A closer look at mixing methods and automated mixers.

While automation in manufacturing brings efficiency and consistency, the use of automated solder paste mixers is a topic of debate, with significant concerns over their impact on the paste’s properties. This comprehensive analysis delves into why many industry experts advise caution.

Solder paste is not just a blend of materials; it’s a finely tuned compound where each element plays a specific role. The balance between solder powder and flux is crucial, as it determines the paste’s behavior during the printing process and affects the quality and reliability of solder joints. Certain properties of the paste – its viscosity, rheology and thixotropy – fundamentally determine how well it will perform and can be significantly affected by how the paste is handled.

A special panel discusses the growth of AI tools and its possible effects on the industry.

“Will AI take my job?”

That’s the question on the mind of many around the world today – including electronics engineers and PCB design engineers – and was one of several questions considered during an online panel hosted by PCEA in March.

A group of panelists with notable AI experience – Circuit Mind’s Tomide Adesanmi, Cadence Design Systems’ Taylor Hogan, Zuken’s Kyle Miller, Luminovo’s Sebastian Schaal and Siemens Digital Industries’ David Wiens – gathered to share predictions for the future of AI in the electronics supply chain and answer questions from an audience of industry professionals.

A showcase of testing methods used in the development of robust materials.

Ruggedization means “to strengthen (something, such as a machine) for better resistance to wear, stress, and abuse.”¹ Automotive systems are built for aggressive environments and are categorized as ruggedized electronics. One usually thinks of an all-terrain vehicle navigating an uneven landscape in an extreme hot or extreme cold environment. The systems require more robust electronic hardware due to their unusual working conditions and environmental exposure.

Today’s automotive electronics, specifically those for advanced safety features, require ruggedization against traditional as well as additional self-inflicted abuse. The high level of processing required to execute “sense” and “respond” of multiple safety systems working in concert creates increased heat and increased mechanical strain leading to shorter characteristic life. Advanced IC substrate packages create challenges for the system as well. The need to combat these additional challenges requires specific ruggedization. This work will discuss material choices that were designed to combat temperature, vibration, heat, and various aggressive environments to offer extended system life.

An exploration of the factors affecting the development and growth of low-temperature soldering.

Low-temperature soldering (LTS) is a rapidly developing field with several potential benefits to the electronics industry. These benefits include reduced warping of components and substrates, lower energy consumption and reduced material costs. The lack of a standard solder alloy and the unique properties of emerging alloys, however, require development of new fluxes and processes for success.

Herein we explore current challenges and opportunities in low-temperature soldering, including the limited availability of low-temperature alloys, the disadvantages of high-bismuth alloys, the impact of additive elements on alloy properties, the need for new flux systems and the importance of seeking guidance from solder suppliers.