CELEBRATING OUR 4TH YEAR OF PUMANEWS™ |
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As I see it. . .
At the height of the pandemic with all its uncertainty, I commented in this column about Insulectro's choice to put its energy on things we can control and influence.
Today, war in Europe, continued supply chain shortages, and hyperinflation affect us all.
Today, we affirm our commitment to do what's best for our customers and teammates. Our laser focus is on continual improvement throughout our operations, systems, and technical support.
It's our way of fighting back.
Our hopes and prayers go out to the courageous people of Ukraine. Your stories of bravery are inspiring to us all.
Patrick Redfern
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PCBAA, the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, welcomes their newest members: DuPont and Nano Dimension.
Existing members include AGY, Amphenol, Calumet, Insulectro, Isola, Summit Interconnect, TTM Technologies, Denkai America, MacDermid Alpha, Nano Dimension, Pacothane Technologies, Sanmina, Uyemura, and Rogers Corporation.
The Printed Circuit Board Association of America is a consortium of companies, representatives, and enthusiasts who are advocating for U.S. manufacture of printed circuit boards.
Insulectro is proud to support PCBAA's effort as a founding member.
We encourage you to not stand on the sidelines but get involved to support PCBAA's three main objectives:
- Support the Domestic Production of PCBs
- Enhance Domestic Supply Chain Security
- Advocate for Initiatives that Create Fair Market Conditions
This organization is your voice in Washington.
Visit PCBAA.org today to learn more about membership. See below for more information and a link to inquire about membership.
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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Fabricator Discovers 'The Future Is Now'
James Brown: "I'd Like to Be 20 Years Younger in this Industry Right Now!"
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Please Welcome Guest Columnist James Brown, Strategic Account Manager, GREENSOURCE FABRICATION |
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A couple weeks ago, a colleague and I met with a customer. The customer was feeling philosophical and posed the question; “if you could have been born anytime between now and your birth year, what year would you pick?”
That was easy for me, I have often stated I would like to be twenty years younger in this industry RIGHT NOW!
I have been in this industry for over thirty years and have seen tremendous technological advances. In the early ‘90’s state-of-the-art was <5-mil L/S, double-digit multi-layers and <8-mil PTH’s.
Today we are talking about <25 micron traces, <50 micron vias, 7-N-7 buildup technologies, all with material sets that weren’t even science-fiction twenty-five years ago.
At the turn of the century, we saw mass exodus of PCB shops from NA, everyone chasing the almighty dollar in LCG’s, mostly Asia. We went from over 3000 PCB shops to under 200 today.
Now my reasoning for being twenty years younger. Both the US Government (DoD) and leading-edge OEM’s are acknowledging the huge security risk of sending their designs “offshore." The DoD is taking major steps to encourage the semiconductor industry to “come home” and it will logically follow once the wafers are fabricated in the US, substrates will follow.
There is already significant discussions around incentivizing PCB’s and PCBL substrate technology in the US. The path forward is clear, and very exciting!
Anyone born after 1980 in this industry has an exciting and prosperous future, so yes, the future is now.
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SALES & OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT |
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Ken Parent Speaks Out!
Technology Continues to Evolve
MARCH 2022
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Technology continues to evolve in our business on so many fronts. Last month I wrote about hot topics from IPC and want to bring attention to these topics again as the activity is increasing through March 2022. I have added updates to bring you up to speed on Insulectro’s investment in these areas.
Flex circuit materials and design questions
Geoffrey Leeds has recently finished the PCBEA Design course and is our Flex Product Manager. Geoffrey is getting many questions about flex materials for good reasons. Insulectro has recently hired Laura Martin to help our customers satisfy this thirst for information. We will be hiring additional talent to drive success in the Flex business. Flex remains hot!
Thinner copper foils to meet the demand of Higher Density and Ultra High-Density designs
The number of questions about thin copper options and data to support more complex designs show a real need for these materials. We will be working to increase our data set on thin copper options for HDI and mSAP type builds. We have a good strategy today for thin copper and mSAP designs and will get even smarter over the coming months as we win more programs.
Plating technology needs from microvias to mSAP (Modified Semi Additive Process) and SAP (Semi Additive Process)
Our customers are searching for improved technology for reliability and productivity of plating vias and mSAP processes. I am happy we now have the DuPont chemistry on our line card so we can provide solutions. Please reach out to Paul Welter for more information on this front.
Laminates needed for the next generation thermal/electrical/mechanical designs
I believe the desire for higher thermal and electrical performance will never stop. The good news is Isola and DuPont are working on higher performance materials. We are also seeing improved deliveries from both suppliers. I do encourage you to engage with your Insulectro TAM and Product Managers (Geoffrey Leeds for DuPont flex laminates and Norm Berry for Isola rigid laminates) to make sure we are bringing the latest offering to you.
Where to find talented people and how to educate the next generation of PCB technologist and builders.
We are working extremely hard to stay on top of hiring talented people. We are in a business constrained by how many people can build PCBs. We are seeing improvement in applicants for jobs in areas but struggle in certain geographies. It has taken extra effort to find great people. Training and onboarding these people are things we must step up and are working this process now.
Equipment needs and how to stay current with optimizing the equipment needs in the factories
Automation continues to be a need and we still are looking for great solutions to bring to you. I am expecting more progress on the equipment front from Insulectro in 2022. InduBond®, Tadco and Shur-loc can improve the processes in the PCB shops and we are looking for additional equipment opportunities. We are also stepping up our ability to function as an add-on to your maintenance department. Our equipment team is getting more engaged in our service model. Have you found a way to supplement your team with our team of equipment services yet?
Looking for solutions around the lead times and the logistic challenges we are all dealing with
We continue to see challenges with freight companies and cost increases. Our materials team is working hard to invest in the best inventories to support our customers. Our salespeople are collaborating with our customers to get intelligence on the forecast to improve visibility. We are not seeing an end in sight for the challenges around logistics and the lack of visibility for program changes. The more visibility we get the better we can service you.
Our vision https://insulectro.com/about/mission-vision-and-values/ is to continue to invest in our teammates, our customer, and our supplier partners by providing training and education, faster service models, new products, new locations, new talent … all in the spirit of being “vital in the design and manufacture of future circuits."
It is an extremely exciting and vital time to be in the PCB manufacturing business. Let us know how we can help you and your team!
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P.S. For those of you who were not able to attend IPC this year we are working hard to bring the best of IPC to you. We have continued our 13.5-minute Power Chats by delivering them directly to you. Click on graphic to learn about our IPC 6-Pack Outreach program - in person or virtual.
We were fortunate to have come through IPC APEC 2022 with some great learnings, we want to share them with you.
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Ken Parent
Chief Operating Officer
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New Director of Technology
Insulectro Hires PWB Commodity Specialist Laura Martin
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Insulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in manufacture of printed circuit boards and printed electronics, has hired PWB engineer/specialist Laura Martin for a new position – Director of Technology.
“I am pleased to announce a new teammate joining our team of superstars,” announced Ken Parent, Insulectro Chief Operating Officer, “Laura Martin joins us after a lengthy career with Lockheed Martin where she held a variety of high-profile positions.
