As seen in New Electronics - Solder jet printing – the natural evolution for microelectronics

EMS companies who produce PCBA’s have been using stencils for decades, to apply solder paste to boards, but this traditional method may one day be a thing of the past. Adam Harsant, Director at advanced CEM Gemini Tec explains why his company is at the cutting edge of technology with solder jet paste printing technology.

The UK's first MY600 jet printer at Gemini Tec UK

 

At Gemini Tec, as in every subcontract manufacturing company, each new product introduction starts with design specifications and a data pack that details all of the physical attributes of the PCB assembly. As appropriate, the company can provide layout expertise using Altium design tools or simply import the customer's ODB++ data.

So far, so ordinary, but thanks to the Mycronic MY500 & MY600 solder jet printers Gemini Tec acquired in 2008 and again in 2014, the journey from this point to the start of the manufacturing process takes under ten minutes, which is a far cry from the several hours or even days that will be expected with traditional stencil printing techniques.

With stencil printing, before production can start, the stencil has to be carefully engineered and often with a compromise and then manufactured from an external supplier. A production operative then has to take time to physically set up the stencil, solder paste and printer. And even then, the stencil printing process has significant limitations, in part, due to the ever-decreasing pad geometry found on today's compact PCB designs.

Bespoke solder paste for every pad position

Controlling the amount of solder paste applied on a pad-by-pad basis is, for example, almost impossible and, with "difficult" components, this lack of control often means the yield through production is reduced. Its then commonplace to re-work boards manually, which drains valuable time and resources, with impact on production costs for the CEM and inevitably the end user.
By contrast, solder jet printing allows total control over the amount of solder paste deposited on each and every pad. Thanks to the way it builds up solder volumes with microscopic single dots of paste, jet printing ensures total consistency and creates the possibility of 3D solder build-up – with almost no limitations regarding keep-out areas. When a PCB designer places a 0201 next to a D-PAK, it's never been easier or more precise to position the correct volume of paste onto the board.
Using the jet printer is straightforward. The user sets the default volume for each solder pad based on CAD data, and can then fine-tune the deposit, on a pad-by-pad basis in terms of volume, position, and height of the paste. Built-in process controls take care of the rest, with no operator intervention required. The preparatory work can be performed offline, and all settings are saved for future use.
In comparison with screen-printing techniques, solder jet printing allows manufacturers to respond much more rapidly to customer demands and changes while achieving superior accuracy for every solder joint. There's no time wasted ordering, changing, cleaning or storing stencils, and far less risk of human error due to the reduced need for operator intervention.

As well as saving time, solder-jet printing has many other benefits, not least when working with flex, flex-rigid or even warped boards, as board alignment and stretch are measured with advanced sensors and compensated for in real time.

For pin-in-paste components, three-dimensional solder structures can be printed above the hole, using the printer's software to automatically program the correct amount and shape for each pin. What's more, users can edit the amount of solder paste during production in real time, removing the risk of production downtime and delayed shipments for time critical orders.
Using solder jet printing technologies available today enables the electronics industry to access a comprehensive range of new design possibilities. It puts manufacturers in full control of every solder joint – from package-on-package and internal board cavities and more.

Mycronic MY200 Synergy line - with MY600 printer, BTU oven and fully automatic load and unloading

This means that PCB assemblers that choose to put solder jet printing at the core of their manufacturing processes can respond to customer needs much more quickly – a key benefit in today's fast moving and highly competitive electronics marketplace. In addition, the ability to make changes during the production process means that faults can be caught early and quickly corrected. This means fewer reject boards and less rework, leading to savings that go straight to the bottom line and reduce the cost of production to its customers.

The ability to produce difficult and complex surface mount assemblies with a high yield, but also with cost reductions in engineering charges has been a dream of electronics manufacturers for decades. Communications devices, embedded computers, instrumentation – are just a few of the market applications requiring rapid turnaround on complex designs that are right the first time.
It's easy to see why solder jet printing is replacing stencil techniques for the leaders in the sub-contract PCB assembly and manufacturing world, but why is it that there are still so many others who are yet to adopt this innovative technology?

Many companies argue that their small batches are not worth the expense of investing in a machine for jet printing PCBs, but in reality, solder jet printers are ideal for small and complex orders. Gemini Tec handles many low-volume orders with typical batch sizes ranging from 1 to 1000 per run. The MY500 and MY600 printers have allowed the company to deliver these in time and without fault, offering dependable products at excellent prices to many happy customers.

