-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
The Cost of Rework
In this issue, we investigate rework's current state of the art. What are the root causes and how are they resolved? What is the financial impact of rework, and is it possible to eliminate it entirely without sacrificing your yields?
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
In-Circuit Pin Testing: An Excellent Potential Source of Value Creation
June 17, 2015 | Mitch Holtzer, AlphaEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
In-circuit pin testing (ICT) is a common method of inspecting electronic assemblies to measure the effectiveness of the assembly process and to predict electrical functionality. Test probes are put in contact with dedicated test points along the surface of an assembly, checking for electrical functions such as resistance, capacitance inductance and signal timing. Some circuit assemblers use functional testing for quality assurance as a substitute for ICT. In this example, the entire assembly either works or it doesn’t.
Unlike printing paste, placing components and reflowing solder, ICT is considered a non-value added process. In fact, ICT increases the cycle time of the assembly process. If the ICT is a fail, but the circuit being tested is actually good (known as a false negative), even more time is wasted trying to determine whether or not a good assembly will function properly.
The two basic types of ICT are commonly referred to as clamshell and flying probe. The clamshell ICT simultaneously tests dozens of points on a single board. One laboratory type of clamshell ICT device uses three types of pins and four different forces. A test vehicle is placed in the clamshell fixture. The clamshell is closed, and electrical resistivity is measured at each of the test pins.
Although clamshell devices are commonly used, they are somewhat impractical for testing solder paste and flux’s ability to be probed. Typically, there can be a 15-minute cycle time per test. Pin residue build up generally occurs after hundreds of tests. Cleaning flux build-up from pins is time-consuming, but necessary to minimize false negative readings.
Clamshell fixtures are quite expensive. A customized fixture must be fabricated for each unique assembly. This cost is only justified for the testing of high-value or high-volume assemblies.
Flying probe testing is also commonly used for lower value or lower volume assemblies. Flying probes test sequences are determined by easily changeable programming inputs. Clamshell fixtures are not required. Therefore, this type of test method is more suited for high mix circuit assembly applications.
In a common laboratory flying probe procedure, one pin type and one force are used, but the test runs for a total of 4,000 strikes. Flux build-up on the pins is an important part of the test. In addition, one common laboratory test vehicle contains four different types of pads. In this example, pad A is a 40 mil (1mm) square pad without vias, pad B is a 40 mil (1mm) square pad with 13 mil (0.33mm) vias, pad C is a 28 mil (0.7mm) round pad without vias, and pad D is a 28 mil (0.77mm) round pad with 13 mil (0.33mm) vias. There are 1,000 opportunities for each pad type.
Read The Full Article Here
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2015 issue of SMT Magazine.
Suggested Items
Indium Corporation to Present, Exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM
03/28/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation is set to present and exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM, one of Europe’s premier single-day electronics manufacturing forums, on April 17 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany. Topic areas for 2024 will include AI, automation, sustainability, and quality.
Reducing Nitrogen Consumption in Convection Soldering with Rehm Thermal Systems' Patented Mechatronic Curtain
03/28/2024 | Rehm Thermal SystemsCurrent developments indicate a need for larger throughput heights due to the trend towards e-mobility, which in turn increases nitrogen consumption for process inertization. Rehm Thermal Systems responds to this issue with an innovative solution: the mechatronic curtain.
Indium Corporation, Industry Partners to Showcase Products “Live@APEX”
03/26/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation®, in cooperation with its industry partners, will feature its proven solder solutions live on the show floor throughout IPC APEX Expo from Apr. 9‒11 in Anaheim, Calif., U.S.
ITW EAE Wins New Product Introduction Award for Electrovert® Wave Soldering Machine Deep Wave
03/26/2024 | ITW EAEITW EAE is proud to announce that it has earned a 2024 New Product Introduction (NPI) Award for Electrovert’s Deep Wave option for wave soldering machines. This new, innovative system provides the ability to pump up to a 20 mm wave height.
Mek's Next-Gen AOI Technology Takes Center Stage at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
03/19/2024 | MEKMek is excited to announce its presence at IPC APEX EXPO, North America's largest electronics manufacturing event, in Anaheim, California, from April 6-11, 2024. Attendees are invited to visit Mek at booth #1433 to explore the latest AOI technology offerings.