Component Management

The Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine is now available globally through Digi-Key Electronics. The tool delivers professional reliability and precision at an affordable price. Milling directly from Gerber files, the Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine handles double-sided PCBs with 6 mil trace and space.

Researchers have been pushing the capabilities of materials by carefully designing precise structures that exhibit abnormal properties that can control acoustic or optical waves. However, these metamaterials are constructed in fixed geometries, meaning their unique abilities are always fixed. Now, new 3D printed metamaterial developed by a team led by USC Viterbi researchers can be remotely switched between active control and passive states.

A Security Key Programming software option that allows programming of a 256-bit AES key for Altera Cyclone V FPGAs has been released by Goepel electronic. It activates the design security in the FPGA, thus bitstreams can no longer be analysed. This protects the FPGA design against re-engineering, cloning and copying.

For designers looking to manufacture burr and stress free metal parts with complex geometries, maintain the flexibility to make last minute design changes, and mass produce prototypes quickly, photo chemical etching is increasingly seen as the answer. Chemical etching offers both an economical and efficient solution, and allows for the mass production of incredibly intricate, thin metal parts at a fraction of the cost of other methods.

LED thermal management company, Cambridge Nanotherm has launched Nanotherm MCPCB - according to the company the lighting industry’s most thermally-efficient and most cost-effective metal-clad PCB. Thanks to a recent technological breakthrough regarding the company’s patented electro-chemical process, which creates a 20μ-thick dielectric layer of alumina atomically bonded to the aluminium board, Cambridge Nanotherm has bee...

Nihon Superior Co. Ltd. has introduced its new SN100C logo. The logo replaces the originally used SN100C logo and will be used worldwide to brand this important alloy. The announcement was made during the recent IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. The three-ring logo has significance in its meaning for the representation of Sn-Cu-Ni, the fundamental composition of the SN100C solder alloy. Sn is represented by the red “S”, Ni by the blue ...

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down has revolutionised the production of titanium by reducing the 40 stage process down to just two steps and potentially halving the cost. Titanium is as strong as steel and half the weight - but around ten times the cost. It is notoriously difficult and expensive to make which limits its wider use.

Electronic Specifier recently attended the international exhibition and conference for the printed electronics industry, LOPEC 2018. Here, we report on the Technical Conference, ‘Smart and hybrid systems’, which had keynote speakers from ABInBev, TactoTek, American Semiconductor and CeNTI.

Metcal has announced plans to exhibit in Stand 1F38 at NEPCON China, scheduled to take place 24th to 26th April, 2018 at the Shanghai World EXPO Exhibition & Convention Center. The company will show its Connection Validation (CV) Soldering System with new hand-pieces, Digital Hot Air Pencil, High Thermal Demand solution and Solder Tip Cleaner.

There are more processes that go into printed electronics than you may think. From the production of the ink and pastes to the packaging, here are six companies that exhibited at the trade show for printed electronics, LOPEC 2018, held March 14-15 in Munich, that can provide some insight into the intensive production processes that turn out the technology that is rapidly revolutionising all sectors, from automotive and consumer applications to me...