This course was designed to provide in-depth practical process understanding to those individuals interested in ensuring quality in electronic assemblies. This course was developed from a need to improve yields on the production floor. It was designed to provide practical process understanding to the individuals who produce SMT products daily. Students will leave this program with a deeper technical understanding of SMT processes, and the confidence to know how and where they fit in.

This is NOT a "how to" class that describes which button to push...and it's NOT a purely theoretical course that is difficult to apply to reality...it IS a program which answers the question "why" the surface mount process works the way it does.

Great efforts have been made to explain process issues in simple terms with diagrams. The emphasis is placed on yield improvement and an understanding of the process variables.

Communication is one of the most fundamental limitations in many manufacturing environments today. Turnover and attrition make simple concepts difficult to maintain. This program explains technical terms in everyday words, enhancing communication at every level. Designed for SMT production operators, technicians, and engineers. The course is foundational for SMT Engineers.

Includes the following Subjects:

• History of SMT
• Technical Issues
• SMT Types Defined
• SMT Process Defined
• SMT Components
• Substrates

• Solder Paste Rheology
• Solder Paste and Stencil Handling
• Screen Printing Process and Variables
• Common Problems and Solutions

• Adhesive Defined
• Adhesive Selection Objectives
• Dispensing Methods
• Adhesive Cure Profile
• Handling Adhesives
• Common Problems and Solutions

• Pick and Place Equipment
• Math Review
• How Pick and Place is Accomplished
• Common Problems and Solutions
• Pick and Place Inspection Criteria

• Basic Principles of Soldering
• Heat Transfer
• Flux Classification
• Cleaning Criteria

• Reflow Soldering Equipment
• The Reflow Profile
• The Optimized Profile
• Reflow Defect Mechanisms
• Common Problems and Solutions
• Reflow Inspection Criteria

• Wave Solder Equipment
• Wave Solder Process
• Cleaning Equipment
• Cleaning Process
• Wave Soldering Inspection Criteria

• Rework Philosophies
• Rework Methods
• The Rework Process
• BGA Rework

• ESD
• Moisture Sensitive Devices
• General Handling Criteria

• Pareto's Law
• The Yield Equation
• Problem Solving Tools
• The Operators Role
• The Engineers Role

Please contact Stephen Schoppe at Process Sciences, Inc. at (512) 259-7070, FAX (512) 259-7073 or sms@process-sciences.com if you need further information or would like to register for a class.

For your convenience this page is also available as a printable (PDF) file using Adobe Acrobat. If you do not already have an Adobe Acrobat Reader, download a free copy now from Adobe Acrobat.

• SMT BootCamp (PDF)