Safety and precision in automotive electronics

At Retronix, we offer a range of services to improve the reliability of Automotive electronics. Unlike many computing and telecommunication electronics, Automotive electronics are subject to movement, vibration and temperature extremes that can expose any weakness in the soldering joints of a PCB. Often these issues are undetectable until the electronics are subject to such stress, and will easily pass any post-manufacturing tests.

The Automotive Industries Component Shortage Crisis

“Everywhere You Look, the Global Supply Chain Is a Mess”. This was the headline of the Wall Street Journal last month as it reported on the supply chain woes affecting all industries across the globe. However, no market seems to be experiencing such catastrophic disarray as automotive.

The chips are down in the Automotive Industry

The electronic chip crisis has now reached a fever pitch in automotive, so much so that the US industry has asked for the Biden administration’s help in mitigating the shortage. Many of the top OEMs have already been forced to extend plant closings, with Forbes reporting that this could reduce production by more than 1 million units this year alone.

Despite this current supply chain, “mess” many organisations have managed to rise to the challenge. The automotive industry’s unlikely knight in shining armour comes in the form of the electronic distributor, with OEMs and their EMS providers turning to the distribution channel to source their components. As discussed by Electronics Sourcing, electronic distributors are experiencing “sharp increases in demand by automakers, their key systems suppliers and contract manufacturers” fuelled by the current semiconductor shortage crisis.

The sceptical may argue that this rush in demand will only curtail once the dust settles. However, as Electronic Sourcing rightly retorts “there is a paradigm shift occurring and automotive OEMs will continue to use the distribution channel even after shortages abate”. Indeed, technology such as advanced driver assistance systems, connected vehicles and electronic energy promise significant growth potential in the automotive electronics industry which will no doubt have a colossal impact on the supply chain as it stands today.

What solutions can retronix offer to help with this crisis?

At Retronix, we are in a unique position that we can help all levels of the automotive supply chain through their current component sourcing woes. No matter if you are an OEM, supplier, or distributor our safe and reliable Component Reclaim service can resolve your obsolescence issues. Our wide range of services to the electronics industry allows us to offer a complete package for both the reclaim and reuse of components.

Component reclaim across all sectors of our customer has been our fastest growing service in the last 3 years.

So much so that over the last 18 months alone, we have reclaimed an estimated 3 million components saving an estimated £10M for our customers and helping them avoid allocation, obsolescence, and long lead time issues.

Component Shortage Infographic

LCC/QFN Type Devices

These type of devices are soldered directly to the PCB with the expectation to achieve a low profile connection.

LCC/QFN Type Devices

However, this can create problems.

The solder connection between IC and PCB is very thin, and susceptible to fracture when subject to vibration CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) issues can occur when the IC gets warm during operation and the PCB does not. The two expand at different rates and this can crack the solder joints.

Potential Failure Points

Typical solder joint cracking occurs due to fatigue failure during thermal cycling. Major difference in CTE (Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion) and vibration between ceramic LCC body and PEC substrate. Solder is a fairly weak alloy that can not withstand cyclic stresses easily. Cycles to failure will be low and reliability in service poor as a result.

Cross-section of fatigue failure showing crack travelling through bulk of solder. Note very low solder thickness under the component.

The retronix Solution

Laser Reball (laser attaches spheres without a reflow cycle) high melting point spheres, for example, 90% lead, copper cored onto the LCC pads. This process raises the stand-off height of the LCC as the new spheres do not collapse under reflow during assembly. Cross section of LCC. The dark areas are the HMP spheres. Note the difference in stand-off height.

  • Mitigates CTE issues by allowing heat to escape from under the component.
  • Stronger connection using HMP sphere (more flexible metal than thin eutectic solder joint).
  • Allows cleaning under the IC, avoiding flux residues being trapped.
  • Solder spheres avoid outgassing and eliminate voids.

Other applications include

LEGACY PRODUCT MANUFACTURING

A Legacy Product build uses old devices, which may have become oxidised depending on the storage process. Oxidation (often invisible) may have formed on the IC terminations of the devices which acts as a barrier in the soldering process. The post manufacturing solder joints may appear normal but are actually weak and subject to early life failure when subject to vibration/heat.

We can ensure that no such issues occur by retinning the terminations, refreshing the alloy and removing any oxidisation present. Retronix utilises a fully automatic process, ensuring consistent results across the batch of ICs.​

Learn more

DEVICE OR PCB LEVEL REWORK

Retronix is the go-to company in the Automotive Industry for:

  • Capacity issues – misloads
  • When an automotive manufacturer has too many PCB’s in need of rework.

Our Retronix IPC and JEDEC skills and expertise offer the ideal service for reliable and precise rework.

 

Learn more

Retronix can carry out free of charge samples to prove our process and the benefits we can offer

CONTACT US