CELEBRATING OUR 4TH YEAR OF PUMANEWS™ |
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As I see it. . .
Several weeks ago, Insulectro and its supplier/partners participated in IPC APEX after a two-year break due to COVID. With no firm expectation from anyone on what to expect, we experienced a different IPC – one with fewer people who were excited to interact again live in the industry. Our team spent the week working new and old contacts.
Best show and meetings I’ve ever had!
Read IPC’s press release reprinted in this issue to get the official recount. If you missed it or just want our spin on what’s catching everyone’s attention in the industry, our Insulectro subject matter experts have developed 6 topics – an IPC 6-Pack – that were of high interest to attendees. You’ll find a link in this issue to get yourself scheduled for this 45-minute live or virtual presentation with our team. We bring IPC to you.
With our industry’s largest trade show behind us, momentum increases for us in February. We’ve added two industry legends to our Advisory Board as well as new Puma teammates to our superstar bench. You can learn about them here.
And, our advocacy group PCBAA continues to add members and resources as we target legislators to balance our supply chain and reaffirm the supreme importance of Printed Circuit Boards.
Our mantra: “PCBs, microelectronics themselves, are the central nervous system of all microelectronic systems. Without PCBs, semiconductors cannot communicate with the devices or systems they power. From everyday consumer electronics to critical national defense systems, PCBs are the electronic foundation of our modern world.”
Patrick Redfern
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Back after 2 Years & Stronger than Ever
2022 IPC APEX EXPO ROCKS IT!
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Despite smaller crowds, Insulectro and booth mates Isola, DuPont, InduBond® (and our other suppliers/partners) discovered the benefits of having more time to spend with attendees.
It was a very effective show and although all exhibitors and attendees were masked and doused continually with hand sanitizer, you could universally tell our industry was glad to be together again.
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Booth #3233 was host to over 40 Power Chats™ that covered a variety of technologies carefully curated to appeal to the audience.
Key Power Chat™ presentations were given by:
- Michael Creeden CID+ MIT, Technical Director, Insulectro
- Victor Lazaro Gallego, Technical Director and InduBond® Inventor at Chemplate Materials S.L.
- Jim Hartzell, VP OEM Marketing, Isola Group
- Bob Peth, VP of Sales for North America, Isola Group
- Chris Hunrath, VP of Technology, Insulectro
- Andy Kannurpatti, Global Business Director, DuPont ICS Films & Laminates
- Ed Kelley, Chief Technology Officer, Isola Group
- Travis Kelly, President & CEO, Isola Group
- Erik Reddington, Strategic Engagement Leader, DuPont Electronics & Imaging
- Steve Sekanina, Director High speed Products, Isola Group
- Catherine Shearer, EMD Electronics
- HV Tran, DuPont MCM Technology
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The Insulectro “Technology Village” was a great place to explore ideas for trending technology and products.
To bring the key learnings and interests of IPC directly you, we have crafted a 45-minute session - the IPC6Pack! - virtual or live, presented by our subject matter experts, to share with you or your team our key findings of what's new, what's interesting, and what's coming.
For more information, check out the details of the IPC6Pack in article be ow. If you can't wait, CLICK THE LINK BELOW to send us an email to show your interest.
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Industry Reconnects
IPC APEX EXPO 2022 Reconvenes as
In-person Event
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Press Release
from IPC - February 3, 2022
From revolutionary innovations displayed on the show floor to expert insights conveyed in technical conference sessions, professional development courses and standards development committee meetings, IPC APEX EXPO 2022 provided the education and networking connections that helped 3,647 visitors address today’s business challenges and prepare for their factories of future.
In keeping with the event’s theme, “Lead, Drive, Achieve Digital Transcendence,” IPC APEX EXPO’s technical conference featured 104 technical papers detailing original research and innovations from industry experts around the world and opportunities for learning abounded.
For 2022, IPC’s Technical Program Committee expanded the conference to four tracks of high-quality, peer-reviewed content from 18 countries, setting a very high bar for the papers delivered. Those four tracks focused on factory of the future implementation; PCB fab and materials; quality, reliability, test, and inspection; and assembly materials and environment.
Nearly 100 standards development committees made significant progress on new and revised documents including IPC-J-STD-001, IPC-A-610, IPC-7711/21, IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-2551, IPC-2591 and dozens more.
“At the joint IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 task group meeting, more than 90 volunteers contributed their expertise to revising the standards,” said Teresa Rowe, IPC senior director, assembly and standards technology." At times, discussions were spirited, but great headway was made on the 'J" revisions.
Many attendees achieved their business objectives at the event. “Attending IPC APEX EXPO is the most efficient way to learn about new equipment and processes that can help make my job easier,” said Randy Bremner, Northrop Grumman. “All the experts are there; we were able to meet in person this year and I got all of my questions answered in one place. It’s truly one-stop learning in classrooms and shopping on the show floor.”
The APEX EXPO 2022 experience was equally positive for the 282 exhibitors who showcased their products and services on 108,300 square feet of show floor space.
“Our team feels this was the best IPC APEX EXPO we have participated in,” said John Lee, Insulectro. “Yes, due to COVID, attendance was a little light, but we had top quality opportunities to meet with customers, prospects, and suppliers. We were all blown away with how effective and productive APEX EXPO was for us.”
Added Jason Spera, Aegis Software, “It was great being back at APEX EXPO live after a two-year break. Our experience at this year’s show was much better than anticipated. We came to the show enthusiastic but wondering frankly what would happen and how things would go, but IPC did a brilliant job handling this year’s event. The attendance at our booth was far in excess of what we expected.”
Said John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, “The January omicron surge provoked more than a few questions about what to expect at this year’s IPC APEX EXPO. As I traversed the San Diego convention center last week, the answer was clear, a lot of smiles. Yes, they were hidden behind masks but more than evident in the eyes of everyone with whom I interacted.
Attendees were thrilled to back together in-person—sharing ideas as freely as elbow bumps. IPC is a community and IPC APEX EXPO is the place we build it. It was great to be back!”
In 2023, IPC APEX EXPO will return to the San Diego Convention Center, January 21-26. For more information, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org.
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PCBAA, the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, welcomes their newest members: DuPont and Nano Dimension.
Existing members include AGY, Amphenol, Calumet, Insulectro, Isola, Summit Interconnect, TTM Technologies, Denkai America, MacDermid Alpha, Nano Dimension, Pacothane Technologies, Sanmina, Uyemura, and Rogers Corporation.
The Printed Circuit Board Association of America is a consortium of companies, representatives, and enthusiasts who are advocating for U.S. manufacture of printed circuit boards.
Insulectro is proud to support PCBAA's effort as a founding member.
We encourage you to not stand on the sidelines but get involved to support PCBAA's three main objectives:
- Support the Domestic Production of PCBs
- Enhance Domestic Supply Chain Security
- Advocate for Initiatives that Create Fair Market Conditions
This organization is your voice in Washington.
