external potential.
Those who have followed this series from the beginning will recall that there are several types of flexible polymer insulation cover coating systems available. Each of the materials accounted for in those discussions has its own advantages, drawbacks, and special areas for application. The basic forms of polymer coatings are adhesive-backed polymer films, screen-printable liquid cover coats, and photoimageable liquid and film polymers.
Are those of you who have P&L statement responsibility taking advantage of the R&D tax credit available to you? Did you know that you may be able to claim a tax credit, not a deduction but a credit, of tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars? Do you know what the R&D tax credit actually is? Do you and your staff know how to stay up to date on issues such as this while doing your strategic planning? Well, let’s be sure.
By now I’m sure you have noticed that light emitting diodes (LEDs) are beginning to show up everywhere in our everyday life. I think it is a BIG deal when high brightness (HB) LEDs start to appear in our Maglite1 flashlights! This is the brave new world of solid-state lighting (SSL).
The global electronics industry took a hit in early 2008. A combination of U.S. financial woes (which ultimately impacted consumer and business spending worldwide), the normal post-Christmas seasonal consumer electronics slowdown, Lunar new year plant closings in Southeast Asia, and heavy February snows in China combined to create a sharp downturn throughout the food chain. World PCB production plunged in January and February (Chart 1) and semiconductor shipments followed suit (Chart 2). The chip shipment downturn (dollar value) was further amplified by severe DRAM price degradation.
In this new column, CircuiTree will highlight North American PCB shops. As these shops battle to keep their customer base, there are stories to be told of how they came into business, how they stay in business, and the philosophies that keep them moving. If you would like to have your company featured in this column, contact Stephanie Church (stephanie@circuitree.com).
High-volume packaging was presumably launched during WWII, when ceramic modules were mass-produced for proximity bomb fuses. Alumina (Al2O3) was found to be a highly robust substrate and is still widely used today.
by KenGilleo
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