Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1010078
AUGUST 2018 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 69 Wack: Typically, what we do is when we see new trends happening in the industry, we set up technical studies—we try to be proactive and communicating the challenges. Some customers are also proactive—they read and inform themselves, they understand problems that we have described, and how to go about resolving those. We pride ourselves in being proactive when it comes to creating technical educational content and informing the customers up front, and being very innovative and bringing out new products, be that on the chemistry side or auxiliary product. We are very strong in this aspect with our educational arm, Zestron Academy. We don't sell chemistry products per se, but we sell information. We try to educate customers. Las Marias: How clean is clean? Wack: There are a lot of different standards in the U.S. and in Europe; different organizations have certain industry standards, be that IPC or the SMTA. It's different in Germany and Japan has their own; every industry has different associations, and there's no right answer to that. Despite the industry association limits or recommendations, every customer has their own limitations and experiences. If the contamination value, however you measure it, reaches certain limits, then you can associate that to reliability. It typically turns to how long this result is good for my product quality or reliability, depending on what environment it is in. So, the answer is complicated because it depends on what industry you are in, your requirements, what instruments or measurements you do want to use, and then what standard do you set yourself to. Do you go by an industry standard, or by individual experiences? There's just no one answer. Las Marias: Are you seeing a strategy shift when it comes to cleaning? Wack: Because everything's getting smaller, the trend is turning into more cleaning, as it has been in the last 10 years. It just continues because the space becomes exponentially less; now they are starting with systems and packaging, they are moving some of the semiconductor aspects into the SMT market. The things are moving Dr. Harald Wack