OX3 Corporation

Pick and Place Pads

2012-02-16T11:35:00.000-08:00

OX3® has custom-fit Kapton® pads for use on surface mount components with irregular topographies. Many taping & reeling requirements arise for hard-to-place electronic components. When typical vacuum-pencil or pick-up heads on assembly equipment have nothing to grab, an OX3® pad may make sense. These pads are adhesive-backed and come in any variety of shapes and sizes.

One customer named Scott wrote to ask for our advice: “We have some three-leaded thru-hole connectors that need pick and place pads added before taping & reeling. We have a few samples of the component, with the simple, little pads added. But, when I called the manufacturer directly, they acted as if I have just seen Big Foot, (LOL). They claimed that there is no such pad for this component.” I have attached a few pictures to give you an idea of the shape of the component and the little plastic pads I am trying to locate. Please let me know if you have any ideas.”

Yes, Scott, we have a well-placed idea! OX3’s® plastic Kapton® pick ‘n place pads are ideal for picking up connectors that have rugged top-side terrains or little area for placement. The pad will act as an integral part of the device and is easily removed after the part has been populated onto the circuit board.

OX3® Kapton® Pick 'n Place Pads

Baking PC Boards

2012-01-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

Technician Anh demonstrates the size of each board being baked.

Baking printed circuit boards on a rush basis presents several challenges, not the least of which is the amount of unpacking involved. We received urgent instructions from the Material Program Lead at Raytheon Company to bake out 431 PWBs. It is a rather large board measuring 20.50" x 9.43" that needs to be run at 88 C degrees for 40 hours. Not to be discouraged, OX3 warmed to the opportunity. Using one of our Blue-M Ovens, we turned the product around in plenty of time to meet our customer's production window.

OX3 Corporation Founder Dies At 82

2011-12-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

Widmayer, FrancisJoseph, “Frank,” Jr. (1929-2011 ), businessman, of Acton, MA died frominjuries suffered in an automobile accident on December 19, 2011. He was 82 years old. Widmayer founded the company in 1972. OX3 Corporation was spun off in a management buyout by his son Gus in 1991.

Widmayer was born on November 25, 1929 inRidgewood, Queens County, New York, the eighth and youngest child of FrancisJoseph Widmayer, Sr., civilian employee for the U.S. Navy, second child ofJulia Helen (Emig), (1890-1984), grandson of a cigar maker, great-grandson of abread baker, and great grand nephew of George Adam Widmayer, baker and realestate developer of 23^rd Street between 6^th and 7^thAvenues in New York City. The Widmayersimmigrated to Manhattan from Stuttgart, Germany in 1826. His father’s first wife was Dora Louise(Bauman). Two of their six children died in infancy.

Widmayer’s life was a Horatio Alger story. He attended grammar school at PS-153 andGrover Cleveland High School, where he met his wife, Gertrude Marie (Catanese),(1930-2008). He was elected President ofhis senior class, (his chief competitor being his future wife), and was theSalutatorian of his graduating class. Inthe Army Reserves, he was called to duty in September 1950 for twenty-onemonths. He was stationed for thirty-onedays in Greenland during the Korean War as a payroll clerk, typing 90 words perminute. That assignment earned him‘Veteran Overseas’ status. After hishonorable discharge, he went on to evening study at St. John's University,becoming a graduate in Business Management, with a BBA in 1957. The University honored him with its ArrowheadAward, for the evening student who had combined outstanding scholasticachievement with leadership in extracurricular activities. The New York Chapter of the Society for theAdvancement of Management awarded him the Management Society Award, as theoutstanding student in that field. Who’sWho Among Students in American Universities listed him in 1956-57. He obtained his Master's Degree in Businessfrom New York University in 1959 and was a member of the Beta Gamma SigmaHonorary Society. His thesis covered"Evaluating Purchasing Performance."

Widmayer’s youth in Ridgewood, New York was spent in variouspursuits. He loved to hop the subwayinto Manhattan to watch an opera at the New York City Center. He would accompany his father on Sundays toplay pinochle at the Democratic Club. Hewas also a fan of the New York Yankees. Dad developed an early interest in Disney memorabilia (Mickey Mouse wasalso born in 1929), stamp and coin collecting. His first job was as a delivery boy. He used to sell the Saturday Evening Post down by the Wyckoff HeightsStation for a nickel. It was not apleasant experience as he recalled since everyone used to walk right past himas though he were not even there. When Widmayerwas 13 years old, he chiseled a metal object and sent a chip into his right armthat was discovered during a routine MRI exam sixty years later in October2003.

At the age of nineteen, he married Gertrude Marie Catanese ofWilliamsburg, New York. The wedding tookplace on September 10, 1949, at Saint Leonard of Port Maurice Church. The shivaree that followed was a"football wedding", with doors open to all who entered and abuffet-style dinner. Gertrude or “Trudy”as she was called was born at 142 George Street, which at that time was inWilliamsburg, Kings County, New York on July 14, 1930. Their first four children were also born ateither 138 or 142 George Street, which by that time was redistricted intoBushwick, New York between 1952 and 1958. Their youngest child, Michael was born in Concord, Massachusetts in1968.

Early professional positions were with the U. S. NavigationCompany, as freight forwarder and steamship manifest clerk earning $16 perhour, with the Torm Lines, as clerk for $22, and at Bush Terminal inBrooklyn. Widmayer’s career rose himthrough the ranks of notable companies such as Burroughs Corporation, GeneralPrecision, Sperry-Rand Corporation, and ADT Company. The Widmayers moved to Acton in January 1965when he joined the H.H. Scott Stereo Mfg. Company in Maynard, Massachusettsfrom 1964 to 1971 as VP of Operations. He travelled extensively to find and develop suppliers and allowed himaccess to direct negotiations with presidents and key personnel ofinternational companies based both in Europe and the Far East.

In 1972, he was conferring with his wife’s brother Ted to setup Orion Industries in the production of small gaskets for manufacturingmarkets. Their early customers includedPolaroid and Jet Spray. For a time, thefledgling business ran in the basements of his Acton home and hisfather-in-law’s home next door and ultimately settled in Ted’s barn at WestGroton. Widmayer eventually bought outcontrol. He kept his hand in many otherentrepreneurial ventures. The deals hehelped to put together hinged on real estate most of the time; owning cranberrybogs, a tract of lumber acreage, a share in an old granite quarry in Hyde Park,and land in Plymouth, Mass. He investedactively in production companies: Craftmakerimported suede from New Zealand and cut it into patterns that were then sewninto pillows, purses, etc. Power Tech,Inc. manufactured diesel generators, and Prime Computer manufactured digital mainframes. Until his death, Widmayer operated Orion Industries,a manufacturing company employing 50 people at Orion Park, on land he purchasedin 1977 in Ayer, Massachusetts near the Groton line. Early on, the venture included his son Gus,and son-in-law Stuart Dickson Husmer. SonMichael took over active control of the business in 2010. In later years, Frank and Trudy settled intotheir growing roles as grandparents to ten grandchildren before her death inAugust 2008.

The family summers in the Belvidere Plain section ofFalmouth, MA since 1965 and was featured in the 2006 book A Gentleman’sGuide to the Belvidere Plain. Thecouple attended St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Acton.

Widmayer leaves one sister Ruth O. Shimansky of San Diego,CA, five children: sons Frank of Acton, Gus of Groton, Mike and Jackie ofTyngsboro, and daughters, Julie and Stu Husmer of Acton, Kathy and Rick Wallerof Berlin, and ten grandchildren.

Monday visiting hours will be from 5 o’clock to 8 P. M. atthe Acton Funeral Home, 470 Massachusetts Ave., (Rte. 111), Acton. The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesdayat 10 A.M. at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, 89 Arlington Street, Acton. The burial will follow in Mt. Hope Cemetery,Central Street, West Acton. Acton Funeral Home. In lieu of gifts, the family asks that youfeed the hungry, clothe the poor, and treat your neighbor kindly.

Gliwice, Poland

2011-12-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

Gliwice, Poland

We routinely bid on work from all around the globe, with particular success in Europe. This week, we helped a company in Gliwice, Poland in their efforts to tape and reel an LQFP-208 device. Using our unique tape and reeling calculator, customers are able to estimate their production costs prior to making any commitment. Most of the actively used devices appear in our database but rarer ones are easily quoted. Since we stock over 500 different pocket sizes of carrier tape, we have a near-perfect record for our ability to handle orders on a Same-day or Next-day basis.

Reading Program From Chips

2011-11-11T07:50:00.001-08:00

We recently helped a customer read the program on an Intel 48-pin VFBGA, P/N PH28F160C3BD70, & uploaded to their Box.net acct. (Flash Memory Parallel 3V/3.3V 16M-Bit 1M x 16 70ns).

OX3 Corp issues its monthly #ox3com newsletter

2011-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Click to read the latest news for @ox3com.

Material Review Board

2011-09-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

OX3's Material Review Board, (from L to R)
Gus Widmayer, Anh Huynh, Dennis Phelan, MJ Finkenstaedt
and auditor Renato Alpizar of DNV.

Members of OX3's Material Review Board met again this month with auditing firm DNV's lead auditor Renato Alpizar. Since 2001, OX3 Corporation has enjoyed ISO-9000 registration, first with the 2001 and now with the 2008 revision. Each year a vigorous review is performed internally by revisiting forms, logs, procedures, and training. These are then checked again externally by our registrar. This year's findings included the need for a new clause in our purchasing procedure to address small suppliers who do not respond to our calls for renewing qualification. Classifying these as 'single-source' will enable us to re-approve them on the basis of performance alone. The other finding had to do with improperly recording the minutes of our MRB meetings. We were in the habit of marking off a check-list of items rather than writing down the discussion points. Given these two minor findings, OX3 was given a green light to continue its ten-year unbroken status as an ISO9001 registered company. Our current certificate is active through October 14, 2013.

Prevent Damage In Shipping

2011-08-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

How are you keeping your semiconductors safe from physical damage in shipment? A reel inside a box is about as effective as a hard hat. At OX3, we place each reel in its own custom-fit tote and then put three to five of those into a double-corrugated shipping carton. The building would have to fall down for your parts to get damaged in our packaging. How does your current vendor respond to damage of your product in shipping? Do they blame it on Fedex or UPS? Do they yell and scream? Can they react quickly to your needs? OX3 has the proper materials needed to keep your product safe.

Capacitors With Shipping Damage

OX3 Protects You

As wonderful as our local UPS and Fedex drivers are, they have no control over your electronic components once they get into the freight system. Let OX3's packaging relieve you from worry.

Reels within totes within double-corrugated carton

Monitoring Shelf-life Improves Quality, [LINK]

2011-08-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

OX3 adheres to all ISO-9001 requirements in order to ensure smooth, seamless operation and efficient, reliable and uninterrupted service.

Storage of materials is central to that objective. Materials are stored in their original shipping containers in a cool, dry location. Care is taken to ensure that these materials are not exposed to direct sunlight and are stored where temperatures and relative humidity stay within a specific range.

Proper labeling of these materials is the next important step to maintaining high quality standards at OX3. Care is taken to ensure that each container is labeled, as recommended by ISO-9001, with supplier part number, product name, quantity, lot number, date or date code of manufacturing, and OX3 part number. Another standard procedure here at OX3 that ensures highest quality is monitoring the supply receipt date to ensure that there are at least 6 months of remaining shelf life for each product. As each product has a different shelf life, this is an involved, yet important process.

Finally, stock is rotated so that the oldest material is used first, protecting usability of all materials, and ensuring the most efficient and profitable use of inventory. To read more on this subject, please visit our Learning Center online at this LINK.

We at OX3 are committed to quality. As an ISO-9001 registered company, we can assure that you are getting only the best. Thank you for your continued support. We are happy to serve you.

