Editorial archive;

Management - SMART look back (23 August 2010)
We asked the SMART Group to provide some of its members’ views on how technology has been implemented over the past 30 years, and the pressures and changes forced on it by progress in design....FULL STORY

Glossary - Gold & Nickel Finish or ENIG (06 August 2010)
Gold is a traditional finish used in the industry due to excellent electrical finish, corrosion resistance and, when required, good solderability....FULL STORY

Glossary - WEEE and RoHS (12 July 2010)
Waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK, and in Europe the annual amount of WEEE is growing at a rate that is three times faster than the average annual rate of normal municipal waste collected....FULL STORY

Glossary - Legend ink (14 June 2010)
After the application of solder resist as part of the board manufacturing process legend is applied by screen printing and then a curing operation....FULL STORY

News - SMART Group announce 26th birthday conference (02 June 2010)
Following a successful two day conference last year that celebrated 25 years of the SMART Group, they have announced that after a busy year of events, the 26th anniversary will be celebrated with an equally exciting two day event....FULL STORY

Glossary - Scoring Printed Boards (11 May 2010)
Scoring offers the benefits of minimum wasted design space and thus allows maximum utilisation of laminate material during the production of a panel of PCBs...FULL STORY

Glossary - Bill of Materials (09 April 2010)
The term ‘BOM’ is frequently used, but what exactly does it mean?...FULL STORY

Glossary - Copper dissolution (12 February 2010)
Dissolution/erosion of the plating or coating is not a new issue, but with the introduction of lead-free soldering materials, new process stages like selective soldering and higher process temperatures, it is a real issue, as the pictures show....FULL STORY

Glossary - Incomplete solder coverage (18 January 2010)
Solder coverage relates to the ability for solder to wet successfully across the pad surface, and decreased coverage is often highlighted when an alterative surface finish is used on the pads of the printed board....FULL STORY

Glossary - Lead-free fillet tearing (30 November 2009)
It’s a fact that lead-free fillet tear in plated through hole joints is not uncommon. The images show two examples of this phenomena; optically and by using real time X-ray inspection....FULL STORY

Management - The SMART Group 25th anniversary seminar and exhibition (06 November 2009)
The advent of surface-mount component packaging in the early 1980s precipitated a step change in printed circuit assembly procedure and presented a new generation of engineering challenges....FULL STORY

Management - SMART Silver celebration (09 September 2009)
The SMART Group is celebrating its Silver Anniversary with a series of events, starting with its 25th Anniversary Seminar later this month...FULL STORY

Glossary - Microsectioning PCBs (26 May 2009)
Microsections are an essential tool in the quality evaluation and control of PCB manufacture. It is very important that the people who produce and assess these microsections are trained and supervised by a person who is well versed in the methods of PCB manufacture....FULL STORY

Glossary - Double sided reflow in one reflow cycle (12 May 2009)
In any process there are always opportunities to improve, reduce the number of process stages or reduce the cost of manufacture. ...FULL STORY

Glossary - Solder Beading (17 April 2009)
The term solder bead is used to differentiate it from solder balls. A solder bead is a solder ball, but its location is normally constant, unlike solder balls. Solder beads are located on the side of chip components between the terminations....FULL STORY

Glossary - Solder balling (18 March 2009)
There are two types of solder balls generally seen after wave and selective soldering; consistent/repeating or random balls....FULL STORY

Glossary - Selective soldering (12 February 2009)
There are essentially three methods of selectively soldering through hole components on a predominately surface mount printed board design. Arguably there are five if robotic or manual hand soldering are included, but the latter is not automated....FULL STORY

News - Conference lead event launched (16 January 2009)
A new event will be taking place 30 September – 1st October 2009 in Coventry, UK for the electronics technology industry. This event includes a SMART Group Conference, with an exhibition and networking event running alongside....FULL STORY