"In the new position, Director of Technology, she will work closely on our Design Education initiative lead by Technical Director Michael Creeden, CID+. As an engineer working for a major aerospace OEM, Laura brings a unique skill set to Insulectro essential to our growth objectives.”
Martin held a variety of positions at Lockheed Martin over a 19-year career, most recently as PWB Commodity Specialist and Producibility Engineering Department Lead in the Missiles and Fire Control division. Her duties focused on bridging the gap between design and manufacturing by analyzing supplier capabilities and adjusting design rules as technology evolved.
Martin worked closely with buyers to identify suppliers capable of building complex boards; and working with assembly to identify issues relating back to design and bare board manufacturing.
Other positions at Lockheed included Project Engineer, Technician Process Senior Specialist among others. Martin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Central Florida plus several Certifications including: IPC-A-600 Acceptability of Printed Boards, DxDesigner for Expedition PCB Flow, and is a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Martin also recently published a technical paper on machine learning at IEEE’s SoutheastCon.
“I look forward to joining the Insulectro team. With my work on the OEM side of the industry, I understand how important it is to select the optimal materials and to be sure those materials are used in a manner that will maximize yield and productivity. Insulectro’s work in Design Education is their pledge to ensure that,” said Martin.
Ken Parent concluded, “Laura brings wonderful talents to our team. Her unique skills and experience will help Insulectro continue to expand on our mission to help our customers build better circuits, faster.”
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New Challenges
Insulectro is Ready to Help
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What happens when you have more opportunities in your business than resources to handle?
Do you postpone projects, put off process improvements, delay evaluating new materials, turn away business?
Are you struggling to find Engineering talent, or have hired the critical technical talent but they are new to the industry, and it will take awhile for them to learn the business and contribute to the needed level?
We are hearing these challenges from many of our customers.
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Business is strong for the North American printed circuit board fabricators, but with the crossroads of increased technology demand, and shortage of talented labor, it is more critical than ever before to be proactively solving yield challenges that are critical to ensuring on time delivery and preventing scrap of critical supply constrained materials.
Insulectro’s vision is to always be vital in the design and manufacture of future circuits. We are fortunate to have a strong team of Product Manager and Field Application technical resources, along with our Supplier Partner resources that are available to support you through these challenges.
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Our teams are ready to do a process review or audit to dig into your biggest challenges, document best practices, and make recommendations for process improvements or alternate materials alongside your team so that we are also educating at the same time.
There are many process steps to fabricate a circuit board, and each process has multiple variables, so having an experienced team that represents the breath of products and who understands the interactions of process settings and material selections can enable the yield improvements that are critical to building better circuits faster.
As I heard in a recently attended supplier conference, we aren’t doing business to business, we are a human-to-human business, so lean on us to support your people, we thrive on helping.
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Michelle Walsh
Vice President of Product Management
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It may be over, but it's not done. . .
Let Us Bring IPC to You!
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Whether you missed IPC APEX EXPO or just want our perspective, Insulectro is dialed into the hot technologies and products that everyone wanted to know about. Great for senior executives, but we will share it all with your entire team, too.
Click button below to send us an email with you interest.
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Insulectro's Own: Michael Creeden CID+, Technical Director for Design Education and Laura Martin, Director of Technology want to greet you and acquaint you with our show theme:
Getting the Best Use from the Best Materials
Stop by and see us at PCB East on April 12! Booth #23.
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Geoff shouts: "Interra™ HK04M in Stock!"
Get Flexible! Embedded Capacitive Alternatives from DuPont!
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Interra™ HK04M, the next evolution Interra™ HK04J, is in stock at Insulecto.
With a robust supply chain Interra™ HK04M provides the same embedded capacitance performance as HK04J.
With an improved Polyimide formulation, HK04M is ideal for any embedded capacitance project that need 12 micron dielectrics. With R&D work ongoing for 8 micron, HK04M is ready for next gen technologies.
But why an embedded capacitive material? Why HK04M or HK04J?
Embedded capacitance is the one of the most efficient and reliable way to deliver power to IC’s on the surface. By turning your whole PCBs power ground plane into a capacitor, you can reduce inplane inductance, increase available power to chips, reduce passive components on the surface and increase high-pot yields (compared to equivalent epoxy/fiberglass products).
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The benefits that give Interra™ an edge when compared to alternatives are inherent to the film-based substrate. Films are homogenous in nature, no glass, which prevent CAF failure that can grow along the glass weaves of epoxy materials.
Films are flexible, which is a benefit during fabrication because when handling the material it can bend and not fracture. Epoxy/fiberglass must be handled delicately or it will fracture and break. Finally, films can be made thinner which allows great capacitance to form between the charged plates of the power-ground planes.
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Geoff Leeds
Product Manager, DuPont Flex Laminates
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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Check out Rick Hartley and Michael Creeden on Altium's podcast hosted by Judy Warner. CLICK below. |
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PRINTED ELECTRONICS INKS & PASTES,
SUBSTRATES & FILMS
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Kevin Miller Can See it!
Insulectro Becomes DuPont™ Kapton® Certified Distributor & Convertor
MARCH 2022
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The Insulectro PE Team will be a certified DuPont Kapton distributor and convertor by the end of the 1st half of FY2022.
This material will be a part of our Advanced Substrate offering and will be available to the market immediately. We will be able to provide this product in sheeted or roll format with the ability for narrow web slitting down to .250 width.
Customers will be able to order directly from our E-Commerce site at Insulectro-pe.com or call our Hot-line at 1-855-995-0200.
DuPont™ Kapton® polyimide films have set the industry standard for over 45 years in high performance, reliability, and durability, with a unique combination of electrical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties that withstand extreme temperature variations, vibration, and other demanding environments. This product was developed by DuPont™ in the 1960s.
Since then, it has proven itself as the top flexible material of choice in applications that require these demanding properties, which makes it ideal for a variety of applications in many different industries. The ability of Kapton® to maintain its excellent physical, electrical, and mechanical properties over a wide temperature range has opened new design and application areas to plastic films.
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Features
Kapton® is synthesized by polymerizing an aromatic dianhydride and an aromatic diamine. This innovative construction allows the product to boast a number of performance features. The most notable is its exceptional temperature tolerance range—accommodating temperatures between 452⁰F to 752⁰F (269⁰C to 400⁰C). Kapton® does not melt or burn, as it has the highest UL-94 flammability rating: V-0. The outstanding properties of Kapton® permit it to be used at both high and low-temperature extremes where other organic polymeric materials would not be functional.
Kapton® possesses benefits beyond its well-known temperature tolerance range. The film also provides excellent chemical resistance—as there are no known organic solvents for the film. High dialectic strength is another impressive quality, with an astonishing 7700V/mil for just 1 mil of film. Also notable is its ability to provide excellent electrical insulation, dimensional stability, and low permeability to LN2.
Applications
Kapton® polyimide film can be used in a vast variety of applications. It is an effective substrate for flexible printed circuit boards, capacitor insulation, transformer, bar-code labels, and sensors to name a few.
