Technical Library | 2019-06-07 14:49:54.0
ACI Technologies was contacted in regards to poor solder joint reliability. The customer submitted an assembly that was exhibiting intermittent opens at multiple locations on a ball grid array (BGA) component. The assembly’s functionality did not survive international shipping, essentially shock and vibration failures, immediately making the quality of the solder joints suspect. The customer was asked about the contract manufacturer and the reflow oven profile as well as the solder paste and surface finish used. The ACI engineering staff evaluated the contract manufacturer’s technique and determined that they were competent in the methods they used for placing thermocouples in the proper locations and developing the reflow oven profile. The surface finish was unusual, but not unheard of, in that it was hard gold over hard nickel, rather than electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG). The customer was able to supply boundary scan testing data which showed a diagonal row of troublesome BGA pins.
Technical Library | 2018-04-27 12:59:29.0
Hot Air and IR are the two main types of rework stations used by OEMs and PCB contract manufacturers today. Both have advantages and disadvantages and choosing the right one for your application requires a careful consideration of a number of factors, including your budget, your working requirements and the capabilities of your staff. In this article, we outline some of the differences between hot air and IR BGA rework stations.
Technical Library | 2010-11-24 20:47:38.0
As the electronics manufacturing and assembly industry in the US recovers to some degree from the economic crisis which began in 2008, the challenge of component shortages has risen to the top as one of the stumbling blocks for contract assemblers and cap
Technical Library | 2018-03-13 14:12:34.0
Many companies take their supply chain for granted until they need an obsolete part or a hard-to-find component. Then the importance of having resourceful contract manufacturing partners becomes an incredibly valuable asset.
Technical Library | 2023-06-12 16:52:47.0
The technological advancement of component and PCB technology from through-hole to surface mount (SMT) is a major factor in the miniaturization of today's electronics. Smaller and smaller component sizes and more densely packed PCBs lead to more powerful designs in much smaller product packages. With advancement, however, comes a new set of challenges in building these smaller, more complex assemblies. This is the challenge original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and contract manufacturers (CM) face today.
Technical Library | 2008-08-20 17:28:19.0
Kitting is the first step in printed circuit board assembly. It is initiated well in advance of the actual production start to be able to prepare and deliver the kit on time. Kitting involves the gathering of all the parts needed for a particular assembly from the stockroom and issuing the kit to the manufacturing line at the right time and in the right quantity. This paper discusses kitting, describes ways to eliminate waste in different phases of kitting, and illustrates lean kitting using a case study conducted in a major contract manufacturer site.
Technical Library | 2019-01-23 21:33:32.0
Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) is advantageous in that it enables defects to be detected early in the manufacturing process, reducing the Cost of Repair as the AOI systems identify the specific components that are failing removing the need for any additional test troubleshooting1-3. Because of this, more Electronic Contract Manufacturing Services (EMS) companies are implementing AOI into their SMT lines to minimize repair costs and maintain good process and product quality, especially for new component types. This project focuses on the testing of component package 03015 which is challenging for AOI.
Technical Library | 2014-09-25 18:16:47.0
For the past few years there has been a shift in the Lighting Industry that has carried over to the surface mount technology assembly line. What is this shift you may ask? Well it is the LED revolution. This revolution or change in lighting has some very promising results already in practice and many more companies looking to implement the LED technology into their product portfolio's. With a number of companies looking to expand their portfolio to include LED fixtures there has been an increase in the number of companies that have started their own SMT lines, as well as a significant number of contract manufacturers to meet this new industries demands (...)This presentation will discuss some issues in the pick and place process for LEDs and presents a method to troubleshoot and resolve these issues.
Technical Library | 2023-03-13 19:12:56.0
Printed electronics (PE) is impacting almost every branch of manufacturing. The printing of electronics on mechanically flexible substrates such as plastic, paper and textile, using traditional printing techniques, provides novel applications for wearable and stretchable electronics. Government sponsored consortiums, universities, contract printers, startups and global manufacturers are developing processes to bring this technology to market faster, more costeffectively and at scale. By increasing the speed of technology adoption while following industrialization best practices, industry researchers aim to create processes that ramp up the scale of production for simple circuits and integrated conductive structures.
Technical Library | 2019-10-18 10:37:25.0
It usually does not make any logic to invest in costly fabrication equipment in case you just desire to spin some prototypes and rather outsource your Printed Circuit Board assembly as well as prototype fabrication to a trustworthy vendor. I would provide a few tips as to what to consider when seeking a contract manufacturer. The two most common procedures associated with Printed Circuit Board Assembly are through-hole technology and surface mount technology. Talking about the difference between through-hole technology and surface mount technology. Through-hole elements have metal leads, & these metal leads are supplied through-plated holes inside the circuit board. On the other hand, SMT elements might or might not have leads, nevertheless most significantly, they are developed to be soldered onto the surface of the circuit boards straight on the same side as the element body. A lot of contract manufacturers would provide a quick quote mechanism over their site for the fabrication of circuit boards as well as assembly of prototypes. This would bank your time when comparing various vendors. Ensure that the quote system facilitates you to fill your details, for instance, board material, thickness, copper thickness, milling, etc. in order that you can avail of a precise quote devoid of any surprises afterward. And this is quite necessary. Typically the cost per board would decline as quality upgrades. This is owing to the fairly high setup price of circuit board fabrication over and above component assembly. A few vendors would employ a system where they unite boards from various consumers. This manner the setup price would be circulated among numerous clients. When you fabricate an item, you clearly don’t desire to have to fabricate a big quantity of boards straight away whilst you improve your design. One restriction with small quantity prototypes though is that the option of materials & material thicknesses would be constrained. In case you are employing a particular material then opportunities are there will not be any other clients employing the same material. Additionally, lead time plays a major role in indecisive prices. A longer lead time facilitates the fabricator more liberty in slotting your fabrication. This is basically reflected in cheaper prices that would view in the quote section. Clearly, if you are in a hurry and desire to be moved to the summit of the pile you would require splurging more dollars. Ensure that your contract fabricator would support the file sort for producing which you offer. The most general format for printed circuit board fabrication is the Gerber format nonetheless a few vendors would moreover embrace board files from general printed circuit board software products. A few suppliers also provide in house printed circuit design. Even in case, you create your board yourself, choosing a vendor with design services might prove resourceful in case there is an issue with your files. In this scenario, your vendor could make swift changes that would neglect pricey delays. If you are looking for an Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS Assembly) provider, then the web is the best to search.
