January 12, 2009

Quick-Turn Prototype Printed Circuit Board

Quick-Turn Prototype PCBs Prototype PCB Manufacturing Saturn Electronics Corporation concentrated quick-turn capabilities make us your one-stop shop for prototype bare PC boards. In reducing the critical time-to-market requisitions of the Supply Chain, Saturn employs a disciplined service that pledges to meet your quick-turn prototype needs by delivering the required multilayer boards on time with consistent high-quality and reliability.

SEC Quick-Turn PCB Quick-Facts Guaranteed by Saturn’s 500% guarantee to cover for your costs in the event of an electrical failure Produced in the same lines that are certified for high-reliability, safety, and under-hood applications Manufactured domestically in our Romulus facility Backed by our exceptional customer service from quote-to-delivery Maximum Layer Count: 24+ QUICK-TURN PROTOTYPE CAPACITY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO QUICK-TURN We keep 30% of our capacity open strictly for quick-turn production. Once ongoing production exceeds 70% of capacity we embark on capacity expansion program to address bottleneck areas. WELL-DEFINED AND CONTROLLED PROCESSES Saturn is more than just a highly capable fabricator with excellent pricing. It is our capacity for quick-turning prototypes that meet OEM product deadlines that sets us apart. IN-HOUSE PROTOTYPE MANUFACTURING In-House Capabilities for critical processes ensure the fastest turnaround possible. Saturn has invested millions of dollars in the latest equipment to ensure capacity stays tight by staying in control and providing reliable delivery on time. FIRST ARTICLE INSPECTION Efficient In-House processes, tightly-calibrated equipment, and dedicated personnel encapsulate Saturn’s First-Article Inspection that yields 90% for prototypes and production. Saturn offers complete PCB first article, prototyping, and volume production. Verifying that the product can manufactured in accordance with the prerequisite specifications, Saturn tests the bare board through its cross-sections to ensure they are in compliance with OEM specifications. PCB PROTOTYPE CAPABILITIES DRILLING CAPABILITIES Saturn boasts one of the most impressive Drill Rooms in the entire Printed Circuit Board industry. As PCB complexity continues to demand prototypes that push technology limits and require faster and better equipment, outdated equipment stifles a bare pcb manufacturer from growing because their PCB Manufacturing Capabilities remain stagnant. VIA-IN-PAD TECHNOLOGY Via-in-pad technology involves merging a through via with an SMT pad (typically BGA pad). Putting Via-in-Pad creates space on the external layers for more routing and avoids potential shorts during assembly. The routing channel width on the internal layers will not change. The process flow for this technology adds a great deal of time and labor to the standard MLB process flow, but achieves results and component footprints that are not possible in the standard process. A bard board prototype featuring a myriad of blind vias will require a meticulous PWB Fabricator with drills of sheer precision. Saturn believes that Investing in cutting-edge technology is tantamount to handling leading-edge PCB prototypes. LASER DRILLING Saturn’s Drill Room features Excellon’s COBRA hybrid laser system, which provides the widest range of applications, high-reliability, and high through-put. With the flexibility to run a high-mix of projects allows Saturn to respond to the complexity of high-end boards requested by customer base by staying ahead of technology limits of PCB Manufacturers who haven’t invested in a laser drill. CUTTING-EDGE PCB MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT All our equipment is new. This is especially important when fabricating prototypes as newer designs push technology limits and mandate faster and better equipment. Consistent quality is an essential ingredient in the manufacturing of PWB Prototypes. That is why we recently purchased an AOI from MANIA that is used to locate opens, shorts, and registration issues for inner layers. REGULARLY-CALIBRATED TESTING EQUIPMENT Saturn is vigorous about keeping its equipment calibrated per OEM specifications in order to maintain proper tolerances. ASPECT RATIO Plating Through Holes (PTH) lines are calibrated to plate 10:1 aspect ratio as a standard. QUALITY AND CERTIFICATIONS SATURN CERTIFICATIONS FOR SPECIAL CASES Saturn certified for Heavy Copper PCB by the UL FLYING PROBE AND BED-OF-NAILS TESTING Saturn recently added the Acceller8 Tester to its Quality and Reliability Department. Combining an Electrical Test Scanner with Loc8/Ultim8 increases the flying probe productivities by a factor of 10. FIRST ARTICLE INSPECTION First-article inspection for prototypes and production is the best way to uncover problematic areas in these and other instances. Equally important, it is an excellent indicator of how efficient a fabricator’s processes are. High first-article yields – say 90%-plus – indicate processes are well defined and controlled. Low first-article yields speak loudly that a fabricator’s equipment, personnel and practices are out of kilter. First-article problems can stem from poorly calibrated equipment, callous or untrained personnel, lack of preventive maintenance and a host of other reasons. Saturn’s Quick-Turn Prototype PCB Expertise Saturn’s obligation to fiscal prudence makes it a debt-free, financially strong Corporation allocating profit for expansion, improved capabilities, and reduced cost Saturn’s quick-turn prototype expertise is the result of its capacity, equipment, and capabilities from the continuous reinvestments in innovative equipment Established on-time delivery of high-quality, high-reliability, fully functional bare PCB prototypes and advanced Printed Circuit Board technologies keep Saturn at the Industry forefront

January 7, 2009

Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Saturn Electronics Corporation

