Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1424540
NOVEMBER 2021 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 57 Kinner: A couple of customers have evaluated the material and the feedback has been out- standing. ey found that the performance is as we described it, which is their primary in- terest. e green aspect is nice to have, but what we're really doing is future-proofing it because it's nice to qualify material. en, two years down the road, the government says, "You need to do your bit for the environment," and it's covered. It's not something they're nec- essarily thinking about, but it's definitely nice to have. However, the key thing is the perfor- mance and that is better. Every generation of these materials has been a little bit better than the previous one. at's continued here. Johnson: You will have both these products at productronica. Kinner: Yes, we will. Johnson: I presume then that we'll be seeing them at IPC APEX EXPO also? Kinner: Yes, definitely, we will be exhibiting with MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions and these are key launches for us. Johnson: Travel restrictions allowing, of course. Kinner: Double vaccinated people are allowed back into the U.S. starting in November. So, fingers crossed, we'll be there. Johnson: But for those in the industry who are interested in looking at these products, they will be able to find them there. Kinner: ey will be able to find them there, they can see the presentations, and we'll be there to answer any questions. Johnson: Great. Any comment on the MacDer- mid Alpha acquisition of Electrolube? Kinner: It's interesting, being acquired by such a big company, getting access to wider R&D groups and getting a different perspective. For many years, a lot of problems were always the solder paste guys or the flux guys. Now they're our guys. at's an interesting perspective and I think there will be some interesting collabo- ration that results from it. Johnson: Is that sort of dynamic showing up in the company culture? Kinner: I think the company culture will fol- low. We're all naturally inquisitive and when it comes to finding solutions to problems, it's al- ways been part of our DNA to get as far toward the root causes as we can. What we're really seeing is we have colleagues with the same in- clinations; together, we're able to get even fur- ther toward the root causes of the issues. I'm confident there will be some really cool new products; it's been extremely interesting and really beneficial, so far. Johnson: Very good. It will be interesting to see what happens over time. Kinner: Absolutely. Very exciting. SMT007 Phil Kinner is the head of R&D at Electrolube, and an I-Connect007 columnist. To read past columns or contact Kinner, click here. Download your free copy of Electrolube's book, The Printed Circuit As- sembler's Guide to… Conformal Coatings for Harsh Environments, and watch the micro webinar series "Coatings Uncoated!" For many years, a lot of problems were always the solder paste guys or the flux guys. Now they're our guys.