This brief video, which can be found at www.indium.com/blog/phil-zarrow, features Indium Corporation Technical Support Engineer Derrick Herron as he explains to SMT expert Phil Zarrow, President and Principal Consultant for ITM Consulting, how voiding can be consistently reduced to 12 percent with the use of solder preforms.

“Voiding can lead to hot spots in the component, which will eventually lead to a shortened life span,” Herron said. “By limiting voiding, heat is transferred more efficiently into the PCB and away from the component.” 

Herron provides technical service to customers in the northeastern United States. Previously, he spent more than six years developing solder paste and flux technologies in Indium Corporation’s research and development laboratory. Herron earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla. He received his Six Sigma Green Belt from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and is certified in IPC-A-600 and IPC-A-610-D. He also authors a blog on engineered solders, which can be found at www.indium.com/blog/derrick-herron. 

Zarrow has been involved with PCB fabrication and assembly for more than 35 years. In addition to his background in automated assembly and cleaning, Zarrow is recognized for his expertise in surface mount reflow soldering technology, and in the design and implementation of SMT placement equipment and reflow soldering systems. His extensive hands-on experience also includes set-up and troubleshooting through-hole, and SMT processes throughout the world.

Indium Corporation is a premier materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, thermal management, and solar markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil^®. Founded in 1934, Indium has global technical support and factories located in China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.