The significant capital investment cost is also daunting for some PCB assemblers and CEM's who believe that unless they are producing high-tech products they won't get value out of a solder jet printing machine. There is also a view that using rework and test operatives who the company already employs cost less in the long run. However, for those companies whose customers demand the highest levels of responsiveness and product quality, an investment in solder jet printing will, in reality, quickly pay for itself.

In fact, the quality of the finished product is another of the reasons that Gemini Tec uses solder jet printing, and the quality gain can quickly be seen in terms of the product yield. Consider just one practical example – that of a BGA device with an open circuit solder connection. This is can be a difficult fault to find and repair and it's also one that users of stencil printing regularly encounter. With solder jet printing however, this type of problem simply disappears.

SMT production from 1 to 1000 units per batch at Gemini Tec

Implementing responsive, reliable and repeatable production processes is the holy trinity for PCB assemblers and CEM's, since achieving this means that they can supply their customers with the products they need when they need them – irrespective of batch size. Gemini Tec believes that all of its customers should enjoy these benefits, which is why the company has so enthusiastically adopted the key enabling technology of solder-jet printing.



We offer a range of CEM solutions, contact us for more help with your PCB assembly or CEM needs.

Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1252 333 444

www.geminitec.co.uk

Technical Solutions for RF PCB assemblies using world class solder jet printing technology.

Multilevel PCBs are here to stay...Jet printing provides the ideal method to deliver solder paste into a PCB board cavity.

One growing area of need is multilevel boards. To reduce the total height of the final assembly, it’s common to place the higher components in cavities on the PCB. Because jet printing makes use of a laser height sensor, height variations of up to a few millimeters can be handled with ease.

Gemini Tec provide its manufacturing services to a leading UK company, that specialise in the design and manufacture of solid state, high-power microwave and RF amplifiers. With a requirement to build high reliability products for global deployment, solder jet printing provides the technical solution.

With our state-of-the-art MYCRONIC solder jet printers, Gemini Tec are able to successfully build and assemble specific and niche multi level PCBS.

The solder jet printing process can deliver a controlled and accurate amount of solder paste at multi-level positions (also known as cavities) across the RF PCB (printed circuit board) a technique not possible using traditional stencil techniques.




Achieving consistency across the pasted area at 0.2mm intervals to obtain 100% contact between the SMT device (located within the PCB cavity) and the PCB substrate for full connectivity is paramount to electronic performance.




This process is completed with a single pass through the solder jet printing system, removing the need to apply additional paste process techniques, which ultimately lead to variations on the finished PCB assembly.

The manufacturing process includes a highly accurate and controlled reflow process to ensure conformance.
All the devices/PCBs are subsequently inspected using 3D X-ray to confirm the metallic bond is correct.

The PCB assembly is currently in manufacture at over 500 systems per year, with a lower process cost than traditional solder paste techniques. The repeatability of the solder jet process ensures yields of 100%, allowing the full optimisation of the high value material costs.
 
We offer a range of solutions and services to manufacture surface mount and complex SMT assemblies, working closely with our customers at trusted supplier status.

If you require a technical solution, contact us today to find out more about how we can help your company.


Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1252 333 444

www.geminitec.co.uk

The latest Mycronic technology for 2015 and beyond.

Gemini Tec have now fully integrated a new SMT production line, adding of two MY200 placement machines, along with the UKs first MY600 jet printer, more reflow capability comes with a BTU 7-zone reflow oven and complimented with fully automated board loading, handling and transportation.

2014 has seen a major rise in new customer orders at Gemini Tec, leading us to expand our SMT capability and capacity. At the centre of our SMT operation we have now fully commissioned two further Mycronic SMT placement machines, along with more solder jet printing technology, providing a substantial increase in capacity.

New SMT Synergy line for high mix and complex PCB assembly:

Our latest Synergy line includes two large format SMT placement machines, able to accept over 350 part types in one set up, perfect for high mix products with quick changeover. With such large feeder capacity we can produce demanding high mix product types. The Synergy advantage means we can use two SMT machines simultaneously or even individually. Offline planning software calculates the optimum method to build any given assembly, driving the department efficiency high, at all times.

World renown reflow with a new BTU Pyramax oven, with 7 zones has been added, offering fully automatic line assembly for our customers surface mount products and PCBs.


New solder jet printing capability. 

The USP of our service is based around solder jet printing and again Gemini are the first UK CEM to invest in the latest model of solder jet printers from Mycronic, the MY600.

The latest printer provides perfect solder paste application,  to the same exacting standards as our current MY500 jet printer and with a huge boost to paste write speeds, of upto 50%. This major speed gain allows us to produce boards faster and meet lower price points, when batch sizes increase.


