CELEBRATING OUR 5TH YEAR OF PUMANEWS™ |
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As I See It!
It's a New Era
JULY 2023
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With EMC and Arlon joining the Puma Team of top-flight supplier/partners, we look forward to a new era for our company and for our customers.
We are honored to become their exclusive distributor in North America! Our Advisory Board's unanimous opinion, “EMC has the brightest future of any laminator in the world."
What also is striking about this new partnership is EMC's and Arlon's commitment to long-term growth and success by their investing in their business in the following ways:
- To create a strong North America footprint, EMC acquired Arlon, a company known for its high quality laminates
- Implemented automation for its manufacturing processes
- Focuses on new products, through a robust research and development priority
- Well-established OEM marketing resources and OEM relationships
- Long-term generational mindset
As you might expect, these accomplishments resonate with Insulectro and our core values. Armed with the best materials portfolio in the industry, our strengths and diversity will create immediate and unprecedented opportunities for our customers' businesses.
For Insulectro, Arlon, and EMC, the true test of investment and planning is our companies' abilities to not only survive but to thrive, generation after generation.
After decades of dominance in the PCB industry, it's fun to discover that. . . we are just getting started.
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INSULECTRO ANNOUNCES NEW LAMINATE SUPPLIERS ARLON & EMC |
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - LAKE FOREST, CA - JUNE 27, 2023
Insulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, has announced it will become the exclusive distributor for North America of Arlon copperclad laminates beginning September 4, 2023. Arlon is also the master distributor for Elite Materials Company (EMC) based in Taiwan bringing both product lines to Insulectro.
“Today, we welcome two new manufacturers to our World-class supplier/partner family,” announced Insulectro President and CEO Patrick Redfern, “Arlon and EMC offer a wide array of cutting-edge, high-performance laminates for mission critical printed circuit boards manufactured for high endurance and long-life programs. Plus, it allows us to offer California-sourced inventory for greater supply chain reliability.
“This is the beginning of a new era for Insulectro as new materials and relationships strengthen our presence in the PCB industry and prepare us for unprecedented growth. We continually monitor the marketplace to assess challenges and develop solutions - all to enable us to service our customers’ needs today and in the future,” Redfern added.
Arlon was founded in 1969 as Howe Industries and the company manufactured polyimide laminate and prepregs for the printed circuit board industry. Thermoset polyimide resin was the preferred high temperature laminate system known for its thermal stability, good chemical resistance, excellent mechanical properties, and exceptionally good heat resistance. The company evolved to become Arlon Electronic Materials Division after being purchased by Taiwan-based manufacturer EMC in 2020 to establish a base of operations in North America.
EMC was established in 1992 as a dedicated PCB base material manufacturer. Since 2013, EMC has become the largest worldwide manufacturer and supplier of Halogen-free and HDI materials. With a highly skilled Research and Development team, EMC has developed a number of high-speed and high-frequency products, from Mid Loss, Low Loss, Very Low Loss, Ultra Low Loss down to Extreme Low Loss categories. As a result, in 2022, EMC attained the number two worldwide market share position in the specialty laminate (high-speed, high-frequency, and IC substrate) space. These materials are designed for very complex PCBs, such as, for example, Any-layer build-up, mSAP, IC substrate, high layer count (HLC)/ high speed digital (HSD) and radio frequency (RF) products just to name a few.
Following EMC’s acquisition of Arlon, significant investments have been made in the Arlon business to date, with an eye on even greater investment towards continued improvement and expanding the operation in Southern California.
Speaking on behalf of EMC, Chairman Albert Tung commented, “We are pleased to achieve, across North America, logistic and support capability for our customers with this new opportunity with Insulectro. Insulectro has an outstanding reputation as the premier distributor of PCB materials throughout the U.S. and Canada. With this partnership, we have attained our goal of having a solid North America presence, and we aim to continue to expand our product portfolio in North America for years to come. We feel this is an extraordinary opportunity for all three companies.”
Ken Parent, Chief Operating Officer commented, “Arlon’s and EMC’s laminates and prepregs are top shelf materials for fabricators. They will be first-choice selections in such PCB markets as aerospace/defense, aircraft and avionics, automotive, and medical, as well as many industrial applications. We look forward to introducing these products to our customers and OEMs and expect an enthusiastic reception.
“Arlon/EMC’s polyimides, low-flow and epoxy prepregs expand our offerings in rigid, flex, and rigid/flex applications in addition to being compatible with DuPont’s Pyralux® flexible laminates. We expect to be more useful to our existing customers as well as to new customers,” Parent concluded.
Insulectro supplies advanced engineered materials manufactured by DuPont®, Isola, LCOA®, CAC, Inc., Pacothane, Focus Tech, JX Metals Corporation, TADCO, EMD Electronics (Ormet®), Shikoku, Denkai America, ETI, Industrial Brush Corporation, Kyocera SGS Precision Tools, InduBond®, Shur-loc and soon to be Arlon and EMC.
These products are used by its customers to fabricate complex, multilayer circuit boards and to manufacture printed electronics components. Insulectro serves a broad customer base manufacturing rigid, rigid/flex, and flexible circuit boards for applications in a variety of end markets including aeronautics, telecom, data communications, high speed computing, mobile devices, military, and medical. Insulectro combines its premier product offering with local inventory across North America, fabrication capabilities and backed up by expert customer and technical support services.
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SALES & OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT |
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Ken Parent Speaks Out!
We can't wait!
JULY 2023
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Insulectro and I have received a tremendous amount of positive feedback on our decision to move forward with Arlon and EMC as new laminate supplier/partners as we strengthen our best-in-class product line card.
We know this will be a monumental but positive change in our business and our customers' businesses. We are also aware that there will be challenges.
Of course, there are many questions about this transition. Over the next few weeks Insulectro, Arlon, and EMC will be bringing you answers to these questions and prepare us all for this exciting move. Our sales team will be working with you to make sure this transition supports our customers’ needs.
To begin with, we will make sure you know how to continue to buy Isola materials where you need to support programs that we have worked together on and will continue to specify Isola materials.
We are also going to make sure you know how to acquire Arlon and EMC materials to support programs going forward, many of our customers have been asking for this opportunity to transition. Our customers are my #1 reason as to why this change was considered and now a reality.
We are fortunate to have also partnered with Sach Pasarnikar, Owner of AMS Products, Inc and current distributor for Arlon and EMC materials to support Insulectro in this transition.
September 4th, 2023, aka “A-Day”, is when we begin to take orders for EMC and Arlon Copper Clad Laminate materials from both their California facilities and our stocking locations across North America. Our Team is working hand-in-hand with Arlon and EMC Teams to make this transition smooth for your needs.
Decisions such as this one are complex and made after lengthy reviews. The amount of support we hear from our customer base proves we have made a good decision.
We are excited to make this positive move for your business and ours. We can't wait!
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Ken Parent
Chief Operating Officer
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Livin' in a Material World!
Welcoming Two New Product Managers to Insulectro's Front Line
JULY 2023
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Happy to introduce two teammates that have shifted roles at Insulectro and have joined the Product Management Team Supporting DuPont products. It is hard to find great talent, but luckily we already had them on our Team.
