Electronics Automation

Kemet Corp presented its FY2005 President's Award for Distributor Excellence to Arrow Electronics North America at the recent Electronics Distribution Show in Las Vegas.

Kemet Corp presented its FY2005 President's Award for Distributor Excellence to Arrow Electronics North America at the recent Electronics Distribution Show in Las Vegas. The award recognises Arrow's outstanding performance in an analysis of 28 metrics, including sales and market share, inventory management, communications, electronic trading, new product introductions, and relationship development. The President's Award represents the highest recognition possible of a distributor's performance within Kemet Electronics Corp.

'With such a large part of Kemet's business going through distribution, it is vital that we build a productive relationship with our distribution partners', said Per-Olof Loof, Kemet's Chief Executive Officer.

'We commend Arrow for their continued excellence in the distribution sector and their ongoing commitment to providing the highest standards of quality and service to Kemet'.

TCJ series capacitors are claimed to be the only family of polymer devices on the market capable of withstanding the lead-free requirement for reflow three times at 260C.

TCJ series capacitors, developed and patented by AVX, are currently the only family of polymer devices on the market capable of withstanding the lead-free requirement for reflow three times at 260C. More, TCJ capacitors are offered in a range of values including the industry-leading, low profile, 1.2mm (T case style) device rated at 47uF/ 6.3V with an ESR of 80mohm. tantalum polymer capacitors, in general, are heavily stressed by modern reflow soldering processing (featuring temperatures up to 260C).

AVX claims to be the only company yet to have improved polymer performance, enabling it to withstand the required three reflow passes, and meet stringent performance criteria such as IPC/JEDEC-J-STD-020c.

TCJ devices are guaranteed to operate up to 125C, and - uniquely - offer a defined ESR specification after reflow soldering.

They also exhibit a safer nonignition failure mode as well as improved capacitance retention when compared with conventional MnO2 electrode capacitors.

Imminent environmental legislations and 'end of life' requirements will soon limit the use of certain materials.

The RoHS compliance and lead free processing capability of the TCJ series enable it to be the first polymer tantalum device to be fully environmentally friendly.

TCJ series devices are available in A, B and T case sizes for use with cellphones, PDAs, cameras and other handheld digital equipment.

W and Y case styles are also available.

RoHS-compliant powdered iron inductors are ideal for power applications.

Providing design engineers with a low profile package for nonisolated voltage regulator designs, TT Electronics BI Technologies Magnetic Components Division has developed a high power, moulded surface mount inductor. Designated the HM72A Series, the family of RoHS-compliant powdered iron inductors is ideal for power applications. 'The pressed powdered iron alloy core construction optimises current saturation levels while minimising both AC and DC power losses', said David Smolik, Director of Product Development for TT Electronics' BI Technologies Magnetic Components Division.

'The core material of the low profile inductor is capable of controlling power losses as switching frequencies move from 300kHz to 1MHz, reducing the need for larger ferrite core inductors'.

The HM72A Series inductor is being specified for a variety of power applications, including servers, notebooks, work stations, DC/DC convertors, and point-of-load modules, as well as distributed power architectures, such as telecomms, datacomms, industrial and automotive designs.

The high power surface mount devices feature inductance values from 100nH to 33uH, with saturation levels to 80A.

Operating temperature range for the HM72A Series inductors is -40 to +155C, with a maximum temperature rise rating of 50C.

BI Technologies will also produce devices outside these specifications to meet customer requirements.

The HM72A inductors are available in three package sizes: 7.23 x 6.8mm, with a height of 3.0mm; 11.5 x 10.5mm, with height options of 2.5 and 4.0mm; and 13.5 x 13.0mm, in heights of 3.5, 5.0 and 6.5mm.

The moulded surface mount inductors are available in standard embossed tape and reel packaging.

Typical pricing for the HM72A Series devices is approximately US $0.55 to 0.85 each, depending on quantity and size.

Website features technical papers, capacitor life-temperature calculators, a thermal modelling applet and access to capacitor types by dielectric, application or type letters.

Cornell Dubilier has a new capacitor website that features one-click access to ten technical papers, three capacitor life-temperature calculators, a new thermal modelling applet and one-click access to capacitor types by dielectric, application, or type letters. Advanced parametric searches pull up individual ratings, links to datasheets, Cornell Dubilier and distributor stock. Application guides and product selector guides make it easy for visitors to steer their way through Cornell Dubilier's eight major dielectrics and more than 220 capacitor types.

The new site includes RSS feeds so visitors can elect to be automatically updated on the latest Cornell Dubilier news, technology and RoHS compliance.

The Abacus Group has received an award for outstanding sales performance in 2004-05 from Panasonic Industrial Europe.