Overcoming Extreme Moisture-Sensitivity

2011-07-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Redundant packaging was the solution

OX3 recentlyworked closely with producibility engineers at a global defense and aerospaceorganization, on their requirements for repackaging and vacuum-sealing sensorsthat are extremely sensitive to humidity. These sensors were presented in a standard SOIC-16 package with modifications.

It was madeclear to us from the outset that upon incoming receipt, these parts could notbe exposed to ambient air longer than a total of 90 minutes during therepackaging process. The customer instructedus to keep all incoming packaging and labels for return to them. We could not bake the parts as one would anormal semiconductor to remove moisture and humidity. The pressure sensor membrane in thisparticular device was very susceptible to absorbing humidity or moisture and thenwould deform during soldering. The only meansof prevention was to limit ambient air exposure and then packageredundantly. OX3 limited ambienttemperature to 86 deg F, (30 deg C) during repackaging.

These sensorscame to us in tubes inside multiple bags that were vacuum-sealed with desiccantand humidity indicator cards. Weimmediately found the amount of desiccant present to be insufficient. Standard practice is to take the width xlength of a bag to calculate its area in square inches. The resultant value is then looked up on achart to determine the amount of desiccant recommended. These incoming bags had only 25% of therecommended desiccant. As a result, thehumidity indicator cards had already reached an exposure level of 10%.

Due to theextreme sensitivity to moisture, it was determined in our discussions with ourcustomer’s engineers that just five parts per final reel would be packaged inorder to limit potential damage from any one reel being overexposed tomoisture. For those reels that would bestocked in long-term storage, a method of double bagging was devised in orderto ensure peak reduction in ambient moisture.

Using OX3’sbarcode label printers, three custom labels were created for this program. The traditional moisture and ESD labels werenot used. We had to show the original sealdate along with the resealing date, and write custom copy for the CAUTIONlabel. This CAUTION label had to be placedon both the inner and the outer bags when a double bag was required.

During therepackaging process, we had to take many precautions; including recording the relativehumidity in the room when the work began, using protective latex gloves orfinger cots, and once the incoming bags were opened, we had to record the RHindicated on the Humidity card and re-seal the incoming bag, marking the timeon a custom label.

Because wewanted to minimize the number of parts that were exposed to the open air, wedecided to run the larger reels first. Weremoved a sufficient count of tubes to make one reel at a time and thenresealed the incoming bag. Standardpractice was employed for orientation of the part and a minimal leader andtrailer was utilized in order to conserve materials. For the inner bags, as is customary, weinserted one 4-dot humidity indicator card and one 2-Unit clay Tyvek® desiccantpack. We then vacuum-sealed each bag. For the outer bags, we then again insertedone 4-dot humidity indicator card and one 1-Unit and one 2-Unit (totaling 3units) clay Tyvek® desiccant packs. Wethen inserted the inner bag and vacuum-sealed each outer bag. Oneach reel, we recorded the sequence in which it was run, (first, second, third,etc.)

One minorconcern was raised on the floor during processing. The dry-pack sealer tended to be too strongfor the 5-piece reels. Because thesereels were 90% empty, the sealer would squeeze the outermost flange on thesereels. We did some testing on the floorand found that the integrity of the center of the reel where the carrier tapeheld the 5 pieces was not being squeezed. It was too close to the solid core of the reel.

For this order,we utilized our Reelpak® brand carrier tape, P/N OX316941, (ABK 12.47 x 15.60 x6.10mm), and our Reel.Biz® brand take-up reels, P/N OX3R1294, (Plastic Reel,07in x 24mm 1 pc Antistatic 2in Hub Blue). We also employed outgoing Inner bags, OX3® P/N OX3R1141,(MIL-PRF-81705-Type 1, 3M Bag 10 x 12 x 3.6mil), outgoing outer bags, OX3® P/NOX3R1460, (MIL-PRF-81705-Type 1, 3M Bag 12 x 16 x 3.6mil), desiccant packs,OX3® P/N OX3R1449, (2-Unit Clay in Tyvek® Pack, 4.5 x 5), and OX3® P/NOX3R1181, (1-Unit Clay in Tyvek® Pack, 4.5 x 3). The final piece of the material puzzle wassupplied by an R/H Indicator Card, OX3® P/N OX3R1461, (4-spot HumidityIndicator Card, (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%), 125/Can).

The overallobjective was to limit the ambient exposure time of all individual parts. All final shipments were hand-delivered by anOX3 representative to the customer’s facility bypassing their incomingreceiving departments in order to assure greater control over the integrity ofthis moisture-sealed product.

OX3 Rides A Harley

2011-07-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

What a ride it has been. In one of our longest running contracts, running well into millions of devices processed and packaged by OX3, we have been riding on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin maintains contracts for components to be packaged by OX3. Both the TO-263 and heat-sink packages are used in voltage regulators on Harley Davidson motorbikes. Deliveries by OX3 flow through two key suppliers. One is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of innovative motor controls for the worldwide motor markets that designs award-winning semiconductor devices known for reliability and overcoming tough engineering challenges. The other is a vertically-integrated manufacturer of progressive metal stampings that produces custom electrical terminals and other complex light metal progressive die stampings with integrated tool and die capabilities. Wherever electronic devices are used, OX3 Corporation consistently demonstrates capable performance in the packaging of components for use in assembly lines requiring speed and accuracy of placement.

Spanning decades, OX3 has been quickly able to provide our customers' engineering staffs with internal documents showing process steps to package semiconductors in accordance with electronic, moisture, and static regulations from various governing bodies within the industry such as JEDEC and EIA. These contracts were part of a string of high-volume orders, which since 2005 have been the focus of our business plan, intended to gradually shift the company's production capability from its low-volume high-mix to gradually introduce high-volume low-mix into the equation. OX3 Corporation was one of the first in the packaging industry to acquire ISO9001 registration and has thus enjoyed eleven years of experience dealing with continuous improvement to the rigid quality standards demanded by high-volume consumers. Specific quality documents are available for view at OX3's Quality web page using the following link.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company®

The only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer produces heavyweight motorcycles and a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site.

OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at OX3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies."

Q2 Performance

2011-07-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Financial Results 2011 Over 2010

After a slow first quarter, the pendulum in Q2 has swung to the other side. We finished the second quarter with a good showing. Revenuesfor the half were up 12% from last year. We are still not up to 2008 levels but climbing back. Our margins continue to improve as a result of operating efficiencies in inventory and production. Gross Profits for the half came in at 52% better than last year. Net income is up 30%.

The company continues to see benefits from its shift in focus to wholesale industrial supply of non-durable semiconductor materials and its related value-added services. We now handle over 17,152 items for 57 different manufacturers.

1,450 New ESD and MVB Bags

2011-06-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

We just added 1,450 new ESD and MVB part numbers to our growing inventory of Static Control products. Items ship from stock in most cases.

394 New Carrier Tools Added

2011-06-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

We have just added 394 new Reelpak Carrier tape tools from a Taiwan supplier.

Custom Thermoform Trays

2011-06-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Read our June 2011 newsletter about custom thermoform trays.

Paper Backed Adhesive Tapes

2011-05-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Our new line of paper-backed adhesive tapes are highlighted in this monthly newsletter. Happy Memorial Day!

Now Shipping to Austria

2011-03-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

Today's supply chain is truly global. A JEDEC tray manufactured in Malaysia and stocked in Massachusetts can be sold to Vienna, Austria. OX3 is pleased to ship JEDEC Trays into the Republic of Austria, member of the European Union. The country has a vibrant economy: "Austria is the 12th richest country in the world in terms of GDP (Gross domestic product) per capita, has a well-developed social market economy, and a high standard of living," (Wikipedia). Companies select OX3 because of its reputation with clients around the globe for keeping a wide variety of materials in-stock for immediate shipment to their waiting production lines. We also make product specification easy, by the use of our several product-specific web sites at OX3.com for services, Reelpak for carrier tapes, and Reel.Biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies. Customers may also place orders by FAX, phone, or e-mail and can pay by check, credit card, or international banking transfer.

ESD and MVB Static Bag Products

2010-10-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

OX3 is now wholesaling ESD and Moisture Barrier Bags. Click this link for more information.

1,360 New Carrier Tape Tools

2009-11-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

We just negotiated the inclusion of 1,360 new carrier tape tools from Tokyo, Japan into our searchable tape database at Reelpak.com.

Traymania Site Launched

2009-03-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here is our announcement for the launch of the Traymania Site:

Happy Holidays! 2008

2008-12-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

Here is our Season's Greetings! E-mail from 2008.

Financial Strength

2008-10-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Click the following link to read the full article on OX3's Financial Strength.

Reel Calculator A Smash Hit

2008-09-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

We received the following comment from an online user after testing our Parts Per Reel Calculator using custom sizes: http://ox3.com/pprX.php. "Dear Gus, Thank you so much for the new calculator; it has been very useful for us. Thanks again! Regards, Stephen C., Principal Engineer"

Ten Best Practices

2008-01-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hello! When packaging semiconductors, companies like yours often miss some of the ten best practices in our industry:

1.) Drop-ship from suppliers. When you buy semiconductors from a distributor or manufacturer, ask them to drop-ship directly to OX3. This will save you the duplicate freight and man hours required to receive them at your facility and forward them on to us. Most U.S. distributors are well acquainted with OX3 and already send us product for other customers.

2.) Open a blanket purchase order. Instead of issuing one order for each line item, consider opening up a blanket to cover your packaging needs for six months to a year. You will save on paperwork and can still monitor your budget. Key industry leaders have already taken this step. If you keep several blanket orders open by project or program, you will also be able to properly allocate the expense.

3.) Consolidate suppliers. There is no need to keep relationships with more than one key supplier. OX3 is a one-stop shop, and for those items that we cannot do for you we know where and how to sub-contract them. Nobody knows business sources in semiconductor packaging better than we do and major clients agree.

4.) Outsource taping. The hidden costs of packaging your own semiconductors not only include the cost of the equipment, but stocking inventory, labor, and more purchasing manpower. It is far less expensive to let OX3 do it all for you.

5.) Process your entire kit at once. How many times have you had your semiconductors returned to you with no work done? The time spent sending them out, getting them back unprocessed, and keeping your production line down is unduly expensive. At OX3, we have the highest track record in the industry for stocking the required materials. We only have to tool custom packages for a handful of the tens of thousands of line items we process annually. You get all of your parts packaged.

6.) Stop guessing about quality. OX3 was the first in the industry to qualify for ISO/9001-2000 back in 2001, and we’ve been successfully re-certified in 2004 and 2007. Our registration is now valid until 2010. In each of the past six years, we have never issued more than one or two RMA’s, with some years coming in at zero returns.

7.) Know your entire cost. We publish our pricing on the web to allow buyers to budget their costs. Our Frequent Reeler program also allows customers to contract for substantial discounts based on the number of line items.

8.) Order online and pay by credit card. What could be faster? This is particularly useful for R&D or engineering departments who don’t want to bother their Purchasing colleagues with small nuisance orders. It works for carrier tape as well as for plastic reels.

9.) Search our database ahead of time. Find out before you go through the trouble of sending parts out for packaging by searching through our database of carrier tapes to see if there is a pocket for your device. Knowing bad news ahead of time will save you time and money.

10.) Share your best practices. OX3 keeps this web log (“BLOG”) of its latest ideas and innovations. Join in the conversation with your comments and questions.

Cradle To Grave

2008-01-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

Let's face it. The "handling" part of semiconductor handling can entail dealing with one hassle after another from start to finish. That's why in 2007, a Tier-1 player in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) industry called on OX3 Corporation. Headquartered in the Midwest, our client offers its customers mechanical, electronic and software design, printed circuit board development, prototyping services, new product introduction, material procurement and supply chain management that set it apart from other EMS providers.

