March 2006
 

BEST Inc News   March 2006 in this issue Lead Free BGA Study Results Now Available ONLINE A610 Recertifications MLF, QFN and LGA Rework and Placements Interested in Making Your Own Solder Extraction Tool? Highlighted in this newsletter are several of the newest pieces of information on the BEST web site along with our newest products and services. Also check out the "change of pace" article we have included. It will tell you tinkerers out there just how to build your own SMT solder extraction tool. It is truly a "homemade" version! On June 8th BEST will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Put the date on your calendar as there will be quite a party! Bob Wettermann, President   Lead Free BGA Study Results Now Available Recently BEST commissioned a study which compared the reliability of various lead-free BGA rework methods. The results were presented at the recent Pan Pac Exposition and at APEX. They are now available in both their presented paper form as well as in the lab test results version. This study was commissioned to compare paste printing and flux only rework attachment methods and the impact that they would have on the reliability of lead-free processed BGAs. Each of the samples were tested for the reliability of their interconnections as they were subjected to 1,000+ temperature cycles. The results of this study showed: First pass rework yields of flux attachment are lower than solder paste printing The reliability of lead-free reworked BGAs is not impacted by the presence of the StencilQuik(TM) stay-in-place stencil To get the full report   ONLINE A610 Recertifications BEST has available IPCA-610 CIT and CIS re-certifications without ever having to leave the comfort of your home or office. It is easy to use and little computer expertise is required! These online re-certifications offer:   The elimination of travel for the testing: The flexibility of taking the test wherever you want The ability to have students test at various times so as not to dedicate a trained, skilled soldering trainer for re-certifications   Please find attached a link to the demo sight for the A610 recertification. Just click through to see what the interface would look like for your students. Both CIS and CIT re-certifications are available. Follow the link below to see an online recert demo!   MLF, QFN and LGA Rework and Placements BEST has had numerous experiences with leadless device initial placement and rework. We have the right experiences and the right tools for the job. The key to successful LGA, QFN and MLF rework is the proper solder paste printing of the land areas. BEST has the experience to properly design the stencils, even when large ground planes exist on the device. In addition, our technicians can "bump” the device lands using the StencilQuik(TM) stencil printing technique. We have gathered a variety of resources on our web site so that you can learn more about the placement and rework of these package types. See the link below...... To see more about leadless device placement   Interested in Making Your Own Solder Extraction Tool? Some people just love to tinker. Soldering technicians and electronics hobbyists are no different. If you are tired of paying higher than expected prices for your desoldering equipment, you can "make your own". All you will need is the following: Radio-Shack de-soldering Iron ($10) Small fish tank air pump ($7) Six to eight feet of vinyl fish tank air hose ($1) De-soldering braid or steel wool Zip ties   All for less than $20.00!!!! See more about how to make a surface mount soldering iron   More BGA, CSP and other stencil patterns available Over 200 BGA and CSP Patterns Available for StencilQuik(TM) See the ONLINE Virtual Tour of the BEST Mobile Training Center Register for the April 23rd SMTA IN Lead-Free Conference Register for the Lead-Free Hand Soldering Discussion and Borg-Indak Plant Tour Use our prototype build estimator Use our rework calculator   email: bwet@solder.net phone: (847) 797-9250 web: http://www.solder.net