Latest Articles

Alpha Papers Investigate High-Reliability Solder Alloys

During SMTA International, Morgana Ribas, manager of Metals Technology Group at Alpha Assembly Solutions, presented a pair of papers that focus on the company’s reliability testing of solder alloys. I-Connect007 Managing Editor Andy Shaughnessy sat down with Morgana to discuss these papers, and some of the surprising results that the testing yielded.

Evaluating a PCB Assembler

When it comes to technology and quality, an SMT assembler's capabilities will be reflected when you go through the key elements in the SMT process. This article provides key points to consider in evaluating a PCB assembler, which allows you to test whether your circuit boards assembled in that factory conform to your required standard.

Weiner’s World – March 2017

The CPCA show held at the China International PCB And Assembly Show was moderately busy even though the new venue was not quite ready (no escalators, the "water closets" not fully finished, the heat was only on for a few hours one day). It showcased products for PCB Manufacturing, Electronic Assembly Materials and Manufacturing Services.

Electrolube Talks Technologies Targeted at Automotive and LED Applications

Electrolube's Phil Kinner, global head for the conformal coatings business, talks about the trends shaping the company’s product innovation strategies, and their latest solutions and technologies to help address their customers’ greatest challenges.

Should You Use Your CEM Partner's Direct Ship Fulfillment Services?

Gone are the days when OEMs simply outsourced their printed circuit board assemblies to contract electronic manufacturers (CEMs). Today, many CEMs offer a much broader range of services, including an end-to-end outsourcing solution – the end point of which is direct ship fulfillment, whereby the CEM sends fully manufactured and tested products directly to the end customer.

Alpha on New Technologies to Tackle Voiding

Tom Hunsinger, vice president of marketing at Alpha Assembly Solutions, discusses with SMT Magazine how their company is addressing voiding—one of the greatest challenges in soldering. He talks about the latest market development trends that are shaping product innovation strategies at Alpha. Hunsinger also details some of their latest solder technologies, and how they are helping their customers address their soldering challenges.

Successful, Long-Term Growth at Prime Technological Services

Publisher Barry Matties sat down with Prime Technological Services CEO Greg Chesnutt at IPC APEX EXPO, to glean how they continue to find success and have been able to maintain such an impressive growth rate over the last four years.

Mike Carano on the First PCB Executive Forum Held at IPC APEX EXPO 2017

When John Mitchell came on board as president of IPC, he decided to tap the members of the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame for suggestions and advice. So he established the IPC Ambassador Council and tasked them to create special programs for IPC conferences. It is this group of people who put together the recent PCB Executive Forum that was presented at IPC APEX EXPO 2017.

Goepel electronic Talks Test and Inspection Innovations

Thomas Wenzel, managing director of the Embedded JTAG Solutions Business Development at Goepel electronic, discusses the latest technology innovations happening in the test and inspection segment, and the market trends shaping them.

Ray Pritchard Looks Back at IPC’s Beginning and His Role in Getting it Started

I have known Ray Pritchard for a long time—as long as I’ve been involved with IPC, in fact. He directed the organization for 35 years before turning over the reins. One could say he grew up with the organization—or vice versa. Ray was always a bundle of energy and still is, still joking and warm, a great people person, and I am sure he had a little something to do with the spirit of camaraderie and cooperation that is the hallmark of the IPC we know today.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Ray Prasad Discusses Revised IPC-7530 Reflow Profile Guidelines

IPC Hall of Famer Ray Prasad, chairman of the IPC-7530 committee, provides an overview of the newly revised IPC-7530, which provides users with guidelines on how to successfully profile and characterize PCB assemblies with high levels of efficiency.

Conflict Minerals – A Mixed Message?

While the EU is taking a more considered but arguably progressive approach towards banning conflict minerals, the US, in contrast, looks to be heading towards a relaxation or even abandonment of its rules.

SMT Xtra Discusses Expansion Plans in the US

At the IPC APEX EXPO 2017 event in San Diego, SMT Xtra's Alexandra Stovin, marketing and public relations manager, and Paul Pittman, sales manager for the United States and Canada, speaks with I-Connect007 Technical Editor Pete Starkey about their company’s expansion plans in the U.S. and the benefits they offer their customers.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Alpha Highlights Technologies Dedicated to Eliminating Solder Voids

Robert Wallace, marketing manager for the Americas at Alpha Assembly Solutions, discusses their new product introductions for this year and their level of customer support as these products are rolled out. He also talks about how these technologies are helping address the issue on solder voiding.