Glossary - Solder Dross (16 January 2009)
Every company that is operating a wave/selective soldering system has it, but what is it and how can you reduce it or dispose of it? ...FULL STORY

News - New Chairman at SMART Group (15 December 2008)
At the committee meeting earlier this month, Keith Bryant, European Sales Manager of Dage X-Ray Systems, was elected as Chairman of SMART Group....FULL STORY

Glossary - Solder leveled - Hot Air Solder Leveled (HASL) (17 November 2008)
The solder leveling process became popular in the early 80s and was still the most commonly specified finish for surface mount boards in the late 90s and early 2000....FULL STORY

News - Bob Willis recognised by his peers (17 November 2008)
Vice President of SMART Group, Bob Willis, has been presented with an IPC distinguished service award recognising his contribution and continuing efforts on behalf of IPC....FULL STORY

Glossary - Immersion Tin Finish (27 October 2008)
Immersion processes like silver and tin have an organic deposited as part of the process that reduces the oxidation that would be expected with a pure tin or silver surface....FULL STORY

Management - Smart view of where we stand (18 October 2008)
EM&T asked the SMART Group to give a view on a key industry topic at the moment. Nigel Burtt took the stand on environmental issues....FULL STORY

News - Recognition for SMART's VP (29 August 2008)
SMART Group’s honorary Vice President was presented with an international award at the recent SMTA International in Orlando....FULL STORY

News - A date for the diary (07 July 2008)
The SMART group has organised a workshop to take place in September titled: solving counterfeit components - the problem, identification and testing....FULL STORY

News - On-site training is SMART (02 June 2008)
The SMART Group will soon be launching a range of on-site one or two day training courses....FULL STORY

Products - Free guide is a SMART idea (25 May 2008)
The SMART Group has launched its Lead-Free Defect Guide2, and free copies will be available at National Electronics Week....FULL STORY

Glossary - Package on Package POP/STACK Packages (23 May 2008)
An area array device (like a BGA) provides high packing density with a relatively easy introduction cycle, often after a few years of experience. Over the last couple of years engineers have started to experiment and in some cases implement STACK packages, what is often called Package on Package (POP)....FULL STORY

News - NEXT WEEK’S BIG EVENT – Manufacturing Process Improvement (14 April 2008)
The Smart Group is hosting a series of seminars in South Africa titled Manufacturing Process Improvement. ...FULL STORY

Glossary - Filled Via Holes (07 April 2008)
An ever increasing number of via holes are being used in modern printed circuit design and as with most electronics, they are getting smaller. A via hole is a connection through the board or only to selected layers of the board. They are used to make interconnections but not required to have leads soldered through the holes. ...FULL STORY

Glossary - Cored Solder Wire (17 March 2008)
Cored solder wire has been used in the electronics industry for many years and is very familiar to everyone from production staff in a factory to the home hobbyist. Cored solder wire is simply a thin wire with flux running through the centre like a stick of rock....FULL STORY

News - NEXT WEEK'S BIG EVENT - Art of cleaning (03 March 2008)
A SMART Group organised workshop taking place in St Albans, UK will be explaining the 21st century art of cleaning. ...FULL STORY

News - The ABCs of LGA and QFN (25 February 2008)
Land Grid Array (LGA) and Quad Flat No-lead (QFN) have quickly become a common package type used in many professional portable products. With any new device, there is always a learning curve for design, process and quality engineers who have to get to grips with the challenges that leadless packages bring. ...FULL STORY

Glossary - Component Footprint or Pad - Jargon Buster (18 February 2008)
Surface mount and area array pads need to be a particular shape that corresponds to the size and shape of the component termination which is to be mounted on it. The proper shape and size of the pads will allow satisfactory, printing, placement and soldering joint formation to meet relevant IPC inspection and reliability criteria....FULL STORY

News - Nepcon UK - cancelled (04 February 2008)
Nepcon UK has been forced to cancel its 2008 exhibition, scheduled to take place at the NEC at the end of April. Other Reed Exhibitions events around the world remain unaffected by this decision....FULL STORY