The Abacus Group has received an award for outstanding sales performance in 2004-05 from Panasonic Industrial Europe. The award recognises Abacus' substantial growth in sales of Panasonic components throughout this period. Micromark C and CD manages the Panasonic franchise on behalf of the Abacus Group: 'This award is a great testament to both the hard work of the Abacus sales and applications teams and the breadth of Panasonic's product range, allied to their outstanding service', commented Alan Jermyn, Marketing Director at Micromark C and CD.

Micromark C and CD has many years experience within the passive component market and together with the rest of the Abacus Group offers a broad range of Panasonic components including capacitors, inductors, resonators, encoders, switches and fans.

Peter Molyneux, Sales Director at PIEG, added: 'This award is in recognition of the hard work and dedication shown by Abacus ECD in promoting our wide range of technologies to a broad engineering customer base'.

Noninductive power resistor is rated up to 20W and housed in a small, thin TO-263 package suitable for high density PCB installation.

Providing design engineers with a thermally efficient high current resistor in a surface mount package, TT Electronics BI Technologies SMT Division has developed a noninductive power resistor rated up to 20W. Designated the SMHP Series, the resistor is housed in a small, thin TO-263 package suitable for high density PCB installation. According to Jim Rieley, Sales Director for BI Technologies' SMT Division, the TO-263 style package offers extremely low thermal resistance.

'The SMHP Series resistors are thermally enhanced and the design of the package allows them to be directly mounted to a heatsink', Rieley said.

'Because the design provides complete thermal flow throughout the device, the resistors are being specified for applications in automotive electronics, switch-mode power supplies, and high frequency snubber and pulse handling circuits'.

The surface mount power resistors are also ideal for high precision CRT colour video amplifiers, pulse generator load resistors, inrush current protection, and bleeder resistors.

The SMHP Series device is an extension of the company's MHP Series through-hole resistors.

The MHP Series noninductive high power resistors are available in five power ratings (20 to 140W) and three TO-style package types, including TO-126, TO-220 and TO-247.

The SMHP Series resistors are rated for 20W power dissipation, with resistance ranges from 0.01 to 220ohm with values to 51kohm available.

TCRs range from 50 to 250ppm/C, with tolerances of +/-5 and +/-1%.

Maximum operating voltage is 500V and dielectric withstanding voltage is 2000V DC.

Thermal resistance is 3.3C/W from the resistor's 'hot spot' to the package's metal flange and operating temperature range is -55 to +155C.

BI Technologies will also produce devices outside these specifications to meet customer requirements, with comprehensive application engineering and design support available for customers worldwide.

Custom wirewound capabilities extend beyond the usual fusible or noninductive offerings.

Stackpole Electronics announces wirewound resistor engineering and manufacturing capabilities that customers can use to tailor certain products to specific applications. Many wirewound resistor manufacturers have the capability to manufacture noninductive, fusible, or high pulse withstanding resistors, but Stackpole's custom wirewound capabilities extend beyond the usual fusible or noninductive offerings. In one case, a customer needed a fusible wirewound, but also needed the part to fuse without explosion or fire, and without creating excessive heat that might ignite nearby flammable materials.

By optimising wire and core materials, tightly controlling the resistor element attachment and utilising a unique coating material, Stackpole provided an extremely safe fusible wirewound resistor that was suitable for use in residential fire safety equipment.

In another case, a customer needed both the high current capability of a wirewound resistor and the frequency response associated with higher inductance.

Standard wirewound resistors are designed to limit inductance as much as possible since they generally have a parasitic or detrimental effect on resistor performance; therefore standard wirewound resistors were eliminated from consideration.

The application presented another design challenge as higher current means larger, more robust materials, while higher inductance is most easily achieved with smaller wire for more turns.

Stackpole created the right balance of materials to provide a part with the correct pulse withstanding and the right frequency response for the customer.

Another customer needed the continuous performance of a wirewound resistor, but also needed a fusible response faster than what was normally possible with wirewound technology.

The part also needed to be longer than normal due to the high voltage requirements of the circuit.

Stackpole found the right combination of materials and processes to yield what was essentially a wirewound resistor with circuit protection characteristics similar to that of a commercial fuse.

Stackpole's new custom wirewound service surpasses traditional customisation.

Parameters such as pulse load capability, inductance and lead forming, as well as material and final component size/power rating combinations, can easily be tailored to meet customer demands.

Abacus Embedded (formerly ESG) has strengthened its team supporting UK customers with the addition of Phil Smith as Microsoft Product Specialist.

Abacus Embedded (formerly ESG) has strengthened its team supporting UK customers with the addition of Phil Smith as Microsoft Product Specialist. The business has also promoted Natalie Green to head up the Embedded marketing operation across Europe, and recruited Riann Quinn to a Sales Administration role. Phil Smith joins Abacus Embedded from Trident, where he was Business Development and Project Manager for five years.

He contributes a six year track record in the IT industry, including specific experience of managing the design and manufacture of embedded systems.

Smith holds an Open University Certificate in Project Management.

Natalie Green, who joined Abacus Embedded in 2005 as a marketing and sales co-ordinator, has now been promoted to take responsibility for the Group's embedded marketing activities Europe-wide.