How Servitisation Can Enable Manufacturing Sales Growth

OEMs and EMS providers must implement strategies that enable sales growth – and one such strategy is servitisation, which is about putting the needs of your customers first.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Nordson Highlights Improvements in Dispensing and Conformal Coating Systems

Roberta J. Foster-Smith, global marketing communications manager for Nordson ASYMTEK, discusses the continued improvements in Nordson's dispensing and conformal coating equipment, especially when it comes to automation, precision and consistency in delivering ever-finer deposits to meet industry demands and customer needs.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: The Power of Synergies with MacDermid Enthone and Alpha Assembly Solutions

Don Cullen, global director of marketing communications with MacDermid Enthone, and Tom Hunsinger, VP global marketing with Alpha Assembly Solutions explain the structure of MacDermid Performance Solutions, which combines the former MacDermid, Enthone and Alpha Assembly Materials businesses to provide PCB and EMS industries with enhanced innovation and service throughout the supply chain, with unified sales strategies and improved processes.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Indium Discusses Industry Trends and Reliability Issues

Indium Corp. Product Manager Chris Nash talks with I-Connect007 Technical Editor Pete Starkey about how they are helping customers address their reliability issues, and discusses the success of their "Avoid the Void" campaign.

A New Power Design Methodology for PCB Designs

Advanced PCB design is an iterative process of analysis-fix-analysis. Historically, this process is very time-consuming, requiring analysis experts and PCB designers to work together to find and fix layout problems. This article describes a new PCB design methodology that allows a PCB designer to perform the power design without having to run expert-level analysis tools. This methodology provides the setup automation for advanced analysis without the need to understand every minute parameter, and can be completed in a few steps.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: KIC on Smart Factory Technology Approach in Thermal Ovens

Bjorn Dahle, president of KIC Thermal, discusses with I-Connect007 Guest Editor Dick Crowe their approach to measuring temperatures in thermal ovens and networking the information to a main frame, to enable the process engineer to statistically monitor a specific process.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: IPC Validation Services Update

Randy Cherry, IPC's Director of Validations Services speaks with Guest Editor Judy Warner. Randy gives an update on the QML and QPL programs, including updates on the newest QPL program for copper clad laminates. They also discuss the growing value of industry engagement with VS as the number of certified facilities increases.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Alpha Highlights Solder Reclaim Technology

Mitch Holtzer, director of Americas Reclaim Business for Alpha Assembly Solutions, discusses the company’s reclamation technology, which takes solder dross, used solder paste, and solder paste debris and converts it into reusable soldering materials. He also talks about how solder reclamation can help sustainability efforts, and how it helps customers when it comes to their waste materials.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Manncorp on Having a Solutions-centric Approach

Manncorp father-son team Henry Mann and Kyle Mann talk with I-Connect007 Guest Editor Kelly Dack about providing excellent guidance, service, training and support for companies who may be unsure of the best route to take in selecting the right SMT equipment.

How Can I Compare EMS Providers and Create My Shortlist?

Finding the right EMS provider for your business can be a challenge. And trying to compare EMS suppliers and create a shortlist is hard work. Unfortunately, there is no ultimate cheat sheet to help you find the perfect partner. But here's 15 or so questions that you may ask, in order to start collating meaningful data to be able to starting making informed comparisons between EMS providers you are considering partnering with.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Mentor Graphics Finishes Traceability Standard in Record Time

Michael Ford of Mentor Graphics and Editor Andy Shaughnessy discuss Mentor's work with traceability processes, including the new IPC traceability standard that was finished in record time.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Thomas Scales of Saline Lectronics Discusses Internet of Things

Thomas Scales of Saline Lectronics speaks with Guest Editor Dick Crowe about their company's approach to offering networking and process control solutions in the automated factory.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Mirtec Discusses Latest Developments in Inspection Technologies

Mirtec President Brian D’Amico talks about the latest in 2D and 3D AOI and SPI, and how to provide smaller users with affordable high-technology systems. He also talks about the sales success of the MV-6 OMNI series in-line full-3D AOI machine, which features advanced features such as 15-megapixel top-down camera and 3D digital multi-frequency Moire.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: CyberOptics' Subodh Kulkarni Discusses Ultra-High-Resolution AOI

Dr. Subodh Kulkarni discusses the new bleeding-edge AOI technology CyberOptics has developed that will advance vision technology to a level not achievable today. MRS technology combines accuracy with speed, which have been mutually exclusive in the past.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: 3D AOI Update With MEK

Henk Biemans of MEK Europe discusses with I-Connect007 Editor Andy Shaughnessy their latest developments in 3D AOI, and their efforts to educate their customers about this growing market.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Indium’s Eric Slezak Talks Project 99

Indium Corporation's Eric Slezak talks with I-Connect007 Guest Editor Steve Williams about the launch of their new Project 99 wave solder process flux system. Indium has created an exciting new spin on this technology by using a comic book theme, with "villains" representing common wave solder defects and "superheroes" representing their flux solutions to combat the problems.

