Metallurgy as Modern Alchemy: Bismuth
Although most scientists today feel that alchemy has been widely discredited, and I have been taught to agree, the idea of it is whimsical and exhilar...
Soldering Products
Lead-Free Solder Thermal Cycling & Drop Shock Reliability is Looking Good
Folks, I was at SMTAI (Surface Mount Technology Association International) from September 24 and 27, 2010. As I mentioned, I cha...
Bismuth: My New Friend
Lately I have been researching a bunch of things, one of my favorite topics being soldering alloys. For a long time most solder (nearly all) was compr...
For the Love of Solder
I was reading a blog post (click here to read it) authored by the owner of Taylor Guitars, and I started relating it......
Gallium Solder Alloys: Questions & Answers
I’ve received numerous questions about using gallium liquid metal alloys, so thought I’d present some of my answers for all. The cus...
How Small Can Your Solder Go?
George Will once said, “The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being proven right or pleasantly surprised.” Well...
SMT Soldering Reflow Profiling and Ramp Rates
Solder paste is made to be reflowed in the SMT process. Exactly HOW that is done is critical to your success. Included in the Product Data Shee...
My Journey to Become an Expert in PCB Assembly Materials
Welcome! I am a chemical engineer experienced in an R&D setting and jumping into a new position in marketing here at Indium Corpora...
Soldering 101 CTE Mismatch
The Northeast USA (as well as other parts of the country) have been experiencing quite a warm summer. And, if walking out into the humidity wasn...
An SMT PCB Assembly Competency Screening Quiz
Folks, Patty and Rob return from their honeymoon….... Patty had just finished some emails and was ready to head off to meet Rob and some of the...
RPN is an Approach to Evaluate Tin Whisker Risk
Folks, Tin Whiskers (TW) continue to generate considerable interest. People often suggest that their risk is great and yet unknowable. RPN m...