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Ed Kneller has taken on the PM responsibility for DuPont Chemistry. Ed has had a distinguished career in the PCB industry- more than 44 years- but who’s counting, right Ed? Starting with his distinguished BS Chemistry degree from Purdue University, Ed’s initial experiences included process engineering at a PCB Manufacturing facility before shifting to the dark side of Sales, working for Rohm & Haas where he sold and serviced chemistry and imaging products that after a few company name changes (Shipley, Lea Ronal, Morton, Dow) are now manufactured and branded under DuPont.
A few career changes working for other distributors is how Ed landed at Insulectro. Ed was working for East Coast Electronic Material Supply as an Account Manger when the company was acquired, and he became part of our Sales Team, bringing valuable DuPont Chemistry experience with him.
Ed’s chemistry knowledge, his analytical and relationship building skills as well as his drive to support and solve customer challenges are a natural fit to the role of DuPont Chemistry Product Manager at Insulectro. In his free time, Ed enjoy’s spending time with his family, especially his grandkids, travelling and squeezing in a little golf when he can.
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The other new member of the Product Management Team is Dain Hertsgaard, who has recently taken on the role of DuPont Flex Product Manager. Dain started his career in the mortgage industry, but during the volatile mid 2000’s, he decided to shift to manufacturing, initially at Snap-On tools before getting hooked in Printed Circuit Board fabrication, and we all know once you’re in the industry, there is no reason to leave.
Dain started in production control at Hughes Circuits, and due to his inquisitive nature, was transferred to the critical projects department. This is where Dain built his PCB foundation, learning all of the manufacturing processes, material types and pcb design skills. Dain shifted to working in the front end CAM department and oversaw the production floor, which lead him to understand how board design decisions impacted manufacturing yields and then expanded to customer engagement in design for manufacturing (DFM).
In addition to Hughes, Dain worked at Sierra Circuits and Summit Interconnect, expanding his skills and hands on experiences in front end engineering and DFM customer reviews. Fortunately for Insulectro, Dain came to work as a Field Application Engineer (FAE) for a few months before shifting into the open role as Flex Product Manager where Dain has hit the ground running, supporting customers from Day 1.
While off the clock, Dain can be found PC gaming (ask him about Diablo IV and Cyberpunk), riding one of his two motorcycles, spending time with his family, and learning to cook.
Check out the feature articles in Puma News by these Subject Matter Experts, and let them know how they can help you!
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Michelle Walsh
Vice President of Product Management
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PumaNews™ provides a platform for thought leaders in our industry to voice their opinions. We look forward to presenting many diverse commentaries. |
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Future Growth:
Industry Trends and
One Person’s View
by James Haley
Head of Strategy and Pathfinding
Packaging Business Field - Semiconductor Solutions
EMD Electronics
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Hetero-integrated packaging portrays a wide shift in philosophy that started with the migration of SoC (system-on-chip) to chiplets in SiP (system-in-package) and has percolated downward to PCB (printed circuit board) fabrication with mixed dielectric and embedded components.
Industry megatrends are driving adoption of heterogeneous integration to meet needs for improved end-use device performance and reliability as well as reduced power consumption.
This technology shift goes in line with fundamental changes of the application space driven by megatrends in our modern world and further transformed in future applications by artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality.
As this packaging philosophy cascades through the industry, traditionally siloed packaging segments – advanced and conventional semiconductor packaging, module assembly, PCB assembly and fabrication – have begun to blur with foundries competing with OSATs, OSATs with substrate manufacturers, and substrate/PCB fabricators with assembly houses.
Applications that are impacted by this shift include: mmWave, artificial intelligence in high performance computing, mobile communications, sensors for autonomous drive and industry 4.0.
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The position of OSAT’s in this industry becomes threatened by IDM’s and foundries which shifted part of their development resources to move from traditionally frontend-oriented businesses to penetrating the packaging space. Prominent examples for this trend is the engagement of TMSC with their INFO and CoWoS® platforms and Intel with its embedded multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) to facilitate die-to-die connections using tiny silicon bridges embedded in the packaged substrate.
As we rise from the pandemic which taught us the vulnerabilities of supply chain and wrestle with geopolitics, the Chips Act and “Reshoring,” is shaping a path for further integration of trusted suppliers for the US Government. Although we are strong with design, it is our ecosystem in advanced packaging, substrate and PCB where there is no overlap, rather gaps in knowledge, equipment and human capital to serve the advanced microelectronic industry.
Between Government, Academia and Industry, with a renewed spirit back toward vertical integration over outsourcing and the Fed Ex flow model, the industry has a path for future growth. It takes time to gain back what once was, but our efforts should not waiver.
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Oh. . .
. . . and a little check always helps.
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PRINTED ELECTRONICS INKS & PASTES,
SUBSTRATES & FILMS
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Kevin Miller Can See it!
PE Industry Veteran Robert Waldrop Joins Insulectro
JULY 2023
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Printed electronics expert Robert Waldrop has recently joined the Insulectro team!
He’s been consulting for Insulectro on an as-needed basis since he retired three years ago from DuPont Microcircuit Materials (now Celanese MicroMax™).
Robert spent 35 years with DuPont, working hands-on with materials, processing technology and applications. He’ll be working with the Insulectro team and its customers on existing and new applications to help stretch the boundaries of printed electronics.
With materials that range in application and use temperature from room temperature up to 950 C, there’s a lot to discuss. Let’s get started !
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The Celanese Micromax® team which manufactures a portfolio of Conductive Inks announced the launch of nine new product grades for the printed electronics market. The new products Micromax® Conductive Inks developed included the PE800 series of products for consumer electronic applications such as touch sensors, busbars and EMI shielding. Additionally, the new HT series is formulated to meet customer needs for electronic inks in high temperature applications."
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We look forward to supporting your future needs and material requirements. All customers have access to our custom converting services plus rapid delivery and as well as our in-house technical assistance.
Please call Insulectro at 1-855-955-0200 with any questions regarding these product offerings or visit our E-Commerce site at https://insulectro-pe.com/.
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The People Behind the Puma
Lindsey Atherton
Operations Manager, Twin Cities
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PERSONAL COMMENT:
While going to school full time to pursue a double major in Corporate Communication and Public Relations, I also worked full time as an Operations Lead at Academy Sports and Outdoors.
My 7 years there were nothing short of amazing. My focus within the company was the administration of business practices and processes to enhance efficiency and maximize profit. Not only did I work with my manager on day-to-day needs, but I also got to put my planning skills to use.
I got to plan multiple events with my team on ways to bring more foot traffic into our store. While leaving was difficult, I've been so happy to be apart of the Insulectro team and being given the opportunity to put my skills to work.
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Meet Lindsey, her husband says she's unique.
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What foods do you crave or sneak?
Grippo’s Cheese Nibs – sadly discontinued.
OR
Flaming Hot BBQ lays with sour cream.
If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a room, what would you choose and why?
“One Foot In Front Of The Other” – Walk the Moon
What were your best subjects in school?
History
Any nicknames we should know about?
Growing up, my mom called me Ladybug, or just Linz for short.
What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you?
My husband says everything I do is embarrassing.
What’s something on your “bucket list”?
There is a town called Atherton in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Manchester, England. From what I’ve learned, a lot of my grandfather’s family originated from the area. One day, the plan is to visit and take in the history.
