Nolan’s Notes: Finding Your Sweet Spot
Standard of Excellence: Delivering Excellence—A Daily Goal
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
Networking Opportunities and Technical Learning at SMTA Wisconsin
May 22, 2024 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
SMTA’s 2024 Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum wrapped up another well-attended event on May 7 in Milwaukee, with more than 50 exhibitors. Visitors had plenty of time on the exhibit floor between sessions to meet with key industry suppliers and look at everything from tools to tests.
The event also included tech sessions, a keynote panel discussion, a lunch sponsored by Ellsworth Adhesives, and lively discussions on unlocking success in SMT manufacturing.
Mike Marshall, a field application engineer at NCAB gave an insightful opening tech session focused on lowering the cost of PCBs through smart design choices. Mike has been in the industry for 40 years and has vast real-world experience. He provided many smart points for designers to consider, from hard to soft costs, and broke down each in a well-thought-out presentation. In some cases, he said that your choices could save you a lot of cost and cycle time and stressed that the best way to start is by collaborating with your manufacturer at the beginning of the design process. This is good advice we often hear from those in the supply chain.
After the sponsored lunch, a five-member keynote panel, moderated by chapter president Paul Wilson, kicked off the afternoon. The keynote panel included Marc Apell of ITW EAE, Joe Clure of Kurtz Ersa, Geoffrey Post of MacDermid Alpha, Marshall Summers of Universal Instruments, and John Neiderman of ZESTRON.
The room was full, and the panel sparked a lively discussion on unlocking success in SMT manufacturing in two key areas: efficiency and quality. Much of the conversation revolved around the solder paste application to reflow.
The panel provided some counterintuitive advice on process optimization. One point was to improve output by reducing conveyor speed and adjusting fans rather than adjusting heating temperatures. As they pointed out, the boards may come out slower, but the time you save waiting for oven temps to increase or decrease is a net gain.
Page 1 of 2
Share on:
Suggested Items
Green Circuits to Exhibit Full-Service Electronics Manufacturing Solutions at 2025 SMD Symposium
07/02/2025 | Green CircuitsGreen Circuits, a full-service Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) partner to leading OEMs, is pleased to announce its participation in the 2025 SMD Symposium, taking place August 5-7 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Green Circuits Boosts Test Capacity with New Takaya APT-1600FD System
06/24/2025 | Green CircuitsGreen Circuits, a full-service Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) partner to leading OEMs, is pleased to announce the purchase of its fourth Takaya APT-1600FD Double-sided Flying Probe Test System.
ASC Sunstone Circuits and Screaming Circuits Partner to Launch Online Assembly Parts Ordering – A New Step Toward Seamless PCB Production
06/23/2025 | ASC SunstoneIn a major step toward simplifying the PCB manufacturing and assembly process, ASC Sunstone Circuits and Screaming Circuits are proud to announce the launch of a new online assembly parts ordering feature, now available through Sunstone.com. This enhanced capability allows customers to source assembly components as part of their PCB order, creating a fully integrated experience from bare board fabrication to finished assembly.
The Knowledge Base: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow With EMAC
06/24/2025 | Mike Konrad -- Column: The Knowledge BaseAs the electronics manufacturing industry races to meet rising global demand and technological complexity, the need for a highly skilled, future-ready workforce has never been greater. At the forefront of addressing this challenge is The Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly Collaborative (EMAC)—a national initiative dedicated to strengthening the talent pipeline through strategic collaboration with SMTA, education, and government stakeholders.
Excellon Installs COBRA Hybrid Laser at Innovative Circuits
06/23/2025 | ExcellonExcellon is pleased to announce the successful installation of a second COBRA Hybrid Laser System at Innovative Circuits, located in Alpharetta, Georgia. The Excellon COBRA Hybrid Laser System uniquely combines both UV and CO₂ (IR) laser sources on a single platform—making it ideal for high-density prototype and production printed circuit boards (PCBs).