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COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Update – March 18th, 2020

At BlueRing Stencils, the safety and well-being of our employees and our customers is always our priority, and we recognize the important role we play in providing our customers with supplies and services during this critical time. We are actively monitoring the COVID-19/Coronavirus situation and taking steps to help keep our communities safe. We wanted to share with you some steps we are taking.

Aligning with public health authorities

Due to the “Shelter in Place” order given by 6 bay area counties in California (including Santa Clara county), BlueRing Stencils has halted operations in its Milpitas California facility. We will continue to supply product to “essential” businesses in this region and the surrounding areas via our other 5 manufacturing locations. There will be no anticipated interruption in service. We are closely monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization regarding COVID-19. We will continue to seek guidance from these agencies, public health officials and government agencies on an ongoing basis.

Protecting our employees and customers

As our employees interact with customers and the general public, we have taken steps to limit exposure to the virus. We have put restrictions on travel, postponed large-scale events, limited the size of meetings, provided remote-work solutions, and continue to reinforce safe behavior in every work environment. Additionally, we have protocols in place for increased cleaning, disinfecting and appropriate quarantine procedures based on recommendations by government and health agencies.

Our commitment to our customers

The role our company plays within your supply chain is incredibly important to us. We have been developing manufacturing measures and proper contingency plans to ensure minimal disruption in the supply of products and services for our customers during this time. As developments happen across the country in within our company, we will notify our customers immediately about any changes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us immediately. As always, thank you for being a customer and for your continued trust as we manage through this time together.

Thank you,
BlueRing Stencils

Say Hello to Our New Stone Mountain Tool Logo

Say Hello to Our New Stone Mountain Tool Logo

Our recent acquisition of Stone Mountain Tool has inspired us to redesign the logo to portray the incorporation of this company into the BlueRing Stencils family. Stone Mountain Tool prides itself on leading the industry with over 35 years in supplying tooling for the electronic manufacturing industry. We want to assure customers that the high-quality products and service will not change.  Check out the key elements of our new logo below:

Say Hello to Our New Stone Mountain Tool Logo

As we phase our new logo into our digital and physical assets, we want to reassure you that our new look will not change our energetic approach to engineering the best tooling available. We are committed to delivering innovative solutions to the ever-changing world of the electronic manufacturing industry.

As always, please reach out to us with any questions or concerns and we look forward to our continued partnership.

www.blueringstencils.com/tooling

Top 5 SMT Industry Trends for 2019

We examined future trends in the electronics industry, and more specifically the surface mount process. Here is our summary of SMT trends that will dominate in 2019 and beyond.

Solder Usage for Electronic Miniaturization

The continuing trend for miniaturization of electronics creates ongoing challenges for soldering product formulators and stencil manufacturers. Usage of smaller components such as 0201 (0603 metrics), 01005 (0402 metrics), and 0.4 mm pitch BGAs is rising.

This is leading our customers to switch from Type 3 solder pastes to Type 4 or Type 4.5 solder pastes. In addition to switching solder paste powder size, ceramic-type stencil nano-coatings are becoming more frequently used.

Ceramic nano-coatings like NanoSlic Gold increase transfer efficiency and minimize variation in the solder paste printing process.

Stencil Design Changes

An unintended consequence of increasing solder paste volume for 0201 and 01005 components is the possibility of component float, skew, and tombstoning. This has led to stencil design changes to reduce the solder paste volume specifically for those component types. Use of anti-tombstoning solder paste also helps with these issues.

Solder Usage for High-Reliability

Manufacturing of electronics used in harsh environments is on the rise, especially in the automotive and telecom sectors. This has increased the use of high-reliability solder alloys and fluxes. Maintaining low cost and high production throughput are important in automotive and telecom industries which have led to increased usage of no clean soldering products.

The key factors to consider for harsh environments electronics are solder alloys which will survive the conditions without fracturing, and fluxes which will not cause corrosion or dendritic growth over the life of the product. New high-reliability solder alloys have been developed which are typically low silver SAC alloys with added dopants. These solder alloys have been shown to increase the life of the solder joint in harsh environments where they are used.

New solder paste and liquid fluxes have been formulated with zero halogens and low activity (ROL0 classification). The new liquid fluxes have been formulated with selective soldering in mind, where the risk of leaving raw flux on the circuit board is high. These new fluxes are safe to leave on the circuit board in harsh environments.

The Rise of BTC and BGA Components

Amp One

The usage of bottom terminated components (BTCs) and large BGA components are on the rise. Consequently, voiding and head-in-pillow (HiP) have become more prominent issues. Voiding can often be reduced through the use of ultra-low voiding solder pastes like Amp One coupled with a modification of the reflow profile and stencil design.

