Flux Residue Cleanliness Verification: What the Tests Measure Flux residue is what remains on the assembly after soldering, and whether it matters depends on the chemistry, the amount, and what the board will be exposed to afterwards. A cleanliness verification method only means something when it is matched to the…

Reflow Profiler Verification: Trusting the Curve You Record A reflow profiler is the instrument that turns an oven into a process. The curve it produces is used to release a product, to defend a decision when a joint fails and to compare one build with another, so the instrument itself…

Laminate Decomposition Temperature: Setting the Reflow Ceiling The decomposition temperature of a laminate is the point at which the resin begins to break down chemically rather than merely soften. It is the ceiling that every reflow profile has to stay under, and it is a different property from the glass…

Drill Stack Height: 6 Rules for Stacked Panel Drilling Drill stack height is the total thickness of panels, entry material and backup board that the drill passes through in one hit. It is the main lever for drilling productivity, and it is also the parameter that decides how much the…

V-Score Blade Life: 4 Checks for a Clean Cut A v-score blade cuts a shallow groove on both faces of a panel so that the boards can be snapped apart later. The blade wears as it works, and the depth it produces changes with the wear, which is why blade…

PCB Drill Bit Traceability: Following One Board Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB drill bit traceability from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor, covering…

Prepreg Thaw Handling: 4 Rules for the Press Room Prepreg thaw is the controlled warming of material that has been held frozen, and it is the step that stands between the freezer and the layup room. Done properly it is invisible; done badly it puts moisture into a resin system…

PCB Drill Bit Environment: Where It Happens Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB drill bit environment from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor, covering…

Copper Thickness Target: 4 Checks Before Plating Starts A copper thickness target is the number the plating line is asked to hit, and it is rarely the number the designer had in mind. What is specified is usually a minimum, what is measured is an average, and what the bath…

Flux Content in Solder Paste: 6 Rules for Checking It Flux content is the proportion of a solder paste that is not metal, and it is the number that decides how the paste behaves on the stencil, how it wets the pad and how much residue it leaves behind. The…