This white paper gives pros and cons of 13 critical issues to consider before making the decision whether to manufacture onshore or offshore. Authored by QCircuits Inc. president Jeff Cosman, who has an MBA from Harvard and is a veteran of General Electric, it includes tips on anticipating problems and avoiding hidden costs.

Is screen printing able to keep pace with quality demands and complex board layouts? Is new jet printing technology ready to fill the gap? A comparison study between the two methods reveals some interesting differences. Screen printers offer some possibilities for optimizing solder paste deposits, but optimization is far easier and quicker with the jet printer. At the same time, the ability to print individualized deposits on every single PCB pad may be the answer to the growing quality challenge.

http://www.mydata.com/myweb/sweden.nsf/

RoHS Compliant vs. RoHS Compatible

Author: New Age Technologies

Abstract: The desire to reduce pollution within our environment has led to the RoHS directive in the EU that restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Since that time, this environmental standard has spread to other parts of the world. These are the early days of RoHS, and it is not a simple matter to say let’s switch our products to RoHS. As a designer or an executive involved in decisions to move to RoHS, it is important to understand the complexity of this decision. Many individuals believe that converting to RoHS is just a matter of selecting RoHS components and manufacturing with lead-free solder. The issue is that many parts may be RoHS compliant, but they cannot handle the more extreme RoHS manufacturing process. This article is intended to clarify what it means for a component to be RoHS compliant versus being RoHS compatible.

Published 2008

Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Verifying Component Selection

by New Age Technologies

Abstract: When qualifying any component for a RoHS design or conversion, it is important to document in the item
master record what processes the component can withstand and how many heat cycles it can endure. A low
ESR capacitor in an 1812 package may indeed be RoHS compliant but only be RoHS process compatible to
certain processes. The equipment used to process the design must also be taken into account. Re-flow ovens
that were well suited for lead processing may limit the options available for RoHS processing. Through-hole
component selection and thermal relief is much more critical with RoHS processing than it was with SN63.
It is critical to qualify each component or family of components to a defined process or set of processes to
avoid quality and reliability issues.

Published: 2008