Nippon Shindo to Add New Reflow Plating Line

Nippon Shindo adds a tin reflow plating line for brass of connector. The firm improves the ability to meet the demand with increasing variations with the state of the arts line with better precision of plating thickness controlling. The output capacity will increase to 50 tonnes per month with the total 6 lines. The firm completes the building of the new line in early July starting commercial operation in August. The new line has 20% higher productivity due to the better reflow furnace to plate tin on brass wire compared with traditional line. The line can control plating thickness with 3 micrometers preciseness, which is a half of traditional line. Plating thickness without uniformity, which is due to surface tension or gravity, is traditional operation trouble. The users increase demand for better uniformity when the uniformity could result in peeling of plating during assembly of unit parts of connector with multiple poles. The firm decided to add new line after the firm developed better reflow furnace and got favorable results in experiment in February. The firm places the new line in the open space after removal of idled solder plating line. The firm completed the shift to tin reflow line after the firm replaced a solder reflow plating line with tin reflow plating line. The firm adds new line every year in 3 years. The firm keeps a log of backlog to ship in past year while the firm keeps the full capacity operation at 35-40 tonnes per month to meet higher order. The firm tries to prepare potential demand growth at home and abroad when offshore users would increase the demand to meet restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) regulation. The firm said the capital expenditure plan for tin reflow will complete with the new line. The firm will renew the existing lines step by step after one year operation with new line. European Union controls lead content in solder for products including connector under RoHS, which starts in July. The regulation accelerates shift from solder with lead to tin solder. Japanese major makers already completed the shift in 2005.