The program currently underway requires up to twenty line items per day to be processed at OX3. Each daily kit has to be unpacked, sorted, identified, taped and reeled, dry-packed and returned to their waiting production lines that same or the very next day. Unique about this service is that OX3 tracks the part numbers and coordinates with our client's buyers to ensure that materials are on-hand for future requirements of those same parts. Another important feature of this contract is the method of paying against the day's lot rather than against an open purchase order. This saves a mountain of paperwork.

The volume of line items being processed qualifies this customer for one of our lowest pricing tiers, making the entire program extremely cost-effective for both customer and supplier. From cradle to grave, semiconductors processed by OX3 meet up with the demands of a Tier-1 EMS provider's waiting production lines on a real-time basis.

OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at OX3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies.

A New ABK Gadget

2007-12-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hello! We have created a Google Gadget entitled Carrier Tape Search by ABK, and we would like to share it with you via iGoogle. Our gadget may change from one day to the next, so visit your iGoogle page daily to see what's new.

Add our ABK Carrier Search Gadget to iGoogle

Check your iGoogle page daily at http://www.google.com/ig to look for updates to our gadget!

8 Ways To Search

2007-11-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

OX3 launched its November 2007 drive to introduce customers to its REELpak search page. Reelpak has long been the world leader in search functionality for locating semiconductor packaging. The blast e-mail campaign was sent to 3,100 customers worldwide. It ran with the following text and can be seen in dynamic form at:

8 Ways To Search.

Welcome to REELpak.com!

You can search for all types of carrier tapes:

1) Search for Carrier Tape by Part Number:
All REELpak carrier tapes have a part number that starts with "OX3". If you know the Part Number of the tape you want to order, enter it here:
Tape ID Part Number.

2) Search for Carrier Tape by ABK Dimensions:
If you know the width, length, and depth of your semiconductor enter those values here to arrive at a list of available carrier tapes: ABK

3) Search for Carrier Tape by Device Type: If you know what package style you have, such as a PLCC-28, look for it here in order to find an appropriate carrier tape that fits it: Device Type.

The following search options cannot be performed on the web. Please contact customer service: 1.888.reelpak

4) Search for Carrier Tape using an existing carrier part number: If you have a current tape that you would like to replace with another, or if you would like to find one that is close to a tape you have used in the past, we can search using the existing part number.

5.) Search for Carrier Tape using the manufacturer’s tool number:
We have the ability to cross-reference all tapes by the manufacturer's part number.

6.) Search for Carrier Tape by Pocket Dimensions:
If you know the width, length, and depth of your carrier tape we can enter those values instead of the semiconductor’s dimensions in order to arrive at a list of available carrier tapes.

7.) Search for carrier tape using the semiconductor's package width alone: This option sometimes helps on product that is unidentifiable but that you are able to measure with calipers.

8.) Find device Type by Consulting the chip maker’s Web Site:
As a last resort, link to the semiconductor maker's home page (using our OEM Search Page) if necessary, in order to search by part number for the package style. Once you have gained this information, go back to Step 3 above to search for carrier tape by device type using or glossary.

After following one or more of these 8 steps, you will be presented with a listing of available carrier tapes, each of which is an active link to that specific tape's physical and pricing parameters. You will be able to view or print the confirmation page that shows this information. If you have additional questions, please use the Contact link located in the upper right corner of any page to inquire. Or, you may write to sales@reelpak.com directly. If you don't use the Contact link, be sure to include your REELpak® e-mail ID in your e-mail message.

Did you know you can sell your unused semiconductor carrier tapes on REELpak.com®?

Consider becoming a REELpak® Seller yourself! It's easy to do and step-by-step instructions are available to you online at the REELpak® Sellers Hub.

When one of your items is ordered, we send an Order Confirmation e-mail. Please review this order for correct information. Shipping instructions are included.

Reasons to buy from Reelpak®:

It is important to buy more and more of your carrier tapes at REELpak® as added incentive to keep our hundreds of sellers listing tapes in our REELpak® Carrier Tape Exchange. The more you buy from REELpak® the more tapes that will be listed there for your purchasing needs in the future. Remember, we automatically update our inventory regularly to provide you with the latest availability of carrier tapes in stock at warehouses around the world.

Once again, welcome to REELpak®!

OX3 Corporation | 9 Orion Park Drive | Ayer | MA | 01432

Use REELpak to Find Carrier Tapes

2007-11-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

Use our Reelpak Site to locate hard-to-find carrier tapes.

REEL.Biz Redesign Launched

2007-09-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our take-up reel retail site has just undergone a new site launch.

Ranking For Carrier Tapes

2007-03-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

We now place Reelpak.com as one of the most well known names in carrier tape. This remarkable standing is due to these facts:

1. Reelpak.com has the largest database of carrier tape in the world. We work closely with every carrier tape maker around the globe.

2. Visitors to our site both buy and sell carrier tapes, making it an active marketplace for semiconductor handling materials.

3. Over 600 of our more than 20,000 tapes are in stock and ready to ship the same day you order them.

User activity plays a pivotal role in the ranking of web sites on a search term list. Please visit our web site at Reelpak for your carrier tape requirements and consider listing your own unused tape on this site. Registration instructions will be mailed to you upon request. Your comments on our Blog are also appreciated.

Carrier Tape Shipped From Stock

2007-01-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

After you have entered your component's dimensions and come up with a carrier tape that shows an in-stock quantity, it may not be that simple. More and more of the carrier tapes listed at Reelpak.com are uploaded by our network of Reelpak Sellers. Their stock is sitting in warehouses all over the planet. The good news is these tapes are already manufactured and just waiting to be shipped to your dock. So, please feel free to order any tape in-stock but be prepared to have it come from a warehouse other than OX3's main U.S. stockroom in Ayer, Massachusetts.

Carrier Tape Trouble With Logging In

2006-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile, I will receive a complaint from a customer that he or she cannot log into his or her account at Reelpak.com. The problem typically stems from a forgotten or incorrectly entered password. The first and best step to take is asking for a new password by entering your e-mail address here. If that does not do the trick, it is best to contact me by calling (978) 772-1222 or by using our contact form.

Gus Widmayer

Carrier Tape by Reelpak Has a Blog!

2006-08-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Carrier Tape by REELpak now has a new web log.

When Experience Makes The Cut

2006-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Viewers who watched ABC's The Apprentice© this year on television know that the difference between Lee and Sean, the two finalists and both top candidates, was experience. That is why in 2006 Vicor's team of engineers and purchasing professionals went with OX3 Corporation in their search for a semiconductor taping supplier. Vicor's VI-Chip product line includes such items as its voltage transformation model (VTM) which breaks records for speed, density and efficiency to meet the demands of advanced DSP, FPGA, ASIC, processor cores and microprocessor applications at the point of load (POL) while providing isolation from input to output. It achieves a response time of less than 1 µs and delivers up to 100 A in a volume of less than 0.25 in3 with unprecedented efficiency. That is pretty sophisticated stuff for the design world of circuit engineering. And that is why Vicor's team needed a fast, reliable, and experienced company providing the interim production packaging.

The program currently underway requires over 1.2 Million components to be placed on twenty-six different carrier tapes and supplied to Vicor's waiting production line on a just-in-time basis. OX3 needed to demonstrate a unique ability to catalogue tapes shipped in from overseas, stock, and then monitor inventory levels, which it's industry-standard carrier tape site at REELpak® demonstrated. OX3 needed to demonstrate proper handling of Vicor's components ranging from concerns over static electricity to oils from the human hand. Vicor's engineering and buying team itself had an extensive track record and years of cumulative personal experience in semiconductor handling, which is why OX3 had to prove that it knows the business cold. That's why when Vicor brought OX3 to the table, they proclaimed: "You're Hired!"

Vicor's VI-Chip®

Vicor Corporation designs, manufactures and markets modular power components and complete power systems used in the communications, data processing, industrial controls, test equipment, medical and defense electronic markets. Engineers use the combined advantages of Vicor components to create compact, highly functional, economical products with streamlined development cycles that minimize time to market. Visit their Web site.

OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at ox3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies.

Francis J. Widmayer, Founder

2006-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

Francis J. Widmayer, Jr.

In 1972 Frank Widmayer and his brother-in-law Ted founded Orion Partners. Both men worked nights and weekends to assemble small electro-mechanical components for local companies. In 1973, the outfit was incorporated as Indus-Orion Corporation and the business continued in Frank's basement and Ted's barn while they held down their careers in manufacturing. Their children, wives, and one grandfather supplied the labor. Eventually enough work was coming in for these two entrepreneurs to expand into a facility at the Boott Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. Key customers at the time were Electro-Signal Labs and Jet Spray, Inc. In 1977, Frank and Ted purchased twenty acres in Ayer, Massachusetts and planned for a future industrial park. By 1980, Ted and Frank had built up the business to a point where each could comfortably support his own standalone company. The two men divided the assets by spinning off Ted's half into Axin Corporation. At this time, Frank was still working full-time so he hired his son-in-law Stu Husmer in April and his son Gus Widmayer in May of 1980. Stu and Gus ran the business from the Boott Mills until autumn when everything was moved to expanded facilities at the Joyce Industrial Park in Boxborough. The name was changed to Orion Industries Incorporated. By the end of 1982, Frank Widmayer came aboard full-time as its President and another move was orchestrated to Route 117 in Bolton. During its five years there, construction was started on a 20,000 square foot facility in Ayer on the land purchased in 1977. Orion took occupancy of this new facility in 1986 and settled in for the long-term. Five years later, the company had reached a size where Gus Widmayer was able to purchase the semiconductor handling equipment from Orion Industries and set up shop next door.

Gus Widmayer, [see our management page], became President in 1991 of the spin-off, then known as Orion Electronics Corporation, (aka Orion Tape & Reel). Gus remembers welding small aluminum clips in his basement at the age of fourteen for his father's young company. He earned $6.00 an hour, (a princely sum in 1972!). OX3 Corporation operated from Nagog Park in Acton between the years 1991 to 1997. When that term expired, the factory was moved back to Orion Park in Ayer but the sales and accounting staff opened up their own offices on Newbury Street in Boston from 1997 to 2000. Finally, in 2000, sales and accounting rejoined the factory in Ayer and the company name was shortened to OX3 Corporation in order to take advantage of a unique name on the Internet at OX3.com and to avoid confusion with its old parent company Orion Industries next door. Since that time, the operation has been housed at No. 9 Orion Park Drive in Ayer.

Procurement and Sourcing

2005-09-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

On behalf of BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Rolls-Royce, Nancy Publicover of Exostar welcomed OX3 Corporation to their online community. OX3 will now enjoy access to these defense industry giants through SupplyPass®, its web-based E-procurement portal, and through SourcePass®, its web-based E-sourcing tool. Buyers from a host of companies will now be able to submit purchase orders to OX3 for its acceptance online. OX3 has also been granted access to Exostar's Trading Partner Directory. Writes Nancy Publicover: "As a registered supplier on Exostar, you have the benefit of a company profile that gives buyers the ability to find you in their search for new sources of supply, including types of products and services, company certifications, geographic locations, and industry codes." OX3's Supplier Organization ID is: EXO18248.

OX3 Corporation is ISO9001 registered and has long been an approved supplier at Raytheon Company, BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin. OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at ox3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies." All logos shown are the registered trademarks of their owners.

