Measuring Strain in the Electronics Industry

The demand for reliable, durable and compact electronic devices is all around us. Consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, aerospace and medical device manufactures want it, “lighter, more compact, more durable, more powerful” and, oh by the way, all at a lower price. This demands that the product is designed, tested and manufactured to exacting standards to meet the expectations of an ever more demanding marketplace.

 

These requirements have been further complicated by the elimination of leaded solder to be RoHS compliant. Lead-free solder is much more brittle and is susceptible to brittle fracture when exposed to excessive strain and / or high strain rate. Micro-Measurements plays a key role in bringing these new products to fruition. Micro-Measurements’ innovative experimental stress analysis products are used throughout these industries as part of their reliability testing program.

 
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Strain Gages for Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and More

Advances in printed circuit assembly design and manufacturing (plus the newer requirements for lead-free solder) have resulted in a need to test Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) to determine if the design can withstand the rigor of manufacturing, packaging, transporting, and, of course, day-to-day use.

 

Our innovative experimental stress analysis products are relied upon throughout the electronics industries for this kind of strain measurement. And Micro-Measurements strain gages can be used for testing more than just Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). Our strain gages are also used when testing product components, sub-assemblies, Ball Grid Array (BGA) surface mount packaging, and finished products. These tests include:

  • Fixture qualification
  • Four-point bend test
  • Assembly loads
  • Shock / Drop testing
  • Shipping container qualification

 

In addition to the creation of strain gages for testing Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), Micro-Measurements collaborates with Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturers to help develop industry standards as set by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC). These standards include:

 

IPC / JEDEC specifications

IPC — JEDEC 9702 Monotonic Bend Characteristics of Board-Level Interconnects

IPC — JEDEC 9704 Printed Wiring Board Strain Gage Test Guideline

IPC — JEDEC JESD22-B111 Board Level Drop Test Method of Components for Handheld Electronic Products

 

Seeking more information about strain measurement for Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) or Ball Grid Array (BGA) surface mount packaging?

 

Contact a Micro-Measurements expert!

 

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