New Calibration Facility Launches in Europe by the End of 2012

// February 28th, 2013 // No Comments » // News, Smart Tweezers Maintenance, ST-5S, Uncategorized

After nearly 9 years on the market, Smart Tweezers have become a highly sought after tool for testing and troubleshooting electronics with Surface Mount Technology (SMT) used by many high-tech companies worldwide. Even with worldwide recognition, calibration for Smart Tweezers is only available in North America and India, creating hassle for companies that require annual calibration and/or calibration verification of their test equipment in order to be ISO compliant.

Without proper calibration facilities, users must seek out alternate calibration techniques such as third party calibrations. Unfortunately, third party calibration is not true calibration but just a verification of accuracy by comparison of measurement accuracy with the actual values of high-precision components. This “calibration” may be common practice, but does not ensure that Smart Tweezers are working at optimal performance.

“In order to calibrate Smart Tweezers LCR-meter, you need to have the Calibration Fixture designed particularly for Smart Tweezers’ calibration and adjustment of the calibration coefficients.” say Michael Obrecht, the Director at Siborg Systems Inc. “This calibration fixture itself needs to be calibrated annually to ensure the highest possible precision.”

The Smart Tweezers’ Calibration Fixture is a semi-automatic device that updates the calibration coefficients stored in EEPROM of every Smart Tweezers unit. The update is based on comparing the results of measurements obtained using Smart Tweezers with values of a few high-accuracy components called “the standard components”. The calibration coefficients are eventually adjusted by finding the best fit to the values of the standard components ensuring optimal performance of Smart Tweezers.

Currently, there are only 3 of these calibration facilities worldwide; Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Pasadena California, and New Delhi, India. This makes for a lengthy and costly procedure for European companies that use Smart Tweezers, having to send the devices to North America or India, or they use the third party calibration technique. Shipping, handling customs, etc. may not be time or cost effective.

To simplify the process for European users, Siborg Systems Inc. (Canada) and Bokar International (USA) have joined together to establish a new facility at Production Solutions in Poland. Production Solutions has serviced Bokar’s SMT and ESD products for years, and is the first company in Poland to provide Polish and Central European electronic industries with the highest world-class equipment and products for SMT production, rework and repair.

 

Smart Tweezers Goes to Malaysia

// February 11th, 2013 // No Comments » // Distributors, LCR-Reader, News, ST-5S

An agreement between Siborg Systems and CF Technology Sdn Bhd in Selangor, Malaysia have brought the popular device to South Eastern Asia.

CF Technology was established in 1995 as CFS Technology. They are a specialist in automation systems, electrical and electronic equipment, machine spare parts (AI, SMT and AOI), industrial supply (ESD-safe equipment) repair and reconditioning of AI and SMT display boards.

“Smart Tweezers is a fine match to our line of products,” says Lau Yu Han, the managing Director at CF System, “We supply equipment for production, rework and repair of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) packed with small SMT components that are virtually impossible to debug with the use of conventional LCR-meters. Lightweight and unique mechatronic design of Smart Tweezers make it easily usable by just one hand leaving the other free for other tasks.”

 

Smart Tweezers Available in Taiwan

// December 25th, 2012 // No Comments » // Distributors, LCR-Reader, News, ST-5S

A new website has been released for Smart Tweezers by Siborg Systems Inc. featuring new instructional materials and useful tips for the newest model, the ST5, in Chinese.

Manufactured in Canada, Smart Tweezers are gaining popularity in Taiwan, a well known hub for electronic manufacturing.

“This web site will give our clients a better feeling of what this remarkable device would allow them to do,” says Michael Obrecht, the Director at Siborg Systems Inc. “Light weight and small size makes Smart Tweezers extremely useful for any kind of PCB work. It is very important that Smart Tweezers is very user-friendly and intuitive. It virtually can be used without reading the manual, it is almost fully automatic and gives you the value of a component, whether it is Inductance, Capacitance or Resistance immediately when it is connected with the tweezers tips.”

Smart Tweezers are an essential tool when working with electronics using Surface Mount Technology. They feature automatic Resistance and and Capacitance measurements, as well as Inductance measurements which other similar devices do not offer. They are an indispensable tool for use in radio electronics with the ability to measure for Inductance to a fraction of microhenry.

