The Apple iPhone has ignited consumer demand worldwide for 3G smartphones, but many consumers are unaware that Taiwan-based flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) makers have made great contributions to handsets from Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and HTC, particularly in terms of innovative development of new materials.These innovative new materials help realize thinner and lighter product designs. Their influence actually extends beyond the smartphone industry. Products such as e-book readers, tablets, LED-based LCD TVs and notebooks can also benefit from these.Flexible electronics play a key role in breaking through the limitations of existing technology for components. Flexible electronics are produced by directly printing electronic circuits and electronic components that are created using semiconductor technology on to flexible substrates by means of photo-imaging technologies.Such circuit boards, which are line-etched and covered with FPCB solder mask protection, are known as flexible printed circuit boards, but are more commonly referred to as FPCB.These light, thin, flexible and shock-resistant products have a broad range of applications, including RFID electronic tags, smartphones, LCD monitors, notebooks, e-book readers, flexible solar cells, flexible lighting, flexible memory and flexible digital signage.Resolving the longstanding yield problems for bonding PCBs and FPCBsTaiwan's FPCB industry got off the ground later than that of Japan, but it is rapidly catching up. However, as the use of IT and consumer electronics products has expanded, the ability to replace traditional connectors with FPCBs has effectively enabled reductions in the thickness of product components and helped enable IT products to become thinner and lighter. As a result, FPCB makers have experienced their first boom in several years, putting them in the enviable position of running at nearly full production capacity.An issue with the FCBP manufacturing process that has plagued R&D engineers for a long time concerns the intersection between the FPCB and the rigid PCB. This area can easily fracture after being bent several times, with the result that makers have been unable to raise yield rates.The crux of the problem is the solder masks used, since many rigid PCB makers only entered the FPCB business in the past few years and their previous experience led them to use solder masks intended for rigid PCBs when manufacturing FPCBs. Since rigid PCB solder masks are not sufficiently flexible, the resulting boards easily crack when bent. A good FPCB solder mask is made using epoxy resin as the basic raw material and the mask can withstand baking in a high-temperature environment, while remaining soft and highly flexibility. When the board is bent, the mask will extend along the substrate's curvature to avoid cracking.Taiwan's FPCB industry has made great strides forward in terms of production technology over the last few years. FPCB makers using continuous roll-to-roll production have increased capacity fivefold without adding equipment or manpower, while those that have adopted panel production methods have seen capacity increase by as much as eight times, again without adding equipment or manpower. The most important factor in the explosion in FPCB capacity is perhaps the use of the latest thermosetting FPCB solder masks. These newly developed masks make it possible to reduce the baking time from more than an hour to just one minuteThis critical one-minute curing allows a dramatic increase in production capacity.TeamChem demonstrated new FPCB mask applications to production process managers from FPCB makers at a technology show, as well as introducing its latest quick-dry FPCB mask and conducting onsite demonstrations involving a one minute bake in a 150 degrees C oven and a five minute test bake in a 120 degrees C oven – to demonstrate that the company's mask can be fully dried on the FPCB in five minutes, so that the FPCB could be used straight away for bending experiments. The mask's characteristics of quick drying and strong bending tolerance have impressed FPCB makers and led them to think again about ways to reduce costs and raise capacity using the new process.FPCB makers that attended the demonstration noted that while TeamChem did not reveal the manufacturing process of its new quick-dry FPCB mask, their observations on the look, feel and smell of its formulation, mixture and screen coating led them to speculate that the mask uses macromolecular nanomaterial technologies to change the polymer structure of the ink to reduce the baking time to a mere one minutes.Dr. Todd Yeh of TeamChem indicated that the company's flexible mask is a type of thermosetting resin, which has both solder masking and surface heat dissipation properties. When the mask is used to replace PI cover film, the flexible ink will envelop the flexible cables and stretch to protect them from breaking when the board is bent. The heat dissipation properties of TeamChem's flexible mask also help dissipate the heat created by current in the cable through the layers of ink, allowing greater stability in the signal within the cable. The company's flexible masks are already the designated handset FPCB mask for several major handset brand vendors, while wider R&D on further applications of the product are currently underway.TeamChem's FPCB mask allows FPCB to better tolerate bending

