The 2004 IICIT symposium makes small waves
By Valerie Coffey
With only 85 attendees and a dozen exhibitors, the 36th Annual International Institute of Connector and Interconnection Technology (IICIT) symposium and trade show was barely a ripple in the pond this year. Even the appealing site of the symposium, held Sept. 17–19 in Lake Buena Vista, FL, couldn't entice the crowds.
From a peak of 900 attendees in 1988, the downward trend in attendance for the only trade show dedicated to the connector and interconnection industry is likely due to a complex mix of factors. The main event for the exchange of ideas and new developments in the industry, the IICIT conference may be facing a fundamental shift in status quo. As connector technology matures and becomes more commodity-driven, changes are more likely to occur in terms of small tweaks here and there, rather than earth-shattering breakthroughs. As vendors have fewer technology developments to announce, corporations become less motivated to present their proprietary secrets in a public forum for their competition to see. Economic cutbacks in travel are another likely culprit of the small showing, and the appearance of hurricane Isabel the week of the conference further cramped some travel plans.
Although the audience was thin, a wide range of connector and interconnection issues was covered in presented papers and tutorials. Speaker Brian Beaman, senior technical staff member and chairman of the IBM Interconnect Development Council (Research Triangle Park, NC), presented the keynote address on the IBM "On-Demand Computing" initiative. According to Beaman, the On-Demand initiative to make information technology simple and easily available is a challenge facing high-speed connector and cable manufacturers, as their products are an important part of the convergence strategy.
The honor of best overall paper at the conference as judged by participants was "COTS Fiber Optic Interconnect Technology Deployment in Aerospace Environments," by Jay Betker, ITT Industries Cannon. Betker discussed the problems encountered with tight tolerances and packaging in fiberoptic connectors, and how commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology is solving these problems in the aerospace sector.
Next up: Michigan
Recognizing that the conference needs a hook to bring in attendees, show organizers have introduced a focus on automotive connection technology for 2004. The location in Dearborn, MI, has been strategically chosen to maximize participation from the Detroit automotive industry. Automotive companies and their suppliers such as Ford and GM are expected to attend.
The 2004 IICIT symposium planned for September should prove to be extremely valuable for those attending, says Darrel Fernald, president of IICIT. "With the dramatic increase in the use of higher-speed electronics in the automotive industry, challenges are arising daily in interconnections. The extreme environments as well as high-reliability concerns in the automobile environment offer challenges for the connector manufacturers as well as harness manufacturers. We hope to have several papers addressing these concerns as well as other interconnection issues."
Industry veterans say the value of the IICIT show lies not only in the valuable exchange of information that comes from presented papers, but in the networking between industry peers that happens there. "There are a lot of newcomers in the industry, and the networking and tutorials that go on are crucial to keep the flow of information going from one generation of engineers to the next," says Fernald.
Axon Cable inaugurates Chicago FFC facility
CHICAGO, IL — Axon Cable, an international electronics company, has announced a $1 million investment in an innovative machine for producing flat flexible cable (FFC) in its new facility located in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg. The company is a designer and manufacturer of high-tech wire and cable and cable assemblies for industrial markets that include medical, automotive, consumer, aviation, and aeronautical applications. Axon Cable is one of the world's largest manufacturers of flat flexible cable. The Axojump FFC is used extensively in the automotive and consumer markets as well as for applications that require fast, cost-effective, and reliable connections between circuit boards.
Axojump flat flexible cables consist of flat, tin-plated copper conductors insulated between polyester-based tapes. The larger-capacity manufacturing plant will provide custom-designed cables with varying configurations at different order sizes. Customers will be able to choose from a range of add-ons including locating tabs and pins, slitting, punching, notching, and marking.
 The new flat-flexible-cable production machine at the Schaumburg facility will greatly increase manufacturing capacity. |
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Founded in the Champagne region of France, Axon Cable has been located in the Chicago area for nearly 15 years, building a customer base in North America. Steady growth of the company allowed it to move into spacious new premises in Schaumburg a few months ago, with the plan that the additional space be used for manufacturing.
