Jun17
Selectively/partial increase solder paste volume solutions

Why is it necessary to partially increase the solder paste volume in SMT soldering?

To meet the demands of smaller and thinner electronic component designs, stencils are made as thin as possible to precisely control the tiny solder paste printed on the PCB.

However, this creates a challenge when smaller and larger electronic surface-mounted devices (SMDs) need to be mounted on the same board. The stencil’s thinness limits the amount of solder paste that can be deposited, and extending the stencil aperture over the pad size is still not  yet enough to fill the necessary volume of solder. To provide sufficient solder paste volume for larger components, as well as for HTD components, EMS has implemented the PIH (Paste in Hole) process.

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Jun10
PCB rework: Selective solder mask removal by laser

PCB rework: Selective solder mask removal by laserAs an engineer in the electronics manufacturing industry, have you ever encountered the need to rework a printed circuit board (PCB) to remove the solder mask? If so, how did you approach this problem?

Traditionally, the solder mask is manually removed using a knife or hand grinding tool. However, this method often results in damage to the traces on the PCB, leading to a high scrap rate for both the PCB and PCB assembly.

WorkingBear would like to introduce a new method of removing the solder mask using a laser machine, which is highly efficient and reliable. By selecting the appropriate laser power, the solder mask can be removed without damaging the copper underneath. read more…》

Jun03
TQRDCE Performance Expectations and Review

This is an example that implement TRQDCE form for vendor survey.


TQRDCE Introduction:

TQRDCE ChecklistThe company’s approach to establishing and maintaining long-term working relationships involves creating and monitoring mutual performance expectations and measurements. The use of performance metrics, constructive feedback, and prompt corrective action by both the supplier and customer is essential for achieving continuous process improvement.

To enable customers to measure our suppliers, we have developed the TQRDCE (Technology, Quality, Responsiveness, Delivery, Cost, and Environmental) review. It is crucial for suppliers to maintain a competitive advantage by providing materials of the highest quality and lowest total cost, with the best delivery, responsiveness, and technology available. The TQRDCE review is a tool that measures and communicates a supplier’s performance, and assists the company in determining their position in future business relationships.

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May27
Improve BGA Solderability By Partially Increasing Solder Paste Volume

BGA_X-Ray_pictureImproving the solderability of BGA (Ball Grid Array) packages is always a big challenge for the SMT (Surface Mount Technology) process. Fine pitch BGAs (with a ball pitch less than 0.8mm) are particularly difficult to solder onto the PCB. Additionally, inspecting the soldering result is challenging because the solder joints are hidden under the BGA body, and sometimes even 2D X-Ray inspection is insufficient. (5Dx or angle rotation X-Ray might be able to inspect BGA soldering quality, but these methods are expensive.)

Experience tells us that most BGA solderability failures are caused by the HIP (Head-In-Pillow) or call HoP (Head-on-Pillow) soldering defect, and over 90% of HIP defects occur at the four corners of the BGA package. This is due to the longer diagonal distance and the greater impact from board warpage and BGA deformation. Many senior SMT engineers have conducted experiments and proven that increasing the solder paste volume on the pads under the BGA can reduce the risk of HIP defects.

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May20
Shipping carton drop/impact test condition

Do you know how vendor ensure that their products are not damaged during shipping due to handling by transporters or delivery personnel? Reputable vendors put effort into designing and selecting suitable packaging materials for shipping to ensure the quality of their products. This article will introduce how vendor test whether their cardboard packaging meets general shipping requirements.

The electronic industry grows quickly. Each vendor takes responsible to his own component only to make it good and low cost. Take a flashlight manufacturer as example. There are bulb, wires, switch, spring, and plastic or metal housing make up the flashlight. The manufacturer buys all the sub-components from each supplier and assembles them together to fabricate the flashlight then sell to end-user.

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