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ACI hosts Adhesive & Equipment Technology Workshop
Henkel Corporation, a world leader in adhesive and related technologies, invites you to attend an Adhesive & Equipment Technology Workshop on Thursday, March 6, 2008. This event is designed specifically for engineering management and staff, design engineers, process engineers, system engineers, manufacturing engineers, purchasing, and anyone involved with reducing assembly costs and increasing quality.
You will learn how today's advances in adhesive technology will help you cut product costs and improve product quality. Recent innovations in adhesive & dispensing equipment technologies offer a wealth of design flexibility and new methods to consider. Now you can gain a working knowledge of the many options available for adhesive bonding, curing, and dispensing in your assembly.
Registration: Please contact Ken Friedman via phone at 610-362-1200 x279 or via email at kfriedman@aciusa.org, or Linda Messina via phone at 860-571-5311, fax at 860-571-5121 or 610-362-1288, or via email at linda.messina@us.henkel.com by February 29, 2008.
ACI hosts Phila. SMTA Chapter Technical Dinner Meeting 2/26/2008
Please join us at the American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) near the
Philadelphia Airport, for our first 2008 technical meeting and networking
dinner.
Presentation: Counterfeit Components – Introduction & Identification and Parts
Obsolescence Mitigation Strategy
RSVP: You should RSVP by February 25th to attend
Note: If you RSVP, please attend, or cancel if needed; we cater the dinner and
purchase dinners based on RSVP’s.
To RSVP, please click here, or copy and paste the following address into your web browser:
http://www.smta.org/chapters/rsvp.cfm?BEE_ID=1456&BULK_EMAIL_NO=1
ACI hosts Soldering Workshop
In a joint effort between Technical Devices and ACE Production Technologies, ACI is hosting the workshop SOLDERING MACHINES IN ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING. This technology workshop will feature a lecture and demonstration of the Technical Devices NU/ERA wave soldering machine and ACE Production Technologies new K.I.S.S. model selective solder machine.
This event will be held on October 23rd from 10:00 am to approximately 2:00 pm at the ACI offices, conveniently located adjacent to the Philadelphia Airport.
For all those who are interested in attending, RSVP to Ken Friedman. If you have any questions, Ken can be reached at 610-362-1200 x 279 or by email at kfriedman@aciusa.org.
ACI offers 'Counterfeit Component Analysis' testing
In recognition of the growing problem of counterfeit components entering the global supply chain, ACI is putting it’s arsenal of technology to the task of identifying and reporting seemingly counterfeit product. In further recognition of theunique needs of the distribution and manufacturing community, ACI offers analysis of the parts inside two business days.This will allow the customer the time to make any financial or production decisions.
ACI Awarded DAC 'Improved Soldier Connectors' Contract
The objective of the DAC 'Improved Soldier Connectors' Program is to replace stainless steel connectors shells with lower cost and lighter weight connectors for soldier systems.
- Provides needed reduction in weight of components on Soldiers. Currently there are over 10 cables connecting Soldier components to each other and to centralized rechargeable power. Projected soldier weight savings at .45 Lbs. per Land Warrior System.
- Reduces parts cost and time to manufacture for Soldier cables and Soldier equipment (navigation, comms, computer, helmet display, power sources, weapon sensors and controls, etc.).
- Provides direct improvements to future
Soldier fightability, sustainability and lethality.
- Brings needed funding to accelerate advanced material processes to Soldier equipment that would otherwise not exist to get it into the hands of the Soldiers in the field.
ACI welcomes Dage X-Ray, Samsung pick and place and Henkel dispensing systems.
Recently, the demonstration factory of ACI received the XD7600 X-Ray system from Dage. The XD7600 provides large, high resolution X-ray images for failure analysis and other optical inspection requirements. The unit not only provides direct views but oblique angle views up to 70 degrees. The Dage unit displays the image(s) at full 1.3 Mega pixel resolution on screen. This performance is available with the ease of use for which Dage systems have become universally acclaimed making this superior functionality readily available for the most demanding X-ray inspection tasks (www.dageinc.com).
ACI has also received the SM321 high speed pick and place machine from Samsung/Dynatech. This high speed unit has 21,000 components per hour placement capability and can handle components ranging in size from 10 x 5 mils up to the larger components such as BGA’s. A detailed description of the SM321 from Samsung/Dynatech can be found in the June issue of the EMPFasis (www.dynatechsmt.com).
Henkel is our newest EAB partner. They have provided us their robotic dispensing machine. This machine is ideal for dispensing underfill, adhesives and other industrial application chemistry. ACI is proud to welcome Henkel as our newest EAB partner (www.henkel.com).