What advice would you give to your previous boss if you could?
Make sure your constructive feedback is actually constructive.
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What’s the most embarrassing gift you have ever received?
When I was in my teens, my family found an old Big Mouth Billy Bass and gave it to me for my birthday. If you don’t know what a Billy Bass is, it’s the bass fish mounted on a board, its head moves and sings the song “ Take Me To The River.”
What advice do you have for new employees?
Don’t be afraid to speak up/participate. Sometimes the best ideas come from a fresh perspective.
Describe your job as if you were speaking to a five-year-old child.
My company makes pieces that go into technology, like tv or phone.
Do you consider yourself lucky? Why or why not?
No, there isn’t a real reason behind it. Just never considered myself to be a lucky person.
Tell us something no one at work knows about you?
If I could be anyone out of the DC universe it would be Harley Quinn.
What’s the one-word people who know you best, outside of work, would use to describe you?
My husband says unique.
What is the funniest thing that happened to you recently?
Probably the other night when I decided to play with the dogs and one decided to take a sock I had on and run with it. My other dog then joined in and they played keep away from Lindsey. The sock ended up ripped.
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If you had a time machine, would you travel to the future or back to the past? To what time?
Past: 1920’s. The style, the music, the dances, and the speakeasies. It is also when movies and sports became popular in the US.
What's your favorite sports team and why?
New York Yankees – My dad is a Reds fan and for some reason as a child I just refused to like them as well. So, when I was 8 or 9 years old, I went with the Yankees, and it has stuck ever since.
What's in your fridge right now?
An abundance of wine and beer, pizza, fruit, sandwich meats, cheese, and chicken that need to be cooked.
Beer? Wine? Cocktail?
WINE – all the way.
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What actor would play you in a movie about your life? What would it be called?
Margot Robbie starring as Lindsey in Chaos - the movie.
What would the title of your biography be?
Organized Chaos – Goes with my movie name.
My husband calls me the cat herder – what seems impossible; like herding cats, I can get done through organized chaos.
Which three famous people would you invite to a dinner party?
Living or dead?
If living: Robert Downey JR, Stephen King, Rick Riordan
If Dead: Robin Williams, J. R. R. Tolkien, Galileo
Top three together: J.R.R. Tolkien, RDJ, and Stephen King.
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If you reincarnated as an animal, what would you be and how would you feel about it?
Dog, specifically a husky, or a great dane. Actually, just being a dog spoiled by a family, in general, would make me happy.
What would your slogan be if you were a brand?
That’s my credo – it’s actually a big inside joke between my family.
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What is your proudest achievement outside of your career?
Being the first to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree and raising the most independent 11-year-old boy out there.
If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want to have?
I would take a magnifying glass to start a fire and to be able to cook, a knife to build shelter, prepare food and protect myself, and a first aid kid in case of an injury.
Last series you binged watched?
Vampire Diaries, but currently on Big Bang Theory for the millionth time.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you? Why?
11+, Honestly, I wouldn’t even know how to describe my weirdness to anyone that hasn’t experienced it first-hand.
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How did you dress in the past that you’re now embarrassed to recall?
HAHAHA, I tried to be an emo kid, with the pencil-straight hair covering part of my face and the thick jet-black eyeliner to the skinny jeans and form-fitting dark shirts. There were also fishnet gloves at times. Yeah… it was a look that I don’t miss. I didn’t dye my hair black though, I loved my blonde back then.
If you could be your team’s top performer but everyone would dislike you, or an average performer but everyone liked you, which would you prefer?
This is a hard one. I am such a people person and enjoy a good conversation, but also want to be a top performer and get things done. In the end, I’d want to be a top performer and have no one like me.
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Insulectro PumaNews™ will write, curate, and publish provocative articles on innovation, vision, and thought leadership in our industry spotlighting people who make a difference.
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Current & Challenged
Meet Jessi Hall
Senior Director for Vertical Integration
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)
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Hello! My name is Jessi Hall. Thanks for this fun opportunity to share a little bit about myself. When I was thinking about how I would describe myself, this is what I landed on: I’m a mom. I have 2 teenagers—a 15-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son.
I’m an engineer (mechanical) and I’m an advocate for women in engineering/STEM fields. I’m currently the Senior Director for Vertical Integration at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) in Pullman, WA.
So, how did I get here? I grew up in central Washington state, I have one sister and am very close with my family. Neither of my parents have a university degree, but they have always made education very important for both my sister and me.
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My sister and I often joke that we were in high school before we realized that you didn’t HAVE to go to college after high school. My parents always spoke about it like it was inevitable.
I’ve always loved anything having to do with math and was quite competitive about schoolwork. That being said, my mom credits my desire to become an engineer to the Odyssey of the Mind coach I had from 5th to 7th grade. He was also a mechanical engineer.
I was a part of a group of girls who competed in problem solving competitions. As a part of these competitions, we had to spec, design, build, and test apparatuses to solve the problem.
I think this experience helped me develop confidence in problem solving, and to understand that that, regardless of experience or age, I could actually build things.
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In 1996, I was accepted into a program at University of Southern California where I had the opportunity to start as a college freshman after my junior year of high school. As I started the program, I chose to major in mechanical engineering because there was a lot of math involved, I like cars, and it seemed like a nice, broad field where I would be able to find a job after graduation. I chose to transfer schools after my sophomore year of college and completed my BS in Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University.
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Upon graduation, my now-husband (also a mechanical engineer) and I moved to Boise where I worked for Micron in their reclamation facility for 7 years.
During my time at Micron, I went back to school and completed an MBA from Boise State University. I chose this degree because I have always been curious about how things work and wanted to learn more about how the different aspects of business work, and I was interested in learning more about leadership and management.
After leaving Micron, I stayed home with my kiddos for 3 ½ years, working as an adjunct professor for Operations Management and Economics classes at Boise State University. In 2011, we decided to move our family back to the Palouse area in Eastern Washington, so my husband could switch careers from engineering to farming on the family farm. At that time, I decided to go back to work full time and started my career at SEL as a Mechanical Engineer supporting the Manufacturing division. I worked in this support group for the first few years at SEL, first as an engineer, then engineering supervisor, then group manager.
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[LEFT: Jessi's first PCB]
After that, I had the opportunity to lead our process engineering, equipment programming, and equipment maintenance teams. After a couple of years in this role, I had the opportunity to lead a project focused on developing, teaching, and ensuring that we had the right quality standards in place for our panel manufacturing facilities.
After about a year in this role, I took on another new role, this time leading the technical teams in the Manufacturing division. And, finally, about three years ago, I had the opportunity to take on my current role, leading our vertical integration teams, including the startup of the new printed circuit board factory in Moscow, Idaho.
Throughout my career, I have spent time working with students, usually young women and girls,in a variety of ways from direct mentoring to participating as a judge at science fairs. There is so much information showing that most students become interested in a STEM field because they know someone in that field – I hope that by volunteering my time in this way I can influence young women to feel more confident that they can choose a STEM career. Additionally, it has been one of my greatest delights to be a leader in SEL’s Women in STEM (WiSTEM) group.
WiSTEM (Women’s Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) was founded in 2019 by a group of dedicated women at SEL with the mission of providing regular and relevant professional development opportunities for women in STEM careers at SEL.
