Jan 19, 2015 
FCT Assembly today announced that it will present a new process for evaluating solder pastes in Booth #713 at the IPC APEX EXPO, scheduled to take place Feb. 24-26, 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center in California. Field application engineer, Tony Lentz, also will present the paper written on the new evaulation process titled “Dispelling the Black Magic of Solder Paste.” The presentation will be held during the Fluxes Technical Conference Session on Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 1:30-3 p.m.
Lentz will present a process for evaluating solder pastes using a variety of methods. These methods are quick to run and challenging, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of solder pastes. Methods detailed in this paper include: print volume, stencil life, response to pause, open time, tack force over time, wetting, solder balling, graping, voiding, accelerated aging and others. Hard data is gathered and used in the evaluation process. Also, Lentz will present a set of methods that do not require expensive equipment or materials, but still generate useful data. The goal is to help the electronics assembler choose the best solder paste for their process.
Lentz has been in the electronics industry since 1994, and worked as a process engineer at a circuit board manufacturer for five years. He has extensive experience performing research and development, quality control, and technical service with products used to manufacture and assemble printed circuit boards. Additionally, Lentz has been involved with APEX for many years. He holds B.S. and M.B.S. degrees in chemistry.
FCT’s experts offer technical support for solder paste, SMT stencils, reflow profiling, root cause analysis and many other phases during the SMT process. In addition to its line of solder paste, FCT manufactures other products that reduce defects and increase yields during the printing process including laser cut stencils and stencil coatings. Visit the FCT team at the IPC APEX EXPO or go to www.fctassembly.com to find out why FCT has the best performing products on the market.
FCT Assembly consists of three divisions: FCT Solder, Fine Line Stencil and A-Laser. With numerous facilities in the United States, FCT is one of the electronics industry’s leading manufacturers of lead-free and leaded solder products, superior quality stencils and precision cut parts.
The company sets itself apart from its competitors by continuously studying new products and processes in order to uphold its reputation as a leader in technology. FCT’s customers can always count on the company to use the latest technology and to supply products with the highest quality.For more information, visit www.fctassembly.com.