Raytheon Names OX3 (VQP) Supplier

2005-09-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems has designated OX3 Corporation as a Verified Quality Part (VQP) Supplier. Executive Director of Raytheon's Performance Excellence Initiative, Gerry Zimmerman states: "This recognition is based on a history of excellence in quality deliveries of OX3's products, the satisfactory completion of a quality management system review, and a demonstration of commitment to continuous improvement." As a consequence of this recognition, Raytheon will:

Perform minimal incoming verification of product shipments for selected parts.
Monitor quality trends and promptly communicate areas of concern.
Consider OX3 Corporation in any new proposal activity, and Raytheon Six Sigma Engagements.
Evaluate retention status on a yearly basis.

On September 9, 2005 Raytheon's Material Acquisition and Product Management Director, Chris Ross encouraged OX3 to: "accept a letter of recognition as notification of induction into Raytheon's VQP Program."

OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at OX3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies.

X-Reference By Part Number

2005-08-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Managers at ECM's have found a sure thing and they're passing it on: OX3 can cross-reference semiconductor part numbers by taping service. Because this is a true time-saver Materials Managers have notified their Buyers at ECM across the country, who now contact OX3 on a daily basis. It is easy for OX3 to take a part number, for example: an Intel FW82546GB, and convert it into a taping service quote! These same ECM Buyers accomplish this by calling OX3's customer support center every day. In a matter of minutes, after registering their email address online, each Buyer can view a hardcopy confirmation similar to this online quotation for taping services.

What happens if Buyers receive word that no carrier tapes are in stock for these devices? No problem! They simply click over to OX3's carrier tape site at REELpak.com to find the tape they need. In most cases, when OX3 does not have this REELpak® carrier tape in stock our support engineers can find it quickly through one of our partners on the Carrier Tape Exchange.

FAQs

2005-04-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

What happened to the 0.90mm tolerance for 16mm carrier tapes?

We have removed our .90mm tolerance button in order to comply with new EIA Standards. Please select .50mm for parts that go into 16mm wide carriers.

Are you Web-enabled for E-commerce?

Yes, You can order materials from Reelpak, and from REEL.biz.

I cannot easily determine orientation on one of my components. What can I do?

"If you follow EIA-481B-2001 Section 4.14 in sequential order, you cannot orient a part in the carrier tape incorrectly."

What is OX3 doing to improve its service offering?

OX3's new KAIZEN program rewards our employees for suggesting process improvements.

What are other customers saying about OX3's service value?

Avnet Electronics (worldwide) recently graded OX3 at 100% on quality!
Recently, one of our customers called to say that he uses our ABK search to find Width and Pitch when creating his machine-placement programs for surface-mount pick and place equipment.
OX3 was recently audited and renewed under ISO-9001-2000.

Does OX3 support component manufacturers?

Do you want your company's devices to show up on our ""Manufacturers"" page? We can cross-reference our tapes, trays, tubes and services to your part numbers.

How long have you been in business?

The Widmayers have been running OX3 since 1972, making it the oldest family-owned semiconductor handling business in the U.S.!

Do you have any helpful hints to make taping easier for me to understand?

Did you know that 1,000 divided by the pitch gives you the number of parts per meter of tape?
Where Pitch is an odd multiple of 4, its midpoint will always line up with a sprocket hole. Do you know why this is important? Ask for our Technical Sheet #604.
You can determine Width, Pitch, Component Type and Carrier from are Glossary Page.
Don't forget! Once you've narrowed down your search by A, B and K make sure the rotation angle of the part in the pocket does not exceed 20 degrees.
With carrier tapes the critical dimensions are often ""F"" and ""P2"". If these are off it can adversely affect component placement.
The Electronics Industry does not allow tapes to be spliced, however to make smaller reels out of one larger one, you can peel back a foot of cover tape, dump out the parts, and reseal. Don't do this for resale !!
Have you downloaded our latest pricing guide? Find it under Media Kit at left.

What are your hours of operation?

OX3 processes semiconductors from 8 AM every day until 4:30 PM. We also work weekends and holidays just for YOU !
With our REELquick Express Service you can have your parts taped and back in your factory all within the morning you send them!

Can I start doing business with you on open terms?

Worried about credit? Don't be. OX3 opens up new accounts with a $1,000 automatic credit limit.

What's going on in the industry and with taping standards?

The new EIA standard 481-B-2001 has been approved by the Automated Component Handling Committee, (ACH).
Four carrier tape sources have discontinued their operations this year due to the downturn in our economy. There are now 8 principal sources and each one is represented in our stockroom here at OX3.
It's expensive to hire someone for in-house taping, and to keep so many carrier tapes in stock.
It makes sense in today's slowing economy to outsource to OX3 in order to save manufacturing costs.
We maintain the largest selection of in-stock carrier tapes in the world.
OX3 is 99% on-time with deliveries and its service is guaranteed. Does your current taping supplier guarantee its deliveries to you?

Are my surfact mount fine pitch devices handled by hand?

No! We use the latest automated taping systems at OX3 that are guaranteed to improve inspection of the coplanarity on your devices.

Do you have automation capabilities for taping?

OX3 now tapes chip resistors and capacitors with its new automated bowl feeders. Heavy volume anticipated !
TO-92's are now a specialty at OX3. Our new fully automated RAM Radial Taper can handle millions of TO-92's and LED's. Search this blog for TO-92.

Why can't I take advantage of discounts right from the start of doing business with OX3?

Are you a new customer to OX3, but ordering heavily? Sign up for our OX3 Fast Mover Program and receive instant benefits.
Are you an OX3 Frequent Reeler? The more you spend, the more you save! Call Customer Service to sign up at 1-(800)-264-2646.

Can I give you some feedback on this site?

Yes. Is there added functionality that you would like to see on this web site? Let us know at Engineering@ox3.com.

What's the easiest way to reach someone by telephone?

You can reach Sales by dialing (800) 264-2646 Ext. 2.

It is expensive having parts come into my dock, and then having to ship them out again to OX3 for processing.

Have you considered having OX3 program and bake your parts, in addition to taping them?
Can you ask your supplier to drop-ship the parts to us when filling your purchase order?

I cannot find the device type that I am looking for. Is it on this web site?

Have you looked at our Glossary lately? There are many new devices listed every week.

Carrier Tape Exchange

2005-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

The purpose of Reelpak.com is to bring buyers and sellers together for the exchange of carrier tapes. After months of planning, the seller's side of the site is now up and running. Companies who have idle carrier tape in stock now have the option of listing it for sale at Reelpak.com to one of many anxious buyers who need a specific pocket size for their waiting production lines. This set of tools is the first of its kind in the semiconductor handling marketplace and its unique technology has a patent pending.

Carrier tape manufacturers are moving off-shore, raising their tape prices, and in one instance a manufacturer has doubled its set-up charge for minimum orders. The best available solution to this squeeze on production is to open up the availability of unused carrier tapes that exist in virtually every stockroom in the world where printed circuit boards are manufactured.

OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at OX3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies."

2004 Sales Surpass 2003

2004-12-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

When the telecom industry imploded in 2000, sales throughout the high-tech sector faltered as well. The situation became worse after the tragedy of 9/11 and did not improve throughout 2002 and 2003. This past year was the obvious exception. In 2004 business rebounded at a fast clip. Contracts began coming in to OX3 from the beginning: "In actuality, our sales began picking up in October and November of 2003," recalled OX3 President Gus G. Widmayer. "We noticed some weakening in pricing pressure from customers who had been under incredible constraints themselves. We were able to improve margins during the slowdown by overhauling our cost structure completely. That lean manufacturing focus helped us to provide faster service. The effort paid off in sales that were brisk at times during the year." The company landed two major contracts in February and June that helped propel the business to a fifty percent growth rate year-over-year. By the end of the year, OX3 was starting to hear from many of its old customers who had been quiet for some time. The company's General Manager, Mehul N. Shah sees the activity first-hand: "Customers repeatedly tell me that they come to OX3 because we are a one-stop shop. A manufacturing manager with 120 different lines of semiconductors cannot take the time to farm each line out to various suppliers. The need is there for one vendor to do the entire kit. OX3 is second to none in that regard."

Years of planning laid the foundation for this work. Through its Reelpak® database of over 15,000 carrier tapes, the company has developed the means to package virtually any semiconductor that comes through its doors. That can be a life-saver to production supervisors at many of the region's contract electonic manufacturers. Naturally, customers begin to see the benefit of sending in work for programmable devices as well as BGA Reballing and baking.

OX3's semiconductor handling services are supported by three web sites at OX3.com for services, Reelpak.com for carrier tapes, and Reel.biz for reels, cover tapes and miscellaneous supplies."

Foley Named To OX3 Board

2004-11-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

In a move to expand the breadth of membership on its Board of Advisors, OX3 Corporation named banker Robert C. "Bob" Foley to sit on its governing board. The Board meets quarterly to discuss large topics of strategy, resource management, and growth. Mr. Foley is Vice President of Eagle Bank, which he joined in July 2002 in the Commercial Lending Department. He works primarily with the small to middle market business customer. Bob has over 12 years of commercial banking experience. He started with Shawmut Bank in 1990 in the commercial loan workout area. In 1996, he joined USTrust as a commercial lender in the middle market group, servicing clients in Eastern Massachusetts, among them OX3 Corporation. Bob was responsible for new business development and managed a $25 million middle market portfolio encompassing lines of credit, equipment financing and real estate mortgages. In 1999, he joined Mellon Financial Corp and was part of a team responsible for developing and promoting a new loan production office in the Boston area. Mellon sold the operation in 2002 to Citizens Bank of Massachusetts at which time, Bob joined Eagle Bank.

Bob received his BA in Accounting from Assumption College and his MBA from Bentley College Graduate School of Business. He has been uniquely familiar with OX3 Corporation for eight years. OX3 President Gus G. Widmayer has long relied on Mr. Foley's expertise and prudent advice in all areas of financing. "Bob was instrumental in securing the company's highest line of credit and funding in its long history. At the time, the financing package that he brought to OX3 was aggressive and quite frankly above its ordinary reach." OX3's three web sites are OX3.com, Reelpak.com, and Reel.biz."

Johnson Receives Distinguished Award

2004-10-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

OX3's Director for Web and Internet Services, Jason C. "Jay" Johnson received a "Top 40 Under 40" Award on September 23 at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester, Massachusetts. Johnson selected OX3 President Gus G. Widmayer as his business mentor in the process of applying for this award. This fifth annual awards ceremony was sponsored by the Worcester Business Journal and Junior Achievement of Central Massachusetts. Johnson, age 27 is President of Hit Catcher, Inc. of Whitinsville, Mass and contracts part-time for the development of Internet and web services at OX3 Corporation. President Widmayer has been impressed by Jay before. In 1995, the young Johnson worked for OX3 Corporation after graduating from high school. He started in the Shipping Department and rapidly moved up the ladder to supervisory positions in the plant. After a couple of years, Johnson ventured out on his own and eventually started his consulting business while studying nights in database management and web development and deployment. Mr. Widmayer noted that: "Jay combines a very creative talent with amazing organizational strength. It is hard to find both qualities in one businessman. Jay is not afraid of hard work or of being original in that work. That independece and dedication was not something I noticed in the other 39 under 40. Today Johnson is OX3's Go-to man on all issues involved with its three web sites at OX3.com, Reelpak.com, and Reel.biz.

In its write up of Jason Johnson, the Worcester Business Journal wrote: "It was necessity that inspired Jason Johnson to start his own web-design and software-development company in May 2002. The dot.com bubble had burst and Johnson, who had been working in web application and software development for three years, found himself out of a job for six months.

