Reliability Matters

Today's episode is all about training. With more young people entering the EMS industry, the need for training is higher than ever before. In this episode we'll talk with IPC training expert Bob Doetzer about the benefits of training. Both training to IPC standards and practical training will be discussed. Bob Doetzer, President of Circuit Technology Training, Inc (or CTTI for short). CTTI offers training in all IPC assembly specifications as well as CTI, Weller, ESD, lean six sigma, SMT Boot Camp and custom courses tailored to their customers’ requirements. In addition to ongoing process and IPC support after training, they offer PCB assembly and process engineering support for Air Vac, Juki, Weller, YesTech, and Heller, among others.They have 6 state of the art, dedicated training centers:– Costa Rica– Melbourne, Florida– Baltimore, Maryland– Raleigh, North Carolina – Manassas, Virginia– Rock Hill, South CarolinaBob may be reached here:Bob DoetzerPresident Circuit Technology Training Inc.Phone: (844) 900-2884bob@circuittechnology.com

Welcome to this special edition of the reliability matters podcast. unlike other episodes, this episode has no guests. At the time of this recording, we have 85 published episodes with more than 16,000 downloads. The reliability matters podcast began as an experiment. I figured we would produce about 10 episodes on various subjects and then move on to something else. Well, I was wrong. I have received countless emails from listeners thanking me for the podcasts stating how much they enjoy listening. The thank you goes more appropriately to my guests. Without them, I would simply be another talking head. And who needs more of those? While my goal was to provide educational material for the electronics industry, perhaps it is me that has learned the most. I am so fortunate to be able to speak to and learn from so many subject matter experts. I would like to take a few moments to thank my guests on this final episode of the 2021 season of reliability matters.Bob Doetzer – IPC Training and certificationChristopher Frederickson – Solder Paste InspectionMiles Moreau _Thermal ProfilingPaul Salerno – Solder PasteMatt Kelly – IPC Technical ConferenceDr. Stan RakDr. Bev ChristianCheryl Tulkoff and Greg Caswell - Their new book: "DESIGN FOR EXCELLENCE IN ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING"Dave Trail – Industry 4.0Tanya Martin, Greg Vance, Dr. Rayio Aspandiar, and Richard Coyle – SMTAI Technical ConferenceJames Kovacevic - Maintenance Reliability TrainingMike Buetow , Trevor Galbraith, and Phil Stoten - Meet the PressPatrick Stimpert – Lean Manufacturing and the Toyota Manufacturing PrincipalChris Denney and Melissa Hough - Contract ManufacturingTim Jensen – Solder PastesMark Waterman – Thermal ProfilingDavid Leventhal, Joan Carrol-Kennedy, and Murray Percival Jr. - Being a Manufacturers Rep During COVIDAmit Dror - 3D Printing of Complex Circuit BoardsNorman Mier - Rework and Repair of Circuit AssembliesDr. and Professor Ron Lasky - a profile of three of his college students:Annaka BalchRaaga KannanNadia ClementTim O'Neill and Fred Dimoc – Solder Voiding Mitigation Strategies and Vacuum ReflowDock Brown - ReliabilityFrançois Monette - Connectivity, Data Management, Material and Process Control, Traceability, and AnalyticsSal Sparacino – Cleaning ChemicalsElizabeth Kidd - Testing for Conformal Coat AdhesionTara Dunn - Fex Circuits and Additive ElectronicsDave Hillman - Causes and Possible Remedies for Solder VoidingDr. Eric Fossum - Inventor of the CMOS Image Sensor (who kicked off the 2021 season).I am extremely grateful for all of the listeners and subscribers of the reliability matters podcast. Obviously, without you, we would just be broadcasting into a huge void. Thank you for your support, comments and episode suggestions, and dedication to this podcast. We live at the moment in very strange times. many of us have been in an extended period of lockdown unable to attend technical conferences. I hope this podcast and it's content have helped to fill the educational void caused by this global pandemic.I would also like to think Mike Buetow of circuits assembly magazine for syndicating this show on his PCBchat.com podcast. I would also like to thank Fred Schenkelberg at Ascendo Reliability for syndicating this show on reliability.tv.In January of 2021, we introduced an additional platform for this podcast. In addition to our traditional audio podcasts, we launched the reliability matters YouTube channel. Now, you can listen to this podcast in your car or on the treadmill, or watch it on your laptop, phone, or tablet. Don't miss an episode. Subscribe to the audio podcasts on apple podcast, Google podcasts, Spotify, IHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch this podcast on the reliability matters YouTube channel. If you missed any of the episodes from the 2020 or 2021 season, they are available on your favorite podcast app or on our YouTube channelI wish all of you the happiest of holidays and a safe, prosperous, and healthy new year. I'll see you again in January for the premier off the 2022 season of the reliability matters podcast.

