Phil Zarrow, ITM Consulting With over 35 years experience in PCB assembly, Phil is one of the leading experts in SMT process failure analysis. He has vast experience in SMT equipment, materials and processes.
Jim Hall, ITM Consulting A Lean Six-Sigma Master Blackbelt, Jim has a wealth of knowledge in soldering, thermal technology, equipment and process basics. He is a pioneer in the science of reflow.
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At my company we qualify PCB suppliers based in part on HATS or IST via reliability testing. For the test, we specify 6 preconditioning cycles, which simulates the manufacturing process for a complex board (2 reflow cycles, 1 wave solder, 1 BGA rework - it adds up fast).
Then we limit our assemblers to 6 thermal cycles at any one site. Thus we maintain the validity of the reliability qualification.
Jimmie King, GE Healthcare
There IS a limit, but there are so many variables that its hard to define. Too long at the Td and the resin degrades. Too long at Tg and delam occurs.
Too much Z axis movement and the interconnects separate from the barrel and the pads rise breaking the "knee" of the hole wall/pad interface. The only way to understand the limits for your own process is to perform DOE's and destructive analysis as part of the validation of the reflow and rework processes.
Too often CCA assemblers are enthusiastic about throwing the PWB supplier under the bus and unwilling to examine their own processes. I have been on both sides of the business.
Brad Fern, Logic
Is there a thermal cycle limit ... no.
Michael Nadreau
Thermal Cycles - tough question to answer - as you stated there is no set number of cycles, it will be dependent on temperature and the component, board material etc..
Keep up the program very informative.
Randy Bock
"Board Talk" is very informative. Keep the articles coming.
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Then we limit our assemblers to 6 thermal cycles at any one site. Thus we maintain the validity of the reliability qualification.
Jimmie King, GE Healthcare
Too much Z axis movement and the interconnects separate from the barrel and the pads rise breaking the "knee" of the hole wall/pad interface. The only way to understand the limits for your own process is to perform DOE's and destructive analysis as part of the validation of the reflow and rework processes.
Too often CCA assemblers are enthusiastic about throwing the PWB supplier under the bus and unwilling to examine their own processes. I have been on both sides of the business.
Brad Fern, Logic
Michael Nadreau
Keep up the program very informative.
Randy Bock
Dan Pereira, GBE