To Johnson's surprise, Hit Catcher began paying for itself within 48 hours and has been growing ever since. Johnson, along with one newly hired full-time employee . . . hosts and designs websites and creates custom software for companies. With some 300 clients, the company had revenue of $77,000 last year and expects to bring in $100,000 this year, he notes. Most of what Johnson knows about computers, he taught himself by reading 'every book and online discussion I could get my hands on.' He attended college at U-Mass Dartmouth . . . A self-described 'entrepreneur through and through,' Johnson has plenty of plans beyond Hit Catcher's success . . . He would also like to get his MBA from Clark University.

Beyond the web, Johnson is active in the Uxbridge Rotary, its Peace of Bread project to feed the needy and Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for the needy. In fact, Johnson recently received the Rotary Vision award for his community service efforts. He is currently working on a Rotary-funded effort to put computers and internet access in elderly communities. 'I think those who give back will find that the community will give back as well.' Johnson says." Click here for a view of the original article including a picture of Jason C. Johnson.

Thomas A. Russo Named to OX3's Board

2004-09-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Gus G. Widmayer, President of OX3 Corporation officially announced the appointment of Thomas A. Russo to the company's Board of Advisors this month, bringing the number on the Board up to four. Mr. Russo recently joined the management staff of Lucent Technologies at its offices in Murray Hill, NJ. Tom was hired into Lucent's Leadership Development Program and currently acts as an internal consultant within their Supply Chain Networks Organization. Prior to this post, Russo was an Assistant Product Line Manager at Corning, Inc. of Corning, NY where he managed the PureForm (Dispersion Compensation Module) for its LEAF Optical Fiber product line. Prior to his work at Corning, Tom Russo worked at Commscope, Inc. of Hickory, NC as a Product Development Engineer where he led all aspects of the product development process from initial design calculations through manufacturing ramp-up.

In selecting Tom Russo for the Board, Mr. Widmayer cited the methodical work that Mr. Russo demonstrated during a marketing survey he performed for the company in the spring of 2004. Widmayer stated: "Tom Russo was not content with taking an ad hoc approach to understanding what drove a customer to purchase tape and reel, carrier tape, and semiconductor packaging services. Rather, he conducted a very specific and detailed effort to assay our key client base and report on its inclination to continue with us. It was an in-depth and informative survey of our key customers." Outlines of Mr. Russo's surveys are still in use today in the company's sales department.

Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, Master in Business Administration degree, June 2004. Member of the High Technology and New Media, Venture Capital and Private Equity, and Marketing Clubs.

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in Ceramic and Materials Engineering, 1999. Member of the Tau Beta Pi - National Engineering Honor Society, the American Ceramic Society, and Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America (elected to chapter executive board).

Community involved with Habitat for Humanity, tutoring, and several fundraising events.

Personal hobbies include playing the guitar, reading, and biking.

ISO 9001 Renewed

2004-08-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, on August 3, 2001 Mr. Renato Alpizar, Lead Auditor for DNV Certification, Inc. presented OX3's Mehul N. Shah, Jr. with Quality System Certificate No. 03388-2001-AQ-HOU-RAB. Mr. Shah was then head of OX3's Quality and Manufacturing Systems. ISO Certification has played a crucial role in securing many of the company's major contracts over the years and continues to be a large focus of the company's management staff.

In 2002 and again in 2003, the quality system of OX3 Corporation was found to conform to Quality Standard ISO 9001:2000 without fail since inception. This certification is valid for the provision of semiconductor tape and reel, carrier tape, and semiconductor packaging materials and services, which covers handling, protection, transport, and storage. The original certificate issued in 2001 remained valid until August 2004 when it was succesfully renewed. Further information may be obtained by contacting OX3's ISO Representative Mehul N. Shah at (978) 772-2125. Mehul N. Shah is now OX3's General Manager of the Ayer, Massachusetts facility.

The original certificate can be viewed by clicking here on this link.

Plexus Chooses OX3

2004-07-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Plexus Corporation, one of the nation's top-tier contract assemblers has awarded to OX3 Corporation a contract for packaging semiconductors valued annually at $200,000. In February of this year, a similar contract was awarded to OX3 by one of the World's Top Five largest defense contractors. That contract has been generating revenues in excess of $20,000 per month.

Since March, this new EMSI contractor's purchasing managers have been in contact with OX3's Mehul N. Shah to explore the viability of having OX3 act as an extension to their manufacturing line off-site for the proper placement of all its semiconductors into tapes, trays and tubes in order to ensure that their printed circuit board assembly operation never goes down. A team of Engineering and Purchasing personnel from the local Plexus facility visited with us to review our quality systems, take a tour of our plant, and discuss terms such as pricing and delivery offering. OX3 has a unique capability for processing a very high-mix of low-volume items in its mix of selling tape and reel, carrier tape, and semiconductor programming services and materials.

As part of these negotiations, OX3 introduced its new value added-approach to packaging by demonstrating the interactive tools on its two websites at Reelpak.com and OX3.com. We also offered to make daily pick-ups and deliveries at their door and allow them to pay their invoices through the use of a credit card. The Plexus purchasing team estimated that this payment method alone would save them $65.00 per line item in transaction costs. OX3's attention to service was crucial to winning this contract.

OX3 Receives Major Funding

2004-06-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

OX3 Corporation, has successfully concluded negotiations with Middlesex Savings Bank of Concord, Massachusetts for the funding of $500,000.00 in equipment and working capital to fuel the company's future growth. Negotiations, which have been ongoing since May, were finalized in a meeting with bank officials on July 1. This round of financing will be crucial to the company's ability to withstand pressures from growth in 2004 and beyond. Revenues this year have been posting year-over-year growth of 25%, with quarter-over-quarter growth of 60%. A particularly strong source of income for OX3 Corporation has been coming from the PC assembly and Defense sectors. Recently, OX3 was awarded a contract from a top-tier contract manufacturer to handle all of its tape and reel, carrier tape, and semiconductor handling requirements. OX3 Corporation has a unique capability for processing a very high-mix of low-volume items. As part of these negotiations, OX3 introduced the bank to its value-added approach to tape & reel by demonstrating the interactive tools on its three web sites at Reelpak.com, Reel.Biz and OX3.com.

From their web site: "Middlesex Savings Bank is the largest independent bank in Central Massachusetts, and the 6th largest mutual bank in the country, with assets exceeding $3 billion and 21 branch locations."

Programming Integrated Circuits

2004-04-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Your specific application requirements can be met by OX3's variety of programming equipment featuring Data I/O Multisyte Gang programmers. Our close working relationship with this leader in programming equipment assures that we keep up to speed with the latest technological innovations of device manufacturers. We specialize in Microcontrollers, (flash) and DSP's, (flash and EPROM). Since 1972, OX3 Corporation has provided peace of mind to customers under the gun for semiconductor services, like programming, taping, baking and lead-conditioning. We will submit first article sample for your approval, program your devices and send them anywhere in the world. With our many socket modules, we can process hundreds of package types with rapid changeovers. We are continually striving to decrease the amount of time required to program and verify flash memory devices, particularly with increasing device densities. We can quickly adapt to changing production requirements at our customer's manufacturing facilities.

An Overview:
To be truly universal, a device programming house needs to support just about every programmable technology, from EPROMs, EEPROMs, CPLDs, FPGAs, to Flash. It is also crucial to have as many socket modules available for package styles that cover devices from µBGAs to QFPs. In order to keep abreast of the latest technologies it is also important to stay in close contact with semiconductor manufacturers around the globe. Whether you are working with prototypes in Engineering or full production releases on your manufacturing floor, having the latest program updates is extremely important and convenient. OX3 addresses all of these concerns in addition to maintaining a close working relationship with the leader in quality programming equipment, Data I/O Corporation.

Lead Reconditioning of Integrated Circuits

2004-04-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Work on leads generally falls into two distinct categories, lead forming and lead reconditioning. With lead forming, we take components in a lead-frame or with straight leads and bend them into the specified form. Often this involves cutting the component such as a flatpack from its lead-frame. With lead reconditioning, the leads are essentially repaired, or returned to their original lead form. Your specific application requirements can be met by OX3 with a variety of lead forming and lead reconditioning equipment. What we do not have in-house can be subcontracted to ISO Registered and approved subcontractors. Our close working relationship with industry leaders assures that we keep up to speed with the latest technological innovations of device manufacturers. We specialize in Flatpacks, Quad Flatpacks, and IC's. Since 1972, OX3 Corporation has provided peace of mind to customers under the gun for semiconductor services, like lead reconditioning, taping, baking and programming.

Contract Control:
When we subcontract your order to one of our partners, reconditioning follows a detailed procedure using your mechanical specifications as a starting point:

Example: BGA Reballing

Inbound inspection to evaluate delamination, open traces, lifted pads, and contamination.
Oven bake at industry standard 125C for appropriate time.
Removal of excess solder in a temperature controlled environment.
Re-balling of the BGA
Aqueous Cleaning
Oven bake at industry standard 125C for 24 hours.
ICOS 3D optical inspection, (inspection is done for ball presence, ball offset, ball pitch, ball width, and coplanarity
Packaging Option, (tape and reel, tray, or tube). Product is sealed in a humidity barrier bag with dessicant and humidity indicator.
Material Report is shipped with each order.

Pricing for Programming Services:

2004-03-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

Programming Approval Form:

Click here to view or print our Programming Approval Form using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Pricing for Programming Services:

EPROM 64Kbit$0.05
EPROM 2Mbit $0.12
Microcontrollers $0.30
Flash based Microcontrollers $0.50
PLDs (includes CPLD, FPGA, PAL and GALs) $0.45
Nor-Flash 256Kbit densities $0.09
Nor-Flash 512Kbit densities $0.10
Nor-Flash 1Mbit densities $0.11
Nor-Flash 2Mbit densities $0.12
Nor-Flash 4Mbit densities $0.15
Nor-Flash 8Mbit densities $0.18
Nor-Flash 16Mbit densities $0.22
Nor-Flash 32Mbit densities $0.30
Nor-Flash 64Mbit densities $0.46
Nor-Flash 128Mbit densities $0.61

We also offer volume discounts for quantities of 1,000 - 10,000 - 100,000 or 1 million and we offer rapid response options from 3-5 day service, to Next-day, Same-day and 4-hour programming service.

Programming

2004-03-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Universal Programmers

Here at OX3, we have three Quad Universal Programmers that can process up to 750 parts per hour and offer low-voltage support. All equipment pieces are calibrated continually to ensure high quality programming. These multi-site machines are capable of handling memory devices such as PROMS, EPROMS, EEPROMS, and Flash. Logic devices are also supported, like FPGAs, PLDs, PALs, EPLDs, and CPLDs. Finally, these also support microcontrollers.

Engineering Programmers:

We now also have two engineering programmers. We like to price our services according to technology, but of course you can recognize the package styles supported such as DIP, PLCC, SOIC, TSOP, PGA, QFP, µBGA, etc. Utilizing our ISO 9002 certified quality system, we can ensure high programming yields. Once you approve your first article, we load the unique instructions into the programmers and back them up onto our central servers, which are backed up daily to prevent any loss of files. Proper revision level control is also strictly maintained. The Windows® interface for our programmers makes programming control faster, easier and more secure.

UV Eraser for EPROM Memory Devices:

Programs can change on the fly in any production environment. Our UV Eraser for EPROMs decreases our reaction time for changes. Chipmakers constantly change specifications and algorithms in order to add a new characteristic. This can reduce costs and programming speeds, or improve process yields. OX3 has excellent relationships with its equipement and chip vendors allowing us to get algorithm updates on a regular basis to ensure highest possible yields and quality.

ESD Control and Vision Inspection:

Your parts are handled in an ESD safe environment as specified by JEDEC standard JESD-625-A, (Requirements for handling Electrostatic-Discharge-Sensitive, ESDS, devices). Our software captures process statistics, which gives us vital information in effectively managing the process. Our vision systems coupled with tape and reel processes scan fine pitch devices to ensure that mechancial integrity and device orientation are maintained throughout the production process.

