Key Things To Know When It Comes To Soldering

Soldering always comes when you talk about electronic stuff. It is one of the basic skills that any technician or Engineering courses that involves electronics needs to learn and eventually master.  Even for a fact that soldering has become automated, hand soldering is still in demand. This is especially when it comes to reworks, repairing, and maintenance. Automation also has limitations and human intervention is still needed to see to it that the electronics products will be of high quality. Soldering really involves a material called solder that melts when placed on a hot object then the melted solder cools and forms a bond between two items. The basic tool is usually a soldering iron with a soldering station.

 

Soldering can be hard at first but once you get the hang of it, it is really easy. Keep in mind that you should heat the metal and not the solder. It’s also important to know which piece to solder to which other pieces. This is vital because you may end up soldering a component on the area on the circuit board which is not really intended for it. You should also know each component, especially their polarity. There is a big tendency that the circuit will get damaged when the polarity of a certain component is switched. You’ll be glad to know that you can undo a bad solder if you do make a mistake with the solder. One method in fixing a mistake is to just heat up the bad solder and then suck it away with a solder sucker.

 

It is important that you master the basic techniques in soldering quickly if you want to learn how to properly do it. The soldering iron is not a play thing and not something that you can leave on the corner or place anywhere. It is really hot and can really burn or even cause a fire. The burn caused by soldering iron is really painful, I know because I have one on my wrist. The wound like any burn heals slowly and will really leave a scar. So always remember that you should be cautious when melting a solder. It will remain hot for many minutes when you solder something so always grab parts with pliers to avoid getting burned even after the soldering iron is removed.

 

Keeping your soldering tools clean is also important. To prolong the life of your soldering iron you should perform preventative maintenance and regular cleaning. Clean the tip often with a bit of tip cleaner and a moist sponge or paper towel while your soldering iron is hot. You should do this so that you will not end up always buying a new soldering iron. Money is hard to earn which is why you should know how to spend it wisely. Keep in mind that terrible joints are produced by a dirty soldering iron. And also always unplug your soldering iron as soon as you are done using it. This is to prevent burning it up the tip and oxidizing.

You should undergo proper training to be able to improve your skill and learn the right ways of soldering. There are a lot of training centers that offer such courses. Only experience will tell you if you have soldered correctly which is why you should practice your craft with passion.

How to Resolve the Most Common Soldering Problems

Part of your IPC soldering certification training is doing the actual work, and don’t get disappointed if you make mistakes at first. It’s better to realize your mistake earlier during your IPC online classes. It will certainly make you a better tradesman. By getting an IPC soldering certification, you’ll learn how to resolve these common soldering problems and prevent them from happening in the future.

Disturbed Joint

It I caused by any movement through mechanical, human, or both as the solder was solidifying. The joint surface appears to be frosted, crystalline, or rough. It might also display a ripple pattern on the surface of the joint. 

- Repair: You can fix a disturbed joint by reheating and allowing it to cool without any movement.

- Prevention: It can be avoided by doing proper preparation, including stabilizing the work in a vise and immobilizing the joint. 

Cold Joint

Cold and disturbed joints can look similar, but the cause isn’t the same. It occurs when the solder doesn’t melt completely. It is described by being rough, rigid, and uneven in appearance due to insufficient heat. Cold joints are unreliable and susceptible to cracks and failure over time.

- Repair: It can easily be corrected by reheating the joint using a hot iron until the solder flows.

- Prevention: Ensure that the soldering iron has been adequately pre-heated and with enough power when it’s operating.

Overheated Joint

It can happen if the solder hasn’t yet flowed well, or the temperature of soldering iron was set too high.

- Repair: You can only repair the overheated joint after cleaning it. Carefully scrape the burnt flux with the tip of a knife or using a toothbrush with little isopropyl alcohol.

- Prevention: Always use a clean and hot soldering iron to keep the formation of overheated joints.

Solder Starved Joint

It is a joint that has not enough solder in it. Solder starved joints are not strong joints and may develop stress crack and fail in the long run. 

- Repair: Since there is insufficient solder, reheat the joint and add more solder to have a reliable joint.

- Prevention: Always make sure to check if the solder amount is already sufficient or not. 

Untrimmed Leads

Leads that are too long pose a risk of touching other leads that can cause unwanted short circuits. Keep in mind that even if only one untrimmed lead remains, it can bend and create contact with adjacent traces.

- Repair: Trim all unnecessary leads just at the top of the solder points.

- Prevention: This joint mistake is dangerous and should always be avoided. Make it a habit to trim unnecessary leads in the future.

Solder Bridge

It can occur if the two separate joints accidentally melt together due to excessive solder applications. The bridge will create an unintentional connection which can affect the functionality of the board.

- Repair: In IPC online classes, fixing solder bridge is taught with the use of a solder sucker or wick to get rid of the excess solder.

- Prevention: Make sure to use only enough solders to avoid this problem in the future.

7 Things To Consider Before Designing Your Wire Harness

Before designing your wire harness, you need to follow the standard guidelines and best practices which you can also learn in more detail when you take an IPC 620 certification online with training.

