Solder paste printing technology is emerging
Stencil printing technology with the most obvious difference is the printing technology is a non-steel mesh technology. It printed circuit board component of the solder paste to provide a new approach. The unique structure of the substrate above the ejector at high velocity jet solder paste is completely non-contact, similar to inkjet printers. Substrate complexity to meet the increasing demands and the highest quality requirements, users can control each component pin solder paste volume required to ensure the best of the welding quality. By contrast, steel mesh printing process is facing increasing challenges. Longer development time, lack of flexibility, print error and substrate design corresponds with the complex difficulty, have been highlights technology gap Qi, Er jet printing technology Shidezheyi series Tiao Zhan is resolved, a Penyin technology of innovation Yundongzhengzai Xing Qi. Software control and additional features to provide users with unparalleled flexibility. Preparation time can be measured in minutes rather than days, thus significantly reduces the user's response time.
As a software-controlled, non-steel mesh technology, printing technology has quickly established itself in the SMT market position. 2009, MYDATA's MY500 solder paste printing machines to achieve a 50% sales increase, while at the same time, steel mesh printer market declined by 63% (PROTEC). Yu said that the solder paste printing technology, the time has come. But the solder paste printing technology in the end is what kind of technology? It can really replace the traditional SMT stencil printing technology?
Increase the value of hybrid production
Because printing is a high degree of flexibility and support of various production settings, so its high-mix production environment is the most Gao Xiao's. The design with 30,000 pieces / hour assembly line phase synchronization; also be able to print a variety of leaded and surface mount adhesive paste.
Jet printing technology is suited to the production of high-volume set online, but also to a secondary line of short-term production and prototype production.
Like all areas of production, like, SMT industry have continued to change and development. No matter what kind of hybrid production, each manufacturer needs to cope with change and development challenges. Today's manufacturers face three major challenges: to respond to customer needs more quickly; to improve the quality of solder joints; to meet the increasing complexity of PCB design requirements. Solder paste printing technology can respond to each of a challenge.
Faster response to customers Best of the solder joint quality
"EMS companies are looking for flexible SMT equipment to respond to changing product mix." This phrase comes from the German Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology's spokesman, now the industry repeating these words.
Development time involved in ordering and delivery of steel mesh, usually measured in days. Steel mesh is damaged, cut errors and overall design of the necessary changes required to re-order the final. For the line between work cleaning a waste of valuable time.
Printing is very responsive, and efficient in converting between the two tasks. Hour response time can be measured. There may be morning, new orders received, the same day to complete and deliver the substrate.
Use of print technology, in a few minutes to CAD or Gerber data off line for the new print job ready. Full software control also means that the final substrate design changes can be fast and simple manner.
Sophisticated printing equipment through information "smart" use also supports the lean production to reduce downtime, eliminate non-value added activities. It can be broken down into smaller the volume of production to meet the needs of downstream production, without reducing the utilization of equipment. Product conversion is less than 1 min, manufacturer in continuous production to deal with urgent tasks and interrupts in a very small period of time for prototyping. In this regard, MY500 and MYDATA lean production in the combination of the solution, really complement each other.
One reason is the adoption of steel mesh steel mesh in the large component of total printing process components with smaller amount of optimization required for solder paste compromise. Despite the stepped steel mesh with a certain degree of optimization of the role, but doing so requires additional costs, while the minimum paste volume change and the "step distance" is limited.
In contrast, full control of solder paste print volume, including the three-dimensional printing (at each point and then paste dispensing solder paste). Default settings provided by the CAD data. Users are free to every pad on the PCB, components and packaging on the solder paste volume, location, coverage and paste a high degree of fine-tuning. It will be able to optimize solder paste deposition, even the most complex and high-density packaging boards. For example, a user using printing technology, each square centimeter of its products on the assembly of the 69 components.
Packaging system can further improve quality. Compared with steel mesh printing, printing significantly reduces the number of variable parameters, and the associated potential for human error. Software control to ensure the realization of extremely fast optimal printing process. Solder paste volume on-site corrections can take effect within a few seconds.
In addition, the printing process can be started automatically under the PCB and aligned benchmark. Non-contact technology has nothing to do with any of the substrate warpage.
Easy to deal with complex technology
In the SMT industry, there is a clear trend is getting smaller and smaller packaging, substrate design complexity and increasing density of components assembly. The application of these challenges are gradually leaving the traditional stencil printing technology. Recently from the international electronics manufacturer Union (iNEMI), a report on this trend was even more powerful explanation, said in a report: "When the substrate involved when mixing technology, steel mesh printing will reach its limit."
In the solder paste volume optimization, printing can be reliably respond to specific components, such as QFN and through-hole reflow (Pin-in-paste) components. At the same time, it also opened new opportunities for the design of the door. For example, in three-dimensional substrate, in order to reduce the height of the final component, the use of more and more groove, while the print is only able to complete this task automation solutions.
Stacked package (PoP) design brings another challenge. Components of flux or solder paste dipping dirty, operate labor-intensive, mass production is difficult to satisfactory solutions. Print not only automate the process, but also by optimizing the height of each solder paste and solder paste volume, compensate for any warping components.
To deal with complex components and packaging capacity means that the technology most suitable for the second printing, printing machine can print in the previous steel mesh and then deposited on the substrate after the solder paste. This makes the manufacturer eliminates the expensive and time-consuming manual operation.
ROI
Should carefully consider the investment in new technology needs of present and future continuity. More than the original production, "just in case," the investment is very simple, but if the entire production process of setting and level of production can not meet, expensive equipment will not be fully utilized.
Printing is more flexible, can help manufacturers improve their entire production process, reduce setup and changeover times, improve equipment utilization. Can simply achieve the same high-quality solder joints, substrates to meet the various applications and complex design requirements.
Coupled with the apparent increase user responsiveness, printing with the best and fastest return on their investment. There is no doubt there will be more and more producers choose new printing technology to replace steel mesh printing.