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VOLUME 40 - NUMBER 8
This Month’s Focus: Test and
Inspection THE GLOBAL ELECTRONICS PUBLICATION August 2025
Hellbender Brings SMT Assembly In-House with Europlacer
OKOS discusses scanning
acoustic microscopy. Special features begin on...
Page 42 EM Services
PHOENIX, AZ — Hellbender, Inc., a fast-growing leader in AI- on-edge device design and manu- facturing, has brought surface mount technology (SMT) assem- bly fully in-house and credits Eu- roplacer’s high-mix platform as a
key driver behind faster cycles, higher yields, and scalable inno- vation. Focused on next-gen elec-
tronics for industries ranging from medical to industrial au- tomation and entertainment,
Hellbender is redefining the pos- sibilities of physical AI with com- pact, energy-efficient devices that demand high precision and rapid iteration. “We move fast. We’re proto-
typing new designs every week. To keep up, we needed to own the full production process — and that meant bringing SMT in- house,” said Brian Beyer, CEO and founder of Hellbender. “Eu- roplacer’s equipment gave us everything we needed: ease of use, flexibility, and the ability to hit the quality standards our customers demand.” Hellbender worked with
Weller strengthens CEA's soldering operations.
EM services begin on ... Page 18
EM Products Europlacer high-mix SMT system at Hellbender.
New Semiconductor for Future Chips
Micro Control intros burn-in system. EM products begin on ...
Page 26 New Products
JUELICH, GERMANY — Re- searchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics (IHP) have developed a material that has never existed before: a stable alloy of carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin. The new compound, abbreviated as CSiGeSn, opens up exciting pos- sibilities for applications at the interface of electronics, photon- ics, and quantum technology. What makes this material
Excelitas offers ruggedized UV LED curing system.
New products begin on ... Page 50
special is that all four elements, like silicon, belong to Group IV of the periodic table. This ensures compatibility with the standard manufacturing method used in the chip industry — the CMOS process — a crucial advantage. “By combining these four el-
ements, we have achieved a long- standing goal: the ultimate Group IV semiconductor,” ex-
plains Dr. Dan Buca from Forschungszentrum Jülich. The new alloy makes it possi-
ble to fine-tune material proper- ties to a degree that enables com- ponents beyond the capabilities of
Brad Kendall of Quality Associ- ates to design an SMT line tai- lored to its low-volume, high-mix environment. From loader to un- loader, Europlacer’s platform en- abled seamless integration, rap- id changeover, and robust per- formance.
Continued on page 8
Eco-Friendly Electronic Plastic
CLEVELAND, OH — Re- searchers at Case Western Re- serve University have developed an environmentally safer type of plastic that can be used for wear- able electronics, sensors and oth- er electrical applications. The material, a so-called
ferroelectric polymer, is made without fluorine, considered a “forever” chemical that hurts the environment because compounds made with it don’t break down quickly or at all. Although the researchers
Coated wafer.
pure silicon — for instance, optical components or quantum circuits. These structures can be integrat- ed directly onto the chip during manufacturing. Chemistry sets clear limits here: only elements
Continued on page 6
are still working to improve the material’s electric and elastic properties, the potential is vast for its flexibility of electronic us- es and eco-friendly structure. “How this material gener-
ates its electric properties is also fundamentally new,” said lead
Continued on page 8
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