Exception EMS invests in Vacuum Vapour Phase m/c

During October 2016 Wiltshire based CEM Exception EMS, which is part of the Fabrinet Group took delivery of an IBL VAC-645 Vacuum Vapour phase System. However, as with all technical sales, the evaluation process started some months before this; the project actually started in May of the same year. Engineering Manager Jiri Kucera explains why the decision was made to invest in this alternative reflow process. “The requirement for void free soldering was on our technology road map for 2016. It was seen as the only technology capable for some applications of delivering the high standards demanded by our customers for their complex PCB assemblies.”
Initially, four m/cs from three manufacturers were identified to run application trials with. A very complex multilayer test board was provided to all vendors and the requirement was to be able to achieve a soak profile to replicate their chosen solder paste parameters with regard to ramp, soak and time above liquidus, all whilst keeping the delta T to a minimum. Another desirable requirement was the ability to run both leaded and lead-free processes without changing the heat transfer fluid.Key reasons for selecting IBL/Blundell were as follows:
+ Low Heat transfer fluid (Galden) consumption
+ Market leader with many installations
+ Best technology
+ Best profiling results (IBL’s Intelligent Profiling System)
+ Flexibility (Can achieve 225⁰C peek whilst matching all other parameters of leaded process with Galden 240)
+ PCBA size 635x444mm
+ After sales technical support from the UK

Following a pre-acceptance in September, the Blundell team installed the VAC-645 mid-October.
Now twelve months on, Jiri commented “We are very pleased with the VAC-645 system and we were able to rapidly improved soldering quality of many assemblies, where PCB design and component selection required different soldering technology and more flexible process window than convection reflow. IBL concept gave us that extra technological edge that we needed for our prototyping business but also for our standard production requirement”.

Blundell are N°1 IBL Partner for second years running

January 2017 marked the 30^th Year anniversary of IBL, making them the most established Vapour Phase Manufacturer Globally. At a two day celebration and sales partner meeting held in Königsbrunn we were advised that for a second year running, the UK has had the highest number of IBL systems installed. We believe this success is due to the number of high tech OEM/CEM customers recognising that IBL lead the market with innovation and technology as well as having strong UK support from BPE