Steve,
I'm no process engineer, but assuming can build them, you may want to check out some of the bare boards from your first few lots (if this is a multiple lot job!) on a CMM, if you have one.  A problem with boards this size is what I would call "board stretch".  Of course fiducials for components near the corners help.
regards,
Bev Christian
Research in Motion
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen R. Gregory [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: August 24, 2001 7:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] MONSTER board!!!

Happy Friday All!

Well, it seems another "opportunity" has presented itself to me. Looking to
assemble a 24" X 24", 52-layer board... piece-o-cake, right?

Not real sure of all the components that are on it yet, but I do know that
there is some 20-mil pitch stuff...

I've been asked to investigate what it would take equipment-wise, and
dollar-wise for us to do this.

Printing, I know of Surface Mount Techniques that have large board printing
capability. Pick and place, I know that Mydata can place monsters such as
these...

Reflow has me a bit stumped...I've heard that Heller ovens have throats big
enough to swallow something like this, but when I checked some spec's on
their web page, they say their oven can handle 23.5" boards. I also looked
into Vapor phase reflow units, and R & D Technical Services (formerly
Centech) has a unit called a RD3 that has 24" X 24" process
chambers...thinking about it, vapor phase may be the way to go with this
beast...it's around .390" thick!

I've got a Electrovert MCS-1000 batch cleaner, so it'll be able to clean this
thing...
won't need wave solder, so that's one blessing...

Just asking if there's any other vendors of equipment that can handle boards
this size other than the ones I've listed.

Sure would like to find some used stuff because the equipment that we get
would only be used on this beast. The quantities aren't going to be that high
at all...

Thanks!

-Steve Gregory-