The OX3 Edge

2003-12-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

One differential edge is that we provide you with technical data. Much of our knowledge is shared in literature, on web pages, through fax-on-demand, and in our REELpak® Guide. In The Money Masters, John Train, Harper & Row, 1980, the author says: “the key to a good business is its 'business franchise' -- the extent to which it has attained a privileged position of some sort, so that another company cannot muscle in to squeeze its prices and profits." OX3’s business franchise is not the data that we accumulate on carrier tapes and taping services by itself, but rather our means of gathering it. OX3 also aims to build a long-term client relationship with you, rather than just conduct a best-price transaction. OX3 operates on the principles of direct marketing. We never push the sale. Rather, we try to pull it, believing that you, our customer, have to generate the demand. We therefore try to facilitate every option available to you for ordering, when you are ready. You can use the telephone, Internet and E-mail, or your fax machine, dropping parts off in person, or when specifically indicated, you can request an on-site visit by an OX3 representative, even though we have no outside selling force. OX3 is there behind the scene when you need us, even on weekends. That is the OX3 edge.

Tape and Reel Glossary Updated

2003-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

OX3 has undertaken and completed a major review of its glossary of semiconductor package styles with an aim to closely align it with JEDEC approved semiconductor packages. This has helped OX3 in further standardizing its product offerings, such as tape and reel, carrier tape, reels, trays, and ESD products. The OX3 Glossary lists all known major semiconductor device families. The glossary can be accessed from the Reelpak homepage, or by clicking on this Glossary link.

The regular well-known families such as SOIC (Small Outline Integrated Circuit), SSOP (Shrink Small Outline Package), TSOP Types 1 and 2 (Thin Small Outline Package), TSSOP (Thin Shrink Small Outline Package), PBGA (Plastic Ball Grid Array), PQCC (Plastic Quad Chip Carrier) and QFP (Quad Flat Pack) have already been incorporated in the semiconductor glossary with all JEDEC approved packages in the respective families accounted for.

In lieu of the trends towards smaller chip scale packages as well as packages without leads, OX3 has incorporated newer families into the glossary, such as FBGA (Fine Pitch BGA), DSBGA (Die-Size BGA), QFN (Quad Flat No Lead), USON (Ultra Thin Small Outline No Lead), TFSON (Thin Shrink Fine Pitch Small Outline No Lead), LSOJ (Low Profile Small Outline J-lead Package), and TSOJ (Thin Small Outline J-Lead). The company's Branch Manager, Mehul N. Shah believes "Our customers would benefit immensely, as this allows them to get complete information on the package, as well as on the tape, which they can then check for availability at the same time. The OX3 web site is truly a one-shop-stop for buyers requiring their semiconductors on carrier tape. We are leading the pack in tape and reel, carrier tape, and semiconductor packaging materials." You can count on OX3 to stay on top of new JEDEC releases and to offer packaging support for newer, smaller devices that are yet to come through the JEDEC pipeline. The goal of our semiconductor glossary is to capture ever major device family.

Credit Cards Accepted

2003-10-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Clients wishing to purchase our products by credit card can now order online without a purchase order. Our carrier tape, tape and reel, and semiconductor programming services can be paid for by purchase card, personal credit card, or with corporate cards. This site is particularly useful for our new international customers who may not have time to establish credit.

Frequent Reeler Program Expansion

2003-07-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

OX3 introduced its new top-level pricing tier to its Frequent Reeler discount program for
tape and reel, carrier tape, and semiconductor programming services. The company's very top customers will now enjoy for the first time the elimination of line minimums, set-up charges, and delivery surcharges, along with extreme pricing discounts by qualifying for OX3's new Platinum level pricing tier.

For many years, OX3 has run discount pricing, known as its Frequent Reeler Program for customers who qualify under revenue, credit, volume, and market sector requirements. Similar to an airline frequent flyer program, OX3's program offers free services, low line-item charges and fast turnaround for no additional fee. This discount program works in tandem with OX3's volume-pricing plan. Typically, orders are heavily discounted at volumes above 10, 100, and 500 Thousand units.

The Platinum Frequent Reeler tier is the newest and highest achievement level in the company's offering. Many customers are currently enrolled in our Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Frequent Reeler Programs. Participation is automatic. Customers are notified as soon as they qualify for enrollment.

Operating Profits Rise

2003-06-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

OX3's Profits Rise Year-Over-Year

Operating profits at OX3 Corporation rose by 4% year-over-year for the six months ending June 30th on revenues that declined by 12%. OX3's President, Gus Widmayer cited a general weakness in taping orders that continued through the first two quarters of 2003 due in large part to a slowdown in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) sector. Large EMS providers, like Solectron Corporation, underwent substantial reductions in plant and staff, resulting in a drop-off of their purchases of semiconductor finishing services, like those provided by OX3 Corporation. Solectron is slated to entirely close its Massachusetts operation by the end of September 2003.

Despite the setback in revenues, OX3's management staff was able to continue its program of aggressive cost reduction, which resulted in the positive performance at its bottom line, without losing any staff during the first half of 2003. President Widmayer attributes much of this success to the company's iron-clad policy of purchasing materials and services on a "need-to-go" basis. Accounts payable are at an all-time low in the company's history, which is strong testament to OX3's ability to manage its inventories and suppliers using Just-In-Time buying strategies. Of course, when times are tough, it doesn't hurt to know that OX3 has a very strong business relationship with its bank. Widmayer adds: "In 2000, we negotiated a substantial line of working capital and equipment capital, as well as re-negotiated all of our existing loans under terms that would be favorable to any business operating during an economic downturn. Nobody envisioned that the market's setback would be as severe as it has been in the high-tech sector, but because OX3 operates on low debt levels and is well supported by its credit lines, it will make it through any rough patches." OX3 has a longstanding business relationship with Citizens Bank of Massachusetts.

Another benefit to surviving this recession in the high-tech sector has been the real estate boom in Massachusetts that continues unabated, bringing a strong equity position to bear against a worsening economy. OX3 Corporation leases its manufacturing facilities from a real estate trust owned and operated by the Widmayer family.

It's REEL Business at REEL.BIZ

2002-10-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

OX3 Accepts Credit Cards at REEL.BIZ

Now you can buy take-up reels and cover tape online at REEL.BIZ, the latest website for clients wishing to purchase our products by credit card. Our signature yellow reels are offered for sale in 7" and 13" diameters. This site is particularly useful for our new international customers who may not have time to establish credit

Screening Services

2002-06-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Contract Received for Sorting Passives by Tolerance Ranges

The main purpose for screening and sorting components is to prove that the final assembly will operate correctly. At the board-level, where the printed circuit board is populated with semiconductors, screening can be performed in one of two ways. One is called in-circuit testing (or ICT), which checks the board for unwanted open and short circuits by testing components for manufacturing defects. The second approach is a so-called functional test, which determines whether or not the final assembly will power on, and function correctly as it was designed to do. At OX3, we are helping customers by testing at the component level, since our services do not include assembly of the printed circuit board. This service may be a simple as sorting passive resistors or capacitors into groups that meet tight tolerance ranges.

New LED Former/Trimmer Now On Line

2002-02-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

High Speed LED Former Processing at 5,000 PPH

OX3 has always offered component services for older technologies, such as axial and radial-leaded devices like LED's. Recently, we began forming and trimming the leads on LED's using automatic equipment that is outfitted with a high-speed bowl feeder. The result is exceptional throughput and capacity with OX3's typical top quality. Our Facilities Manager, Mike Hauver was thrilled: "On certain jobs where lead pitch and width were small, it could take us an entire shift just to form 5,000 pieces. Now we can do this routinely in about an hour." Part orientation is ensured with the unique track design on the bowl feeder. OX3 has been following a steady capital improvement campaign throughout 2001 and into 2002 in order to offer the widest breadth of services to its customers.

Go West Young Man!

2001-12-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

Mike McCarthy Bids Farewell to OX3.

On November 19, OX3's Sales Manager, Mike McCarthy, will be leaving to take some time off and redirect his focus to the West Coast. Mike is considering a move to Arizona or California. A replacement for Mike has not been named, nor will the position be immediately filled. President Gus Widmayer noted: "While we are all very sad to learn that Mike McCarthy is moving to the West Coast, we appreciate the up-front, honest and professional way in which he made this known to us. He is eager to explore new areas in his life, and is young enough to make the move. We support his efforts in this life change, and are working with Mike to ensure a smooth transition for OX3 customers." In the past few weeks, Mike has been training a new Sales Clerk, Roberta Rogers, to assist Sarah Day with customer service. OX3 customers will be able to speak with both women to place orders, request pricing and expedite deliveries. More technical questions and requests for proposal will be handled by Mr. Widmayer.

Stranded At Sea

2001-11-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

GUEST ARTICLE BY GUS WIDMAYER, OX3 Corporation
for the Lowell Sun newspaper

Let's face it, when the winds die down, no company has any business braving the high seas. So, what should you do when bookings are scarce, billings are down and backlogs are depleted? This captain is scouring his ship from stem to stern.

I have taken my company, OX3 Corporation through half a dozen downturns since 1980. I've learned that the key to success is to batten down the hatches, and wait for the good winds. The current recession in the semiconductor sector is being called the worst in thirty years. Orders didn't drop -- they stopped. Things have gotten so bad so quickly, that layoffs, rollbacks, reductions and write-offs have been swift and deep.

In the business of protecting semiconductors during handling and transport, a company has to be registered by an international quality standards board in order to demonstrate its ability to meet strict customer requirements. As sales dropped, my managers devoted hundreds of hours to writing and re-writing work instructions, procedures and manuals, activities that are the backbone of any ISO system for maintaining quality control. On August 1st of this year, OX3 received ISO9001-2000 certification.

Instead of sitting around wondering when our next order is going to come in, my staff and I are busy developing plans for a new facility. We are on schedule to break ground on November 1 of this year. Experiencing down time is also giving us the ability to more thoroughly train our staff. My managers now have time review tasks and work instructions, analyze trends and sharpen their skills.

My brother-in-law, a church deacon, reminds me of precedence in the Bible at Ecclesiastes 3:1-7: "there is an appointed time for everything. . . A time to plant, and a time to sow. . .A time to tear down, and a time to build up. . .A time to be silent and a time to speak." During the past quarter, I had the unenviable job of letting workers go, and rolling back the hours and salaries of those who remain. At the same time, I've had to talk about shared values and the importance of hard work and ingenuity. Strangely, I seem to be succeeding. My message of sharing sacrifice has been accepted by my staff.

Each month, I participate in a roundtable discussion with a group of other entrepreneurs owning tech companies with revenues of at least $1 million. At one of our recent gatherings, I suggested that I would not be asking every available employee to grab an oar and row after new customers. Not all agreed, but most found the argument to be sound. I believe that the course I have taken will make my company stronger when the current recession in the high-tech sector ends. When it does, and it will, my ship will be lean, clean and ready to sail past the competition.

Gus Widmayer is native to Boston, Massachusetts. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he owns OX3 Corporation. He is passionate about writing and history.

Avnet Salutes OX3

2001-09-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Avnet Electronics Worldwide Grants 100% Quality Rating To OX3

Avnet Electronics Marketing audited the OX3 facility on August 28, 2001. The result of that audit was a 100% score awarded for OX3's quality systems. Since OX3 is already ISO registered, the main criteria used was taken from sections of Avnet's Supplier Quality System Evaluation Handbook for Packaging Operations, Tape & Reel, Programming and ESD Handling. OX3 scored 100% of all possible points. Avnet's Herb Flansburg congratulated OX3 in a letter stating: "During the audit no non-conformances were noted. On an overall basis OX3's processes and people are more than capable." OX3 Corporation has been placed on Avnet's approved subcontractor's list for Packaging, Tape & Reel and Programming.