Visit PCBAA.org today to learn more about membership. See below for more information and a link to inquire about membership.
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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SALES & OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT |
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Ken Parent Speaks Out!
IPC: We Came with a Purpose to Get Stuff Done
FEBRUARY 2022
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IPC APEX 2022 was a great investment in time for Insulectro and for everyone I talked to. Going into the show I was skeptical … as the show was closing, and the carpets were being rolled up, our booth was still active with meetings and visitors. I am confident that the people who showed up at IPC APEX 2022 came with a purpose and a desire to GSD (get stuff done)!
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The highlights of the show were first and foremost the meetings with people face to face to get to know what their hot topics included. The most common topics I heard were:
- Flex circuit materials and design questions
- Thinner copper foils to meet the demand of Higher Density and Ultra High-Density designs
- Plating technology needs from microvias to mSAP (Modified Semi Additive Process) and SAP (Semi Additive Process)
- Laminates needed for the next generation thermal/electrical/mechanical designs
- Where to find talented people and how to educate the next generation of PCB technologist and builders
- Equipment needs and how to stay current with optimizing the equipment needs in the factories
- Looking for solutions around the lead times and the logistic challenges we are all dealing with
In January, I wrote about our commitment to you in 2022, today after a great IPC show I feel even more confident in our goal to invest in the markets we serve and our priorities:
1. Our Teammates will be a primary focus so they can be the valuable resources for Insulectro and you.
2. Our Suppliers are vital to our business, and we will focus on the products that are most important to their future. We are working to connect the Suppliers to the Circuit Fabricators to the Designers to the OEM’s to solve tomorrows technical needs … “We enable our customers to build better circuits, faster.”
3. Our Partners future will benefit from remaining diligent on working on the most important programs for our suppliers, customers, OEMs, and Designers. Education is going to be key to the future and we are Always Learning and eager to teach.
This month I must also call attention to two important organizations working hard for our mutual business:
PCBAA is working to advocate, legislate and educate on behalf of the entire USA PCB industry. Please follow PCBAA’s activity https://www.pcbaa.org/ and enjoy this recent post bringing attention to the reality of “At one time, the U.S. produced over 26% of the world’s PCBs. Today that number is down to 4%. This dependence on other countries creates risks for both business and national security.”
USPAE https:/www.uspae.org/ is also making progress to support the PCB business by calling attention the continued need to bring technology back on USA soil for building advanced PCB’s and substrates.
I have never seen such advocation for our industry as I witness today with the USPAE combined with PCBAA talented teams educating our government about the need for investing in the PCB industry here at home! Give us a call if you have questions and interest in learning more about these organizations.
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For those of you who were not able to attend IPC this year we are working hard to bring the best of IPC to you. We have continued our 13.5-minute Power Chats by delivering them directly to you. See below to learn about our IPC 6-Pack Outreach program - in person or virtual.
We were fortunate to have come through IPC APEC 2022 with some great learnings, we want to share them with you.
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Ken Parent
Chief Operating Officer
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Insulectro Advisory Board
Joan Vtris & Jeff Doubrava
Join Industry Experts on Board
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Insulectro has announced the appointment of Joan Vtris and Jeff Doubrava to its Advisory Board.
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Joan K. Vrtis PhD has held several circuit technology positions in her long successful career. In the 1990s, working for Intel Corp., she developed substrate and polymer solutions for the Pentium product line. Upon leaving Intel, Dr. Vrtis and a business partner acquired FlipChip International, a leading WLP/CSP technology company based in Phoenix, AZ. She held the CTO position until divesting her stake in late 2008.
After working with start-ups for several years as CTO (Kemeta) and COO (Shocking Technology), she joined Multek, Ltd, developing their San Jose, CA & Zhuhai China Interconnect Technology Centers. She held the role of CTO until 2018 and transferred to Flex, Ltd as SVP of Innovation & Technology Integration until she retired mid-2019.
Dr. Vrtis holds several patents in materials, circuit structures and process. She has been a speaker at various conferences and participated on several technology panels promoting advanced circuit technology and its applications. She holds a PhD & MS Polymer Science & Engineering (Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst), Masters in Metallurgy & Materials (Illinois Institute of Technology), B.S. Chemistry (Univ. of Illinois, Chicago) and an MBA (DePaul University). She is an avid outdoors person and enjoys traveling the world to visit family and friends.
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Also appointed to the Insulectro Advisory Board is Jeff Doubrava. Doubrava’s career has been focused on the electronics industry, developing materials that enable production of advanced components and driving the growth of the key electronic materials suppliers.
As Managing Partner of Prismark, Jeff led the company’s electronic materials practice helping to enable the growth of client companies across the world by means of share gain, entry into new markets or major acquisitions. Prior to joining Prismark, Jeff spent twenty years with Shipley in an array of technology, business and sales roles, most recently as the Global Business Director of its PCB Materials business where he was involved in a series of transformational acquisitions.
Jeff holds a BA in Chemistry from the University of Rochester and an MBA from Babson College. He holds several US patents for his development of enabling electronic materials. Jeff and his family live in south coastal Massachusetts, where he is a sailor and part-time boat builder as well as an active member of town government and land conservation groups.
“Insulectro is honored to welcome these two highly accomplished individuals to the Insulectro family. For many years, Joan and Jeff have helped shape the industry with their leadership, insight, and professional accomplishments, especially with the impressive array of patents each has developed,” remarked Insulectro President and CEO, Patrick Redfern. “Jeff and Joan join fellow Board Members John Odom, and Randy Friedman. We are fortunate to have such a powerhouse team of advisors, unrivalled in the industry.”
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A New Year, A New Start
Addressing Technology Opportunities
at IPC APEX EXPO
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Going into IPC there was a lot of uncertainty, but for those of us who were fortunate to attend in person, we were rewarded with a great show, face to face connections (even a few hugs and handshakes by the green wrist band wearing attendees), and excellent engagement with our Suppliers and Customers.
Great as well to see many new, young faces, eager to learn more about the Electronics Industry that us seasoned vets have enjoyed for many years. We look forward to future engagement to support the learning curve through our targeted “Learn & Lead” Product Education content.
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The annual IPC Power Chats™ were a highlight in the Insulectro Technology village with topics presented by Insulectro, DuPont, Isola, InduBond and EMD Electronics ranging from industry vision, material selection, technology solutions, printed electronics advancements and design education.
Always Teaching, Always Learning is at the Core of what we strive to execute for our Teams and our Customers.
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Andy Kannurpatti, Global Business Director, DuPont ICS Films & Laminates and Insulectro's Michelle Walsh take a break from the non-stop action to enjoy IPC's "Ice Cream Social." |
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If you were unable to attend IPC this year, we want to share the top technology trends from the show with you. Please see the IPC 6-pack announcement in this newsletter and let us know when you are ready for our team to discuss with you.
From fine line Imaging and MSAP technology, thin copper foil trends to new Flex and Metallization Technology, we have customized an overview of the trends that were top interest from attendees in our booth.
