Placement Nozzle Wear: Vacuum, Alignment and Pick Reliability The placement nozzle is the last element in the machine that touches a component, and its condition decides whether the part is picked, held through the move and released in the right place. A nozzle that leaks vacuum or has a worn…

Via Filling or Tenting: Choosing a Via Treatment A via is a hole connecting two layers, and once plating is complete the question becomes what to do with the opening. Via filling puts material into the barrel, while via tenting covers the opening with solder mask, and the two treatments…

Conductivity Meter Calibration: 5 Checks for Rinse Data Conductivity meter calibration decides whether the numbers on a rinse line mean anything. Rinse water quality is monitored with a probe that drifts, fouls and ages, and a reading that is wrong by a third will keep a bad rinse in service.…

Stencil Foil Damage: Dents, Creases and Aperture Control Stencil foil damage is any physical change to the foil that alters how paste leaves the aperture. Dents, creases, scratches and deformed apertures all fall into the same family, and all of them print differently from a new foil. The damage is…

PCB Router Spindle Maintenance: Bearings, Collet and Runout A router spindle turns the cutting tool that separates boards from the panel, and it is asked to do so at high speed with almost no vibration. Its condition decides the edge quality of every board that passes under it. Unlike a…

Nitrogen Atmosphere in Reflow: When It Is Worth It A nitrogen atmosphere is used in reflow to reduce the oxygen available at the joint while the alloy is molten. Less oxygen means less oxide on the powder and on the pad, and the alloy therefore wets more readily and spreads…

Gold Finger Bevelling: Contact Edges in Edge Connectors A gold finger is the contact surface of an edge connector, and bevelling is the chamfer machined on the leading edge of the board so that it enters the mating socket without damaging either part. The bevel is a mechanical feature protecting…

PCB Etch ORP Control: Oxidation and Etch Rate Stability ORP control is the measurement of oxidation potential in an etch bath, and it is the number that keeps a cupric chloride etchant working. The potential tells the line how much oxidising power the chemistry holds, which in turn sets how…

Plating Bath Foam: Antifoam and Surface Control Bath foam is the layer of bubbles that collects on the surface of a plating or process tank, and it is a symptom rather than a process step. A thin layer is normal where air agitation or brightener chemistry is present. A heavy,…

PCB Ion Chromatography Traceability: Following One Board 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 ion chromatography traceability gives you a practical advantage when you…