Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1513827
JANUARY 2024 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 61 rework volume. Do you recom- mend cleaning for all boards whether you're using no- clean or otherwise? One of the steps here is the inspection at the end of the pro- cess, including any rework just before packing. We review all the residuals from rework to be sure that they are prop- erly cleaned from the board. Residu- als from rework def- initely could affect the functionality of the individual boards. Matties: In a state-of-the-art rework station, what tools do you expect to see? I think the ideal rework area needs to have a group of tools for hand soldering, repair micro- scopes for through-hole component and auto- mated tools for BGA repairs. ere's also a lot of automation in that area. You would expect to have tools capable of managing small as well large package sizes, thin and thicker boards. Ide- ally, you should be capable of picking and placing parts and meeting the thermal reflow require- ments without damaging adjacent components. Johnson: That would stand to reason; we're talking about such very small parts for the passives: resistors, capacitors, and so forth. Can those even be humanly soldered? Hand soldering tools work for very small ones, but it definitely requires a lot of skill. Matties: What IPC standards are in play here? Do you follow any IPC standards for rework? All the technicians are certified with the IPC IPC-A-610. Matties: What training do you need to have to be in rework? For technicians, it's ideal when we can have people with experience. When we need to hire a new person, it's more difficult to find. It can sometimes take a number of months to find the right person. When they join us, they go through our internal training, so they are familiar with the boards and the packages that we run here per our internal specifications. Matties: Is that all internal training or do you send them out to any IPC or other sorts of training? We have IPC certifiers. In the past, we'd send people outside, but we now have people who are certified by IPC trainers in our group. When we need specific training on a specific tool, we work with the tool suppliers to do the training here. Johnson: This has been really insightful, Maria. ank you. SMT007