Speedline CAMALOT enters sphere placement market with new Matrixx&#153 system

Citation

(2000), "Speedline CAMALOT enters sphere placement market with new Matrixx&#153 system", Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Vol. 12 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ssmt.2000.21912aad.007

Speedline CAMALOT enters sphere placement market with new Matrixx&#153 system

Speedline CAMALOT enters sphere placement market with new Matrixx&#153 system

Keywords: Speedline CAMALOT, Ball grid array, Placement

The speed and quality of BGA sphere placement are reported to have taken a large leap forward with the introduction of the Speedline CAMALOT Matrixx&#153 system. Matrixx offers high accuracy and high yields with versatility, placing 0.012" to 0.030" diameter spheres.

Matrixx also features 100 percent vision inspection for higher yield. The vision system examines the BGA package for offset correction to ensure the accurate application of flux, inspects the unique preloaded carrier of spheres, ready to be placed, and then aligns the BGA package to the carrier for precise sphere placement. The Matrixx system also inspects the array after placement.

The Matrixx system works by moving the BGA package to a fluxing gantry on a BGA strip, Auer®3">1 Boat, or JEDEC tray, where transfer pins apply the flux. Trays then move to a second gantry where solder spheres sit in a pre-inspected carrier above the BGA package.

After the carrier and BGA package are brought into alignment, placement pins provide positive force individually on to each sphere, to push the sphere down to the BGA's pads. As the spheres are pushed down through the carrier, the carrier guides them to precise alignment, and on to the BGA pads. By placing spheres in this method, the sphere is pushed through the flux and is in contact with the pad. This prevents the sphere from floating on the flux at reflow. This positive placement method provides higher precision and quality by eliminating the traditional issues of a gravity-feed, free-falling sphere placement system.

Speedline, CAMALOT's Benchmark&#153 software, runs on a Windows NT platform that adds operational security and provides networking capability. Additionally, the system offers an easy-to-change tooling set that consists of two sphere array carriers, one array of place head pins, one array of flux transfer pins, and a component pedestal tool at the flux and placement station. Tooling changeover typically takes less than 15 minutes.

For more information contact: Zoe Gemmell, Speedline Technologies, Unit 1, Pincents Kiln Industrial Park, Reading RG31 7SD, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 118 930 1400; Fax: +44 (0) 118 930 1401; E-mail: zgemmell@speedline.cookson.com