For more information about the Demonstration Factory at ACI, please contact Ken Friedman kfriedman@aciusa.org.
ACI hosts SMTA Philadelphia Chapter Dinner Meeting
The SMTA Philadelphia Chapter had its first meeting of the year at ACI on March 22, 2007. The meeting featured talks on underfills, as well as a tour of ACI’s factory and labs with the opportunity to speak with equipment experts. The topic for the evening was Component Underfill and Ruggedization for Reliability.
Attendees enjoyed a taste of Philadelphia while having the chance to network and listen to guest speakers. Vinod Mohan from Emerson & Cuming will be speaking about Development of Room Temperature Capillary Underfills for CSP Applications, Ed Briggs from Indium Corporation will be speaking about No-Flow Underfills.
Representatives from Dage, Samsung, Fischer Technology and Orthodyne were hand to demonstrate their equipment.
Dragonfly Pictures Inc. collaborates with engineers at ACI
 Dragonfly Pictures, Inc., a company focusing on supporting homeland defense technology recently collaborated with engineers at ACI to achieve improved reliability and performance for a current project.
The EMPF helpline (610) 362-1320 has an experienced staff of engineers and technicians available to assist in solving manufacturing problems, answer equipment questions, give briefings on the latest processes and materials used in electronics manufacturing, or directions to other sources for problem resolution or support services.
The initial Helpline conversation is free, and may be all that is needed to resolve the problem. The EMPF Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) or. You may also submit your questions via E-mail at helpline@empf.org
ACI conducts electronics manufacturing training for European market leader
PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 6, 2007) – The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI), a scientific research and development corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, conducted electronics manufacturing training for a globally prominent, European market leading producer of printed circuit boards based in Austria. The five day training was a customized manufacturing Boot Camp course addressing manufacturing specific modules that directly relate to the client’s specific needs.
Attendees received a student hand book and associated class materials. Topics covered included the following: Component Identification, Standards and Inspection, Electro Static Discharge and Materials, Lead Free Principles, Hand Soldering, Rework and Hand Soldering Lab Exercises, Component Placement, Screen Printing, Dispensing Principles and Demonstration Lab Exercises, Thermal Profiling, Reflow Soldering, Wave Soldering and Demonstration Lab Exercises, Cleaning and Final Board Build Exercise utilizing various pieces of equipment to complete.
ACI at ShipTech 2007
The EMPF sent representatives to ShipTech 2007, Shipbuilding Affordability – Working Together to Bring Technology to the Fleet in Biloxi, Mississippi on January 30-31.
While in Biloxi, they participated in technical sessions and presentations on shipbuilding technology developments and how to reduce the overall cost of Naval ships, while still maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of the industry. A presentation was given to ONR personnel and other ShipTech attendees on Phased Array Antenna Systems.
The EMPF had a booth at the conference, highlighting the current ManTech programs, including new Research and Development projects SiGe System on a Chip, Advanced Power Technology, Phased Array Antenna Technology and Band 4 Jammers Applications. Another panel featured new Electronics Manufacturing projects, including MEMS IMU, and the Lithium Ion Battery for the Seal Delivery Vehicle.
Two networking receptions allowed the attendees to speak with other industry professionals, and exchange ideas for possible future collaborations.
ACI Awarded new 5 year contract from the Office of Naval Research
PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 19, 2006) – The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI), a scientific research and development corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, has been awarded a five-year, $150 million contract by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), based in Arlington, Virginia. Under the contract, ACI will operate and manage the Electronics Manufacturing Technology Center (EMTC), located at ACI’s International Plaza site, and perform research for Electronics Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) programs for the Navy and other Department of Defense services.
The EMTC is a national center of excellence (COE) dedicated to the advancement of electronics science and technology, manufacturing technology, technology transfer, and to improvements to the U.S. electronics manufacturing industrial workforce. The primary focus of the EMTC is to expedite the transition of new electronics technology to Navy and other Department of Defense applications.
As part of the operation and management of the EMTC, ACI will assist the ONR in the planning and execution of new manufacturing technology and development initiatives. The EMTC will aide the Navy in the development of roadmaps and investment strategies for the development and production of key electronics technologies. Additionally, ACI will create innovative strategic relationships between industry, universities, and government laboratories in order to expand the electronics technology knowledge base through dissemination of research and development results.
