Advanced Process Laboratory AREA Consortium Meeting Coming June 15 & 16
Universal Instruments’ Advanced Process Laboratory hosts meetings of the Advanced Research in Electronics Assembly (AREA) Consortium three times yearly, in Owego, NY. Members travel from around the world to participate in the two-day event & otheres will meet in in webcasts of the research presentations in subsequent weeks.

Attending companies include industry leaders such as Alcatel-Lucent, Asymtek, BAE, Brocade, Celestica, Curtiss Wright, Dell, Ericsson, Harris, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Indium Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, Multek, Northrop Grumman, Plexus, Qualcomm, and Rockwell Automation.
2011 Topics Include:
- PCB Robustness & Latent Damage
- Vibration Testing
- Pad Cratering
- Creep Corrosion
- Solder Properties & Failure:
- Thermal Cycling Data & Models,
- Repeated Drops & Isothermal Cycling,
- Reliability of Backward-Compatible Assemblies
- Effects of Aging & Cycling on solder Properties
- Combinations of Loads.
- Component Underfilling & Edge/Corner Bonding
- Reliability of Thermal Interfaces
- Whiskers & Conformal Coatings
If you are facing new technology challenges or preparing for future designs, we welcome you to contact Creyr or the Universal Instruments Advanced Process Laboratory to discuss how AREA Consortium membership could significantly reduce your technology research costs, benefit your current projects and the future of your organization. For more information please click here to visit the Universal page on our web site.
May 2011
Indium Corporation’s Heat-Spring® Wins Innova Award for Best Technology
Indium Corporation
has won the Innova Award for Best Technology for its Heat-Spring®
metallic thermal interface material (TIM).
Heat-Spring is a clean, high-performance thermal solution for the increasing demands of high brightness LEDs. It is a compressible metal foil with proven performance in such demanding environments as electronics, aerospace, and power devices.
The compressible TIM provides low thermal resistance as a result of its high thermal conductivity (86W/m-K) and its ability to conform intimately to interface surfaces.
Unlike other thermal interface materials, such as thermal grease that bakes out, dries out, or pumps out during use, the thermal resistance of the Heat-Spring continues to improve with time and power cycling.
According to Jordan Ross, Market Manager for Thermal Materials, "Indium Corporation is honored to be recognized with the Innova Award for our patented Heat-Spring product. With its patented compressible interface design, Heat-Spring provides optimized surface contact, superior thermal conductivity, and enhanced heat flow."
Sponsored by LED Journal, the Innova Awards feature leading companies within the LED market which have shown, through their products and services, the most innovative and advanced technology breakthroughs in LEDs. The award is designed to recognize companies each year for industry leadership, product development excellence, best new technology, and outstanding LED applications, which will eventually lead to the widespread adoption of LED technology in the marketplace.
May 2010
MicroSreen Offers Screens with High Tension Mesh
South Bend, IN. MicroScreen announces the manufacture of screens with new HT stainless steel mesh.
Produced from specially developed wires and woven on state-of-the-art looms, the HT mesh is a high-tension mesh
capable of achieving tension values much higher than traditional meshes.
The higher tension on the screen allows the use of a lower off-contact and less squeegee pressure. Less off contact and quicker snap off of the ink behind the squeegee improves print quality and contributed to increased cell efficiency.
Screens fabricated with HT mesh show improvements in the separation of the ink from the mesh. Ink clears the mesh opening much easier producing better print consistency and image quality, particularly on fine lines.
MicroScreen is a manufacturer of screens for solar cells, membrane switch, large format and thick film printing, as well as laser cut and electroformed stencils.
November, 2010