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Michelle Walsh
Vice President of Product Management
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It may be over, but it's not done. . .
Let Us Bring IPC to You!
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Whether you missed IPC APEX EXPO or just want our perspective, Insulectro is dialed into the hot technologies and products that everyone wanted to know about. Great for senior executives, but we will share it all with your entire team, too.
Click button below to send us an email with you interest.
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Geoff shouts: "Expand Your Possibilities"
Pyralux ® Portfolio Perfect for Demanding Work
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DuPont has long been a market leader in laminates for flexible and rigid-flex PCBs. Its extensive family of Pyralux® and Interra™ branded products expands possibilities for flexible laminates, embedded passives and thermal performance in demanding applications such as 5G networks, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics.
The Pyralux® and Interra™ portfolios includes a diverse collection of core dielectric materials.
The industry standard, Pyralux® AP, has been out for decades and continues to excel in any environment it is tasked with. But for applications requiring something different, DuPont’s Pyralux® line up has options.
Pyralux® TK FCCL is built with a polyimide core that has a special FEP fluoropolymer film coated to either side. This gives the dielectrics unprecedented dielectric performance for low loss applications like RF or mmWave applications. (Dk: 2.5 Df: 0.002)
Pyralux® HT is a high temperature thermoplastic adhesive for environments requiring excessive heat soak. With a rated MOT of 200C, when paired with Pyralux® AP clads, this material can really handle the heat. Additional benefits to this film is the ability to run the adhesive throughout the rigid section of rigid-flex designs without sacrificing reliability.
Pyralux® AG, another FCCL, is perfect for any ultra-thin flex application or dynamic bending environment. Pyralux® AG is unmatched in dynamic bending performance for longevity when compared to any other offering in its class. Pyralux® AG is made at scale enabling lower price points for FCCL’s requiring ½ mil polyimide cores and 9 micron copper constructions. This also makes AG ideal for any commercial application.
Pyralux® HP is the newest flexible adhesive introduced to the market. With a modified epoxy resin system, as opposed to the acrylics used in Pyralux® LF and Pyralux® FR, Pyralux® HP low loss properties give this adhesive the properties designers need when going a step beyond LF and FR electricals, but not so far that they require a fluoropolymer like Pyralux® TK!
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Geoff Leeds
Product Manager, DuPont Flex Laminates
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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PRINTED ELECTRONICS INKS & PASTES,
SUBSTRATES & FILMS
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Kevin Miller Can See it!
DuPont Electronics Microcircuits Industries (DEMI) Plant Visit
FEBRUARY 2022
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Insulectro PE Team had the opportunity to visit DuPont’s DEMI plant in Manati, Puerto Rico. This facility manufactures all the conductive inks, dielectric, carbon and fired on products utilized in the Global market.
We spent the day with Lourdes Melendez - DEMI Plant Manager, Maria Miranda Ramos - Manufacturing Technology Manager along with Dan Barish - West Regional Commercial Leader & Fallyn Flaherty-Earp - Global Marketing and Consumer Segment Leader.
We were able view the manufacturing process from start to finish and understand the complexity to produce these products with quality testing being performed at each step.
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The facility is very impressive where safety and quality culture are a way of life. The team at Insulectro understands the importance of these core values since this philosophy provides our customers with a consistent and reliable product where performance is critical to the end products they produce.
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Its Core Values contain:
- Safety and health
- Protect the environment
- Respect for people
- Healthiest work environment
Its Cultural Principles:
- Act like an owner
- Make an impact
- Partner with customers
To be the #1 choice for Manufacturing by having:
- Safest operations
- Most reliable organization
- Healthiest work environment
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The DuPont DEMI prides itself on its lost day injury record and it has been over 10 years since they have reported a lost day injury. This record shows that these values and principals are instilled in every employee.
The DEMI plant produces Innovative, high-performing thick film materials for flexible, rigid and hybrid substrates. DuPont brings 50 years of material science expertise in developing thousands of metallic polymeric, and glass materials designed to perform specific functions.
Customers look to this operation to apply their extensive knowledge to create innovative, high-quality materials that will perform well no matter how demanding the application. Demi plant is Certified to ISO 14001:2015, 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 Responsible Care.
DuPont offers the most comprehensive suite of printed electronics products and services available globally. For over 50 years, they have helped hundreds of customers achieve successful design solutions for a variety of applications in consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, telecommunications, military, information technology, energy, photovoltaics, and many other industries.
DuPont also offers a high-performance line of low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials to enable high-frequency, high-reliability circuitry for 5G telecom (wireless base stations and smartphones / mobile devices) and military communications applications. In addition, they have the fullest range of high-fire thick-film pastes suitable for high reliability hybrid circuits as well as a broad range of passive component materials.
The Printed Electronics team was excited to visit the DEMI plant and get a detailed understanding of process flows and quality steps taken to provide a consistent product for our customers.
Please call INSULECTRO at 1-855-955-0200 with any questions regarding these product offerings or visit our E-Commerce site at the LINK BELOW.
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Kevin Miller
VP of Sales - Insulectro Printed Electronics
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Demand Planning is Critical!
Zach Dang Joins
Materials Team
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Insulectro is pleased to announce that Zachary (Zach) Dang has joined Insulectro as our Demand Planning & Master Data Manager on the Materials team.
Zach will lead our demand planning and forecasting initiatives from our Lake Forest office and spearhead our efforts to improve on-time delivery and inventory turnover, through ongoing partnership and structured collaboration with Sales, Marketing, and all our team members.
Zach comes to Insulectro with 6 years of Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and S&OP leadership experience, having spent time in the Industrial, Retail, and Medical Device industries.
Most recently Zach held the position of Equipment Asset Management Liaison & CS&L Principal Logistic Management at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, CA. Zach has also held other supply chain roles in companies like Johnson & Johnson and Eaton.
Zach has a BA in Science and Supply Chain Management from California State University in Long Beach. He practices archery on the weekends, enjoys adventure travel, and is an avid reader.
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Relationship Builder Joins Sales Team
Industry Veteran Doug Gotelli
TAM for Silicon Valley Territory
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Industry sales veteran Doug Gotelli joins Insulectro as Technical Account Manager in Silicon Valley. Doug has an extensive background in PCB fab/assembly/integration/supply sales and account management with such firms as Compass Electronics Solutions, MacDermid Alpha, Minco Products, Endicott Interconnect, and Tyco.
Doug's enviable track record is pinned to his driving goal of long-term customer engagement.
He comments,"I’ve known Insulectro since my start in the PCB business. First “business lunch” of my career was with Tom Earle and Anne Garibaldi when I worked in procurement/purchasing at a small PCB factory back in 1979! From that day on, I’ve had such respect and admiration for Insulectro. To have the opportunity of joining Insulectro at this juncture in my career is both extraordinary and humbling."
Doug is in the Silicon Valley Branch in San Jose. He will report to Chris Hunrath, VP of Technology. Hunrath has recently be charged with the sales leadership role for Northern and Southern California.