The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) was established in 1992 as a scientific research corporation dedicated to the advancement and integration of leading edge technologies in electronics manufacturing and related engineering applications. ACI is uniquely qualified to address research and development activities, including applied research, product and process development, prototype demonstration, product evaluation, reverse engineering, obsolescence mitigation, technology transfer, and the commercialization of developed technologies and processes. ACI has design, development, analysis, training, and prototyping capability, and maintains a staff of highly experienced technical personnel whose expertise covers the entire spectrum of the electronics industry. The ACI facility is located in an office campus adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport. The facility houses a 10,000 square foot demonstration factory, fully equipped classrooms and multimedia training aids, an analytical laboratory for materials and environmental testing, conference and lecture rooms with video conferencing capabilities, and a fully functional technical library.
ACI awarded $1.2M NAVSEA Advanced R&D contract for Navy Integrated Power Systems (IPS) research
PHILADELPHIA , PA - September 20, 2005 - - In response to a NAVSEA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA solicitation number N00024-05-R-4201 posted Dec. 10, 2004), and subsequent White Paper submission ("Power Electronics Components and Devices", Dec. 23, 2004), ACI was awarded the $1.2 M contract on August 4, 2005 and project preparations began. The project, titled "Advanced R&D for Navy IPS", encompasses three major subtasks: (1) Fiber Optic Sensors, (2) Wide Band Gap Technology, and (3) Advanced Heat Exchangers. As an Engineering Option to these tasks, 20,000 hours of additional efforts can be awarded in support of transitioning these technologies into the military environment.
The project is being managed through Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Dept. 05Z and PMS 500I.
As the prime contractor, ACI will look to leverage the latest design efforts of several commercial fiber optics and advanced sensor manufacturers, cold plate heat exchanger manufacturers, PCM module manufactures and wide band gap power electronic device manufacturers with today's technologically advanced Navy power electronics platforms. ACI will also usher along these technologies by providing direct technical support in the development of a fiber optic sensing system (FOSS) test platform integral to a Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) system and a high power electronics test bed vehicle.
New Wide Band Gap Initiative from ACI
PHILADELPHIA, PA - February 16th, 2005 - - As part of a Memorandum of Agreement between DARPA, ONR and PEO Carriers regarding the use of Wide Band Gap Semiconductors for Ship’s High Power Distribution, a multi-year program has been established to focus the research and development efforts. The ultimate goal of this program is the realization of a Solid State Power Substation (SSPS) operating at 2.7 MVa and 20 KHz. The first demonstration vehicle is a 10Kv, 110A SiC based Power Module for insertion in the SSPS. By applying WBG technology to the SSPS, increased functionality and power management can be achieved with significant reductions in weight and size. This will not only benefit the new CVN 21 carrier platform, but will also be applied to the DD(X) program.
ACI and the Penn State Electro-Optical Center, as the Navy’s Centers of Excellence for electronics and optical technology, are teamed together to work with the selected vendors and provide guidance and assistance to evaluate and mitigate the risks associated with a new technology development program.
Click here for more information about ACI’s Wide Band Gap (WBG) initiatives.
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ACI Improves Technology for Weapons Systems
PHILADELPHIA, PA (July 22, 2002) - The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI), a scientific research and development corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, through an agreement with the US Office of Naval Research has been awarded a project that will improve the manufacturability and affordability of the electronics packaging of Microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) for guided munitions. MEMS IMUs detect the movement of the guided munition and keeps it on course to its destination.
Guided munitions are a critical part of DODs overall warfighting strategy in providing highly accurate and yet affordable weapon systems. There is a significant need to reduce the cost and size of MEMS based IMUs for guided munitions.
In addition to per unit cost savings, the performance of the IMU will be enhanced and open up new platform insertion opportunities that have more stringent performance requirements. Additionally, this ManTech project will ultimately provide an affordable MEMS IMU that will be G-hardened and will be applicable to many weapons systems with low and medium IMU performance requirements.
As the prime contractor, ACI will manage the efforts of L3 Communications, a leader in MEMS based technology, based in Anaheim, CA. ACI will also provide direct technical support by developing an automated sensor-to-analog board assembly process, including acquiring additional equipment on-site at ACI to perform the automated assembly operation.
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ACI Improves Technology for Radar Systems
PHILADELPHIA, PA (July 22, 2002) - The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI), a scientific research and development corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, through an agreement with the US Office of Naval Research has been awarded a project that will help make the electronics packaging for the F/A-18 Radar more affordable and easier to manufacture.
The next generation F/A-18 Radar and a number of other DOD programs require microwave subassemblies that are currently costly and difficult to assemble. If these programs are to meet their cost and schedule targets, it is critical that new processes be developed to manufacture the required assemblies. This manufacturing process improvement project will be operational to support the Navy's F/A-18 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) program for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) are a key cost driver and constitute about 25 percent of the total antenna cost.
