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FEATURES

COVER STORY
A Two-Team Race?
Apple and Samsung are the top customers of nine of the 20 largest PCB fabricators, and as the annual NTI-100 list demonstrates, those makers did well in 2013. Is their success sustainable?
by Dr. Hayao Nakahara

CLEANING
Cleanliness Assessment for Class III Lead-Free No-Clean Assemblies
Using IPC test coupons and standards, a study identifies and qualifies an aqueous cleaning process capable of removing combinations of no-clean flux residues for high-rel boards.
by Ravi Parthasarathy, Umut Tosun and Michael McCutchen

WASH BATH CONTROL
Concentration Monitoring Closed Loop Control – Phase 2
An evaluation of extensive flowsensor field data generated from two locations finds that, although contamination in the form of flux residues accumulates in the cleaning system over time, acoustic measurement technology can accurately indicate and control wash bath concentration.
by Umut Tosun, Axel Vargas and Bryan Kim, Ph.D.

SIR TESTING
New Requirements for SIR Measurement
Requirements for no-clean solder paste to increase device chemical, thermal and electrical reliability.
by Jörg Trodler and Prof. Mathias Nowottnick

FIRST PERSON

• CAVEAT LECTOR
  From the minds of babes.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  On pride and perceptions.
  Peter Bigelow

• FOCUS ON BUSINESS
  Staying on message in the EMS arena.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• SCREEN PRINTING
  Understencil cleaning.
  Clive Ashmore

• TEST AND INSPECTION
  Evaluating digital-analog converters.
  Cynthia Chuah