Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/989774
42 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2018 Las Marias: What are the best prac- tices to consider when dealing with flexible circuits during rework? Lee: Ideally, it should be one touch, and you make the joint. That means you cannot use the tip to do it twice, or many times. Too many touch- ups, and you will have a problem, because the joint is very small, and the tip geometry is very small, and of course, as I said previously, the operator needs good manual solder - ing skills. The tool, the tip cartridge or soldering iron, is an equipment issue. You need to select correctly the equipment first. The second part into making a good rework is the operator. You need to have both. If you have a good operator, but you don't have good equip- ment, you will get delamination. If you have good equipment, but not a good operator, you will still have a problem. So, it's the combination of the human factor and good soldering iron. Gouldsmith: It's a combination of two skill sets: the skill sets of the operator and the quality and performance of the tip. Because we use the Curie Point, there is no chance for any of the problems that occur with conventional soldering irons. With conven- tional soldering irons, you have the potential for overshoot of temperature, constant power, instead of "power on demand", and as a result delamination or solder splash. Las Marias: Do you think there will always be an issue when dealing with flex circuit assemblies? Lee: Yes, always. Once they use a flexible printed circuit, that means assembly issues, that means space issues—they need tight solutions, so they use flex circuits. That means the joints and components are very small. Las Marias: In which markets do you see the use of flex circuits increasing? Lee: Mobile phones, cameras, what- ever device that's getting smaller and thinner. They're always going to need flex- ible circuits. Las Marias: Great. Thank you both very much. Zen: Thank you. SMT007 Zen Lee Michael Gouldsmith At the recent NEPCON China 2018 event in Shanghai, Harald Eppinger, managing director of Koh Young Europe, speaks about the need for improvements in process capa- bilities to optimize the PCB assembly processes. He notes that catching defects is already a given, and that manu- facturers now should focus on how to prevent them. Other topics discussed include the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in inspection systems and its impact in the overall process; the Hermes standard and the IPC CFX Demo; and new technologies from the company. RTW NEPCON China: Koh Young Discusses Smarter Inspection Watch the interview here. E