Electronics Manufacturing Technical Articles

I.C.T ( Dongguan ICT Technology Co., Ltd. )

Elevate Precision with the Automatic Visual Soldering Robot

Sep 13, 2023 | I.C.T Team

Automatic visual soldering robots use computer vision to accurately weld complex parts. These robots can improve efficiency, quality, and safety in a variety of industries, including automotive, manufacturing, and aerospace....

Publisher: I.C.T ( Dongguan ICT Technology Co., Ltd. )

I.C.T is a manufacturer from China that offers SMT, DIP, PCBA conformal coating equipment and turnkey solution.

Dongguan, Guangdong, China

ULT Canada Sales Incorporated

The importance of pollutant capturing when utilizing fume extraction technology

Sep 08, 2023 | ULT

Fume extraction starts with the capturing of airborne pollutants. In principle, the right collection strategy makes a decisive contribution to the quality of the extraction and filtration technology in air purification systems. Because the degree of collection is the basis for subsequent high-grade filtration, which ultimately results in the efficiency of an extraction system....

Publisher: ULT Canada Sales Incorporated

ULT is a vendor of efficient fume extraction solutions for air purification. The company's systems are utilized for the removal of laser fumes, soldering fumes, odors, vapors, gases, dusts etc. in electronics production.

Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer

Conductive Adhesive Dispensing for Electronic Manufacturing

Sep 07, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

A global manufacturer of a broad line of electronic interconnect solutions worked with us to dispense conductive adhesive EpoTek H20E-FC. EpoTek H20E-FC is a two-component, electrically conductive, snap curing epoxy for photovoltaic thin film module stringing, semiconductor packaging and PCB circuit assembly. The primary goal was filling a rectangular cavity on a connector. The epoxy needed to fill the connector to the top of the walls in less than three seconds....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Small Volume Solder Paste Dispensing for Aerospace and Defense

Sep 07, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

A repeat customer specializing in high-technology interconnect, sensor, and antenna solutions, partnered with us to dispense small volumes of solder paste (Indium 10.1 SAC305 T6SG 78%m) onto backplane connectors – gold pads 0.175mm x 0.225mm. We performed a test requiring 0.200mm diameter or smaller dots to demonstrate the dispensing capability required....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Head-On-Pillow Defect – A Pain in the Neck or Head-On-Pillow BGA Solder Defect

Sep 05, 2023 | Chris Oliphant, Bev Christian, Kishore Subba-Rao, Fintan Doyle, Laura Turbini, David Connell and Jack Q. L. Han

The head on pillow defect is becoming more common. This paper describes one such occurrence for an OEM and explains how it was dealt with. In this particular case it was solved by application of problem solving skills by the OEM, component supplier and the solder paste provider...

Publisher: Research In Motion

Research In Motion

Research In Motion (RIM) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market.

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer

FPGA's Accelerate Hardware Designs

Aug 23, 2023 | Whizz Systems

Next generation hardware designs are incorporating the world's fastest silicon with massive gigaflop compute power to drive data throughput. Where these devices were mostly focused on data center and cloud computing, there is now a broad market requirement to deploy FPGA across key markets....

Publisher: Whizz Systems

Whizz Systems

Electronic manufacturing services - electronic design, development and manufacturing. Circuit board design, prototyping, FPGA services, signal integrity and simulation, pcb assembly. Factories in California USA and Malaysia.

Santa Clara, California, USA

SMT Pick and Place Machine Feeder common types from KINGSUN

Aug 18, 2023 | DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

Today, KINGSUN shares with you the common types and classifications of SMT mounters. 一、According to the feeding method, common ones include: 1.Tape Feeder 2.Tray Feeder 3.Tube Feeder 4.Stick Feeder 5.Special Vibration Feeder 二、According to the classification of electric and non electric, the common ones are electric feeder and mechanical feeder. Yamaha's SIGMA SMT machines are all electric feeders, while many of JUKI's feeder are mechanical feeders...... Regarding feeders related knowledge, KINGSUN share with you here , hoping to be helpful to you. More information about Products please Contact US at jenny@ksunsmt.com or visit www.ksunsmt.com . "DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD" is a leading SMT automation equipment factory provider in China. With many years of profound experience accumulation, we provides comprehensive solutions for global customers with strong resources and high-quality professional technical team....

Publisher: DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD is a company which mainly provide used and new SMT parts, provide repair SMT key parts service,new/used SMT machine trading,SMT consumables and Peripherals equipment,Clean room, ESD..

Dongguan, China

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Equipment Dealer / Broker / Auctions, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

Staking/Epoxy Adhesive Dispensing for Aerospace

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

One of our aerospace customers was looking to automate a few manual operations and asked for suggestions. This customer specializes in assemblies for inflight connectivity for commercial airlines and low orbit satellites. The dispensing process included the application of bonding to the sides of large and small components (4-axis) and the ability to cope with the changing viscosity during processing. The material used was EC-2216 B/A Two Part Epoxy and the largest board size was 12"x10"...

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Masking and Underfill Dispensing for Medical Device

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

In one of our medical applications projects, the customer wanted to dispense a mask to protect gold leads and an underfill on a silicon substrate with a clear test die. The substrates were Dymax X-499-91-C for Masking and Epoxibond-106M-1 for Underfill Dispensing...