Kapton® can also be used for wire and cable tapes, motor slot liners, magnetic wire insulation, magnetic and pressure-sensitive tapes, and tubing. This product can have other types of material applied to the film, adding adhesive capabilities to the already versatile material. The distinct combination of physical properties possessed by Kapton® film makes it an ideal fit for numerous applications across many industries.
Markets
A few of the markets that it serves include flexible printed circuits board, wire wrapping, mechanical & electronic parts, printed heaters, insulation blankets, tubing, and a wide variety of other applications and markets. Kapton® is produced and supplied domestically, and this is a true advantage to the customer base we will be serving. DuPont is currently adding additional capacity to the Circleville, OH plant to meet market demands.
Supply Chain
Our fabrication and converting center in Londonderry, NH has been working with this material type for the last year developing the capability to provide custom sizes, widths, customer-specific packaging specs, and quality standards to effectively convert this product line. We will be stocking in several thicknesses and supplying the HN, FN, MT. FWN, FPC, and other types in master rolls and converting them to sheets, rolls, and narrow web format sizes. We will be providing these services in a QTA manner, 2-3 days if we have material availability and same-day on the shelf.
We look forward to supporting the Kapton® product line and adding this product to our portfolio. Our customers will have access to our custom converting services plus rapid delivery and our in-house technical assistance.
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Please call INSULECTRO at 1-855-955-0200 with any questions regarding these product offerings or visit our E-Commerce site at the LINK BELOW.
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Kevin Miller
VP of Sales - Insulectro Printed Electronics
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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 Amanda Johnson
North America Distribution Channel Manager
DuPont Interconnect Solutions
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My career with DuPont started in 1996 at the Towanda, PA manufacturing site. The first 6 years, I worked in several different operating areas. Little did I know, this transition from area to area would provide me a vast understanding of the Riston® and Pyralux® products and the manufacturing process of the products originating from Towanda. This insight and knowledge, along with hard work and determination, helped me to progress through many roles in my 25 years.
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2003 Customer Service Representative, 2012 Customer Service Manager role, in 2014 Dupont centralized their customer service teams in Wilmington, DE. I then moved onto a Business Process Consultant position, in 2018 I transitioned into a member of the ICS Sales Excellence Team. Finally, in 2021 I became the N. America Distribution Channel Manager.
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DuPont has offered me an opportunity over the years, which I feel very blessed to have. I do not have a college degree. DuPont and the managers and leaders in the Electronics and Imaging business, offered me an opportunity to prove myself. A desire to learn, hard work and dedication is what it takes to be believed in. In line with our business’s view of wanting to be “The Best In Class”, in the markets we serve, that is how I have tried to approach each of the roles I’ve held over the years.
I have worked with Insulectro in many facets over the past 18 years. I’m excited now to have the opportunity to partner with them in focusing on providing the best service and best products to the market with innovative solutions. As we expect the films, laminates and circuits markets to be strong again in 2022, we have a great opportunity support our customers and OEMs with the continuous advancement in technology by providing increased supply and new product introductions.
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Outside of work, my husband and I live on our family farm, with only one neighbor in sight…being my sister-in-law. We have 5 children and 6 grandchildren (so far). Our two boys are the bookends of the 5 and both work hard. One in the steel business, the other in the natural gas industry. Our girls are all nurses, two RN’s and one LPN. We enjoy spending time with our grandchildren, whether it be feeding the deer, fishing, pulling them on the tube behind the boat or just a simple spontaneous sleep over. We enjoy trips to ride our side by side with friends and family and look for new destinations each year.
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PE on Growth Trajectory
Allyson Goldman Joins
Printed Electronics Team
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Insulectro is pleased to announce that Allyson Goldman has joined the Insulectro Printed Electronics Team as an Inside Sales Manager.
Insulectro's Printed Electronics business has been on a steady climb over the past year and half partly due to the success of its new e-commerce website [insulectro-pe.com].
Allyson comes to us as an organizer and people person after beginning her career as an outreach and admissions counselor for New England College in New Hampshire.
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Do you know Garret Shepard? Also know under Alias “Gerard Shipard” Capt of the USS Minneapolis Enterprise. Garret has been the solid foundation of our Branch and business in the Twin Cities since joining Insulectro 18.5 years ago in September 2003. Garret loves to fish, golf, and has an annual Snow Goose hunting trip in the Dakotas.
He came to us from working as an engineer at ACI Minnetonka (The huge Advanced Circuits Group where TTM Chippewa Falls is the only remaining facility from that group). He took on the role of FAE (Field Applications Engineer) in supporting all product processes throughout the Midwest Region. When I joined Insulectro in 2005 he was spending most of his time helping customers with technical support and installs for DuPont Dry Film, Focus Tech Chemistry, and at the time Atotech chemistry in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Dallas.
Garret later moved from the FAE position into a TAM (Technical Account Manager) role and has kept the previous Golden Valley and now our own Eden Prairie 50K sqft branch stable for years with his product and manufacturing knowledge coupled with long days supporting all aspects of our business. Beyond his technical skills, he helps manage consignment and VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) programs from Maple Grove, down to Northfield, over to Chippewa Falls, and all points in between.
His wife of 24 years, Deb Shepard, also works in the industry with time at Unicircuits Roseville before then moving into Printed Electronics at Bergquist and now E2IP Technologies.
Garret and Linda Nelson, Insulectro Inside Sales Manager, also run the Annual MCA Golf Tournament after taking the reins over from Crystal Palmer who made it a successful Charity event, in addition to all the fun of getting the Industry together for a great day in the sun every year on the Northside in Blaine MN.
Steve and Elden at Calumet Electronics know Garret as, “The Guy who can solve all your problems”. And I can say he helps me solve many too. Thanks for being part of the team Garret!
Take care and see you next month.
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Trey Adams
Regional Vice President, Sales
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Always Learning, Always Teaching
Geoff Leeds Attends Printed Circuit Engineering Class
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Insulectro's Geoff Leeds, along with Juan C. F., and Pablo Camacho attended a weeklong PCE-EDU CPCD Course.
The Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum, a five-day course covering the basics of the profession, materials, manufacturing methods and processes; circuit definition and capture; board layout data and placement; circuit routing and interconnection; signal-integrity and EMI applications; flex PCBs; documentation and manufacturing preparation; and advanced electronics (energy movement in circuits, transmission lines, etc.).
Registrants may choose an optional certification at the end of the workshop. The curriculum also provides ongoing reference material for continued development in the profession. The course references general CAD tool practices and is vendor-agnostic. The 40-hour course was developed by experts in printed circuit design with a combined 250 years of industry experience and covers more than 65 major topics ranging from design to materials and fabrication processes.
Want to learn more about how to properly design a PCB, look at joining one of the future classes at PCE-EDU.
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@Mike Creeden
Getting the Best Use from the Best Materials
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Isola Laminates - Technically Appropriate for All
Industry Sectors & Circuit Requirements
I have had the privilege to serve as one of the panel judges for the Technology Leadership Awards (TLA) which is a global Circuit Engineering/Design competition hosted by Siemens Corporation. Many of you may know them formerly as Mentor Graphics.
This competition has occurred for the last three decades. It has attracted some of the most talented engineering/design teams from around the globe. Not every circuit submitted walks away a winner, as this is no participation trophy contest. One team’s challenging circuits may be everyday circuits for another team. As a panel judge, I have seen some extremely advanced and complex challenges within these circuits.
