Solder-jet printer aids rapid prototype production

The printer has eliminated the need for stencils for solder-paste application and made it easier for Thales to work with unusually shaped components.

The MY500 is used to shoot solder paste into a 900um-deep cavity, to which an SMD coaxial connector is mounted.

QFP components with exposed pads underneath the body can also be tackled by the MY500, despite the fact that they have a standoff of up to 150um between the component body and the connection pins.

Erik Hodes, manufacturing engineer at the Thales plant, said: 'With the MY500 it's simple to create pin-in-paste deposits without modifying the pad design.

'All that's needed is to tell the software the thickness of the board, the through-hole diameter, the pad size and the pin diameter.' He added: 'The machine then automatically calculates the right volume of solder to jet and the paste is applied, with the result that a perfect joint is created during reflow.' At Thales, the Mydata MY500 solder-jet printer contributes to the reduction in lead time for prototypes.

It also allows the company to work with difficult components that would otherwise have to be mounted manually.