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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of different viscosity models (Cross and Al-Ma’aiteh) and different printing speeds on the numerical results (e.g. pressure over stencil) of a numerical model regarding stencil printing.

A finite volume model was established for describing the printing process. Two types of viscosity models for non-Newtonian fluid properties were compared. The Cross model was fitted to the measurement results in the initial state of a lead-free solder paste, and the parameters of a Al-Ma’aiteh material model were fitted in the stabilised state of the same paste. Four different printing speeds were also investigated from 20 to 200 mm/s.

Noteworthy differences were found in the pressure between utilising the Cross model and the Al-Ma’aiteh viscosity model. The difference in pressure reached 33-34% for both printing speeds of 20 and 70 mm/s and reached 31% and 27% for the printing speed of 120 and 200 mm/s. The variation in the difference was explained by the increase in the rates of shear by increasing printing speeds.

Parameters of viscosity model should be determined for the stabilised state of the solder paste. Neglecting the thixotropic paste nature in the modelling of printing can cause a calculation error of even approximately 30%. By using the Al-Ma’aiteh viscosity model over the stabilised state of solder pastes can provide more accurate results in the modelling of printing, which is necessary for the effective optimisation of this process, and for eliminating soldering failures in highly integrated electronic devices.

In this paper, analytical modelling of heat distribution along the thickness of different printed circuit board (PCB) substrates is presented according to the 1 D heat transient conduction problem. This paper aims to reveal differences between the substrates and the geometry configurations and elaborate on further application of explicit modelling.

Different substrates were considered: classic FR4 and polyimide, ceramics (BeO, Al₂O₃) and novel biodegradables (polylactic-acid [PLA] and cellulose acetate [CA]). The board thicknesses were given in 0.25 mm steps. Results are calculated for heat transfer coefficients of convection and vapour phase (condensation) soldering. Even heat transfer is assumed on both PCB sides.

It was found that temperature distributions along PCB thicknesses are mostly negligible from solder joint formation aspects, and most of the materials can be used in explicit reflow profile modelling. However PLA shows significant temperature differences, pointing to possible modelling imprecisions. It was also shown, that while the difference between midplane and surface temperatures mainly depend on thermal diffusivity, the time to reach solder alloy melting point on the surface depends on volumetric heat capacity.

Results validate the applicability of explicit heat transfer modelling of PCBs during reflow for different heat transfer methods. The results can be incorporated into more complex simulations and profile predicting algorithms for industrial ovens controlled in the wake of Industry 4.0 directives for better temperature control and ultimately higher soldering quality.

The attack angle of stencil printing squeegees with different geometries was analysed using finite element modelling.

A finite element model (FEM) was developed to determine the attack angle during the stencil printing. The material properties of the squeegee were included in the model according to the parameters of steel AISI 4340, and the model was validated by experimental measurements. Two geometric parameters were investigated; two different unloaded angles (45° and 60°) and four overhang sizes of the squeegee (6, 15, 20 and 25 mm).

It was found that the deflection of the blade is nearly homogenous along the length of the squeegee. This implies that the attack angle does not change significantly along the squeegee length. The results showed significant differences between the initial and the attack angle. For example, the angle of the squeegee with 15 mm overhang size and with 60° initial angle decreased by more than 5° for a specific squeegee force of 0.3 N/mm; resulting in an attack angle of 53.4°.

The attack angle during the printing is considerably lower than the initial angle as a result of the printing force. The papers, which were dealing with the numerical modelling of the stencil printing presumed that the squeegees were having their initial angle. This could have led to invalid numerical results. Therefore, we decided to investigate the attack angle during stencil printing for squeegees with different initial geometries to enhance the numerical modelling of stencil printing.

The paper aims to present an investigation of heating during vapour phase soldering (VPS) on inclined printed circuit board (PCB) substrates. The PCB is a horizontal rectangular plate from the aspect of filmwise condensation with a given inclination setting.

The paper focuses on the measurement of temperature distribution on the PCBs with a novel setup immersed in the saturated vapour space. The measuring instrumentation is optimized to avoid and minimize vapour perturbing effects.

The inhomogeneity of the heating is presented according to the lateral dimensions of the PCB. The inclination improves temperature uniformity, improves heat transfer efficiency; however, a minor misalignment may affect the flow and result in uneven heating.

The results can be implemented for practical improvements in industrial ovens with the use of intended inclination. The improvements may consequently point to more efficient production and better joint quality.

The novel method can be used for deeper investigation of inclination during and can be complemented with numerical calculations. The results highlight the importance of precise PCB holding instrumentation in VPS ovens.

The paper aims to present an investigation on heat transfer in a vapour phase soldering (VPS) oven, focusing on the differences of horizontally and vertically aligned Printed Circuit Board (PCB) surfaces. The investigation can help develop a better understanding of the process and provide information for future modelling of the process.

For the investigations, flame retardant grade 4 (FR4) PCB plates and sealed plate–based boxes were immersed into saturated vapour of an experimental oven. The temperature and resulting heat transfer coefficients were analysed according to the sample boxes and the surface orientations. In addition, the boxes’ vapour consumption was investigated with pressure measurements.

The horizontal top- and bottom-side heating shows very similar results. In addition, the sides of a box were heated in a manner similar to the top and the bottom sides, but there was a slight increase in the heat transfer coefficient because of the vertical wall alignment. The pressure measurements reveal the dynamic changes in vapour after immersion of the boxes.

The findings may help to show differences on different surface orientations, pointing to more precise, explicit and multiphysics simulation results.

The experiments present an aspect of heat transfer coefficient differences in VPS ovens, also highlighting the effect of initial pressure drop inside the workspace of an oven.

