Masters Abstracts (1998)

HINERMAN, JAY
(February 1998), Senior Applications Engineer, DEK Printing Machines, USA Inc., Flemington, NJ

Email: JHinerman@dek.com

Comprehensive Guidelines for the Alternate Assembly and Reflow Technology

The implementation of a successful process requires the comprehensive understanding of the materials, design, and process related factors that influence the formation of a proper through hole solder joint that has more than adequate reliability. Factors that need to be considered prior to the introduction of the AART process include material compatibility, solder paste selection, stencil design, reflow profile, solder paste selection, etc.

This research systematically evaluated the critical parameters that influence the AART process. A series of experiments were used in conjunction with theory and analysis to identify the process windows that would be applicable for every process step within the AART sequence. These process steps included solder paste deposition through printing and dispensing, the use of solder preforms, component insertion, reflow soldering, etc. The assemblies considered included gnew applications and 'drop-in' applications. The information gained through the experiments was used to design and build a set of assemblies that was subsequently subjected to accelerated life cycle testing. This research helped in the development of rules and guidelines that need to be adopted prior to and during the implementation of the AART process.