Based at the Abacus Embedded office in Leighton Buzzard, Riann Quinn will be Sales Administrator with responsibility for arranging the timely and efficient fulfilment of Microsoft business with customers throughout the Abacus Group.

In addition, she will play a key role in co-ordinating fulfilment with Abacus Embedded teams in the UK and Europe.

Quinn was previously in a local government administration role.

The 25-strong Abacus Embedded team in Europe is lead by Nick Donaldson as General Manager.

In the UK, it includes a team of three Microsoft specialists operating from Abacus Polar's offices in Leighton Buzzard, UK, and dedicated individuals at Trident in Reigate, TDC in Basingstoke and Micromark in Maidenhead.

This team is focused on supporting UK customers directly, and acts as a consultancy resource to a focused sales team in Scandinavia, Benelux and Italy.

Kemet Corp has expanded its high capacitance MLCC ceramic portfolio with the introduction of a 47uF capacitance value in the 1210 EIA case size at a rated voltage of 6.3V.

Kemet Corp has expanded its high capacitance MLCC ceramic portfolio with the introduction of a 47uF capacitance value in the 1210 EIA case size at a rated voltage of 6.3V. These miniaturised components are designed for decoupling and filtering for high density power supplies. Newest capacitance values are available in the X5R dielectric and in K (+/-10%) and M (+/-20%) tolerances.

All parts are environmentally friendly, in compliance with RoHS legislation.

Kemet Chief Executive Officer Per-Olof Loof said: 'Kemet's addition of extended high capacitance offerings marks the continuation of our efforts to expand our portfolio of high performance solutions in accordance with ever-increasing customer and industry requirements'.

Florida-based distributor MVR International has set up a website entirely dedicated to the European RoHS Directive and other environmental laws emerging worldwide.

Florida-based distributor MVR International has set up a website entirely dedicated to the European RoHS Directive and other environmental laws emerging worldwide. Europe, as well as Japan, China and some US states, are restricting the use of some hazardous substances in electric and electronic equipment. As of 1st July 2006, the RoHS Directive (Restrictions on Hazardous Substances) will be enforced within the 25 countries of the European Union.

Electronics companies willing to enter the European market will have to redesign most of their products using compliant components.

The impact of RoHS is huge and global, but the directive implementation is still very unclear, and the identification of components raises big concerns since around half of components manufacturers will not use new part numbers to identify 'green' parts.

In an effort to clarify the complex RoHS issue and to provide the industry with the most up-to-date information, MVR International has developed www.mvr-green.com.

This comprehensive online resource centre offers: links to compliance information from more than 250 component manufacturers; daily updated news about RoHS and environmental issues affecting the electronics industry; details on the RoHS Directive, including enforcement, affected equipments, exemptions, responsibilities, emerging legislations worldwide, international standards etc; and frequently asked questions and links to technical and legislative resources about RoHS and environmental laws etc.

'Over the past few months, we have registered a significant increase of requirements for compliant parts', says Mikki Khallouqui, President of MVR International.

'Our customers are also seeking assistance to find out the status of their BOM and the availability and use of lead-free alternative products'.

'Manufacturers now realise that they have no escape, but they face huge dilemmas on how to achieve compliance in practice'.

'We hope this website will be a good support to help them through their conversion process'.

The website, launched one year before official RoHS enforcement, will be continually updated until the need for such support is over.

Another concern for European manufacturers is the management of noncompliant inventory.

After the enforcement of the RoHS directive, noncompliant parts will be used only for maintaining, repairing or upgrading equipments put on the market before July 2006.

'Keeping these parts in stock and maintaining a dual-inventory would happen to be extremely costly for manufacturers', comments Khallouqui.

Isabellenhutte has extended its LMx product range to include the size 0805 (LMI).

Isabellenhutte has extended its LMx product range to include the size 0805 (LMI). The low-ohmic LMx precision resistors can be used over a value range of 1 to 100mohm and can be both reflowed and soldered. Typical applications include drive control units, filter circuits and low-cost electronics in automotive technology.

The product range is also available in the sizes 1206 (LMK), 2010 (LMP) and 2512 (LMS).

Special features of the LMx range include a tolerance range of 1 to 5%, high pulse energy (up to 0.5J), extremely low thermic internal resistance from less than 25K/W and a load capacity of 0.25 to 2W.

They are compact and flat-framed, with low-inductance characteristics.

The effective and uncomplicated method of construction offers cost-effective production, as reflected in the price to the customer.

All LMx resistors are manufactured using the patented Isa-Plan foil technology.

The use of Manganin, a high-resistivity material, offers a number of advantages, for example, a negligible thermal electromotive force against copper (less than 1uV/K) and excellent long-term stability (better than 0.5% under full loading).

In addition, Manganin ensures a resistance value virtually unaffected by temperature over a range from -40 to +170C.