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00. EMS Fundamentals
The no-fluff map of how EMS really works: data, process, cost, risk.
03. Surface Mount Technology
SMT process control from paste to inspection: print, place, reflow, verify.
04. Through-Hole & Mixed Technology
Controlled manual and selective soldering: rework, coating, reliability basics.
05. Cable & Wire Harness Assembly
Harness DFM, build, and test rules for production-ready interconnects.
06. Electronics Final Assembly (Box Build)
System integration playbook: mechanical assembly, wiring, test, pack-out.
01. The Dannie Operating System
How Dannie runs: decision rules, communication discipline, and people standards.
09. Materials Planning, Procurement & Warehouse Execution
Plan, buy, receive, store, and kit parts without shortages or chaos.
07. Facility Infrastructure, TPM & EHS
ESD, safety, and maintenance systems that keep production stable and audit-ready.
08. Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance
QMS + acceptance criteria + compliance evidence: build it right, prove it fast.
10. Customer Success & Business Operations
Commercial governance from RFQ to delivery: contracts, cadence, escalation.
11. Operational Excellence & Digital Systems
ERP/MES architecture and shop-floor governance for clean, usable factory data.
02. Engineering Inputs & The Golden Data Pack
The non-negotiable release package that prevents build failures and rework.
Part 1. Solder Paste, Stencils & Printing (with in-line SPI)
Printing is not just "applying glue"; it is the foundation of quality in SMT assembly. Studies consistently show that 60-70% of all soldering defects originate here. This chapter breaks down the science of getting the right amount of paste in the right place, ...
Part 2. Pick-and-Place & Conveyors (programs, feeders, line control)
The pick-and-place machine is the heartbeat of your SMT line—where speed must meet sub-micron accuracy. Failure to optimize this stage results in feeder errors, downtime, and scrap. This chapter ensures your entire placement ecosystem runs flawlessly. We focu...
Part 3. Reflow Soldering (profiles, atmosphere, defects)
Reflow is the final thermal challenge where heat management dictates the reliability of every solder joint. A poor profile means component damage, voiding, and brittle failures. This chapter gives you the thermal control strategy: The Profile: Mastering the ...
Part 4. In-Line Optical & X-Ray Inspection (SPI recap, AOI, AXI, SPC)
Inspection is the data engine that makes your SMT line predictable. This chapter covers the tools that measure quality and drive process control. Key technologies and their functions: SPI (Solder Paste Inspection): Measures paste volume/area to calculate pro...
Part 5. Electrical Test (ICT, FCT, boundary scan)
Testing is the financial and technical firewall that stops bad product from shipping. This chapter covers the layered electrical test strategy required to achieve high coverage, speed, and reliability. We detail the three main pillars of modern board testing:...
Part 1. Automated THT: Selective & Wave (setup, profiling, defects)
THT provides the mechanical reliability anchor on mixed boards, relying heavily on chemistry and fluid dynamics. This chapter focuses on mastering automated mass soldering for strong, void-free joints. We detail the critical process elements: Pre-Soldering: ...
Part 2. Manual THT & Rework (tools, techniques, defect atlas)
Manual soldering and rework are the final human element, demanding professional skill to ensure every repair is reliable and auditable. We cover the critical steps: Foundation: Mastering tool control—temperature, tip selection, and dwell time—for robust hand...
Part 3. Cleaning, Depanelization, Press-Fit, Conformal Coating/Potting
Your product's long-term lifespan is decided after soldering. This chapter shows how to achieve true environmental durability and mitigate failure risk in the final assembly stages. We secure the board's integrity by mastering: Cleanliness: The critical Clea...
Part 1. Design & Material Foundation (DFM)
Connecting point A to B is simple. Making it survive the real world is engineering. This chapter breaks down the foundation needed to turn a concept into a reliable product. We cover the critical pillars of a robust design: Environmental Requirements: Defini...
Part 2. Process Preparation (Cut, Strip, Prep)
Great harnesses aren't just designed; they are manufactured through disciplined repetition. This chapter moves from theory to the factory floor, transforming raw spools into precision components. We break down the critical sequence required to build a consist...
Part 3. Termination: The Critical Interface
This is where the connection actually happens—and where most failures begin. This chapter focuses on the science of the interface, ensuring every contact is mechanically sound and electrically invisible. We dive into the specific technologies that make or bre...
Part 1. Box Build Overview & Planning
This is the culmination of manufacturing—where components become the final, customer-ready product. It’s high-risk because functional, safety, and cosmetic quality converge here. We cover the fundamentals for predictable flow: Complexity: Defined by intercon...
Part 2. Mechanical Assembly
This is where the digital meets the physical — and where cheap mechanical errors lead to expensive field failures. This chapter focuses on the disciplined physical integration required to build a product that survives handling and environmental stress. We det...
Part 3. Interconnect & Integration
Wiring integrity is where your electronics become a reliable system, not just components in a box. This chapter details the crucial integration strategy that prevents performance loss and field failures. We secure the system by mastering: Harness Discipline:...
Part 4. Final Test & Configuration
This is the decisive stage where the assembled product is fully verified for safety, function, and reliability. This is your last guarantee before shipment. We secure quality through: Verification: Confirming operation (FCT) and mandatory electrical isolatio...
Part 5. Packing & Logistics
This is the final layer of quality, ensuring your perfect product reaches the customer safely. Key steps: Presentation: Final cosmetic check and cleaning.Protection: Selecting the right packaging (ESD, cushioning) for the shipping route.Identity: Applying re...
