Jul 30, 2008 WS170 is a second generation water soluble solder paste chemistry currently intended for Sn62/Sn63 applications. It is developed specifically to sustain optimal performance throughout a wide spectrum of environmental conditions.
WS170 produces fully wetted, bright shiny solder joints, and has the activity necessary to solder to common hard-to-wet alloys such as gold, platinum, palladium, silver, alloy-42 and bare copper.
Additionally, WS170 has intrinsic sheer characteristics that provide for good paste roll and a full aperture fill during the print cycle. The paste releases easily from stencil apertures leaving crisp paste deposits and no clogged stencils. Print speeds of up to 6"/sec have been tested with full aperture fill and no slumping noticed.
Benefits of the paste include non-hygroscopic formulation, extremely broad process window, 24-hour stencil life and tack time, print speeds up to 6 in/second, minimal to no foam when cleaned, easy-to-clean post-process residues, excellent wetting characteristics, repeatable paste deposition, and compatibility with all plating types.
Further advantages of WS170 include the following: provides up to eight hours response-to-pause time without print degradation; extended tack time makes it an excellent candidate for batch production; it maintains the ability to hold components for at least 24 hours after printing; and it provides a sufficient tack force for high-speed placement equipment.
About FCT Assembly
FCT Assembly was created after the purchase of Fine Line Stencil, Inc., and consists of two major operations: stencil manufacturing and the manufacturing of electronic assembly products such as solder paste, flux and solder (both conventional 63/37 and SN100C� lead-free) bar. The assembly products are manufactured in the Greeley, Colo. plant and the stencils are manufactured in the Beaverton, Ore., Memphis, Tenn., and Greeley, Colo. facilities. The stencils can be fabricated by both laser cutting and chemical etch. The company also makes precision parts in its A-Laser division, which is located in Beaverton, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.fctassembly.com.
