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FEATURES

QA MODELING
Are Current Qualification Practices Adequate?
It is well known that devices and systems pass existing QT only to fail in the field. Other devices undergo extensive – and expensive – testing. Is this a problem? And do we truly understand the cost not just of failure, but of excessive test? A new approach to qualifying electronics devices could ensure a predictable, and low, probability of failure.
by Ephraim Suhir, Ph.D. and Ravi Mahajan, Ph.D.

SOLDER PROFILE
AIM Sets Its Targets
A family run business since 1936, AIM has become one of the world’s five largest electronics solder manufacturers. If only the world electronics industry knew. In an exclusive, Circuits Assembly goes inside the company's vast Montreal manufacturing facilities to find out what makes AIM at once so successful yet so unsung.
by Mike Buetow

SCREEN PRINTING
Testing the Mettle of Stencil Foils
According to our latest design of experiments, foil alloy does influence paste release: Over an area ratio range of approximately 0.5 to 0.75, the best performers were fine grain stainless steel and electropolished stainless steel.
by Chrys Shea

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Hedging turmoil.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• Global Sourcing
  No stopping Thailand or Tunisia.
  Jennifer Read

• ROI
  Productivity lost.
  Peter Bigelow
  

• Focus on Business
  Building the EMS brand.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• Screen Printing
  Understencil cleaning.
  Clive Ashmore
  

• Tech Tips
  The best tip(s).
  ACI Technologies Inc.

• Test and Inspection
  In-circuit’s direct savings.
  Wee-Sheng Yong
  

• Process Doctor
  Capacitive surface effects.
  Dr. Harald Wack
  

• Defects Database
  Cracked up.
  Dr. Davide Di Maio

• SMT Troubleshooting
  Solder balls.
  Paul Lotosky

• Getting Lean
  Customer involvement.
  Steve Fraser

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.