More Agilis feeders.
Additional investment of over 100K has been made in more Mycronic Agilis feeders. Using Agilis feeders allows us to rationalise material consumption, providing valuable savings to customers. Agilis feeders allow us to enjoy super fast set up times, for every order produced and ensures short changeover times. This capability is imperative in maintaining the UKs fastest delivery service for technology boards.

Additional line automation.
In keeping with our ongoing strategy for efficiency, we have also added a full range of Nutek and Mycronic board loading equipment. From automatic conveyors to feed the PCBs through the entire SMT process, along in-line inspection and into oven reflow, before being automatically unloaded, ready for the next production operation.

Can we help you?
As we enter 2015 and beyond, Gemini Tec now have more capacity to engage with new customers. If you are involved in sub-contract manufacture of SMT and complex SMT hardware, we can provide a new level of technical advantages with solder jet printing capability. 

With a long established reputation, Gemini provide a friendly and professional level of service that can be tailored to meet a wide range of unique requirements.

All the products we build are made ethically in the UK, with care and attention. Gemini do not offer a low cost overseas manufacturing option, instead deciding to retain complete control of product quality, delivery and sensitive IP in the UK.

Our entire CEM operation is located at our superbly equipped and ESD controlled facility in Hampshire. If you would like to know more about the services we can provide to you and establish a potential business fit, please contact Adam Harsant in the first instance.

Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1252 333 444

www.geminitec.co.uk

Solder paste typography for PCB's with BGA and leadless devices. How to avoid solder paste defects on SMT boards.

Here we look the many issues surrounding production faults of PCB assemblies during the SMT assembly process, and how best to avoid them.

If you are involved in the procurement or quality aspect of PCBA manufacturing, you'll of already seen a wide variety of solder defects and problems over the years. In fact, when you goggle 'solder paste defects' you'll be greeted with a wide range of forums, blogs, statistics and solutions for controlling the paste application process. 

Even with a top of the range stencil printer, along with all if its related cleaning and handling equipment comes a complicated set of rules to ensure that paste application is correct. At Gemini we use a completely different technology called solder jet printing. We are among a number of global based companies who are now adopting this process, to remove the many constraints of traditional stencils. In fact companies such as GE, Thales and BAE have chosen to adopt solder jet printing.

If you've previously had a problem with floating  QFN devices, or poor connections on BGA devices, its typically due to the volume of paste during the SMT process. Traditional stencils have a physical limit, for the distance between devices and the Z height.

Here we can see the the reasons why stencils have reached the limit of capability for high mix technology PCB assemblies. Stepped stencils that can cater for demanding PCB boards designs require a new set of design rules to be used. This is not the case with solder jet printing, due to the ability to land solder paste on any device, and pad at any size.

Here we have a picture of a typical QFN deposit, made with a solder jet printer.
 

As you can see the paste typography is unlike a stencil deposit, and is created with a unique construction for each pad type. With QFNs, the issue of floating after reflow is thus removed. The native paste deposit caters for the spread of paste. And even with stitching vias inside the pad, paste can be applied to fill the via holes, and avoid solder drain. Standard resistors and capacitors have a small deposit inside the heel to avoid tomb stoning during reflow. The dot is around 0.3 mm wide - a size that cant be pasted with repeatability with stencils, as the aperture hole gets blocked up)

When a PCB is reflowed the parts on the board required less remedial work to ensure they comply with IPC standards. Reworking complex parts can often lead to joint integrity problems or damaged devices, so being able to reflow first time is of course the optimum position for any CEM involved with SMT Assembly.

Fist pass rates at AOI (automated optical inspection) are much higher when the solder fillets and joints are correct. False calls are eliminated, when every joint on each board follows a uniform and consistent typography. Less re-work leads to a lower hidden costs for manufactures, that ultimately can be removed from the cost of manufacture.

 

Solder jet printing improves yields and reliability and drives out the out the hidden cost of PCB assembly. For complex PCB and SMT assembly nothing can rival the capability of jet printing.

Gemini Tec use 2 world-class jet printers for all its SMT assembly. Ensuring that we can avoids the common issues found with solder paste application using traditional stencils. Both jet printers provide a full AOI to paste deposits before placement to ensure do deviation on such a critical stage of the SMT assembly process.

In this video we can see within the MY600 jet printer. Filmed in slow motion, the advanced DSP electronics moves the head, with over 3g force, shooting solder paste deposits onto the PCB, through its unique ejector head. Small red lights are just visible showing the AOI process.
 

Here is a example of the latest XILINX Kintex-7 devices, being mounted to a production board built at Gemini during November 2014. Over 1000 solder connections on the FPGA, with the added complication of a mixture of devices that need differing paste volumes.