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Our vision is to build an inclusive community of professionals who support, mentor, inspire, and develop each other to reach our potential and achieve our career goals. We welcome anyone who supports the WiSTEM mission, any gender or professional background.
Since we started the group in 2019, we have grown from about 20 members to over 400 globally. WiSTEM hosts monthly professional development meetings, a 6-month mentorship program, book clubs, and hosts outreach events in the community, particularly with our local universities.
There is so much potential in the electronics industry in the US. I believe that we will have the opportunity to continue to grow the US manufacturing industry, and that continuing to focus on bringing more diverse voices to the industry will only make everyone that much stronger.
I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve had in my career that have allowed me to pursue the things I’m most excited about – being a parent, engineering, leadership, and being an advocate for women in STEM fields. I feel very fortunate to work in such a critical and exciting environment and look forward to being a part of the next developments in the US-based electronics industry!
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Mark Williams
Field Application Engineer, Midwest
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Meet Mark Williams our new Midwest Field Application Engineer (FAE). Mark has a background in chemistry, lab, and drilling. He is excited to learn new products and processes and be part of the Insulectro team.
Mark has worked as a process engineer with skills in equipment installation, process documentation, and training. He has also worked on integrating automation equipment with current processes in place at a board shop.
Mark had an interesting military career where he used his skills in chemistry, biology, and administration. He also speaks, writes, and reads fluent Russian.
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Richard Ledesma
Controller
Richard Ledesma joins the Finance Team at Insulectro as Controller. Richard has an extensive manufacturing and cost accounting background working for different sized companies, like Hitachi, Johnson & Johnson, and Kraft Foods.
His reaction to becoming a Puma: “I have never felt so welcomed by so many! I’m looking forward to working and collaborating with everyone I’ve met and will meet in the future. Happy to be part of the team!”
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OPERATIONS & SUPPLY CHAIN
WORLD-CLASS MANUFACTURING
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WCM: Employee Involvement
Growing Our Leaders Through Training & Development
JULY 2023
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DATELINE: Lake Forest, CA |
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The foundational tenet of World Class Manufacturing is Employee Involvement. People are ALWAYS the most valuable resource we have.
At Insulectro, our Core Beliefs have always been centered around people. These beliefs include Putting Safety First, Building Trust, Leading Healthy Lives, Having Fun, and Treating Teammates Like Family. ALL are focused on our people, and we understand how vital they are to both our culture and our ongoing success.
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Additionally, an extremely important Core Belief we have is “Always Learning”. Our business is complex and there is much to be understood by all Teammates to “Get Stuff Done” with excellence every day. Our desire is to equip our people to understand our business well, through on-boarding training that involves working in fabrication and warehouse operations and attending technical product overview presentations.
Beyond knowledge of our business, we also want to ensure we are honing the leadership and management skills of our Teammates, so they are better able to problem-solve and make the best decisions in their day-to-day standard work. Coming into 2023, our Leadership Team knew we had an opportunity to improve our approach to talent development for our people.
Dawn Kazoleas, VP of Human Resources, used her strong network of ongoing education professionals to identify a partner in Saddleback College, here in Orange County, to assist us on this journey. She first coordinated a basic leadership training workshop for our National Strategic Operations Meeting that we held back in January of this year. Dawn then structured specific coursework for our emerging leaders within various functional areas to go deeper with learning these management techniques, and to hone their skills and contributions to the organization going forward.
The coursework is a 3-part training series focused on communication, development, and motivation. We just celebrated with the first 18 teammates who completed Series I: Communication, this month. This fall, our next 20 participants will begin the same training.
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For our individual contributors and technical Teammates, we are also building a course list with curriculum to help address their individual growth needs. We are encouraging our entire organization to share specific areas they would like to improve or learn in their current job with their supervisor/manager, so the Human Resources Team can be sure to better structure the overall ongoing training plan.
Congratulations to our first round “graduates” of the Communication Skills training! We look forward to celebrating the next round of participants completing the coursework later this year!
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Only through your daily focus and GSD attitude do we help live out our corporate purpose of “Enabling Our Customers To Build Better Circuits, Faster."
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Twins Cities Branch Operations Manager Retires
Dino Lucchesi Looks Forward to Family-time & Fishing
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After 8 years with Insulectro and over 37 years of dedicated service to the PCB business, Dino Lucchesi has announced his retirement.
Prior to Dino’s PCB career he served 3 years in Germany as a Field Artillery Soldier in the US Army. While serving, Dino’s unit received multiple commendations and calls to service above and beyond normal duty as a result of exemplary performance.
Dino has represented Insulectro with excellence during his tenure with us. The facility in Eden Prairie has always set the bar for cleanliness and housekeeping on his watch. He’s been a valued steward of our building there, always going the extra mile to ensure all systems are in working order, fostering very healthy tenant relations.
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He’s also formed lasting relationships with our customers, suppliers, and freight partners at the branch that have bolstered our reputation as a preferred source for PCB materials distribution in the upper Midwest.
In addition to overseeing the Eden Prairie operation, Dino also has taken on many projects during his time with Insulectro.
These include oversight of the Cary Warehouse inventory management in Bloomingdale, IL and the vetting process of Insulectro’s equipment maintenance management program.
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Well known for his high attention to detail and process compliance, Dino boasts a perfect accuracy record during his time with Insulectro with zero NCRs in his 8 years as Ops. Manager.
Lindsey Atherton, Eden Prairie’s incoming Ops manager had this to say: “It’s very clear why Dino has run such a great operation here in Eden Prairie the past 8 years, he is so knowledgeable about all aspects of our business and exemplifies a “GSD” approach in everything he does.”
Joe Harbour, Director of Operations for the East and Midwest shared his thoughts: “Working with Dino the past 18 months has been a pleasure; his business knowledge, 'GSD' mentality, and constant focus on driving results to meet business needs has ensured our customers in the Eden Prairie area always received the highest level of service."
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Dino’s last day with Insulectro is July 28th and he plans to spend time “Recharging his battery” by doing lots of fishing, visiting with family, and enjoying his other hobbies.
The entire Insulectro family wishes Dino a happy and healthy retirement and a heart felt thank you for his many years of GSDing! Thank you, Dino!
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And thanks to everyone for another remarkable month.
Jason Shuppert
Vice President of Operations
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INSULECTRO'S COPPER & COPPER FOIL OFFERINGS |
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Copper Complexity & Clarification.
Not All Copper Foils Are Created Equal
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Copper Foil is a Technology Enabler. . .
Selection Is key!
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JX Nippon Mining and Metals Corp is now known as JX Metals Corp.
This change in name only highlights their focus on technology, with increased concentration on production capacity of advanced materials such as sputtering target for semiconductors, treated rolled copper foils and high functionality copper alloy strip as examples.
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Another example of JX Metals dedication is their Electro-Deposited foil type, JTCS-P1 – Grade 3, Arsenic free. Matte side treated meeting the VERY LOW PROFILE to support ultra HDI designs.
Available in a range of thicknesses, stocked in California in both 9µm and 18µm.
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The technical summary here shows the adoption and differences in roughness measurement between IPC and JIS test methods.
The difference between the two being the method of measurement, IPC being none-contact VS JIS being contact profilometer.