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Thermal Interface Material (TIM) Dispensing For Consumer Products

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

In one of our Consumer Electronics projects, a leader of networking technologies requested to test dispensing performance of a thermally conductive material, Fujipoly Sarcon SPG-50A. This material improves heat dissipation for higher frequency applications and reduces the negative effects of thermal resistance under heat, cold, humid, and thermal shock conditions. The customer's goal was to dispense a 1mm diameter dot with acceptable speed and consistency....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Underfill Dispensing For Aerospace Military And Defense

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

One of our defense customers planned to dispense underfill material for small and large die, using Hysol FP4545FC epoxy encapsulant. This process dissipates stress on solder joints and prevents cracking and fracturing between the bottom of the die and the surface of the substrate....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Solder Paste Dispensing For Aerospace and Defense

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

A global aerospace and defense leader requested a capability test of small volume solder paste dispensing on FR4 circuit boards....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

LED Encapsulation for Consumer Products

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

In one of our Consumer Electronics projects, a smart lighting company wished to dispense silicone-based LED encapsulation material for two different product sizes. The larger product had a 9mm circular dam which required silicone dispensing flush with the top of the dam. The smaller product had a 1mm LED die that required only the top to be encapsulated. The material consisted of two parts which were mixed by weight in a 1:1 ratio. A phosphor powder was added totaling 10% of the overall weight. The phosphor required agitation to remain suspended....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Solder Mask Dispensing For Electronics and Aerostructures

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

One of our customers involved with Electronics and Aerostructures requested a test to dispense Techspray Wondermask 2204 solder mask. The dispensing locations include large and small screw holes, single through-hole vias, and connector locations consisting of multiple through-hole vias. The process needed to run quickly and reliably....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

Dam and Fill Dispensing for Medical

Aug 16, 2023 | GPD Global, Inc.

One of our customers in the medical industry requested dam and fill application testing on a Kapton substrate. The material needed to be non-conductive for dispensing around electrical components, acting as structural support. Ultimately the product will be folded, therefore the footprint had to be small....

Publisher: GPD Global

A Manufacturer of High Quality, Precision, Automated Fluid Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems, SMT Cover Tape Peel Tester and Lead Forming machines for through-hole component preparation.

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

NASA Office Of Safety And Mission Assurance

HALT/HASS and Thermal Cycling to Assess COTS Boards, GoPro Camera and Advanced PBGA/CCGA Virtex-5Electronic Packages

Aug 14, 2023 | Rajeshuni Ramesham Ph.D.

Outline Introduction Objectives Hardware to be assessed COTS Xilinx and Microsemi ProASIC Boards Advanced CCGA/Virtex-5Daisy Chain Package (Kyocera) Assembled Advanced SMT packages (PBGA) COTS GoPro Camera Experimental Details Test Results/Discussion Summary Acknowledgements...

Publisher: NASA Office Of Safety And Mission Assurance

The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) assures the safety and enhances the success of all NASA activities through the development, implementation and oversight of agencywide safety, reliability, maintainability and ...

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Manufacturer's Representative

Benefits and Costs of Overstress Testing (HALT)

Aug 14, 2023 | Nahum Meadowsong & Edmond L. Kyser

The partnership of Design and Manufacturing is central to the process of bringing a product to market. The impact of problems in either of these stages can increase exponentially if they go unnoticed until after the product reaches the customer. Overstress Test (tests using stresses beyond the design limit of the product) is successful at uncovering such faults in both product design and the manufacturing process and insures the overall robustness of the product. The benefits of Overstress Test include ......

Publisher: Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco designs, manufactures, and sells Internet protocol (IP)-based networking and other products related to the communications and IT industry and provide services associated with these products.

San Jose, CA, USA

SMT Placement Machine Nozzle Maintenance and Operation Instructions from KINGSUN

Aug 14, 2023 | KSUNSMT

In the operation of SMT mounter, the process and integrity of the nozzle of the mounter will have a significant impact on the performance of the machine. As one of the important components of the SMT machine, it is necessary for us to carry out daily maintenance and upkeep of the SMT nozzle. To ensure that the suction nozzle of the SMT machine is intact before operation, how should we do a good job of maintaining the suction nozzle of the SMT machine during normal use? KINGSUN technical team analysis operation has the following main points: 1.Wipe the surface of the SMT nozzle with a dust-free cloth. 2.The small aperture nozzle can be passed through with a thin steel wire and then blown with an air gun. 3.The surface of the nozzle should not be soaked with corrosive solution such as alcohol, as this may cause the surface to fall off. 4.HOLDER should use a cotton swab to wipe the cavity and not damage the filter screen. 5.Regular addition of special grease to HOLDER claws. 6.According to production, it is best to regularly maintain and do other maintenance regularly. (* Suitable for Yamaha SMT machine nozzles , JUKI SMT machine nozzles, Samsung SMT machine nozzles, Panasonic SMT machine nozzles, Fuji SMT machine nozzles, Siemens SMT machine nozzles etc.) Regarding the SMT machine nozzle daily maintenance operation instructions, KINGSUN share with you here , hoping to be helpful to you. More information about Products please Contact US at jenny@ksunsmt.com or visit www.ksunsmt.com , thanks....

