Tin Whisker Inspection and Mitigation in PCB Finishes A tin whisker is a thin, single-crystal filament of tin that grows out of a tin-plated surface without any applied voltage. Whiskers are typically a few micrometres in diameter and can reach several hundred micrometres in length, which is enough to bridge…

PCB Etch Factor Audit: Checking the Practice Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains PCB…

Entry Burr Control in PCB Drilling: Causes and Removal An entry burr is the ring of copper pushed up around the rim of a hole where the drill enters the board. It forms because the drill lifts the copper foil as it cuts through, and the material has nowhere to…

PCB Etch Factor Cost: What It Adds Up To Buyers and engineers often focus on the finished product and forget the production line behind it. In practice, most field failures can be traced back to process decisions made during assembly. Understanding PCB etch factor cost gives you a practical advantage…

PCB Etch Factor Problems: When It Goes Wrong Buyers and engineers often focus on the finished product and forget the production line behind it. In practice, most field failures can be traced back to process decisions made during assembly. Understanding PCB etch factor problems gives you a practical advantage when…

Voids in Through-Hole Solder Joints: Where the Gas Comes From Voiding in through-hole solder joints is the formation of gas pockets inside the solder that fills a plated barrel. The joint can pass a visual inspection and still carry voids that reduce its cross section, and the barrel fill measurement…

PCB Etch Factor Checklist: What to Check Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains PCB…

SMD Adhesive Dispensing Before Wave Soldering On a mixed technology assembly, the chip components on the underside are held in place by dots of adhesive before the board crosses the wave during wave soldering, where the contact geometry is covered in the notes on wave height and contact. The adhesive…

Drill Bit Point Angle and Web Thickness: What the Hole Sees The point of a printed circuit drill bit is a cutting tool with a geometry that is chosen for the laminate, the hole size and the machine. The point angle, the web thickness, the relief and the surface treatment…

Glob Top Encapsulation: Dispensing and Cure Control A glob top is a dome of filled epoxy dispensed over a bare die or a delicate area of an assembly to protect it from moisture, contamination and mechanical damage. It is the cheapest encapsulation available for a chip on board product, and…