Lentz will present a process for evaluating solder pastes using a variety of methods which are quick to run and challenging, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of solder pastes. Methods detailed in this paper include: print volume, stencil life, response to pause, open time, tack force over time, wetting, solder balling, graping, voiding, accelerated ageing and others. Hard data is gathered and used in the evaluation process.
Lentz will also present a set of methods that do not require expensive equipment or materials, but still generate useful data. The goal is to help the electronics assembler choose the best solder paste for their process.