Cover Story
The Plexus Rx
The best-performing publicly held EMS company is not Jabil, Benchmark nor Flextronics, but a quiet Midwestern entity with a primarily North American footprint and “too many” engineers. Why Plexus is our 2008 EMS Company of the Year.
By Mike Buetow

Retrospective
In Memoriam
Circuits Assembly recalls friends and industry colleagues who won’t see 2009.

Solder Joint Reliability
HIP Defects in BGAs
Solder joints afflicted with head-in-pillow lack strength, and the components may fail under minimal mechanical or thermal stress. HIP is now known to be caused by certain process variables, including the BGA ball alloy, reflow process type, reflow profile and solder paste chemistry. The role each of these variables plays, and certain mitigation techniques, are identified in this study.
By Karl Seelig

Caveat Lector
Foxconn goes south of the border.
Mike Buetow

Global Sourcing
Relationship ruiners.
Jennifer Read

Screen Printing
Post-print inspection.
Clive Ashmore

Better Manufacturing
What I don’t like about you.
Dr. H.J. Zapfardt III

Tech Tips
Solder wetting tests.
American Competitiveness Institute

Test and Inspection
In support of DfT.
Stacy Kalisz Johnson

Wave Soldering
Drop-ins are out.
Ursula Marquez de Tino

Process Doctor
Analyzing SEM and EDX.
Terry Munson

Pb-Free Lessons Learned
The HIP epidemic proliferates.
Chrys Shea

The Defects Database
Paste residue and solvent incompatibilities.
Dr. Davide Di Maio

Standards
All marked up.
John Perry

Getting Lean
Predicting outcomes.
Robert Hemmant

Eastern Advances (410KB PDF)
Soldering terminations, part 2.
Sanqiang Cai

Technical Abstracts

Cover Story
RoHS Conversion for Medical Devices
Product marketing and component supply chain concerns are pushing many medical companies to assess RoHS conversion. Either way, companies face risks. The risks and considerations to take into account include tin whisker mitigation, analysis and criteria / rating methods; design changes and verification; material availability and cost; and component obsolescence and sourcing.
By Kim Sharpe

Value-Add Service
Supporting Full-Service Customer Requirements at the Regional EMS Level
OEMs, especially in medical, automotive, avionics and defense, want greater levels of value-added support from EMS providers. And the transition to RoHS manufacturing is driving a need for better process traceability to support OEM studies of the impact of new processes on long-term product reliability. This article discusses typical OEM process traceability requirements; strategies for automating process monitoring and real-time corrective action throughout the SMT process; benefits of the Process Window Index (PWI) in a multi-customer manufacturing environment; and examples of ways OEMs can team with EMS firms to translate improved process visibility to improved product quality.
By Jeff Roberts

Milwaukee Electronics Co.
Speed Thrills
MEC is distinct for its extreme use of Lean at all points within the facilities; the depth of consideration to the roadblocks–not just to process flow, but to customer deliverables; and a startling emphasis on understanding the role marketing plays in customers’ strategies.
By Mike Buetow

Caveat Lector
Fakes get high-tech.
Mike Buetow

Talking Heads
Celestica’s Dave Ellison and Peter Tomaiuolo.
Mike Buetow

Focus on Business
Defining the service package.
Susan Mucha

On the Forefront
R&D not on P/L.
E. Jan Vardaman

Screen Printing
Broadband printing suggestions.
Dr. Rita Mohanty

Better Manufacturing
The education foundation.
Peter Grundy

Tech Tips
Wirebonder pattern recognition.
American Competitiveness Institute

Wave Soldering
Don’t shrink from these holes.
Ursula Marquez de Tino

Process Doctor
Applications of FTIR.
Terry Munson

Pb-Free Lessons Learned
A mystery no longer.
Chrys Shea

NEW!
The Defects Database
Defect analysis, online and interactive.
Dr. Davide Di Maio

Getting Lean
“Wave” goodbye.
By Chris Munroe

Materials World
Phase change materials.
Dr. Renzhe Zhao

Technical Abstracts

Medical Electronics Assembly
‘Checking Up’ on Medical Electronics
Medical electronics assembly demands a different set of criteria than do commercial PCBs. The US FDA requires specific documentation, especially for verification of certain processes. Today’s medical electronics assembly also requires special testing, avoiding obsolete components and a detailed evaluation of a Pb-free product, as a looming EU RoHS Directive is expected to include medical electronics.
By Zulki Khan

Cover Story
Solder Ball Attachment Using Laser Soldering
Reballing BGAs due to rework and conversion from RoHS-compliant solders to SnPb (or vice-versa) typically requires subjecting the component to additional reflow cycles beyond component manufacturer recommendations. Laser attachment or laser reballing in an oxygen-free bath eliminates two additional temperature excursions and provides improved component reliability by facilitating the use of standard assembly reflow temperatures without mixed alloys.
By Joshua Muonio and Richard Stadem

Components
Improving QFN Reliability
The proper amount of solder is needed to ground the bottom of a QFN package and simultaneously create a toe fillet. Too much solder on the ground plane can cause parts to float; too little means insufficient grounding. This article focuses on the toe fillet and bottom connection, which create a kind of two-pronged connector, providing electrical continuity from both points.
By Joseph G. Ameen and Gilson V. Geralde

Letters

Caveat Lector
Doing business, the standard way.
Mike Buetow

Talking Heads
Design Chain Associates’ Mike Kirschner.
Chelsey Drysdale

Global Sourcing
Outsourcing gets medieval.
Charlie Barnhart

Screen Printing
One size doesn’t fit all.
Clive Ashmore

Better Manufacturing
A mask for all seasons.
Phil Zarrow

Reflow Soldering
Optimal oven conditions.
Ursula Marquez de Tino

Tech Tips
Reworking Pb-free PCBs.
American Competitiveness Institute

Test and Inspection
ICT gets probed.
Stacy Kalisz Johnson

Process Doctor
Cleaning becomes an event.
Michael Bixenman

Pb-Free Lessons Learned
The tenacity of Pb-free residues.
Chrys Shea

Alternative Energies
Adding solar cells to the SMT line.
Darren Brown

Eastern Advances (1.38 MB PDF in Chinese)
Soldering terminations.
Sanqiang Cai

Technical Abstracts