Product category:
Electronics Manufacturing Quality Assurance
News Release from: SolderStar | Subject: SolderStar Lite, Plus and Pro
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 24 March 2006
Thermal profiling packages cover all
budgets
Three easy-to-use thermal profiling packages cover the demanding technical and budgetary requirements of low, medium and high volume lead-free electronics manufacturing environments.
SolderStar will use Nepcon Shanghai to launch three easy-to-use thermal profiling packages, designed specifically for the demanding technical and budgetary requirements of low, medium and high volume lead-free electronics manufacturing environments - SolderStar Lite, SolderStar Plus and SolderStar Pro Since it opened its doors for business just four years ago, UK-based thermal profiling specialist SolderStar has developed a line of thermal profiling instruments and software for the electronics industry that is second to none in terms of technology, ease of use, breadth of range and price performance
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 19 Nov 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Profiling system aids solder system efficiency
SolderStar Neptune, designed and manufactured by Embedded Data Systems Ltd in the UK, is a high quality temperature profiling system aimed specifically at reflow and wave soldering applications.
Software simulates reflow oven profiles
Profile Seeker is an inexpensive software utility that allows the SMT engineer to simulate reflow oven heater and belt-speed changes and view the resultant effect to the reflow profile.
As a result, the company's sales have gone from strength to strength.
From the outset, SolderStar's founders, Mark Stansfield and Pat McWiggin, saw that lead-free processes would create considerable challenges for electronics manufacturers.
Stansfield, SolderStar's Managing Director, explains: "The higher reflow temperatures associated with lead-free squeeze processing windows to the point where there is no more margin for error".
Further reading
Solder system profiler is ready for lead-free swap
The latest version of the SolderStar Neptune temperature-profiling system is specifically aimed at reflow and wave soldering applications.
Lead-free profiling additions on show
Embedded Data Systems will launch the latest additions to its popular SolderStar range of products at both Nepcon UK and Nepcon Shanghai 2004.
Wave analyser gets the measure of lead free
Embedded Data Systems has added a dedicated wave solder analyser to its growing range.
"Anybody involved in electronics manufacture today must have their thermal processes under absolute control".
"For many companies, this means introducing thermal profiling for the first time".
"For others it means increasing its usage to optimise new product manufacture and to provide true process profiling for optimum quality control".
SolderStar's range is entirely lead-free compliant and fulfils the need for fast, precise profiling and process control.
Ease of use is essential, particularly for companies that are new to profiling, but as Stansfield explains, simplicity is often hard to come by: "Profiling equipment manufacturers typically target companies that employ full-time surface mount line engineers, so their products are very scientific".
"We go a different route, by identifying all the challenges and problems associated with profiling and building the solutions to those issues into our systems to make them both very easy to understand and use".
"For example, with simple terminology and a heavily graphics-based interface, we help our clients get to grips with profiling and their own thermal processes".
"Once our instruments have captured and analysed the appropriate machine parameters, powerful graphics show our clients at a glance where their processes are".
Typically, SolderStar's clients can achieve an optimal thermal profile after 30 minutes and perhaps two or three runs through the reflow oven, compared with hours, if not days, of frustrating trial-and-error work with other systems.
Incorporating up-to-date battery technology, SolderStar's instruments have a higher working temperature than most of the alternatives, and they incorporate leading-edge heat shielding, which keeps them cool even at today's higher lead-free processing temperatures.
Furthermore, at just 20-25mm thick, they are the slimmest profilers on the market.
This makes them ideal for use in modern reflow ovens with limited tunnel height, typically used in the manufacture of miniaturised products, such as mobile phones.
This factor has been key to SolderStar's success in Asia.
Now, building on its philosophy of keeping things simple, SolderStar has combined its specialist knowledge of electronics manufacturing processes and its range of industry-leading equipment and software tools to create three new thermal profiling packages, aimed at the different needs of the market.
As Stansfield explains: "The smaller entry-level client, who may be using profiling equipment for the first time, has different needs and budgetary constraints from those of a medium or large EMS provider who may be using thermal profiling regularly".
"Yet until now, those companies have had the choice of either low-end products with limited capabilities, or high-end, complicated and expensive equipment".
"Now, for the first time, they can select a package that is tailor-made for their specific requirements today, yet has the flexibility to be upgraded as their requirements grow".
SolderStar Lite is ideal for the small manufacturer or as an entry-level or second system.
It offers high performance profiling on a limited budget, ensuring correct settings are established and maintained.
It includes SolderStar's industry-leading four-channel Neptune datalogger, a lead-free capable heat-barrier and a standard software suite including an up-to-date solder paste thermal profile library and analysis and control capabilities.
SolderStar Plus offers all of the above plus a series of powerful additional features, including an industry-standard six-channel Neptune datalogger with a high-performance heat barrier, and simulation software for ultra-fast profile setup.
For the ultimate in temperature and process profiling, SolderStar Pro includes the Neptune SL datalogger with up to 12 channels for demanding processes and PCBs, as well as a comprehensive suite of full-featured software that includes SPC capabilities.
Like SolderStar Plus, it can be used with SolderStar accessories to optimise wave soldering processes and profiles, and is ideal for medium to large manufacturers who profile continuously as part of an ongoing quality control strategy.
Readily available and supported through a network of distributors, SolderStar's products and packages are robust, reliable, easy to use and cover the full spectrum of today's lead-free thermal profiling requirements.
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