Publisher: DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

Dongguan, China

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Equipment Dealer / Broker / Auctions, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

Improved QFN Reliability by Flank Tin Plating Process after Singulation

Aug 04, 2023 | John Ganjei

The process of singulating IC packages such as Quad Flat Pack No-Lead (QFNs) by either a sawing or punching operation results in exposed copper on the sidewalls. This exposed copper surface can oxidize leading to poor or no solder wetting up the sidewall during the assembly operation. The consequence of this oxidized copper surface is either incomplete or no solder fillet formation during the PCB mounting operation resulting in solder joint reliability concerns. Currently, JEDEC and IPC assembly standards do not specify a toe fillet for assembly. However, several component manufacturers have requested a toe fillet solderability process which would improve current QFN reliability by ensuring toe fillet solder coverage. A process whereby tin is plated on the copper sidewall of the QFN after singulation has been developed to improve toe fillet solderability. Several assembly studies have been conducted which demonstrate improved QFN reliability due to the use of this toe fillet solderability process. The plating process, toe fillet inspection and improved QFN reliability after assembly due to the use of this toe fillet solderability is described....

Publisher: Omg Electrochemicals / Macdermid Alpha

Omg Electrochemicals / Macdermid Alpha

A global diversified specialty chemicals company focused on providing innovative solutions across several large and growing end-markets that enhance the products of everyday life.

Maple Plain, Minnesota, USA

Omg Electrochemicals / Macdermid Alpha

Side Wettable Flanks for Leadless Automotive Packaging

Aug 04, 2023 | Marc A. Mangrum

The MicroLeadFrame® (MLF®)/Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN) packaging solution is extremely popular in the semiconductor industry. It is used in applications ranging from consumer electronics and communications to those requiring high reliability performance, such as the automotive industry. The wide acceptance of this packaging design is primarily due to its flexible form factors, size, scalability and thermal dissipation capabilities. The adaptation and acceptance of MLF/QFN packages in automotive high reliability applications has led to the development of materials and processes that have extended its capabilities to meet the performance and quality requirements. One of process developments that is enabling the success of the MLF/QFN within the automotive industry has been the innovation of side wettable flanks that provide the capability to inspect the package lead to printed circuit board (PCB) interfaces for reliable solder joints. Traditionally, through-board X-ray was the accepted method for detecting reliable solder joints for leadless packages. However, as PBC layer counts and routing complexities have increased, this method to detect well-formed solder fillets has proven ineffective and incapable of meeting the inspection requirements. To support increased reliability and more accurate inspection of the leadless package solder joints, processes to form side-wettable flanks have been developed. These processes enable the formation of solder fillets that are detectable using state-of-the-art automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment, providing increased throughput for the surface mount technology (SMT) processes and improved quality as well....

Publisher: Amkor Technology, Inc.

Amkor Technology, Inc.

Amkor Technology is the world's largest independent supplier of outsourced packaging and test semiconductor interconnect services; with more than 33 years of continuous improvement, growth and innovation. http://www.amkor.com

Chandler, Arizona, USA

Factors That Influence Side-Wetting Performance on IC Terminals

Aug 04, 2023 | Donald C. Abbott, Bernhard Lange, Douglas W. Romm, and John Tellkamp

A designed experiment evaluated the influence of several variables on appearance and strength of Pb-free solder joints. Components, with leads finished with nickel-palladium-gold (NiPdAu), were used from Texas Instruments (TI) and two other integrated circuit suppliers. Pb-free solder paste used was tin-silver-copper (SnAgCu) alloy. Variables were printed wiring board (PWB) pad size/stencil aperture (the pad finish was consistent; electrolysis Ni/immersion Au), reflow atmosphere, reflow temperature, Pd thickness in the NiPdAu finish, and thermal aging. Height of solder wetting to component lead sides was measured for both ceramic plate and PWB soldering. A third response was solder joint strength; a "lead pull" test determined the maximum force needed to pull the component lead from the PWB. This paper presents a statistical analysis of the designed experiment. Reflow atmosphere and pad size/stencil aperture have the greatest contribution to the height of lead side wetting. Reflow temperature, palladium thickness, and preconditioning had very little impact on side-wetting height. For lead pull, variance in the data was relatively small and the factors tested had little impact....

Publisher: Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments

Advance in DSP technology and design/applications

Baguio City, USA

A Process For Improved QFN Reliability

Aug 04, 2023 | Lenora Toscano, John Ganjei, Ph.D, Richard Retallick, and Gu Hong, Ph.D

The process of singulating IC packages such as Quad Flat Pack No-Lead (QFNs) by either a sawing or punching operation results in exposed copper on the sidewalls. This exposed copper surface can oxidize leading to poor or no solder wetting up the sidewall during the assembly operation. The consequence of this oxidized copper surface is either incomplete or no solder fillet formation during the PCB mounting operation resulting in solder joint reliability concerns. Currently, JEDEC and IPC assembly standards do not specify a toe fillet for assembly. However, several component manufacturers have requested a toe fillet solderability process which would improve current QFN reliability by ensuring toe fillet solder coverage A process whereby tin is plated on the copper sidewall of the QFN after singulation has been developed to improve toe fillet solderability. Several assembly studies have been conducted which demonstrate improved QFN reliability due to the use of this toe fillet solderability process. The plating process, toe fillet inspection and improved QFN reliability after assembly due to the use of this toe fillet solderability is described....

Publisher: Omg Electrochemicals / Macdermid Alpha

A global diversified specialty chemicals company focused on providing innovative solutions across several large and growing end-markets that enhance the products of everyday life.

