• View the Digital Edition

   

FEATURES

Printing
Impact of Mesh Size and Stencil Technology on Deposition Volume
A study on the impact on solder volume deposition using Type 3, Type 4 and Type 5 SAC 305 alloy powder in combination with stainless steel laser cut, electroformed and the emerging laser cut nano-coated stencils found that paste chemistry and rheology have a more profound effect on release than previously thought.
by Karl Seelig and Tim O’Neill

Reflow
Practical Thermal Profile Expectations in a Dual-Lane, Dual-Speed Reflow Oven
Now that we have the ability to run different speeds in each lane, recipes must be devised that satisfy both boards. Here, we discuss methods for obtaining such recipes.
by Fred Dimock

SPI
Automated Solder Paste Inspection: A New Look at Stencils
Many assemblers have foisted responsibility for automated inspection and verification onto the stencil vendors, referring to them as “qualified” or “certified” suppliers. In essence, they have placed the fox in charge of the henhouse on a portion of their most critical SMT process. While this practice might look good on paper, it’s rife with potential to backfire and ultimately cost more money than it saves.
by Chrys Shea

EMS Top 50
The Great Rebound of 2010
The electronics manufacturing industry will remember 2010 for many reasons: rampant component shortages (and the rise of counterfeits), the tight financial markets and tense end-market conditions. But mostly, it will be remembered for recovery.
by Mike Buetow

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  By a whisker.
  Mike Buetow
  
  
• Talking Heads
  Assembléon’s Andre Papoular.
  Mike Buetow
  
  
  

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Not so golden.
  Peter Bigelow
  

TECH TALK

• Selective Soldering
  X-ray eyes.
  Alan Cable
  

• Tech Tips
  Masked.
  ACI Technologies Inc.

• Defects Database
  Shedding the coating.
  Dr. Davide Di Maio
  

• SMT Troubleshooting
  Solder balls.
  Paul Lotosky
  

• Materials World
  Low pressure molding.
  Jie Bai

• Solar Technologies
  Let’s get small.
  Tom Falcon
  

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.

• View the Digital Edition

   

FEATURES

DfM
Hand to Machine
Designs that assume hand soldering might not work for machine assembly.
by Duane Benson

Stencils
How Stencil Manufacturing Methods Impact Precision and Accuracy
Parameters that influence positional accuracy are studied on a number of laser-formed stencils.
by Ahne Oosterhof and Stephan Schmidt

Outsourcing
ODM or EMS: Which is Best for Your Project?
Outsourcing options continue to evolve, and the supplier’s choice of business model has both positive and negative cost implications. A look at the advantages and tradeoffs between two of these business models.
by Jim Chen

SPI
Mining Data to Improve Stencil Printing
A simple yet highly effective recipe for mining the mountain of diagnostic data a solder paste inspection system acquires.
by Chrys Shea

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Back to school.
  Mike Buetow
  

MONEY MATTERS

• Global Sourcing
  Procurement pitfalls.
  Zulki Khan

• ROI
  Lessons in customer satisfaction.
  Peter Bigelow
  

• Focus on Business
  A real alliance.
  Susan Mucha
  
  
  

TECH TALK

• Screen Printing
  A new batch.
  Clive Ashmore
  

• Selective Soldering
  Dealing with dross.
  Alan Cable
  

• Test and Inspection
  LED measurement.
  Yang Hua

• Process Doctor
  Electromigration catalysts.
  Dr. Harald Wack
  

• Defects Database
  Coating capillary action.
  Dr. Davide Di Maio
  

• SMT Troubleshooting
  Insufficients.
  Paul Lotosky
  

• Getting Lean
  Sourcing strategy.
  Steve Fraser
  
  

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.

• View the Digital Edition

FEATURES

Screen Printing
Nano-Coatings for Stencils
After reviewing several potential candidates for
stencil fabrication and several potential crossover technologies, nanotechnology rose above all others. Lab tests reveal decreased print variation and question whether smoother surfaces show better paste release. Nano-coated stencils may offer a wider process window and aid process maintenance, but the longevity of such coatings must be reviewed.
by Ricky Bennett, Ph.D.

Placement Roundtable
Vision Quest
Are today’s component placement machine platforms sufficient for tomorrow’s technology? Under the auspices of SMTA and moderated by Circuits Assembly, the first-of-its-kind roundtable of pick-and-place OEMs set aside the gloves for a few hours and talked technology and markets. What we heard was unprecedented candor and consideration about the challenges for electronics manufacturers today and tomorrow, including flip chips, on-board inspection and (really, really small!) packages of the future.
by Mike Buetow

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Taken for ‘grant’ed.
  Mike Buetow
  

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  New year, same challenges.
  Peter Bigelow
  
  
  

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  IBM: ‘main’ man.
  E. Jan Vardaman
  

• Tech Tips
  Fuel cell plating.
  ACI Technologies Inc.
  

• Defects Database
  Post-coating contamination.
  Dr. Davide Di Maio

• SMT Troubleshooting
  Poor solder penetration.
  Paul Lotosky
  

• Materials World
  Halogens vs. halides.
  Jie Bai
  

• Solar Technologies
  Selective emitters.
  Tom Falcon
  
  
• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.