Standard performance at Celestica
16 May 2011
While some baulk at the regulatory environment we work in in the electronics industry, we generally concede that without standards quality would collapse. The IPC has put together a number of comments describing particular standards and how they work and I thought it worth sharing them with you.
This first one is from Terry Costlow, IPC’s online editor.
Standards often seem like straightforward documents that have a single purpose. But they can be many things to different people, solving new problems, creating an infrastructure for new industries and helping companies maintain their internal operations.
The larger the company, the more diverse the applications for standards. At Celestica, one of the largest contract manufacturers, they serve many roles. Often, standards come into play when problems arise.
One of the most recent challenges arose when high reliability users started adopting more lead free processes, seeing problems that rarely occurred in commercial assemblies. Throughout the industry, circuit boards were ruined when solder pads lifted from the substrate, leaving craters.
Since this failure mode was rare in mainstream commercial applications, it had to be addressed quickly by standards committees. That was handled when volunteers from OEMs, manufacturers and material suppliers teamed up.
“In some categories like pad cratering for lead-free assemblies, you need to get people together who know how to analyse new problems,” said Irene Sterian, advanced process development manager.
The solution to pad cratering came in the form of a testing standard that will make it simpler for engineers to compare materials that are the root of the problem. IPC-9708, Test Methods for Characterisation of PCB Pad Cratering, provides methodologies that many expect will become widespread, giving users a viable tool for comparing resin materials.
“When there are a lot of test methods, having agreed-upon test methods allows you to make an ‘apples to apples’ comparison,” said Thilo Sack, principal engineer. “The benefit of having a standard is that when you evaluate alternatives, you can look at them using the same methodologies. You can’t put a price tag on that.”
It isn’t only new documents that are helping high reliability applications make the transition to green technology. Though electronic technologies change rapidly, it can take years for manufacturing techniques to become commonplace throughout the industry.
That’s been especially true in high reliability applications where lead-based solder has remained acceptable. These exceptions are disappearing as more industries like automotive and defense shift to lead- and halogen-free technologies.
“A lot of standards for workmanship are in place for commercial applications, so the transition will be easier for latecomers like aerospace and military enterprises that have been exempt. They won’t have to go through the debates on what is a good solder joint or a bad solder joint like the commercial guys did when they converted,” Sack said.
Exemptions aren’t the only reason that companies have not adopted standards that are in widespread use elsewhere. Though contract manufacturing seems to be used everywhere, there are still vertically oriented companies that design and manufacture their own products.
For example, solar modules have largely been produced on in-house production lines, so standardisation hasn’t been necessary, Sterian added. But now that products are being farmed out to contract manufacturers who can handle higher volumes, things are changing.
When they do decide they need to outsource manufacturing, these corporations often ask contract manufacturers to use their proprietary documentation. Celestica’s team members often work with them to see where standards may provide added benefits.
“In cases where customers have their own specifications, which happens in many fields for good reasons, standards can help them leverage their efforts and see why they may need different tests,” Sterian said.
While these newcomers may stick with their proprietary specifications for a while, those who continue to outsource will usually adopt industry specifications.
“It depends on the customer. In fields like aerospace military and health care, you’ve got overriding standards like the FAA and FCC that may dominate,” Sack said. “When they don’t, at the end of the day most companies convert to IPC workmanship standards.”
Standards will help trim costs so solar can compete with existing alternative power sources.
“Unless solar gets to parity with costs, it won’t succeed. Government programmes help now, but that’s not sustainable. Standards can help reduce costs,” commented Sterian.
Here again, existing standards can play a role. As in many areas, solar designers are starting to shift from customised technologies to more mainstream products in order to trim the costs as volumes and competition grow.
“IPC has already done things that will help in solar, in fields like conformal coatings and in electronics like inverters. There’s a synergy between IPC and ruggedised electronics that will ultimately translate into benefits for the smart grid,” stated Sterian.
While these standards help Celestica work with its customers, the company also makes extensive use of standards on its production lines. The specifications often form the basis of proprietary guidelines that are used throughout the company’s many facilities.
“We have our internal manufacturing standards to ensure consistency in all our sites,” Sterian said. “But they all reference IPC standards so we have consistent manufacturing quality that’s easy to verify.”
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