HDD Shortages to Spill Over into Q1 2012

Considering operations are disrupted at over a dozen hard disk drive (HDD) factories thanks to flooding in Thailand, PC manufacturers should begin preparing for significant supply shortages according to market research firm IDC. Worldwide HDD shipments could suffer almost a 20% decline starting in the middle of this month that could extend far into the first quarter of 2012 according to the firm.

Thailand accounts for somewhere between 40% and 45% of HDD production in the entire world. As of early November, almost half of Thailands production was directly affected by flooding. Even though production at some factories was halted as a result of flooding, the industry also faces work stoppages due to poor access and power outages. The full extent of the damage to the industry will not be known until all the floodwaters recede, even though it is already clear that there will be supply shortages into the first quarter of 2012 according to IDC.

Research Vice President at IDC John Rydning stated earlier in the month that hard drive manufacturers will favor their high-margin products used in enterprise servers and storage systems. "But the HDD vendors cant neglect their smaller customers, whose business will continue to be important once capacity is fully restored." Prices for HDDs have already started to increase rapidly in some cases, some by more than 30%.

IDC noted that the industry should be able to restore drive production quickly once the waters recede, though todays shortages will continue to constrain supply for an extended period. Hard drive prices should stabilize by next June, according to IDC, and the industry should be back to normal by the second half of 2012. IDC also says that the decline in total shipments for the fourth quarter is expected to be "less than 10%" due to the fact that a large chunk of PC shipments have already taken place for this quarter.

Worst-case scenarios put the total loss for the first quarter of 2012 at around 20% though IDC said that there are opportunities for larger PC vendors to capture enterprise accounts from smaller competitors and accelerate industry consolidation, more specifically in faster growth markets.

According to Program Vice President for IDCs Worldwide Consumer Device Trackers Loren Loverade, "The HDD shortage will affect smaller PC vendors and lower-priced products most, including mini-notebooks, emerging markets and entry-level consumer PCs. However, even the largest vendors are expected to face HDD shortages, particularly for portable PCs where the market is more consolidated. Nevertheless, the shortage will relieve some pressure on pricing and margins and present some opportunities for strategic share gains among the larger players."

Source: Computer World - PC makers should brace for drive shortages

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Things That Goes Into Manufacturing Of PCB

By Helene Norris

Almost all electronic gadgets and devices have printed circuit boards as part of the components that constitute them. Manufacturing of PCB is not a difficult process and even amateur electricians can just provide the manufacturer with their own designs in order to get it done. The boards are divided into three categories; multi layer, single and double side boards. Conduction of these boards is usually done using copper, nickel or aluminum based material. The material is chosen depending on how complex or dense the circuits are. Described here is the process followed when going about creating them and the stages involved.

The backing is first plated with a conductive material. Holes are then drilled into it in order for conduction to take place in between the layers and also to mount electronic components. The board is then scrubbed to get rid of any small particles of the conductor. Such particles can be later on recycled from the water by using a process such as filtration. Any copper particles left behind can easily mix with other wastes and become pollutant to the environment.

The board is then cleaned. Etching also takes place to allow for proper adhesion in the next stage. Once this has been carried out, there is an addition of another layer of conductor. The process of electrolysis copper plating is applied in order to conduct the holes that had been drilled previously. Both alkaline based and acidic based solutions such as copper sulfate can be used to enhance pH balance.

The circuits final design is arrived at with the use of photo imaging. Electroplating copper also helps in arriving at the final required thickness. Application of a thin layer of tin or lead solder takes place to allow for the protection of the final circuits. Removal of the unwanted copper is done as it will not be part of the final circuit. Its etching can be carried out using an acidic or alkaline solution.

Alternative resists can also be obtained by use of other volatile organic compounds or photosensitive ones. These ones can be applied either wet or dry. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the compounds normally harden.

In order to spread the liquid resist, one can use a silk screen, squeegee, roller or spray. One or both sides can have the liquid on. However, application can also be done to a specific area on the surface. Finer circuits can be produced by use of light.

The last stage in this process is forming multi layer panels. The layers inner cores are assembled together. The resulting product is like a book which has a copper foil with sheets of epoxy that are alternating.

High heat and pressure are applied to the book which is placed in a lamination press. A bond will be formed as the epoxy layers are melted down by the intense heat and pressure. Holes are drilled into it. However, this should only be done after it has been trimmed and buffed as required. The desired results can only be achieved by following the required procedure well and adhering to each and every detail in the stages involved in manufacturing of PCB.

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