Although the company already has manufacturing centers throughout Europe and the Far East, the need to service the vital market in North America has prompted the company to invest in a state-of-the-art, custom-built plant to increase manufacturing volumes of FFCs in the Chicago area. In addition to its U.S. headquarters near Chicago, the company also has offices on the east and west coasts as well as in Texas.
To celebrate the new premises and investments, Joseph Puzo, president and CEO of the Axon Group, and his American colleagues hosted associates, customers, and clients in a Grand Inauguration champagne ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Featured during the celebration was an art exhibition with local artists of the Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg and a historical presentation celebrating the links between Chicago and Europe.
Interconnect distributor adds mil/aero connectors
ARLINGTON, TX — A.E. Petsche Company has announced plans to supply military and aerospace connectors to its customers. A.E. Petsche Company, established in 1966 as a distributor of high-performance wire and cable, has continually added to its interconnect offerings over the last several years. By adding connectors, the company will now offer its customers one-stop-shopping for their interconnect needs. Company CEO Glenn Davidson remarked, "We have made a significant investment to respond to our customers' interest in finding a single source for interconnect requirements."
As part of its commitment to connector products A.E. Petsche has signed worldwide distribution agreements with manufacturers, including Aero Electric/Conesys (Torrance, CA), Souriau (York, PA; formerly FCI), Tyco Electronics (Harrisburg, PA), and TriStar (El Segundo, CA). The company is already recognized as one of the largest distributors of Glenair's connectors, backshells, and accessories. The combination of these suppliers will allow A.E. Petsche to provide virtually all connector types required by its military/aerospace customers. In addition to key suppliers, the company has also assembled a team of experienced connector experts: Garth Dare and Lisa Lambros as product managers, Wendell Simerly as marketing manager, and Richard Carnes as technical services manager.
The company's new connector value-added center in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, was inaugurated Sept. 2. The company invested heavily in the facility and state-of-the-art equipment. In addition to the value-added facility, A.E. Petsche Company has also established a multimillion dollar inventory of connector parts to ensure quick turnaround for customers and to meet the company's customer service goals.
Top execs to hold connectivity summit
ARLINGTON, VA — Executives from leading companies in the wire and cable industry will discuss market dynamics in an open forum during the International Wire and Cable Symposium, Nov. 17–20 in Philadelphia. The session, Industry Summit on Cables and Connectivity, is part of an executive forum sponsored by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA) in conjunction with IWCS/Focus.
Dave McCurdy, president of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), will moderate the summit. Participants include Peter Wickman, president, Belden Electronics Division; George Graeber, president, Cable Design Technologies; Brian Garrett, president, CommScope; Paul Neuhart, president, Cable and Connectivity, OFS; Gary Yetman, president, Coleman Cable Systems; and Neil Wilkin, Jr., president, Optical Cable.
The executives' perspectives will be presented in a give-and-take roundtable format with a focus on market issues affecting stability and growth in the global economy.
"The cable and connectivity industry has its foundations in the infrastructure of today's connected economy and faces many of the same challenges of price erosion and oversupply facing telcom and IT," says Belden's Peter Wickman. "Competition from off-shore suppliers is just now taking hold in wire and cable. The move to low-cost manufacturing in Asia requires new strategies."
Many of these strategies are being directly affected by industry policies issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In conjunction with Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the telecommunications sector of EIA, ECA is sponsoring a luncheon keynote at the executive forum during which an FCC official will address the latest developments affecting federal regulations.
The IWCS Executive Forum was developed by ECA and IWCS/Focus as an annual industry barometer. In addition to the summit, it features sessions on broadband penetration, industry investment analysis, and global market dynamics for the petrochemical market. Market analysts in connectivity, fiberoptics, datacom, and telcom, will present their perspectives on market issues in a special afternoon session. The executive forum sessions will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott on Monday, Nov. 17. There will also be an operations-management session on Tuesday, Nov. 18, followed by the full lineup of IWCS/Focus technical sessions Tuesday through Thursday. For more information, visit www.ec-central.org/iwcs
Methode announces sonic welding technology
CHICAGO, IL — Methode Development Company, a subsidiary of Methode Electronics, is offering a new, patented technology to create high-quality electrical connections without the use of solder, lead, or high temperatures. An industry first, Sonicrimp technology can join similar or dissimilar materials to create gas-tight and moisture-resistant electrical connections. Using sonic welding, the new connection technology can be used in medical, appliance, or automotive applications, or anywhere electrical connections must be made with dissimilar materials, temperature-sensitive components, or where a lead-free connection is preferred.
