From a reliability standpoint, a flag is only a potential problem as a 
     potential shorting path, thus 2000A and ANSI/J-STD-001 would only 
     reject when the flag (or any other conductive element) can or does 
     reduces the spacing between conductive elements to less than the 
     design allowable elecrical spacing:  
     
        Violation of minimum design electrical spacing.   This condition 
        includes potential movement of conductors (including conductive 
        part bodies, leads, wires, etc.), solder balls, excessive solder 
        and bridging.
        
     Note that design electrical spacing was taken to include the "Z" axis 
     as well (ie. can't violate the "envelope" for the hardware).  Many 
     people further reduce this as a "safety" item (ie. if it's big enough 
     to "stab" someone it should be removed.)  
     
     Jim Maguire
     Boeing


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: ASSY-Flagging
Author:  [log in to unmask] at esdigate
Date:    5/13/96 10:43 AM


     
(This is a re-do of an inquiry sent Friday, in case it went nowhere.  I've 
received
no replies and we had a mail-server problem, so I thought I'd try again)
     
I've been tasked with justifying the enforcement of a long established 
internal requirement, here at PBNI.   For as long as I can recall, we have 
been considering solder flagging (aka icicles, solder spikes) a rejectable 
condition, even when a solitary occurrence of as little as 0.8 mm.
(We based this rejection upon workmanship standards that we adopted 
from a sister organization with a much more Class 3 and military 
orientation).
     
As we are manufacturing Class 2 products, and are re-evaluating the adopted 
requirements, this 'reject' comes into question. I'm reviewing 
ANSI/J-STD-001A
and IPC-A-610B this morning, I find no reference to this condition other 
than
that shown in Figure 4-17 of the latter.
     
I certainly don't object to loosening up on our present standard if it is 
not
justifiable, but I can't help the feeling that I'm missing something.  Am I 
?
     
An anticipatory  ...Thanks !