Global PCB Connections: Following DFM Rules Leads to Better Boards
Elementary Mr. Watson: How to Reinvent Your Professional Journey
Fresh PCB Concepts: PCB Plating Process Overview
PhiChem Open House a Success!
March 28, 2016 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Delighted to be invited to an exclusive preview of the new PhiChem global headquarters and R&D centre in Shanghai’s Baoshan suburb, I joined the VIP group assembled at the PhiChem booth at the CPCA show, made welcome by PhiChem President Dr. Jin Zhang.
An hour’s private bus ride brought us to an immaculately presented site—four brand-new buildings with a total of 500,000 square feet of floor area: administration, pilot plant manufacturing and packaging, warehousing, fronted by a spectacularly impressive six-story laboratory complex, which had taken five years from green-field site to completion.
Gleaming! Through reception and into a display area with glass showcases holding examples of PhiChem’s products and applications, and an appropriate place for Dr. Zhang to begin his explanation of PhiChem’s evolution since he founded the company in 2002.
A graduate chemist, with an MS degree in optics, and many years’ experience in microelectronics packaging and the development of optical and laser materials and components, Jin Zhang gained his doctorate in polymer chemistry at the University of Michigan in the U.S. Recognising the rapid growth in the demand for optical fibres for data and telecoms transmission, and a fundamental requirement for glass fibres to be coated for mechanical protection and enhancement of their optical properties, Dr. Zhang returned to China and began production of UV-curable coating resins in Shanghai. Since 2002, PhiChem has grown to become China’s largest supplier of UV-curable materials to the optical fibre industry and second largest in the world, producing all of its own raw materials and resin precursors.
Dr. Zhang reached into a display cabinet and took a short length of fibre from a large spool, explaining that the widespread use of high bandwidth optical fibre would not have been feasible without the protection afforded by UV-curable coatings. The sample he demonstrated had a coated diameter of 250 microns, the glass itself being half that diameter, and the combination of glass and coating had a tensile strength of five kilograms. Talking of high speed, he remarked that the fibre was coated and cured on-the-fly at 3000 metres per minute!
Page 1 of 3
Share on:
Suggested Items
Overview of Soldering Systems With Vacuum
12/18/2024 | Dr. Paul Wild, Rehm Thermal Systems GmbHWhen soldering electronic assemblies, the focus of the vacuum application is on the removal of volatile substances from the solder joints and the associated reduction of pore formation. Particularly in the thermal management of power electronics components, pores can cause so-called hotspots with higher temperatures due to their poor heat conduction. These hotspots can lead to overheating of the components on the one hand and to thermally induced destruction of the solder structure on the other.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
12/13/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007This week, Peter Tranitz discusses the upcoming Pan-European Electronics Design Conference, set for Jan. 29-30 in Vienna, Austria. Pete Starkey brings us a review of the most recent EIPC Technical Snapshot webinar, which featured a global PCB maker update by Dr. Hayao Nakahara. Don't miss our interview with Manfred Huschka, who explains how companies can begin their own China Plus One plan. Stan Farnsworth breaks down photonic soldering and discusses its use in soldering materials that are not typically compatible. I also enjoyed Dan Beaulieu’s discussion on the value of consistency, and why just showing up for work is half the battle, especially in an inconsistent, evolving industry like ours.
Advancing Photonic Soldering
12/11/2024 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineStan Farnsworth, director of customer satisfaction at PulseForge, discusses the advancements in photonic soldering that highlight its energy efficiency and versatility. Over the past two years, the company has refined its applications for flexible substrates and energy reduction, finding that photonic soldering allows the processing of materials that typically aren’t thermally compatible and offers significant energy savings compared to traditional methods.
Indium Introduces New ROL0 and Halogen-free Flux-cored Wire
12/11/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation announced the global availability of CW-807RS, a new high-reliability, halide- and halogen-free flux-cored wire that improves wetting speeds and cycle times for electronics assembly and robot soldering applications.
SolderKing Celebrates a Year of Expansion, Innovation, and Sustainability Achievements
12/09/2024 | SolderKing Assembly Materials Ltd,SolderKing Assembly Materials Ltd, a leading UK-based manufacturer of soldering materials and consumables, has wrapped up 2024 with a series of milestones that reflect its ongoing growth and commitment to innovation.