Other features included on the Smart Tweezers ST5 model:

-Automatic LCR, and Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) measurements
-Basic accuracy of 0.2%
-Diode and Continuity test
-Adjustable Test Signal
-Component Sorting with 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% Tolerance
-Semi-automatic Offset Subtraction
-Ideal for small components, as small as 0201 size (about 0.3 mm)
-Displays active and reactive impedance components
-Just 2 Oz weight and ergonomic design
-Long battery life with a Li-Ion Battery and USB Charger

 

For more information please contact our distributors in Taiwan:

Ascentex Industry Corp.
7F, No 516, Sec. 1, Nei Hu Road, Taipei 114, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel:+886-2-8797-8788 Fax:+886-2-8797-8789
Sales: Eagle (at) ascentex (dot) com (dot) tw
Service:Richard (at) ascentex (dot) com (dot) tw

PLeader-YAMAICHI Co., Ltd.
No.16, JinShui Street, Hsin Chu, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel. :03-5302300 Fax.: 03-5305156
kp (at) PLYamaichi (dot) com (dot) tw

Chen Bom Trading Co., Ltd
6F-1, 212, Ta Tung Rd., Sec. 3, Hsichih City, New Taipei City 22148 Taiwan, Republic Of China
Phone Number: 886-2-86472988 Fax Number: 886-2-86472977
sales (at) cbtrade (dot) com (dot) tw

 

Smart Tweezers Now Available in 27 Countries Worldwide

// December 23rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Distributors, LCR-Reader, News, ST-5S

Siborg Systems Inc. and Pennsylvania based Bokar International have agreed to work together to bring Smart Tweezers to the USA, Canada and 25 other countries worldwide on 5 continents.

Bokar International produces and sells innovative tools and equipment for reworking, repairing and assembling Surface Mount Technology (SMT), including a full line of equipment and accessories, and are continuously developing new, more sophisticated machines.

“From the very first look at Smart Tweezers it was clearly a perfect match to our line of products”, says Czeslaw Ruszowski, the CEO at Bokar, “We manufacture equipment for production, rework and repair of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)  densely packed with SMT components as small as 0.3 mm. It makes debugging of a faulty PCB virtually impossible with the use of conventional LCR-meters. Smart Tweezers light-weigh design integrating high-precision SMT probes, accurate digital LCR-meter and an LCD display makes it easily usable by just one hand leaving the other free for taking notes or holding other tools.”

Smart Tweezers are an industry proven tool, indispensable for SMT component sorting, on-board impedance testing and PCB debugging.

For a limited time, Bokar International is offering an introductory sales price for Smart Tweezers ST5.

Smart Tweezers New Homepage in India

// December 5th, 2012 // No Comments » // News

Siborg Systems Inc. and Advance Tech Services in New Delhi have launched a new website for Smart Tweezers for Indian users.

“This website will give Indian clients a better feeling of what this remarkable device would allow them to do, including a short video,” says Ajay Gupta, the Director of Marketing at Advance Tech Services, “Light weight and nearly pen sized make Smart Tweezers extremely useful for any kind of field work. On the other hand, 0.2% basic measurement accuracy is normally achievable only with much more expensive bench-type LCR-meters. It is very important that Smart Tweezers virtually can be used without reading the Manual, it is almost fully automatic and gives you value of a component, whether it is L, C or R immediately when you touch it with the tweezer’s tips.”

Advance Tech is offering an introductory sales price for the ST5 model.

The new website is www.smarttweezers.in

Smart Tweezers Get Developmental Help from the Russian Academy of Sciences

// December 4th, 2012 // No Comments » // LCR-Reader, News, ST-5S, Uncategorized

Siborg Systems Inc. has teemed up with the Institute of Automation and Electrometry of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk, Russia to develop a new version of the popular LCR-meter with a lower manufacturing cost.

“From the very beginning, Smart Tweezers use sinusoidal test signals to evaluate impedance of the measured component. This involves a test signal generation that employs a Pulse Modulated Width (PMW) and high order filters that ensure a proper accuracy of the generated test signal entailing significant cost of the require components and PCB complexity leading to a relatively high manufacturing cost of the device.” explains Michael Obrecht at Siborg Systems. “During one of the many exhibits we attend every year, I met Valentin Litvintsev, an expert in analog circuit design who suggested a new way of creating a test signal for LCR-meter that would require significantly fewer number of components thus reducing the manufacturing cost.”

