Jan 10, 2012 
KIC announces the release of the Reflow Process Index (RPI), designed to help electronics manufacturers receive maximum quality and throughput from their reflow ovens.
A reflow oven is a sophisticated black box machine. It is a marvel of activities such as creating heat, blowing air, removing volatiles from the air, controlling static pressure, controlling temperature and conveyor speed, user interface, and much more. These things are all important, although they remain a means to an end. They are activities that strive to achieve a result.
The desired results are to maintain an in-spec PCB profile and required throughput. The KIC RPI helps manage reflow ovens to consistently maximize the desired results. Additionally, the RPI provides process deficiency information to help users correct their defect issues quickly. The RPI is an automatic system that, once programmed, works in the background without any operator involvement. Its capabilities include:
- Shares all pertinent process and production data in real-time
- Automatically profiles each and every PCB
- Provides instant alarm for out-of-spec situations
- Automatic SPC charting, including Cpk
- Process traceability down to individual PCBs
- Prevents human error such as production of the wrong PCBs or wrong oven recipe settings (bar code required)
The KIC RPI improves quality and throughput, and is universally applicable because it works independently of the oven model, production lines, personnel, PCB types and even factory.
For more information about KIC’s RPI or to request a demonstration, visit www.kicthermal.com
Based in San Diego, KIC is the industry leader in automated thermal management tools and systems for reflow, wave, cure and semiconductor thermal processes. The company pioneered the development of oven profilers and process optimization tools, and then worked to create the next generation of thermal systems to help manufacturers improve the thermal process quality while reducing cost.
In addition to KIC Explorer, products include the KIC RPI reflow process inspection system, the KIC Vision automatic profiling system and more. With the introduction of cutting edge tools, the company continues to stay on the leading edge of process optimization and automatic thermal management systems, and has won numerous industry awards.