Industry 4.0: Nine Key Points Electronics Manufacturers Must Not Ignore

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is nothing if not massive and complicated. There is a huge amount of information out there, some useful and some perhaps less so. But, among the hype, there are a few consistent themes that really must not be ignored by manufacturers wishing to remain competitive in the future.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Electrolube Discusses New Conformal Coating Technologies

Phil Kinner, technical director of the coatings division at Electrolube, discusses with I-Connect007 Guest Editor Dick Crowe the latest trends happening in the coatings industry, and how their solutions help customers enhance the reliability of their electronics assemblies.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Kyzen’s Thomas Forsythe Talks Latest Developments in Aqueous Cleaning

Thomas Forsythe, executive vice president of Kyzen Corp., talks about the advantages of real-time concentration monitoring, data management and access to data as aqueous cleaning moves towards Industry 4.0.

RTW IPC APEX EXPO: Rehm Highlights Reflow Improvements for Reliable Solder Results

Michael Hanke, CCO of Rehm Thermal Systems, highlights the latest developments in their reflow solutions, which are targeted at improving the reliability of the soldering process. He also discusses their complete solution, which is inline with the Industry 4.0 trend.

RealTimewith...IPC: Mycronic Highlights Latest Capabilities of Jet Printing

Nico Coenen, global sales director of jet printing at Mycronic, discusses the latest developments in their jet printing technology. He also highlights how these advances align with their Mycronic 4.0 strategy.

Real Time with...IPC: Cogiscan Discusses Connectivity Solutions to Enable Industry 4.0

Francois Monette, VP Sales and Marketing at Cogiscan Inc., talks about how the industry can meet the challenge of connecting different machines, software and enterprise systems to enable Industry 4.0 for the electronics assembly industry.

Time-Lapse Video: The IPC APEX EXPO 2017 Show in Under Seven Minutes!

During IPC APEX EXPO 2017, we at I-Connect007 had our time-lapse camera running from setup to closing. The camera was positioned high in our studio, where we conducted our RealTimewith…IPC APEX EXPO video interviews, aimed down the main aisle.

Metcal Brings Big Science and High Reliability to Hand Soldering

Recently, Judy Warner visited the Metcal facility in Southern California and meet with Product Support Engineer Robert Roush. They talked about Metcal's patented hand-soldering technology, which promises to bring a new level of science and control to the world of hand-soldering.

Real Time with...IPC: CalcuQuote on Risk Assessment and RFQ Management

Chintan Sutaria, president of CalcuQuote, discusses how their RFQ management system, with its risk assessment feature, helps EMS customers improve their supply chain. He also talks about their new BidCQ solution is improving the bidding process.

Real Time with...IPC: IPC Market Research Update

Sharon Starr updated everyone on the Market Research services, industry forecasting and research projects her group publishes. She also mentioned a "call to action" for a meeting tomorrow with IPC members, seeking input on needed metrics for their new Pulse of the Industry program she will be rolling out this year, which will be a "Industry Health Scorecard".

Real Time with...IPC: Tim O'Neill Discusses Latest Developments in Lead-Free Soldering Market

With RoHS requirements in full swing, companies must adapt and adapt quickly as lead based soldering will be completely phased out by 2019 in Europe.

Real Time with...IPC: BEST Talks Rework Challenges and Opportunities

Bob Wettermann, president of BEST Inc., talks about the challenges in rework, and how his company is helping their customers address these problems. He also discusses his paper presentation at this week's technical conference.

Real Time with...IPC: Alpha Discusses Improving LED Reliability Issues

At this week's IPC APEX EXPO 2017 in San Diego, California, Steve Godber, LED Commercial Manager at Alpha Assembly Solutions, discusses with I-Connect007's Stephen Las Marias the reliability and voiding challenges in the LED market, and how the company is helping their customers address these issues through their solder technologies.

Real Time with...IPC 2017 Videos Now Available for Viewing

Over 70 video interviews from the IPC APEX EXPO 2017 show in San Diego, CA are now available for viewing. See the opening ceremony, hear from suppliers and others on their new products, learn more about the HDP Users Group. Don't miss the videos by IPC President John Mitchell and his staff.

Bringing SMT Assembly In-House: Case Studies of the Effects on Lead Time, Inventory, Quality, and Overall Cost

A growing number of low- to medium-volume manufacturers of specialized electronic products are reaping the rewards of bringing their SMT assembly in-house. How have some of these companies justified the cost of their endeavors? In this article, three OEM companies share their experiences.