OX3 Achieves ISO9001-2000 Registration

2001-08-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

A Year's Efforts Prove Fruitful for OX3's Quality Department

On August 3, 2001 Mr. Renato Alpizar, Lead Auditor for DNV Certification, Inc. presented Quality System Certificate No. 03388-2001-AQ to OX3's Mehul N. Shah, Jr. Vice President of Quality and Manufacturing Systems.

TO-92 and LED Taping System

2001-02-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

High Volume TO-92 and LED Runs

This new TO-92 Taping System means rapid turnaround of the highest quality finished products. This high-level machinery will be especially helpful for manufacturers of TO-92's and LED's, as well as distributors who stock these in bulk on their shelves.

Always seeking to push the envelope on speed, OX3 continues to improve on its capabilities while maintaining its ability to meet each client's unique needs. OX3 recently purchased a new, top-of-the-line fully automated radial taping machine. This new system means rapid turnaround of the highest quality finished products. This high-level machinery will be especially helpful for manufacturers of TO-92's and LED's, as well as distributors who stock these in bulk on their shelves.

All ten winding styles are available. OX3 maintains a significant inventory of materials needed to produce requirements in the tens of millions of components, so orders of any size can be run immediately. For TO-92's this equipment spreads the two outside legs just prior to taping, so forming is addressed. With LED's, we can handle "top-hat" or "bar" type body configurations, of T1, T1-3/4's and rectangular classes. Standard taping configuration is to 2.54mm lead spacing or preformed to 5.08mm. Many different seating-plane heights can be attained, from 16mm up to 25mm as well as custom heights. The new system is able to process up to 12,000 parts per hour and can handle difficult component types, like dipped-film and mylar capacitors. It performs a highly accurate polarity check and is able to immediately detect any non-polar placements and re-orient them prior to placement on the tape.

The system can also handle components from bulk, place parts on reels or ammo-packs, and integrate multiple forming styles. It also contains a straightening tool, which can verify lead length. This is the first in what will be a series of new acquisitions. The new system will enable OX3 to offer faster turnaround on larger jobs, and puts the company in a good position to increase service offerings in the future.

Shared Corporate Values

2001-02-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Since its founding in 1991, OX3 has supported five values that help its employees work together toward common growth and goals. These values are: A strong work ethic, Honesty, Tolerance, Frugality, and Ingenuity. Each calendar quarter, as the company meets to celebrate its performance and review profit sharing, a Top-X Award is presented to the outstanding employee of that quarter who best embodies the spirit of these five values. This team-building effort has proved successful and fun. Our behavior is calculated to aid the long-term survival of the Company. We hope to disprove the ominous warning of Physicist Stephen Hawking who is credited with saying: "The future is endangered by an aggressive human race whose behavior has been pretty stupid, and not calculated to aid the survival of the species." At OX3, we are striving for both a lasting mutual reliance of satisfied customers on rewarded employees, and providing benefit to our shareholders.

Bose Comes to OX3 for Programming

2001-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Bose, the leading manufacturer of car stereo equipment and the first to custom-design systems, runs on a tight design schedule. Since sound systems are now developed simultaneously with the car, each change to the interior means a revision for Bose. These changes can happen any time and sometimes need a 24-hour turn-around. Bose engineers can write a revised program for the stereo's micro-controller, which controls the graphic equalizer, in a few hours, but then this new program needs to be embedded onto hundreds of blank integrated circuits. Bose depends on OX3 to get the program onto the blank ICs and to get it done quickly. Bose knows OX3 can deliver.

OX3 has programmed thousands of micro-controllers and gotten them onto tape and reel in less than four hours, without notice, every time. Bob Papas, a process engineer at Bose, believes OX3's service is invaluable. One evening, a team of Bose engineers had worked late into the night after receiving a request for revision from a luxury car manufacturer. Shortly after arriving the next morning, Bob left Bose headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts and made the short drive to OX3's processing center in Ayer, Mass. Bob delivered a master chip, which contained the program, as well as 600 blank chips. After OX3's assurance that the parts would be programmed and packaged onto tape and reel by midday, Bob reserved a spot on a flight leaving Boston's Logan airport for later that afternoon.

OX3 performed each of its processes without a hitch, and the build went ahead on schedule. This was no surprise to Bob Papas. "When you know that you're likely to have to go through a series of three or four prototype builds in the course of a two to three week period, you need to have a supplier of programming services you can depend on. OX3 fits the bill.". Since 1972, OX3 has striven to provide the outsourcing services necessary to move semiconductors to the next level quickly and conveniently. Beginning with its REELpak® tape and reel products and services, OX3 now provides more than a dozen services with many delivery options. Integrated circuit programming is the newest service in the OX3 lineup. This new service offers clientele greater convenience and better protection by creating a one-stop shop for getting semiconductors programmed, baked and taped.

Compaq Chooses OX3 To Provide Kitting and Baking Services

2000-06-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

New Kitting Capabilities Complement Other Semiconductor Transport and Storage Offerings.

OX3 today announced it has secured new business from Compaq Computer one of the nation's largest computer makers. OX3 will perform kitting and baking services for the computer giant, allowing it to outsource a space- and time-consuming process. OX3 is one of the top-five semiconductor handling houses in the U.S. based on service revenues, and is the oldest independently owned and operated, founded in 1972.

OX3 won the business over larger competitors because of its ability to dedicate quarantined storage space exclusively for the client, and its willingness to accommodate the company's unique needs for insured storage, humidity and static control. To facilitate this new business, OX3 has set up a state-of-the-art kitting and baking center, complete with lock-up cages, oven, vacuum-sealer and 30-day humidity recorder. Kitting is the process in which the subcontractor holds all of the components in locked storage, and at any given time pulls together an order of finished kits in number and mix required by the OEM customer.

OX3's company-wide systems are well qualified to handle projects of this magnitude, from inventory control to product and lot trace ability. Kitting is a service that more and more companies are looking to outsource as labor and real estate costs mushroom, and as profit demands continue to pressure manufacturers. "We look forward to working with such a well-known and respected computer industry leader," said Gus Widmayer, president of OX3. "This agreement recognizes our existing strengths in service capabilities for kitting, baking and dry packing. A demanding program like this also gives us the economy of scale to boost our capabilities on the back-end of our semiconductor handling services. It allows us to offer clients virtually every service they could want in the semiconductor transport, handling and storage marketplace. OX3 is quickly becoming the one-stop-shop of choice for large and small semiconductor OEM's, distributors and PC Board Assemblers looking to out-source."

Automotive Parts Giant Looks to OX3

2000-05-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

"Other Companies Could Not Do a Saturday Delivery"

It is a parts manager's worst nightmare. A supplier has missed a key delivery. An assembly line-down situation looms. Circumstances like these present more than a potential financial cost. A company's hard-earned reputation can suffer, as well. For a semiconductor Buyer at one of OX3’s automotive parts customers, this was no nightmare it was a recent real life situation. When an integrated circuit (IC) supplier missed a delivery, the Buyer scrambled to find over 17,000 replacements. He was lucky enough to find them, but the parts still had to be put onto tape and reel for use with their pick and place machinery. It was Friday, and the job was scheduled to be run on Saturday morning in their New York facility. The Buyer contacted six companies, including OX3 Corporation, based in Ayer, Massachusetts. OX3 was the only service provider that could meet the customer's tight deadline.

As a leader and innovator in semiconductor handling, transport, and storage services, OX3 is one of the top five taping houses in the U.S. As part of its sharp focus on customer service, OX3 specializes in handling quick-turn jobs, including our REELtime service. The Buyer's IC's were dropped off to OX3 on Friday night at 9:00 P. M. By Saturday morning, less than 10 hours later, the IC's had been taped and reeled and delivered (by an OX3 courier) to the customer's New York facility, over 400 miles away. OX3 is open around the clock, Monday through Friday and is available for weekend work by customer request. All deliveries are guaranteed.

OX3 successfully completed its weekend run for the customer. The Buyer and his colleagues were pleased with the result. Andrew Gately, our Business Development Manager, was not surprised: "There is nothing more nerve-wracking than serving customers in line-down situations. But, once they are back online, it is gratifying to know that we were able to help them out. The Buyer added: “OX3 did exactly what we said we would do. It is refreshing to work with a company that says up-front what it will do and does it, especially under less-than-ideal circumstances. From now on, whenever we need an outside resource to help us with our taping and reeling, we'll use OX3." OX3 saved the customer a significant amount of money. According to the Buyer, each hour of line-down time can cost his company from $5,000 to $10,000. "Had OX3 been unable to step in so quickly and complete the job, the line would have been down for several hours. OX3 saved us tens of thousands of dollars." If you would like to find out more about OX3 Corporation, please call us at (978) 772-1222.

Count-Confirmation

1999-04-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Your order is dry-packed, (when requested), and always count-verified. Having parts dry-packed is becoming standard operating procedure on packaging contracts. Orion has put dry-packing equipment into full service. This includes our desiccant pack and humidity indicator card at no additional charge. At three separate stages, your components are checked for accuracy of count throughout the company's internal process. Parts are first bag-counted and checked for "reasonableness" upon receipt. Secondly, devices are counted as they get taped and reeled on each of our twelve packaging machines. Thirdly, as introduced in our October, 1996 newsletter, Orion now verifies its finished reels with an independent table top REELpak® Counter. For a few of our important customers, who require even counts on finished reels, we have set up a program where Orion stores extras for the customer in cases where the counts fall short. These extra parts are held in a segregated consignment area and are fully insured.

Paring Down to Get Phat!

1998-04-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Orion's President, Gus Widmayer, today announced plans to move the company's production and order fulfillment facilities to a building located on his family's land at Orion Park in Ayer, Massachusetts. Orion Tape and Reel will temporarily squeeze itself down to 2,500 square feet until another tenant in the building leaves at the expiration of their lease on April 30, 1998. On May 1, 1998, Orion will take over the full 6,000 square foot bay. Since 1991, the company had been located in 4,000 square feet of light R & D space at Nagog Park in Acton, Massachusetts. That lease expired on January 31, 1998.The move to Ayer will be accomplished in three phases. During the month of January, the manufacturing operations will be pared down to fit into 2,500 square feet of space presently available at Nine Orion Park Drive in Ayer, Mass. This includes the facilities that perform all of our taping and reeling services, our carrier and cover tape reselling facilities, and the Control Department. The second phase will be to move the Company's General and Administrative offices, including Engineering, Customer Service and Accounting Departments, to 119 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay business district, which is adjacent to the President's home near Copley Square in Boston. The third and final phase of the Company's move will be accomplished when the Company takes occupancy of 6,000 square feet of the newly renovated bay at Eleven Orion Park Drive in Ayer, Mass. That final move is scheduled to take place on May 1, 1998.

Negotiations for the lease transaction were consummated over the Columbus Day weekend between representatives of the family's trust and Mr. Widmayer at the Widmayer summer home off Falmouth Harbor on Cape Cod. The senior Mr. Widmayer, Francis, who is the General Partner of the Ayer industrial park, and is who is also the President of his own shielding laminates manufacturing company, known as Orion Industries, was present and presided over the family's negotiations. The great value and benefit to Orion Tape and Reel is that its rent expenses over the next decade will now be paid into an estate in which its shareholder holds a stake, rather than expended to an outside landlord. That provides additional security to both customers and employees of the company. Once the build-out at Nine and Eleven Orion Park Drive in Ayer is completed, Orion Electronics will enjoy a high-grade Research and Development facility with tiled flooring, humidity controls, and a clean room. Administrative offices will remain continuously in the Boston location. Orion's California fulfillment center in Danville, California was shut down on May 31st of last year, because management was unable to find a suitable General Management to handle the operation's move down to San Jose. This effort will become the renewed focus of Mr. Widmayer once the Company's primary operation is moved from Acton to Ayer.

