Archive for category: Electronic Manufacturing Technology

Direct Imaging – Boosting the Quality of PCB’s and SMD Soldering

February 21, 2019/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Kevin Smith

After Directing Imaging (DI) of copper layers, Direct Imaging of Soldermask redefines the boundaries for the soldering of SMD components.

Direct Imaging is the biggest technological advancement for the manufacturing of PCB’s in the last decade.

Since we introduced the Ledia Direct Imaging system (DI) for Soldermask exposure at Eurocircuits, we have been working hard to find its optimum registration capabilities.

As a result we can now offer improved registration capabilities for Soldermask and we are now able to reduce the minimum required clearances for DI compatible Soldermask as below:

MAR to 0.030mm…from 0.060mm
MSM to 0.070mm…from 0.100mm
MOC to 0.060mm…from 0.100mm

Due to the improved registration it is possible to have Soldermask between the pads of fine pitch components and this helps to protect against solder bridging as below.

DI Soldermask	Conventional Soldermask

Smaller Soldermask openings give designers another big advantage, as it allows for tracks to be routed closer to pads.

From a manufacturing point of view, using DI for Soldermask has many advantages. For example, we can switch from one job to another in a matter of minutes as there is no need for films which is a timely process as used on conventional exposure systems.

DI Soldermask demands a premium price from our supplier, however, Eurocircuits believe the benefits out-way this additional cost and does not charge extra for the use of DI Soldermask.

We want our customers to benefit from using DI Soldermask and we see it as a win-win for everyone.

Available colours for DI exposure, at present, are Green, Red, Black and Blue.

For more information please see our PCB Design Guidelines – Soldermask Section.

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Eurocircuits N.V.Antwerpsesteenweg 66, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium.Tel: +32 15 28 16 30 Fax: +32 15 28 16 31	Email: euro@eurocircuits.comWebsite: www.eurocircuits.com
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Tolerances on PCB – Blog

November 5, 2018/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Lengyel Norbert

What tolerances should I design into my PCB?

Where possible design your PCB to meet industry standard mid-range tolerances. Eurocircuits use these specifications and tolerances as the basis of our lowest-cost pooling services.

For more detailed information on our Manufacturing Tolerances please see our Tolerances on a PCB page.

What About Underwriters Laboratory?

October 9, 2018/by Kevin Smith

What is the Underwriters Laboratory (UL)?

The Underwriters Laboratory (UL) was set up around 120 years ago in the USA as an independent facility to test the safety of new products and new technologies. Today it has a network of sites around the world focused on product safety. It test products, certifies manufacturers, and produces and updates safety standards across a broad range of industrial and commercial sectors. More.

For printed circuit boards the main standards are UL 796, the specific PCB standard, and UL 94 for flammability testing of all plastics. These specify a number of performance tests to measure the long-term reliability and fire safety of the PCB. If a board is released to these standards, it is marked with the Underwriters Laboratory logo, the manufacturers logo and the board type. So here for Eurocircuits, we see on the left the UL logo, then Eurocircuits’ UL trademark, and last ML for “multilayer”.

UL on the PCB

When is the Underwriters Laboratory Marking Used?

UL marking is required whenever safety, especially flammability, is a critical issue. For European OEM’s (original equipment manufacturers) it is often required on any boards that go into equipment that will be imported into the USA. The requirement may be set by the OEM or by the end customer.

What does Underwriters Laboratory Marking Mean?

The base material meets the specified flammability level laid down in UL94. For FR4 the level required is UL94 V0. This means that when a vertical sample of the material is introduced into the test flame and then removed, it will self-extinguish within 10 seconds. It will not drip flaming particles.
All Eurocircuits FR4 materials meet the requirements of UL 94 V0. For boards requiring UL marking we use Isola and Nan Ya materials
- For STANDARD pool multilayer boards we use IS400 Mid Tg 150°C (this Tg is higher than standard FR4 to ensure full compatibility with lead-free soldering).
- For all high Tg (170° – 180° C) requirements we use Isola PCL-FR4-370-HR.
- For one and two layer boards we use IS400 Tg 150°C or Nan Ya NP-155F Tg 150°C
  => For more information on the properties see UL Certificate E41625 for Isola materials and E98983 for the Nan Ya material.

