Introducing KIC 24/7: The First Automated Thermal Process SPC and Traceability System for the Electronics Assembly Industry

(San Diego, CA -- August 26, 2001) : There‘s an information gap every electronics manufacturer faces: reflow ovens are profiled at a specific point in time, but are then left to operate without immediate, verifiable process information. And even in a short period of time, the reflow process can change dramatically, compromising solder joint quality.

Now there‘s a solution -- a real-time thermal management system from KIC that continually monitors reflow and automatically alerts operators whenever the process is out of spec. KIC 24/7 brings a new level of control and management to the reflow process -- complete with automatic SPC charting and traceability for every product.

KIC‘s thermal management system utilizes 30 sensors embedded in the oven at product level to collect and record thermal process data for every board. By eliminating the need for periodic verification profiles, KIC 24/7 increases throughput -- there‘s no downtime for profiling. In addition, continual monitoring and real-time feedback help guarantee product integrity and increase overall quality levels.

KIC 24/7 tracks critical process specs, including peak temperature, soak time and time above liquidus, using the data to calculate the Process Capability (Cpk) for each profile statistic. In addition, a real-time Cpk is then calculated for the entire process using the Process Window Index (PWI) to catch any process "drift" towards the pre-set limits established by the process engineer.

If the limits are exceeded, an alarm is triggered. Real-time Cpk tracking delivers a zero-defect, fail-safe system that identifies potential problems before they happen, and before thousands of boards are manufactured out-of-spec. This predictive capability of KIC 24/7 is increasingly critical as the industry moves to lead-free soldering and tighter process windows.

The addition of a bar code to each board allows for accurate product traceability. Manufacturers can guarantee that every board was processed in-spec, within the PWI, and have the data to prove it. This is an industry first, and is only available with KIC 24/7.

The graphical/intuitive nature of KIC 24/7 makes it easy to operate -- even for workers who have a limited knowledge of the reflow process.

"Tough economic times demand increased productivity, and the key to higher quality, lower cost production lies in the ability to gather and analyze data in real time," stated Bjorn Dahle, President of KIC. "Such data is available for other segments of the SMT line, but this has not been the case for reflow ovens until now. KIC 24/7 fills a huge knowledge gap. With less downtime, less scrap and greater traceability, OEMs and contract manufacturers have a tool that manages reflow and provides a wealth of process information that can be used to improve throughput and quality. These improvements, in turn, reduce production costs and increase profitability."

Based in San Diego, KIC is the industry leader in automated thermal management tools and systems for SMT reflow ovens. The company pioneered the development of oven profilers, and then worked to create the next generation of thermal systems to help manufacturers optimize and monitor oven performance.

In addition to KIC 24/7, products include SlimKIC 2000, which incorporates reflow setup software that elevates profiling to a process optimization routine. Oven zones and mapping of thermocouples on the product are automated, and process acceptability is instantly determined, reducing the number of required profile runs and minimizing production downtime.

KIC Pilot, the winner of SMT Magazine‘s Vision Award, EP&P‘s Excellence Award for Electronics Assembly Equipment and Accessories, and Grand Excellence Award for innovative technology, is an oven-specific reflow setup system that interfaces directly with the oven controller. Available for use with BTU, Heller, Vitronics Soltec and other popular ovens, KIC Pilot features an animation-based user interface that allows a line operator with one hour‘s training to setup the reflow process.

With the introduction of KIC 24/7, the company has set a new standard for oven optimization and real-time thermal management systems.

KIC Thermal Profiling
15950 Bernardo Center Drive #E
San Diego, CA 92127

Company Contact:    Marybeth Allen, North American Sales Manager
                    (858) 673-6050
                    (858) 673-0085 FAX

Editorial Contact:  Nick Lester
                    Vertical Marketing