By Andy Hutchison
This blog will look at surface tension and some of the challenges we face as manufacturers.
We are all familiar with surface tension on water, the water molecules are electrostatically attracted to each other (hydrogen bonds), however at the interface between the surface water and air, the water molecules have a much stronger attraction to each other than to the air molecules, therefore the imbalanced forces of the water molecules are redistributed towards the adjacent surface water molecules making a stronger bond at the surface (surface tension).
Surface tension can be a friend, we are familiar with self-alignment where components placed offset realign during soldering, and it’s also the surface tension that forms through-hole solder joints in wave and hand solder.
In surface mount soldering surface tension is a powerful force it causes solder float, pulling and pushing out of alignment, tombstoning, or tilting, sometimes these can be overcome with process changes, however design issues become a little more complex.
At Dynamic EMS, we understand that no two-electronic equipment manufacturing customers are the same. Their products, their supply chains, and their markets all differ, which is why Dynamic EMS offers tailor-made, customised electronics manufacturing services to customers with complex, highly diversified business.
From design to distribution, we enable our customers to be more competitive by bringing innovative solutions to market faster, with a commitment to quality in everything we do. Dynamic EMS: Your Product Solutions Architect.
Enabling Market Solutions for all technology companies.
Find out more about Dynamic, www.dynamic-ems.com.