Head-in-pillow is typically caused by warpage of the large BGA type components which is sufficient to physically separate the BGA spheres from the solder paste deposits. Modification of the reflow profile can help to reduce warpage. Step stencils are often employed to increase the solder paste height in order to maximize contact of the solder paste with the BGA spheres.

The Rise of PoP and BGA Applications

Package on package (PoP) and fine pitch micro BGA applications are becoming more common. Type 5 and 6 solder pastes are being used for these ultra-fine feature applications. Formulating printable solder pastes for use with Type 5 and 6 solder powder can be a challenge. Type 5 and 6 solder pastes tend to have shorter stencil life and shelf life than Type 3 and 4 solder pastes. This can affect the printability and reflow characteristics of the solder pastes over time. Jet printing is being used for these type of applications for prototyping.

Regardless of what the next year brings, FCT Solder has the products and services to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more!

BlueRing Stencils Showcases Cutting Edge Printing Technologies at SMTA International 2017

Lumberton, NJ – Formed from the merger of two powerhouse stencil manufacturers (FLS and MET); BlueRing Stencils will be highlighting advanced printing technologies at SMTA International in Rosemont, IL on September 19th-20th. In booth #905, BlueRing Stencils will have their broad portfolio of printing products and services on display, and will also take part in the technical conferences.

BlueRing’s Stencil Technology Manager, Greg Smith, will be part of the technical conference speaking on the topic; “Impact of Stencil Foil Type on Solder Paste Transfer Efficiency for Laser Cut SMT Stencils.” This paper will investigate laser cut wall quality on the different foils as well as the effectiveness of these foil types in relation to solder paste printing both with and without nano-coatings. Results will be presented along with strengths and weaknesses of different foil types to aid the end user in making proper stencil choices.

In addition to BlueRing Stencils technical presentations, they will also be featuring their various products and services that were all developed to improve first pass yields and mitigate assembly defects. One of those technologies is the patent pending NanoSlic Gold Coated Stencil. The NanoSlic Gold Coated Stencil has quickly emerged as the premiere coating technology for improved solder paste transfer efficiency, reduced underside cleaning requirements and overall printing yield improvements.

BlueRing Stencils also offers board design and development through Root Cause Analysis and CAD-matic services. Their products and manufacturing methods undergo extensive research and development in their advanced SMT Printing Laboratory. For more information about all their other printing technologies and services, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Greg Starrett [email protected].

Fine Line Stencil and Metal Etching Technology Announce Merger

Lumberton, NJ – Fine Line Stencil (FLS) and Metal Etching Technology (MET) Associates announce they are merging. The new company will be known as BlueRing Stencils. BlueRing Stencils will maintain 8 manufacturing locations across the USA (TX, NJ, NH, CA, FL, IN, MN & NC). Fred Cox of MET has been appointed President of BlueRing Stencils. Mr. Cox said, “We look forward to providing improved technology and greater service to all of our stencil customers. Our combined companies will allow us to offer the latest innovations in SMT stencil printing.”

Brent Nolan of Fine Line Stencil had this to say; “FLS and MET are a perfect match. We have different technical solutions that will now be combined. Additionally, our new geography will allow us to reach 90% of the demanding stencil market in 1 day using ground freight.”

BlueRing Stencils will provide laser cut and electroformed stencil solutions. They will offer NanoSlic Gold and Microshield coatings, EZ-Step laser welded steps, Mesh-Weld foil bonding, Root Cause Analysis and CAD-matic software solutions, as well as other stencil printing technologies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I order my stencils now?
A: Use the same method you are currently using. We have joined our ordering systems to ensure a smooth transition.

Q: Who is my contact at BlueRing Stencils?
A: The same person you are familiar with will continue to handle your stencil business.

Q: Will BlueRing Stencils continue with business as usual?
A: Yes, however, the merged company will bring additional technology and support to help our customers more than ever. Our combined technologies will offer the highest quality printing solutions in the industry.

Q: Who is MET and FLS?
A: MET and FLS are very similar stencil manufacturers. Our customer bases are primarily in different geographies than each other.

Q: Is my existing quote still valid?
A: BlueRing Stencils stands behind all the quotes issued by MET and FLS.

Q: How is this merger better for me?
A: The combined company will have new technologies to share from both manufacturers. Our capacity to service customers will be dramatically increased. BlueRing Stencils will also have improved shipping options for many locations.

FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Fred Cox
President
Metal Etching Technology
[email protected]