It has always been the Company's long term strategic plan to operate one central Sales, General and Administrative office in Boston, with satellite operating fulfillment centers closer to its customers in each of six major regions of the United States. President Gus Widmayer can be reached for comment and further answers to any questions you may have, by E-mail at gwidmayer@ox3.com or by telephone at (978) 772-1222 using Extension 9700. Because of the light weight portability of virtually all of Orion's operating equipment, the business transition from Acton to Ayer is expected to be seamless and invisible to its customer base, which has come to rely heavily on Orion's REELtime (and REELquick) SAME-Day and NEXT-Day taping services. Any further announcements will be posted here over the course of the next three months until Orion's temporary relocation to 9 Orion Park Drive in Ayer, Massachusetts is completed. After January 23, 1998 all customers should send their components to the new address at 9 Orion Park Drive, Ayer, MA 01432.

High-speed Taping System

1998-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

This universal fully-automatic High-speed Taping System provides customers with a very economical means of taping a variety of surface mount components. With a high degree of flexibility, the machine is ideal for applications requiring a high mix of surface mount devices thanks to its automatic X-Z travel transfer arm. Throughput: Up to 7000 parts per hour, (depending on part type). Any component can be handled from bulk or from tube.

U.S. Dept. of Labor Awards 18 Businesses in Labor Training

1997-10-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Orion Tape & Reel has been chosen to participate in the Defense Conversion Supplier Network Demonstration Project being run by the Massachusetts Industrial Services Program. As one of eighteen suppliers chosen from the several hundred vendors of Textron Defense Systems, Orion will be enrolling all of its non-management employees into a training program aimed at helping workers and companies make the transition to a commercial economy. In the jointly developed Organizational Learning Plan that Orion and the ISP will be writing, our Reelers, Group Leaders and Supervisors will be participating in weekly intensive instruction in a variety of disciplines, such as ISO-9000 training, problem-solving, Total Quality Management, Design for Manufacturability, and so forth. Orion will contribute its employees' wages for the time allotted as well as the course facilities. The Dept. of Labor will contribute funding for the instructors and course materials. Project Director Ralph W. Larson, Jr. states that the program includes a total dollar value of $1.9 Million and will last in duration for 18 to 24 months, ending some time in 1998. All Orion employees working at the company prior to June 1, 1996 are eligible to participate.

Automatic Vision Taping System

1997-07-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Standard Features of our Vision Taping System include a teachable gantry; flexibility of both input and output tray, tube & tape; programmable vacuum and blow off dwell time; vacuum detector to detect missed pick-ups; adjustable tape guide to handle all tape widths from 8 mm to 72 mm; two sealing heads with independent adjustments for sealing pressure, temperature, and dwell time; empty pocket detector; operates with heat and pressure sensitive cover tapes; simple to operate with quick setup. Featuring: Vision Inspection System; Component feeding: Bulk, Tube, Tray; Detaping into tube or tray; Programming custom applications. Specifications: Speeds up to 3800 pph.

1996-05-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

One morning, you show up for work and find out that the night crew could not run boards because a single line item was not taped and reeled. What can you do? We suggest that you grab your parts, and drive over to Orion Tape & Reel. When you walk in the door we will begin taping your product. What could be faster? If you don't feel like driving, call us and we will be right over. There is no charge for pick up and delivery on REELtime© orders. Your line may be up and running before your boss even shows up for work, (at 10AM!) You'll even have time to make her a cup of coffee. Orion will have you assembly-ready in REELtime®!

New Ordering Catalog

1995-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

The first edition of Orion's newest catalog showcasing some of its newest equipment and materials hit the streets in October last year. Attractive pricing and premium service options have made our new REELpak® Counter popular. Underway is an extensive revision to the company's well known FAX Order Form for Taping Services. The newest version will have simplified categories and fewer conditions to worry about. These two new documents and our REELpak® Guides round out an extensive array of informative and technical information available to you in print and on-line. 150 Visits (hits) to the REELPAGE® Web Site Email accounts and web pages are becoming the norm at Orion Tape & Reel. The company is well versed in the latest on-line technologies and remains committed to providing service to our customers in innovative ways. By accessing our web site at: http://www.reelpak.com you can take full advantage of the many technical pages offered to make doing business with Orion Tape & Reel a breeze.

1991-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

This technology evolved in the 1970´s, but is still quite popular today for LED´s, TO-92´s and many classes of capacitor. Lead diameters and body case sizes vary greatly. Because of this, we like to have specific dies and tools for each particular device. This is not mandatory, however your approval would be required to proceed with existing tooling that does not exactly match the specifications. Inquire for pricing and delivery options. Our taping process follows all international standard requirements as outlined in IEC 286-2, and EIA-468-B as well as your custom specifications.

Media Kit

1991-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

OX3's Address

OX3 Corporation

9 Orion Park Drive

Ayer, Massachusetts 01432

Directions

Media Contact:

Gus Widmayer, President

(978) 772-1222, Ext. 9700

gwidmayer@ox3.com

Pricing Guide:

Click for Pricing Guide

Corporate Origins:

Founded as Orion Partners in 1972 to perform small subassemblies, the organization was incorporated in 1973 as Indus-Orion Corporation. It underwent a name change in 1980 to Orion Industries Incorporated. In 1991, the taping and reeling division, known as Orion Electronics Corporation, was spun off as a standalone company in a management buyout, with a dba of Orion Tape and Reel. In 2000, the name was changed to OX3 Corporation.

Employees:

We employ approximately 20 full-time people.

Corporate Mission:

To become the supplier of choice in the Value-added Services sector of the Automated Component Handling industry. The company packages IC's and semiconductors for use on automated pick and place equipment, which is the predominant method employed today in the assembly of printed circuit boards.

Primary Services:

Taping and reeling, baking of surface-mount integrated circuits, passive chips, and the distribution of the materials required for same.

Primary Market And Size:

The Electronics Industry. $420 Million for packaging semiconductors on tape and reel, (not including OEM in-house operations).

Unit Price:

Typically ten cents per part.

Product Development:

Packaging methods have evolved in three stages. Begun in 1960, axial lead components were placed between two tapes. In 1970's, radial lead components were placed on a single tape. In 1980's, surface mount components were placed in pocketed tapes. Currently, these carrier tapes still reign, only the products being packaged are smaller, like 0202 chips, or sturdier, like BGA's, or more differentiated, like CSP's.

Domestic Sales and Service:

The company utilizes one central corporate sales and marketing team to canvas all territories.

Manufacturing Strategy:

Operations are set up to handle On-demand, Same-day, Next-day and Two-day delivery of services

OX3's 4S Plan

1991-02-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Simplification:

Early on, we ascertained that just the sheer volume of electronic devices and the materials to package them is intimidating and confusing to the typical industrial buyer. We devoted countless hours in an effort to group component types into broad family headings, combine services into a small number of pricing classes, and publish a one-page pricing grid to make the purchasing decision easier and faster. That pricing grid is now known as our OX3 Rate Sheet. And our work is ongoing.

Standardization:

We achieved immeasurable success through our efforts in devising one convenient part numbering system for surface mount carrier tapes and services which to some extent has already become the de facto system for calling out material requisitions at some companies. This REELpak® numbering scheme has the ability to encompass all existing products available in the open marketplace and any new ones. This is the sort of service differentiation that sets OX3 apart from the competition. Other innovative examples are explained further on in this site. The key to our success will be to offer the same service, the same way, every time.

Sorting Information:

OX3's President recalls once hearing a classroom lecture at Harvard University, which he sat in on, (even though he realized later that he was in the wrong classroom!). The professor fielded a question from a student in the room about what mankind would be like 2000 years into the future. The professor's answer was: "We will not be so different that the transmutation would be indistinguishable from our current state, but rather that we will have become more specialized. In other words, we will not become monsters of science fiction, but may have fewer fingers, and better specialized toes." Organization, or specialization, is what OX3 does with its sorting of information in the ACH market. We make carrier tapes easier to deal with and readily understandable to the Buyer or Engineer who is new to the field. We bring order to the chaos.

Systems Strength:

Our concept has been that the Company should rise, (and fall), on its collective merits and not those of any one or more individual "heroes." In the long run, we are banking on a customer's preference for feeling that it is the company that can handle his or her needs, and not just "a really good Account Rep." The main way we maintain this overall systems strength is through duplication of services. This is alternately referred to in-house as our Fault-tolerance Program. Our intent is to create a back up and failsafe to each service we offer in order to assure that our customers' orders will be fulfilled. This is even more critical with our REELquickTM SAME-day and NEXT-day guaranteed services. If one machine is down, there is another to take its place. If one key person is out, there is another trained in his or her specialty. That's a strong system, indeed !

Axial-Lead Taping Technology

1991-02-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

Resistors, Capacitors and Diodes are the most popular classes of axial components. They are taped in either oriented or non-oriented formats. We have the tooling to tape ALL axial components without exception.

OX3 Corporation

Pick and Place Pads

Baking PC Boards

OX3 Corporation Founder Dies At 82

Gliwice, Poland

Reading Program From Chips

OX3 Corp issues its monthly #ox3com newsletter

Material Review Board

Prevent Damage In Shipping

Monitoring Shelf-life Improves Quality, [LINK]

Overcoming Extreme Moisture-Sensitivity

OX3 Rides A Harley

Q2 Performance

1,450 New ESD and MVB Bags

394 New Carrier Tools Added

Custom Thermoform Trays

Paper Backed Adhesive Tapes

Now Shipping to Austria

ESD and MVB Static Bag Products

1,360 New Carrier Tape Tools

Traymania Site Launched

Happy Holidays! 2008

Financial Strength

Reel Calculator A Smash Hit

Ten Best Practices

Cradle To Grave

A New ABK Gadget

8 Ways To Search

Use REELpak to Find Carrier Tapes

REEL.Biz Redesign Launched

Ranking For Carrier Tapes

Carrier Tape Shipped From Stock

Carrier Tape Trouble With Logging In

Carrier Tape by Reelpak Has a Blog!

When Experience Makes The Cut

Francis J. Widmayer, Founder

Procurement and Sourcing

Raytheon Names OX3 (VQP) Supplier

X-Reference By Part Number

FAQs

Carrier Tape Exchange

2004 Sales Surpass 2003

Foley Named To OX3 Board

Johnson Receives Distinguished Award

Thomas A. Russo Named to OX3's Board

ISO 9001 Renewed

Plexus Chooses OX3

OX3 Receives Major Funding

Programming Integrated Circuits

Lead Reconditioning of Integrated Circuits

Pricing for Programming Services:

Programming

The OX3 Edge

Tape and Reel Glossary Updated

Credit Cards Accepted

Frequent Reeler Program Expansion

Operating Profits Rise

It's REEL Business at REEL.BIZ

Screening Services

New LED Former/Trimmer Now On Line

Go West Young Man!

Stranded At Sea

Avnet Salutes OX3

OX3 Achieves ISO9001-2000 Registration

TO-92 and LED Taping System

Shared Corporate Values

Bose Comes to OX3 for Programming

Compaq Chooses OX3 To Provide Kitting and Baking Services

Automotive Parts Giant Looks to OX3

Count-Confirmation

Paring Down to Get Phat!

High-speed Taping System

U.S. Dept. of Labor Awards 18 Businesses in Labor Training

Automatic Vision Taping System

Instant Service, or How to tape REELtime©

New Ordering Catalog

Media Kit

OX3's 4S Plan

Axial-Lead Taping Technology