The base material meets the specified level for ability to resist ignition from electrical sources. For the values see E41625 and E98983.
The base material meets the specified electrical breakdown (tracking) or Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) value. This is the voltage difference at which the insulation properties of the base material may break down, causing safety and performance issues. The Isola and Nan Ya FR4 materials meet the requirements of Class 3 (175 – 249 V).
The base material meets the performance profile levels specified for direct support of current carrying PCBs (DSR). These are specified in UL Standard ANSI/U/796A.
The boards meet the other specifications set out in the table under UL marking in STANDARD pool below.

Eurocircuits Underwriters Laboratory Specifications

Our UL certificate E142920 can be found on the Underwriters Laboratory website here.

Abbreviations used.

- Cond = conductor
- Edge: this is explained below
- Thk = thickness
- SS = One copper-clad side
- DS = Two copper clad sides including single-sided and multilayer
- DSO = Double-sided only
- Max Area Diameter: this is explained below
- Meets UL796 DSR requirement. See item 4 above.
- CTI = Comparative Tracing Index. See item 3 above.

TIPS.

- 1. UL marking is free of charge.
  2. To add UL marking to your order, click on “Advanced options” at the bottom of the Price calculator menu, and then tick the “UL marking” box. The smart Price calculator menu will flag any options that are not UL-compatible.
  3. When data has been uploaded, the Marking editor can be used to define the UL logo position.

General.

- 1. All boards requiring UL marking are made in our factory in Eger, Hungary.
  2. We offer UL marking in STANDARD pool only.
  3. We have 3 active board classes, each with its own UL marking:
    1. i. Multilayer boards: designator ML; marking:
      
      UL ML
    2. ii. 1- and 2-layer boards with minimum thickness 0.63 mm: designator DV; marking:
      
      UL DV
    3. iii. 1- and 2-layer boards with thickness 0.38 mm – 0.62 mm: designator DS; marking:
      
      UL DS

The other classes listed in the certificate are no longer used.

UL Marking in STANDARD pool

UL marking is only available for PCB’s which are conform to the parameters listed here (the numbers in brackets indicate more information below). This includes poolable and non-poolable options.

UL type Designator	ML	DV	DS
Usable for	Multilayer	Single and Double Sided	Single and Double Sided
Base Materials	IS400 PCL-FR-370HR	IS400 NP-155F PCL-FR-370HR	IS400 NP-155F PCL-FR-370HR
UL 94 Flame Class	V-0	V-0	V-0
Min. Build-up Thickness (mm) (1)	0,63	0,63	0,38
Min. Bonding Sheet (prepreg) Thickness (microns) (2)	126	–	–
Minimum Outer Layer Conductor Thickness (microns) (3)	18	18	18
Maximum Inner Layer Conductor Thickness (micron) (4)	70	–	–
Minimum Track Width (mm) (5)	0,10	0,10	0,10
Minimum Edge Track Width (mm) (6)	0,15	0,15	0,15
Maximum Conductor Area Diameter (mm) (7)	76,20	76,20	76,20
Surface Finishes: Lead-free HAL Immersion NiAu (ENIG) (8) Immersion Ag	Yes Yes Yes	Yes Yes Yes	Yes NO Yes
Hard Gold Edge Connector	Yes	Yes	Yes
PTH on the Board Edge	Yes	Yes	Yes
Round-edge Plating	Yes	Yes	Yes
Copper up to Board Edge (9)	NO	NO	NO
Carbon Paste	Yes	Yes	Yes
Via Fill (10)	Yes	Yes	NO
Heatsink Paste (11)	NO	NO	NO
Soldermask Types (12)	ELPEMER 2467 XV501T Screen XV501T-4 Screen Electra EMP110	ELPEMER 2467 XV501T Screen XV501T-4 Screen Electra EMP110	ELPEMER 2467 XV501T Screen XV501T-4 Screen Electra EMP110
Hole Plugging Material (Via Fill)	XV501T-4 Screen	XV501T-4 Screen	–
Peelable Soldermask	Yes	Yes	Yes
Carbon Ink	SD 2841 HAL *IR	SD 2841 HAL *IR	SD 2841 HAL *IR
Solder Limit Maximum Temperature (°C) (13)	265	265	265
Solder Limit Maximum Time (sec) (13)	20	20	20
Maximum Operating Temp (°C)	130	130	130