Saturn Electronics, Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer and proud member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council is proud to help increase awareness for this Michigan Minority Business Development Council event with these resources! Saturn attended last spring's Michigan Minority Procurement Conference sponsored by the MMBDC at Cobo Hall in Detroit. After the enormous success Saturn experienced at the event we look forward to all upcoming endeavors sponsored by the Michigan Minority Business Development Council. Pre-Certification Breifing Sponsored by Michigan Minority Business Development Council Monday 12-Jan-09 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM EST Details for "Pre-Certification Briefing" Pre-Certification Briefing: To participate, a company must be a legally recognized entity in the State of Michigan. Ethnic Minority owners must posses at least 51% of ownership. Company must be ethnic-minority managed and controlled. Only one attendee per company and must be an ethnic-minority owner. The orientation will cover information about the Council, the certification process and review of the application. SPACE IS LIMITED. For more MMBDC sponsored events, click here: http://www.mmbdc.com/en/cev/mon/ At last spring's Procurement Conference Saturn was able to promote its then upcoming Lead Free Cost Reduction webinar to a broad array of electronic firms throughout the PWB supply chain including several OEMs who tuned in for the first of its kind webinar. The webinar included an in-depth delineation on both IPC 4101 and Sn100Cl. Featured Saturn PCB Manufacturing Capability: SN100CL Minimum Thickness Guidelines A solution for the lead-free HASL Process, SN100CL features excellent fluidity — good drainage ensures no bridges even on fine-pitch circuitry, good penetration of small diameter holes, uniform coating thickness and a smooth, bright finish. SN100CL wets quickly and offers low copper erosion. SN100CL forms a stable intermetallic compound layer (Cu/Ni/Sn layer) in between solder and copper laminate. To request a gerber format of this coupon that you can insert into the waste area of your boards, please request it here: Saturn Electronics SN100CL Minimum Thickness Guidelines. Currently, neither IPC, Nihon Superior, nor Florida Cirtech have set requirements for minimum lead free solder finish requirements. If you've run this solder coating process in the tin-lead version, you know that thickness varies dramatically based on pad size. Furthermore, minimum coating thickness is more critical to the solderability of SN100CL more than it is to standard tin-lead finish. Combining these two facts, it is all the more important to create a new standard by pad area. After studying literally thousands of panels and the subsequent solderability results, we have now established a coupon and general guidelines for this finish. Please click here for a pdf description of the coupon. We will also send you our suggested minimum thickness requirements that are the result of our studies. Having this coupon on the actual board / array removes the variation in acceptability measurements between the supplier and the customer by standardizing not only the location of the measurement, but also the thickness by applicable pad geometry. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Saturn Electronics and request to speak with one of our engineers for any technical topics. About Saturn Electronics Corporation, Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer Saturn Electronics Corporation is a leading manufacturer of high-reliability, and technologically advanced printed circuit boards. Dedicated to quality since our inception, Saturn delivers steadfast manufacturing that ranges from quick-turning elaborate prototypes to scheduled principal volume-production. PCB Quality Certifications Saturn’s adherence to quality resulted in being the first PCB Manufacturer in North America to achieve TS16949 certification. Financially Reliable PC Board Fabricator Saturn’s obligation to fiscal prudence makes it a debt-free, financially strong Corporation allocating profits for expansion, improved capabilities, and reduced cost. Providing solutions while lowering costs is the reason Saturn can meet all your Printed Circuit Board needs. About MMBDC The Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC) is one of 39 regional councils affiliated with the National Minority Supplier Development Council. MMBDC is a privately funded, non-profit, corporate services organization that has provided unique procurement opportunities to Corporate Members and certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) for over 30 years. MMBDC provides ongoing growth opportunities, financial support, and training and education for its corporate members and for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). MMBDC is a professionally recognized entity that brings together suppliers and buyers in today’s emerging multicultural marketplace, creating competitive advantages and enhanced opportunities for all involved. And that’s what good business is all about.

January 6, 2009

PCB Calculators

Links to some very useful PCB Calculators on-line http://www.technick.net/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=util_pcb_imp_calculator http://www.ladyada.net/library/pcb/costcalc.html http://www.skottanselektronik.com/ http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.aspx?pageid=4.6 http://www.cvel.clemson.edu/emc/calculators/PCB-TL_Calculator/index.html http://www.referencedesigner.com/cal/cal_05.php http://www.pcb123.com/help/calculators/ http://www.royalcircuits.com/pcb_tools_calculators.htm http://www.royalcircuits.com/pcb_tools_calculators.htm http://www.electronics-lab.com/blog/?p=48 Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer Saturn Electronics Corporation, PWB Fabricator, is a leading manufacturer of high-reliability, and technologically advanced printed circuit boards. Dedicated to quality since our inception, Saturn delivers steadfast manufacturing that ranges from quick-turning elaborate prototypes to scheduled principal volume-production. Saturn’s adherence to quality resulted in being the first PCB Manufacturer in North America to achieve TS16949 certification. Saturn’s obligation to fiscal prudence makes it a debt-free, financially strong Corporation allocating profits for expansion, improved capabilities, and reduced cost. Providing solutions while lowering costs is the reason Saturn can meet all your Printed Circuit Board needs.

January 2, 2009

Power Conversion Boards

Heavy Copper PCBs With a strong skill set in precision etching Heavy Copper for the automotive industry, Saturn Electronics Corporation, bare printed circuit board manufacturer, decided to diversify andbegan applying it to other industries, namely power conversion boards for the power supply industry, power distribution boards for the Aerospace Industry, and thermal management boards for Military applications. Saturn Electronics Heavy Copper Etching At one point in recent history, Saturn Electronics Corp. was one of North America’s largest users of heavy copper laminate, which we used in the bare PCB manufacturing of power distribution boards for the automotive industry.