Barnes & Noble has introduced Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets. The 7-inch Nook HD and 9-inch Nook HD+ feature displays for reading and entertainment starting at US$199 for the Nook HD and US$269 for Nook HD+. Both are available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble's website and in stores for delivery beginning in early November.Both Nook HD and Nook HD+ offer access to a collection of popular movies and TV shows through the new Nook Video. And an all-new built-in email app supports popular email services including Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.The Nook HD includes a newly invented display that delivers a resolution at 1440 by 900, with 243ppi and HD video playback up to 720p. Nook HD is armed with a dual-core 1.3GHz processor and 1GB RAM to allow the device to operate faster than Kindle Fire HD for an overall experience and 80% faster when it comes to graphics processing for smoother, faster animations, renderings, apps experience and more, the company claimed.The 7-inch Nook HD is now available for pre-order in two colors. Starting at US$199 for an 8GB model and US$229 for a 16GB version, both feature expandable microSD memory storage.The Nook HD+ offers a Full HD 9-inch display with resolution of 1920 by 1280 and 256ppi for up to 1080p movies, magazines and more. The fully laminated display reduces glare and provides excellent viewing angles, perfect for personal or shared viewing, claimed B&N.Weighing 18.2 ounces (515g), Nook HD+ is easy to hold and take anywhere. The Nook HD+ is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM.The Nook HD+ features expandable memory for even more storage with options of 16GB for US$269 and 32GB for US$299Both Nook HD and Nook HD+ will ship in late October and be available in stores in early November.Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tabletPhoto: CompanyBarnes & Noble Nook HD tabletPhoto: Company

With the advancement of solar photovoltaic technologies, many related industries are booming as well. As a leader in industrial control, Advantech has become one of the major pioneers pushing for progress in the photovoltaics industry.An Interview with Hsu Pei-hsiu, Product Manager at Advantech's Industrial Automation Group, China"Today, when new renewable energy industries including solar and wind power are thriving, we provide the solar photovoltaics industry with products and services supporting their manufacturing equipment and remote maintenance, and also all-in-one services and total solutions", remarks Hsu Pei-hsiu, Product Manager at Advantech's Industrial Automation Group in China.As for China's present development in the photovoltaics industry, Advantech provides support services for manufacturing equipment, and is able to offer bundled HMI/SCADA products with Ethernet telecommunications for each process involved in the creation of solar cell modules. These major steps include the growth of mono- or poly- crystal silicon ingots, slicing, cleaning, diffusion, etching, coating, screen printing, assembly and packaging, done by machines with an automation control structure composed of supervisory level of human-machine interfaces (HMI) and programmable logic controllers (PLC) communicating via industrial Ethernet switches. The solar module manufacturing machines, Ethernet devices and SCADA software packages are installed at the production lines in the facilities and exemplify operation reliability and maintenance convenience.For the stand-alone machines, there is need for an HMI to monitor and control all systems accompanied by three to four PLCs. "In this way the equipment manufacturers can choose an embedded fanless Touch Panel PC (TPC) connected to Advantech's UNO-Series fanless embedded controllers via Advantech's EKI Ethernet switches. The UNO-Series configures, monitors and controls the PLC and stores production data, and the EKI switch serves as the communication bridge between TPC and UNO-Series, and the TPC is manipulated with remote monitoring and control software that oversees the status of each UNO-Series and each PLC. The HMI, network, control and data storage devices have their own function blocks separate to each other, thus the reliability and security of the whole apparatus is ensured," Hsu mentions.Benefiting from the idea of vertical market orientation, each business group in Advantech has a profound understanding of the specific and specialized needs of their targeted industry. Hsu said, "Using a globalized technological platform, we are dedicated to providing our customers with products and services related to equipment maintenance in the photovoltaics industry, with successful application cases increasing every year."Presently, in remote maintenance, Advantech offers DiagAnywhere software, which is an abbreviation of "Diagnose Anywhere". DiagAnywhere is Windows-based remote maintenance software for remotely monitoring and controlling Advantech TPC, UNO-Series and ADAM devices. It includes software tools for client users and server software for the targeted equipment, and supports operation system platforms including Windows XP, Window XP Embedded, Windows CE.NET 4.2 and Windows CE.NET5.0.According to Hsu, this practically useful software can report to its user the tasks completed at the remote end, including remote monitoring and control, acquisition of remote screen images and record data, file uploading and downloading. It also supports Windows security certifications. "With this software, the equipment manufacturers can easily maintain the remote equipment based on TPC/UNO structure. They can complete all the needed operation steps through the Internet and thus reduce personnel cost for the maintenance of equipment," Hsu said."In the photovoltaics industry, we have heard more and more frequent calls from our customers for the establishment of integrated projects, so we continue to adjust our market strategies to accommodate this trend. At present, the photovoltaics industry is obviously moving toward more "project-oriented" demands, so Advantech continues to enrich its products for solar power plant control, network management, software service and power storage, endeavoring to make itself a trusted 'all-in-one service provider'", Hsu said.Advantech provides support services for manufacturing equipment, and is able to offer bundled HMI/SCADA products with Ethernet telecommunicationsFinding more case study articles