A critical technology in these programs is the direct attachment of MMICs to a substrate (usually low temperature co-fired ceramic). The flip chip package allows the MMIC to be mounted on a substrate without further electrical connection such as wirebonds. This interconnect method will reduce the costs of these critical components by 15 percent. The flip chip method improves the reliability over wirebonding through lower operating temperatures, and also improves the performance by lowering parasitics by shortening the signal path.
Another key aspect of this program is the licensing and transferring of the bumping technology to the commercial industry. This will ensure that the Navy has an affordable, long-term supply of MMIC flip chips to support its future needs. ACI is managing the program and will be verifying the manufacturability of the bumped flip chips and performing reliability testing on test boards.
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Delaware Valley Companies Work Together To Advance Technology for Naval Ship Systems and Battle Forces
PHILADELPHIA, PA (July 20, 2002) - The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI), a scientific research and development corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, through an agreement with the US Office of Naval Research is partnering with other companies in the Delaware Valley region to create the Regional Electric Power Technology Integration and Leveraging Enterprise (REPTILE) program. This collaboration is focused on the advancement of Naval ship systems and battle forces through the introduction, application and demonstration of new electric power technologies to the US Navy. The types of systems that will directly benefit from this regional thrust include electric propulsion systems, electrical and mechanical power systems, power conversion and management systems, and energy generation and storage systems. The REPTILE program will greatly benefit the entire fleet of the US Navy, current and future, by improving the technology transfer from commercial industry to the various shipboard platforms and systems.
As an example, ACI provides a rich manufacturing, engineering and training foundation along with a strong network of commercial, academic and government contacts. NAVSEA (Philadelphia) provides expansive capabilities for mechanical and electrical systems research for naval applications and an engineering foundation with scalable testing facilities. Working within the framework of an agile partnership, the REPTILE program will provide "one stop shopping" within the region for Navy marine power system solutions, from conceptual design through completed product.
With the assistance of NAVSEA, ACI will launch parallel efforts to establish a process for cost reduction of power conditioning modules (PCMs) through improved manufacturing designs, develop a high power test facility, and conduct engineering studies. NAVSEA has developed, through the Integrated Power Systems Program Office, four power conversion modules for providing clean, uninterruptible electrical power to ship service loads. ACI's technology assessment and design for manufacturability will lead to product optimization and cost reduction for favorable system integration into candidate Integrated Power Systems (IPS) networks and converter assemblies. A test facility will be developed to accommodate the testing of next generation PCMs and high power switches to demonstrate the capability of high power operation in the ranges required by next generation Navy and DOD power and utility applications. Engineering studies will be performed for the Electric Start System (ESS) of Gas Turbines, Point of Use Power Converters, and Distributed Fuel Cell Systems to support the integration of next-generation power electronics and gather information critical to the transition of new technology into the applicable military and industrial areas.
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ACI Awarded Project to Determine Applications for New Technology
PHILADELPHIA, PA (July 2002) - The American Competitiveness Institute (ACI), a scientific research and development corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, through an agreement with the US Office of Naval Research has been awarded a project that will help define strategic and critical areas in the implementation of Wide Band Gap (WBG) devices for the Navy where commercial leveraging and influencing can exist.
WBG devices are semiconductors that possess higher thermal, chemical, and electrical stability than the silicon semiconductor devices that are presently being used. WBG devices have great potential in military applications, such as communications and data links, sea and air radar, RF amplifiers for jammers/decoys and high power electric switching.
In addition to defining areas of implementation, ACI will define commercial and Navy system insertion requirements including thermal issues, reliability needs, and cost targets and drivers. ACI will also assess commercial-off-the-shelf thermal management technologies that would be applicable to WBG devices, especially those with performance, reliability, packaging and cost advantages.
Although the wireless telecommunications, computing, and power industries will dominate the use of these devices, the Navy and Department of Defense (DOD) will work with the commercial industry as this technology is introduced into more DOD platforms. The applications associated with each of these sectors will concentrate on the affordability, supply, and the ease of manufacturing products using WBG technology.
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His Mission: Do it better
Philadelphia, PA – April 2nd 2001 - What do you do if you have 14,000 helicopter intercoms in service, and you can’t find the spare parts to fix 500 or so of them that break down each year because the company that made them in the 1970s is no longer in business.
If you’re the U.S. Army, you can call Alan Criswell for help.
Criswell, a 1977 graduate of Dallastown Area High School, is founder and president of the American Competitiveness Institute, a national research and development firm bent on improving the technology of electronics manufacturing
His Philadelphia-based institute is now trying to re-engineer the Army’s intercoms to use commercially available parts and upgradeable software to prevent future obsolescence.
From the taxpayers’ perspective, the best part may be that the redesigned intercoms will cost considerably less than a comparable intercom with the same features.
Click here to read the full article.
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