ACE Releases High-speed Inline Work Cell The ACE automated, high-speed in-line work cell runs higher volumes of products requiring secondary selective soldering. Designed for flexibility for high-mix environments, the configurable line reportedly offers a higher degree of productivity expected from an automated flowline. Consists of a loading station (assembly area); a Kiss 104F automated selective fluxing station (spray flux, drop-jet or dual); a KPHIL-2 inline top and bottom-side pre-heating station, and a Kiss-104 inline selective soldering station. Kiss 104 also features Automated Optical Alignment system, including a high-quality camera and machine vision system to align each assembly to be soldered using preprogrammed fiducial points on the board.
ACE Production Technologies, www.ace-protech.com
*Two new linear bushing designs – Pillow block-type linear bushings come with clamp levers (Part No: LHBBC16), and MX type self-lubricating linear bushings (Part No: LHBB-MX16).
*Magnetic Transmission Drive components, suited to applications in which the non-contacting components result in ultra-low dust generation.
*Expanded line of LX Single-Axis Actuators with new features such as ballscrew lead options and low dust raise grease. Now come in 1000 possible configurations, up from 200 in the original series.
Most components are configurable, with downloadable CAD files.
The ECO-300 is a small-footprint Pb-free wave solder machine with a 220-lb. titanium solder pot. Reportedly has half the customary solder startup costs of comparable large-pot machines; consumes 40% less energy than single-wave systems. Is just over 8 ft. long. Features include a transducer-controlled pump motor, an automatically re-circulating adjustable titanium finger conveyor for board widths to 11.8", along with a 32" preheat zone with stainless steel sheath-type IR heaters.
F377 SnPb solder paste is said to have wide print and reflow process windows, and has low sensitivity to humidity. Is no-clean, and voiding exceeds IPC Class 3 in typical applications. Has a reported 8-hr. stencil life.
F555 Water Wash solder paste, for thick-film hybrids, incorporates activators said to be compatible with the glass, resulting in superior adhesion. Comes in Sn62 and Sn63 alloys.
Japan Unix UM-118 Centrifugal Mixer/Defoamer can be used for solder paste, semiconductor materials, solar pastes, epoxies and other materials. Is programmable for duration, cycle profile and up to 1500 rpm centrifugal speed, as well as internal rotational speed. Mixing of materials and defoaming is said to have cycle times half those of conventional mixers. PC-controllable, and has traceability of every program.