Real products on real display stands are the standard way to promote products in the cosmetics industry. Even though, customers cannot search for specific products that are suitable to them, display stands present customers with real experiences to touch, feel, and try different products the vendor is promoting, and thereby entice them to make qualified purchase decisions.To help customers better understand their products, marketing and sales people try to design visually engaging retail displays which attempt to interact with customers and promote products, ultimately with the aim to encourage them to make a purchase. Therefore the challenge is to understand the motives than inform consumer choices so that the vendor's brand is translated into customer experience.Nowadays, there are numerous solutions out there. Some cosmetic brands have tried creative and innovative promotions through multimedia signage displays which sell visions of glamorous lifestyles that can be attained by simply purchasing their product. The consumer experience is enhanced and the relationship becomes more active.Signage displays can quickly and effectively help build up the brand image in the mind of the consumer. Even though customers may not know much, or indeed anything about a product, creative, bold and eye-catching designs pull people in, engaging their curiosity about a product in a visually entertaining way.Well-designed retail signage content puts consumers at ease and encourages them to freely browse products without specific preference or intention. They can choose to learn more about a product, search for new products, or just browse general information for the fun of it.The most important thing is that signage displays do not overpower retail areas but rather form part of a carefully designed consumer experience and process that ultimately leads to a successful purchasing decision. Signage displays also help reinforce an active relationship between sales people and customers by making the buying experience more satisfying. Digital Signage features such as their all-in-one design, easy and portable installation and fast updates, all appeal to cosmetic manufacturers who see digital signage systems as an exciting means to get their brand message across.Well-designed retail signage content puts consumers at ease and encourages them to freely browse products without specific preference or intentionFinding more case study articles

BIG SUN Energy Technology Inc., a professional solar cell manufacturer in Taiwan, has recently launched its latest solar cell with 19.4% high conversion efficiency to fulfill strict demands from worldwide customers. BIG SUN Energy with its patented Combo-Cell technology, make mono-crystalline cell conversion efficiency reach 19.4% and increase power output over 260W (on 60-cell basis).Combo-Cell series products utilizes 6" mono wafer with shallow junction process and its special alkaline texturing solution (IPA-less) to create a "highly anti-reflective texturing" structure on front surface. This texturing structure improves its light absorption so that the cell External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) and short circuit current (Isc) can be enhanced.Additionally, BIG SUN Energy is going to demonstrate its latest patented iPV Tracker at PV Taiwan 2012, a lightweight and dual-axis sun tracking system for high efficiency solar panels. iPV tracker, moving in both horizontal and vertical axes, can track the Sun's apparent motion automatically and precisely. By adjusting dynamically the position of PV modules to track the sun can boost the power yield by 30-40%. With lightweight structure design and unique iPV real-time monitoring platform, the company defines the next generation of robust, reliable, and affordable solar tracking system.The patented iPV Tracker, Combo-Cell-S cell and Combo-Cell cell will be presented at PV Taiwan 2012, BIG SUN booth (booth number D0230), October 3-5. Welcome to visit us at D0230.TOPPER SUN's iPV Tracker, Dual Axis Tracker, TS-T6006 Rooftop / Ground type19.4% High Efficiency Mono Cell

The Phenix series of ProLight Opto Technology Corporation passed the international quality certification IES LM-80 testing held by the third party lab as approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).IES LM-80 is an approved method for measuring lumen depreciation of solid-state light sources, array and module with at least 6000hrs testing. The Phenix series have been tested with 7000 hrs of IES LM-80 testing in three different high temperatures (55 degrees C, 85 degrees C and 105 degrees C). Therefore, the IES LM-80 accreditation indicates the Products have a high level of quality and reliability. The ProLight Opto expects that this product line will add a strong energy for the second half of revenue growthProlight Opto Technology Co., Ltd. was established in October 2004, is a professional LED packaging factory, focus on R & D and manufacturing, high-power, high-reliability LED packaging. Prolight Opto Technology Co., provides customers in the optical solutions. Our products are mainly used in commercial lighting, stage lighting, street lamps ... all kinds of lighting applications. For more information, please contact: Sales@prolightopto.comIES LM-80 is an approved method for measuring lumen depreciation of solid-state light sources, array and module with at least 6000hrs testing.