“I liked the device from the very first glance. It is a very good product that is useful in many electronic applications. The only disadvantage it has is a relatively high price. I think we can manufacture a similar type of device with a bit lower accuracy but more affordable.” says Valentin Litvintsev, Team Lead at the Institute of Automation and Electrometry of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk.

Smart Tweezers Available in India and Surrounding Asian Countries

// December 3rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Distributors, LCR-Reader, News, ST-5S

Smart Tweezers are now offered in India thanks to an agreement between Siborg Systems Inc. and Advance Tech Services Pvt. Ltd. in New Delhi.

Advance Tech Services is a leading supplier of  tools, equipment and consumables for the electronics industry, including maintenance. They also have an online store providing electronics for the automotive and process industries.

“From the very first look at Smart Tweezers it was clearly a perfect match to our line of products.” says Ajay Gupta, the Director of Marketing at Advance Tech. “Modern electronics are based on Surface Mount Technology (SMT) using SMDs so small that they are virtually impossible to test using conventional testers. This is why Advance Tech Services is so enthusiastic about marketing Smart Tweezers in India and in neighbouring Asian countries. This region is a well known hub for electronic manufacturing and its contribution to the overall market is quickly growing, outpacing China.”

Advance Tech believes that Smart Tweezers will be well welcomed to the electronics industry, providing a simple and easy to use solution to testing and troubleshooting electronics such as mobile phones, personal computers, tablets, etc.

Smart Tweezers Now Available in the USA from Siborg Systems and SIBBIS International

// November 27th, 2012 // No Comments » // Distributors, News, Uncategorized

Siborg Systems Inc. and Maryland based SIBBIS International LLC have joined efforts to market the device in the United States.

SIBBIS International is a specialist in international marketing of high-tech hardware and software, focusing on medical equipment and associated tools.

“We have been looing for such a device for a long time,” says Anatoly Klimenko, the Director of Marketing at SIBBIS International, “Modern medical equipment may contain a number of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) densely packed with SMT components. It makes debugging of a faulty PCB virtually impossible with the use of conventional LCR-meters. Smart Tweezers is an integration of a pair of high-precision SMT probes, accurate digital LCR-meters and an LCD display into nearly a pen-sized 2 oz. unit. It can be easily handled by just one hand leaving the other free for taking notes or holding other tools.”

 

What’s New on the ST5 model?

// November 16th, 2012 // No Comments » // News, Smart Tweezers Questions and Answers, ST5

The newest version of Smart Tweezers, the ST5 has been released.

Still the same fully automatic LCR meter, Smart Tweezers still offers features like manual and automatic Inductance, Resistance, and Capacitance measurements, and diode and continuity testing, with just a touch of the tweezer tips.

So what’s new on Smart Tweezers ST5?

The new ST5 features designated Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) measurements. When measuring for a capacitance, the unit measures for secondary parameters such as the ESR. This value is displayed in the secondary display.

Semi-automatic offset subtraction that allows a value of parasitic resistance to be automatically subtracted from the measurement value of the component under test.

Component sorting capabilities.

A higher basic accuracy of 0.2% is an estimated 6 times higher than older models, this accuracy is usually only available with expensive bench-type testing. A Li-Ion battery replaces the hearing aid batteries in the old models, with a USB charger, significantly increasing the battery life.

Smart Tweezers has also gotten a slight physical upgrade with the replacement of the jog-wheel. This navigational device used to be situated on the side of the device and allowed users to change the settings with back-and-forth movement as well as a push button to select. The new ST5 features a joy-stick like navigation on the front of the device, providing a more comfortable experience.

Other than the removal of DC/AC voltage measurements, Smart Tweezers are the same renowned LCR meters but with higher accuracy, even more features and an updated look.

 

Smart Tweezers Model Comparisons

Why Would I Need an Extra Pair of Smart Tweezers’ Tips?

// November 12th, 2012 // No Comments » // Smart Tweezers Questions and Answers

The tips are made of gold plated stainless steel and the gold tends to wear out with time. Apparently the wear out mostly depends on the number of touches and the quality of surfaces that are touched. A rough estimate with a moderate intensity of Smart Tweezers’ use would be 2-3 years. Typical contact resistance of the Smart Tweezers Tips is about 20 mOhms. It can be as high as 1 Ohm for a heavily used Smart Tweezers.