The Sonicrimp system mass-terminates solid or stranded wire, cable, flex circuitry, conductive inks, carbon fibers, headers, or connectors directly to a PC board or a substrate. The process uses a polymer cap-and-cradle system in which high pressure is applied to the connection and sonic energy is used to complete the electrical connection. The compressive load applied to each trace is controlled via ultrasonic technology to ensure that an even distribution of energy is applied to each circuit simultaneously.
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Benefits of using this process include the elimination of solder bridging, cold solder joints, and environmentally hazardous materials, as well as preventing damage to heat-sensitive semiconductors or other components. In addition, Sonicrimp technology avoids the silver migration problem that is common when using silver polymer thick film in an electrical circuit, in conjunction with standard poke-through and zero-insertion-force-style connectors. Polymer thick film is used widely in components and subsystems such as membrane switches and liquid-crystal displays. The sonic technology is ideal for these types of components.
The technology is also ideal for flat flex cable, allowing automotive engineers to quickly and easily create custom bus systems, which allow the distribution of power or low-frequency signals through an extremely low-profile flat cable. High-speed applications are currently being explored because conductors can be kept in the same plane without interference from solder. Other applications are also being reviewed, including the use of carbon fiber heaters.
WHAT'S NEW:
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POWER CONNECTORS — Customize your power connections with the modular Power Dock connector system. This board-to-board interconnect offers a broad range of options including vertical or right-angle board orientations; up to three separate power mating sequences; press-fit (compliant pin) or solder through-hole termination; 6- or 24-circuit signal modules; and self-aligning capabilities. They are ideal for computer and telecom power supplies. The hot pluggable contacts are rated to 35 A. MOLEX, LISLE, IL. www.molex.com
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MULTIPOLE CONNECTORS — Spring clamp insert adaptors have been introduced to complete the "revos" line of industrial multipole connectors. Contact types offered now include spring-clamp inserts, screw-clamp, and crimp contacts. The spring-clamp technology enables a flexible and universal connection of solid, stranded, and finely stranded conductors of 0.14 to 2.5 mm2, or 6 to 12 AWG. Spring-clamp connectors have a rating of 16 A at 600 V. WIELAND ELECTRIC, BURGAW, NC. www.wielandinc.com
NEWS BRIEFS:
Mil/Aero show covers war topics
This year's Military & Aerospace Electronics West conference and exhibition will be held Dec. 2–3 in San Diego, CA. The 2003 show will focus on the After Action Report: what has been learned following the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo. Technical sessions will focus on rugged defense electronics, COTS technology, and industry and design issues. Information on integrated circuits, components, subsystems, software, maritime, air war, land war, and special operations will also be presented.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics West 2003 Show is a gathering place for buyers and sellers of electronic, computer, and communications equipment and components. This event reports on and informs professionals from the industry who work at the systems/design level on electrical, mechanical, and software projects. Program and product managers, executive management, prime contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers of finished systems, and manufacturers of subsystems are also the targeted audience for the conference and exhibition. www.milaero.com
Ripley expands with Hot Stripper
Ripley Company (Cromwell, CT) has announced the introduction of a new series of tools through the expansion of its Miller fiberoptic and electronic product line into the wire-wrapping and thermal-stripping segments of the telecommunication industry. The wire- wrapping products will include manual wire-wrapping and unwrapping tools, as well as the complementary bits and sleeves for these products. The Hot Stripper, an innovative fiberoptic cable stripper, will be the first thermal stripping product offered. www.ripley-tools.com
ISA holds fieldbus event
The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA) will hold its first Fieldbus Technology Technical Conference Nov. 4–6 for controls systems engineers, industrial network professionals, and others involved in specifying, designing, installing, and operating fieldbus technology. In addition to training and conference sessions, the event features a product showcase of the latest fieldbus technology. The Fieldbus Technology Technical Conference takes place at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia International Airport, Essington, PA. www.isa.org/Fieldbus
NEWSMAKERS:
 Brad Bennett |
Universal Instruments (Binghamton, NY) has announced new key management appointments in its European operation. Brad Bennett is relocating to Europe to take overall responsibility for the territory in the capacity of director of European operations. Taking over Bennett's former role as director, GSM platform products, is Peter Bollinger. He will retain this responsibility in tandem with the GSM platform role, and will relocate to Binghamton from Europe in October.