Maple Plain, Minnesota, USA

DPBO – A New Control Chart For Electronics Assembly

Aug 02, 2023 | Daryl L. Santos, Ph.D.

As six sigma (6) and better processes are demanded for higher yields and as organizations move from measuring defects in terms of parts-per-million (ppm) towards parts-per-billion (ppb), the resolution of extant control charts is becoming insufficient to monitor process quality. This work describes the development of a new statistical process control (SPC) chart that is used to monitor processes in terms of defects-per-billion-opportunities (dpbo). A logical extension of the defects-per-million-opportunities (dpmo) control chart, calculations used to derive the dpbo control limits will be presented and examples of in-control and out-of-control processes will be offered....

Publisher: Binghamton University

Binghamton University

Binghamton as an institution is dedicated to higher education, one that combines an international reputation for graduate education, research, scholarship and creative endeavor with the best undergraduate programs available at ...

Binghamton, New York, USA

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Life and death decisions of autonomous vehicles

Jul 31, 2023 | Yochanan E. Bigman & Kurt Gray

How should self-driving cars make decisions when human lives hang in the balance? The Moral Machine experiment1 (MME) suggests that people want autonomous vehicles (AVs) to treat different human lives unequally, preferentially killing some people (for example, men, the old and the poor) over others (for example, women, the young and the rich). Our results challenge this idea, revealing that this apparent preference for inequality is driven by the specific ‘trolley-type’ paradigm used by the MME. Multiple studies with a revised paradigm reveal that people overwhelmingly want autonomous vehicles to treat different human lives equally in life and death situations, ignoring gender, age and status—a preference consistent with a general desire for equality

...

Publisher: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

UNC-Chapel Hill is a global leader known for its innovative teaching and ground-breaking research. Carolina offers a variety of courses and programs to prepare students to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

National University of Singapore

Governing Autonomous Vehicles: Emerging Responses For Safety, Liability, Privacy, Cybersecurity, And Industry Risks

Jul 31, 2023 | Araz Taeihagh and Hazel Si Min Lim

The benefits of autonomous vehicles (AVs) are widely acknowledged, but there are concerns about the extent of these benefits and AV risks and unintended consequences. In this article, we first examine AVs and different categories of the technological risks associated with them. We then explore strategies that can be adopted to address these risks, and explore emerging responses by governments for addressing AV risks. Our analyses reveal that, thus far, governments have in most instances avoided stringent measures in order to promote AV developments and the majority of responses are non-binding and focus on creating councils or working groups to better explore AV implications. The US has been active in introducing legislations to address issues related to privacy and cybersecurity. The UK and Germany, in particular, have enacted laws to address liability issues; other countries mostly acknowledge these issues, but have yet to implement specific strategies. To address privacy and cybersecurity risks strategies ranging from introduction or amendment of non-AV specific legislation to creating working groups have been adopted. Much less attention has been paid to issues such as environmental and employment risks, although a few governments have begun programmes to retrain workers who might be negatively affected....

Publisher: National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore is a national research university based in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university...

Singapore, Singapore

Consultant / Service Provider

A Safety Standard Approach for Fully Autonomous Vehicles

Jul 31, 2023 | Philip Koopman, Uma Ferrell, Frank Fratrik, Michael Wagner

Assuring the safety of self-driving cars and other fully autonomous vehicles presents significant challenges to traditional software safety standards both in terms of content and approach. We propose a safety standard approach for fully autonomous vehicles based on setting scope requirements for an overarching safety case. A viable approach requires feedback paths to ensure that both the safety case and the standard itself co-evolve with the technology and accumulated experience. An external assessment process must be part of this approach to ensure lessons learned are captured, as well as to ensure transparency. This approach forms the underlying basis for the UL 4600 initial draft standard.

...

Publisher: Edge Case Research

Edge Case Research

Edge Case is the trusted risk-management partner for companies building self-driving trucks, autonomous robotaxis, and smarter passenger cars. We help developers and operators measure, manage, and insure the risks posed by softwar

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

High-precision dispensing technology: Potting technology for medical wearables

Jul 27, 2023 | Scheugenpflug

Diabetes affects many millions of people worldwide. New technology for real-time glucose measurement replaces the usual unpleasant pricking of a finger: a sensor located in the subcutaneous tissue of the diabetes patient measures the glucose values and transmits them to a receiver. Production of such medical wearables calls for high-precision dispensing systems for applying very small amounts of UV adhesives to medical PCBs and for integrated system concepts to achieve this. A perfect task for Scheugenpflug....

Publisher: Scheugenpflug Inc.

Scheugenpflug Inc.

Producer of bonding, dispensing and potting solutions with outstanding expertise in automation. As part of the Atlas Copco Group, we have a worldwide sales & service network and access to the Group's extensive technology portfolio

Kennesaw, Georgia, USA

A Study of the Aperture Filling Process in Solder Paste Stencil Printing

Jul 25, 2023 | Jianbiao Pan, G. Tonkay

Stencil printing has been the dominant method of solder deposition in surface mount assembly. With the development of advanced packaging technologies such as ball grid array (BGA) and flip chip on board (FCOB), stencil printing will continue to play an important role. However, the stencil printing process is not completely understood because 52–71 percent of fine and ultra-fine pitch surface mount assembly defects are printing process related (Clouthier, 1999). This paper proposes an analytical model of the solder paste deposition process during stencil printing. The model derives the relationship between the transfer ratio and the area ratio. The area ratio is recommended as a main indicator for determining the maximum stencil thickness. This model explains two experimental phenomena. One is that increasing stencil thickness does not necessarily lead to thicker deposits. The other is that perpendicular apertures print thicker than parallel apertures....