Join us in welcoming Doug to the team. We're glad he's carrying an Insulectro business card now.
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We are happy to say we just got another new key piece of equipment placed into the Bloomingdale (Chicago) Fab Center. Last year it was a goal to update and improve all equipment in the Fab Centers and beyond. Reminder that we have 4 Fab Centers located in Southern Cal, Northern Cal, Chicago, and New England to service local customers and feed all of our smaller satellite branch that are next door to you.
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In the Central this process began with the installation of our new laminate saw and vacuum system. This new equipment provides us a smaller footprint for more movement space in the room, increased overall mass stack height, a smoother laminate edge, reduced copper burr, and a major dust decrease on the cut material and the room environment.
[LEFT: LAMINATE SAW, Bloomingdale Branch]
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The next piece to replace was one of the Rosenthal prepreg slitters with a new high speed sheeter that is faster, more accurate on cut dimensions, super dust and hanging fiber free for clean and sharp edges, and extremely quiet in operation.
[RIGHT: PREPREG SHEETER, Bloomingdale Branch]
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The final fab replacement was just installed to complete the prepreg operation with this new high speed drill machine.
[LEFT: PREPREG TOOLING, Bloomingdale Branch]
This machine has a stationary table so shifting does not occur when moving from hole to hole, the drill head moves instead. We have more stations then we had on the Kennard drill machine and only one spindle so all the vacuum is focused on that head and not spread across 4 heads. The head changes tools and checks for tool length for depth accuracy, cuts clean with no protruding fibers, cuts thicker stack heights, dust free, and faster than the previous drill even with only one head.
All of these pieces of equipment have a theme of a greatly reduced decibel level and cleanliness that the operators love. We are pleased to be able to provide a better work environment for our team and at the same time a higher quality finished product for our customers. And remember, we have upgraded all of these pieces in the other Fab Centers too!
Take care and see you next month.
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Trey Adams
Regional Vice President, Sales
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@Mike Creeden
Mentoring, Collaboration or Phone a Friend?
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Value Added Professional Relationships
In the “Amazon World” we live in, we often embrace convenience at the loss of personal interaction, hands-on investigation, or exchange. It’s always very exciting to have the chance encounter, i.e., 'I ran into so & so on my visit.'
Covid made us adapt to the digital interaction when we could no longer personally meet face-to-face. This does not need to be one medium or the other, we need to let Covid be an “Accelerant for Change” and adapt the best from both mediums, live & digital. Humans may like the ubiquitous convenience of the digital exchange, but we love the exhilaration of face-to-face interaction.
We can pick up so many more indicators in this face-to-face medium. We will phase out of this global situation and find that as a business culture we should adapt and advance.
Insulectro’s business success is built on great products, promoted by a knowledgeable team. At Insulectro, we compliment this with interpersonal relationships from 4 perspectives.
- Insulectro Team strength.
- Suppliers backing of information and performance.
- Customers (Fab. Shops) providing them value added benefits.
- OEMs (Our customer’s customer) collaborating, educating & inspiring design engineers for print position of our products in their circuits.
After exhibiting at 6 trade shows in the last 8 months, I’m optimistic to meet face-to-face again. My trade show observations are as follows:
- People attending are serious as opposed to Looky-Loos.
- Interactions were based more so on quality vs. quantity.
- We noticed, as usual, in the waning tradeshow hours, just the exhibitors visiting; however, these visitors are a significant portion of our customer base, existing in our business eco-system.
- You cannot beat the benefits of hands-on interaction and the spontaneity of the moment.
“Mentoring Attitude” Who do you call when you have a need?
Nowadays, we often do not have someone in the next office to coach each other due to the remote working conditions. To build professional relationships with individuals or with a group it often requires building mentoring relationships.
I’m currently supporting about 12 people, some people phase-in, and others phase-out. With each encounter, I find we grow from this interaction and my circle gets bigger. This is in support of our personal employment responsibilities, and when done correctly, you’re bringing value and success to colleagues and associates in the industry.
Mentoring support actions:
- Building relationships
- Immediate product/process support
- Webinars/Education
- Live visits
- Phone support
- Prompt service response
- Technical support
- Social media presence
As we present our products and services to you and your company, we want you to know.
At Insulectro, with our Design Education Program, we are eager to freely support signal-integrity reviews of design circuits prior to fabrication. Also, we are ready and eager to create one or several training sessions for the OEM or your fabrication team. These will be tailored to meet the exact needs of the audience, brought by a technically appropriate presenter, with specific content to further your team’s success and provide that edge to meet the needs of advancing technology trends.
Contact any of our Technical Account Managers or call any of our branch offices to schedule your Virtual Training Session soon.
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Stay safe, happy, and healthy!
Mike Creeden CID+ MIT
Technical Director, Insulectro Design & Education
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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Uncovering the Mysteries of the Universe
Webb Space Telescope with DuPont Kapton® Polyimide Film Sunshield to Start Work
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Press Release
from DuPont Interconnect Solutions
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A month following it’s Christmas Day 2021 launch, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is in the final phase of its preparations to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
It has successfully travelled the nearly one million miles—at 750 miles an hour—to reach its mission orbiting point. Flight engineers have also deployed the 18 gold-coated mirror segments that will help the telescope’s infrared camera capture pictures of the very first stars in the universe and allow scientists to study the atmospheres of planets orbiting stars outside of our solar system to determine whether they are habitable or inhabited.
Another successful step completed was the unfolding of the five-layered Kapton® polyimide film sunshield that will protect the telescope from the light and heat of the Sun, Earth and Moon. Folded origami-style into the mission payload, each sheet of Kapton® film is about as big as a tennis court and as thin as a human hair.
The sunshield is coated with reflective metal, providing protection on the order of more than SPF 1 million. Together, the five Kapton® layers of the sunshield will reduce exposure to the Sun from over 200 kilowatts of solar energy to a fraction of a watt.
Mission officials say it will take an additional five months to cool the $10 billion telescope to operating temperature, modify the mirror alignment, and calibrate the instruments before JWST can start sending those amazing images back to earth this summer.
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Chris Hunrath on Future Tech
IPC APEX EXPO & mSAP
FEBRUARY 2022
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Fine line imaging has been coming up a lot lately. This was especially true at IPC Apex.
As mentioned before, fine line and semi-additive processes are not new, but bringing that technology into a PCB fabricator and to the relatively large format used in these shops brings in some new challenges. Fortunately, new exposure systems, high resolutions photoresists and ultra-thin electroless and foils make this more feasible than ever.
A recurring theme at Apex was, “My customer wants 25-micron lines on this design. How do I get there and what’s the next step?”
Well, last week we started this project at one of these fabs, and the good news is both the exposure and developing equipment were capable.
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All of us that have been involved in US PCB fabrication for any length of time have seen changes technology, product mix and applications. |
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At Apex, we presented on many technologies, this one included. I do think it’s worth mentioning that there is a growing emphasis on keeping the industry alive and well here in the States. Travis Kelly, President and CEO of Isola presented on the PCBAA.