These circuits come from all industry sectors, and they have different technology circuit requirements. For example, RF, HDI, high-speed dense digital, analog, etc. We, as a panel of judges, have worked hard to create categories that make for balanced and equal competition. We find that most industry sectors have similar types of circuit requirements.
One consistent observation is the attention to detail the winners usually appropriate to every aspect of their designs. First and foremost is the foundation for all circuits and that is the laminate materials that circuits utilize. The concept is, “Getting the Best Use from the Best Material!”
Circuit laminates have critical parameters that are designed to satisfy and suit the circuit and operational needs. These parameters fall into three general types such as physical, electrical, and environmental. Success is best accomplished by considering all aspects of a design stackup.
Below is a sample chart showing some product classifications for Isola products to accomplish this.
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Insulectro’s technical support team, along with your fabricator’s engineering team, will help you select a material system that will perform as expected. The goal is that circuits can be built with high producibility yield which will almost always lower board cost, improve your end product and company’s standing in the industry.
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.
Contact any of our Technical Account Managers or call any of our branch offices to schedule your Virtual Training Session soon.
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Stay safe, happy, and healthy!
Mike Creeden CID+ MIT
Technical Director, Insulectro Design & Education
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OEM Point of View
ACT: Accomplishing Change Together
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After spending over 14 years with Lockheed Martin working in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing and design assurance reviews, I am excited for the opportunity to utilize what I’ve learned over the years to support PCB design and fabrication in the industry.
Just this week, I connected with a fabricator that wants to supply more complex class 3 boards to major OEMs, and I’m eager to share my insight and technical supportWorking together to strengthen our supply chain here in America is a win-win for everyone, and I’m thrilled to work for a company that supports that mission.
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Laura Martin
Director of Technology
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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Part of the Nippon Denkai, Ltd. Family
North America’s Only Electrodeposited Copper Foil Manufacturer
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Denkai America is a leader in the manufacture of high-quality electrodeposited copper foils for printed circuit board (PCB), industrial, and energy storage applications. With the strength of domestic manufacturing, and backed by a global presence, Denkai America delivers both conventional cladding and application-specific copper foils required by technology leading companies.
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Meet Michael Coll
Denkai America
Chief Operating Officer
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Michael is a strategic operational and marketing executive with more than 20 years of specialty materials and specialty chemical experience. He specializes in developing and leading global teams to implement market strategies in electronics industries with a focus on internet infrastructure, automotive, and mobile device segments.
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For over 40 years, this company has manufactured copper foil with the highest level of quality and service. At Denkai America, copper foils are electroplated on revolving titanium drums, unique for the ability to deposit copper foils with a high-quality surface.
Rolls of the plated foils are then subjected to a variety of surface treating operations specially designed for a wide range of end-use requirements. During treating, copper dendrites are deposited onto the foil surface to enhance bonding to various resins systems during lamination.
A “barrier-layer” is deposited for promoting reliability in thermal applications, specific proprietary organic layers are applied to promote chemical adhesion, and foils are stain-proofed to prevent oxidation in shipping, storage, lamination, and subsequent customer processing.
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Chris Hunrath on Future Tech
You Need mSAP ASAP
MARCH 2022
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Fine line imaging has been coming up a lot lately.
As mentioned before, fine line and semi-additive processes are not new, but bringing that technology into a PCB fabricator and to the relatively large format used in these shops brings in some new challenges. Fortunately, new exposure systems, high resolutions photoresists, and ultra-thin electroless and foils make this more feasible than ever.
A recurring theme I often hear is, “My customer wants 25-micron lines on this design. How do I get there and what’s the next step?”
Well, recently we started this project at one of these fabs, and the good news is both the exposure and developing equipment were capable.
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All of us that have been involved in US PCB fabrication for any length of time have seen changes technology, product mix and applications. |
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We are passionate at Insulectro about enabling our customers to do more. It’s key to our mutual success.
Hope to see you throughout this year.
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Chris Hunrath
Vice President of Technology & Vice President of Sales - Western Region
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Welcome to the March Edition of Insulectro PumaNews™ Magazine
East Coast Edition!
I’ve been thinking about our world’s current events. I thought that this edition should be a shoutout to you our valued customers who do what you do every day.
When I was on the West Coast, I met a friend who then became a mentor to me and inspired me in many ways. At the time, Insulectro was in the process of converting to an Oracle ERP platform. This transition was challenging and not without its issues and its steep learning curve.
It was especially difficult on our Operations team and led to a few delivery hiccups. My friend at the time was the VP Operations of a large, successful Mil-Aero rigid-flex plant. His plant was also feeling some pain caused by our Oracle transition.
One day he and I were talking about what we could do improve the situation and he came up with an idea. He said, let me come to Insulectro and meet your Operations team in Lake Forest, and explain to them what we do here and how much we count on Insulectro.
I loved his idea and immediately prepared a Lunch & Learn for the following week.
My friend came and met our teammates. We all enjoyed a catered lunch and then my friend started his presentation.
The first slide that he projected on the screen was “DID YOU KNOW YOU ALL ARE HEROES” and from that slide my friend talked about some of the OEMs in the Mil-Aero, Government and Medical markets that his plant produced very-high complexity PCBs for.
He further explained that these PCBs went into superior and even more complex systems that could protect lives and protect our soldiers whether boots on the ground, on the seas, or in the air.
He then went on and talked about how none of this could be accomplished without a solid supply chain for these PCBs his plant manufactured. It depended on Insulectro and its suppliers, and, most importantly, it depended on the Insulectro Operations teams.
That they were most vital in assuring that all the materials got to his facility on time, well packaged with all the parts required, and the necessary matching paperwork.
My friend taught us all a lesson that day and his presentation put everything into its proper perspective. The Supply Chain is Mission Critical, and everyone must do their part because we are all connected.
This article is intended to remind us, We are all HEROES.
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Ron Murdock
Director of Sales - Eastern Region/ Canada
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PCBAA LEADERSHIP SPEAKS OUT |
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Packing mmWave Circuits into
5G Microcells
by Alexander Ippich, Technical Director, Signal Integrity & Advanced Technology, Product Manager RF/Microwave
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Fifth Generation (5G) wireless cellular networks promise performance that will meet every mobile user’s need, including reliable voice service, fast data, and steady video links.
But such achievements will not come overnight, and they will call for a 5G network infrastructure with more cell sites than ever, capable of transmitting and receiving higher frequencies than ever, to gain the bandwidth to meet the great expectations of 5G New Radio (NR) wireless technology.
It is not the “same old” RF/microwave technology. Rather, 5G radios require circuit materials not only capable of low signal loss well into the millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency range but operating continuously and reliably within the tight confines of some cell sites that will be the fraction the size of a shoe box!
Construction of the network infrastructure for 5G wireless networks involves the addition of smaller cells to existing cell towers and radio equipment. Large-area cells known as macrocells are being supplemented by smaller femtocells, picocells, and microcells as part of what is being called “the densification of 5G network infrastructure.”