The test method is evolving to use a smaller stylus tip (2µm) due to the smoother copper dendrite profile.
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Additional questions, please reach out.
Visit our website (https://insulectro.com/jx-metals/) for more information on this and other JX Metals foil options along with technical data sheets and white pages supporting our entire range.
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Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil, CAC® & Pacothane®
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James Hofer: Using a Full Range of Products?
"Are You Still Over-materializing?"
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Reprinted with permission from I-Connect007 and James Hofer, General Manager of Accurate Circuit Engineering. Originally published June 29, 2023 in PCB Design Magazine. James is interviewed by Barry Matties.
During the recent IEEE IMS2023 Exhibition in San Diego, we caught up with James Hofer, general manager of Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE). The company is a prototype manufacturer of bare printed circuit boards that specializes in high-mix, low volume with an emphasis on RF, microwave, and antennas. A few years ago, we talked to James about the over-materialization of boards. In this recent discussion, we wanted to know if anything has changed regarding materials and approach. James also shares his thoughts on the changes in the design community.
Barry Matties: We're here at the microwave show, speaking with James Hofer. What does a show like this do in terms of helping you look at market trends?
James Hofer: This show is important not only because of the attendees but the exhibitors as well. I can walk the show floor, see what the exhibitors have, and their marketing direction. That helps us keep abreast of the changes in market technology and direction so that we can stay abreast of those.
Matties: You and I had done an interview regarding materials a few years ago on over-materializing, and you use a full range of materials in your shop. Talk about materials and what people should be thinking about right now.
Hofer: In RF, microwave, and antennas, you have your RX and TX layers, which are your receivers and transmitters. That’s where you sometimes need your more costly dielectrics, those that are more effective in that application. However, there are other layers, for example, in an antenna. Your feed layers are just directing the power to your antenna, your receiver, or your transmitter.
Those layers can typically use a more cost-effective material. We don’t have issues using different materials working together in the same build. We’ve always been focused on doing hybrid stackups, which puts the expensive material where you need it and the more cost-effective material where you need it.
We work with our customers to weed out costs from the board because, let's face it, if you want good performance you have to pay for it. Reducing costs where you can makes good sense. Why pay for a race car if you're only driving from stoplight to stoplight?
Matties: What do the designers need to know or why are they missing it?
Hofer: I've seen many engineers want their build to be bulletproof so they look for the absolute best performance materials they can get. They tend to look at this as, “If I change a material here or there, it may affect my performance.”
In the current market, being the best performing, and the first one out is critical to almost everybody. It's your manufacturer’s job—our job—to help ease your concerns and show you that with data you don't have to overbuild. As an engineer, you just want to make it bulletproof. What you really need is to get the job done so that it lasts and performs well, but it doesn't have to necessarily be over-modeled right now.
Matties: Materials and density have changed a lot in the last handful of years. How is that affecting your business and what kind of technologies do you have to bring to match?
Hofer: Density is definitely an issue. We have been continuing to reduce line width, spacing, radius, hole size, and drill spans—there's just a plethora of technology emerging every day. I've looked at some alternative technologies, but unfortunately, they're not proven yet. However, we are keeping a keen eye on developments and technology. AI is strongly emerging in the software universe, we are poised and ready when it enters the hardware side. . .
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Hot of the Press!
From American Standard Circuits & I-Connect007
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Get your free download by clicking below. |
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Get to Know
Industrial Brush Corporation
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Industrial Brush Corporation (IBC) is a privately held corporation with locations in Saint George, Utah and Lakeland, Florida. IBC was founded by Lloyd Jones in 1947.
IBC's roots can be traced back even further to Pioneer Brush, founded in 1896 before IBC eventually acquired this company. IBC specializes in the design and manufacture of brushes for industry. They have the application experience and manufacturing capability to provide the proper brush for virtually every brush application.
IBC's products are used in thousands of applications touching nearly every industry. Most of our brushes are power-driven and are used to sweep, wipe, seal, transfer, meter, cushion, contain, scrub, spread, convey, sort, clean, wash, dry, wax, polish, peel, harvest, package, guide or glue a myriad of different products.
Insulectro distributes IBC products designed for the PCB market.
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Circuit Board Brushes
Circuit board brushes feature aluminum construction for maximum durability without excess weight. The spiral-wound design permanently locks brush filaments into a channel to prevent filament loss. Brushes are precision trimmed to maintain uniform surface finishes. To meet the increasing surface preparation requirements of the PCB industry, IBC offers the complete range of impregnated nylon filament in grit sizes from 180 to 500.
Bristle for Deburring
Brushes with grits of 180, 240 and 320 quickly and effectively remove drilled hole burrs. The self-cleaning action of these brushes preserves the integrity of the hole.
Bristle for Scrubbing
Brushes with grits of 320, 500 and 600 are ideal for heavy scrubbing and cleaning. Typical applications include copper scrubbing, tin lead cleaning, oxidation removal, and surface preparation for resist adhesion.
Light-Duty Cleaning
Non-abrasive nylon filament brushes are available for light-duty or final cleaning.
Non-Woven Abrasive Wheels
Non-woven abrasive circuit board wheels ensure the most effective PCB processing results. Abrasive material is carefully applied to a corrosion-resistant core with high tolerances to achieve optimal rotational balance. Plastic wrapping of the wheels prevents contamination during handling and installation.
Compressed Disk for Light Duty Processing
These abrasive discs, with uniform grit distribution, are tightly compressed onto a corrosion resistant core. Rigid edges facilitate full width and uniform cleaning action for ideal surface preparation and reduction of wear on backup rollers. A full range of grit sizes is available for applications such as light copper scrubbing, oxidation removal and preparation for proper resist adhesion.
Pumice Scrubber Brushes
Pumice scrubber brushes are manufactured with precision-trimmed, fine-diameter nylon filament to ensure even and consistent brushing action. For fine line circuitry, optimum surface preparation can be achieved even on thin inner layers.
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Series 430 Hybrid Drill Line
High-Strength, Precise Hole Location, & Superior Hole Wall Quality
Use a Tool Designed for Your Success!
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Kyocera has remained committed to the North American PCB market and is proudly distributed by Insulectro. With state-of-the-art equipment in their Orange, CA manufacturing facility and joint R&D laboratory in Lake Forest, CA we are well positioned to support all your drilling and fabrication needs.
This month we highlight Kyocera’s series 430 hybrid drill line.
Kyocera Series 430 Hybrid Drill
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Kyocera’s commitment to continuous product improvements, particularly when faced with new PCB applications and materials, has resulted in their newest series 430. The hybrid drill design demonstrates high strength, longer endurance, precise drilled hole location, and superior hole wall quality.
Benchmark testing against competitor’s tool resulted in superior hole location accuracy, as well as increased tool strength and hit counts.
Insulectro offers the Series 430 drill line in a wide range of diameters and flute lengths. In conjunction with Kyocera, we are committed to offering our customers the lowest cost drill solutions without compromising on quality.
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Contact your Insulectro representative for more information details! |
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Along with our industry leading backer and entry products from LCOA™, Insulectro has what you need to build better boards faster.
Please contact me for additional information, technical support, or process related questions. Our Insulectro team looks forward to assisting in you!
