Orthodyne Electronics manufactures high-quality, low-defect ultrasonic bonders. OE provides the best customer service in the industry while maintaining one of the highest sales-per-employee ratios. We achieve that goal by providing our engineers the best tools and environment for learning and communication. Edward Demming hypothesized that the cost of manufacturing is reduced by improving product quality. The engineering group is leading the way in how Orthodyne creates, distributes, and continually improves product quality, while minimizing the effort required to sustain it.

Wire Bonding

Orthodyne is developing the next generation of wire bonders for the semiconductor and automotive electronic industries. A wire bonder is a high-speed, 4-axis robot with a vision system. The bonder uses ultrasonic welding technology to bond electronic components. These bonded components are used in automotive, medical, and consumer electronic applications. Wire bonders must be very reliable—when a bonder isn't working properly, our customer loses money from missed production.

An operator teaches the bonder where to place bonds. The operator also configures the bonder to handle different electronic package designs. The easier a bonder is to set up, the faster the bonder is back in production, increasing our customer's profits.

When semiconductor die are placed on a substrate, there may be a difference between where the die is located and the position at which the bonder was taught to look. The bonder's processor visually compensates for this variation using pattern recognition techniques. Due to the high speed at which the machine operates, this type of machine vision is highly sophisticated.

Work Environment

Almost 30 percent of all Orthodyne's employees work in the engineering department. Inside the department, about 70 percent are design engineers. The balance are technicians, drafters, designers and clerical support. Almost all engineers hold mechanical, electrical, electronic, computer science or computer engineering degrees. About 15 percent hold advanced degrees. Many engineers have backgrounds in multiple fields. Specialized skills include ultrasonics, motion control, vision, and digital signal processing.

Engineers work together in teams that bring projects from an initial concept to market introduction. Teams include engineers from multiple disciplines as well as personnel from manufacturing, purchasing, application engineering, and sales. The engineering department is responsible for the sustaining engineering that improves the performance and the reliability of existing models of bonders.

Resources

Orthodyne uses PRO/E for CAD systems in addition to PRO/MECHANICA (FEA) and motion analysis packages such as PRO/MOTION. A full time PTC certified PRO/E trainer is on Orthodyne's staff to assist engineers in using the software tool to its fullest potential. A PDM system is used for managing engineering documentation.

A prototype machine shop with a CNC mill, and a fully equipped research and development lab staffed with highly skilled technicians are adjacent to the engineering office area. Both areas are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. These include a high-speed digital video camera, a high-speed scope and logic analyzer, a photonic sensor and laser interferometer for motion analysis, and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for visual inspection.

Responsibilities

Junior engineers are teamed with senior engineers to help design independent subsystems for the next generation of equipment, including the research and development of:

• Low-mass high-speed, 4-axis robotics systems
• Precision low-mass XY stages
• Complex electromagnetic actuators
• Transducers for the application of ultrasonic energy
• Complex low-mass castings for high-speed applications
• Materials for reliability and performance

Engineers may travel occasionally to customer sites.

Career Path

Engineers grow their skills as they work on projects of increasing complexity. Some may choose to specialize in a particular area. Engineers may move into a project management or group management position.

Training

During the first two months of employment, new hires receive intensive training in the mechanical, electrical and software aspects of the equipment. Engineers learn about the wire bonding process, and visit customer sites to gain a better understanding of customer needs in the real-world. Engineers also learn about Orthodyne's history and its quality-based culture.

All engineers are involved in on going training to keep to keep abreast of emerging technologies and market directions. Engineers are encouraged to pursue their education, and are compensated for related coursework, conferences, and trade shows.

Education Requirement

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Please submit your resume to:

eng-jrme2007@orthodyne.com