More cells are needed to provide wireless coverage at mmWave frequencies. Signal wavelengths are shorter at higher frequencies and mmWave signals propagate across shorter distances than lower-frequency signals. They are also more attenuated through building materials than lower-frequency signals, requiring small indoor cells for optimum wireless coverage within indoor cell sites, such as shopping malls and office buildings.
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About Isola
Isola is a leading global material sciences company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets laminate materials used to fabricate advanced multilayer printed circuit boards, which provide the physical platforms for the semiconductors, passive components, and connection circuitry that power and control virtually all modern electronic products. Isola operates a network of factories worldwide.
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Norm Berry
Director, Laminates & OEM Marketing
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News from the DuPont Chemistry Desk
A Different Way to Think About
Filling Microvias
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I’ve had several conversations with customers over the past few months regarding filling microvias reliably and the challenges that the overall process presents. Many of these fabricators are using a button plate process to fill the vias and then planarizing the surface.
One of the common discussion topics is what the planarization process does to the integrity of the filled via and what physical stress is inflicted upon the bond with the capture pad.
Panel plating to fill microvias presents an opportunity to eliminate the planarization step and the extra process steps and unknowns that come with it. DuPont’s MICROFILL™ LVF-III is their latest technology to address this need. The objectives that guided this technology for sub-1:1 aspect ratio microvias include:
- 100% Fill
- Dimple on top of the microvia of less than 1.0 mil
- Plating thickness on the surface of the panel of less than 0.8 mils
- Thickness variation across the panel of less than 10%
- Plating time less than 5 hours
- Through-hole plating capability
DEEPER VIAS (5.7 mil deep x 6.3 mil wide – 0.7-0.9 mil surface copper)
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SHALLOW VIAS (3.6 mil deep x 4.7 mil wide – 0.8 mil surface copper) |
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The bottom-up filling mechanism is accomplished through a combination of factors & parameters:
- The functionality of the organic additive technologies in DuPont’s MICROFILL™ LVF-III chemistries
- The design & engineering of the electrolytic plating cell
- An understanding of fluid dynamics and the influence solution flow has on the filling mechanism
With the MICROFILL™ LVF-III system, planarization is eliminated and microvias are filled while surface copper thickness and distribution variation is minimized. If you are looking for a different way to fill microvias and want to BUILD BETTER CIRCUITS, FASTER, contact me or your local Technical Account Manager to schedule a technology presentation.
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Paul Welter
Director of Sales, DuPont Chemistry
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At-A-Glance
The DuPont Chemistry Line
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With the acquisition of East Coast Electronic Material Supply (ECEMS) in late March, Insulectro has brought another best-in-class product line to our customers. The addition of the DuPont Electronics Imaging & Interconnect Solutions (ICS) chemistry line, which was legacy Dow Chemicals before the Dow-DuPont merger, adds a complimentary piece to an already robust Insulectro product offering.
DuPont ICS is innovating new metallization technologies across many platforms:
Electroplating Applications
HDI
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Microfill™ EVF-III for advanced via filling and through-hole plating
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Microfill™ LVF-IV for next generation SLP applications
MLB
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Copper Gleam™ PPR-II for high aspect ratio pulse plating
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Electroposit™ EP-1600 for high aspect ratio DC plating
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Copper Gleam™ HS-200 for horizontal DC plating in FPC applications
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Copper Gleam™ ST-920 for DC vertical continuous plating (VCP)
IC Package Substrate
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Microfill™ SFP-II & Microfill™ LVF-IV for advanced SAP applications
Making Holes Conductive
Electroless Copper Solutions:
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Circuposit™ 3350-1 Vertical Electroless Copper
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Circuposit™ 4000 Horizontal electroless copper for FPC/RFPC
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Circuposit™ 6700 Horizontal Ionic Catalyst for Advanced HDI applications
Direct Metallization Solutions:
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Next Generation Crimson™ & Conductron™ palladium-based systems
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Next Generation Graphite 2000™ carbon-based system
ENIG:
Duraposit™ SMT-88 & Aurolectroless™ SMT 520
Process Chemistries:
DuPont offers a full line of cleaners, developers, strippers and other ancillary products to support printed circuit applications.
General Metal Finishing:
Full line engineering, decorative and precious metal offerings
As you can see, through this addition of the DuPont ICS chemistry line, Insulectro is now providing chemistry and technical support to the general metal finishing, plating-on-plastics, and wire plating industries, which we see as an area of growth.
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Chemicals & Controllers
Focus Tech Chemicals
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Insulectro continues to offer Focus Tech processing chemistry for you PCB processing needs.
Products Offered
- Dryfilm Developing Chemistry
- Dryfilm Stripping Chemistry
- Tin Stripping
- Alternative Oxide
- Equipment Cleaners
- Waste Treatment Chemistry
- Plus, a variety of Process Chemistries
Control Equipment
Focus Tech offers chemistry control equipment to help manage the different chemical processes in the manufacturing process.
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Specific gravity controller
- Conductivity Controller
- Colorimeter controller
- Cupric Etch Controller
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Custom controllers with availability to connect to TrueChem software
Jeff Johnson
Product Manager - Dryfilm/Chemistry/Paste & FAE
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We know the drill!
Two of our teammates spent the week with our Northern California customers. Our "drill room experts" Paul St John and Geraldine Arseneau visited Bay Area fabricator drill rooms.
While laser drilled blind vias are quite common now, mechanical drilling is here to stay. Our team works to find ways to get the best quality and throughput. This was also a great opportunity to share decades of experience. These are done best on site.
As things continue open up, we hope to do more of this. How can we help your team?
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Chris Hunrath
Vice President of Technology &
Vice President of Sales - Western Region
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PRINTED ELECTRONICS INKS & PASTES,
ADVANCED SUBSTRATES & FILMS
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Advanced Substrates
Stretchable TPU Film:
DuPont™ Intexar™
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Insulectro is well known as the largest supplier of materials used to manufacture printed circuit boards.
This includes our rapidly growing substrate division making Insulectro your one-stop shop for printed electronics. In addition to being a first-in-class supplier, product specialists at Insulectro have in-depth product knowledge offering process consultations and onsite training to ensure the very best products are selected for each critical need.
Insulectro readily stocks an ever-growing assortment of substrates and this month we are highlighting DuPont™ Intexar™ TE-11C.
DuPont™ Intexar™ TE-11C is a stretchable bilayer thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film. TE-11C is comprised of high recovery and melt adhesive layers optimized for high stretch, smart clothing applications like fitness and health monitoring when wearer comfort is paramount.
The high recovery layer is specially designed for compatibility with Intexar stretchable electronic ink printing. The melt adhesive layer is designed for bonding to fabrics under heat press lamination. The film is supplied on a temperature stable polypropylene carrier for high throughput sheet-fed or roll-to-roll screen printing.
PRODUCT BENEFITS
- High recovery, light weight, stretchable TPU
- Designed for compatibility with Intexar™ stretchable and screen printable electronic inks that provides excellent elongation and recovery for elongation and wearable fabric applications
DuPont™ PE671 - Carbon
DuPont™ PE874 - Silver
DuPont™ PE773 - Dielectric
- Bonds strongly to most fabrics and compatible with Cover Film TE-21C
- Soft to the touch, designed for comfort
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Jeff Crawford
Advanced Substrate Specialist
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OPERATIONS & SUPPLY CHAIN |
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World Class Manufacturing: Visual Mgt & Engagement
Lake Forest Branch: Employee-Led, Daily Huddle Meetings
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Two vital LEAN/WCM mental model models are “make problems visible” and “everyone solves problems using simple methods."