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Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - Kyocera Precision Cutting Tools
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Chris Hunrath on Future Tech
Polyimide PCBs & the Importance of CTE Control
JULY 2023
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Many of us are all too aware that PCB dielectrics expand when heated, especially when compared to copper. This thermal expansion if excessive can cause circuit failures.
It is, however, important to remember that most thermoset resins lose volume during the cure (crosslinking) process.
This is one of the reasons (along with glass fabric stress) we expand circuit images prior to lamination.
When looking at “neat resin” (resin without glass fabric and fillers), many polyimides will shrink more than epoxy. This can be a very important consideration when making multilayer PCB’s, especially with copper power and ground planes that exceed 35 microns (1.0 oz) in thickness.
The glass fabric from the polyimide prepreg tends to “tent” the openings in the copper planes or circuits and you are left with just the resin as fill. If this opening is large enough, the resin will lose too much volume during cure it can lead to ‘eyebrow” cracks.
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One solution is to add filler to the resin. This has become very common in materials in the PCB industry. Not only does this help with volume loss during cure, but it lowers the CTE during heating putting less stress on the vias and improving reliability.
When adding fillers, careful consideration of the type, size and effect on the system is critical. Too much, the wrong size or the wrong type can cause unexpected issues. Done correctly, the result is a robust system for both Fab and Assembly.
Neat (no glass fabric or fillers) epoxy resin CTE can be as high as 150 ppm/°C below the Tg (or alpha 1). Polyimide is quite a bit lower in the 25 to 50 ppm range depending on the catalyst system, but because it can shrink more during cure, the fillers can make all the difference in multilayer fabrication (Lamination).
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In summary, filled Polyimide resin systems offer both greater success in fabrication and higher reliability at assembly. Because of its inherent thermal stability, Polyimide is still used for high reliability PCBs in Aerospace, Test and Military applications.
I look forward to lively discussions on this subject and other subjects with my colleagues and friends in the industry.
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Chris Hunrath
Vice President of Technology
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Let us assist in organizing and boosting the efficency and performance of your lamination room while also reducing the energy costs in this area as well! |
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Let the performance and power savings begin!!
When it comes to high technology and the importance of controlling heat and pressure through the stack for resin flow, there is none other than the InduBond® XPress Induction Press.
Track your every move and what your press cycle is doing in real time!
Endless recipes for any material configuration including high temperature and pressure capabilities for all your hi-tech materials which includes being able to run two different materials at the same time in the two-opening press.
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Let us assist in organizing and boosting the efficency and performance of your lamination room while also reducing the energy costs in this area as well!
InduBond® can provide the equipment needed throughout your lamination department.
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Diverter- to sort and build your layer sequence according to the job number.
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CDR – A 20 drawer auto sorting cabinet to accumulate all materials in your stack up and distribute in sequence for layup.
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230N – Two drawer bonding unit with 4 to 6 bonding heads.
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Lay up and breakdown stations - To handle caul and separator plates.
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XPress 360 – One and Two opening induction press that provides precise heat distribution throughout the complete stack through the Stainless steel separator plates or Insulectro's CSC product for increasing your stack height and throughput.
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Loaders/Unloaders – These will be able to handle the separator plates to load and off load out of your plate scrubber.
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When it comes to high technology and the importance of controlling heat and pressure through the stack for resin flow, there is none other than the InduBond® XPress ….induction press.
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Universal PCB EQUIPMENT CO, LTD |
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The Insulectro and ETI team on site for the UCE Etch/Strip Line installation at FTG Aerospace!
Insulectro’s Patrick Redfern (President & CEO) and Pancho Castillo (Account Manager) on site as well to see the expertise of the ETI Service Team (Ruben Zambrano & Mike Engle) and the quality that UCE delivers through every line built.
Next up………a UCE Cupric DES Line Installation at a one of our major customers with another one on the water!
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We have the machine to fit your needs with a proven track record of quality, performance and durability!
Lines include:
- Plating lines
- DES – With Hyper Etch Technology
- SES – With Hyper Etch Technology
- Immersion Silver/Tin
- OSP
- Desmear/PTH
- Scrubbing lines – Debur/Pumice/Jet
- Handling equipment
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We will also work with your current chemistry supplier and set up any UCE line to their specification! |
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We have over 40 installations completed in the United States and Canada alone. Our service team is at your disposal, used and new equipment!
An example of equipment manufacturers we service:
WISE / CHEMCUT / SCHMID / I.S. / IPS / DYNACHEM / DUPONT Laminator Retro-fits / TMP Presses / HAKUTO / PLASMA ETCH / INDUBOND® / UCE
- Emergency Service
- Preventative Maintenance
- Installations
- Rebuilds
- Retro-fits
- Troubleshooting
- Training
- Spare parts
- Brushes
Please reach out should you like to discuss our equipment offerings further. Thank you.
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Jon Pelletier
President, Equipment Technologies
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Kevin Barrett,
Product Manager - Equipment
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Soldermask Adhesion Promoter
MASKbond EM-2800: Eliminate Pumice Scrubbing for Soldermask Prep
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MASKbond is sulfuric peroxide etch that creates a uniform surface with the ideal topography for soldermask adhesion. Pumice scrub surfaces lack uniformity and change throughout the life of the brushes and the pumice. Micro etches increase surface area for maximum soldermask adhesion, which is critical with today’s small features.
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If you any questions, please contact Jeff Johnson at 720-260-3696
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Jeff Johnson
Product Manager - Dry Film/Chemistry/Paste & FAE
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During a recent trip to Waco, TX I saw this banner. I had never seen this quote from Babe Ruth before.
How many futures in life we do we miss out on because we are afraid of failure. Also I think of all the inventions and processes we would not have if we let failure stop us? How many times did Edison fail at the lightbulb?
Why do we let this stand in the way of doing what we want to do or where we want to move next in life?
First, I believe there is an irrational channel. My example of this are golfers on a hole that plays over water. I have seen fear grip people to the extent they don’t even want to play the hole. When they do hit the ball, it seems they almost will the ball into the water because they are just resigned it will happen. The life consequence is only a lost golf ball but it seems they think it will physically hurt to hit it in the water.
Second, there is fear of consequences. This can be peer pressure, job performance, or even job security. These environments are real, and making mistakes can lead to these consequences. It is freeing to work in an environment where mistakes are understood to be part of learning and developing new products, etc.
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If we waited for every situation, process, or product to be perfect before we proceeded we would never move. Recently SpaceX launched their new, unmanned Starship rocket. It self-destructed within minutes of launch due to engine and guidance failures.
Was it a failure?
Apparently not to SpaceX as it seems they learned much from the launch that they would not have known without it.
Some of us believe status quo is safe. If we never get up to bat then we won’t fail. But life changes whether we notice it or not. If you never get up to bat, isn’t that the same as striking out?
It doesn’t mean we should blindly move forward and let fate determine our success or failure. I picture Babe Ruth had tremendous natural ability at baseball. I would be the opposite of that. For me, whether baseball or printed circuit boards, I would prepare to face the challenge with education, practice, and hopefully wisdom, giving me the best chance of success and enjoyment of the game. Then, if failure entered the picture I could accept it and learn from it.
