Chuck Theos

Micron Corporation is an electronics contract manufacturer. Micron has been building PCB assemblies for customers with industrial products since 1982.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

From Carter to Trump Take Two
Micron continues to help its customers prosper from the strength of local North American markets. Never complacent, Micron still has eyes and ears on signals coming from global indicators such as worldwide revenue momentum and cross continental sentiment.
It has been a tale of two markets in electronics. One of them includes North America in general, and some of the larger global players in particular. The other seems more driven by Europe and Asia.
Sturdy growth is still evident in our industry here. IPC reported North American EMS and PCB shipments were up roughly ten and five percent, respectively, in the latest month with data available (Nov. 2024). And book-to-bill ratios also show that demand remains strong for both, as well. Globally, Taiwan’s Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, reported record revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024.
And yet Europe remains weak, and global sentiment is subdued. IPC’s December 2024 Global Sentiment Report indicated continued contraction in the electronics manufacturing industry. And there are persistent cost pressures, mostly from rising labor and material costs.
Geopolitical unrest, government intervention, and bond market muscle flexing are all contributing to a wave of changes ranging from public discourse to capital expenditures. Times are changing, that much is sure. William Priest contributed the following sentiment to a recent Barron’s Roundtable discussion “… we are living in an era of deglobalization where the security of supply chains is deemed more important than the efficiency of supply chains.”
Micron Corporation has been helping customers navigate changes since the end of the Carter presidency when America and the world seemed mired in turmoil leading to a general malaise. Americans have since prospered in seemingly good times and seemingly bad ones. Now we are entering a second Trump presidency, and the world is again faced with great international disturbances stirring confusion and uncertainty within nations and amongst persons. And still, gas prices keep changing and Micron keeps serving its customers.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

The word "chip" can have at least two different meanings in the electronics industry. Some refer to integrated circuit packages as chips. Others use chips in reference to two-leaded component packages, mostly for resistors and capacitors.
In this animated presentation, chip refers to packages for resistors and capacitors.
{This training module was built completely by human(s): no drones, or aliens, or AI super stuff, was either involved or harmed in its making.}

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Micron’s quality management system is designed to provide its customers with consistent products and services that meet their requirements and exceed their expectations. It employs a process approach to customer satisfaction. Our process facilitates opportunities to increase customer satisfaction while simultaneously managing the risk to those customers. It also provides a transparent means of demonstrating conformity to the standards and principles in the quality management system.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Micron Corporation has been managing workforce challenges for more than 42 years. See the Design of Services Requirements at (https://t.co/BHYfqIZ0zf: QFD). Generations of people have worked with Micron to serve our customers’ demand for electronic assemblies used in industrial products. And a new generation is onboarding. Not enough though, in a white paper published by IPC in April of 2024 the authors David Hernandez, Carlos Plaza, and John W. Mitchell wrote about “A PLAN TO ADDRESS THE WORKFORCE CHALLENGES FACING THE ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.”
They identify four key failures of the U.S. electronics industry. Each of these are defined as the lack of the following:
· Industry-driven Pipeline
· Effective and Efficient Onboarding Programs
· Career Pathway Systems
· Rapid Upskilling Infrastructure
All four of these failures taken together speak to the need for picking up the pace of personnel development both before and after entrance into the workforce.
Here are some numbers about EMS from the report.
“Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) market
grow from about $534 billion in 2023 to $856
billion in 2030. At the same time, approximately
10,000 baby boomers, defined as those born
between 1946 and 1964, are retiring each day.”
How many of those 10,000 boomers are coming out of our industry?
Micron sees the need for more candidates, and, is sadly watching boomer exits.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Micron Corporation is proud to be an IPC member.
There are two IPC standards that stand above the rest when it comes to building and inspecting printed circuit assemblies: IPC-J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 are it. Regarding these standards, IPC has introduced two new self-paced online courses. They are duly named "Ensuring Excellence: IPC-J-STD-001 Process Optimization" and "Ensuring Excellence: IPC-A-610 Process Optimization."
On December 2nd, 2024, IPC announced these two new courses that are now available on the education platform IPC Edge. These courses can be purchased by members and non-members alike (though at different prices).
Micron encourages you to visit at https://t.co/EGFHJ1x5Fz to learn more.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Micron Corporation has been encouraged by the number of electronic assemblies that have come back to the States from overseas. As we all look out at the shifting landscape upon which our industries thrive, Electronics Manufacturers are keeping a sharp eye on the trends.

Reshoring has become a long-standing trend.
“The global landscape has shifted dramatically since offshoring became a popular supply chain strategy decades ago: Chris Fruci, Macrofab, Jul. 15, 2024.”

Just-In-Case has come to rival Just-In-Time, as a part of different supply chain strategies.
“Supply chain disruptions and product shortages across manufacturing and retail have caused many people to proclaim the end of just-in-time inventory practices in favor of more just-in-case stocking: Willy Shih, Forbes, Feb. 1, 2022.”

Investment from the U.S. Government is revitalizing certain sectors of manufacturing.

The U.S. Government has bought into funding U.S. manufacturing.
“The grant money, set aside under 2022’s Chips Act, aims to fund a resurgence of U.S. manufacturing to counteract any future supply-chain disruptions such as happened during the Covid era, and address growing geopolitical tensions with China. Thomas Gryta, WSJ, Nov. 26, 2024.”
The U.S. Dept. of Commerce is focusing on the semiconductor industry.
“As part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce is overseeing $50 billion to revitalize the U.S. semiconductor industry, including $39 billion in semiconductor incentives. U.S. Dept. of Commerce.”