Glossary - Polymer Solder Balls (17 December 2007)
The use of plastic balls that are metallised and fixed to the base of Ball Grid Array (BGA) and Chip Scale Package (CSP) packages is not new and have been circulated in the industry for the last five or six years. ...FULL STORY

Glossary - Via Holes (09 November 2007)
The electronics industry is demanding smaller and smaller via holes to allow further interconnection to advance on mobile products. ...FULL STORY

Technology News - The next 25 years – Part III (10 September 2007)
In the final part of the series, Sue Knight, Technical Chairman of SMART Group/STI Ltd, gives a personal view of what is come in the next 25 years...FULL STORY

Technology News - The Next 25 Years - Part II (23 August 2007)
In the second in this short series, Peter Grundy from The SMART Group's technical committee gives us his personal view of what the future has in store for the electronics manufacturing industry ...FULL STORY

Technology News - Can 1982 be 25 Years Ago? (13 August 2007)
EMTWorldWide asked the SMART Group to gaze into their crystal balls and predict what would happen in the next 25 years. Ron Lasky was first up and started by taking a quick look back 25 years to 1982 – the year Electronics Manufacture & Test magazine was launched....FULL STORY

Glossary - Temporary masking (27 July 2007)
Temporary masking is the general term which applies to tape, latex or polymer coatings which are applied selectively to the surface of a board by the PCB fabricator or just prior to the assembly stage. ...FULL STORY

News - SMART Group launches in South Africa (09 July 2007)
The SMART Group has opened up a new branch in South Africa following a successful introduction last year...FULL STORY

News - Polymers in Electronics (03 July 2007)
At a loose end tomorrow and in the UK? Why not go along to the Smart Group Seminar on Polymers in Electronics?...FULL STORY

Glossary - Secondary Reflow of Lead-Free Joints (01 July 2007)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Dye Penetration Testing (29 May 2007)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Piecing the jigsaw together (07 April 2007)
Biscuits, Placks, Jigsaw's and Multi images are just some of the terms used for printed board panels holding more than one circuit image....FULL STORY

Glossary - Leadless Ceramic Chip Carrier (LCCC) (07 February 2007)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Crimping (07 January 2007)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Wetting (07 December 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Blow Holes or Pin Holes (07 November 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - LGA - Land Grid Array (07 July 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Printed Board Laminates (07 June 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Dendrite Formation (07 May 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Vapour Phase Soldering (07 March 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Fillet Lifting (07 February 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Intrusive Reflow (07 January 2006)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Press Fit Technology (07 April 2005)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Flip Chip (07 March 2005)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Popcorning (07 February 2005)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Reflow Soldering (07 December 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Polymer Circuits (07 November 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - OSP (07 October 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - What is Pb-free? (07 May 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Halogenated fire retardants (07 April 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Intermetallics (07 March 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Rework & Repair (07 January 2004)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Tin Whiskers (07 December 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Surface Tension (07 November 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Acoustic micro imaging (AMI) (07 October 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Reflow Solder Spots (07 July 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Pin In Hole Intrusive Reflow (07 April 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Surface Insulation Resistance (07 March 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Solderable Finishes (07 January 2003)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - FR4 Laminate (07 December 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Electrically Conducting Adhesives (07 November 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Rosin Fumes (07 October 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Underfills (07 September 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Thick Film Technology (07 August 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Solder Resist (07 July 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - CAF (07 June 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Conformal coating ? (07 May 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Tombstoning (07 April 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Stencils for SMA (07 March 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Yield Measurement (07 February 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - ESD (07 January 2002)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - 0201 Chip Components (07 December 2001)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Reliability what is it? (07 November 2001)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - REWORK (07 October 2001)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - X-Ray Inspection (07 September 2001)
...FULL STORY

Glossary - Wavesoldering (07 August 2001)
...FULL STORY