Complex PCB assembly with XILINX FPGA devices at Gemini Tec Ltd

If you would like to see more about jet printing and how its used to build complex SMT products, contact us at Gemini Tec for more help.

Resources:
A link to our supplier of jet printers and SMT placement equipment.
http://www.mycronic.com/

More details on our services. 
http://www.geminitec.co.uk/smt-production-service

Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1252 333 444

www.geminitec.co.uk

Embedded Design Show 2014 - Press Release

Embedded Design Show - Press Release

Stand H30

Gemini Tec Ltd will once again be exhibiting at the Electronics and Embedded Design show in 2014, to talk about more leading edge technology being used for rapid and complex PCB hardware manufacturing.

The company has recently installed the UK’s first MY600 solder jet printer and is currently the only UK CEM operating with two Mycronic solder jet printers, enabling it to provide exceptionally high throughput for SMT boards that incorporate challenging components.

This latest investment brings extra production capacity to meet the needs of new customers who are designing PCB hardware using the latest array of components. Solder jet paste printing technology removes the limitations of screen printing with traditional stencils and delivers new levels of quality and reliability for flexible substrates, board cavities, package-on-package, QFNs and new components with small process windows.

One of the major advantages with the latest MY600 platform is the ability to increase paste printing speeds by up to 50%, allowing Gemini Tec to increase its ability to support higher volume orders to the same exacting standards as its current MY500 jet printer.

To ensure Gemini Tec can exceed the requirements of new customers, additional investment has been made into new placement and reflow equipment. A new fully automated SMT line with the latest MY200SX14 and MY200LX14 machines from Mycronic, provides more high mix SMT capability with a 40,000 components per hour capability. 

In its 37^th year, Gemini Tec provide rapid delivery prototypes and production orders for batch sizes of 1 to 1000 units. A full turnkey service includes a dedicated PCB Altium PCB layout service and contract manufacturing service, all conducted from its secure Hampshire based facility.  

Gemini Tec will be on stand H30, joined by its long-standing partner DSL, who provide hardware design services to the embedded computing market. Rory Dear of DSL will be on the stand to talk about their collaborative ‘Functional Building Block’ design approach, where we make the investment in designing and building an all-encompassing platform and our customers select the required ‘functional building blocks’ which are then transplanted into a preferred form factor – greatly reducing cost, risk and time to market.

Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1252 333 444

www.geminitec.co.uk

DSL Ltd

Aylesford Court

Works Road

Letchworth Garden City

Hertfordshire

SG6 1LP

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 1462 675530

www.dsl-ltd.co.uk

Surface mount machine upgrades - first phase now complete...

Fully automated SMT line, including solder jet printing at Gemini Tec Ltd

The first phase of our SMT  upgrade has been completed this week. 2014 will see a major investment program to increase capacity and efficiency within the SMT production area.

With many new customer wins and increasing volumes of SMT assemblies from our loyal customer base, August sees the completion of the first phase. We have now installed our MY500 solder jet printer in-line with our MYCRONIC MY100 Synergy line, and added extra speed functionality to the placement lines, added additional Agilis feeders.

Blank boards are loaded via our Nutek loaders, along a conveyor into the MY500 solder jet printer. The solder jet printer places small dots of paste to make up the exact volume required, without the need to use a stencil. The process is quick, accurate and checked with on board cameras.

The solder jet printing really helps eliminate the problems with traditional screen printers, such as over paste, leading to shorts or blocked stencil aperture's which left open circuits. If you type 'solder paste defects' into goggle, you'll discover a high number of examples of this common problem.

Using stencils created us alot of solder paste defects, resulting in excessive SMT re-work. The effect of too many solder defects added a significant cost to the PCB assembly process - that ultimately needs to be recovered, setting aside the production delays and onward impact to customer's. Thankfully we are able to use solder jet printing to avoid such problems.

The boards are then run along more conveyors into the first SMT machine, where a selection of component parts are placed with 8 fast placement heads. Clever software works out which components should be loaded. to each machine in the Synergy line to balance the run time, thus by using 2 SMT machines simultaneously, we can half the placement time per board.When we are running NPI and prototype boards, we are able to use each machine as a stand alone placement machine, each building a different customer order.. very clever.

Both machines have electrical verification on-board, this has proved to be very useful when parts are supplied incorrectly, or if the wrong component value is ever presented to the machine, this avoids putting incorrect resistors and capacitors on to the board.

Once all the parts are machine placed, the boards then travel to a inspection conveyor, at this point we are able to add on any SMT parts. This is useful when building 1 or 2 offs, as we do not need to buy reels, tapes or take on large MOQ's etc.