I purchased that banner to hang in my office. I need this reminder in my life. I hope you have a work environment that inspires and encourages you. If you are in a position to do so, encourage others to not miss out on the game just because of the words, “STRIKE THREE!"
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Ed Kneller
Technical Account Manager - Midwest
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Purchase Online!
Insulectro Printed Electronics Emphasizes Technology Solutions for Its Business
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Insulectro proudly utilizes Salesforce.com and our e-commerce site to grow its business and create new opportunities.
Salesforce.com is used by Insulectro to manage leads, tasks, contacts, and of course opportunities. By using Salesforce as Insulectro’s CRM database, we’re able to give our team a single place to manage and view new and old business opportunities.
Kathy Linares, our VP of Information Technology, has implemented new ways for Insulectro to utilize and get the most from Salesforce. With her continuous help and hard work, Insulectro is preparing to roll out a new procedure to help continue to grow Insulectro Salesforce use and along with it, our business.
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About three years ago, Insulectro opened our new Printed Electronics e-commerce website page. This site gives Insulectro customers, new or old, the opportunity to browse our selection of Printed Electronics materials and with just a few clicks of the mouse, give customers the ability to see immediate pricing, volume discounts, and all costs associated with their order. Plus they can order online.
Over the last three years, we have seen the e-commerce site bring in new customers as well as being used by current customers to place their orders quicker. When a customer orders through the e-commerce site, we’re able to see the types of products they are ordering and contact them for additional opportunities they may not be aware of without speaking with somebody.
Giving our customers the choice of ordering online as well as having direct contact to one of our ISMs or TAMs has proven to be beneficial in these first few years and we look forward to the future of e-commerce and Insulectro.
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Maja Stupar
Inside Sales Manager
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Listen to Dain: "FLEX-able Offerings"
Find DuPont™ Pyralux® Now on Insulectro.com
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Looking to design or plan your next flex or rigid flex PCB?
Pyralux® items are now available on the Insulectro website under PumaFast™.
These items are readily available and stocked for purchase through Insulectro.
Offerings include a variety of flex materials, thicknesses, and copper weights. With everything you need from coverlay to flexible copper clad laminates (FCCL) and everything in-between.
Don’t see a bondply or coverlay that meets your adhesive requirements? No problem!
You can always create the dielectric gap you need by combining Pyralux® coverlay or bondply with Pyralux® sheets adhesives, all available through the Insulectro PumaFast™ program. Stop by the PumaFast™ portion of our website today to see all our available flexible and rigid laminates.
Click the link below! Insulectro also offers many other flex and rigid materials. Ask your TAM about Compass Portal where you can see live inventory, place, and track orders, and more.
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Dain Hertsgaard
Product Manager, DuPont Flex Laminates
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Speed Matters!
Need Something? Call us!
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June was a solid month for the southern California branch.
It wasn’t crazy busy but it didn’t drop from the run rate of the previous couple of months. Things have remained stable after coming off of some highs in the first quarter. We’re still hearing from some that there’s an expectation of slowing down through the end of the year.
However, there are some customers who are completely booked and will remain so through the end the of the year. So it’s a mixed bag of outlooks.
We continue to keep our heads down checking in daily and weekly with our customers to help make sure everything is running smoothly. Our technical support team is at full strength and busy.
I hope our customers don’t hesitate calling us when they need support on something.
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Sean Redfern
Technical Account Manager
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@Mike Creeden
The Unseen Contribution to OEM Product Success
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Most of circuit electricity is unseen within the circuit laminate.
Circuit product performance success does not occur in the schematic, the traces, or the fabrication process, rather it occurs in the dielectric laminates between any voltage and ground. It is at the sub/atomic level traveling at light speed and below. It is protons, neutrons, and electrons that have interacted to create electrical energy. Thunderstorms are perfect examples of this process. We harness and control it in our circuits. Lightning occurs at the speed of light within the dielectric constant of air at 1.0 Dk, while it occurs within our circuits at a sub-set of the speed of light within the dielectric constant of laminate material at 3.0 Dk.
In the US electronics’ market, we all build in different volumes. Smaller volume runs are the most common so cost vs. performance is often inconsequential, performance should win this decision. With circuit performance levels achieving new heights every year the idea of using the more inexpensive types of laminates is extremely self-defeating and it goes unnoticed in the unseen world of electricity.
When someone is making a cost saving decision about laminate material to be used on a circuit board that does not understand the circuit performance requirements of this particular circuit, they are making the self-defeating decision mentioned earlier. This decision will not be clearly identifiable as the source for poor circuit performance, lower producibility, low reliability, or worst case, product failure can occur.
I recently had the opportunity to teach a seminar on material selection at a leading OEM of advanced products used in several industry sectors. I will not name this OEM because others sometimes make inaccurate judgements based on incomplete information.
This company is to be applauded because they were doing what is a recipe for success, they’re always learning! They questioned the selections and practices that they have been using for a long time. After all, “If it’s not broken don’t fix it,” right? No, wrong! It becomes defective because yesterday’s solutions often don’t work with ever advancing electronics. We looked at using spread-weave high-speed and RF rigid laminates with low profile copper, Ormet® sintering via paste for advanced drilling requirements, and adhesiveless flex solution to replace wire harnesses. These discussions produced significant upgrades to their hardware development.
To the OEM, I encourage you to investigate data sheets or talk to material suppliers to comprehend the best material choices, make the correct performance material selections, prepare to pay the slight cost adder that will be required and lastly work with your fabricator early in the development cycle to insure they have these materials in stock and are tooled to process it correctly.
To the fabricator, I understand you’re in a very competitive situation and material cost are a factor in your approach to offer a competitive quote. However, if you sacrifice the performance perspective you are not best serving the OEM’s long term needs. I encourage you to partner in their success! The best customer is a repeat customer. As I wrote in my June article, when you see an IPC-4101 slash sheet listed on the print, I encourage you to have the OEM take a closer look because the most cost effective slash sheet is probably the worst performing for their circuit. Again, partner in their success!
With so many of the experienced layout staff retiring from the industry, the responsibility of performing the layout and creating circuit board tooling is transitioning to EEs who have very little layout knowledge and experience. The method used to select laminate materials is often neglected, glossed over, or rubber stamped when layout documentation is generated. It is neglected and added at the very end of the development cycle because of the demands of late schedules. It may be glossed over when someone does not understand the significance the laminate material plays in both the manufacturability and the performance of the circuit. The rubber stamping phenomena occurs when someone just accepts the materials used on a past build of another circuit.
Often when a designer makes a correct material decision, and the circuit works well, they will continue to make similar selections in the future, and it will keep showing up on the print. Let’s all strive to be a part of their continued success!
As we present our products and services to you and your company, we want you to know Insulectro’s Design Education Program is 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.
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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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Reminding you to make technically appropriate material decisions and to get the best use of the best material.
Mike Creeden CID+ MIT
Technical Director, Insulectro Design & Education
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Welcome to the July Edition of
Insulectro PumaNews™ Magazine - East Coast Edition
Bob Dylan: And the First One Now will Later Be Last, For the Times They are A-changin'
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My article this month is focused on change.
One definition of change is to replace (something) with something else, especially something that is newer or better. Change is a good thing.
Change provides opportunities that could not have been realized otherwise. Change provides a higher vista for which to see what can be rather than what was.
