Extending stencil cleaning intervals to 50 prints maintained consistent deposition while improving throughput and reducing downtime.
Solder paste printing is an essential part of the electronics manufacturing process. Having a solder paste that can print high solder paste volumes with high repeatability of paste volume will improve process yields. Solder paste inspection is used to validate paste printing volumes and consistency of printed paste deposition. During paste printing, under stencil cleaning is employed to ensure high printed paste volumes are maintained between board prints to reduce printing defects. The frequency of under stencil cleaning varies based on the solder paste used, the product board type, the stencil thickness and stencil aperture openings used during paste printing.
What tight supply and rising costs mean for your sourcing strategy.
The first quarter of 2026 made clear that the semiconductor market is no longer moving in a normal cycle. Instead of supply rising and falling evenly across industries, we’re seeing a structural shift in how chips are produced and distributed.
How DfX eliminates the hidden costs in product design and development.
OEMs outsource manufacturing to control costs and accelerate product delivery. But by the time designs are transferred to a chosen manufacturer, many opportunities for optimization and cost savings have been lost.
A smarter path is to partner early with an EMS provider that offers robust DfX (design for excellence) capabilities – a team that understands not just how to build your product, but how to design to build.
AI is now helping engineers tame the “black art” of SMT reflow by optimizing oven recipes and process decisions.
Artificial intelligence is a hot topic in many industries. The technology suggests we can make better decisions, increase our productivity and discover information that we previously couldn’t find. Recently, SMTA (Surface Mount Technology Association) implemented an AI program named MAX that helps engineers find information on the surface mount process and defects. For example, if you want to know about void mitigation in thermal pads or the best method of cleaning a PCB, you can ask MAX, and it will give you an overview of the process and a list of papers in the SMTA technical library. Programs like MAX dive into the text of papers instead of just looking at keywords and the title.
Three months after the excitement fades, most AI tools sit open in a browser tab while engineers go back to email, ERP and ECOs.
It's 7:45 AM on a Tuesday. Your AI subscription auto-renewed last night – $20 you barely noticed leaving your account. You've had it for three months now. You've used it... twice? Maybe three times?
The first week was exciting. You summarized a meeting. You drafted an email that sounded pretty good. You even showed a colleague. "This thing is amazing," you said.
Leveraging artificial obsolescence to operationalize the domestic supply chain.
In my previous article, we explored the 1941 Victory Plan as a masterclass in industrial foresight, where the US moved from isolation to becoming the “Great Arsenal of Democracy.” As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt noted in 19401 the goal was not just to design weapons, but to produce them in sufficient volume to save future generations the “agony and suffering of war.” Today, as we face a new era of near-peer competition, the Victory Plan has been reborn, with a new focus shaped by the modern battlefield. While the 1940s emphasis was on steel and aircraft, our current challenge lies in the rapid, high-volume production of electronics and sensors like those that power modern unmanned systems.
Press Releases
- Aven Welcomes Max Ramos to Strengthen Distribution Partner Operations
- ubersmt Expands SMT Line with Juki G-Titan Printer and RS-1R Placement System
- Keiron Technologies to Host LiFT Webinar Focusing on Solving Solder Paste Printing Challenges
- Express Manufacturing, Inc. Strengthens Test Capability with Acculogic Flying Probe System