The conveyor takes the PCBs directly into the oven. Our MYCRONIC Synergy 100 line uses a BTU VIP98, with 7 reflow zones. 7 zones allows us to create an accurate thermal profile, for any PCB, regardless of the types of components on board. We spend time engineering a profile for each board, using our knowledge and slim-kic technology.

The boards are automatically unloaded back onto a Nutek de-stacker, and can wait until cooled. The boards are then transferred into our AOI department for 100% inspection. Including 3D X-ray and ERSA camera inspection. This allows us to confirm our process is correct and detect any issues that may need further investigation. Our combination of solder jet printing, placement and reflow ensure the minimal amount of errors.

The process of how we get blank boards to fully populated assemblies is highly important for a contract manufacture to provide customers with high yield products and quick deliveries.We invested in MYRONIC technology, for its speed of set up and accuracy. The solder jet printing technology in amongst the best technologies available in the world.

We have been asked many times, 'why doesn't everyone have solder jet printing?'

The answer to this question has many points. Initially the investment deters traditional CEM's, who make higher volume or less product mix with more simple types of PCB assemblies. Gemini can produce complex boards, in low to medium volume.

Before the days of solder jet printing Gemini would order over 700 stencil's a year (due the the mix of assembly orders) so this made a substantial cost contribution, which has also been passed back to our customer's.

Managing the stencil process from procurements to storage and cleaning, added hidden costs. The quality problems that had risen from stencil printing often led to high amounts of re-work and un-happy customers! Gemini aim for a lean approach to its CEM business which helps optimise its costs to customer's.

Gemini Tec are among a range of leading suppliers in Europe, who have invested into solder jet printing to avoid traditional solder defects and gain many technical advantages, Companies who have also invested include Thales, Halin BV, Netherlands, Appel-Elektronik GmbH, Germany and Page (Belgium) to name a few.

UK & European customers can all benefit from rapid prototype to small and medium volume production with solder jet printing, which provides higher quality products at optimised prices points.

Next month we install the UK's first MY600 solder jet printer and new MY200 SX Synergy line, so more news to follow.

If you wish to know more about us, click our website or get in touch with us by phone.

http://www.geminitec.co.uk

Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

Tel: +44 (0) 1252 333 444

The first UK CEM to invest in MYDATA's new range of high volume solder jet printers.

The first UK CEM to invest in MYCRONIC's new range of high volume solder jet printers.

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A second solder jet printer has now been ordered for our surface mount facility in Aldershot Hampshire, with installation in August 14.

MY600 High Speed Jet Printer arriving August 14

....way back in 2008 Gemini Tec were the first UK based CEM to invest into solder jet printing technology, and now we are the first UK CEM to introduce the latest edition of printers, the MY600. 

MYCRONIC's MY600 is the next generation of solder jet printers and has been designed to suit higher volume surface mount assembly applications.
This next-generation Jet Printer now enables Gemini to achieve optimal solder joints with a 50% increase in throughput, against our current jet printer.  The introduction of this high-performance platform will allow new production capacity for customers who are struggling to mount difficult components using classic screen printers.

With the increasing demand for higher volume applications from its customer base, the MY600 overcomes many of the speed limitations, and still provides optimal assembly for flexible substrates, board cavities, package-on-package, QFNs and new components with small process windows.

The use of  solder jet printing has transformed the experiences for all our customers and allowed us to achieve new levels of rapid PCB assembly.  The new MY600 will be used to support higher volume orders and contracts on the same basis.

The new MY600 solder jet printer will operate with its own MYCRONIC 'Synergy' SMT line, comprising of two high speed SMT placement machines, a BTU convection reflow oven and Nutek fully automatic board handling systems.

Company Director Adam Harsant, comments on the latest solder jet printing news.

"This latest investment is an exciting new chapter in the development of our business, we are expanding our entire SMT operation on the back of the demand for high quality and UK manufactured hardware"

"Our customers appreciate the value this technology has provided and we are investing to ensure that we have sufficient capacity for the increase in demand. And with a continued shift from sourcing in 'perceived' low cost centres back towards the UK, we recognise the opportunity to now support higher volume orders with all the advantages that solder jet printing technology provides"

If you would like to know more about how this technology has helped our customers, or discuss a technical demonstration at our facility, please get in touch..

http://www.geminitec.co.uk

Gemini Tec Ltd

1 The Brook Trading Estate

Deadbrook Lane

Aldershot

Hampshire

GU12 4XU

Tel: +44 (0) 1252 333 444