NCAB Group | Seminar no.

13

Reliability,
IPC & NCAB

NCAB GROUP © | Reliability, IPC & NCAB

RELIABILITY, IPC & NCAB
Content

1. What is reliability?

2. What is IPC?

3. NCAB & IPC

4. IPC Class 3 – wants vs. needs

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1. What is reliability?
RELIABILITY
Bad reliability can be caused when:

•  Those within the supply chain have low

knowledge / interest of the product
•  Decision are made within manufacturing without
being based upon fact
•  There is bad process control – leads to very clear
errors or “almost errors” (difficult to detect!)
•  Specifications are unclear
•  Focus on price instead of cost

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RELIABILITY
An example of how bad
reliability can cost
208 pieces of a 10 layer board
•  Sourced: Directly within Europe
•  Criteria: Shortest lead time
•  Price: Unknown.

Result = Suspected black pad

RELIABILITY
Good reliability more likely to
be achieved when:

•  There is good process control within the process.

•  Those involved in the supply chain know the product
demands and the necessary conditions for manufacture.
•  There is a correct and clear specification.
•  The producer is transparent about the level of delivery,
design factors and construction process.

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RELIABILITY
Good reliability is secured by

•  Selecting a ‘serious’ and well-known producer.

•  Making decisions based upon fact.
•  Specifications relate to the demand of the end product –
know what does and does not affect the functionality of
the product.
•  Refer to a well-known and updated standard, whilst
ensuring it is understood and followed.
•  Learning and understanding the demands.

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2. What is IPC?
IPC
The organization

•  Founded in 1957, IPC is basically a non commercial, member-

driven, standard organization.
•  Originally the meaning of IPC was “the Institute of Printed Circuits”
but IPC is now referenced by “Association Connecting Electronic
Industries” and covers most fields in electronics.
•  It is an organization with thousands of members.

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IPC / STANDARDS
Why standards?
When ordering an apple, you expect an apple and not a banana!

For whom?
F everyone who wishes to receive what is
For
expected (no surprises!) they should know what is
e
defined as expected.
d

Example:
We all have probably bought something,
which not lived up to our expectations!
wh
The consequences can be extremely costly
as well as ‘painful’!

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IPC / STANDARDS
What is the first principle of “zero defects”?

Conformance to requirements
”Every product has a requirement, a specification, a
description of what is expected. When this is met, it
has achieved quality. Assuming that the requirement
actually describes what the customer really expects
or needs.”
defined by P. Crosby
IPC / STANDARDS
Standards

•  Help to secure that we / the customer gets what is expected

through defining exactly what is acceptable – there of minimizing
risks.
•  Make the conversation between customer & suppliers through a
common understanding.
•  Are capable of securing different quality or reliability levels.
•  Enables a correct and compatible cost level.

It goes for everything – from the size of a breakfast egg

to the strength of a wing on an aircraft!

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3. IPC & NCAB
IPC & NCAB
Why IPC?

NCAB has chosen IPC as the base standards for PCB’s since 2004.
As mentioned earlier, IPC is a “living” organization and is updating
and releasing new standards on a frequent basis.
This is even more important now, with the fast development of the
electronics industry.

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IPC & NCAB
IPC Standards are specified
into three classes:

Class 1: General Electronic Products

•  Consumer products, some computer and computer
peripherals
•  Cosmetic imperfection are not important
oard.
•  Major requirement is function of the completed printed board.

1
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IPC & NCAB
IPC Standards are specified
into three classes:

Class 2: Dedicated Service Electronic Products

•  Communication equipment, sophisticated business machines,
and instruments
•  High performance and extended life is required, and for which
uninterrupted services is desired, but is not critical.

2
•  Certain cosmetic imperfections are allowed.

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IPC & NCAB
IPC Standards are specified
into three classes:

Class 3: High Reliability Electronic Products

•  Continue performance is critical
•  Life support
•  Equipment downtime cannot be tolerated
•  Often used for: Medical, military, aerospace, automotive

3
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IPC & NCAB / QUESTION & ANSWER
Do you need to specify a higher classification
of IPC with advanced constructions or designs
(i.e. class 3)?

No, IPC:s different classes have nothing to do with how advanced

the boards are, but rather with the reliability demands that are
placed upon the end product.
A higher IPC classification does not necessary relate to advanced
boards or designs, but it should always relate to, or be considered
for boards or designs, that have advanced purposes!

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IPC & NCAB
Consider the two PCB´s below

2 Layer 8 Layer HDI

PCB Flex rigid PCB
Standard FR4 material (IPC High performance FR4 (IPC
4101/ 21) 4101/126)
Tin lead finish. ENIG finish with hard gold ‘hot
pluggable contacts.

