Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1137649
86 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2019 board. Today, ovens are available with predic- tive profiling features that can cut down on guessing and testing, and many profiling soft- ware options have become better at providing you with an accurate, workable profile on the first try. One option you may want to consider is automating your hand soldering process by use of selective solders or wave soldering machines. Wave solder machines are gener- ally considered a better option for single-sided boards; otherwise, pallets or masking will be required unless you've decided to use glue or adhesive to hold down resistors and chips to solder them on the wave. With wave solder- ing, you'll experience a more consistent solder joint than hand soldering. Selective solders, on the other hand, are a great choice for complex double-sided board configurations and elimi- nating hand soldering in general. While it's important to take care when assembling your SMT line, errors in the assem- bly process are nearly impossible to 100% eliminate. This is where an inspection station and functional testing can come in handy. An automatic optical inspection (AOI) option can allow you to identify possible issues with your board as they occur. This also means that you'll be aware of possible complications in your line before they become even more of an issue by making their way into the field or compromis- ing multiple boards, multiplying the cost of repairs. Should the use of an AOI or functional test detect any defects in your boards, a rework station can make remedying those defects go smoothly. Any rework station that simulates a reflow oven and has automatic removal and placement capabilities eliminates any prob- lems related to operators hand-removing parts, lifting pads, and possibly causing damage to boards. There are a number of factors to consider when beginning in-house SMT production, no matter the application of your boards. Tak- ing care to make the right choice for accom- plishing each step in the process at the outset can save you a number of headaches down the road. Whatever the final implementation of your boards, you want to make certain that your assembly process is as accurate as possible. SMT007 Chris Ellis is a sales manager/engineer for Manncorp Inc. Oak Ridge National Laboratory physicists studying quantum sensing, which could impact a wide range of potential applications from airport security scanning to gravitational wave measurements, have outlined in ACS Photonics the dramatic advances in the field. "Quantum-enhanced microscopes are particularly exciting," ORNL's Ben Lawrie said. "These quantum sen- sors can 'squeeze' the uncertainty in optical measure- ments, reducing the uncertainty in one variable while increasing the uncertainty elsewhere." Squeezed light refers to a quantum state where the statistical noise that occurs in ordinary light is greatly reduced. Squeezed atomic force microscopes (AFMs) could operate hundreds of times faster than current micro- scopes while providing a nanoscale description of high- speed electronic interactions in materials. This enhance- ment is enabled by removing a requirement in most AFMs that the microscope operates at a single frequency. Future sensing technologies that harness quantum properties could be deployed as new quantum-enabled devices or as "plug-ins" for existing sensors. (Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Quantum-squeezed Light Cuts Noise