SMART develops solder paste standard

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3 February 2010 News

The SMART Group announce the release of its first standard, ‘Control of solder paste used in electronic assembly process’ (document reference: SG PCT01), that is intended to help electronics assemblers to determine the suitability of solder paste prior to production. The tests show the actual useful life of the paste that will help to reduce waste and environmental impact.

The test methods employed are adaptations of the methods employed by paste manufacturers found in IPC-TM-650, IPC J-STD004/5 and IEC 61189-5. They assess solder paste for slump, spread, wetting, tack and balling. Gathered data also provides the ‘open time’ that the selected paste can provide to the user.

Process control tests have become essential to CEMs, ECMs and ODMs as they strive to enhance yields, improve product reliability and increase profits. Good measurement practice ideally requires only one variable – the item under test. However, this often requires far more sophisticated methodology than is practicable in a production environment – the demands in production are for something that is quick and easy to do, allowing a go/no-go answer rather than a definitive pass/fail.

This new standard provides, for the first time, a user-friendly test procedure that may be conducted in less than an hour. Simple ceramic or copper clad FR4 type coupons are employed and the solder paste is applied using special stencils applicable to the test in question. To carry out the tests, the user will require some items that, whilst readily available, are not necessarily ‘in-house’ items. They include a force gauge, hot plate, microscope, camera, coupons (ceramic and FR4 type), stencils and printer. There are, of course, commercially available systems that can be used to conduct all of these tests. Some of these are also able to provide image capture and comparator software that make the testing even easier and more useful.

For more information contact SMART Group secretary Tony Gordon, [email protected]

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