Purpose: Control board for Purpose: Camcoder.

coolant system in Nuclear
power station

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IPC & NCAB
The standards and demands can be
divided into three parts:

1 Design and Capability

driven

2 Process-control
driven

3 Verification
driven

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1
IPC & NCAB
Design and capacity driven

•  Annular rings
•  Conductor imperfections

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IPC & NCAB
Annular rings Measurement of External Annular Ring

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
IPC & NCAB
Conductor imperfections

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
2
IPC & NCAB
Process-control driven

•  Drilling and plating quality

•  Surface finish thicknesses

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IPC & NCAB / PROCESS-CONTROL DRIVEN
Surface finish thickness

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
IPC & NCAB / PROCESS-CONTROL DRIVEN
Drilling and plating quality

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
3
IPC & NCAB
Verification driven

•  To make sure or to demonstrate that the demands

have been fulfilled.

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IPC & NCAB / VERIFICATION DRIVEN
IPC 6012 (Rigid), IPC 6013 (Flexible),
IPC 6016 (HDI)
Table 4.2 Sampling Plan
Table 4.3 Acceptance Testing and Frequency
Table 4.3 Part “Structural Integrity Verification (Microsection)”,
describes the verification level and amount of microsectioning
needed.

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IPC & NCAB / VERIFICATION DRIVEN
Sampling Plan

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
IPC & NCAB / VERIFICATION DRIVEN
Acceptance Testing & Frequency

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
IPC & NCAB / VERIFICATION DRIVEN
Acceptance Testing & Frequency

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
IPC & NCAB / VERIFICATION DRIVEN
Structual Integrity Verification (Microsection)

Copyright by IPC
Pictures by permission of IPC
IPC & NCAB
Verification – Inspection / Microsections

An example:
When a production volume of 91-150
production panels of a 4 layer board,
the checking of internal annular rings
for class 3 demands 250 micro-
Sectioning.

Note
This is verification on a product level –
not to be mixed up with process control..

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IPC & NCAB
Does this approach / need make sense?

Yes, but only for extreme purposes or applications.

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IPC & NCAB
Verification vs. Process control

It is very important to understand the difference between verification on

a product level and process control.

Process control is performed to secure the quality on different

processes – such as plating parameters for example.

The verification on a product level is performed to verify that the

process controls have worked well – more frequently with more
demanding end-use conditions.

Good reliability is secured by having a good balance between

verification on a product level and verification of the process. It cannot
be achieved by sorting or screening on a product level.

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The NCAB Group Solution

4. IPC Class 3
– wants vs. needs
IPC CLASS 3 WANTS VS. NEEDS
The NCAB Group Solution

We can consider some base elements of the standards and adopt an

AABUS approach.

AABUS – As Agree Between User and Supplier

This is the NCAB solution to balance the wants vs. needs question.

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IPC CLASS 3 WANTS VS. NEEDS
NCAB offers three different levels of
IPC Class 3 boards
NCAB Level 1
•  Full verification according to IPC-6012 table 4-2, 4-3
•  Meeting end customer demands
•  Limited supply chain options

1
•  Extremely high cost
•  Recommended for product with extreme demands
(nuclear, deep sea, avionics applications)

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IPC CLASS 3 WANTS VS. NEEDS
NCAB offers three different levels of
IPC Class 3 boards
NCAB Level 2
Production and verification according to IPC A 600, IPC 6012, micro-
sectioning according to table 4-2 and 4-3 AQL 4.0. Except for less than
26 m-panels, two micro-sections per production batch applies.
es.
•  Meeting the majority of main end customers demands
(also high reliability)
•  Fairly cost effective
•  Dual sourcing possible / less limitations on supply chain
•  Recommended for product with very high demands
(medicine, industrial) 2
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IPC CLASS 3 WANTS VS. NEEDS
NCAB offers three different levels of
IPC Class 3 boards
NCAB Level 3
Production and verification according to IPC A 600, IPC 6012, two
micro-sections/production batch.
•  Meeting a specific end customers demands
•  Cost effective

3
•  Multi sourcing possible
•  Recommended for most products (industrial, automotive)

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 IPC CLASS 3 WANTS VS. NEEDS
List of Factories Approved for Class 1, 2 and 3
IPC Class 3
Factory Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Procedure implemented since

Fastprint X X July 2010

FastPCB Not implemented

JHK X X X December 2009

Founder X X December 2009

MFS X X December 2009

Lucky Star X February 2010

Suntak X February 2010

Approved only for IPC Class 1 & 2

Jove Not approved for IPC Class 3

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Conclusions
Conclusions

•  Good / qualitative sourcing is essential.

•  Make sure all involved within the supply chain (internal and
external) clearly knows and understands the demands.
•  Be prepared to pay correct price – lowest price does NOT equal
lowest total cost!
•  Ensure that you are using a specification that is understandable
and correct.
•  Refer to well-known standards where applicable
•  Choose a realistic process of verification on a product level
based on the demands on the end product.

Do not over specify. This is as important as not under specifying.

Questions?
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