1. Minimum Build-up Thickness (mm)

This is the thickness of the PCB measured over the laminate where there is no internal or external copper.

The minimum STANDARD pool thicknesses which can be UL marked are:

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL min. build-up Thickness (mm)	0,63	0,63	0,38
Min. STANDARD pool Thickness (mm)	0.80	0.80	0.50

TIP

For UL marking of UL-DS PCB’s the surface finish must be Che Ag or No surface finish (lead-free/leaded HAL is not possible due to the min board thickness requirement of 0.80mm for HAL and Che Ni/Au is not available for UL-DS-marked PCB’s due to the fact that we always use a via-fill in combination with Che Ni/Au).

2. Minimum Bonding Sheet (prepreg) Thickness (microns)

Minimum prepreg thickness in a multilayer. This may be one prepreg or a combination of different prepreg.

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL min. Bonding Sheet (prepreg) Thickness (microns)	126	–	–

In STANDARD pool most of the 700+ pre-defined builds meet this requirement. The smart Price calculator menu will flag any pre-defined build that is not UL-compatible.

3. Minimum Outer Layer Conductor Thickness (microns)

Specifies the minimum END copper thickness for the outer layers.

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL min. Outer Layer Conductor Thickness (microns)	18	18	18

For 2-layer and multilayer boards all start copper foil thicknesses may be used: 12µm (end +/-30µm), 18µm (end +/-35µm), 35µm (end +/-60µm), 70µm (end +/-95µm) and 105µm (end +/-130µm).

For 1-layer boards the start copper foil is the same as the end copper thickness, so following start copper foils are available: 35µ (end +/-35µm), 70µm (end +/-70µm) and 105µm (end +/-105µm).

4. Maximum Inner Layer Conductor Thickness (micron)

Specifies the maximum END copper thickness for the inner layers.

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL max. Inner Layer Conductor Thickness (micron)	70	–	–

On inner layers start copper foil is the same as end copper thickness. UL marking is available only for 12µm, 18µm, 35µm and 70µm (not 105 µm)

5. Minimum Standard Track Width (mm)

The minimum width of any track on any layer placed more than 0.40mm from the edge of the board.

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL min. Standard Track Width (mm)	0,10	0,10	0,10
eC PCB Classification Pattern Class	Class 8	Class 8	Class 8

6. Minimum Edge Track Width (mm)

The minimum width of any track on any layer placed less than 0.40mm from the edge of the PCB-board.

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL min. Edge Track Width (mm)	0,15	0,15	0,15
eC PCB Classification Pattern Class	Class 6	Class 6	Class 6

This is a UL requirement to prevent damage to fine tracks near the edge of the PCB.

TIPS.

Eurocircuits’ standard specifications still apply. If a PCB is break-routed, there can be no copper on the outer layer within 0.25 mm of the edge of the board or 0.40 mm on the inner layer. For V-cut scoring the clearance must be 0.45 mm on all layers.
Copper up to the board edge is not allowed under UL rules – see (9) below.

7. Maximum Conductor Area Diameter (mm)

This specifies the maximum solid, unpierced conductor area on any layer of a PCB-board, measured by the diameter of the largest circle that can be inscribed within the conductor pattern.

	UL-ML	UL-DV	UL-DS
UL max. Conductor Area Diameter (mm)	76,20	76,20	76,20

A “solid, unpierced copper area” is defined as any “full” or “solid” copper plane that does not have any PTH or NPTH holes in it. This rule has been introduced by UL to reduce the thermal mismatch between a large solid copper plane and the laminate.

