ITW EAE is releasing a proprietary syringe cooling option that increases the “pot-life” of underfill materials by maintaining the syringe at controlled temperature within the heated machine environment. This new and innovative solution provides reduced material waste, reduces downtime and increased process stability. It is available as an option for the Prodigy dispensing system and works with all Camalot pumps.
Underfill applications typically require that the PCB/substrate be heated to a specified (topside) temperature prior to dispensing. Boards are heated by chucks that can be set to 150°C and will raise the internal machine temperature, in some cases to >50°C when multiple chucks are used. Underfill
materials have a pot life to which they remain usable at an ambient temperature of 25°C. Increasing
ambient temperature reduces the pot-life. As an example, a material with a 48-hour “pot-life” can
reduce to 8 hours if the machine environment is at 40°C.
Camalot’s integrated closed-loop syringe cooling option controls the temperature of the underfill
material in the syringe to maintain pot-life. The cooling unit can accommodate 10cc to 55cc syringes and
includes a low-level sensor that alerts the operator through software when the syringe is empty. The
temperature of the cooler unit is set and monitored within the machines Benchmark operating system.
The temperature setpoints are stored with the process program and allows different temperatures to be
loaded if more than one type of material is used. As with all program parameters, the temperature data
is logged and can be transferred via OpenApps to factory MES systems.
“This new syringe cooling system is proven to deliver an improved process, increased productivity, and
reduced cost of ownership,” said Hugh Read, ITW EAE Dispenser Group Business Manager. “Depending
on the material properties and internal machine temperature, underfill material will last 3-5 times
longer when using the syringe cooling system.”
Camalot is a brand of ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tools Works, Inc. They are a leading manufacturer of
automated dispensing equipment for the printed circuit board, semiconductor, hybrid, automotive, industrial, and medical industries. ITW EAE brings together world-leading brands of electronics assembly
equipment including MPM, Camalot, Electrovert, Vitronics Soltec, and Despatch. For more information
visit www.itweae.com.