In addition to acquiring an IPC certification online, you’ll also be able to avoid costly mistakes in your design by considering the multiple factors below:

1. Environmental Conditions

The first thing you must consider in your wire harness design among several factors is to determine the physical environmental conditions where your harness is going to be exposed.

Example of these conditions are as follows

· Extreme temperatures (hot or cold) Like wires to be routed near an engine or exhaust

· Areas with moisture/water, dirt/debris, oil, or chemicals.

· Areas which exposes wires to scraping, or shock/vibration

With these conditions in mind, you need to select the right kind of cable harness that will ensure protection from failures and insulation breakdowns.

2. Dimensions And Tolerances

You also need to be clear on your required lengths, and tolerances for the wires.  They should be long enough for bend radius and must reach the connector.

Another thing you might want to consider measuring is the wire ends, including the strip lengths.

3. Covering

Different types of coverings have their distinct purposes, and their own advantages and disadvantages.  As a wire harness designer, it’s your job to identify which cover suits a specific application.  

And you should also take note that not all parts of the wiring will require covering because sometimes, it causes a disadvantage with flexibility and future troubleshooting.

Examples of different covering types are braided loom, woven, split sleeve, tape, or conduit.

4. Wire Coloring And Labeling

If you require labels to help you quickly identify circuit names, you need to note on your drawing your prefered wire colors, and the text you want to be printed, or labelled on the wires.

Note the following:  color, text, connector labels, wire labels, or assembly label.

5. Wire Type

The type of wire you choose should also be based off its application because different wire types each have their own uses.

Different wire types have different voltage ratings, insulation material, and plating (bare or copper).  GXL and TXL wiring are best used for automotive purposes, while UL1015, UL1032, and UL1230 are best suited to control panels.

6. Splicing And Splice Locations

The method of splicing a wire also have different variations categorized by their specific use.  Carefully review this factor before designing your harness.

Examples of splicing methods are as follows: mechanical crimps, ultrasonic welds, jumps/daisy chain.

7. Testing

The last most important step is to identify the testing method.  Various testing types are as follows

· Continuity test

· High voltage test

· Functionality testing

· Cycle testing

Determine the type of testing based on specific use/application.

8. Conclusion

The wire harness effectivity, and functionality, will heavily depend on the design quality - an aspect of electronics assembly which is heavily emphasized when you take an IPC certification online.  A good design ensures that malfunction doesn’t occur, improves the service life of the wires, and organizes wires for easy access, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

All wire harness designs must adhere to  IPC/WHMA-A-620, so that’s the best place to start.  Consider acquiring an IPC 620 certification online to help you develop the right wire harness solution for your specific needs.

Image Source:  https://unsplash.com/photos/3_I4NVI9d1k

How to Obtain Soldering Certification

Soldering is a procedure that uses solder, a metal alloy with a low melting point. When it melts, it works like a glue, joining metal parts together. Workers in the electronics assembly plants and manufacturing facilities should equip themselves with soldering certification as a guarantee of skills and ability to comply with quality standards.  

New Electronic Manufacturing Certification Helps Protect Manufacturers' Intellectual Property

In 2013, the Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC) launched a certification program that allows printed board manufacturers to show their commitment and concern to protect customers’ intellectual property by complying with industry best practices.

In a press release, Michael Mosan, the vice president of global technology of TTM Technologies averred that the protection of intellectual property is extremely important in the electronics industry.” He further said that IPC’s new Intellectual Property Protection Program is designed to help improve facilities’ programs and ultimately get them certified to a university standard.

The electronic manufacturing certification process was based on IPC-1071 also known as Best Practices for Intellectual Property Protection in Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing. It is designed to regulate the electronic manufacturing processes for commercial, military, industrial and high reliability markets. It was developed with help and input from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), assembly companies and printed circuit board manufacturers.

The certification process encompasses a facility audit that is anchored on a 130-question evaluation that examines the specific areas that involved physical facility security, information technology security and compliance to specific regulations including ITAR and EAR.

The audit questionnaire covers specific categories. These are related to the main categories in the IPC-1071 standard which also includes corporate policy, employee training, emergency procedures, supply chain, vendor management, destruction of scrap materials and many more.

The Certification Process

Electronic manufacturing organizations that want to be certified are required to submit to a certification process. There’s not much pressure here because interested organization can go through the process at their own pace. They have three levels of audit to choose from, depending on their level of needs:

• Level 1, Basic Intellectual Property Protection, best suited for manufacturing facilities that produce high-volume consumer goods.

• Level 2, High Intellectual Property Protection, best suited for manufacturing facilities that produce high-value goods.

• Level 3, Advanced Level for Military, Government and Commercial Intellectual Property Protection, designed for military and high-security systems.

Requiring participating organizations to obtain electronic manufacturing certification is one of the most significant campaigns of IPC. It works to ensure the protection of manufacturers’ intellectual rights and guarantee the reliability and quality of their finished products.