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Isola's Travis Kelly at a Power Chat™ presenting on PCBAA
This just highlights the need to advance the technology. We are passionate at Insulectro about enabling our customers to do more. It’s key to our mutual success.
It’s always great to see the folks that attend Apex. I hope to see many more of you next year.
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Chris Hunrath
Vice President of Technology
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Welcome to February’s edition of Insulectro PUMA Newsletter!
East Coast Edition!
THE BIG GAME! Super Bowl LVI is history.
This got me thinking about the parity of football, life, and work…and the flying wedge but that’s for another edition.
Growing up and playing football, it didn’t take me long to understand how football was going to help me in life and in work.
As a 21-year veteran at Insulectro, I am still in the game and playing to help our customers win. I have great teammates that work hard every day to ensure our customers are always 1st and 10.
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Our PUMA team has your back. The end zone is the goal with every order. The game plan is provide products, technology, and service to help our customers “build better boards faster!”
I hope you enjoyed the big game…or at least the commercials if your team didn't play this year.
Thank you for your business!
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Ron Murdock
Director of Sales - Eastern Region/ Canada
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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Director of High Performance Products
Laminate Expert Michael Gay Pens
e-Book on Material Selection
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Choosing the right material for an application can be difficult. Even when selecting a material, one needs to look at the copper foil as it will impact performance. Overall this is a challenging task for many individuals in the PCB industry. In efforts to help designers, engineers, etc. our HSD Director, Michael Gay, has put together a book for I-007 eBooks highlighting all you need to know when selecting a material for HSD applications.
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Click the link below and start learning more about PCB materials!
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About Isola
Isola is a leading global material sciences company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets laminate materials used to fabricate advanced multilayer printed circuit boards, which provide the physical platforms for the semiconductors, passive components, and connection circuitry that power and control virtually all modern electronic products. Isola operates a network of factories worldwide.
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Norm Berry
Director, Laminates & OEM Marketing
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News from the DuPont Chemistry Desk
DuPont Slogan:
"Better Living through Chemistry"
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I first heard the phrase ‘Better Living through Chemistry’ in an Industrial Chemistry course during college. It was our professor’s salutation to us as we were sent on our way from the classroom. It always stuck with me, and I’ve been known to use the phrase, not even realizing that it took on different connotations over the years.
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The actual slogan, as created, was ‘Better Things for Better Living…Through Chemistry’ and it was the advertising mantra for DuPont for almost 50 years, beginning in 1935. Perhaps my professor, a legacy 3M chemist, was attempting to avoid an infringement of a competitor’s slogan.
CLICK ON PICTURE RIGHT TO ENJOY A SHORT 1948 DUPONT VIDEO
Either way, it does indeed carry significance for me today. I could not have imagined, back in the early 90’s as I walked out of Phillips Hall, that I’d now be representing, supporting, and promoting DuPont Chemistry.
For me, chemistry is more than just the molecules, compounds, and technologies that we provide in pails, drums, sheets, and rolls. There is the chemistry in the interactions of people. The IPC/Apex show last month was a prime example of that. While we were challenged the past two years with the pandemic, the IPC show was a reminder of how important interpersonal interactions are to what we do.
Whether it was meeting new customers & suppliers, engaging young engineers in discussions of how to Build Better Boards, Faster, or simply seeing my new teammates in person for the first time after 9 months of virtual visits, there was chemistry at that show. What resonated to me was how important that face-time is in getting to know people -- their interests, their goals and their challenges.
And I was reminded how vital those personal interactions are to developing that chemistry. Especially after nearly 2 years of challenging times when it came getting together in person. Perhaps I had just taken the interpersonal interactions for granted.
DuPont stayed true to the chemistry theme of their roots at the IPC show, providing presentations through Insulectro’s Power Chats™ about their current technology developments and the roadmap they envision moving forward. They emphasized their commitment to the PCB industry by continuing to invest in new products, processes, and businesses.
While the DuPont marketing slogan has long since been replaced, I will always believe that there is, indeed, Better Living Through Chemistry.
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Paul Welter
Director of Sales, DuPont Chemistry
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At-A-Glance
The DuPont Chemistry Line
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With the acquisition of East Coast Electronic Material Supply (ECEMS) in late March, Insulectro has brought another best-in-class product line to our customers. The addition of the DuPont Electronics Imaging & Interconnect Solutions (ICS) chemistry line, which was legacy Dow Chemicals before the Dow-DuPont merger, adds a complimentary piece to an already robust Insulectro product offering.
DuPont ICS is innovating new metallization technologies across many platforms:
Electroplating Applications
HDI
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Microfill™ EVF-III for advanced via filling and through-hole plating
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Microfill™ LVF-IV for next generation SLP applications
MLB
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Copper Gleam™ PPR-II for high aspect ratio pulse plating
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Electroposit™ EP-1600 for high aspect ratio DC plating
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Copper Gleam™ HS-200 for horizontal DC plating in FPC applications
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Copper Gleam™ ST-920 for DC vertical continuous plating (VCP)
IC Package Substrate
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Microfill™ SFP-II & Microfill™ LVF-IV for advanced SAP applications
Making Holes Conductive
Electroless Copper Solutions:
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Circuposit™ 3350-1 Vertical Electroless Copper
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Circuposit™ 4000 Horizontal electroless copper for FPC/RFPC
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Circuposit™ 6700 Horizontal Ionic Catalyst for Advanced HDI applications
Direct Metallization Solutions:
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Next Generation Crimson™ & Conductron™ palladium-based systems
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Next Generation Graphite 2000™ carbon-based system
ENIG:
Duraposit™ SMT-88 & Aurolectroless™ SMT 520
Process Chemistries:
DuPont offers a full line of cleaners, developers, strippers and other ancillary products to support printed circuit applications.
General Metal Finishing:
Full line engineering, decorative and precious metal offerings
As you can see, through this addition of the DuPont ICS chemistry line, Insulectro is now providing chemistry and technical support to the general metal finishing, plating-on-plastics, and wire plating industries, which we see as an area of growth.
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Chemicals & Controllers
Focus Tech Chemicals
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Insulectro continues to offer Focus Tech processing chemistry for you PCB processing needs.
Products Offered
- Dryfilm Developing Chemistry
- Dryfilm Stripping Chemistry
- Tin Stripping
- Alternative Oxide
- Equipment Cleaners
- Waste Treatment Chemistry
- Plus, a variety of Process Chemistries
Control Equipment
Focus Tech offers chemistry control equipment to help manage the different chemical processes in the manufacturing process.
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Specific gravity controller
- Conductivity Controller
- Colorimeter controller
- Cupric Etch Controller
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Custom controllers with availability to connect to TrueChem software
Jeff Johnson
Product Manager - Dryfilm/Chemistry/Paste & FAE
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We are very please to have Doug Gotelli join the Pumas here in Northern California.
