Low Temperature Alloys - Soldering 101
The most common melting temperature range for standard solders (like SnPb or SnPbAg) is in the 180°C to 190°C range, and the mo...
Unmistakable Bar Solder
I work for a company that manufactures solder, so I have a pretty keen eye for it. Even so, it’s still hard to tell......
Solder Reflow Profiling Tips - Graping
Graping is a phenomenon which appears as un-reflowed solder particles, typically seen on the surface of the solder joint. &nbs...
Nano: The Next Small Thing
I’m a nano guy, and for me the term “nano” can refer to my college degree, my interest in bug collecting, or my iPod. For most...
Recent Electronics Assembly Trends
I love watching a good basketball game, and one of my favorite local teams is the Syracuse Orangemen. If you go to a Syracuse home game, notice.....
Solder Bonding to Non-Metallics: Indium 101
If you look for indium on the periodic chart, you will see that it located right by tin (Sn) and lead (Pb) but it is a world away in terms of its prop...
Join me in Webinars and at APEX
Folks, I will be giving a webinar on the status of lead-free alloy proliferation with SMTA on March 4th, and a similar one with IPC on March...
It Seems Like Just Yesterday
Today (March 3rd) I start my 25th year at Indium Corporation. It seems like just yesterday that the minor league hockey team I was doing PR ...
Plated Metallization for C-Si Solar Cells
The latest issue of Circuitree Magazine came to me the other day and it was clear that this issue had a solar assembly focus. The cover story ...
Dr. Alan Rae: Nanotechnology in Electronics Assembly
I caught up with Alan Rae after a recent IWLPC committee meeting, where he jokingly asked me to, “Stop asking important questions” –...
What Does Shelf Life Mean to You?
Shelf life means different things in different situations. Post something on the internet and it will last forever. Leave fresh fruit out ...