The diameter is measured thus:

UL maximum copper area

TIP

In most cases copper planes will include clearances for drill holes and so are not solid. Otherwise if UL marking is required for designs with very large unbroken copper areas, consider using cross-hatching.

8. Surface Finish – Immersion NiAu (ENIG)

To ensure optimum quality on immersion nickel-gold PCB’s with closed vias we use Via Fill. As we do not offer UL marking on Via Fill for boards less than 0.63 mm thick, we cannot offer UL marking on type UL-DS PCB’s (less than 0.63 mm).

9. Copper up to Board-e

This is not permitted under UL rules (risk of exposed or torn copper).

10. Via Fill

We do not offer UL marking for Via Fill for boards less than 0.63mm thick.

11. Heatsink Paste

We do not offer UL marking for heatsink paste.

12. Soldermask Types

All colours that we offer are covered.

13. Solder Limit – Temperature and Time

These are the values that we use in our Quality Checks.

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at

euro@eurocircuits.com

or use our online Chat.

Insight Technology – The Double-Sided Production Flow

August 21, 2018/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Super Admin

Insight Technology – The Double-Sided Production Flow

Double Sided PCB production sounds simple enough, but have you ever wondered what the actual production flow involves.

Using our Eurocircuits Insight Technology platform we have made a short informative video that explains the process flow.

There are more than 20 process steps required to make a Double-Sided PCB. It all starts with the selection of the material. This consists of a base material that is covered with copper foil on one or both sides.

The type of base material selected, depends on the function and design of the PCB, it may be an FR4 or Ceramic or Aluminium based material. In addition the selection depends on the required Isolation, Cu Thickness and the Tg value etc.

Once the base material is selected then the production process begins, why not take a few minutes to watch our informative video present by Gruber András, our Production Coordinator.

Should you have any questions about any of our services, please feel free to get in touch via email, telephone or instantly with our online chat during office hours. We will be more than happy to help.

Why not follow us on our social media, keeping up to date with all of our latest news?

News & Information

For many years Eurocircuits have provided you with important News & Information about our services, products, free to use smart tools and the Electronic Manufacturing World. Take a peak at what we offer:

Eurocircuits company update. This section contains updates and information about the Eurocircuits Group. As a valued partner you will receive updates and news covering our company activities, team news and business developments etc.

Events & Workshops. Eurocircuits is an active participant of events and exhibitions, it also organises events, seminars and workshops, especially concerning technical topics

Tips & Tricks.The electronic value chain starts with a design and then converting it to a digital form. This section covers all design related issues, their influence on manufacturing.

Electronic Manufacturing Technology. Eurocircuits goal is to inform all Electronic Designers about Electronic Manufacturing Techniques and processes. Whilst, this may start with PCB manufacturing it also covers the Assembly, Testing and Housing etc…

Online Smart Tools – Services & Products. All Eurocircuits customers have access to an online customer account and through this, access to our Smart Tools and services. This section covers User Guides, updates and new features and tools etc. It will help you to optimise your knowledge, use of these tools and the electronic manufacturing services and products we offer.

Customer Applications & Student Projects. Eurocircuits actively encourages its customers to share their experiences with other customers. In addition to this, we support many student projects and inspire them to write about their adventures and the technology they have designed.

eCvelo. Next to being an Electronics Manufacturing Company, Eurocircuits also has a heart for clean mobility. As result we have developed and are building trike and quad cycles with a covered frame. Keep updated by opting in to this section.

Eurocircuits TV

Eurocircuits TV is Eurocircuits’ media channel bringing electronic designers and others video news and VLOGs about our electronic manufacturing world.

Interact with us

The best way to share ideas and knowledge is face to face. Check out our eC-calendar

Soldermask for Via Holes and Pads

May 17, 2018/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Dirk Stans

Recently, Eurocircuits introduced a spray coating process for Soldermask, this brings many advantages including a thinner and more unified coating which helps us to meet today’s technology challenges.

The Soldermask is imaged using a Dai Nippon Ledia Direct Imaging system; this improves registration accuracy and eliminates the need for Photo-tools.

