Due to the increasing miniaturization in electronics, which involves ever smaller components and ever higher packing densities, there is a growing need on the part of electronics manufacturers to continuously improve all process steps. High precision and reliability as well as a reduction in production errors at ever faster production speeds and falling manufacturing costs are the focus here and are also one of the challenges for manufacturing companies. Added to this are new materials and components, some of which are highly sensitive and require new production steps.
Stensolution's goal in this production environment is the continuous further development of the first production process in electronics manufacturing: solder paste printing. "The printing process has a significant influence on the quality of the manufactured products. The solder pastes to be used are often specified by the customer, which means that all associated tasks relating to printing have to be adapted. For this reason, Becktronic, Hyperclean and we have joined forces to jointly coordinate and drive forward development activities in this area and make our expertise available to customers," explains Markus Geßner, Head of Marketing and Sales at Emil Otto GmbH. Thomas Schulte-Brinker, Managing Director of Becktronic, adds that stencil printing depends on many different parameters, meaning that considerable effort is often required to achieve process improvements.
"Reproducible and reliable printing processes for solder paste and SMD adhesives in electronics production are basic requirements for the manufacture of reliable electronics. But the upstream and downstream processes, such as the cleaning of stencils, also play a decisive role here. The same applies to the production environment," explains Geßner. The ambient temperature, viscosity of the print media and grain size of the solder paste used can have a massive impact on the quality of the print results. Furthermore, the quality of the laser-cut SMD stencil, the properties of the underside cleaning roller and the cleaning medium used also play a decisive role.
However, the market offers a wide range of different products that can be used in solder paste printing. Different technologies, materials and qualities for stencils and consumables as well as a wide price range make it difficult for customers to select the right product combinations. "We want to remedy this situation and provide customers with our many years of experience," explains Geßner. All three companies are specialists in their field and make their technological expertise available to customers. This means that customers can approach Emil Otto, Becktronic or SMT Express with questions about solder paste printing process development and have individually tailored printing processes developed as part of an evaluation.
Becktronic GmbH
BECKTRONIC specializes in the production of laser-cut SMD stencils and high-precision stencils for LTCC applications. Becktronic has a broad technical know-how and more than 30 years of experience in the development and production of printing stencils.
Hyperclean - by SMT Express (Sweden)
Hyperclean was founded in 2012 as a development company and manufacturer of consumables for the SMT process. The first product was the Hyperclean stencil cleaning roller. The stencil cleaning roller, which is used in solder paste printers, plays a central role in the cleaning and printing process.
Emil Otto GmbH
For over 118 years, high-quality fluxes and efficient cleaning media from Emil Otto have been used to achieve maximum reliability in electronics production. Based on the company's experience and innovative strength and in compliance with all legal and technical requirements, Emil Otto develops optimal and sustainable process solutions.