News: XRF Systems, Applications, People

September, 2018 – Bowman, the premier manufacturer of world class, American-Made XRF measurement instruments, has introduced an extra-long, extended stage option for its XRF plating thickness instruments that are primarily used in the semiconductor / wafer manufacturing industry.

In this sector, circuit density, trace spacing, board gauge, aspect ratios and microvias dominate, and demand is strong for a way to measure more and smaller test points.

In some high-volume operations, rigid / flex boards can be as large as 610x530mm, and while it is impractical to cover that surface area in one pass, the Bowman extended stage option allows the task to be accomplished with just a single, quick re-positioning step.

The Bowman extended stage option had its genesis with two long-term PCB customers, independent of each other, who requested a 400x300mm (16×12”) table stock with a tabletop size of 800x600mm (32×24”).

A longer stroke potential and a more expansive tabletop has created an efficient and unprecedented new dynamic for quality labs throughout the microelectronics sector.

Bowman’s extended table precision is ±3µm. The option is now available for 3 of Bowman’s 7 XRF coating thickness instruments:
“P” Series “O Series” “M” Series

 

September, 2018 – Jun Choi, Bowman Chief Technology Officer, has announced two key appointments to the company’s corporate staff.

Jessica Hermanny is Bowman’s new Operations Analyst. Previously, she managed Product Change Control, an engineering specialty, for 7 years at Caterpillar Global Mining.

For Bowman, her responsibilities are threefold: developing the company’s new ERP system, inventory control, and calibration recertification and related auditing. When fully implemented, the ERP conversion will optimize manufacturing flow and simplify response to customers’ change in Series selections and equipment options.

Fluent in German, Jessica is also assisting with marketing text translation for Bowman’s German distributor, DEPraTechnik GmbH & Co., which has had a stellar year in new market development.

Jessica has a B.A. from Hillsdale College, and an M.A. in German-English Translation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a classically trained pianist, and a native of southeastern Wisconsin.

Jonathan Rakushin-Weinstein has also joined the Bowman Team. He is the newest member of the software engineering group, which is headed by Engineering Manager Bob Maygar.

Jonathan has a B.S. in computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary responsibilities include applications development and maintenance for the advanced XRalizer software that is the core of all Bowman XRF systems, also assisting with firmware and new features development.

August, 2018 – Under the capable leadership of Arthur He, Bowman China debuted in a big way at CPCA and exhibited advanced Bowman XRF technology at trade shows in Changzhou, Qingdao, and Chongqing as well. Hanergy, a major solar panel manufacturer with factories throughout China, is one of several major Bowman China customers; they recently contracted for 4 L Series units for advanced manufacturing lines. XRF users in China will benefit from the years of experience brought by Bowman China’s new applications engineer, Mr. Kai Zheng. He had years of experience with Oxford and Thermo Scientific Instruments before moving up to Bowman.

July, 2018 – Delta Sales Associates Inc. announces the recent sale of the Bowman Model “P” XRF plating thickness measurement system to TTM, North Jackson, OH. TTM will use the Bowman system to precisely measure ENIG, ENEPIG, tin lead and other deposits.

The Bowman Model “P” XRF was engineered specifically for PCB and connector applications; it has an extended table, and is guaranteed IPC 4552 Rev A capable.

July, 2018 – X-RAY NOW, Bowman’s exclusive distributor and support provider for California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, the Pacific Northwest and Mexico, has a new headquarters in Santa Ana, CA. X-RAY NOW has provided XRF coating thickness measurement systems for the PCB and semiconductor industries since 2001. It sells new and used XRF equipment, and provides service, repair and calibrations, and standards, too.

X-RAY NOW offers customer demos for Bowman equipment, either in their facility, or at the customer’s location. You can reach Zach, Phil and their highly experienced XRF team at 714-396-2519.