Publication date: 04 March 2010
Christopher Associates is a pioneering supplier and distributor to the electronics and chemical processing industries. Established in 1977 in a two-room office, the company expanded quickly as sales increased by focusing on technical service and an international product mix. By 1984, it had grown to become one of the leading suppliers to the printed circuit industry. Today, its customer base includes more than 1,200 companies worldwide in the printed circuit fabrication and assembly industries. The company prides itself on working with its long-term equipment partners to deliver world-class technology. Here we catch up with President Matthew Holzmann to see what Christopher Associates are doing...
The North American manufacturing economy is slowly beginning to make its comeback. The electronics interconnection sector, devastated by the recession, is probably one of the first to respond to demand. A combination of quality and delivery problems from Asian suppliers, continued demand from military customers, and a general increase in business has many North American PCB fabricators busy again. The companies that are thriving have adapted to the new environment.
A combination of factors has helped with the resurgence of the electronics assembly market. Remember, business came to a virtual standstill in late 2008 and inventory replenishment has become a factor. Demand for semiconductors is increasing significantly, which is a leading indicator for the assembly market.
The photovoltaic industry is still in the launch phase. Much of the future growth in North America is predicated by government incentives, which have been slow in coming. With the exception of the Government of Ontario, a number of major contracts are still in the pipeline. Several North American EMS providers are stepping in to support some of the biggest names in the photovoltaic industry, offering the ability to leverage the scale of production and operating efficiencies. Production volumes are growing, but are not at the levels predicted last year. The future, however, is bright.
Whether printing paste in electronics or in photovoltaic cell manufacturing, screen/stencil cleanliness is essential to good print quality. Understencil cleaning rolls are critical to the process, but are an expensive process consumable and are even more expensive to dispose of. Additionally, when printing silver pastes in particular, metal recovery is critical to cost reduction.
Japan’s SAWA Corporation has taken the lead in both reducing materials costs and reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing process by developing its Eco-Roll SC-ER360W system, which cleans all makes of rolls and removes paste residue so that rolls can be reused up to 10 times. In addition to reducing consumable costs, disposal costs are reduced by the same proportion and metals can be easily recovered for recycling.
The Eco-Roll SC-ER360W also will reduce the CO2 emissions from the process by up to 85 percent. In a five roll/day installation, this equals a CO2 reduction of more than 442 kgs/year.
The recent placement of the Koh Young solder paste inspection systems on the approved vendor list of one of North America’s largest EMS providers completes a clean sweep of every major global EMS provider, validating the throughput, yield improvement, and cost performance found only in Koh Young SPI systems.
A recent study by a mid-size high-technology OEM already running excellent yields found that process optimization using the Koh Young technology resulted in a three percent bottom line yield improvement in a $100 million plus manufacturing operation. These are real, traceable results.
Koh Young continues to gain market share across market sectors. Outstanding service, competitive pricing, real world yield improvement, and the industry’s best repeatability and defect detection capability have helped our customers weather the storm and gain market share.
Back in Korea, Koh Young has expanded its footprint for the third time in five years. The company has just moved into a much larger facility in one of Seoul’s leading technology centers. Koh Young now has the largest engineering and software development team in the industry.
The Zenith AOI system is now running at several key accounts, prior to a full roll out later this spring. This revolutionary technology will fundamentally change the way circuit assemblies are inspected.
Sales of Koh Young systems continue to remain strong in North America. A number of new multiple system orders have been placed by mid-sized and large customers. Additionally, several new customers in the military, aerospace, and medical manufacturing markets have decided on and are implementing the technology after side-to-side evaluations. Christopher Associates is committed to helping all of our customers get the most out of their process and technology.
The Vacu-Nest will fit in almost any conveyorized system where bowing and flatness of the substrate are critical. Installed in just minutes, Vacu-Nest will conform to the substrate’s contours like a supporting glove, allowing precise cushioning and support of even delicate substrates.
Vacu-Nest is a unique concept well suited to low-, medium- and high-volume manufacturing applications, and can be reconfigured in moments as designs and requirements change.
Acceptance of Tonsan sealants and potting compounds in photovoltaic module manufacturing continues to leap forward. With more than 200 module manufacturers globally and the largest market share in Asia, Tonsan continues to lead the industry with excellent performance that meets the highest industry standards.
For frame sealing, junction box adhesion, interconnect sealing, and rail bonding, the Tonsan 1527 offers better bonding to glass, EVA, backsheets and aluminum with significantly better weather and electrical resistance.
For junction box potting, the Tonsan 1521 potting compound performs at very high levels.
The Tonsan LDP-700 Automatic Photovoltaic Adhesive Dispenser offers materials savings of up to 30 percent in a highly efficient and compact package. It can be used with almost any product.
Yes, Koki will introduce a significant new breakthrough in a new, patented lead-free soldering alloy at IPC/APEX in April. Offering unparalleled reliability and improved solderability, especially in high-reliability applications, the new Eco-Solder allow will offer significantly improved mechanical and electrical properties.
The S3X811-NT1 lead-free SAC 305 alloy solder paste for PoP applications uses high-performance, super-fine particles and a special flux formula/rheology to prevent head-in-pillow defects. Solder paste transfer is highly consistent, ensuring superior process control and repeatability.
The JU-50UF Underfill offers excellent flow under components with high thermal stress resistance. It is also repairable after curing, ensuring excellent reuse of components.
The S01X7C-M500 lead-free solder paste is a low-voiding formulation, developed for high-reliability applications to help resolve head-in-pillow defects.