Publisher: Lehigh University

Lehigh University

Located in Pennsylvania's beautiful Lehigh Valley, Lehigh is one of the nation's most distinguished private research universities. Through academic rigor, an entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative opportunities we challenge our

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

iNEMI (International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative)

Solder Paste Deposition Project Report

Jul 25, 2023 | Cherie Chen

INTRODUCTION: ...

Publisher: iNEMI (International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative)

iNEMI is an industry-led consortium focused on identifying and closing technology gaps, which includes the development and integration of the electronics industry supply infrastructure.

Herndon, Virginia, USA

Step Stencil design when 01005 and 0.3mm pitch uBGA's coexist with RF Shields

Jul 25, 2023 | William E. Coleman Ph.D.

Some of the new handheld communication devices offer real challenges to the paste printing process. Normally, there are very small devices like 01005 chip components as well as 0.3 mm pitch uBGA along with other devices that require higher deposits of solder paste. Surface mount connectors or RF shields with coplanarity issues fall into this category. Aperture sizes for the small devices require a stencil thickness in the 50 to 75 um (2-3 mils) range for effective paste transfer whereas the RF shield and SMT connector would like at least 150 um (6 mils) paste height. Spacing is too small to use normal step stencils. This paper will explore a different type of step stencil for this application; a "Two-Print Stencil Process" step stencil. Here is a brief description of a "Two-Print Stencil Process". A 50 to 75 um (2-3 mils) stencil is used to print solder paste for the 01005, 0.3 mm pitch uBGA and other fine pitch components. While this paste is still wet a second in-line stencil printer is used to print all other components using a second thicker stencil. This second stencil has relief pockets on the contact side of the stencil any paste was printed with the first stencil. Design guidelines for minimum keep-out distances between the relief step, the fine pitch apertures, and the RF Shields apertures as well relief pocket height clearance of the paste printed by the first print stencil will be provided....

Publisher: Photo Stencil LLC

Photo Stencil provides high-performance stencils, squeegee blades, thick film and metal mask screens and tooling for the surface mount technology (SMT) assembly, solar, and semiconductor industries.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Stencil Options for Printing Solder Paste for .3 Mm CSP's and 01005 Chip Components

Jul 25, 2023 | William E. Coleman Ph.D. , Chris Anglin

Printing solder paste for very small components like .3mm pitch CSP's and 01005 Chip Components is a challenge for the printing process when other larger components like RF shields, SMT Connectors, and large chip or resistor components are also present on the PCB. The smaller components require a stencil thickness typically of 3 mils (75u) to keep the Area Ratio greater than .55 for good paste transfer efficiency. The larger components require either more solder paste height or volume, thus a stencil thickness in the range of 4 to 5 mils (100 to 125u). This paper will explore two stencil solutions to solve this dilemma. The first is a "Two Print Stencil" option where the small component apertures are printed with a thin stencil and the larger components with a thicker stencil with relief pockets for the first print. Successful prints with Keep-Outs as small as 15 mils (400u) will be demonstrated. The second solution is a stencil technology that will provide good paste transfer efficiency for Area Ratio's below .5. In this case a thicker stencil can be utilized to print all components. Paste transfer results for several different stencil types including Laser-Cut Fine Grain stainless steel, Laser-Cut stainless steel with and w/o PTFE Teflon coating, AMTX E-FAB with and w/o PTFE coating for Area Ratios ranging from .4 up to .69....

Publisher: Photo Stencil LLC

Photo Stencil provides high-performance stencils, squeegee blades, thick film and metal mask screens and tooling for the surface mount technology (SMT) assembly, solar, and semiconductor industries.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Stencil Print solutions for Advance Packaging Applications

Jul 25, 2023 | Phani Vallabhajosyula, PhD

This paper address two significant applications of stencils in advance packaging field: 1. Ultra-Thin stencils for miniature component (0201m) assembly; 2. Deep Cavity stencils for embedded (open cavity) packaging. As the world of electronics continues to evolve with focus on smaller, lighter, faster, and feature-enhanced high- performing electronic products, so are the requirement for complex stencils to assemble such components. These stencil thicknesses start from less than 25um with apertures as small as 60um (or less). Step stencils are used when varying stencil thicknesses are required to print into cavities or on elevated surfaces or to provide relief for certain features on a board. In the early days of SMT assembly, step stencils were used to reduce the stencil thickness for 25 mil pitch leaded device apertures. Thick metal stencils that have both relief-etch pockets and reservoir step pockets are very useful for paste reservoir printing. Electroform Step-Up Stencils for ceramic BGA's and RF Shields are a good solution to achieve additional solder paste height on the pads of these components as well as providing exceptional paste transfer for smaller components like uBGAs and 0201s. As the components are getting smaller, for example 0201m, or as the available real estate for component placement on a board is getting smaller – finer is the aperture size and the pitch on the stencils. Aggressive distances from step wall to aperture are also required. Ultra-thin stencils with thicknesses in the order of 15um-40um with steps of 15um are used to obtain desired print volumes. Stencils with thickness to this order can be potential tools even to print for RDLs in the package....