The vacuum vapour phase soldering method was investigated by numerical simulations. The purpose of this study was to examine the temperature changes of the solder joints during the vapour suctioning process. A low pressure is used to enhance the outgassing of the trapped gas within the solder joints, which otherwise could form voids. However, the system loses heat near the suction pipe during the suctioning process, and it can result in preliminary solidification of the solder joints before the gas could escape.

A three-dimensional numerical flow model based on the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations with the standard k-e turbulence method was developed. The effect of the vapour suctioning on the convective heat transfer mechanism was described by the model. Temperature change of the solder joints was studied at the mostly used substrate and component combinations, as well as at different system settings.

In the function of the substrate thickness and the component size, the solder joints can lose large amount of heat during the void reduction process, which leads to preliminary solidification before the entrapped gas voids could be removed.

The results provide setting information of vacuum vapour phase technology for appropriate and optimal applications.

The relationship between low pressure generation and convective heat transfer mechanism during vacuum vapour phase soldering has not been studied yet. The possible negative effects of the vapour suctioning process on the solder joint temperature are unknown.

The purpose of the paper is to improve the control of vapour phase soldering (VPS). To enable better productivity and assembling quality, the industry needs to provide precise control and measurements during assembling. In the paper, a special monitoring method is presented for VPS to enable improved process control and oven state identification.

The work presents the investigation of the workspace with dynamic and gage type pressure sensors in fusion with thermocouples. Different sensors were evaluated to find an appropriate type. The relation between the temperature and the pressure was investigated, according to the setup of the oven. The effect of inserting a printed circuit board (PCB) on the pressure of the vapour inside the oven was also investigated with the pressure/power functions.

It was found that the novel gage-type sensors enable better precision than solutions seen in previous literature. The sensors are able to monitor the decreasing vapour concentration when a PCB is inserted to the workspace. It was found that there is a suggested minimum power to sustain a well-developed vapour column for soldering in saturated vapour. An inflexion point highlights this in the pressure/power function, in accordance with the temperature/power curve.

The research presents original works with aspects of a novel sensor fusion concept and work space monitoring for better process control and improved soldering quality.

To improve productivity and reach better quality in assembling, measurements and proper process controlling are a necessary factor. This study aims to focus on the monitoring heat-level-based vapour phase reflow soldering (VPS), where – as it was found – different thermocouple constructions can affect the set parameters of the oven and resulting soldering profiles significantly.

The study experiments showed significant alteration of the heating profiles during the process of the reflowing using different construction of k-type thermocouples. In a heat-level-based VPS oven, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) gas and water-resistant, fibreglass, thin PFA and ultrathin PFA-covered thermocouples were tested with ±1 °C precision. The oven parameters were swept according to the heating power; the length of the introduced thermocouple cables was also taken into account. An FR4-based sample PCB was used for monitoring the temperature.

According to the results, due to the mass and volume of the thermocouples’ wires, different transients were observed on the resulting soldering profiles on the same sample PCB. The thermocouples with lower thermal mass result in faster profiles and significantly different heating factor values compared to the thermocouples that have larger thermal mass. Consequently, the length of the thermocouple wires put in the oven has also considerable effect on the heat transfer of the PCB inside the oven as well.

The paper shows that the thermocouple construction must be taken into account when setting up a required soldering profile, while the thermal mass of the wires might cause a significant difference in the prediction of the actual and expected soldering temperatures.

This paper aims to present a novel approach on investigating critical current densities in the solder joints of chip-size surface-mounted components or device (SMD) components and ball grid array (BGA) lead-free solder joints with the focus of via-in-pad geometries. The investigation involves a numerical approach and a physical validation with selected geometry configurations and high current loads to reveal possible failure sources. The work is a continuation of a previous study.

Current density was investigated using finite element modeling on BGA joints. Dummy BGA components, 0402 and 0603 zero ohm jumper resistors, were used, both in daisy chain setups on standard FR4 printed circuit boards (PCBs). Respective physical loading experiments were set to find effects of elevated current density at hot zones of the joints. Cross-section analysis, scanning electron microscopy and shear force tests were used to analyze the joints.

The findings reveal alterations in the joints, while the current loading is not directly affecting the structure. The modeling reveals the current density map in the selected formations with increased current crowding zones. Overall, the degradation does not reach the level of electromigration (EM)-induced voiding due to the limiting factor of the FR4 substrate.

The heavy current load affects joint reliability, but there are limitations of EM-induced failures on PCB-based assemblies due to the thermomechanical weakness of the FR4 material.

The experiments investigate current density from a novel aspect on frequently used BGA surface mounted components with modeling configurations focusing on possible effects of via-in-pad structure.

The purpose of this paper is to increase the reliability of manufactured electronics and to reveal reliability significant factors. The experiments were focused especially on the influence of the reflow oven parameters presented by a heating factor.

The shear strength of the surface mount device (SMD) resistors and their joint resistance were analyzed. The resistors were assembled with two Sn/Ag/Cu-based and one Bi-based solder pastes, and the analysis was done for several values of the heating factor and before and after isothermal aging. The measurement of thickness of intermetallic compounds was conducted on the micro-sections of the solder joints.

The shear strength of solder joints based on the Sn/Ag/Cu-based solder alloy started to decline after the heating factor reached the value of 500 s · K, whereas the shear strength of the solder alloy based on the Bi alloy (in the measured range) always increased with an increase in the heating factor. Also, the Bi-based solder joints showed shear strength increase after isothermal aging in contrast to Sn/Ag/Cu-based solder joints, which showed shear strength decrease.

The interpretation of the results of such a comprehensive measurement leads to a better understanding of the mutual relation between reliability and other technological parameters such as solder alloy type, surface finish and parameters of the soldering process.