-
-
News
News Highlights
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
The Cost of Rework
In this issue, we investigate rework's current state of the art. What are the root causes and how are they resolved? What is the financial impact of rework, and is it possible to eliminate it entirely without sacrificing your yields?
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Which IPC-A-610 Class is Best for Your PCBA?
April 8, 2019 | Neil Sharp, JJS ManufacturingEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
When you think about what makes a good electronics assembly, what are the most common expectations that come to mind? If the assembly works as intended, then surely that indicates a certain level of acceptability, right? But what about the product's longer-term reliability? And what if you'd also like it to look good too?
Printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) is a surprisingly complex thing. There’s the PCB itself with all of its materials, finishes, and various components, and the solder that holds everything together. Within that, there’s also a fair amount of scope for things to be good, bad, or somewhere in between.
For many electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers, IPC-A-610: Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies is the agreed standard that we use to define what's acceptable and what's not in the world of PCBA production. The standard is comprised of three Classes: 1, 2, and 3. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), it’s important that you're clear on the basic principles that separate those classes so that you have a clear and realistic expectation of what the results are going to be.
Class 1
The lowest IPC-A-610 class, Class 1, is the most lenient when it comes to making allowances for potential defects. When we think of the functionality of the electronics assembly within a simple toy, for example, the PCBA is likely to be hidden well away inside the body of the item, so the quality of the solder joints or component positions may not be such a high priority. The product is also likely to be manufactured to very tight margins (read "as cheaply as possible"). So, as long as the item still functions as expected and its operational life sits within an acceptable timeframe, then that will probably be sufficient.
Class 2
Class 2 is typically the most requested for non-critical electronic assemblies where longer-term reliability is desirable, but perhaps not essential. Class 2 still allows for a certain degree of imperfection. Surface-mount components that have been placed slightly off pad, for instance, are usually still fine electrically and mechanically even though they may look wrong aesthetically.
Class 3
The highest standard of IPC-A-610 is Class 3, which means an electronic assembly must be built per all of the IPC criteria. This includes laminate selection, plating thickness, material qualifications, manufacturing processes, and inspection. Typically, Class 3 is aimed at more critical PCB assemblies.
However, achieving that standard may also come at a premium. It might be necessary to slow down the surface-mount machines to ensure the desired placement accuracy, which will mean a longer build time and additional cost. It may also be necessary to make allowance for higher degrees of scrap in cases where materials can’t be reworked or to allow time for extra inspection or additional cleaning.
Working With Your EMS partner
Many would argue that a reliable EMS provider will always aim to manufacture the products they build to the Class 3 standard, regardless. Any EMS provider that is genuinely serious about compliance is also undoubtedly going to have well-established internal training programs to promote awareness within their manufacturing facility. Also, this compliance is likely to extend not just to the inspection of the end products but also to monitoring every process of the build. The best way to achieve this and maintain the standards required will be for them to appoint in-house IPC trainers who will be externally re-certified.
In the majority of cases, the IPC-A-610 standard will suffice, but there may be situations where an OEM prefers to produce their own criteria to either enhance or replace the existing standard. If you do choose to create your own set of guidelines, then it will be important to ensure that your EMS partner is crystal clear about your expectations from the outset. Thus, you should reference your specific criteria on every request for quotation (RFQ) or purchase order that you submit.
Neil Sharp is the director of marketing for JJS Manufacturing.
Suggested Items
Indium Corporation to Present, Exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM
03/28/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation is set to present and exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM, one of Europe’s premier single-day electronics manufacturing forums, on April 17 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany. Topic areas for 2024 will include AI, automation, sustainability, and quality.
Reducing Nitrogen Consumption in Convection Soldering with Rehm Thermal Systems' Patented Mechatronic Curtain
03/28/2024 | Rehm Thermal SystemsCurrent developments indicate a need for larger throughput heights due to the trend towards e-mobility, which in turn increases nitrogen consumption for process inertization. Rehm Thermal Systems responds to this issue with an innovative solution: the mechatronic curtain.
Indium Corporation, Industry Partners to Showcase Products “Live@APEX”
03/26/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation®, in cooperation with its industry partners, will feature its proven solder solutions live on the show floor throughout IPC APEX Expo from Apr. 9‒11 in Anaheim, Calif., U.S.
ITW EAE Wins New Product Introduction Award for Electrovert® Wave Soldering Machine Deep Wave
03/26/2024 | ITW EAEITW EAE is proud to announce that it has earned a 2024 New Product Introduction (NPI) Award for Electrovert’s Deep Wave option for wave soldering machines. This new, innovative system provides the ability to pump up to a 20 mm wave height.
Mek's Next-Gen AOI Technology Takes Center Stage at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
03/19/2024 | MEKMek is excited to announce its presence at IPC APEX EXPO, North America's largest electronics manufacturing event, in Anaheim, California, from April 6-11, 2024. Attendees are invited to visit Mek at booth #1433 to explore the latest AOI technology offerings.