Source: IPC.org

ISO 9001 - What’s It All About

If you are familiar with quality standardization, you should have an idea about the International Organization for standardization or ISO. It is composed of a series of numbers which is a code; 9001 being the code that specifies the procedural and documentation requirements for quality management system or QMS. Organizations accredited under ISO 9001 use this standard as their yardstick of quality in manufacturing products or in performing services in order to meet customer demands and comply with regulatory requirements.  The ISO 9001 is adopted by more than one million organizations from over 160 countries all over the world. Companies use its standards which they find helpful in:

·         Structuring processes

·         Improving the efficiency of existing procedures

·         Continuous improvement

The ISO 9001 has ha broad scope. It is applicable to all companies regardless of size and industry. Its benefits to business organizations include:

1. It enables a business to meet customer requirements.

ISO is a benchmark of quality. A company that it certifies has passed a periodic quality audit that checks its compliance to the organization’s procedural and documentation requirements. Many companies seek ISO certification not only to improve the quality of its products but because it is a customer requirement.

2. It works to increase revenues and attract business from new customers.

An ISO certification is a very good marketing angle that you can use to promote your business. It can also expose your business to markets of non-certified companies are cannot penetrate.

3. ISO 9001 improves the quality of your product and improves company reputation.

As a promoter and authority of quality, ISO can certainly raise the level of quality in your organization. This gives your company a good reputation which becomes an advantage to your marketing programs.

4. It increases the number of satisfied customers.

Quality is producing products customers expect. It means fewer complaints and lesser product returns. It all boils down to customer satisfaction which can mean more business for your company

5. ISO Works to Make People in the Organization How Your Business Works

ISO is a system that documents the procedures and processes of each department in an organization. It makes everyone involved in all stages of the production process aware of how things are done, making it easy for them to spot a discrepancy especially when they conduct an internal audit. An ISO 9001 certification is solid evidence that your company is compliant to the international standards of quality.

6. It develops a culture of professionalism and boosts employee morale

An ISO certification is an end result of employee efforts, discipline and sacrifices. It will not happen unless there is change in certain practices and work habits. It is an outcome of collective efforts to comply with ideal standards. The interaction, training and discipline relative to standardization foster professionalism.

7. It promotes consistency

Quality is achieved only by following specific procedures and work instructions. Any deviation can mean non-conformance which can result in a major discrepancy. If you want your company to consistently produce quality products, you must follow procedures consistently – and you must be strict about this on your workers. Remember, when quality diminishes, your customers and revenues will surely diminish.

8. ISO helps to Improve Efficiency, Reduce Waste, and Boost Productivity

A structured system identifies unnecessary steps that can only lead to delays and waste of time and resources. With the introduction of a standard, procedures are optimized, every process is documented and results are easy to check. Documentation makes people accountable. This makes people efficient as it reduces errors and back-jobs. All of these translate to better productivity.

ISO 9001 is a standard of quality that is recognized by the whole world. It does involve an investment but it works to keep your business on top of its game which means more customers and additional revenues. If you want your business to excel, you should consider getting an ISO 9001 certification. To ensure that your employees are able to comply with the qualification and skill set requirement, you may send them for training in their respective fields. A Blackfox certification can help your workers get on the right track.

The 3 Levels of IPC Certified Trainers

The product development in the electronics manufacturing process involves multiple stages including initial design, production, and final testing. The complexity of these processes combined with the objective to achieve uniform standards prompted the IPC to set criteria for product acceptability and establish training courses to produce IPC-certified training professionals, which it has classified into three different levels.

1. Master IPC Trainers (MIT)

These are the trainers authorized by IPC to conduct training and grant IPC certification to certified IPC trainers. IPC has also authorized MITs to conduct Certified IPC Specialist Training to qualified individuals. On top of this, MITs are also given the authority to conduct IPC training for any organization that wants such training for its employees as long as these are conducted in accordance with IPC policies and procedures.

This level is open only to employees of IPC training centers that are licensed and authorized by IPC. MITs receive their certification from the IPC director for certification.

2. Certified IPC Trainers (CIT)

Certified IPC Trainers earn their certification through the training and testing conducted by Master IPC Trainers. Individuals that are qualified to take this level of training include employees of companies, faculty members of schools and training institutions, or independent consultants who work with electronics manufacturing companies. Certified IPC Trainers are authorized to issue certification credentials to Certified IPC Specialists who have successfully completed their training program or pass the program's minimum skills measurement criteria.

3. Certified IPC Specialists (CIS)

Certified Training Specialists are a product of an IPC program that is designed to train and test individuals regarding the correct application of product classification. They are trained and certified either by a Certified IPC Trainer or Master IPC Trainer. The training for Certified IPC Specialist is appropriate for managers, supervisors, inspectors, operators, technology students and individuals who can benefit from a good understanding of IPC standards.

Getting an IPC certification for key personnel can give your organization a sense of awareness of the importance of product standardization. But these are not all there is to IPC. There are different levels of individual certification, but it has only one goal: To streamline workmanship in electronics manufacturing through training and certification of key personnel. You should not allow your company to be left behind in electronics manufacturing standards of workmanship. Get your staff certified by a duly authorized IPC training center now.