Doug brings industry knowledge and enthusiasm to our California team which will help us expand services to our customers.
In addition, he will be working with our technical team, product managers and suppliers. It’s great to welcome someone on board with passion for the industry. We have so many terrific projects in the works and it’s great to have Doug on the team.
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Chris Hunrath
Vice President of Technology
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PRINTED ELECTRONICS INKS & PASTES,
ADVANCED SUBSTRATES & FILMS
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Advanced Substrates
Polyimide Core Laminates:
DuPont™ Pyralux®
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Insulectro is well known as the largest supplier of materials used to manufacture printed circuit boards.
This includes our rapidly growing substrate division making Insulectro your one stop shop for printed electronics.
In addition to being a first-in-class supplier, product specialists at Insulectro have in depth product knowledge offering process consultations and onsite training to ensure the very best products are selected for each critical need. Insulectro readily stocks an ever-growing assortment of substrates and this month we are highlighting DuPont™ Pyralux® films.
DuPont™ Pyralux® brand is a polyimide core laminate that is the industry standard in terms of thermal, chemical and mechanical properties. It is ideal for use in rigid flex and multilayer flex applications which require advanced performance, such as low dissipation loss for high speed, high frequency, thermal resistance and high reliability.
The DuPont™ Pyralux® brand has many variations to suit your specific performance needs including double sided copper clads which provide designers and fabricators outstanding options in building circuits with high reliability and yield for controlled impedance and high-performance applications. For the best Pyralux® material, consult the DuPont product selector and contact us at Insulectro for ordering.
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Jeff Crawford
Advanced Substrate Specialist
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OPERATIONS & SUPPLY CHAIN |
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World Class Manufacturing: Employee Involvement
San Jose Laminate Fabrication:
Employee-Led Layout & Flow Improvement
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Employee involvement and engagement is the most important pillar holding up the World Class Manufacturing model.
Late last year, during a facility tour with our COO Ken Parent, members of the San Jose Operations team highlighted and voiced their concerns about the inefficient, cramped, and unsafe layout of the laminate fabrication room.
With the significant growth of our Isola laminates business in the San Jose region over the past several years, we had clearly outgrown the space in which we were operating. A huge “kudos” to the San Jose team for feeling empowered enough to share their honest feedback and opinions about this problem, what wasn’t working, and what should be done to improve the room.
This is a case-study in what engagement, empowerment, and making problems visible is all about as part of the World Class Manufacturing framework.
Based on their feedback, and several follow up “go and see” activities to view the problem and what wasn’t working, the San Jose team went into action plotting out a layout that would improve the flow in the room. I kept the original “back of a napkin” (actually, back of a corrugated separator!) idea as developed by our Fabrication Supervisor in San Jose, Benito Gonzales (which he drew up and discussed 1:1 with me during one of my follow up “gemba” walks).
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I love how this illustrates the plan with “Simplicity”, which is the glue that holds the key World Class Manufacturing concepts together.
The drawing illustrates the desire to bring the saws closer together and then consolidate the conveyance flow between the machines, for more efficiency and increased productivity, while reducing travel time/motion (waste!) between the saws and to the conveyors during the day.
This also freed up significant space on the finishing end of the room, improving safety by lessening the forklift-to-operator interaction risk.
The team worked collaboratively with our onsite Maintenance lead, Rafael Gonzales, to re-purpose his workshop to allow for a 350 square feet expansion of the room, increasing the total fabrication space for laminate about 25%. This also allowed us to effectively position our new automated ink jet printing machine in the ideal space at the finishing end of the operation.
Rafael was also able to create an additional roll up door opening to the room for easier and safer access of material in and out. He did an outstanding job of designing and constructing this solution, which completed the 100% operator-driven project.
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Thank you San Jose Operations Team for being a model for “making problems visible”, and also for sharing your ideas on how to improve the quality and performance of your workspace! We will use this as a model as we launch many more employee-driven projects and “small reversible experiments” across the company on this World Class Manufacturing journey!
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Jason Shuppert
Vice President of Operations
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Outerlayer Surface Prep the Shikoku Way!
Outerlayer surface prep is typically pumice brush machines or hand pumice jigs. Some shops use a wetting agent pre-dip followed by acid cleaning with aluminum oxide jet machines. We also see chemical prep plus jet pumice machines, too.
Shikoku, exclusively offered by Insulectro, offers three products for the printed circuit board market: Glibrite (microetch), Glicap (alternative oxide replacement) and Glicoat (OSP).
The Glibrite and Glicap are low profile etching products especially designed for low profile coppers typically used for high-speed digital (HSD) applications and low-profile etching is sometimes required by OEMs.
Both Glibrite and Glicap are peroxide/sulfuric acid based and have both a stabilizer and etch profile suppressor resulting in a very uniform and dense etch topography which is ideal for bonding and anchoring. This chemically produced surface provides an excellent prep for dry film or soldermask (Glibrite) or with copper through lamination (Glicap).
Full chemical prep for soldermask is cleaner/rinse/Glibrite/rinse/dilute HCl wash/rinse/dry.
Alternatively, another approach has been set up to get the benefits of the Glibrite product:
Success Story: Customer got new jet pumice machine with chemical prep in front. They ran it with recommend chemicals and it did not provide enough surface prep to prevent soldermask from lifting when ENIG plated.
I proposed Glibrite and my support.
All process variables and contamination levels were scrutinized, and controls (dosing and analysis) implemented for best surface with beaker tests and confirmation of results on the machine. Panels are prepped correctly for masking and are successfully running through ENIG.
Profilometry showed all the topography is from the Glibrite microetching (Ra=0.94 micron) and none from the jet pumice – Surface comes out very clean and uniform pink. Next step is to replace the 4F pumice mixed with citric acid with our Focus Tech AP-581 (acidified blended 3F pumice) because of the hazardous handling of separate citric acid powder and the 4F (smaller mesh size) occasionally gets clumpy in the tank.
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Mike Carnarius
Field Application Engineer - Southern California
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A Super Matchup!
Make Your InduBond® Press
Sit Up & Take Notice
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Bacon and eggs. Black and tan. Mac and cheese. Bert and Ernie. InduBond® and Copper-Steel-Copper!
Bonded Copper foil including VLP profiles onto a Steel carrier ensures that not only the low-profile topography is protected but the surface is clean, free from causing signal integrity defects as all FOUR edges are sealed. It's a star performer in an InduBond® press!
Carrier foil is available from 1µm up to 5µm, now CSC bridges that gap offering foils from 6µm to 140µm.
CSC is available in 8 mil which has twice the image transfer resistance as 15 mil aluminum AND can replace up to SEVEN standard 62 mil steel separators. Those separators not only cause circuit surface imperfections impacting trace lines but reduce stack height allowing more panels per lamination cycle.
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I've got a lot to tell you about this matchup!
