To err is human; to blame the other vendor is… policy.
Nearly every process engineer has found themselves in this quandary: something goes awry with the process, and the supplier finger-pointing begins immediately. With machines, chemistry, components and PCBs all factoring into the mix, it often appears that a supplier’s first line of response is to deflect responsibility rather than help seek the root cause. Chemistry providers don’t have the luxury of suggesting a few mechanical measurements or a quick check under the hood to rule out our products as the source of problems, so we are accustomed to rolling up our sleeves and helping solve them.
We occasionally field calls on solder mask crazing, delaminating or peeling after wave solder. Solder mask problems are not uncommon at all, and we’ve certainly seen our share over the years. Nearly all solder mask...