Last month I shared with you a great employee engagement story of how the San Jose laminate room team “made problems visible” through their recommendation to improve the layout and flow of the laminate room there.
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As we continue to adopt these LEAN mental models into our culture, I’m thrilled to celebrate another success story that illustrates these concepts. This month I’m highlighting the daily huddle / visual KPI board process that has begun in our Lake Forest branch.
As part of our WCM focus this year, we have given ourselves a goal to make sure these daily check-in meetings are consistently happening in our largest branches as a start. But beyond just checking the box on having a daily meeting, we want to ensure that we are achieving a new level of full-team engagement in the process and shining a light each day on the “pain points” a specific branch, work center, etc. is experiencing, with clear causes, countermeasures, and status updates.
In support of this effort, our Lake Forest branch launched a “small reversible experiment” in late January. The branch is comprised of four different “responsibility centers” that operate under one roof (warehouse, prepreg sheeting, copper sheeting, and laminate sheeting). Prior to beginning their regimented daily huddle process, there was no scheduled or deliberate communication across “silos”, and key metrics were not readily visible. Communication was stemming usually from top-down, vs. operator-led and cross departments.
Jaygee Gozum, Operations Manager for Lake Forest explains, “we weren’t focused on issues that crossed fab room lines and, as a result, information that might be important to one area was not getting communicated to all."
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The new huddle meeting, which happens now every day without exception, and is led by operators, leverages an integrated visual, “red/green” KPI board where the team has selected the most important customer-facing KPIs in the areas of Safety, Quality, Service, and Cost.
They measure compliance (“actual”) to standard (“target”) by either a red or green magnet, and then trend the issues for the last five business days. For any “reds”, the issue is described on the board with a status update (“please explain”). Trends are easily visible so that ongoing, multiple day issues can be escalated if needed for help with resolution.
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Danny Carrera, Operations Supervisor at Lake Forest says, “before we started the daily meetings, issues would get directed to a single point of contact for resolution, but only a couple of people knew there was a problem. There was no method/forum to convey the issues and watch-outs to everyone across the entire branch."
Carrera adds “we used to hear a lot of ‘first I heard of that’ but now everyone hears and sees the same pain points and status every day, and operators feel empowered to raise their concerns. Problems are now visible and, as a result, they get solved faster than before."
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Thank you to the Lake Forest Operations Team for being a model for “making problems visible” and for being empowered and engaged to share issues and concerns daily! We will use this as a model as we launch many more employee-led morning meeting processes across the company on this World Class Manufacturing journey! |
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Jason Shuppert
Vice President of Operations
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The southwest region has continued its trend of significant growth and customer activities.
Both the flex and rigid markets are strong. We know the AP supply challenges have inhibited growth over the past few years but even with these setbacks we are seeing strong demand and the supply chain is improving to be able to fulfill it.
It’s also exciting to see increased activity on DuPont’s newest addition to the family in Pyralux HP. HP is an epoxy-based adhesive material for high speed/low loss and high-frequency applications and people are looking for different ways to use it.
Isola products are also strong with the highest growth materials being 408HR, Polyimide and HSD/RF (Tachyon®, I-Tera®, I-Speed® and Astra®). We’ve been busy setting up evaluations on DuPont resists for line/space reductions, including mSAP. DI3000, DI5100, and DI9300 are all showing great results for customers looking to get under 1.5mil line/space.
On a related topic we’ve been sampling more ultra-thin copper foils including 1.5um, 3um, and 5um copper on carrier foil as well as 6um on bonded CAC. Unrelated to the thin copper topic we are promoting CAC more at the moment for those interested in improving outer layer yields and or lamination throughput. CAC is made in a cleanroom helps reduce defects customers see from debris that commonly gets introduced in the layup process.
Moreover, the aluminum carrier can replace stainless steel separators allowing for more boards to be pressed in each opening. Lastly, due to the acquisition of Automated Chemical Solutions (ACS/Focus Tech®), we have been very busy with our chemistry sales. We have great products at competitive prices and we have a great tech support team to help customers install chemistries and maintain efficient lines.
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Sean Redfern
Technical Account Manager - Southern California
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A Super Matchup!
Make Your InduBond® Press
Sit Up & Take Notice
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Bacon and eggs. Black and tan. Mac and cheese. Bert and Ernie. InduBond® and Copper-Steel-Copper!
Bonded Copper foil including VLP profiles onto a Steel carrier ensures that not only the low-profile topography is protected but the surface is clean, free from causing signal integrity defects as all FOUR edges are sealed. It's a star performer in an InduBond® press!
Carrier foil is available from 1µm up to 5µm, now CSC bridges that gap offering foils from 6µm to 140µm.
CSC is available in 8 mil which has twice the image transfer resistance as 15 mil aluminum AND can replace up to SEVEN standard 62 mil steel separators. Those separators not only cause circuit surface imperfections impacting trace lines but reduce stack height allowing more panels per lamination cycle.
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I've got a lot to tell you about this matchup!
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil & CAC®
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Sub 10 Micron Features
DuPont DI5100 MSAP Film
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Achieve finer lines and spaces than you ever thought possible. |
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DuPont Di5100 is the next generation MSAP film designed achieve sub 10 micron features. This film is also good to help you achieve 1mil trace and space features on more standard PCB work. With excellent adhesion properties this film is a great choice for multiple surface types.
It is available in 15 and 25 micron thickness.
Please contact Jeff Johnson at 720-260-3696, or your local Insulectro TAM.
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Jeff Johnson
Product Manager - Dryfilm & Chemistry
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The People
Behind the Puma
Meet Ed Kneller
Technical Account Manager
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BIO
I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, IN. I attended Purdue University for chemistry and more importantly met my wife of 41 years there. I took a job at a local PWB shop with the interest of lab experience only, however, after 2 weeks, I got hooked on how chemistry could be involved in manufacturing.
After 3 years, I joined Morton/Dynachem and have been involved in technical sales and service for the past 40 years. I joined Insulectro a year ago when ECEMS was acquired and I'm based out of Chicagoland. My wife and I have 2 married children and now 3 grandchildren.
Ed enjoys friendly relationships. . .
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When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
As far back as I remember, I always wanted to do something with science, especially chemistry.
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Are you more into food or convenience and why?
All food is good! I enjoy cooking, maybe because it's chemistry? For the past few years, my passion has been mastering a smoker. When we dine out we have go-to places, Portillos Italian beef, Lou Malnati’s pizza. Same with traveling, Crab Cooker in Orange County (it's been so long since I been there, my real motivation to join Insulectro). Fort Wayne still has the best Mexican food and onion rings! We love trying restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
If you could change careers tomorrow and money was no object, what would you go do?
