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2004 Issues

FEATURES

  • Process Control
    Pb-Free Manufacturability and Test Control
    Lead-free solder is not a drop-in replacement electrically or mechanically. Determining the "sweet spot" between electrical contact and mechanical deformation.
    Terence Q. Collier

  • Line Automation
    Can Odd-Form Automation Increase Returns?
    Still placing odd-form parts by hand? How to determine ROI of end-of-line automation.
    Allen W. Duck and Patty Chonis

  • Cover Story
    Assessing Solder Joint Reliability in Pb-Free Assemblies
    A study finds distinctions between predictors of reliability for leaded and lead-free alloys.
    Steve Dowds

  • Screen Printing
    Throughput vs. Cycle Time in Evaluating Paste Printing
    Is the best indicator of performance machine cycle time, or first-pass yield?
    Joe Belmonte and Bob Boyes

  • Process Control
    Enabling Quick Response Manufacturing
    End manufacturing and supply-chain redundancies through software that enables flexible operations and fast changeovers.
    Doug Johnson and Vern Harrison

  • Parts Management
    Programming for Mixed-Vendor Lines
    Creating part data libraries for placement machines is time-consuming, error-prone and labor intensive. New tools can automate the process.
    Bini Elhanan

PERSPECTIVES

  • Caveat Lector
    Cracking the WIP.
    Mike Buetow

  • On the Forefront
    A hard look at solid solder deposit.
    Phil Zarrow

  • Talking Heads
    Siemens' Tilo Brandis.
    Mike Buetow

  • EMS Insight
    A challenge to the new ODMs.
    Pamela Gordon

  • ESD Basics
    A renewed need for ESD control.
    ESD Association

  • Process Doctor
    Diagnosing residue problems.
    Terry Munson

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Ad Index
Assembly Insider
Product Spotlight

On the cover: Design and process factors are the focus of this month's cover story. (photo © David Freund)

FEATURES

  • Virtual Manufacturing
    A Supply-Chain Engineering Solution
    Most EMS companies have seen limited success providing design-related services to OEMs. A new method known as "Virtual Cluster" proposes to bring together best-in-class companies for design project engineering and supply-chain functions, to reduce cost and time-to-market.
    Bill Coker

  • Cover Story
    Pb-Free Reflow and Rework
    While long-term reliability evals are ongoing, NEMI has found that when using optimized tools and processes carried out by experienced personnel, SnAgCu reflow forces a big hike in melt temperature. A list of findings and recommended changes for lead-free reflow and rework.
    Matt Kelly, Quyen Chu and Jasbir Bath

  • Large Format Rework
    Large Format Rework for Eutectic and Lead-Free Applications
    Meeting specific rework needs of disparate boards requires a move away from one-size-fits-all equipment. The combination of full-bottom-panel, low-mass IR heating, stationary board fixturing and gantry-type reflow can eliminate many warping problems faced when reworking large BGA boards.
    Stan Kench

  • Optical Inspection
    Lead-Free First-Article Inspection
    Smaller process windows of lead-free alloys put greater demands on soldering equipment and inspection equipment and procedures. What are the typical process concerns associated with LF alloys for first-article OI and line qualification?
    Mark Cannon

  • Data Reliability
    Manufacturing Effects on Data Retention of Nonvolatile Memory Devices
    There is negligible effect on data retention by soldering NVM devices after they have been programmed.
    Kelly Hirsch

PERSPECTIVES

  • Caveat Lector
    Mr. President, your time is at hand.
    Mike Buetow

  • On the Forefront
    SiP gets dialed in.
    E. Jan Vardaman

  • Talking Heads
    Hisco's Bill Baird.
    Mike Buetow

  • Emerging Technology
    Battlebots: fighting tomorrow's wars.
    Ken Gilleo

  • Focus on Business
    Marketing programs that work.
    Susan Mucha

  • Process Doctor
    Inadequate reflow profiles cause weak joints and flex residues.
    Terry Munson

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Assembly Insider
Product Spotlight
Ad Index
Classifieds

On the cover: An intensive collaborative investigation reveals certain parameters for lead-free rework.

FEATURES

  • Fume Extraction
    Airing it Out
    Thanks to higher soldering temperatures and more aggressive fluxes, fumes from lead-free solders are more harmful than those of tin-lead. What precautions are you taking?
    Karl Schuepsthul

  • Business Opportunities
    The Remanufacturing Equation
    Remanufacturing - restoring products to a like-new condition - is a $50-billion market, and a source of new business for assemblers. A study of three tech products shows a potentially hefty market, at the right discount.
    Mark Knight and Jonathan D. Linton, Ph.D.

  • Pb-Free Solder Pots
    A Study of Lead-Free Hot Air Leveling
    Questions have arisen over copper dissolution into lead-free alloys, particularly the use of alloys that may require added solder pot maintenance. An investigation into controlling lead-free HAL, plus maintaining the pot and separating copper intermetallics.
    David Suraski

  • Texas Prototypes
    For NPI, Texas Prototypes Doesn't Mess Around
    From a quiet start as an NPI arm of a tier one EMS provider, Texas Prototypes has spun off and branched out, and its band of engineers provides everything from product launch to lifecycle management.
    Lisa Hamburg Bastin

  • Cover Story
    Controlling Pb-Free Processes through AOI
    Will AOI prove effective in identifying differences in the appearance of lead-free solder? To wit: does a billboarded chip look the same? What about an insufficient solder joint? A look at how lead-free PCBs impact in-line systems.
    Thorsten Niermeyer

  • Underfill Selection
    Preventing Voids in CSP and BGA Underfill Encapsulants
    In a CSP or BGA underfill process, several potential sources of voids exist. Sidestepping voids starts with picking the right material, be it the paste or the underfill.
    Karl Loh and Edward Ibe

