A Look at Our Readers’ Manufacturing Challenges

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In a recent SMT007 survey, we asked the following question: "What are your greatest challenges when it comes to soldering?" Here are just a few of the replies, slightly edited for clarity.

Jon Ashton, Vergent Products: Selective soldering is not covered (as a process) by any specific IPC/J-STD document that I can find. The training, even from our equipment supplier, is prohibitively expensive. That makes improving the process harder than it should be. Regarding SMT PCBA design, there is a lot of bad data out there in existing CAD/CAM libraries, and the manufacturer’s datasheets are often the source of this bad information.

Jeff Vaessen, Borg Indak: Choosing the right tip geometry is the biggest challenge for any solderer. The right tip makes all the difference in the world.

Pongtip Pattarateerawat, Celestica Thailand: The wave soldering process is more challenging than the SMT reflow process, as there are a variety of PCB design and component considerations when it comes to wave soldering.

Yingyos Sookchai, SVI Public Co. Ltd: Achieving solder fillets with perfect wetting and avoiding damages to components.

12/12/2018 | Stephen Las Marias, I-Connect007

In a recent SMT007 survey, we asked the following question: "What are your greatest challenges when it comes to soldering?" Here are just a few of the replies, slightly edited for clarity.

12/14/2018 | Happy Holden, I-Connect007

Dr. Traian Cucu, group leader of the Global Applications and Technologies Expert Group (GATE)—R&D—within Alpha Assembly Solutions, speaks with I-Connect007 Technical Editor Happy Holden about low-temperature and lead-free soldering applications, and the many critical advantages that can achieved by moving to a low-temperature process. They talk about the industry's transition to lead-free, the first, second and third generation of adoption of low-temperature alloys.

12/05/2018 | I-Connect007 Editorial Team

This summer, Patty Goldman interviewed Greg Vance, senior project engineer at Rockwell Automation and president of the Ohio chapter, at the SMTA Ohio Valley Expo and Tech Forum in Independence, Ohio. Vance discusses the show, young professionals in the industry, and other events, such as solder paste roundtables.