Advantech, a leading embedded platform and services provider, today showcased the world's first industrial grade SATAIII series products at the Advantech Design-in Forum in Shanghai. Working closely with its long-term strategic partners, Advantech now offers an industry-leading storage solution which strengthens the security function and durability of the latest high-security Industrial SQFlash series product. Dedicated Storage Alliance for Industrial Use Storage is one of the crucial parts of an integrated system and directly relates to overall stability and performance. Specifically, many industrial solutions are made for working in rugged environments such as factory automation, transportation, and military fields. The whole system should be able to work under high temperature, high humidity, and even unstable power conditions. The storage needs to be strong enough to work stably in such environments. "With IPC know-how accumulated by Advantech for decades, we are pleased to partner with Phison and a first-tier Flash IC designer to deliver highly reliable Flash modules with advanced security features for a total storage solution. It also helps our customers to minimize their development effort and shorten time-to-market," said Miller Chang, VP of Advantech. "Based on years of Controller IC design experience, Phison provides a flexible yet reliable framework for Flash modules. Working closely with Advantech and leading Flash IC designer, we are excited to see how the alignment combines resources from back end research & development all the way to front end marketing to provide the highest grade industrial storage solutions on the market," said Steven Wang, Greater China GM of Phison. The World's First Industrial Grade SATA III Solution – SQFlash 820 Series A whole new SQFlash 820 series product were announced at the ADF event, which are available in both SLC and MLC versions with extended temperature support and powered by the latest Phison SATA III controller. The new SQFlash 820 series are the world's first industrial grade SATA III solution, making Advantech storage product line more complete. They incorporate secure management functions by default through Advantech's SQFlash Utility so customers can build-in a high level of security with little extra effort. Besides the extreme high performance of SATA III, the series features advanced algorithms such as Fragment Writing Technology to prolong overall durability and GuaranteedFlush Technology to avoid unexpected data loss in power outages. Both technologies are specifically designed for industrial applications. About Advantech SQFlash- An Industrial Storage Modules with Secure Management Advantech SQFlash are industrial storage modules designed for embedded users with high performance, compatibility and reliability built-in. Security software is directly combined with the storage modules to provide a safe and reliable application environment. The new SQFlash 820 series are the world's first industrial grade SATA III solution, making Advantech storage product line more complete. Learn more about SQFlash

The food and beverage industry needs integrated solutions to monitor and control quality during the manufacturing process. Advantech offers total solutions for every step of production process with proven technology that creates competitive advantages; all our products can easily fit within existing infrastructures and provide a wide range of functions for advanced control. Here we will outline the top three features that make these products suitable for food and beverage production.Batch ControlBatch processes are common in food and beverage manufacturing for developing and programming recipes, delivering separate formulas, designating different batch sizes at different stations, setting up programmable alarms, and temperature and humidity control through PID controllers. Advantech's APAX Controllers for example can operate as complete batch controllers, providing strong computational power for temperature, pressure and sequential functions in the field.Process ControlSterilization is often needed before packaging products. Sterilizing/Vacuum systems are proven ways to maintain sanitation, and industrial-grade products are required with heat-resistant capabilities and IP66 resistance against harsh environments. Advantech's IPPC-8151S is designed with IP66 for waterproof and dustproof certification which meets FDA Hygienic requirements, with anti-oxidation & anti-bacterial designs. Cleanliness is a very important part of any process within food and beverage. As a result, Advantech's HMI devices targeted to food and beverage provide the ability to be cleaned through simple push-button processes, and their fully sealed enclosures withstand vibration and moisture.Packaging ControlDelivering a high degree of durability with a low total cost of ownership is a key factor for efficient packaging. Therefore, to provide accurate and on-time information, food and beverage targeted controllers need to be able to connect to standard Ethernet networks with high reliability to provide continuous transmissions. Through Advantech's proprietary redundant network protocol - X-Ring Pro, these devices can support high-speed recovery times (<10ms). The EKI-7758F provides a reliable network with wide temperature and capabilities to fulfill harsh environment needs.Finally, many manufacturers in the food and beverage industry are looking to streamline their packing, labeling and palletizing processes, and Advantech's APAX provides dual controllers for these tasks, one controller focusing on I/O processing, and another to execute HMI/SCADA tasks, recipes, image processing, and more. Thus, the security of system can be ensured since I/O processing won't be affected by other tasks.Advantech's IPPC-8151S is designed with IP66 for waterproof and dustproof certification which meets FDA Hygienic requirementsFinding more case study articles