Publisher: Photo Stencil LLC

Photo Stencil provides high-performance stencils, squeegee blades, thick film and metal mask screens and tooling for the surface mount technology (SMT) assembly, solar, and semiconductor industries.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

KE-2050/KE-2060 Causes and Countermeasures of Patch Failure

Jul 22, 2023 | KSUNSMT

Patch offset; Uneven patches throughout the substrate (each substrate is offset in a different way); Only part of the substrate is offset; Only certain components are offset; The patch Angle is offset; Component absorption error; Laser identification (component identification) error; Nozzle loading and unloading error; Mark (BOC mark, IC mark) identification error; Image recognition error (KE-2060 only); Analysis of the main reasons for throwing material. More information about KINGSUN please Contact US at jenny@ksunsmt.com or visit www.ksunsmt.com...

Publisher: DONGGUAN KINGSUN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD

Dongguan, China

Consultant / Service Provider, Distributor, Equipment Dealer / Broker / Auctions, Manufacturer, Manufacturer's Representative

SMT, DIP, PCBA conformal coating equipment and turnkey solution

Jul 21, 2023 | I.C.T

I.C.T is a manufacturer from China that offers SMT, DIP, PCBA conformal coating equipment and turnkey solution....

Publisher: I.C.T ( Dongguan ICT Technology Co., Ltd. )

I.C.T ( Dongguan ICT Technology Co., Ltd. )

I.C.T is a manufacturer from China that offers SMT, DIP, PCBA conformal coating equipment and turnkey solution.

Dongguan, Guangdong, China

Applied Statistics and Experimental Design

Jul 16, 2023 | Fritz Scholz

Statistics originally served to describe matters of the state (status of state) by capturing numerically various aspects of full populations. Today this is called a census, from Latin censere (to count or estimate). Recall the historical census of Emperor Augustus. Nowadays the field of statistics focusses mainly on samples, i.e., part of the total. The goal is to make statements or conclusions about the whole population. This process is referred to as induction, from Latin inducere (to lead to). Its validity depends crucially on the process of sampling. Sample example from Latin exemplum.

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Publisher: University of Washington

University of Washington

The University of Washington is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded on November 4, 1861, as Territorial University, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Sea

Seattle, Washington, USA

Design of Experiment Methods in High Speed Signal Via Transition in Printed Circuit Board

Jul 16, 2023 | Amir A. Asif,

With increase in data transfer speeds between integrated circuits, memories and connectors, the interconnects in printed circuit boards require careful design and optimization. A critical part of an interconnect is via transition. To meet the design goals and maintain signal integrity, every part of the interconnect needs to be carefully designed. Designing via involves variation of several parameters and it is extremely important to understand their contribution to find the usable parameters yielding best possible performance. Out of these numerous combinations of parameters, Design of Experiments (DOE) can offer much needed understanding, suggest possible values and speed up the design process. In this manuscript, two DOE methods (Box-Behnken Design and Central Composite Design) are used to understand the behavior of a pair of vias operating in differential mode.

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Publisher: Clemson University

Clemson University

Clemson University is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university by enrollment in South Carolina.

Clemson, South Carolina, USA

The Compensation Problem and Solution Using Design of Experiments for Dense Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards

Jul 16, 2023 | Wm. Gray McQuarrie

Imagine being able to accurately predict the correct artwork compensations prior to taking on a large quick turn order regardless of the board design, materials, or process. Such predictive power is possible and can be achieved without a lot of cost and complexity. This paper shows how small sets of designed experiments can be used to create a cImagine being able to accurately predict the correct artwork compensations prior to taking on a large quick turn order regardless of the board design, materials, or process. Such predictive power is possible and can be achieved without a lot of cost and complexity. This paper shows how small sets of designed experiments can be used to create a compensation model. Before a discussion of the design of experiments (DOEs), we will examine key processes and material variables that affect movement as demonstrated on real board design layout in a real production process. Only the few most relevant variables need to be included in the experimental design. A solution is presented that uses small experiments that provide the required information for constructing a general compensation model.mpensation model. Before a discussion of the design of experiments (DOEs), we will examine key processes and material variables that affect movement as demonstrated on real board design layout in a real production process. Only the few most relevant variables need to be included in the experimental design. A solution is presented that uses small experiments that provide the required information for constructing a general compensation model....

Publisher: Isola Group

Isola Group

Isola a global material sciences company focused on designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepregs used to fabricate advanced multilayer PCBs.

Chandler, Arizona, USA

Verifying the efficiency of soldering fume extraction and measuring nanoparticle exposure during soldering with an iron with the testo DiSCmini

Jul 10, 2023 | Testo

That manual soldering produces harmful substances in the form of aerosols is a known problem in the electric and electronic industry. The lead-free electronics solders used today have done little to change that. The soldering fumes still contain particles which are formed by the solder and the flux agent. These particles have a high potential of causing permanent damage to the workers’ health. Due to their small diameter between 10 and 150 nm, they can penetrate all the way into the alveoli. But numerous studies also show that nanoparticles can reach all areas of the body through the bloodstream [1].

