The trend of increasing complication in the rework arena continues.

Consumer devices are driving a significant portion of today’s electronics industry growth.

The electronics industry’s transition to lead-free soldering has been characterised by misapprehensions.

When the solder iron pulls away, a solder spike is formed. There is, of course, more to it than that, as my experiments involving flux activity show.

Jetting adhesives for electronics and semiconductor packaging has provided enabling technology for high-throughput underfilling, small fillets and other applications for small, discrete amounts of material used in packaging. 

Printing of electronics is an escape route opening up for some in the troubled printing industry. 

Many words have been written about the impending lead-free transition. During this period of frantic discovery, much has been communicated about reflow and alloy concerns, but the print process, which, let’s face it, is the first process that adds value, is often overlooked. 

The 01005-chip component package, ranging from 0.10 x 0.304mm (0.004” x 0.012”) to 0.20 x 0.40mm (0.008” x 0.016”) depending on the supplier and if the 01005 component is a resistor or a capacitor, is dramatically smaller than the previous smallest component package used for resistors and capacitors, the 0201 (0.60 x 0.30mm (0.0236” x 0.0118”) component package. 

Another year has begun, and with the impending July 1st 2006 deadline for the RoHS Directive rapidly approaching, some companies are experiencing the stresses involved in meeting their obligations. 

Can lead-free solder joints be completed using a soldering iron and tip that were previously used for tin/lead soldering?  

As demand for lighter and more compact products in the field of mobile phones, PDAs and other devices continues, use of 01005 components--at 50% the weight and  one quarter the area of 0201 components--will grow in coming years. 

In Global SMT & Packaging issue 5.6 (June/July 2005), Stach & Bixenman presented research for optimizing cleaning energy in batch and inline cleaning systems....