The spray coating of Soldermask is only achievable due to the low viscosity of the ink. Due to this low viscosity however, there may also be Soldermask ink in the barrel of the Via Hole. This may or may not remain after final curing depending upon the data provided by the customer.

The Soldermask data we receive for Via’s (holes and pads) varies from customer to customer, the Via’s may have no Soldermask Opening, meaning they are to be completely covered with Soldermask, also known as Tented Via’s.

Fully Tented Via Holes cannot be guaranteed with spray coating due to the viscosity of the ink. There may be a small opening in the Soldermask above the Via Hole and there may be Soldermask residue in the barrel after curing. To avoid this we strongly recommend using our Via Filling option when ordering PCB’s with Tented Via’s.

If the data shows untended Via Holes or Pads we follow our standard design rules, as below:

Minimum Soldermask Opening of 0.4mm

or

Actual drill size (TOOLSIZE) +0.15mm

Whichever is the larger

Additionally, we ensure that our other design rules for Soldermask are also met, as below:

MAR(Mask Annular Ring) – the clearance between the Soldermask and the copper pad.
MSM(Mask SegMent) – the bridge of Soldermask between adjacent pads.
MOC(Mask Overlap Clearance) – Soldermask coverage between a track or plane and an adjacent Soldermask Opening.

Please also see our:

RoHS and Lead-free Compliance

May 15, 2018/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Lengyel Norbert

What is RoHS?

RoHS regulations are designed to limit or eliminate substances that are dangerous to the environment and to people. Inadequately treated e-waste poses environmental and health risks. The RoHS directive is also meant to increase the amount of e-waste that is appropriately treated and to reduce the volume that goes to disposal.

RoHS (Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances) regulations limit specific substances – lead, cadmium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), mercury, hexavalent chromium, and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants – in electrical and electronic equipment.

Does RoHS affect the quality of PCBs?

RoHS is not a quality standard, and the simple fact that boards are RoHS compatible does not add to the quality of the board. RoHS, or more familiar ‘lead-free’ does have serious effect on PCB fabrication and soldering. The fact that boards are soldered at higher temperatures requires changes in the PCB manufacturing process. New FR-4 materials are developed to withstand the higher temperatures without reducing the lifetime of the final product. More info can be found in our article about lead-free soldering

RoHS and RoHS2 directives

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union created a program that standardizes the restriction and use of hazardous substances within the EU while contributing to the protection of human health and the environment. The EU has published Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (recast). These directives are commonly referred to as the RoHS and RoHS2 directives.

What is RoHS compliance? – RoHS declaration

RoHS compliance means acting in full accordance with RoHS regulations.

DECLARATION

We certify that all components and all homogeneous subcomponents manufactured by Eurocircuits are in compliance with the directive 2011/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS Directive), amended by Directive (EU) 2015/863

According to supplier’s information we certify the non-use of:

Lead (Pb)
Mercury (Hg) also known as quicksilver
Cadmium (Cd)
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr VI)
Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)
Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
Disobutyl Phthalate (DIBP)

We deem that our products are also compliant with the China RoHS (the Administration on the Control of the Pollution caused by Electronic Information Products).

We certify the non-use of:

Ozone depleting substances (excluding HCFC) according to the Montreal Protocol
Polychloro-napthalene
Poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), its mixtures, its copolymers
Halogenated organic compounds as PCB,PBE, polychloro-naphtalene, Deca-BDE

A certificate, signed by two directors that are authorised to represent Eurocircuits, can be found here.

For Eurocircuits ,

Lengyel Norbert

Quality Assurance manager

Cross Sections – What is their Purpose ?

April 17, 2018/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Dirk Stans

Eurocircuits uses cross sections as part of its quality control

Cross sections are a power tool that ensures high quality production and products.

Preparation of a cross section is a destructive process, a section of the production panel is cut out, in most cases a specially designed Test coupon is used (these are placed on every panel).

The removed section is mounted in a special jig and encased in resin, an automated system then grinds and polishes the surface until the actual section to be inspected is visible.