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil & CAC®
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Eliminate Donut Adhesion Issues
Riston® DI3000 Dryfilm
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Riston® DI3000 dryfilm is the next generation print and plate dryfilm. This is a dual wavelength film that is optimized for use on today’s direct imaging systems. This film delivers great resolution and optimal adhesion of small features like donuts and thermal reliefs, even on flash plated foil.
It is available in 38, 50, and 62 micron thickness.
Please contact Jeff Johnson at 720-260-3696, or your local Insulectro TAM.
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Jeff Johnson
Product Manager - Dryfilm & Chemistry
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The People
Behind the Puma
Meet Aun Qadir
IT Manager
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BIO
I started working full-time in 1993 as a Computer Operator at Insulectro while completing my undergraduate degree in Computer Science/Engineering from CalState Long Beach.
Soon after, I moved on to become a Network Engineer and pursued my Master’s degree in Business Administration. I received my MBA from the University of Redlands in 2000 and was ultimately promoted to IT Manager.
Currently, a team of four staff members and I support four different manufacturing sites, multiple warehouses, and 10+ sales branches across the United States and Canada. We also coordinate technical support between technical departments and internal customer mechanisms, which consists of developing and implementing new IT solutions and enhancements.
Aun keeps us connected. . .
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When you were child, what was the first job you wanted to have when you grew up? I wanted to be in the Airforce. I even attempted an entrance exam and passed…
Name a childhood nickname? Aunie.
You have been with companies for 28+ years, what was technology like when you started? What are the biggest shifts you’ve experienced in the continual change of IT for businesses? I started working for Insulectro in September of 1993 and have been with the company since then. As you can imagine, the internet has changed everything. While it has given us amazing things like the ability to access information rapidly, keeping up with all the new technology can be a difficult process. The Y2K bug was definitely one of the biggest challenges - it was a computer flaw that caused problems when dealing with dates beyond December 1999. Now every thing is in a cloud, and that demands entirely different learning skills.
What are your three greatest strengths? I am very loyal, a problem solver, and a team player.
If your wife could change one thing about you, what would it be? It would be to help her more around the house.
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What’s the most rewarding DIY project you have done? I installed all my ceiling fans & replaced the new light fixtures around the house.
How would your teammates describe you? They would (hopefully) describe me as a hardworker, always available, and easy going.
Are you more at home in jeans, a suit, or yoga pants, and why? Sweat pants all the way. They are soft and comfortable, the two most important things to me when I shop for clothes.
Great weekend for you is? Either playing basketball at the gym or chilling on the sofa watching TV/movies.
Best car you had you miss? ISUZU Amigo (SUV) - The first car I bought brand new.
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What’s your dream vehicle? Audi R8 or Porsche 911 GT3
What’s biggest regret you ever had? Not buying real estate when the market crashed
If you could go anywhere in the universe where would you go first, and why? Bali, Indonesia. I spent a few beautiful years there during my childhood and have great memories with my Dad.
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What’s your favorite meal? Famous Pakistani cuisine called "Beef Nihari & Naan"
Tell us something about yourself you’re sure we don’t know. I used to be in a Pakistani Band called "LA Supremes" during my college years. I played the keyboard.
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If a distant uncle left you $15 million what are the first three things you would do? I would pay off my house and some debts, travel the world, and start a charity to help my community.
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If they were making a movie about you, what actor would be play you? Will Smith.
In the owner’s manual for Aun Qadir, what are the first three things on the CAUTION page? Will do dangerous stunts without thinking, requires 3 cups of coffee each day, will eat all your chocolate when you are not looking.
How would you like to be remembered? I want to be remembered as a kind, helpful, and lively person.
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The IT Team unwinds with a little pickle ball. |
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Insulectro Unleashes the
Incredible Power of 5
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Contact your Insulectro or Isola sales representative for more information.
Norm Berry
Director of Laminates & OEM Marketing
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Join our
Puma Team!
Help us define the future of Printed Circuit Boards and Printed Electronics!
Join our Puma team and be a part of our growth.
Business Development
Operations
Pricing
Production
Warehouse
Others
Click on the ad (left) to see various positions we are recruiting.
As advertised in i-connect007's PCB Magazine
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Insulectro Unleashes the
Incredible Power of 5
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Click-Out our
Pyralux® Flexible Laminates Selector Guide. . .
(click on product name)
The standard copper clad laminate systems for any flex or rigid flex designs.
The standard copper clad laminate systems for any flex or rigid flex designs.
Single sided flex copper clad substrate
Standard acrylic adhesives for building multi-layer flex designs. Offered as coverlay, sheet adhesives and bondplys.
Standard acrylic adhesives for building multi-layer flex designs. Offered as coverlay, sheet adhesives and bondplys.
An epoxy-based adhesive system demonstrating both low loss and high reliability, specifically designed for OEMs and PCB design manufacturers. Offered as coverlay and sheet adhesive.
High temperature flexible adhesive system with an MOT of 225C.
Teflon®/Laminate system offered as a clad laminate or bondply. Ideal for RF designs.
Embedded resistance double sided laminate
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Geoffrey Leeds
Flex Product Manager
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Insulectro Unleashes the
Incredible Power of 5
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It's Not Too Late!
Past OEM FORUMS Available for Viewing
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MOST OF OUR OEM FORUMS available for viewing
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QUALITY CONCERNS
JUNE 24, 2021
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The Undisputed Made-in-America Industry Leader
PACOTHANE PLUS®
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PACOTHANE® PLUS is a conformable release film that is specifically engineered for use as a component of the Pacothane Plus System for the production of Flexible Printed Circuits.
- Two-side Releasable
- Extremely low X-Y axis movement
- Smooth Surface Finish with superior Conformal Properties
- Operating temperature to 425°F (218°C) at lower Ram Pressures
- Eliminates Fiber Pattern Transfer to cover layers
- Clean, inert with no out-gassing of contaminants or solvents harmful to Vacuum Systems
- Environmentally friendly with no ozone-depleting Chemicals or Fluorine’s. Suitable for incineration or landfill disposal
- Proven worldwide performance since 1986. The Industry Standard for Rigid-Flex Laminations
PACOTHANE TECHNOLOGIES and INSULECTRO – don’t work with those who follow – join those who lead!
PACOTHANE TECHNOLOGIES Proudly Produced in the USA with American Labor and American Materials!
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Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - Pacothane® Products
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And, don't forget, recently published Pacothane® Product Sample Guide available. Contact me for details. |
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Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - LCOA®
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CAC® Inc
Superior surface quality,
supporting thinner foils
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Remove those hard to clean, defect causing and throughput limiting separator plates.
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Reduce stack height - More panels per book per opening, CSC 7.5x thinner than separators
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Eliminate surface defects as the factory finish copper surface and profile is protected
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Production Efficiency gains by reducing the overall mass to heat AND cool in a cycle
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Layup Efficiency – No separators to clean, resurface or polish - labor intensive & costly
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Consistency in press stack mass CTE to copper & prepreg with CSC
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Increase quality assurance as image impressions and FOD concerns are minimized
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For additional information, samples, or data sheet, please contact me.
