Unit Serialization and Traceability in PCB Assembly Traceability is the ability to answer a question about a board months after it was built: which laminate, which paste batch, which machine, which oven profile, which operator. It is required by customers in several industries and it is useful to everyone, because…

Component Baking Guide for Assembly Plastic packaged components absorb moisture from the air. When they are heated to reflow temperature the water turns to steam, and the pressure inside the package can crack the body, delaminate the die attach or lift the wire bonds. Component baking is the step that…

Hot Bar Reflow Soldering Guide Hot bar soldering joins a flexible circuit, a flat cable or a fine pitch connector to a board by pressing a heated bar against the joint. The heat is conducted through the joint itself rather than applied to the whole assembly, so the process suits…

Visual Inspection Criteria for Solder Joints in Assembly Visual inspection is the oldest and the cheapest check on a solder joint, and it remains the first line of defence on most assembly lines. It is also the check that varies most between operators, because it depends on eyesight, on lighting…

PCB Soldermask Selection: From Design to Repeatable Production 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 Soldermask Control: From Design to Repeatable Production 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 soldermask control from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor, covering…

PCB Soldermask Cost: Practical Process Controls 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 soldermask…

PCB Soldermask Problems: From Design to Repeatable Production 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…

Solder Preform: Preparation, Placement and Process Control A solder preform is a piece of solder that has been cast or stamped into a shape and placed in a joint before heating. Its purpose is to deliver a defined volume of alloy to a joint that paste or wire cannot fill,…

Laser Soldering Guide for Selective Joints Laser soldering uses a focused beam to heat a single joint. The energy is delivered to a spot a fraction of a millimetre across, and the heat reaches the joint through the solder and the pad rather than through the whole board. It is…