Using high powered microscopes our quality department inspect a variety of features, for a plated through hole the plating thickness, plating uniformity and drill alignment would be checked and measured. For an Outer layer the copper track width, plating thickness and uniformity would be checked and measured. If solder mask is present the thickness and uniformity of it would be measured.

Eurocircuits recently introduced via filling. Cross sections were used in the initial set up to ensure the process provided consistent and high quality results.

Cross sections can be taken at any step of the production cycle and is a critical part of the Eurocircuits quality procedures and it enables us to provide our customers with high quality products time and time again.

Why not follow us on our social media, keeping up to date with all of our latest news?

Blogs

Customer papers

If you are an active Eurocircuits’ customer and you feel like you have some interesting story to share with our Eurocircuits community, then please send it to us by e-mail. We will evaluate the content and if it fits the scope of what we publish then we will take it on board and inform you of it.

Production

“How do we make IMS boards?”, explained on Eurocircuits TV.

All the details about our movie can be read in text form in our BLOG.

eC-tools

We publish articles as tip & tricks or videos on Eurocircuits TV to help our designer customers to maximise their efficiency by using our tools. We also publish seminars on how to use our smart tools. Here is one: “Introduction to Eurocircuits’ smart tools: PCB Configurator, PCB Visualizer”

eC-equipment

Here we release articles about our eC-equipment and their use.

eC-reflow-mate V4: – the new V4 on stock !

If you would like us to produce a blog or white paper on a particular aspect of PCB manufacturing technology or PCB soldering, e-mail us at euro@eurocircuits.com

Interact with us

Come and meet us at

The best way to share ideas and knowledge is face to face. Check out our eC-calendar

Eurocircuits meets students

Supporting student projects is a top priority for Eurocircuits as students are our tomorrows customers. Learn how creative these students are and what they have accomplished.

Eurocircuits supports the AmsterGramme team at Eurobot
Formula Electric Belgium – own telemetry unit with Eurocircuits’ PCBs
WUSAT-3 team moving one step closer to the European space station
PWR racing team of the Wroclaw University of Technology also with our PCBs
ALL OTHER STUDENT PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY EUROCIRCUITS

Via Filling – Eurocircuits have invested in the ITC THP 30 machine

February 27, 2018/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Dirk Stans

Eurocircuits – Tips & Tricks – How do we use our galvanic line to dispose copper?

October 5, 2017/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Dirk Stans

Eurocircuits – Tips & Tricks – How do we use our galvanic line to dispose copper?

At Eurocircuits we solidly believe that it is important to inform our design engineers about the technology we use to produce their Printed Circuit Boards.

Engineers constantly strive to upgrade their knowledge to become better engineers.

Design for Manufacturing is an important issue for which a good technical insight in production techniques is required. Eurocircuits likes to help to upgrade this technology insight.

Eurocircuits TV has made an informative piece on how copper is deposited on the PCB in the galvanic process.

All the details about our movie can be read in text form in our BLOG.

Why not follow us on our social media, keeping up to date with all of our latest news?

Blogs

Customer papers

Recently our customers have shared these white papers and application papers with us:

How to Prevent Emission Problems on Board Level – NEW
Posted on behalf of CNRood, active in the BeNeLux & Sweden. For many, the result of an EMC test comes as an unpleasant surprise. Large amounts of money and time are spent in re-designing the product, which causes heavy delays. The main cause of these additional costs and delays can be related to the designer’s opportunities, knowledge and desire to perform an EMC test on the product as early as possible. In this article, the author will give some simple advice and examples of test methods useful for avoiding undesired emission.

Suitability of an enhanced low melting point alloy for a handheld device – NEW
Posted on behalf of Interflux Electronics NV. Current lead-free soldering temperatures can damage temperature sensitive components. Moreover they can cause a shift in the properties of some components which can impact the functionality of sensitive electronic devices. An easy way to solve this problem is to use a soldering alloy with a lower melting point that allows for lower soldering temperatures. Currently however these alloys have limitations in shock and vibration resistance.

