To prevent the exposure of the MSDs to environmental humidity from exceeding the Floor Life time established by the relevant MSL, it is necessary that the devices removed from the original Dry-Pack, awaiting assembly or any resealing, are stored in the environment with RH value equal to or less than 5% (“stop the clock”).

EL.C.A. is equipped with automatic warehouses “ISM ULTRA FLEX 3600” and the “ISM 500 Static” cabinet for correct management of electronic components sensitive to humidity.
The calculation of the Floor Life is done through ISM software able to establish and track the expiry date of each component with absolute precision. The software prevents the use of components whose period of exposure to humidity values ​​greater than 5% has been exceeded. In this way the compromised components can be quickly extracted from the warehouse and taken to the baking oven.

Once the exposure limit time has been exceeded, it is necessary to restore the Floor Life by removing the moisture that has been absorbed by the component. For this purpose a drying process (bake) is used, whose modalities depend on: thickness, package size, MSL level.

It should be remembered that the high temperature bake favors the oxidation of the terminals thus compromising the weldability. The reconditioning must therefore always be considered as the last solution to be pursued.
Correct and careful management of the MSDs, in compliance with the allowed Floor Life times, with storage in the “stop the clock” phase in controlled humidity and temperature cabinets can avoid performing bake at high temperatures.

L'articolo The importance of humidity control in electronic components proviene da Elca.

Once removed from their original protective packaging, electronic components, including LEDs as well as PCB printed circuits, absorb moisture from the environment. During the remelting process, the high temperature causes the evaporation of the water absorbed by them. The steam under pressure expands quickly and generates internal forces that cause swelling (“pop corn” effect) with consequent development of micro cracks in the body of the component, internal delaminations between chips and plastic body, interruptions in the electrical interconnections between chip and lead-frame. Over time, there may also be potential corrosion caused by moisture that penetrates the damaged casings.

In the case of printed circuits, moisture is responsible for defects in external delamination of the solder mask, also called “blistering” . Especially in the presence of a multilayer circuit, humidity can also generate internal delaminations that are difficult to identify such as the detachment and interruption of the various layers of the circuit. The separation of the various layers of the base material can generate fractures along the metallization (barrel cracking) . These fractures can interrupt the circuit or, in the best of cases, create intermittent malfunctions of the board due to the hot-cold thermal stress.

L'articolo The dangers of humidity for electronic components proviene da Elca.

In today’s electronic circuits the thermal demand is mainly given by the electrical connections, by the number and thickness of the ground planes, by the presence of heat sinks or other elements that “absorb” heat. To obtain a good joint it is necessary to heat not only the component but also (and above all) the pad and the substrates connected to it. Consequently, it is not easy to judge the thermal demand of an application only visually and micro-weldings are among the most difficult applications to implement, even if they are now in common use.

Without the right equipment, you risk missing your target or even doing damage. For this reason every retouching station in EL.C.A. is equipped with stations that allow you to weld components smaller than 2×1 mm with the highest possible technological precision. These devices offer limited contact surfaces and require extremely small and tapered tips. To ensure optimal thermal transfers, they require excellent thermal transfer technology at the base, capable of delivering a precise temperature where it is needed.

In addition to technological investments, the strength of EL.C.A. resides in its own staff. In 2019, 8 operators achieved the first CIS (Certified IPC Specialist) certification . The “IPC-7711/7721 – Rework, modification and repair of electronic assemblies” course provided them with guidelines for removing and replacing electronic components and for repairing printed circuit boards with minimal impact on quality and reliability.
During 2022, the training of a CIT (Certified IPC Trainer) operator in accordance with the IPC-7711/7721 standard is also planned in order to be able to internally train and specialize additional personnel.

L'articolo Applications of microelectronics proviene da Elca.

There are some encouraging signs, even if the picture is not yet reassuring. As for standard materials, the situation is slowly but steadily improving. Both the availability of semiconductors and the increase in prices do not seem to be of particular concern. The scenario changes completely in reference to the materials out of standard. To receive a supply in this case can take several months.

In addition to the cost of the raw material, the increase is likely to be added to the actual processing. The growing need for subcontracting in the supply chain makes it impossible to have full control and thus to have stable price estimates. The result is an extreme difficulty in planning production and a growing uncertainty.