11 Points to Consider When Buying Selective Soldering Equipment

Although there are clear benefits from investing in a selective soldering equipment, there are also a number of considerations to make prior to purchase. This article looks at 11 points that require further thought, to ensure you select the right piece of selective soldering equipment for your products.

Taking the "Process Approach" to RFQs in Electronics Contract Manufacturing

The ISO 9001:2015 standard can be applied to any organization, any management system and any process. While it is generic in its application, the specific implementation can be the difference between lagging and leading results. This article reviews how the process approach applies specifically to the request for quote process in the EMS industry.

Applying the New IPC Standard for Traceability Makes Compliance and Reporting Easier

IPC has created IPC-1782, a new standard and specification for traceability practices across all levels of electronics manufacturing, and specifically for electronics assembly. With this new standard, companies that are practicing basic levels of traceability can evolve to higher levels, and will be able to clearly define the expectations of what is required for compliance and conformance to customer needs.

What’s Driving the Rapidly Changing Electronics Assembly Industry

Since the EMS landscape has become so competitive, staying on top of new advances in technology and being able to rapidly adapt to changing customer needs, market demands, trends and technological advances is critical. This article highlights some examples of how electronics assembly technology developments have impacted the EMS industry in recent years and will likely continue shaping the industry in the future.

Continuous Improvement in Electronics Manufacturing

With so many variables and "opportunities" to create waste, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies have an on-going challenge to identify, address and then eliminate inefficient processes. This is where a continuous improvement approach can help.

The Shape of Things to Come

Where is our industry going? The beginning of a new year provides a good opportunity to look into the crystal ball and foretell what we think will be. So what are the general drivers of change in the high tech electronic product assembly business, and what specific new product and process types do we see that are a result of those drivers?

Achieving Repeatable, Consistent Control over the Selective Soldering Production Process

Selective soldering is a process with more than 100 different parameters that may impact soldering performance. A robust selective soldering process should have a wide process window that is able to handle variations in material quality. In this paper, critical process parameters are discussed as well as methods that can be used to widen the process window.

Investing in New Technologies

Electronics manufacturers are beginning to consider investing in new systems to take their processes to the next level. In our recent survey on the topic of new technology, the top reasons cited by manufacturers to invest in new technologies are to increase efficiency, improve yield, reduce cycle time, and the advance capability of the process.

Turning the Relationship Between the Electronic Product Assembly Employer and Recent Graduates Upside Down

The post-secondary educational system must change from being reactive to our industry’s (high tech electronic product assembly business) needs to being proactive. Students that graduate should act as change agents, challenging a company’s status quo by bringing the latest design, production equipment and process techniques to their new employers from their academic experience.

Help Wanted! Our 2017 Industry Hiring Survey

This month we conducted an industry survey on plans for hiring during the year. Included here is a summary of the results. We started by simply asking, “Do you plan to hire additional people this year?” More than half of the respondents answered yes while about a third said no—which we take as an optimistic sign that our industry plans to expand in 2017.

What to Look for When Auditing an Electronics Manufacturing Facility

Although a large amount of research can be carried out online when selecting an EMS partner, the only real way to satisfy an OEM whether an EMS provider will be a good fit or not is to meet the team and audit their processes. This article lists the approach many OEMs take and highlight some of the key questions they ask.

The Impact of Via and Pad Design on QFN Assembly

Thermal via arrays under QFN components are used to conduct heat away from the device. However, thermal vias can create more voids or result in solder protrusion onto the secondary side. This paper discusses a study on the impact of via size and via design on QFN voiding and solder protrusion.

Reflections on 40 Years of Test and Measurement and What Lies Ahead

Dr. James Truchard, President, CEO, and Cofounder of National Instruments, has penned his reflections on the last 40 years driving and leading some of the greatest progress and innovations the test and measurement industry has seen. In the article, he also leaves us with his thoughts on how he envisions the future to be.

The Time Has Come for Jet Printing

At the recent NEPCON South China 2016 trade show in Shenzhen, Thomas Bredin, area sales manager at Mycronic, discusses with I-Connect007's Stephen Las Marias the latest developments in jet printing technology, and their recent acquisition of Shenzhen Axxon Automation.

Effect of Solder Composition, PCB Surface Finish and Solder Joint Volume on Drop-Shock Reliability

Lead free solder joint reliability in drop shock loading has been a recurring issue in mobile and handheld consumer electronics. Changing solder composition may offer an opportunity to improve joint drop reliability. This study focuses on different failure modes in circuit board assemblies as observed based on solder composition, board surface finish, and solder joint volume.
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