Intelligent Power Switch for Raspberry Pi – NEW
Posted on behalf of Peter Boxler. A Raspberry Pi does not have an On/Off switch and there is no easy way to shutdown the Pi while keeping the file system intact. This Intelligent Power Switch brings a clever solution to this problem: Power-On the Pi by pressing a pushbutton and also properly Power-Off the Pi with another press on the same button.

Low-cost calibrator delivers -5V to +10V DS with 70-µV error – NEW
Posted on behalf of Jordan Dimitrov. Calibration, the stage of truth in the design of every test and measurement device, is done with calibrators, sophisticated highly accurate multifunctional instruments, which cost thousands of dollars. In many cases however you do not need to go to the edge of technology.

Production

Eurocircuits TV has started to capture the production steps one by one. Here’s what is published

eC-tools

We publish articles as tip & tricks or videos on Eurocircuits TV to help our designer customers to maximise their efficiency by using our tools.

Eurocircuits Tips & Tricks – How to order the most cost effective PCB
Eurocircuits Tips & Tricks – Problem identification and Auto-Repair
SMS messagingfor time critical orders
PCBA Visualizer – user guide

eC-equipment

Here we release articles about our eC-equipment and their use.

Eurocircuits Tips & Tricks – Cost effective solder paste printing
eC-reflow-mate V4: – the new V4 released for shipment !

If you would like us to produce a blog or white paper on a particular aspect of PCB manufacturing technology or PCB soldering, e-mail us at euro@eurocircuits.com

Interact with us

Come and meet us at

The best way to share ideas and knowledge is face to face. Check out our eC-calendar

11 October – D&E event – Technopolis – Mechelen – Belgium – COMING UP SOON
12 October – D&E event – 1931 – Brabanthallen – De Bosch – The Netherlands – COMING UP SOON
18-19 October – Electronics Design Show – Ricoh Arena – Coventry – UK
8-9 November – Prototyping 2017 – Kortrijk – Belgium
29 November – LED event – Technopolis – Mechelen – Belgium
30 November – LED event – 1931 – Brabanthallen – De Bosch – The Netherlands

Eurocircuits meets students

Supporting student projects is a top priority for Eurocircuits as students are our tomorrows customers. Learn how creative these students are and what they have accomplished.

Formula Electric Belgium – a student project from the University of Leuven – NEW
Aristotle Racing Team – a student project from the university of Thessaloniki – NEW
Project MARCH – make people walk again. – a student project from the University of Delft, Holland – NEW
Grammoon competing at Eurobot – a student project from Engineering School HELMo Gramme in Liège, B – NEW
University of Patras Racing Team – a student project from the University of Patras, Greece
Formula Student Team Delft – a student project from the University of Delft, Holland
Punch Powertrain Solar Team – meets Eurocircuits – a student project from the KU Leuven, Belgium
Linköpings University Formula Student – a student project from the University Linköping, Sweden
Chronox – a student project from the University College PXL, Belgium
TU Delft Solar Boat Team – a student project from the University of Delft, Holland
STORM Eindhoven – a student project from the University of Eindhoven, Holland
Eurocircuits’ PCBs in the most efficient urban concept hydrogen car of Green Team Twente – Twente, Holland

Eurocircuits – Tips & Tricks – How do we Expose the Soldermask during Production?

October 2, 2017/in Electronic Manufacturing Technology /by Dirk Stans

Eurocircuits – Tips & Tricks – How do we Expose the Soldermask during Production?

Every year Eurocircuits makes significant investments in its production plants to upgrade efficiency but also and even more important to upgrade the quality and reliability of the final product we deliver.

One of these fields of investment is the Soldermask department. Smaller and more complex component packages put tolerances of the Soldermask towards SMD solder lands under pressure. The answer here is direct imaging of the Soldermask to allow for smaller tolerances and better registration. This results into an improvement of efficiency in the PCB Assembly.

Eurocircuits TV has made a nice informative contribution to this subject.

All the details about our movie can be read in text form in our BLOG.

