The continuing miniaturization of consumer electronics, medical devices and even automotive components presents challenges for manufacturing, particularly electronics assembly. Surface mount technology, for example, is the dominant process for assembling a wide range of electronic devices. The need to manufacture smaller and more complex assemblies with dense multilayer circuitry and mixed technology boards, as well as the increasing range and mix of surface-mount component sizes and types, poses challenges for surface mount process engineers.
Critical to surface mount assembly is the need to deposit very small and precise amounts of fluid—such as adhesives and silicones—to the tiny microelectronics and other minuscule parts, to keep these surface-mounted devices in place before and during the soldering process. These fluids also provide the added benefits of mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, dielectric strength and chemical inertness throughout the life of the assembly.