SMTAi 2018 Ready for Take Off

 

The SMTAi 2018 conference opens Sunday with a packed Technical Program, an exciting keynote presentation from Rockwell Collins and Lockheed Martin about the revolutionary Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) for the F-35 Fighter Jet, and a plethora of panel discussions, social events and committee meetings. Not to mention the electronics exhibition, featuring 150 or so exhibitors demonstrating the latest technologies and processes.

The EMSNow booth is #1247. Please stop by so Eric Miscoll and I (Jennifer Read) can shake your hand — or if we are out and about, please leave your card.

Keynote on Tuesday Morning

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combines advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information displayed to the pilot through the Helmet Mounted Display (HMD), network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor, continuing its 100-year history of aircraft research and design with the Lightning II. Rockwell Collins – ESA Vision Systems is the supplier of the HMD, the industry leader in development of helmet mounted display technology for the last 33 years. According to standard industry accepted economic forecasting, the F-35 is responsible for more than 125,000 direct and indirect jobs, making it the single largest job generator in the Department of Defense program budget. The Lockheed Martin F-35 program teams with more than 1,400 domestic suppliers in 46 states and Puerto Rico to produce thousands of components from highly sophisticated radar sensors to the aircraft’s mid fuselage. This exciting presentation will provide an overview of the development of the F-35 HMD, and how pilots use the unparalleled capabilities that the HMD provides.

Ron Heberlein is a Pr. Program Manager at Rockwell Collins. He has led the design and development of military Helmet Mounted Display products since 2016, and started his work on the F-35 Helmet Mounted display program in 2012 as the lead mechanical engineer. Ron has been involved with electronics design and opto-mechanical design since 2003 and has worked on Head-Up Displays, Enhanced Vision Sensors, and Helmet Mounted Displays for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream, Embraer, and Bombardier. Ron has a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and holds patents in Heads-Up Display Alignment and Sensor Based Navigation Correction.

Scott “Shark” McLaren is a F-35 experimental test pilot for developmental test and production. F-35 flights; integrate engineering design through development and test planning for risk reduction, maneuver development, system improvements, and flight test execution. Currently flying F-35 as a Lockheed Martin test pilot at Edwards AFB and Fort Worth. His recognitions include: being a member of Society of Experimental Test Pilots, member of the Order of Daedalians, and 2008 AIAA AFIT Graduate Student Award for Research Excellence. Mr. McLaren’s research titled, Velocity Estimate Following Air Data System Failure, was published in 2008.

 

Latest Product Announcement from Exhibitors

Cogiscan, a Track, Trace and Control (TTC) solutions provider is spotlighting its “Co-NECT” which supports all existing and future industry standards such as SECS/GEM, CAMX, ZVEI, CFX as well as proprietary interfaces from leading software and machines vendors. Co-NECT is a unique, standalone and neutral connectivity solution that addresses the greatest challenge in the industry at this point: Connectivity between different machines, software and enterprise systems. This technology enables Industry 4.0 for electronics assembly.

The new Factory Intelligence — Analytics package offers a series of capabilities to analyze metrics and KPI over a period of time. Being able to collect and analyze key metrics such as machine OEE is key to enabling manufacturing staff to quickly identify any deviation from expected performance and quickly drill down to the root cause for corrective actions. This will guarantee that all assets always operate at optimal conditions.

Factory Intelligence runs on the standard Cogiscan platform, which means that it is a very simple upgrade for existing Cogiscan customers. With the largest library of machine interfaces in the industry, Cogiscan can deliver a complete solution; including connectivity middleware and applications such as material control, traceability and analytics. For more information, visit www.cogiscan.com.

Koh Young Presenting Benefits of APC with Feedback at SMTA International

Mr. David Suh, Applications Team Leader at Koh Young will present the white paper “Combing Automated Advanced Process Control (APC) with Feedback to Revolutionize the Printed Circuit Board Assembly Process” In addition, during the INS2 (Inspection 4.0) session on Thursday, he will discuss how industry-leading 3D measurement systems with closed-loop Advanced Process Control (APC) feedback can help manufacturers improve production throughput and yield by providing performance feedback to printers and mounters – a revolutionary approach to drive process improvements. Moreover, it will show how APC will identify a trend and implement corrections by using true 3D measurement data from the SPI or AOI system. While a smart factory will help resolve the skilled employee challenge, it will also revolutionize process optimization. Additionally, Koh Young will highlight its 8030-3 3D Solder Paste Inspection (SPI) and Zenith 3D Automatic Optical inspection (AOI) systems during the expo. To discover all the Koh Young products and services, visit the company at booth number 815.

If you are flying to the show, be sure to watch TalkBusiness 360 on the American Airlines inflight entertainment system. During the entire month of October, the segment will feature Koh Young as an “Industry Innovator”, highlighting its KSMART Process Optimizer. TalkBusiness will also feature Koh Young on its channel with streaming services from Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV through December.

If you cannot attend the technical conference at SMTA International, visit us at booth 815 to learn more about Koh Young technologies and its best-in-class inspection solutions at www.KohYoung.com, but don’t forget to tune into TalkBusiness 360 for the Industry Innovator segment featuring Koh Young.

 

SEHO will introduce the new StartSelective: The perfect plug-and-produce selective soldering system for those just entering into automated soldering.

Connect, power on and produce. The StartSelective is thought through down to the last detail, from its compact design, ease of operation and many technical highlights. With a footprint of only 2.5 m², the StartSelective provides maximum quality and reproducibility of soldering results for assemblies up to 20“ x 20“ and an outstanding return on investment.

All process-relevant components such as the micro drop jet fluxer, preheat system and maintenance-free electromagnetic soldering unit have successfully been in use for years in other soldering systems from SEHO. While all process steps are fully automated and monitored, loading and unloading of assemblies is done manually.