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil & CAC®
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Drills, Routers, Endmills!
Let Kemmer Improve Your Board Quality
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The PCB industry has seen a significant increase in the need for endmills. Insulectro’s Kemmer line has a complete product offering of single, two, three and four flute designs for various applications and material types. Currently stocking endmills from .50mm to 1/8”.
Kemmer Tech-Centers are continuously reviewing endmill designs and carbides, through a series of tests to ensure that we meet the increasing quality requirements of all material types and applications.
Please contact your local Insulectro branch for additional product information and availability.
Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - Drill & Business Development - Canada
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Design Education - An Insulectro Priority
Insulectro Sponsors New Design Trade Association
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Printed Circuit Engineering Association™ (PCEA) is an international network of engineers, designers, fabricators, assemblers, and anyone related to printed circuit development.
Our mission is to promote printed circuit engineering as a profession by encouraging and facilitating the exchange of information and the integration of new design concepts through communications, seminars, and workshops.
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If you are a professional serving in the printed circuit industry from any associated discipline, you are encouraged to join. Membership is free and you’re encouraged to be involved as we all seek to collaborate, educate and inspire one another. Visit the web-site at: www.pce-a.org
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As advertised in i-Connect 007's PCB Magazine.
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INSULECTRO'S COPPER & COPPER FOIL OFFERINGS |
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Out with the Old, and in with the New!
Carrier Foil for Tighter Lines & Spaces!
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Copper foil producers answer!
Copper foil is finally being given the attention it deserves as we look for narrower lines and spaces!
As the applications for Antennas, Radio frequency and High-Density Interconnects evolves to meet the growing megatrends of electrification and miniaturization, you should not depend on your FR4 and RTF construction to manage conductor loss and achieve those design objectives.
The need for incremental changes in material, such as selecting a thinner copper, will enable improvements in performance. Whilst there is an increase in cost, the performance and scalability from prototype to production is rewarding.
Last month, we shared insight on the upcoming foils from Denkai America, now we’ll look at carrier foils to achieve sub 35/35 Lines and Spaces for HDI boards and more.
Mitsui Mining & Smelting is a leading copper foil manufacturer with continuous developments in products and processes to offer a complete portfolio of foils for general-purpose to high-end boards.
Carrier foils are not a new option but have been overlooked in many design scenarios. The Grade 1 ED foil is 99.99% Copper is deposited onto a H oz carrier with an inorganic release layer supporting high temperature lamination cycles 380 – 400 °F. Once the cycle completes the carrier is easily detached prior to applying the photo resist and imaging.
Carrier foils support the additive mSAP (Modified Semi Additive Process) which utilizes DuPont™ Riston® films and electrolytic copper to build up the traces using your current imaging equipment.
Several carrier foil options are available, with a high-level guide below. Contact me or your TAM for samples.
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OEMs demand performance, fabricator’s look for support.
Insulectro provides options!
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For further assistance, connect with me by email, phone, or in person!
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil & CAC®
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Fine-tuning Operations
Is Trying to “Stretch” the Most Out of Your Consumables Hurting You?
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Shur-loc, IBC Brush and Equipment Service are being recognized by customers as key contributing factors in Insulectro helping them to increase their departments efficiencies in areas of their facility.
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Are you struggling with the time it takes for someone to make up a screen frame?
Still working with the decades old draw bar frames and costly time it takes for an experienced operator to make these frames up?
The Shurloc system provides an easy way for “anyone” to make up screen frames quickly and consistently!
Call myself or your local account manager for a system quote to see how quickly your return on investment will be!
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Going Beyond
the Tool Case
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Starting with the best pumice brush is only the first step!
We can also perform regularly scheduled brush changes in your machine. We don’t just change your brushes and walk away. This piece of equipment will go thru a specific number of tests along with a review of other areas of the machine before we leave it to production. What we like to call as…….
Going Beyond The Tool Case!
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Please contact us for a brush quote and see how our Equipment Services can be tied in to optimize your machine’s performance! |
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If you did happen to catch the “5 Reasons to Call Insulectro” for your Service needs! Well….here’s a few more to think about! |
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We take servicing and refurbishing equipment seriously.
It’s more than just removing and installing parts. It’s important to begin with a structure that has been fully perpared for these part items so they can be aligned properly to each other to achieve the best performance possible.
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Reach out to us to see how we can help improve your equipment up time and performance through:
- Equipment Reviews and Audits
- Service and support
- Preventative Maintenance Programs
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Also, do you have a used piece of equipment you’re looking to get installed? We may be able to assist here as well!
Ruben Zambrano
Field Application Engineer
Cell: 847-345-3759
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Please reach out should you like to discuss any of these topics further.
Thank you.
Kevin Barrett,
Product Manager & TAM
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Today's Copper Foils
for Tomorrow’s Applications!
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Tailored to meet market trends such as compartment miniaturization, vehicle electrification and increased connectivity demands require improved characteristics of both wrought and ED foils.
Focus on wrought solutions such as:
- Low profile height (Rz) for signal integrity, as low as 0.4µm
- Consistent profile height across the web which does not change when ordering thicker foils
- Alloy foil with Increased tensile strengths which can exceed 700Mpa
- Grain structure in terms of large crystals and uniform orientation improves fatigue resistance and provides excellent vibration resistance.
- Thermal resistance to withstand hostile environments for automotive applications.
Wrought foils released to IPC 4562A in grade 5, grade 7 and grade 8.
Call us to find out more – we love to talk about this stuff!
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Give us a call to discuss how CAC can help you
make better circuits faster.
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Copper Foils
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Everyday Materials You Need, On Our Shelves Every Day
Insulectro recognizes the importance of maintaining adequate inventory to begin work. Designers know when you need it, you need it. Using the link getpumafast.com, you can see what PumaFast™ and standard materials we stock to get you up and running.
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Covid-19 has not stopped our ACT! initiatives!
We have successfully collaborated on many ACT! opportunities.
We are delivering on Technology, Design and Education while you can bank on the sales results!
We are virtually taking our ACT!
to another level!
Insulectro and our partners are moving the chains to help our customers exceed performance goals. Our team of professional and technical resources are now offering our customers access to design and education services.
This is a Game Changer!
Our ACT! Initiatives combined with our design and education services provide our customers a total solutions package with a one-stop-shop option.
Our customers now have total access to not only our Insulectro foot print, best in class products, materials on the shelf when you need them; but also the expertise to deliver solutions from design to delivery…FAST!
Call me and to set up a VIRTUAL ACT! with your customer.
There's a reason I'm smiling.
Ron Murdock
ACT! Manager & Technical Account Manager
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To be the easiest company to do business with. . .
Insulectro has a program for continual improvement, all designed to make ourselves as user-friendly as possible to our customers, their customers, and our suppliers. Speed Matters, so we focus a lot of attention on getting you the materials you need as quickly as possible.
Our PumaFast™ Program lists current inventory of everyday materials you need every day.
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Best-in-Class Materials
from our Premier Suppliers
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