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Publisher: Testo SE & Co. KGaA

Testo SE & Co. KGaA

World Leader in Measurement Technology

West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA

Consultant / Service Provider, Manufacturer, Training Provider

CLEANING BEFORE CONFORMAL COATING

Jul 04, 2023 | Naveen Ravindran

CONTENT * Introduction * Failure Mechanisms * Coating Failures * Cleaning Before Conformal Coating * Analytics & Test Methods...

Publisher: ZESTRON Americas

ZESTRON Americas

The globally leading provider of high precision cleaning products, services and training solutions in the electronics and semiconductor manufacturing industries.

Manassas, Virginia, USA

Conformal Coating Defects

Jul 04, 2023 | Diamond MT

Conformal Coatings are polymeric materials used to protect circuitry, parts, and related components. They are most commonly used to protect printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic devices. However, conformal coatings can be applied to a wide variety of materials, including metal, plastic, silicone, ceramics, glass, and even paper. We use the term "substrate" to refer to an object or material that's been coated with a conformal coating....

Publisher: Diamond MT

Diamond MT

Conformal Coating Service Provider; Parylene Conformal Coating

Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA

Other

The Effects of Silver Content and Solidification Profile on the Anand Constitutive Model for SAC Lead Free Solders

Jun 14, 2023 | Munshi M. Basit, Mohammad Motalab, Jordan C. Roberts, Jeffrey C. Suhling, Pradeep Lall

In the electronic packaging industry, it is important to be able to make accurate predictions of board level solder joint reliability during thermal cycling exposures. The Anand viscoelastic constitutive model is often used to represent the material behavior of the solder in finite element simulations. This model is defined using nine material parameters, and the reliability prediction results are often highly sensitive to the Anand parameters. In this work, an investigation on the Anand constitutive model and its application to SAC solders of various Ag contents (i.e. SACN05, with N = 1, 2, 3, 4) has been performed. For each alloy, both water quenched (WQ) and reflowed (RF) solidification profiles were utilized to establish two unique specimen microstructures, and the same reflow profile was used for all four of the SAC alloys so that the results could be compared and the effects of Ag content could be studied systematically....

Publisher: Auburn University

Auburn University

Auburn University is a comprehensive land-grant institution with primary missions including instruction, research, and extension/outreach.

Auburn, Alabama, USA

AVI Precision Engineering Pte Ltd

Using Stencil: Design to Reduce SMT Defects

Jun 12, 2023 | Paul Lotosky, Michael Murphy, Robert Pearson, Michael Tesch

Solder paste printing is understood to be the leading contributor of defects in the electronics assembly process. Because yield accounts for such a large percentage of the margin, the greatest opportunity to improve profitability in the assembly of most electronics can be gained by reducing or eliminating solder defects. This article examines process adjustments made through stencil design that correct a misalignment situation between the PCB and stencil, leading to a 43% reduction in assembly defects. Examples of each are found in Table 1....

Publisher: AVI Precision Engineering Pte Ltd

Manufacturer of compatible replacement parts of SMT, Through-hole & Wave soldering machines, namely Panasert, Dynapert, Universal, Sanyo, Fuji, Juki, Philips, Camalot, Nitto, Yamaha, Tenryu, Samsung, Quad, Electrovert, Soltec, Sensbey, Iemme, Koki, Yokota, Tamura, etc.Precision machining servicesBuy, sell, service & overhaul used SMT & Through-hole machines.Machinery & accessories for Electr

Singapore, Singapore

Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials

Optimizing Stencil Design For Lead-Free Smt Processing

Jun 12, 2023 | Ranjit S Pandher, Chrys Shea

As any new technology emerges, increasing levels of refinement are required to facilitate the mainstream implementation and continual improvement processes. In the case of lead-free processing, the initial hurdles of alloy and chemistry selection are cleared on the first level, providing a base process. The understanding gained from early work on the base process leads to the next level of refinement in optimizing the primary factors that influence yield. These factors may include thermal profiles, PWB surface finishes, component metallization, solder mask selection or stencil design....

Publisher: Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials

Singapore, Singapore

The Effect of Higher Stencil Tension on Printing Performance

Jun 12, 2023 | Tom Meeus, Jan Van Lieshout, Hans Korsse, Sathiya Naryana

In this article we will examine if there is a measurable difference in the printing performance when using stencils which have a higher tension than is commonly accepted in the industry. Alpha's new tensoRED™ High Tension Frame System will be introduced during this wider examination. We will examine their effect in terms of controlling variation in critical deposit volumes and what, if any effect on positional accuracy can be seen....

Publisher: Alpha Assembly Solutions

Alpha Assembly Solutions

Alpha Assembly Solutions is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and sales of innovative materials used in the assembly electronics, industrial joining and Photo Voltaic market places.