Why not follow us on our social media, keeping up to date with all of our latest news?

Blogs

Customer papers

Recently our customers have shared these white papers and application papers with us:

Production

Eurocircuits TV has started to capture the production steps one by one. Here’s what is published

eC-tools

We publish articles as tip & tricks or videos on Eurocircuits TV to help our designer customers to maximise their efficiency by using our tools.

Eurocircuits Tips & Tricks – How to order the most cost effective PCB
Eurocircuits Tips & Tricks – Problem identification and Auto-Repair
SMS messagingfor time critical orders
PCBA Visualizer – user guide

eC-equipment

Here we release articles about our eC-equipment and their use.

Eurocircuits Tips & Tricks – Cost effective solder paste printing
eC-reflow-mate V4: – the new V4 released for shipment !

If you would like us to produce a blog or white paper on a particular aspect of PCB manufacturing technology or PCB soldering, e-mail us at euro@eurocircuits.com

Interact with us

Come and meet us at

The best way to share ideas and knowledge is face to face. Check out our eC-calendar

11 October – D&E event – Technopolis – Mechelen – Belgium – COMING UP SOON
12 October – D&E event – 1931 – Brabanthallen – De Bosch – The Netherlands – COMING UP SOON
18-19 October – Electronics Design Show – Ricoh Arena – Coventry – UK
8-9 November – Prototyping 2017 – Kortrijk – Belgium
29 November – LED event – Technopolis – Mechelen – Belgium
30 November – LED event – 1931 – Brabanthallen – De Bosch – The Netherlands

Eurocircuits meets students

Supporting student projects is a top priority for Eurocircuits as students are our tomorrows customers. Learn how creative these students are and what they have accomplished.

Project MARCH – make people walk again. – a student project from the University of Delft, Holland – NEW
Grammoon competing at Eurobot – a student project from Engineering School HELMo Gramme in Liège, B – NEW
University of Patras Racing Team – a student project from the University of Patras, Greece – NEW
Formula Student Team Delft – a student project from the University of Delft, Holland – NEW
Punch Powertrain Solar Team – meets Eurocircuits – a student project from the KU Leuven, Belgium – NEW
Linköpings University Formula Student – a student project from the University Linköping, Sweden – NEW
Chronox – a student project from the University College PXL, Belgium
TU Delft Solar Boat Team – a student project from the University of Delft, Holland
STORM Eindhoven – a student project from the University of Eindhoven, Holland
Eurocircuits’ PCBs in the most efficient urban concept hydrogen car of Green Team Twente – Twente, Holland

Tolerances on PCB – Blog

What About Underwriters Laboratory?

What is the Underwriters Laboratory (UL)?

When is the Underwriters Laboratory Marking Used?

What does Underwriters Laboratory Marking Mean?

Eurocircuits Underwriters Laboratory Specifications

General.

UL Marking in STANDARD pool

1. Minimum Build-up Thickness (mm)

2. Minimum Bonding Sheet (prepreg) Thickness (microns)

3. Minimum Outer Layer Conductor Thickness (microns)

4. Maximum Inner Layer Conductor Thickness (micron)

5. Minimum Standard Track Width (mm)

6. Minimum Edge Track Width (mm)

7. Maximum Conductor Area Diameter (mm)

8. Surface Finish – Immersion NiAu (ENIG)

9. Copper up to Board-e

10. Via Fill

11. Heatsink Paste

12. Soldermask Types

13. Solder Limit – Temperature and Time

Soldermask for Via Holes and Pads

Minimum Soldermask Opening of 0.4mm

or

Actual drill size (TOOLSIZE) +0.15mm

Whichever is the larger

RoHS and Lead-free Compliance

What is RoHS?

Does RoHS affect the quality of PCBs?

RoHS and RoHS2 directives

What is RoHS compliance? – RoHS declaration

Via Filling – Eurocircuits have invested in the ITC THP 30 machine

Eurocircuits – Tips & Tricks – How do we use our galvanic line to dispose copper?

Eurocircuits – Tips & Tricks – How do we Expose the Soldermask during Production?

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