I can’t imagine that, I have been blessed for so many years to be able to do what I enjoy and get compensated for it. If I was to leave the industry someday I would want to be involved in helping people. Like the song says, “do what you love, and call it work”
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Describe a time in your career when you were at wit’s end.
At the end of my time in a board shop, I had a boss that came from the ice cream industry. He tried to relate circuit boards to ice cream, specifically that he wished we made only vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry boards. Need I say more?
Describe a time in your career when you beamed with pride.
In 1989, I got chosen to participate with Dynachem teammates to support a large installation in England. It felt like a validation of my ability to support and troubleshoot processes.
Who was a role model for you and who looks at you as a role model?
Jesus Christ, my Dad, Don Rife, & Pat Haley – I am serious about my Christian faith and hope my life reflects this, my Dad taught me about work ethics and trustworthiness, Don Rife and Pat Haley taught me the ropes of being a technical account manager, how to help people solve problems, and how to treat customers.
I have strived to positively influence those in my life as my mentors did for me.
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What’s your go-to play vacation and why?
My urge is to say golf anywhere, anytime, however, truly it is for my wife and me to sit poolside and do nothing. I think this is because it is so opposite of my life in general.
If you suddenly inherited $10 million, name three things you would impulsively and three things you would take time to reflect over?
Reflection first. 1. Pay off debt, 2. Make sure I am not a financial burden for my kids, 3. Get involved in helping young people get a quality education to make a difference in their life path.
Impulsive, 1. Invite all my friends to an exotic golf trip, 2. Open a Crab Cooker, an Orange County restaurant, near me, 3. Buy a house with a big enough backyard for a full-size croquet court.
Name one thing you really don’t want anyone to know about you. I promise not to tell. . .
Is this question rhetorical? I don’t like public speaking. As an example, my daughter was born in 1990 and from that moment until the day she was married in 2013, I occasionally dreaded the thought of having to talk at her wedding reception. You have to overcome fears to experience life, however. The reception speech is something I will treasure forever and am glad I did not let fear win.
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What’s the perfect Netflix night for you?
Jack Ryan, PBS Masterpiece, & This is Us.
What do you like most about your co-workers?
After being a competitor to Insulectro for the past several years, I have learned in the past 12 months there are many people here who are invested in helping customers with their needs. Kindred spirits!
What do you like most about your customers?
Years ago I would have said they provided me with a job. Later I came to realize for me, it is about the people I have been fortunate enough to meet, get to know, become friends with, and work together to make circuit boards.
What advice would you tell a new teammate in our company?
No matter what your position with the company, go spend a week at one of our customers and learn what they do, understand the sense of urgency in a board shop. Learn why our customers buy our products. What you will do at Insulectro will reflect how we service our customers. How do you do that without knowing what they do?
What’s the last thing you’ll say on the day you leave the company?
“I didn’t think that would get me fired?” Seriously, “I will miss you all, thanks for the opportunity”
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Hollywood is doing a biopic about your life and times. What actor would play Ed Kneller?
My imagination says John Krasinski but looking in the mirror it would be Ian McKellan, at least with how long my beard has gotten. Asking my wife, she says George Clooney, did I tell you I love her?
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Is there anything you binge on? Food, movies, vacations, etc.?
Golf, Food, Grandkids
What in your early life best prepared you for your job now?
Early on it was the way my parent’s raised me, later it was my time working in a board shop.
Name three traits that describe you.
I would hope I’d be described as honest, trustworthy, and that I put others first.
How would you describe your sense of humor?
Dry, sometimes sarcastic, and always trying to tie together previous conversations into humor. If you ask John Robinson, he will say "Ed is funny, it’s just that you have to wait for it……………sometimes a day or two."
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Insulectro Unleashes the
Incredible Power of 5
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Contact your Insulectro or Isola sales representative for more information.
Norm Berry
Director of Laminates & OEM Marketing
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Join our
Puma Team!
Help us define the future of Printed Circuit Boards and Printed Electronics!
Join our Puma team and be a part of our growth.
Business Development
Operations
Pricing
Production
Warehouse
Others
Click on the ad (left) to see various positions we are recruiting.
As advertised in i-connect007's PCB Magazine
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Insulectro Unleashes the
Incredible Power of 5
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Click-Out our
Pyralux® Flexible Laminates Selector Guide. . .
(click on product name)
The standard copper clad laminate systems for any flex or rigid flex designs.
The standard copper clad laminate systems for any flex or rigid flex designs.
Single sided flex copper clad substrate
Standard acrylic adhesives for building multi-layer flex designs. Offered as coverlay, sheet adhesives and bondplys.
Standard acrylic adhesives for building multi-layer flex designs. Offered as coverlay, sheet adhesives and bondplys.
An epoxy-based adhesive system demonstrating both low loss and high reliability, specifically designed for OEMs and PCB design manufacturers. Offered as coverlay and sheet adhesive.
High temperature flexible adhesive system with an MOT of 225C.
Teflon®/Laminate system offered as a clad laminate or bondply. Ideal for RF designs.
Embedded resistance double sided laminate
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Geoffrey Leeds
Flex Product Manager
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It's Not Too Late!
Past OEM FORUMS Available for Viewing
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MOST OF OUR OEM FORUMS available for viewing
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QUALITY CONCERNS
JUNE 24, 2021
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The Undisputed Made-in-America Industry Leader
PACOTHANE® TECHNOLOGIES
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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].
Pacothane services the worldwide PCB and Smart Card markets, which includes Rigid Multilayer, Rigid/Flex, Cover-layer Flex, Flexible Multilayer, Copper, and Un-Clad Laminates. These circuit boards are integrated into a wide variety of applications and markets that include telecom, data communications, high-speed computing, mobile devices, military, smart cards, medical and effectively all electronic products.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE
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We develop and produce consistent, dependable, functional products that help to eliminate the hidden variables in PCB manufacture, reducing scrap rates and reworks
- We provide uncompromising support to our distributors and their customers, through training, sales, and technical support
WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS
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We help customers select the correct product for their specific application
- We continuously improve functionality to reduce customers' finished product costs
PACOTHANE TECHNOLOGIES Proudly Produced in the USA with American Labor and American Materials.
For all your needs and challenges in lamination, give us a call! With our broad product offering, we have the solutions you need. We like to make your life easier!
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Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - Pacothane® Products
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And, don't forget, recently published Pacothane® Product Sample Guide available. Contact me for details. |
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Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - LCOA®
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CAC® Inc
Superior surface quality,
supporting thinner foils
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Remove those hard to clean, defect causing and throughput limiting separator plates.
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Reduce stack height - More panels per book per opening, CSC 7.5x thinner than separators
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Eliminate surface defects as the factory finish copper surface and profile is protected
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Production Efficiency gains by reducing the overall mass to heat AND cool in a cycle
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Layup Efficiency – No separators to clean, resurface or polish - labor intensive & costly
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Consistency in press stack mass CTE to copper & prepreg with CSC
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Increase quality assurance as image impressions and FOD concerns are minimized
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For additional information, samples, or data sheet, please contact me.
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil & CAC®
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Drills, Routers, Endmills!
Let Kemmer Improve Your Board Quality
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The PCB industry has seen a significant increase in the need for endmills. Insulectro’s Kemmer line has a complete product offering of single, two, three and four flute designs for various applications and material types. Currently stocking endmills from .50mm to 1/8”.
