Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/935136
44 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2018 "I was working with a supplier who needed a beta site for a new solder paste test board, and a user who needed to upgrade his solder paste chemistry. It was a perfect match, and both organizations agreed to work in partner- ship," she explains. "The project yielded a great deal of insight for the supplier on what was required to make the test board as produc- tion-friendly as possible, and for the user who had a data-driven method of identifying the best chemistry for his operation. Both were very happy with the outcome, with the user praising it as 'the best money they ever spent.' We presented the study at SMTA International last fall, where the conference attendees gave it the highest rating, and we won the 'Rich Frieberger Best of Conference' award. That's a great honor that exceeded everyone's expec - tations, including my own!" That solder paste test board which will be formally introduced at the IPC APEX Expo trade show later this month. "We applied everything we learned in those beta runs of the solder paste test board to create a complete suite of tools that make solder paste testing as easy as possible," Shea explains. "The biggest step in taking it from the lab to the line was updat - ing the CAD database, reducing the bare board layer count and integrating a BOM for easy programming. We also created a configura- tor that calculates sample sizes and BOM cost, designed the stencil and board support tooling, constructed a simple experiment with step-by- step directions, published a soldering reference manual, demonstrated a basic statistical reduc- tion program to analyze the data, and devel- oped a score card. Aculon is including a sample of their NanoClear stencil nanocoating in the package, as well. It is a turnkey kit, with the same documentation as a production PCB and decades' worth of experience built into it. "Of all the elements of the kit, the key for assemblers is the score card. Every SMT operation is different and subject to varying demands. The kit is designed to be as plug- and-play as possible, but the score card lets the user customize solder paste performance requirements according to their specific needs. Using the kit, an engineer can evaluate up to 22 solder paste characteristics in about four Figure 2: Flux repellency on stencils.