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A-Line Stencil-free Solder Printing
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The MY500 jet printer will provide the A-Line with solder paste printing that involves a cassette rather than stencils, with several benefits. Users reduce waste by using cassettes.
MYDATA
MYDATA automation has had an exciting year of innovative equipment releases in both new and existing markets. The MY500 jet printer was released at APEX 2008, reaching customers globally. In an effort to share this pioneering technology with consumers across the U.S., MYDATA will be displaying the MY500 jet printer in the IPC Midwest A-Line in Schaumburg, Ill., September 24?25, 2008.
Using a revolutionary technology for solder paste application, the MY500 jets solder paste on the fly without touching the PCB. Because the machine does not require use of stencils, it offers many advantages over the standard screen printer. The MY500 eliminates the need to order, wait for, clean, and store stencils — drastically minimizing the cost of time and materials. Instead of waiting for a new stencil to be shipped, users simply enter the new CAD data in the software and set up a new program. It also ends the need for harsh cleaning chemicals damaging to employees and the environment.
The jet printing technology is contained inside a cassette, which holds a single replaceable cartridge of solder paste. Operators switch from leaded to lead-free solder paste within seconds without the use of any special tools. Simply release the snap lock, remove the old cassette, and snap a new one into place. Thanks to the design of the cartridges, solder paste is not exposed to oxygen until it hits the PCB. This virtually eliminates messes and waste. In addition, the cassette calibration and temperature control ensures that the proper viscosity of solder paste can be constantly maintained, which leads to higher levels of application accuracy.
The solder paste cartridges are barcode labeled so that any operator can run print programs approved for production without worrying about expired or incorrect paste. The electronic ID barcode label and cassette memory makes the machine settings, as well as the PCB alignment, completely automatic. The program also will automatically adjust for the board stretch based on the fiducials. Once the paste code type is read into the system, the A-Line is ready to start printing. This means that our process engineers can concentrate entirely on the deposit design and location.
Process control also can be increased greatly when using the MY500. The less on-line operator involvement that’s needed, the easier it is to achieve and consistently maintain higher levels of quality. For convenience, and to minimize chances for error, any operator can run print programs approved for production. At the same time, to maintain a high degree of flexibility, MY500 printing programs can easily be adjusted at the off-line station if revisions are required. Our engineers will run the system on the A-Line for attendees, demonstrating these capabilities.
The MY500 also allows more PCB design freedom. Solder paste deposits can be adjusted on-the-spot in three dimensions. Droplets can be printed on top of each other, creating towers to achieve the quantity that is required for each individual component. With high precision, the MY500 can print large deposits as close as 0.2 mm away from smaller deposits. The system then will determine automatically if the solder paste is present on a dot location. If not, it goes back to make any necessary repairs.
Another benefit of the MY500 is its ability to adjust to future markets. As new technology continues to emerge in SMT processes, the MY500 is poised to adapt to new ways of working as well. For example, design enhancements are now being developed and tested to provide the MY500 with even more flexibility. This will allow SMT manufacturers to continue to expand service for customers in both traditional industries as well as those developing new uses for PCBs in emerging markets.
The MY500 can be seen in the IPC Midwest A-Line at the 2008 IPC Midwest. The machine will be available for demonstrations provided by certified MYDATA technicians.
For more information, contact MYDATA at www.mydata.com.