It’s been said that people don’t like change. Insulectro is not afraid of change, in fact, we know that change is a necessity to move forward and grow.
It is also said that if your not growing, your dying!
The East Coast embraces change and looks forward to a better future for Insulectro and for our customers.
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Ron Murdock
Director of Sales - Eastern Region/ Canada
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Here we go again!
5G Is Setting the Stage for 6G
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by Fandy Wei, Senior Director, OEM Marketing in Asia, Isola Group
It seems like only yesterday, but Fifth Generation (5G) cellular networks have been making wireless connections for almost four years.
Already, some of the major carriers and test-equipment developers are looking ahead to around 2029 or 2030 and the expected start of Sixth Generation (6G) networks.
Still, 5G has room for expansion, especially at higher frequencies, and it may be in the design and development of that “upper-frequency half” of 5G networks that much can be learned to prepare for 6G.
The part of the 5G New Radio (NR) standard developed by the international Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) technical standards committee that is so familiar to most 5G users refers to frequency range FR1 from 410 to 7125 MHz and its use of those terrestrial frequency bands has proven efficient and effective.
But the many futuristic features that will set 5G apart from 4G, including blazing data rates and video streaming without delays, will be provided by 5G’s higher FR2 frequency range from 24.25 to 71.00 GHz typically using smaller cells placed closely together to overcome the propagation limits of higher-frequency signals. [click below to read more]
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Norm Berry
Director, Laminates & OEM Marketing
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For Your Cutting Edge HDI Platform
Micro Via Reliability & Your Chemistry
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Micro-vias are the cornerstone of any cutting edge HDI platform. To achieve sufficient yield through assembly and highly-reliable product, a well formed and plated micro-via is a must. DuPont’s current electroless copper Circuposit™ 3000 MVR series line offers the ability accomplish these goals.
With decades of experience, DuPont’s electroless copper line is well understood and documented in order to achieve reliable triple or 5-stack micro-vias.
To find our how, just reach out! Insulectro’s deep knowledge of laminates partnered with DuPont’s scientific prowess can help you put together the perfect process to nail Micro-via reliability. With low voiding potential and the perfect deposit for copper re-crystallization, the DuPont C3000 MVR chemistry is the best choice for next generation HDI.
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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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Ed Kneller
Product Manager, DuPont Chemistry
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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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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.
Featuring a unique Kapton Polyimide and Fluoropolymer film base double-sided dielectric offered as a clad laminate or bondply. Ideal for RF designs.
Embedded resistance double sided laminate
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Dain Hertsgaard
Flex Product Manager
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TRIPAK!
New Technical bulletin Covering Rigid Press Stack Builds Now Available Online
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PACOTHANE TECHNOLOGIES is the world's leading manufacturer of products to enhance and assist the production and quality assurance process for the lamination and manufacture of printed circuit boards [PCB].
Press stack preparation is critical to achieving effective resin flow, managing high and low panel topography, mitigate contamination which can cause opens and shorts all in an environment that ranges between 380 °F and 600 °F.
Insert a new operator or an engineer that is unfamiliar with the lamination room along with quick turn jobs it leaves little room for error. Th bulletin will aid in a refresh or new engineers.
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PACOTHANE’s high tech TRIPAK (PACOTHERM) combines release film and pad in one!
Handling simplicity, single-ply TRIPAK with a 3-ply construction with release film exterior.
Available in two thickness .035” & .055”.
Rated at 475 °F / 246 °C for up to 4 hours.
40% compression for pressure distribution.
ADVANTAGES:
- Excellent Pressure Equalization: TRIPAK is designed to be soft and compressible to accommodate and equalize macro-pressure imbalance across the entire panel surface.
- Control of Heat Rise: TRIPAK is specifically engineered with extremely tight weight, thickness, and moisture parameters to guarantee repeatable Heat Rise profiles through multiple press cycles.
- Low Operating Cost: TRIPAK saves costs by reducing lay-up time and inventory cost as it can be reused depending on handling conditions unlike Kraft paper, Silicone Rubber, or other commodity Press Pads.
- Static-free and essentially fiber-free (cellulose fibers are "sealed" in between the two layers of PACOTHANE® release film supporting both operator and F.O.D control.
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PACOTHANE TECHNOLOGIES®
Proudly Produced in the USA
with American Labor and American Materials!
For more information on Pacothane and their products please reach out to me. For any additional information on DuPont™ laminates, please connect with Dain Hertsgaard, Product Manager for DuPont Flex Laminates dhertsgaard@insulectro.com, and Ed Kneller, Product Manager for DuPont Chemistry ekneller@insulectro.com.
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Mark Satchwell
Product Manager - Pacothane® Products & Copper Foil
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Just revised! Ask me for Pacothane® Product Sample Guide. |
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Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - LCOA®
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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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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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Is trying to “stretch” the most out of your consumables hurting you?
When overusing screen mesh, you gradually reduce the opening in between the threads of the fabric. As these threads receive hit after hit by the edge of the squeegee rubber, the fabric threads “cords” of the mesh will lose their round shape and become flatter and more oval shaped.
This flatness of the thread will begin closing the opening between these woven threads resulting in less ink being displaced across the panel surface. More importantly, you will lose coverage over critical areas where you really need the ink such as at the knee of the trace.
Below are pictures taken with a microscope showing new mesh, and the other on used mesh showing the thread breakdown in the fabric and the reduced openings.
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The startup is easy, and the ROI begins immediately though reduced labor and performance at the machine. We can get you set up whether you have a DP1000,1500, 2500 or 3500. We can provide frames for flatbed printers and hand tables as well.
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“Are you thinking that you’re getting the complete life out of your pumice brushes by using them until the operator can no longer adjust the brushes any further?”
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In many cases, I’ve seen where customers will keep the brushes in the machine until there is no further adjustment left in the mechanical adjustment system.
At this point, the operator usually goes to maintenance at lets them know its time to change brushes, is this what you are experiencing?
The illustration below shows how running your brushes too long could influence the topography results on the surface of the panel.
As the bristles of the brush become shorter and shorter, they lose the ability to flex and drag the pumice particles across the surface of the copper giving optimal surface topography for proper soldermask or dryfilm adhesion.
Instead, the bristles could act as a broom when they become too short and sweep the pumice particles away!
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“Customers are beginning to see the difference in having us assist their maintenance staff in the ever-important preventative maintenance programs needed to uphold an equipment’s performance.” |
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- Are you getting the best performance out of your equipment?
- Is your equipment DOWN more than it is UP?
- Let us lend a hand by assisting your maintenance team.
Remember that we can assist in your equipment needs through the following:
- Emergency Service
- Preventative Maintenance
- Installations
- Rebuilds
- Retro-fits
- Troubleshooting
- Training
- Spare parts
- Brushes
The calls for Preventative Maintenance Programs are increasing as customers understand the benefits this brings to their equipment’s overall performance and up time.
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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
Mike Engle
Field Application Engineer
Cell: 360-749-1756
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Please reach out should you like to discuss any of these topics further.
Thank you.
Kevin Barrett,
Product Manager - Equipment
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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 insulectro.com/puma-fast/, you can see what PumaFast™ and standard materials we stock to get you up and running.
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Stronger than ever!
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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