Part 1. The Quality Management System (QMS) Foundation
Part 4. Final Assembly and Validation
We have prepared the wire and terminated the ends. Now, we turn a collection of parts into a verified product. This chapter covers the final integration and the rigorous testing required to guarantee performance. We walk through the assembly and approval proc...
Part 2. Critical Utilities & Infrastructure
Part 3. The Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Control Program
1.1 Paste Chemistry & Alloy Choice
Solder paste is the single largest variable in the SMT process, responsible for over 65% of end-of-line defects. It is not merely "glue"; it is a complex rheological system that must withstand printing shear forces, hold components during transport, and chemic...
1.2 Storage, Thawing, Handling, and Traceability
Solder paste is a time-sensitive chemical system, not a shelf-stable commodity. Its performance degrades from the moment of manufacture due to flux reaction, metal oxidation, and solvent evaporation. Strict adherence to the cold chain and handling protocols i...
1.3 Stencil Types, Thickness, and Lifecycle
The stencil is not a static plate; it is a precision tooling die that degrades with every print stroke. Its foil thickness and technology determine your volume potential, but its tension and surface condition determine your yield stability over time. Most pri...
1.4 Aperture Design Tactics
Do not default to a 1:1 match between the PCB copper pad and the stencil aperture. The copper pad is designed for electrical connectivity and mechanical tolerance; the stencil aperture is designed for paste release and solder dynamics. If you print 1:1 on eve...
1.5 Printer Setup, Cleaning, and Verification Checklist
The screen printer is not a "set and forget" machine; it is a dynamic system where variables drift with every stroke. 60% of SMT defects originate here, yet they are often blamed on the reflow oven or the pick-and-place machine later down the line. To achieve...
1.6 SPI Metrics, Cp/Cpk, and Closed-Loop Rules
Solder Paste Inspection (SPI) is not just a "reject gate" to catch bad boards; it is a process control tool that tells you exactly how your printer is behaving in real-time. If you only use SPI to sort Pass/Fail, you are wasting 90% of its value. The goal of ...
2.1 Machine Architectures
Machine architecture defines the DNA of the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) line, establishing a fixed trade-off between raw speed (CPH), component flexibility, and capital investment (CapEx). The choice dictates how the placement process manages the physics of...
2.2 Program Creation & Tuning
A pick-and-place machine's performance is governed by the program that drives it. From the moment CAD data is imported, decisions regarding rotations, vision teaching, feeder layout, and placement sequence determine whether the line achieves maximum throughput...
2.3 Feeders, Splicing & Replenishment
Feeder performance is the silent determinant of pick-and-place uptime. Even the fastest machine stalls if the cover-tape peels erratically, splices break, or replenishment lags. Feeders must be managed as precision tools — with disciplined maintenance, smooth ...
2.4 Board Handling & Line Control
The flow of panels between SMT stations — handled by conveyors, buffers, and communication links — is critical for achieving stable throughput. Line control ensures that boards are presented correctly to the machinery, flattened for precision placement, and mo...
2.5 First Article & Golden Board
The First Article (FA) procedure is the mandatory process gate that confirms a product is ready for volume manufacturing. It is a controlled, scripted trial that validates that all inputs — CAD data, machine programs, component materials, and process settings ...
3.1 Heat Transfer & Zone Control
The reflow oven is the final, irreversible step in Surface Mount Technology (SMT), where the mechanical placement is converted into a reliable electrical connection. Control over the oven is paramount, as the entire process window is dictated by the transfer o...
3.2 Profiling Methods
Profiling is a distinct step from zone control. While previous chapter addressed the physics of heat distribution in the oven, this chapter addresses the methodology of measuring the thermal experience of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) itself. Only a measured...
3.3 Air vs Nitrogen
The atmosphere inside the reflow oven is a direct variable in solder joint formation and reliability. Oxygen-rich air is sufficient for most assemblies when the paste, stencil, and thermal profile are properly optimized. However, nitrogen (N2) is an investment...
3.4 Alloy-Specific Nuances
Every solder alloy possesses a unique thermal and metallurgical signature that dictates its required reflow profile. Profile uniformity and peak temperature must be tuned to the alloy's melting characteristics, which directly influence wetting, voiding, and th...
3.5 Defect Mechanisms & Fixes
Reflow soldering defects are the consequence of failed controls upstream: paste, stencil, placement, or profile. Correct troubleshooting requires disciplined analysis of the defect mechanism to identify the root cause in the process chain. The failure to disti...
4.1 SPI Recap & Cp/Cpk
Solder Paste Inspection (SPI) transforms the stencil printing process from a manual art into a predictive, data-driven system. By measuring the three-dimensional geometry of every paste deposit — Volume, Height, and Area — SPI provides the earliest warning sig...
4.2 AOI Fundamentals
Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) systems function as the visual quality gate of the SMT line. Using high-resolution cameras and pattern-matching algorithms, AOI automatically inspects every board for component placement accuracy and solder joint integrity. T...
4.3 AXI Techniques
Automated X-ray Inspection (AXI) is a critical, non-destructive testing method that uses X-ray technology to penetrate components and the Printed Circuit Board (PCB), generating images of internal structures and hidden solder joints. AXI is mandatory for produ...
4.4 Programming & Tuning
Inspection programming translates raw component and solder data into actionable pass/fail judgments. The primary operational goal of tuning is to minimize the False Alarm Rate while ensuring zero escapes (False Negatives). This requires a structured approach b...