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(January 24, 2007) DUBLIN, Ireland — "North American Reflow Soldering Equipment Markets," research and analysis from Frost & Sullivan (San Antonio, Texas), identifies several markers of a positive trend in solder equipment sales in North America for 2007. The report suggests that lead-free requirements under RoHS, China RoHS, and other international legislation; an increase in EMS business; and other factors are bringing the reflow market back from an economic stagnancy early in the decade. The study will be distributed as a service of Research and Markets, based in Dublin.
The research — which covers reflow, vapor phase, and convection soldering — provides analysis of markets and market drivers, challenges and restraints, and revenue forecasts and unit-shipment data on the North American reflow soldering equipment market. It tracks changes stemming from a 2000 – 2001 increase in outsourcing and general recession in the domestic high-tech economy, noting that steady, evolving improvements are boosting domestic outlooks.
One such improvement is a proliferation of Mexico-based manufacturing activity, which brings equipment into the North American market, instead of to offshore low-labor-cost regions. Frost & Sullivan found that the EMS market in general is experiencing growth, driven mainly by rapid technological changes. Emerging opportunities in end-user applications drive the reflow soldering equipment market. As end users require faster, lighter, and smaller electronics, EMS providers are required to update outdated equipment on SMT lines.
Environmental restrictions, according to the research, have a stronger impact on soldering equipment manufacturers than on other SMT-line equipment vendors. Lead-free processes require redesigned, retrofitted, or new soldering equipment. Frost & Sullivan reports that the transition to lead-free has generated "encouraging" sales figures in the reflow soldering equipment sector.
The report noted that merging applications for SMT and semiconductor assembly, such as stacking packages, creates new markets for soldering systems; equipment manufacturers able to leverage equipment usage to address these markets could generate sales increases.
More articles on vapor phase and reflow soldering can be found on SMT's Website, in A New Approach to Vapor Phase Reflow Soldering and Selective Soldering: The New Wave.
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