Episode 83: A Conversation about Solder Paste Inspection with Christopher FredericksonToday, we’ll be discussing Fit for Use solder paste inspection. As I’ve repeated several times on this show, it is said most reliability problems begin at the printer. Our industry utilizes a lot of materials in order to produce a circuit assembly. If the materials, specifically the solder paste is out of spec, that can effect reliability. Unfortunately, in most cases, one can not simply open a jar of solder paste and easily determine visually if the solder paste their applying to the stencil is fit for use, or if it has gone bad, or is out of spec. My guest today will discuss what solder paste fit for use means, and how we can provide methods for determining its fit for use right on the production floor. My guest also, on a completely unrelated topic, but maybe even more interesting, has experience in wearable electronics in temporary tattoos. You subject that’s the first question I’m going to ask him about!Contact Christopher:Christopher FredericksonChief Technology OfficerInsituware LLCEmail: chris@insituware.comWeb: insituware.com

Miles Moreau is KIC’s General Manager, has been with KIC for nearly three decades. He draws his deep and rich expertise from managing multiple business units across four continents spanning operations, field service, and sales and marketing channels. His expertise is in thermal management and that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today.We’ve discussed how to profile a board on this show. Today, we’re going to talk about profiling an oven and a wave soldering machine, and how, when done correctly, may reduce the number of times one has to attach thermocouples to a circuit board and run it through an oven or wave soldering machine.Miles' Contact Information:Miles Moreaummoreau@kicmail.comhttps://kicthermal.com

My guest today is Paul Salerno. Paul holds an MBA with specialization in finance and marketing from Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is the Global Portfolio Manager at MacDermid Alpha Electronic Solutions with expertise in product lifecycle management and development of strategic technology roadmaps for the global surface mount technology business. Paul works with customers in both Europe and Asia with customers in automotive, computing, communications and consumer electronic markets. Paul and I discuss soldering materials including "high reliability" solder paste, low and ultra-low solder pastes, and design-for-use solder paste selection processes.Paul may be reached here:Paul SalernoPortfolio Manager, SMTAssembly SolutionsPaul.Salerno@MacDermidAlpha.com

On this episode, I spoke with IPC's Chief Technologist Matt Kelly and IPC Technical Program Co-Chairs Stan Rak (SF Rak Company) and Bev Christian (HDP User Group) about the upcoming IPC APEX Expo 2022 live technical conference.We discuss the following topics:• IPC's "Factory of the Future Pavilion" • IPC's 3-Hour Professional Development Courses (31 courses!)• IPC's Technical Program (4 technology tracks each with 29 technical presentations.• IPC's Poster SessionsIPC APEX Expo 2022 takes place January 22-27 in San Diego, CA.More information is available here:IPC APEX Expo 2022https://www.ipcapexexpo.org/Professional Development Course information is available here:https://tinyurl.com/uzwwe49b Technical Conference info is available here:https://tinyurl.com/2bpcxpzp

My guests Cheryl Tulkoff (She/Her) and Greg Caswell discuss their new book "Design for Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing" (published by Wiley and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Wiley).Cheryl and Greg are giving away a free copy of their new book (a $130 value)! Listen or watch this episode to learn how to win their informative book.Book details:DESIGN FOR EXCELLENCE IN ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURINGAn authoritative guide to optimizing design for manufacturability and reliability from a team of experts Design for Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art book that covers design and reliability of electronics. The authors—noted experts on the topic—explain how using the DfX concepts of design for reliability, design for manufacturability, design for environment, design for testability, and more, reduce research and development costs and decrease time to market and allow companies to confidently issue warranty coverage. By employing the concepts outlined in Design for Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing, engineers and managers can increase customer satisfaction, market share, and long-term profits. In addition, the authors describe the best practices regarding product design and show how the practices can be adapted for different manufacturing processes, suppliers, use environments, and reliability expectations. This important book contains a comprehensive review of the design and reliability of electronics covers a range of topics: establishing a reliability program, design for the use environment, design for manufacturability, and more. Includes technical information on electronic packaging, discrete components, and assembly processes shows how aspects of electronics can fail under different environmental stresses. Written for reliability engineers, electronics engineers, design engineers, component engineers, and others, Design for Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing is a comprehensive book that reveals how to get product design right the first time.

I spoke with Dave Trail from Arch Systems about Industry 4.0.Dave may be reached here:mailto:dtrail@archsys.io808-868-8298

SMTA's Surface Mount Technology International is back as a live event! The team behind the show and conference discuss the various activities taking place at SMTAI including the exhibition floor, professional development courses, technical presentations, special events and more. SMTAI 2021 takes place November 1-4 in Minneapolis, MN. More information and registration is available here:https://smta.org/mpage/smtai/

My guest has been quoted saying his personal mission is to make industry a profitable place; where individuals and manufacturers possess the resources, knowledge, and courage to sustainably lower their operating costs. I speak with James about his maintenance philosophies and his work teaching maintenance best practices.James may be reached here:James Kovacevic, MMP CMRP CAMAjkovacevic@eruditio.comhttps://eruditiollc.com