Kemmer Tech-Centers are continuously reviewing endmill designs and carbides, through a series of tests to ensure that we meet the increasing quality requirements of all material types and applications.
Please contact your local Insulectro branch for additional product information and availability.
Geraldine Arseneau
Product Manager - Drill & Business Development - Canada
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Design Education - An Insulectro Priority
Insulectro Sponsors New Design Trade Association
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Printed Circuit Engineering Association™ (PCEA) is an international network of engineers, designers, fabricators, assemblers, and anyone related to printed circuit development.
Our mission is to promote printed circuit engineering as a profession by encouraging and facilitating the exchange of information and the integration of new design concepts through communications, seminars, and workshops.
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If you are a professional serving in the printed circuit industry from any associated discipline, you are encouraged to join. Membership is free and you’re encouraged to be involved as we all seek to collaborate, educate and inspire one another. Visit the web-site at: www.pce-a.org
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As advertised in i-Connect 007's PCB Magazine.
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INSULECTRO'S COPPER & COPPER FOIL OFFERINGS |
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Did we miss you at IPC this year?
Copper Foil Was A Hot Topic
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Copper foil is finally being given the attention it deserves due to design trends moving towards narrower lines and spaces or smoother profiles.
Carrier foils, that support the mSAP (Modified Semi Additive Process) process which utilizes Dupont Riston® films and your current imaging equipment, are available down to 1.5µm for tighter L/S.
As for smoother profile foils we have several thickness options which meet the laminator designation of VLP2, or Very Low Profile with a treated side Rz 2µm max.
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A high-performance VLP2 copper is produced by JX Nippon Mining & Metals called JX-EFL. With its profile features at Rz 1.9 µm and chemical treatments it drastically outperforms standard ED foils with Rz in the 5 µm greater range. Can be used in PI & MPI applications.
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Copper Steel Copper, also known as CSC, is a copper foil bonded to a steel foil in top, bottom or middle configuration. Designed to replace the separator plates used within the press stack and eliminate image transfer from pressure variations within the stack during lamination.
The 8 mil steel stores less energy than a conventional separator plate which improves thermal management, panels can be tooled or untooled supporting Q oz and thicker Cu foils.
Benefits:
- 8 mil steel >2x as effective than 15 mil alum in Image transfer reduction / elimination
- Reduce lamination press mass by using CSC, improving heat RoR & cool down efficiency
- Increased throughput with CSC 8 mil middles, 7.5 times thinner than conventional separators
- Technical enabler - Supporting thin & low-profile Cu foils from 9 µm > with a VLP2 profile
- Labor Efficiency – No separators to clean or polish, simpler layup and breakdown operation
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OEMs demand performance, fabricator’s look for support.
Insulectro provides options!
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For further assistance, connect with me by email, phone, or in person!
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Foil & CAC®
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Fine-tuning Operations
Is Trying to “Stretch” the Most Out of Your Consumables Hurting You?
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Shur-loc, IBC Brush and Equipment Service are being recognized by customers as key contributing factors in Insulectro helping them to increase their departments efficiencies in areas of their facility.
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If your thinking of the Shurloc Frame System and if it would save you time and costs in your screening department, then check out David Larson from Shurloc stretching a large format frame commonly used on the Circuit Automation DP1000, 1500, 2500 and 3500 series auto screen printers. Frames also available for flatbed printers and hand tables. We can customize as well!
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Also, looking to clean your machine and hand table squeegees fast and easy? Check out this short video of their new Squeegee Cleaner! |
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Going Beyond
the Tool Case
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Do your pumice brushes have the correct bristle diameter and material type to give you the best copper topography results for solder mask adhesion?
- Too thin of a bristle will result in a softer brush that will require more pressure to try and achieve the proper copper surface needed for adhesion. This could also lead to nylon smear if your pumice concentration and pumps solution supply to the manifolds is not absolutely perfect!
- With the IBC brushes, they have been engineered specifically for this application so, with the proper footprint, the pumice can be rolled and driven across the copper as it should, while minimizing the bristle contact to the copper surface.
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Please contact us for a brush quote and see how our Equipment Services can be tied in to optimize your machine’s performance! |
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If you did happen to catch the “5 Reasons to Call Insulectro” for your Service needs! Well….here’s a few more to think about! |
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We take servicing and refurbishing equipment seriously.
It’s more than just removing and installing parts. It’s important to begin with a structure that has been fully perpared for these part items so they can be aligned properly to each other to achieve the best performance possible.
- 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 assist your maintenance team.
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Reach out to us to see how we can help improve your equipment up time and performance through:
- Equipment Reviews and Audits
- Service and support
- Preventative Maintenance Programs
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
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Please reach out should you like to discuss any of these topics further.
Thank you.
Kevin Barrett,
Product Manager & TAM
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Today's Copper Foils
for Tomorrow’s Applications!
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Tailored to meet market trends such as compartment miniaturization, vehicle electrification and increased connectivity demands require improved characteristics of both wrought and ED foils.
Focus on wrought solutions such as:
- Low profile height (Rz) for signal integrity, as low as 0.4µm
- Consistent profile height across the web which does not change when ordering thicker foils
- Alloy foil with Increased tensile strengths which can exceed 700Mpa
- Grain structure in terms of large crystals and uniform orientation improves fatigue resistance and provides excellent vibration resistance.
- Thermal resistance to withstand hostile environments for automotive applications.
Wrought foils released to IPC 4562A in grade 5, grade 7 and grade 8.
Call us to find out more – we love to talk about this stuff!
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Give us a call to discuss how CAC can help you
make better circuits faster.
Mark Satchwell
Product Manager, Copper Foils
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Everyday Materials You Need, On Our Shelves Every Day
Insulectro recognizes the importance of maintaining adequate inventory to begin work. Designers know when you need it, you need it. Using the link getpumafast.com, you can see what PumaFast™ and standard materials we stock to get you up and running.
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Covid-19 has not stopped our ACT! initiatives!
We have successfully collaborated on many ACT! opportunities.
We are delivering on Technology, Design and Education while you can bank on the sales results!
We are virtually taking our ACT!
to another level!
Insulectro and our partners are moving the chains to help our customers exceed performance goals. Our team of professional and technical resources are now offering our customers access to design and education services.
This is a Game Changer!
Our ACT! Initiatives combined with our design and education services provide our customers a total solutions package with a one-stop-shop option.
Our customers now have total access to not only our Insulectro foot print, best in class products, materials on the shelf when you need them; but also the expertise to deliver solutions from design to delivery…FAST!
Call me and to set up a VIRTUAL ACT! with your customer.
There's a reason I'm smiling.
Ron Murdock
ACT! Manager & Technical Account Manager
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To be the easiest company to do business with. . .
Insulectro has a program for continual improvement, all designed to make ourselves as user-friendly as possible to our customers, their customers, and our suppliers. Speed Matters, so we focus a lot of attention on getting you the materials you need as quickly as possible.
Our PumaFast™ Program lists current inventory of everyday materials you need every day.
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Best-in-Class Materials
from our Premier Suppliers
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