Recorded conversations and interviews on electronics design and manufacturing with the editors of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly, brought to you by the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA)
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Today we're diving deep into the world of precision and craftsmanship—two crucial elements in the realm of hand soldering and rework of circuit assemblies.
Whether you're a seasoned electronics enthusiast, a hobbyist, or just someone with a curious mind, this episode promises to demystify the art and science behind hand soldering and rework. We'll be exploring the latest tools, techniques, and trends that define this intricate process, shedding light on the unsung heroes who meticulously bring circuit assemblies to life, or in the case of rework, back to life.
There is archaeological evidence that soldering was employed as early as 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Soldering and brazing are thought to have originated very early in the history of metal-working, before 4,000 BC. Sumerian swords from 3,000 BC were assembled using hard soldering techniques.
While soldering applications have morphed and expanded over the centuries, the basic “rules” of soldering have not. On this episode, we’re going to talk about an obvious soldering application, at least to my audience, and that’s soldering of electronic assemblies.
From the evolution of hand soldering with numerous technological advancements to the challenges faced by DIYers and professionals alike, we've got it all covered, thanks to Mike Konrad's subject matter expert guest, Debbie Wade.
Wade is managing director of ART A-R-T, Advanced Rework Technology, a fully independent training organization, which has been presenting various training courses for over 30 years. She has been in the electronics industry for over 20 years with the last 15 of those years at Advanced Rework Technology.
Wade comes to us well-credentialed. She chairs the IPC-A-620 Training Committee and IPC European Training Committee, and with her Master IPC Trainer status for IPC-A 600, 610, 620, 7711/21 and J-STD 001 is an expert in the field of fabrication, assembly, process and acceptance of board and cable assemblies.
She has been presented with numerous awards from IPC in recognition of her contribution to IPC standards and training courses.
So, grab your soldering iron (metaphorically speaking), get ready to dive into the flux, and join us as we unravel the secrets of successful hand soldering and rework. Stick around for valuable insights, practical tips, and maybe even a few stories from the trenches of hand soldering and re-work.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - The Art and Science of Hand Soldering and Rework
00:03:01 - The Unique Art of Hand Soldering, Featuring Debbie Wade
00:06:30 - The History of Advanced Rework Technology (ART)
00:09:57 - The Impact of IPC Certification on Careers and Companies
00:13:14 - Investing in the Right Equipment for Soldering and Rework
00:16:22 - Controlling Heat in Soldering
00:19:24 - Creating the Heat Bridge
00:22:29 - Challenges in Soldering Electronic Components
00:25:39 - The Dangers of Using Soldering Guns for Electronics
00:28:32 - Common Mistakes in Hand Soldering
00:31:42 - The Importance of Flux in Soldering
00:34:38 - Proper Flux Application and Potential Issues
00:37:35 - The Problem of Flux Buildup on Test Points
00:40:50 - Appearance vs Function in Solder Joints
00:43:42 - Choosing the Right Soldering Iron
00:46:55 - Safety Precautions in Hand Soldering
00:49:50 - Appearance and Plating Issues
00:52:48 - Inspecting Different Classes of Products
00:55:39 - The importance of human control in machine programming
00:58:45 - Bespoke courses and certifications for inspectors
01:02:01 - The Importance of Proper Component Selection and Soldering
01:05:09 - Differences in Soldering Dummy Parts
01:08:04 - The Art of Hand Soldering
01:10:55 - The Importance of Reliability
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
Today, we delve into the crucial aspects of maintaining well-being on this journey — how to sidestep the notorious burnout, and perhaps more importantly, how to fuel and maintain your motivation. Because, let's face it, the road to creating a meaningful impact can be demanding, and it's essential to navigate it with resilience and purpose.
Join Mike Konrad for a conversation with Rick Coulson. Rick recently retired from a 34-year career at Intel, most recently as senior fellow in the Intel Optane Group.
Coulson is a passionate advocate for career sustainability and for servant leadership. He was awarded the Intel Achievement Award four times for his team's work on storage subsystems and SSD technology. He holds more than 90 patents.
Coulson has a bachelor's in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Colorado and a master's in electrical engineering from Stanford. He is currently a board member at Co-Serve International, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching Servant Leadership around the world. With Co-Serve he has been to Kazakhstan eight times. He’s on the advisory board of Vooks, a company which produces award-winning books that are loved by parents and educators alike, and he’s part of an additional stealth mode startup (sounds mysterious). He enjoys mentoring and coaching.
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
We welcome back one of our favorite guests, David Schild, the executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was founded about three years ago to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials. The organization is made up of corporate members of all sizes, and includes fabricators, assemblers and suppliers.
Schild brings us up to date on the US Department of Defense's National Defense Industrial Strategy, how industrial production is tied to military readiness; the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party's December 2023 report on how to staunch the flow of IP offshore and rekindle tech leadership and economic resilience; and whether the US government plans to get into the manufacturing business.
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Artificial intelligence is perhaps the most discussed – and least understood – topic in technology today.
We in electronics design and manufacturing know, of course, that automation is part and parcel of what we do. But while the landscape has changed, be it the transition from mechanical drawings to CAD tools with their autorouters, or from manual and semi-automatic printers and placement machines to lights-out factories where cobots have replaced operators, the industry still has a long, long way to go in terms of widespread implementation of AI, or even understanding what it all means.
Andrew Scheuermann joins Mike Buetow to share some perspective on this emerging technology. Scheuermann, along with his business partner Tim Burke, is cofounder and CEO of Arch Systems, a Silicon Valley-based developer of software tools that collect raw machine data and use predictive analytics to calculate manufacturing key performance indicators, or KPIs.
Scheuermann has published numerous scientific papers in the areas of semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, and renewable energy. He has a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Stanford, and is also part of StartX, a startup accelerator for company founders who are affiliated with Stanford that has invested over $200 million across various companies, including 13 now valued over $1 billion.
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024
Reliability Matters covered the topic of ultrathin conformal coatings back in November. We covered various conformal coating materials from traditional acrylics and silicones to ultrathin parylene coatings. What other coating materials are available? Where do these types of coatings fit within specific applications? Where do health and safety, environmental concerns, and sustainability programs fit in with a coating process?
To answer these other questions, Dr. Cassandra Zentner, VP of Health and environment at Actnano, a manufacturer of coating materials, talks with Reliability Matters host Mike Konrad.
Dr. Zentner earned a BA from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in organic materials chemistry from MIT.
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024
EMA Design Automation has for years been the exclusive distributor of OrCAD Cadence in North America. Through acquisitions and internal development, EMA now has a series of its own software products for library management, component supply chain data. And this year EMA announced it would spin off those CAD-agnostic products into a new subsidiary called Accelerated Designs.
EMA president and founder Manny Marcano joins Mike Buetow to break down the thinking behind the new company, its products, management and distribution agreement, and gives his take on Cadence's thoughts.
Friday Jan 12, 2024
Friday Jan 12, 2024
Printed circuit board and multichip module design software revenue soared 24% year-over-year to a record $426 million in the third quarter 2023, according to the ESD Alliance's latest Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD) report.
ESD Alliance spokesperson Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow to explain the latest data trends.
Tuesday Jan 09, 2024
Tuesday Jan 09, 2024
In today's increasingly connected and digital world, PCBs are the unsung heroes that power our devices, from smartphones to spacecraft. Yet, the art and science of designing these crucial components often go unnoticed. That’s where this episode comes in.
Today, we shine a spotlight on the critical role PCBs play in modern technology and explore the best practices that drive innovation and reliability.
In this episode, Mike Konrad tries to unravel the mysteries of PCB design, tackle complex challenges, and unlock the secrets to creating high-performance, efficient, and reliable circuit boards. Whether you're a seasoned PCB designer looking to sharpen your skills, a budding engineer eager to learn the ropes, or simply a tech enthusiast curious about the technology that shapes our lives, this episode has something for everyone.
He is joined by Dr. Zach Peterson. Zach is a well-known researcher and electronics designer. In 2017, he founded Northwest Engineering Solutions as a technology consultancy and has since grown the company into an innovative design and manufacturing house for advanced electronic products.
He conducted his Applied Physics Ph.D. research in ZnO random laser theory and stability and his M.Sc. Physics research in chemisorptive sensors for environmental monitoring at Portland State University. He also received his MBA (Leadership & Finance) from Adams State University. His work has been published in over a dozen peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, and he has written 2500+ technical articles on PCB design for a number of companies.
He is a member of IEEE Photonics Society, IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, American Physical Society, and the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA). He previously served as a voting member on the INCITS Quantum Computing Technical Advisory Committee working on technical standards for quantum electronics, and he currently serves on the IEEE P31-86 Working Group focused on Port Interface Representing Photonic Signals Using SPICE-class Circuit Simulators.
He will speak on Signal Integrity in Thin PCB Materials and IC Substrates at PCB East in June.
Tuesday Dec 26, 2023
Tuesday Dec 26, 2023
Episode 134 - 2023 Podcast Season Wrap-Up
On this episode, I have no guests as this is the final episode of the Reliability Matters Podcast for the 2023 season. Instead, let's review what happened on the podcast this year. A special thanks to my guests and listeners/viewers for making this podcast so successful.
Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Reliability Matters Podcast
00:00:12 - The Electronic Assembly Industry Techniques
00:00:26 - Review of the 2023 Season
00:00:43 - Liquid Metal in Electronic Circuits
00:00:56 - Instant Solidification of Liquid Metal
00:01:14 - Counterfeit Component Detection
00:01:31 - Making Sense of Big Data in the Electronic Assembly Space
00:01:49 - IPC Apex Expo: Supply Chain Challenges
00:02:07 - Circuit Assembly Failures and Big Data Analysis
00:02:22 - Interview with David Raby on High Liability Contract Manufacturing
00:02:37 - Training for Effective and Entertaining Reliability
00:02:53 - "Fire Your Hiring Habits" with President and CEO of IPC
00:03:08 - Introduction to Highly Accelerated Life Testing
00:03:25 - 3,600 Mile Solo Kayak Journey Down the Missouri River
00:03:42 - Moisture Mitigation Best Practices
00:03:59 - Life as a Technical Consultant
00:04:14 - Network Reliability and Cybersecurity Threats
00:04:30 - Innovative Approaches to Education and Industry Icons
00:04:46 - Conformal Coating Materials with Lisa Rizzo
00:05:01 - Introduction to Wireless Wearable ESD Monitoring Device
00:05:16 - The Reliability of Circuit Assemblies
00:05:32 - Reliability of Circuit Assemblies and Emerging Technologies
00:05:47 - Increasing Challenges in Electronics Engineering
00:05:59 - The Silver Tsunami and Retirement
00:06:31 - Motivation for Starting the Podcast
00:06:45 - Gratitude for Support and Encouragement
00:06:59 - Gratitude for the Subject Matter Experts
07:13:00 - Acknowledging EMS Industry Experts
00:07:27 - Subscribe to the Podcast or YouTube Channel
00:07:39 - Release Schedule
00:07:55 - PCB Chat and Accendo Reliability
00:08:11 - Suggestions and Contact Information
00:08:26 - Wishing You a Joyous Holiday Season
Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
We are all aware of the damage electrostatic discharge can wreak on components and electronic products. We mitigate ESD damage through various forms of monitoring. We wear wrist and heel straps, stand on ESD-safe flooring, utilize ESD workstations, and more. We even have ESD testing locations that will test a human standing on a specialized testing station. But what happens the moment that person steps off the tester?
My guests today are Dr. Daan Stevenson and Dr. Jonathan Tapson of IONA Tech, a manufacturer of a novel wearable ESD monitoring device that provides constant real-time ESD monitoring.
Normally, we don’t talk about specific products on the show. We usually limit our conversations to best practices. This is a bit of an exception to rule. From time to time, a product is introduced that is so novel, it's worthy of a conversation. And that’s the case here.
Dr. Daan Stevenson is chief executive officer of IONA Tech. Dr. Stevenson has a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering. During his doctoral research, he studied the high voltage charging of spacecraft, which are electrical capacitors in the same way that the human body is. While working to design an automated ground station for UAVs, he frequently damaged electrical components from electrostatic shocks. This motivated the creation of IONA Tech, with the goal of advancing technology in ESD mitigation.
Our other guest is Dr. Jonathan Tapson, chief technology officer of IONA Tech. Dr. Tapson was professor of electrical engineering at Western Sydney University before moving to Colorado in 2016. He spent his early career conducting sensor and instrumentation research, with a strong industrial focus. During this time he spun out three companies from his research, all of which are successful today. His specialties include low-noise circuits and systems design, mechatronic design and the integration of machine learning into real-time systems.