South Plainfield, New Jersey, USA

ASM Assembly Systems (DEK)

Stencil Printing Process Tools for Miniaturisation and High Yield Processing

Jun 12, 2023 | Clive Ashmore & Mark Whitmore

The SMT print process is now very mature and well understood. However as consumers continually push for new electronic products, with increased functionality and smaller form factor, the boundaries of the whole assembly process are continually being challenged. Miniaturisation raises a number of issues for the stencil printing process. How small can we print? What are the tightest pitches? Can we print small deposits next too large for high mix technology assemblies? How closely can we place components for high density products? ...And then on top of this, how can we satisfy some of the cost pressures through the whole supply chain and improve yield in the production process! Today we are operating close to the limits of the stencil printing process. The area ratio rule (the relationship between stencil aperture opening and aperture surface area) fundamentally dictates what can and cannot be achieved in a print process. For next generation components and assembly processes these established rules need to be broken! New stencil printing techniques are becoming available which address some of these challenges. Active squeegees have been shown to push area ratio limits to new boundaries, permitting printing for next generation 0.3CSP technology. Results also indicate there are potential yield benefits for today's leading edge components as well. Stencil coatings are also showing promise. In tests performed to date it is becoming apparent that certain coatings can provide higher yield processing by extending the number of prints that can be performed in-between stencil cleans during a print process. Preliminary test results relating to the stencil coating technology and how they impact miniaturisation and high yield processing will be presented....

Publisher: ASM Assembly Systems (DEK)

The ASM SMT Solutions segment is made up of SMT Printing Solutions (DEK) and SMT Placement Solutions (SIPLACE). Under the DEK brand, it sells best-in-class printing solutions for the electronics and solar industries.

Suwanee, Georgia, USA

Stencil Design For Mixed Technology Through-Hole / Smt Placement And Reflow

Jun 12, 2023 | William E. Coleman, Denis Jean, Julie Bradbury

This paper will review stencil design requirements for printing solder paste around and in through-hole pads / openings. There is much interest in this procedure since full implementation allows the placement of both through-hole components as well as SMD's and the subsequent reflow of both simultaneously. This in turn eliminates the need to wave solder or hand solder through-hole components....

Publisher: Photo Stencil LLC

Photo Stencil provides high-performance stencils, squeegee blades, thick film and metal mask screens and tooling for the surface mount technology (SMT) assembly, solar, and semiconductor industries.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Recurrent Neural Network-Based Stencil Cleaning Cycle Predictive Modeling

Jun 12, 2023 | Haifeng Wang, Tian He, and Sang Won Yoon

This paper presents a real-time predictive approach to improve solder paste stencil printing cycle decision making process in surface mount assembly lines. Stencil cleaning is a critical process that influences the quality and efficiency of printing circuit board. Stencil cleaning operation depends on various process variables, such as printing speed, printing pressure, and aperture shape. The objective of this research is to help efficiently decide stencil printing cleaning cycle by applying data-driven predictive methods. To predict the printed circuit board quality level, a recurrent neural network (RNN) is applied to obtain the printing performance for the different cleaning aging. In the prediction model, not only the previous printing performance statuses are included, but also the printing settings are used to enhance the RNN learning. The model is tested using data collected from an actual solder paste stencil printing line. Based on the predicted printing performance level, the model can help automatically identify the possible cleaning cycle in practice. The results indicate that the proposed model architecture can predictively provide accurate solder paste printing process information to decision makers and increase the quality of the stencil printing process....

Publisher: Binghamton University

Binghamton University

Binghamton, New York, USA

National Taipei University

The Solder Paste Printing Process: Critical Parameters, Defect Scenarios, Specifications, And Cost Reduction

Jun 12, 2023 | Chien-Yi Huang, Yueh-Hsun Lin, Kuo-Ching Ying, Chen-Liang Ku

The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore the effects of critical parameters on solder deposition and to establish a systematic approach for determining guidelines for solder paste inspection (SPI) workstations. Design/methodology/approach – This study explored the effects of process parameters, stencil and printed circuit board designs on solder deposition and identified the major post-reflow defect scenarios. Through the investigation of correlation between the results of SPI analysis and post-reflow defective scenarios, SPI specifications are suggested for minimizing the total cost of poor quality. Findings – The higher the printing pressure the lower the solder deposition. There was a significant difference in solder deposition between the front squeegee and the rear squeegee. Insufficient distance between the stencil aperture and the initial printing location resulted in irregular solder paste and variations in solder deposition. A stencil with a higher area ratio resulted in greater solder deposition and less variation. Stencil apertures parallel to the direction of printing were superior to a 458 vector print. Further, the nominal solder thickness should take into account the thicknesses of the solder mask and the legend ink. There was an offset in the results of SPI measurements between the solder mask defined (SMD) pads and non-SMD pads. The specifications for solder deposition with irregular stencil apertures need to be adjusted. Originality/value – To address the arbitrariness of existing industry practice, this study was a joint effort with a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing service company. Real data were taken from a mass production environment and inferences were then made based on a statistical analysis

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Publisher: National Taipei University

National Taipei University, founded in 1949, is a national university in Taiwan which specializes in law, business, humanities, and social sciences. Before 2000, the university was named the College of Law and Business, National C

New Taipei City, T'ai-wan,

Conquering SMT Stencil Printing Challenges with Today's Miniature Components

Jun 12, 2023 | Robert F. Dervaes, Jeff Poulos, Scott Williams

The technological advancement of component and PCB technology from through-hole to surface mount (SMT) is a major factor in the miniaturization of today's electronics. Smaller and smaller component sizes and more densely packed PCBs lead to more powerful designs in much smaller product packages. With advancement, however, comes a new set of challenges in building these smaller, more complex assemblies. This is the challenge original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and contract manufacturers (CM) face today....

Publisher: Fine Line Stencil, Inc.

Fine Line Stencil, Inc.

Fine Line Stencil is committed to delivering the highest quality stencil technology in the industry.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA