-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC 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.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Residues Can Cause Low Voltage Electronics to Ignite
July 20, 2015 | Steve Ring, Foresite Inc.Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Analyzing electronics failures due to residues leads us in many directions. Foresite recently worked with a fire investigation client to determine whether low voltage/low power consumer electronic devices can start fires. Traditionally, fire investigators have naturally looked for obvious damage such as arcing on heavier gauge conductors and have focused on higher wattage devices such as large household appliances. Devices such as remote controls were thought to have insufficient energy to be a source of ignition.
What we found
Even though we were looking in a new direction, we found a familiar failure mode: ionic and organic contaminants from manufacturing processes and the environment on electronics, causing electrochemical dendritic growth and short-circuiting.
The leakage current, even in low voltage/low power applications, was demonstrated to be sufficient to eventually ignite proximate fuel and lead to sustained fire. In one failure analysis case circuitry powered by only a 3.3V button cell battery sustained ignition – surfaces on the PCBA were found to have flux residue levels (weak organic acid) seven times the maximum considered safe.
What is causing this?
Several factors are exacerbating this fire risk, not to mention the risk to electronics performance:
- Elimination of flame retardants in boards due to RoHS requirements
- Process changes due to the elimination of lead (Pb) from solders, again due to RoHS
- Use of fluxes that are more difficult to completely complex (make benign), plus, no longer contain rosin which acted as a protectant
- Miniaturization of electronics (greatly reduced circuit spacing)
- Reduced and ineffective cleaning (no relevant industry specifications for cleanliness)
- Outsourced manufacturing
Going forward
This is an area of concern that is going to heat up. The average home now has over 26 consumer electronic appliances or portable electronic devices – a number that is only likely to grow. In one investigation, it was shown that an internal electronics failure in one device caused a fire in a remote device, due to electrical overstressing. Another disconcerting case involved a very low power automotive remote key fob that burned through the user’s pants pocket.
This research confirms another market driver for the need to address cleanliness in the manufacturing of reliable electronics.
Steve Ring is Foresite’s Director of Business Development. He manages funded research programs and formerly managed the development of the C3.
Suggested Items
AIM to Highlight NC259FPA Ultrafine No Clean Solder Paste at SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum
04/18/2024 | AIMAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming SMTA Wisconsin Expo & Tech Forum taking place on May 7 at the Four Points by Sheraton | Milwaukee Airport, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Hentec/RPS Publishes an Essential Guide to Selective Soldering Processing Tech Paper
04/17/2024 | Hentec Industries/RPS AutomationHentec Industries/RPS Automation, a leading manufacturer of selective soldering, lead tinning and solderability test equipment, announces that it has published a technical paper describing the critical process parameters that need to be optimized to ensure optimal results and guarantee the utmost in end-product quality.
Empowering Electronics Assembly: Introducing ALPHA Innolot MXE Alloy
04/16/2024 | MacDermid Alpha Electronics SolutionsIn the rapidly evolving electronics industry, where innovation drives progress, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions is committed to setting a new standard. Today, we are pleased to introduce ALPHA Innolot MXE, a revolutionary alloy meticulously engineered to address the critical needs of enhanced reliability and performance in modern electronic assemblies.
New Book on Low-temperature Soldering Now Available
04/17/2024 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is pleased to announce that The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Low-temperature Soldering, Vol. 2, by subject matter experts at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, is now available for download.
Inkjet Solder Mask ‘Has Arrived’
04/10/2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007I was delighted to be invited to attend an interactive webinar entitled “Solder Mask Coating Made Easy with Additive Manufacturing,” hosted by SUSS MicroTec Netherlands in Eindhoven. The webinar was introduced and moderated by André Bodegom, managing director at Adeon Technologies, and the speakers were Mariana Van Dam, senior product manager PCB imaging solutions at AGFA in Belgium; Ashley Steers, sales manager at Electra Polymers in the UK; and Dr. Luca Gautero, product manager at SUSS MicroTec Netherlands.