The preheat section of the StartSelective is equipped with pulsar heaters over the full area that feature a high energy density and quick reaction time. This enables a remarkable reduction in energy consumption, especially in standby mode. A top-side heater allows processing of high-mass assemblies, and can be activated individually with a pre-programmed temperature.

Another highlight is the optimized soldering area with non-wetted miniwave solder nozzles, featuring a 7° soldering angle. Non-wetted solder nozzles are maintenance-free and feature a nearly unlimited lifetime, thus avoiding follow-up costs. Additionally, they do not require any chemicals for activation. An advantage for both the health of the maintenance staff and the environment.

Just like the high volume selective soldering systems from SEHO, the StartSelective is equipped with a complete package for automated process control. The spray jet control in the fluxing area, automatic wave height control and solder level monitoring with automated solder wire supply are only some of the monitoring functions. For further information, please visit SEHO at SMTA International in booth #423.

Indium Corporation may hold the record for number of technical programs.

The following technical papers from Indium Corporation experts will be featured:

• Robust SMT No-Clean Solder Paste for SiP and 01005 Assembly by Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee, Vice President of Technology
• Low-Melting Point Materials Development: Novel High Reliability Low-Temperature Solder Alloys by Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee
• Novel High-Reliability Low-Temperature Solder Alloys by Dr. Lee
• Process and Materials Interaction Investigation: Test Methods for Electrochemical Consistency in PCB Assembly Processes – Revisited by Brook Sandy-Smith, Technical Support Engineer for PCB Assembly Materials
• Solder Paste Rheology, Performance and Aging: How Worst-Case Shipping Scenarios Affect Solder-Paste Performance: Part 2 by Brook Sandy-Smith
• Reflow Profiling for Next-Generation Pb-free Solder Alloys by Brook Sandy-Smith
• Inspection Applications: Practical Implementation of Assembly Process for Low-Melting Point Solder Pastes by Brook Sandy-Smith
• Solder Printing: Impact of Stencil Quality & Technology on Solder Paste Printing Performance by Jonas Sjoberg, Technical Manager
• Reliability of Intermetallics in Various Interconnects: Copper-Tin Intermetallics: Their Importance, Growth Rate, and Nature by Dr. Ron Lasky, Senior Technologist

Indium Corporation experts will also serve as chairs for three technical sessions, including:

• Solder Paste Development to Overcome Component Challenges: Adam Murling, Technical Support Engineer, Global Accounts
• Low-Temperature Solder Paste and its Process Development – iNEMI Project: Anny Zhang, Regional Sales Manager, Northwestern USA, and Western Canada
• Properties and Behavior of Solders Containing Bismuth: Brook Sandy-Smith

 

PACE is featuring its  ADS200 AccuDrive^™ Production Soldering Station, with demonstrations at its booth number #1028.  ADS200, is a new high-power, low-cost production soldering station that features the new TD-200 Cool-Touch^TM Handpiece, with its sleek and ergonomic aluminum handle designed to stay cool and comfortable during continuous production soldering. Blue Series Tip-Heater Cartridges integrate a high-accuracy sensor with a robust heater, delivering up to 120 Watts of power. Unlike curie point systems, select any temperature (from 380°F/193°C to 850°F/454°C) without changing the cartridge – one tip, any temperature. The quick-change cartridges can be quickly swapped while hot, and achieve set temperatures instantly. Yet the tip cartridges are less than half the price of most other cartridge style or curie point tips. PACE’s new AccuDrive temperature control technology delivers unsurpassed thermal performance and highly accurate temperatures, without the need to change tip cartridges or calibrate. Its advanced electronics provide instantaneous load sensing and on-demand power to quickly reflow solder joints at the lowest, safest temperature required, regardless of the mass of the application. Intended for extreme, multi-shift production use, the ADS200 features a rugged, all-metal design, including housing, soldering iron and tool stand. The system is intuitive and easy to operate – just power it on, set the temperature with arrow keys and start soldering. No training required.

 

Nordson ASYMTEK Presents Ways to Optimize the Conformal Coating and Dispensing Processes

Featured at SMTAI will be the Select Coat® SL-940 system along with the FX-940UV Series Optical Inspection system. When the SL-940 is combined with the FX-940UV and ASYMTEK’s curing ovens, the result is an optimized conformal coating line that delivers high quality and productivity for automated coating processes.

“The conformal coating industry has grown significantly over the past few years. Managing the many coating materials from silicones to acrylics is a challenge because each one may behave differently,” explained Jerry Frost, regional sales manager for Nordson ASYMTEK. “Our experts can help you set profiles and determine the optimal process for your conformal coating application.” (Learn more about curing http://ndsn.tech/coating-video).

Dispensing and jetting experts will also be available to discuss ways to optimize the automated fluid dispensing process.”In electronics assembly, dispense weights have decreased and applications have a narrower process window, requiring reliable, high-quality dispensing results. To meet these high standards, process variation must be actively monitored and addressed,” stated Sonia Aldridge, senior product application engineer for Nordson ASYMTEK. “We solved this problem 20 years ago with Automated Self-Calibration™ and Calibrated Process Jetting™. Now, with our IntelliJet® Jetting System, controlled through ASYMTEK’s Fluidmove® software, the system adjusts process variation to give consistent jetting quality. One customer has dispensed well over 4 billion jet cycles without requiring service, recalibration, or replacement.” (See video at http://ndsn.tech/dispensing-video).

And come celebrate at SMTA International’s Fiesta, sponsored by Nordson ASYMTEK, and try the OPTIMIZER Margarita to be ¡Livin’ la Vida!