PERSPECTIVES

  • Caveat Lector
    New models for old problems.
    Mike Buetow

  • On the Forefront
    Why your area array could use a good colonoscopy.
    Dr. H.J. Zapfardt

  • Talking Heads
    IMI's Arthur Tam.
    Mike Buetow

  • EMS Insight
    "Why I bucked the outsourcing trend."
    Pamela J. Gordon, CMC

  • IPC Standards
    J-STD-001D and IPC-A-610D: A little closer.
    Jack Crawford

  • Problem Solved
    Considerations for shifting to high-mix without retooling an entire line.
    Peter Bollinger and Shawn Robinson

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News / Market Watch
Assembly Insider
Ad Index
Product Spotlight

On the cover: SEEING IS BELIEVING - Optimizing AOI for lead-free processes. (Photo courtesy Agilent Technologies)

FEATURES

  • Screen Printing
    Reducing Variation Through 'Intelligent' Stencils
    Stencil variation arises from equipment error and human intervention. A study reveals sources of variation and a system for controlling them.
    Chrys Shea, Valentijn Van Velthoven, Ron Tripp and Ranjit Pandher

  • Stencil Developments
    Next-Generation Interchangeable Foils
    Said to be easier to load and unload and safer to use, new and improved foils are finding a home in high-mix manufacturing.
    Neil MacRaild

  • Cover Story
    An On-Board Mass Calibration System for Liquid Encapsulation
    For dispensing epoxy, engineers often focus on short-term pump repeatability as an equipment selection and qualification criterion, though it is useful only as a snapshot of pump capability. More important, as this investigation reveals, is the ability to quickly and easily measure and adjust the process centering over time.
    Thomas Karlinski

  • Pb-Free Soldering
    Considerations for Implementing Lead Free
    Planning to upgrade or replace your line to meet new lead-free standards? Be sure you know what you're in for.
    Mark Cannon

  • Products
    ATExpo Product Spotlight
    What's new at the annual ATExpo trade show later this month.

PERSPECTIVES

  • Editorial
    New packages: smaller and greener.
    Mike Buetow

  • The Fine Pitch
    Q&A with Neil MacRaild, DEK Americas general manager

  • On the Forefront
    Tin whiskers: Still scratching after all these years.
    E. Jan Vardaman

  • Focus on Business
    Three EMS providers discuss challenges and opportunities of adopting lead-free practices.
    Sue Mucha

  • ESD Basics
    The six elements of a successful program.
    ESD Association

  • Process Doctor
    Moisture plus flux residues add up to failures.
    Terry Munson

DEPARTMENTS

Letters
Industry News / Market Watch
Assembly Insider
Ad Index
Classifieds

ON THE COVER - Eye of the needle: improving dispensing repeatability through weight management tools. (Photo courtesy Speedline Technologies.)

FEATURES

  • Cover Article
    High Stakes: Reworking High-Precision, High-Reliability Boards
    Successfully reworking high-reliability assemblies is challenging, even for the most experienced of operators. However, it can be made easier and safer by deploying the right tools and safeguards.
    Franck Bitton

  • Lead Free
    Avoiding Tin Whisker Reliability Problems
    Fighting tin whiskers involves knowing the available mitigation strategies and risk analysis based on lead spacing.
    G.T. Galyon and Ron Gedney

  • Focus on Business
    Covert Money Losses in Outsourcing
    Understanding the less obvious sources of wasted money in OEM/EMS manufacturing relationships.
    Edwin B. Smith, III

  • Component Placement
    Automatic Recognition of Electronic Components
    Automatically recognizing electronic components can reduce rejected components and increase placement accuracy, yields and surface-mount line throughput.
    Gallagher Donovan Pryor, Alex Goldstein, Allen Tannenbaum

  • Focus on HDI/Advanced Technology
    Current Trends in Optoelectronics
    EMS providers and equipment suppliers are working together to make high-volume optoelectronic component manufacturing a reality.
    Bruce W. Hueners and Paleerat Lakawathana

PERSPECTIVES

  • Editorial

  • On the Forefront
    Phil Zarrow

  • Emerging Technology
    Dr. Ken Gilleo

  • Ask Les
    Les Hymes

  • Problem Solved
    Peter Bollinger

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
NETgain
Europe Watch
The Fine Pitch - Q&A with Stephen Delaney, CEO, Celestica
Assembly Insider
Ad Index
Globaltronics Product Spotlight

Cover artwork courtesy of Metcal, Menlo Park, CA.

 

FEATURES

  • COVER ARTICLE
    Effect of High-Temperature Requirements for Lead-Free Solder
    Although the thought of processing lead-free solder moves us out of our traditional comfort zones, the information and techniques needed to be successful are available.
    Fred Dimock

  • ON THE ROAD
    NEPCON Shanghai Recap
    The world grows smaller.
    Dan Beaulieu

  • FOCUS ON BUSINESS
    Supply Chain Collaboration
    Managing the most-effective supply chain.
    Paul Mounkes

  • SCREEN PRINTING
    Stencil and Screen Printing Q&A
    A list of some of the most frequently asked questions concerning screen printing in electronics manufacturing.
    Alden Johnson

PERSPECTIVES

  • Editorial

  • On the Forefront
    E. Jan Vardaman

  • Standard Features
    Jack Crawford

  • ESD Basics
    Craig Zander

  • Process Doctor
    Terry Munson

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
NETgain
Market Watch
The Fine Pitch - Q&A with Hal Stern, CTO, Sun Services
Assembly Insider
Ad Index
SEMICON West Product Spotlight

Cover illustration courtesy of BTU International, North Billerica, MA.

 

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