News
IPC (Northbrook, IL) has selected Speedline's (Franklin, MA) patent-pending MPM Gel-Flex conformal board support system for this year's Innovative Technology Showcase (ITS). The 2004 ITS highlighted new and emerging technologies from all segments of the electronics interconnection supply chain, including assembly, printed circuit board fabrication and design. After a rigorous evaluation, the ITS Review Board selected Speedline's board support system as one of the industry's cutting-edge technologies. The showcase was held on Feb.24-26, during APEX, in Anaheim, CA.
The board support system is a cost-effective answer to the challenge of supporting the circuit board during the stencil printing process. Consisting of electrostatic discharge (ESD)-safe polyurethane elastomer gel enclosed within a durable membrane shell and mounted to a magnetic base, Gel-Flex tooling is a true conformal board-support system. The compressible gel material provides gentle compliance to delicate bottom-side components and leads while providing firm support for the entire board surface.
Since product setup takes literally seconds to complete, and product changeovers are as simple as relocating the support bars, downtime associated with board support changes is dramatically reduced with the system. Compared to other more expensive options, such as dedicated workholder and fixed-grid pin support tooling, the system is considerably less expensive to purchase and operate.
Speedline Technologies provides single-source process knowledge, solutions and service to the PCB assembly and semiconductor packaging industries. The company sells five brands - ACCEL microelectronics cleaning, CAMALOT dispensing systems, ELECTROVERT wave soldering, reflow soldering and cleaning equipment, MPM stencil and screen printing systems, and PROTECT global services, support and training solutions.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
Aqueous Technologies Corp. (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) has announced the introduction of a series of evaporators: Model AQ-7, Model AQ-12 and Model AQ-12G.
The evaporators are available in either a natural gas or propane-heated configuration, or as an electric model. Typical applications include minimizing wastewater from machining operations, parts washing equipment, compressor condensate, mop water, die cast solutions and many other water-based wastestreams.
Installation of the series is simple. Model AQ-7 requires an electrical service and a 6 in. vent stack. Model AQ-12 requires an electrical connection and a 10 in. diameter vent stack. Model AQ-12G requires a 110 VAC electrical connection, a ¾ in. standard pressure gas line and a 10 in. exhaust stack. The units can be filled using three different methods: plumbing the feed source into the supplied coupling on top of the unit; removing the lid and manually fill the unit; or using the optional 70 GPM self-priming fill pump.
After an initial heat up time of approximately one hour, the units will evaporate at rates between 5-7 GPH or 12-17 GPH, depending on the model.
The evaporators will shut down automatically via a low-level control. A secondary high-temperature shutoff is also provided. When a cycle is completed, the waste material can be drained via a 2 in. drain opening, vacuumed out of the unit via the removable lid with a wet/dry vacuum or pump, or, for solid materials, scooped out. To facilitate cleanout, the interior tank of the AQ-12G is sloped toward a 2 in. outlet. Additionally, its u-shaped burner tube is located around the perimeter of the process tank, allowing access between the tubes.
Each evaporator in the series features a heavy-duty 12-gauge tank, covers and stack. Additionally, the series offers adjustable burners (NG or Propane) with electronic ignition, flame rectification system and, on the AQ-12G only, an air-pressure sensor. Automatic shutoffs, two-switch on/off operation, removable lid for fast and easy cleanout, fully insulated tanks, power exhaust for outdoor venting and polyurethane finish also come standard.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
National Physical Laboratory has completed a three-year project investigating the impact of thermal cycling regimes on the shear strength of lead-free solder joints.
The project undertook a comparison of accelerated test regimes for accessing the reliability of solder joints, in particular those made using lead-free solders. Samples were subjected to six different cycling regimes to investigate the effect of thermal excursions, ramp rates and temperature dwells. The most damage to joints per cycle was found to be caused by thermal cycling between 55-125°C, with a 10°C/min ramp rate and 5 minute dwells.
Similar degrees of damage in the lead-free solder joints were experienced from thermal shock regimes with ramp rates in excess of 50°C/min. However, these regimes, although faster to undertake, appeared to cause different crack propagation paths than observed with the thermal cycling regimes, although importantly still remaining within the solder.
Since this is a small difference, thermal shock testing may still be used to differentiate between, or enable ranking of, the effects of changes to materials or processes on the reliability of the solder joints. Hence, if a wide range of conditions are to be tested, a first sift can be completed using thermal shock, with the final work using more typical thermal cycling conditions. The difference between the SAC (95.5Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu) and SnAg (96.5Sn3.5Ag) solder alloy results across all types of cycles showed very little difference in rates of joint degradation.
Dr. Chris Hunt, one of the investigators, said, "One of the major findings to come out of this work is that the thermal shock cycles do produce a failure that is different to ordinary thermal cycles, but the failure is still in the solder, hence it gives us enough confidence to use it as a process to sort out reliability on a range of assemblies. It requires us to use the more usual thermal cycles which are slower ramp and dwell for final qualification, but the thermal shock is definitely a useful tool in getting through lots of different assemblies and evaluating & ranking reliability. The thermal shock cycle will typically be at least a third of the time, so you will get there more than three times quicker. So, if you are cycling, typically up to 2000 cycles, significant time can be saved—down from two months to two weeks."
For more information contact Dr. Chris Hunt: chris.hunt@npl.co.uk.
Copyright 2004, UP Media Group. All rights reserved.
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