Nvidia has introduced two new high-performance GPUs, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 and GeForce GTX 650. The GeForce GTX 660 represents an upgrade opportunity for gamers still playing games on last-generation graphics technology, while the GTX 650 delivers an 8X performance improvement over the 9500 GT, allowing gamers to step up to the GTX family, the vendor said.The two GPUs are also equipped with technologies integrated into the Nvidia Kepler architecture - including DirectX 11 Tessellation, Nvidia PhysX, Nvidia Adaptive VSync, and Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TXAA).The Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 and 650 GPUs are available now from the add-in card suppliers, including ASL, Asustek Computer, Colorful, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte Technology, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, Micro-Star International (MSI), Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle and Zotac.Asustek GeForce GTX 660 graphics cardPhoto: Company

San Jose Mercury News, an influential English-language newspaper in the San Francisco Bay Area, was established in 1983 through the merger of San Jose Mercury (founded in 1851) and San Jose News (founded in 1883) and was the world's first newspaper to provide online news services. The media outlet was also recognized by the Society for News Design in 2001 as one of the top-five best designed newspapers worldwide. The newspaper's well-known global business reporter John Boudreau, with assistance from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently visited Taiwan to check on the ecosystem of the world-renowned smartphone and tablet PC supply chain.Invited by Apple and Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Mercury News journalist John Boudreau visited Foxconn's Shenzhen plants and provided complete and in-depth coverage of the facility in May this year. His trip to Taiwan was aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding the roles of Taiwan IT companies, and their importance in the supply chain ecosystem.Due to the increasingly fierce competition between Samsung Electronics and Apple, the journalist was highly curious about how the powerful alliance of Taiwan-based players within the supply chain - from product assembly to the manufacture of components such as touchscreen panels, printed circuit boards (PCB), flexible printed circuit boards (FPCB), FPCB solder masks, reinforced glass, metal frames and connectors - are able to affect the outcome of the competition. He was also eager to find out how the added value of critical Taiwan suppliers can influence brand competition.During his visit to supply-chain companies, the Mercury News reporter spent a morning visiting TeamChem Company, located in Taoyuan, Taiwan. TeamChem is a supplier of special materials used in LCD panels, smartphones and tablet PCs. The company provides products such as FPCB solder masks and low-temperature lamination ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film).The Mercury News journalist John Boudreau was quite surprised to find that an FPCB solder mask can help improve the flexibility of FPCBs, and through a demonstration by TeamChem CEO Dr. Todd Yeh, he learned that in addition to requiring high flexibility, an FPCB solder mask had to pass various rigorous tests to ensure the FPCB can function reliably in any smartphone.Commenting on the design trend of smartphones that puts an emphasis on devices becoming thinner and lighter, Dr. Todd Yeh of TeamChem said he believes that replacing metal connections with ACFs is a viable technological development. TeamChem is currently marketing a new low-temperature ACF that can be laminated at a temperature of 100-degrees Celsius. In the near future, when smartphones and tablet PCs are designed with a flexible form, low-temperature ACFs will be able to be applied onto PET thin-films, whose costs are quite low.The Taiwan-based Central News Agency (CNA) reported on September 11, that the professional display research firm, DisplaySearch, pointed out the LCD panel supply chain started heating up for supplying Apple products including the iPhone 5, iPad Mini and next-generation iPad in early July and the momentum is expected to extend through the end of 2012. Players in the LCD panel supply chain that are manufacturing products for Apple include Corning, Japan Display, LG Display, Sharp, AU Optronics (AUO), Chimei Innolux (CMI), Samsung, Radiant Opto-Electronics, Coretronic, TPK, Wintek and Foxconn. Taiwan component suppliers are expected to make a significant contribution to Apple in terms of efficiency, quality, flexibility and real-time service.Mercury News Reporter John Boudreau interviews TeamChemPhoto: Company