In Europe, Ursula Von Der Leyen in her speech on the State of the Union last September 15 was very clear: “Today we depend on advanced integrated components produced in Asia. It is not just a problem of competitiveness. It is rather a fundamental issue to ensure our technological autonomy”. The European Chips Act was thus approved with the aim of “creating an ecosystem conducive to the development of microelectronics, including production”. The intention is to double semiconductor production in Europe by 2030 and to move from the 10% share of the global market to 20% in ten years.

In this difficult global landscape EL.C.A. Shows its determination and constantly strives to put all its capabilities and potential into the field..the continuous work to sensitization and involvement of the customers on the current situation has allowed to obtain the hoped results: production for much of 2022 is already on planner.
The uncertainties about price developments and the associated risk of inflation remain. But there is also a greater awareness on the part of customers to reconsider long-term estimates.

The real positive sign remains the growing desire to dialogue in person, setting aside prejudices and perplexities. The electronocs sector in Italy still has a lot to say and EL.C.A. Is an integral part of it.

L'articolo Chip shortage: the lack of semiconductors motivates us to give our best proviene da Elca.

Conformal coating thickness is a few microns. A layer more often would end up trapping air bubbles or solvent, creating defects related to contractions and fractures. Too thin a thickness, on the contrary, would not guarantee adequate protection. To obtain an optimal result, the conformal coating is applied using programmed robots that are able to repeat the machining with precision and deposit the protective coating selectively and uniformly. This combines material savings and high productivity.

Tropicalization treatment improves long-term reliability of electronic boards. It also protects them from various environmental factors that can have a negative effect on the functionality of the product, such as moisture, dirt, dust, solvents and salt environments. Conformal coating also increases electrical insulation, prevents the growth of dendrites and the formation of oxides on electronic boards. In addition, it improves the protecion of PCBs compared to mechanical shocks and thermal cycles.

L'articolo Protecting electronic boards with conformal coating proviene da Elca.

In the laboratory of EL.C.A. Pre-compliance tests are carried out according to European harmonized standards. Specifically, tests are performed with duct-type disturbances (BURST, SURGE, voltage holes) according to IEC 61000-4-4, IEC 61000-4-5, IEC 61000-4-11, IEC 61000-6-1, IEC 61000-6. These tests allow to verify the correct functioning and behaviour of electronic boards and equipment when they are subjected to electromagnetic disturbances due to the power supply network. The disturbances introduced by the product into the electricity grid are also verified.

Another type of test that is analyzed by the EM laboratory are tests with surface electrostatic discharges, according to the IEC 61000-4-2 standard. This makes it possible to ensure that electronic cards and equipment are adequately protected. Uncontrolled electrostatic discharges can cause failures or cause hidden defects in electronic devices (semiconductor devices).

L'articolo The laboratory for electromagnetic tests proviene da Elca.

Thanks to the traceability process, each electronic card is easily identified by a Data Matrix code, similar to the Qrcode. It contains the production batch, unique serial number or unique serial number of the panel, in case multiple cards are joined together. Thanks to this data it is possible to accurately trace a specific electrical card, when the need for a replacement occurs.

In the case of a request for verification by the customer, traceability allows the manufacturer to confirm the quality of the product he has made. You can easily test which components have been mounted on the circuit board and demonstrate that they comply with the project specifications.
In addition, if there are process defects, the traceability system allows you to isolate individual components, verify the problem and limit production risks. From a preventive point of view, traceability makes it possible to identify possible defects in advance, reducing costs.

L'articolo The traceability of electrical boards proviene da Elca.

The burn-in test, also known as HASS (highly accelerated stress screening), provides very useful information on the realiability of an electrical component. It is a break-in artificially stressful conditions. It allows to detect early faults due to temperatures and polarizations higher than normal conditions of use and at particular temperature cycles. This type of test, through thermal shock, tests the strenght of the material. It can highlight faults such as the breakage of welds or pins, highlighting any manufacturing anomalies of the electronic board: surface defects, metallization and welding.

Elca performs burn-in tests aside climate chambers, not only to test the behaviour of electronic boards in situation of thermal stress, but also to trace the infant mortality of electrical components. High temperatures, in fact, also speed up the normal conditions of use of electronic components and allow you to perform an accelerated aging test to find out what are the elements that, in the long therm, can be subject to breakage.

L'articolo The burn-in test for the reliability of electronic boards proviene da Elca.