Is your preheat correct. We eliminated our shorting/cracked caps by improving our preheat process for Reflow. Paul Stolar Materials Engineer Houston Technology Center Baker Atlas 713-625-5376 713-625-4949 (fax) -----Original Message----- From: Bob Perkins [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 6:42 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] Cracking Ceramic SMT Capacitors Cracking Ceramic SMT Capacitors " Is anyone else seeing an increase in the number of cracked and shorting ceramic chip capacitors? In our experience as a contract manufacturer we have, in the past, seen the occasional instance of ceramic capacitors cracking and shorting out. The cause of this problem is generally obvious, as it is isolated to components situated in areas of the PCB that are subject to flexing. Recently however we have seen more frequent instances of this problem; very often in areas of the board that should not be experiencing any appreciable flex. Our process has not changed and neither have our sources of these components. Have chip capacitors themselves become more fragile?" Rod Lafond Manager, Quality Assurance and Technical Training APEX-Micro Manufacturing Corporation [log in to unmask] --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 -----------------------------------------------------