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New Products
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Conformal Coating Applicator
SC-300 Swirl Coat conformal coating applicator reportedly allows manufacturers to apply conformal coatings to circuit boards by varying the volume, dispensing pressure and shape of the air assist in three modes of operation: bead, monofilament and swirl. The applicator is said to be for production environments with a high mix of circuit boards and coating type variations, and applies a range of solvent-based and 100 percent solids coatings with viscosities from 30 to 3,500 centiPoise. An exposed zero cavity nozzle design reduces clogging and facilitates cleaning. Additionally, the nozzle reduces the exposure of materials sensitive to ambient conditions until they are applied to the substrate, simplifying handling of moisture-cure, UV-cure and solvent-based coatings. Asymtek, Carlsbad, Calif.
Rework Stencils
A line of custom-made rework stencils and systems has been introduced. Hand stencils typically are single-component stencils, and consist of a small stainless steel stencil bent on two sides. The company's Desktop Stencil system features a foil bent on three sides, accompanied by an "L" shaped G10 alignment board. The board is used as an alignment tool and stop for the circuit board being printed, reportedly eliminating registration issues associated with hand printing. Rework station stencil systems consist of the stencil, matching squeegee and the mounting fixture, allowing the stencil to fit in the rework printer. Reballing kits consist of a nest to hold the component body, a stencil printing flux, and a stencil to keep the solder balls aligned and placed during flow and reballing profiling. Integrated Ideas & Technologies Inc., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Singulation Machines
SmartRouter singulation machines are said to feature cleaner air inside the enclosed chamber than outside. The PCB routing system eliminates the need for secondary operation because of residual dust. Additionally, the system makes the elimination possible because of a vacuum system that can be configured selectively for the top and/or bottom of the panel. The stand-alone singulator reportedly allows more flexible and accurate depanelization of electronics assemblies. Operators can download PCB route path information automatically using SmartTAG. Route path information resides in the fixture. The fixture and its associated program are tested prior to shipment, eliminating the need for on-site programming. Once the fixture is placed on the system, the route program is downloaded into the controller. Tyco Electronics Automation Group, Division of Tyco International Ltd., Willow Grove, Pa.
Screen Printing Platform
Galaxy screen printing platform reportedly meets speed and accuracy demands for SMT assembly as well as advanced semiconductor packaging. The screen printer features the company's Instinctiv user interface for increased productivity, communication capabilities and traceability features. With back-end packaging capabilities at wafer and substrate levels in the near future, the platform will allow these capabilities, as well as keep up with the re-acceleration of pitch reductions that are entering mainstream production and requiring new levels of accuracy. DEK International GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland.
ASSEMBLY EQUIPMENT
Material Control Platform
Capable of handling material control applications, the company's platform is said to build on its MSD control technology. The platform is a set of hardware and software modules that provides a solution on the production floor. Materials may include components, boards, chemicals, feeders and other tooling. Application modules include real-time inventory, line setup validation, MSD control, route control, chemical shelf life control and complete product traceability. The concept of the system reportedly reduces the risk of human error by automating quality and process controls while validating that the correct materials are at the right place at the right time. Additionally, the platform is a solution for dealing with lead-free because material logistics are a challenging issue associated with introducing lead-free technology on the production floor. Cogiscan Inc., Bromont, Québec, Canada.
SMT Support Tooling
Grid-lok is a line of fully automatic SMT support tooling for support of single- and double-sided circuit boards during stencil printing and component placement processes. The system eliminates conventional pin arrangements and dedicated fixture plates that hold boards in place. The tooling system reportedly can be integrated with a host printer, pick-and-place system, and dispenser from any manufacturer. Featuring a locking system that guarantees component protection and eliminates board defects, the fully automatic tooling system requires no operator intervention. Ovation, Division of Airline Hydraulics Corp., Bethlehem, Pa.
COMPONENTS
SMT Inductors
Eleven models of the PG0083 Series of low-profile SMT power inductors have been introduced. Reportedly designed for high-density, high-power circuits that typically run at high temperatures, applications include voltage regulator modules (URMs) for P4 or higher microprocessors, AC-to-DC switched-mode power supplies, and DC-to-DC converters in distributed power architectures. Offering inductance ranges from 0.18 to 3.76 mH and operating currents from 19 to 4.5 A, the series provides direct-current resistance values from 1.7 to 36.6 milliΩ, thermal efficiency and extended operating temperature up to 130°C. Pulse, A Technitrol Co., San Diego, Calif.
Lead-free Resistors
Lead-free-compatible thick film chip resistor components are for use by customers transitioning to lead-free circuit assembly. These components are said to feature lead-free end terminal metallizations designed for compatibility with all lead-free alloys and flux systems currently available. The first group of components available with lead-free terminations reportedly includes RCI-2512S, RCI-2512T, RCI-2010S, RCI-1206T, RCI-0805S and RCI-0805T. Additional sizes, including RCI-0201, reportedly will be available soon in lead-free configurations. International Manufacturing Services Inc., Portsmouth, R.I.
SMT MATERIALS
Conductive Alloy
A bulk conductive styrenic alloy, HMS-1000C is electrically conductive because high-structure carbon powder has been incorporated into the styrenic alloy matrix. This is said to make the alloy conductive in three dimensions, while other coated ESD sheets are conductive only on the surface. Because of the thermodynamics of polymeric materials, the least conductive part of the alloy sheet is the outside surface, which is 1 mΩ per square, the industry standard grounding wrist strap used for ESD protection. HMS Compounds Inc., Mansfield, Texas.
Epoxy Fluxes
Environmentally friendly PK-001 and PK-002 flip chip epoxy fluxes are said to be for use with Sn62 and Sn63 eutectic solders. The fluxes are fast curing, halide-free and no-clean, and can be used for flip chip or chip scale packaging soldering processes. Both materials reportedly feature a stable thermoset residue, compatible with standard underfill materials, conformal coatings, and most finishes and coatings. Methods that can be used to apply the fluxes include pin transfer, stencil printing, dispensing and dipping techniques. Indium Corp. of America, Utica, N.Y.
SOFTWARE
Image Processing Software
GTI-1000 image processing software reportedly allows X-ray inspection system users to capture, enhance, transmit and store images. The software supports the quality assurance monitoring of BGA components and assembled boards. It also is said to allow both live and freeze viewing, in either production or laboratory environments. Frame averaging is selectable from two to 32 frames, with manual or automatic contrast adjustment. Enhanced pseudocolor images reportedly support identification of specific components or flaws. The software features a Windows-based graphical user interface. Additionally, it is pre-loaded on a PC with an Intel 3-D Extreme Graphics chipset. Glenbrook Technologies Inc., Randolph, N.J.
TEST EQUIPMENT
Test Fixture Boards
Custom engineered, microchip-socketed test fixture boards electrically interface test equip-ment to BGA packages, and eliminate the need to solder packages to adapters. The boards are multi-layer FR-4 assemblies incorporating cable-to-board connectors, which provide the interface to the test system as well as the patented True BGA Socket, into which the chips are inserted during testing. Advanced Interconnections Corp., West Warwick, R.I.