One way to train a crew that is new to the assembly, is to photograph a completed PC Board, with a 1.5 MegaPixel digital camera, with lens attachment capability of close shots or even a visible light filter for taking infrared thermographs of correctly operating boards to compare to malfunctioning boards to help out the test department as well with those tough cases, then using a Graphics package, such as Micrografx Picture Publisher 8 for (Wintel) or Adobe Photoshop (PowerMac) for Macintosh, to add labels, arrows, etc, to the photo.  In doing this, you can make a series of marked up photos, and import them into a procedure, so that you can show them exactly what needs done before the wave soldering process, and any installations of heat sensitive parts to be done in a post wave operation.


     If you are building it currently, just track a single board through the process, and take several pictures as it is getting stuffed, if there is a desired order need to stuff the assembly, the mark the photo's up!, put into a document, add captions, and you have an instant work instruction for next time.  The file size can be kept to a reasonable size by using the JPEG format for the digital photo's, by using the compression options presented during the save operation.  Of course you can use Stuffit (PowerMac)or Winzip (Wintel) to compress it even further.  This method, coupled with a competent 1200 dpi color printer (you could even do blow ups for high detail, onto 11" X 17" size paper, will do a great job of documenting, and prevent ESD to the example, as long as you observe proper ESD prevention procedures.  It costs more than a little bit to start this up, but doesn't that beat sticking little parts on tape?  After all, it has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words! 

Ron Leckfor, BSAS-EET 
Quality Control Coordinator
REM Electronics Supply, Inc
Warren, Ohio, USA

-----Original Message-----
From:   Stephen R. Gregory [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Thursday, May 13, 1999 3:08 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: [TN] Low Tack Tape

In a message dated 5/13/99 11:11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Keith and Steve,

 Something that probably should be thought about is if one should reuse the
 components (other than for solder training) after placing them on Static
 Electricity generating tape.

 My $0.02

 Scott>>

Hi Scott!

From an ESD perspective, I couldn't agree with you more. However (I'm
speaking for myself here, not Keith), in a contract assembly environment
where you have to take what the customer gives you and deal with it. I can't
tell you how many times I've tried to talk to some customers and plead for
CAD files so I wouldn't have teach the placements on their boards and then do
a "sticky" board so the rest of the work order runs correctly. It's better to
do your "tweeking" on one board and then run, rather than "tweek" as you go
and build a bunch of boards that someone will have to put a soldering iron to
fixing defects.

I've almost got down on my knees asking for things like simple attrition
that's a normal fact of life when you're building printed circuit assemblies
with automation...if I could get at least that, I wouldn't have to reuse
parts. When you get a work order from a customer for say 1,000 assemblies,
they don't want 999, or want any excuses why that last assembly is short
parts, they want 1,000 assemblies, end of story.

You and I both know that's not a good way to do things, but in this business
you're customer driven...you do whatever they want you to. If you don't it's
real simple, you don't get business. Some customers are more seasoned than
others, and some will listen. But you also have the same number that aren't,
and don't...but that's life.

-Steve Gregory-

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