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

When it comes to electronics manufacturing, the EU has slowed. Yet North America maintains a pace of growth.
According to the IPC EMS industry results for October 2024: Total North American EMS shipments in October 2024 were up 14.7 percent compared to the same month last year.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

It becomes apparent what needs to be done, yet how to do it is not always clear: and we shall still proceed. Manufacture, produce, and create. For our customers.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Enlist Micron Corporation to build your PCB assemblies. When you do you’ve engaged a level of trust that will not disappoint your organization. Micron always strives to satisfy the entire customer.

Trust comes at many levels. We trust our employees. Our people and the knowledge, experience, and know how they possess is our greatest asset. As a customer of Micron, you can trust the decisions we make about the equipment we use. So much these days relies on automation. Micron is committed to utilizing the best automated equipment to build the highest quality, lowest cost product for our customers in a timely fashion.

Micron utilizes state of the art automated equipment to build SMT assemblies. From stencil printing on through to automated optical inspection, each unit in the line has been chosen to satisfy our customer’s needs with precision, compliance, and clarity.

Here’s a brief overview of the automated equipment at your service with Micron Corp.
We currently print paste using SpeedPrint’s SP710 series of stencil printers. This provides 20 (micron) repeatability at 6 Sigma for a Cp = 2.0.
Placement of parts takes place using Mycronic pick-n-place equipment. MY200 LX-14 and MY300 SX-15 machines are used. 4K resolution allows for accurate 0.15 (mm) fine pitch placements.
PCB assemblies are profiled and reflowed using Heller’s 1707 MKIII series of ovens. Heller ovens use PID controllers and have M.O.L.E. thermal profiling, both within 0.1 degrees C.
Aqueous Technologies cleaning equipment is used to purify the product using aqueous and chemistry combinations. Clean, No Clean, and clean No Clean assemblies are accommodated.
At the end of each line is an automated optical inspection station. Micron employs Mirtec’s MV-6 OMNI line for 3D inspection of all SMT assemblies. The MV-6 series has 10 (micron) repeatability allowing it to detect 01005 components.

Build your product with us, and we’ll build our relationship with you. Micron is located just outside Rte. 128 in Norwood, MA at the Norwood Airport Business Park. Drive, train, bus, or fly to us. We’re open to spontaneous (or scheduled) visits. Call us at [phone], or email [email protected]. We look forward to meeting you.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Electronics manufacturing is a significant part of this economy, it’s at the heart of what we produce.
Micron Corporation has been in this business for 42 years; serving customers by building their products and paying attention to their needs.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Voids regarded as the failure of solder joints is mostly a wrong characterization that has been promulgated by companies that Xray voids and make repairs.
It’s the cracks at interfaces that cause most failures: Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn, that’s where it mostly happens.
See the paper published on https://t.co/oneWQcC9lv and referred to in IPC APEX EXPO Proceedings, 2015
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF THE BGA VOID
D. Hillman, D. Adams, T. Peason, B. Williams, B. Pettrick, R. Wilcoxon, D. Bernard, J. Travis, E. Krastev und V. Bastin, „ Proceedings, 2015.
What needs to be done to avoid such defects is to have appropriate reflow profiles.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

What we are doing in this reshoring is bringing it back home to these states.
Let’s keep doing it. We are this good, and better.
The whole world knows it, Let us push it forward.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Solder Alloys Paste Selection and Voids
Intermetallic voids are often credited for component failure.
Yet more usually cracks in the intermetallic at the Cu Interfaces are the culprits.
Most often solder profiling in the reflow oven is to blame.
Take this to heart, it is the interfaces, not the voids, that are problematic.
Let’s get the profiling right. Slow ramp up and quick cooling down.
The solder we use matters. SAC305 or something else.
Pay attention to the datasheet instructions.
We can become better by working together.
Let’s join our hands and begin again.
We have the means of controlling our manufacturing.
Cu6Sn5 that’s where most of it happens.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Micron Corporation has been dealing with the particulars of PCB assemblies since 1982, a long time ago for sure.
We understand Layer Counts of PCBs.
Always find the best Base Laminate as appropriate for customers.
Maintain an understanding of Copper Weight.
Choose the best Buried and Blind Vias.
And never ever let Voids and Cracks destroy the assemblies we build.
This is what forty-two plus years of PCB assembly experience can do for a company.
Micron Corp., we built it better.
Visit us at the Norwood Airport Business Park, our doors are always open.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Why do we do what we do? Because we believe what we are doing is better for mankind. This skin veneer of earth is all we have. Let's make it better. Electronics is making it better, and that's what Micron Corporation does.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Whether we like it or not. Our manufacturing world has changed and will continue to change. America is in front of several manufacturing fronts. And we need to do more, and we are doing more. Micron Corporation will continue to help this nation go forward. Certain things matter. Attention to customers matters. Supply chains matter. As the founder of this corporation has told us repeatedly, discipline matters. Putting that discipline towards productive and effective work matters even more. That’s what Micron does, day in and day out. Visit us any time, our doors are always open. Come by and see.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

Electronics have become a very significant part of our world. All of us know this. And those of us who build them, know it even better. What is the difference between electrical and electronics? The latter contains information. Everyone who wakes up with, carries, and ends their day with their phone understands this. At Micron Corporation we build electronics that move industries forward, right here in the United States of America. Taiwan builds most of the smallest nanometer wafers, that’s true. But America designs most of them. And Micron builds a bunch of them, for customers both large and small.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

MICRON CORPORATION better, faster, stronger.

[Chuck Theos @MicronCorpRnD]

The following five technologies form the basis for the automated production lines at Micron Corporation. A typical surface mount assembly commonly follows these steps: stencil printing, part placement, reflow profiling, assembly cleaning, and optical inspection.