 Peter Bollinger |
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 Kevin Bagaline |
Kevin Bagaline has joined Panasonic Factory Automation (Elgin, IL) as business manager for the company's microelectronics division. Bagaline will be responsible for sales development of the broad line of microelectronics products including laser, flip chip, die attach, wire bonder, plasma cleaning, metrology, and micromachining technologies that provide PFA's customers with enhanced manufacturing of semiconductors and other microelectronics applications.
Cable assembly company Sinbon Technologies (New York, NY), the U.S headquarters of Sinbon Electronics, has announced that it has named Robert Barnikel to manage its national sales operations. Barnikel, former global account sales manager for Sterling Commerce (Dublin, OH), will partner with Sinbon's U.S. sales teams to forge a cohesive, standardized operational infrastructure as well as ensure consistent and timely client communications.
 Jo Warnier |
IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries has announced the appointment of Jo Warnier, Triple-B-Marketing, as its first representative in Europe. The new office will assist in the promotion of IPC's European and global activities for the printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing service industries, including IPC's standardization efforts, market research projects, workshops, conferences, and exhibitions.
Optical Cable Corporation (Roanoke, VA) announced that Neil Wilkin, president and chief financial officer, has been named chairman and chief executive officer by the company's board of directors, in addition to his duties as president. Tracy Smith, controller, has been promoted to the position of vice president and chief financial officer.
Provider of high-tech products and solutions for component joining, RNT (Hunt Valley, MD) has secured an $800,000 bridge round of funding from original first-round investors Toucan Capital Corp., SAS Investors, and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). The company plans to use the funds in the initial launch of its commercial product. In mid-September, RNT was also awarded a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop alternative, low-cost manufacturing methods for patterning mass quantities of foil.
 Jeff Anweiler |
Jeff Anweiler has been appointed vice president of the SMTA's Empire chapter in upstate New York. Anweiler, a technical sales manager at Indium Corporation, is responsible for sales and technical support of electronics assembly materials throughout the eastern U.S. In his assignment with the SMTA chapter, he will be responsible for organizing chapter events, arranging for speakers, and increasing membership.
 Steven Schneider |
Steven Schneider has been appointed the eastern U.S. regional sales manager for Bridgeport Fittings (Stratford, CT), manufacturer of conduit fittings and connectors.
Value-added distributor BTC Electronic Components (Raleigh, NC) has expanded its offerings to include interconnect solutions from Glenair (Glendale, CA), manufacturer of commercial and mil-spec connector accessories. Glenair's offerings include micro-D connectors, connector accessories, backshells, and hermetic connectors.
 Vinod Kapoor |
Vinod Kapoor has been named vice president of Lincoln Electric's Cleveland operations. Previously, Kapoor was director of manufacturing operations for the company. Kapoor will have responsibility for the machine and consumables divisions. Also at Lincoln, Leo Landers has been named distributor account manager, responsible for growing Lincoln's business through its domestic distributor network.
 Leo Landers |
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Obituary: IPC chairman Plzak
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Chairman of the IPC board of directors, Stan Plzak, died suddenly Sept. 22 at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton, WI. Plzak spent most of his career as president and CEO of Pensar (Markham, Ontario, Canada). He helped found the company in 1983 and guided it until its acquisition by SMTC in 2000. After the company was sold, he served as executive vice president of SMTC and as a member of the board until he retired this summer.
In the late 1980s, Plzak became involved in IPC, and assumed a leadership role in the EMSI Council, a management-focused working group representing the assembly industry. He held the position of chair of the EMSI Steering Committee until he joined the IPC Board in 1997. He also served as liaison to the Technical Activities Executive Committee (TAEC) and Committee Chairmen Council (CCC). Plzak was involved in the creation of the Assembly Market Research Council (AMRC) before its merger with the Technology Market Research Council (TMRC). He is survived by his wife, Sara, daughters Lydia and Mai, and one granddaughter.
