-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueWhat's Your Sweet Spot?
Are you in a niche that’s growing or shrinking? Is it time to reassess and refocus? We spotlight companies thriving by redefining or reinforcing their niche. What are their insights?
Moving Forward With Confidence
In this issue, we focus on sales and quoting, workforce training, new IPC leadership in the U.S. and Canada, the effects of tariffs, CFX standards, and much more—all designed to provide perspective as you move through the cloud bank of today's shifting economic market.
Intelligent Test and Inspection
Are you ready to explore the cutting-edge advancements shaping the electronics manufacturing industry? The May 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine is packed with insights, innovations, and expert perspectives that you won’t want to miss.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Averatek to Present 'Surface Treatment for Soldering Aluminum PCBs to Conventional Copper PCBs' at IPC APEX EXPO
October 29, 2021 | AveratekEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Averatek is pleased to announce that VP of Manufacturing Divyakant Kadiwala will present the paper entitled, “Surface Treatment for Soldering Aluminum PCBs to Conventional Copper PCBs” during the IPC APEX EXPO Technical Conference, scheduled to take place Jan. 22-27, 2022 at the San Diego Convention Center in California. The paper was co-authored by Nazarali Merchant, Ph.D., Senior Materials Scientist for Averatek.
Soldering is the preferred method for mounting SMDs and connecting circuit boards. But that brings in processing challenges. Soldering to aluminum requires an additional surface treatment or the use of conductive epoxy. These are cost-prohibitive and have reliability challenges and existing products like solders, fluxes, tack agents, cleaners etc. are formulated for Cu-PCBs and do not work on aluminum.
An advanced surface treatment technology will be presented that addresses all these constraints. Once printed on aluminum using conventional printing techniques such as screen, stencil etc., it is cured thermally in a convection oven at low temperatures, leaving a non-conductive deposit on the pads. This is followed by conventional process i.e. print solder over the treated pads, place components and then reflow resulting in finished Al-PCBs. It can also be used to solder Al-PCBs to flexible and rigid Cu-PCBs.
This is a paradigm shift in the industry which opens up many new applications, including those in the RFID, LED, and automotive industries. We will show solder cross-sections and shear data on the soldered joints, including Al-PET to Cu-PCB, Al-PET to Cu-Polyimide using aluminum metallization with low temperature Bi-Sn-Ag solders.
Kadiwala is a process development and project management leader in developing innovative products from laboratory concepts to large-scale manufacturing. He has 15+ years of multi-national experience with utilizing emerging technologies in strategic roles.
Kadiwala holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mumbai, and a Master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
Merchant has 20 years of successful deliverables in PCBs, semiconductor packaging, metallurgy, welding consumables and processes, superconductors, fuel cells, batteries, solar cells, and failure analysis. His work has resulted in six US patents, three US patent applications under review, and 25 technical publications.
Merchant holds Doctorate and Master’s degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Technology in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT of Bombay.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Considering the Future of Impending Copper Tariffs
07/30/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamThe Global Electronics Association is alerting industry members that a potential 50% tariff on copper could hit U.S. electronics manufacturers where it hurts.
Reciprocal Tariffs and Talent Bottlenecks are Driving Changes in PCB Investment in Southeast Asia
07/30/2025 | TPCAAs the global supply chain continues to restructure, Southeast Asia, leveraging its geographical advantages and favorable policies, has become a strategic hub for global circuit board manufacturing.
Target Condition: The 5 Ws of PCB Design Constraints
07/29/2025 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionHave you ever sat down to define PCB design constraints and found yourself staring at a settings window with more checkboxes than a tax form? You’re not alone. For many designers—especially those newer to the layout world—the task of setting up design constraints can feel like trying to write a novel in a language you just started learning.
Leveraging Chemical Data More Efficiently
07/29/2025 | Lynn L. Bergeson, Bergeson & CampbellSome truths transcend politics, one being that chemical data holds enduring value and is becoming increasingly essential. In the United States, regardless of which party federally controls the levers of power, it’s clear that chemical manufacturers and their customers must develop and curate robust data portfolios for their chemical inventories. The commercial imperatives driving this are undeniable and gaining traction.
From Attraction to Action: Where Marketing Ends and Sales Begins
07/29/2025 | Brittany Martin, I-Connect007Before a PO hits the system, marketing has already done a lot of heavy lifting. Without strategic marketing, the PO might never arrive. At I-Connect007, we have been fortunate to help many companies achieve sales success through marketing. The key to success? Understanding how marketing leads to sales.