Put a fair amount of stress on the bond between printed boards and electronic components and there’s a chance problems will arise, from solder ball cracking to conductor damage to pad cratering.
Although measuring stress is a challenge for EMS and OEM companies, the recently updated joint industry guideline, IPC/JEDEC-9704A ‘Printed Circuit Assembly Strain Gage Test Guideline,’ makes it easier for engineers to run strain gauge tests during the manufacturing process.
“Revision A is about making sure there is a common accepted practice for measuring manufacturing strain on printed board assemblies due to board flexure,” said Jagadeesh Radhakrishnan, a reliability engineer with Intel and leader of the effort within the IPC SMT Attachment Reliability Test Methods Task Group that helped revise the guideline.
Whereas the first-generation document provided industry with target pass/fail points, the A revision, as Radhakrishnan explains, “… changes the focus to providing a methodology. It does not give you targets; it thoroughly explains how to measure strain.”
Revision A includes formulas for calculating strain and describes techniques for analysing data derived from these tests.
The tests can be performed at many stages during the manufacturing of printed board assemblies. Components can be tested during assembly or during test processes in the factory or just before they are packaged.
In addition to the change in focus, IPC/JEDEC-9704A has an expanded scope and provides recommendations for sockets and ceramic capacitors; in the past, it just addressed ball grid arrays (BGAs). “It also changes parameters for in-circuit test fixtures, providing best design practices so users will have fewer issues,” concludes Radhakrishnan.
Read more...Electronic News Digest
News
A brief synopsis of current global news relating to the electronic engineering fields with regards to company finances, general company news, and engineering technologies.
Read more...Correction: Marijana Abt, Rebound Electronics
News
In the August issue of Dataweek magazine, the article titled ‘Celebrating innovation, leadership, and the next generation’ featured Marijana Abt, senior account manager at Rebound Electronics. Owing ...
Read more...Trasna and RF Design announce distribution agreement RF Design
News
Trasna and RF Design have announced a strategic distribution agreement for cellular IoT solutions which will ensure seamless availability of Trasna’s cellular connectivity solutions.
Read more...Comtest hosts channel partners Comtest
News
Comtest, together with FLUKE, recently set the stage for an unforgettable afternoon as they welcomed over 80 Channel Partners to their annual celebration of excellence.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version