Boot Camp B, the second component of our comprehensive manufacturing training, provides students an opportunity to participate hands on in many of the processes used in electronic manufacturing.  The lectures presented are coupled with lab exercises designed to allow students to operate process equipment.  The week is finalized with a build of a double sided, mixed technology printed circuit assembly in which students participate in the programming, set up, operating and troubleshooting of process equipment.  The skills and knowledge attained from the 2 weeks of Boot Camp enables students to demonstrate a working knowledge of electronics manufacturing processes in their work environment.  It is recommended that students attend week A before proceeding with week B.

During the reflow and thermal profiling portion, students will acquire the knowledge and skill necessary to set up and operate a solder reflow process.  In the hands-on segment, students will run real-time profiles using a thermal reflow profiler. 

The wave soldering module allows students to apply theoretical and analytical skills essential for the efficient performance of wave soldering.  These skills paired with hands-on troubleshooting and programming provide students with in-depth knowledge of the wave soldering process used for through-hole soldering.

An entire day is dedicated to hand soldering and rework of electronic assemblies.  Students will manually assemble and solder a mixed technology assembly.  Emphasis is placed on component tinning, lead preparation, and hand soldering techniques using a variety of hand tools and soldering equipment.  Students will perform rework processes to remove a variety of through hole and surface mount components utilizing a variety of rework soldering tools.  The acceptance criteria of the IPC-A-610 specification, the process control guideline of the IPC J-STD-001 specification and the rework procedures of IPC7711 are reinforced during these exercises. 

Students will gain an understanding of the various types of conformal coating used in electronic manufacturing and the commonly used methods of application.  Other topics covered include inspection criteria, removal techniques, identification methods, properties of various coatings, and a review of industry specifications.  During the lab exercise, students will examine various conformally coated boards utilizing a black light.

The cleaning module covers the various methods used for cleaning electronic assemblies including Solvent/Co-solvent, Semi-Aqueous, Emulsion and Plasma Cleaning Processes.  Students will also have the opportunity to try out various types of equipment as part of the lab exercise.

The Cleanliness Testing segment introduces students to the commonly used testing equipment utilized for optimum process control.  Lab time includes cleanliness testing of assemblies using bulk ionic testing and advanced techniques such as ion chromatography.

Students are exposed to some of the key characteristics of producing reliable boards through the Reliability Module. This module introduces some of the causes for poor circuit reliability including solder joint fatigue, voiding, and coefficient of thermal expansion. Students are also familiarized with some reliability test equipment and test methods, this promotes a comprehensive understanding of how environmental conditions affect circuit board performance.

The two hour Lead-Free module is a condensed version of our popular two day course. The course examines the current state of lead-free legislation and the upcoming requirements for compliance. Changes in the wave soldering, reflow, printing, inspection, rework, and cleaning processes that are required to convert to lead-free are important, so these topics are also presented. The conversion to lead-free soldering may also mean a change in surface finishes for boards and component leads. The benefits and disadvantages of these surface finish changes are compared in order to help students make informed decisions about their product. The lead-free demonstration includes a microscopic examination of tin-whiskers in the laboratory.