How Dry Cabinets Solve Moisture Problems During SMT Reflow

An Alternative Drying Solution Replaces Traditional Methods

As the industry utilizes a high-temperature reflow process, moisture sensitivity in SMT remains a constant problem. Serious manufacturing defects and failures are much more likely to occur later when products are in the field, which can be traced to improper storage and handling of components and PCBs during the assembly process.

StatPro dry cabinets with desiccant dryer technology employ an alternative drying solution as opposed to traditional methods because field failures will occur without proper moisture control. These are important factors to consider when product reliability must be tightly controlled by manufacturing industries such as automotive, defense, medical device, aeronautic, and aviation.

Why You Need StatPro CPDC Series Desiccator Dry Cabinets

With decreased time in development cycles, invention of ever-smaller devices, innovative use of new materials, and larger wafer chip development, there is a rapid increase of MSDs and higher levels of trace moisture sensitivity during the reflow process. As a result, internal component damage due to trace moisture expansion will occur in MSDs.

By storing MSDs and other valuable components in StatPro dry cabinets, you will be ensured of extended floor life. This will also prevent moisture expansion, popcorning, intermetallic growth, oxidation, solderability, and other moisture-related problems from occurring.

How Trace Moisture Affects SMT Production

Trace moisture causes component and PCB failure during the high-temperature reflow process. When absorbed moisture rapidly expands from high temperatures, internal component damage and failure such as micro-cracking, blistering, and popcorning will occur in MSDs, packages, and components. Because PCBs are hygroscopic, absorbed moisture will lead to delamination when moisture inside the layers expands during the process.

StatPro CPDC Series Desiccator Dry Cabinets Applications

When components are removed from moisture barrier bags, StatPro’s ultra-low humidity dry cabinets will stop the floor-life clock for all IC packages:

  • Dual-in-line – Flatpack, SOIC, SOJ, TSOP, SSOP, TSSOP, QSOP, VSOP, and DFN
  • Quad-in-line – PLCC, QFP, LQFP, PQFP, CQFP, MQFP, TQFP, QFN, LCC, MLP, and PQFN
  • Grid arrays – PGA, BGA, LGA, FBGA, LFBGA, TFBGA, CGA, CCGA, µBGA, and LLP.

Other applications:

  • Drying and storage of multi-layer PCBs and PWBs before and after mounting, including dual-side boards awaiting second-side reflow
  • Moisture controlled storage with desiccating capabilities for PCB pattern film/prepreg, quartz, fiber optics, CCDs, etc.
  • PP plate, prepreg, solder paste, semi-mounted PCB, mounted PCB, die cast and mold compounds, bonding materials, fluorescence powder, LCG board, wafer, CCD, condenser, oscillators, etc.

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Mel Meadows

Mel Meadows

Mel Meadows is a product specialist with over 14 years of experience. She’s a central source of expertise for thousands of industrial and critical-class products featured on the Production Automation web store. By working directly with manufacturers, Mel deciphers technical documentation and outlines product use in real-world environments. View her profile to learn more about proper techniques, protocol, and product usage in both industrial and cleanroom facilities.

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