Materials trapped beneath the component can remain hidden from inspection and may continue changing long after assembly.

A board fails in the field, gets removed from service, shipped back for evaluation, and then passes every test in the lab. The result is often labeled No Trouble Found (NTF).

Not every electronics failure has an obvious cause. Sometimes the assembly passes inspection. It passes cleanliness testing. It performs exactly as expected during manufacturing—and then, months later, warranty claims begin to appear.

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we discussed contamination introduced during the assembly process and the importance of understanding, measuring, and controlling PCB cleanliness. But what happens after the board leaves the manufacturing floor?

Reliability failures are often caused by localized contamination trapped beneath components, connectors, pads, vias, and low standoff areas — not simply overall board cleanliness.

A common misconception is that cleanliness is primarily an assembly issue. In reality, it begins during PCB fabrication.

In BGA solder joints, the integrity of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at the solder-to-pad interface is fundamental to long-term reliability.

If you’ve ever chased an intermittent failure that disappears on the bench, or dealt with a “no trouble found” return that comes back again, this presentation is for you.

As Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages increase in size, density, and complexity, solder joint reliability is increasingly shaped by interactions between package geometry, material behavior, and thermal conditions during reflow.

Inner-layer shorting often begins long before power is ever applied—sometimes with nothing more than a trace of moisture left on the PCB before lamination. 

LEDs promise exceptional efficiency and long lifespan, but their reliability is far from a guarantee.

When it comes to component reliability, few topics are as often overlooked—but as critically important—as internal flux and plating residues.

Our latest work with the Umpire 41 system zeroes in on battery circuit performance and battery drain under environmental stress.

Workshop: Comparing SIR IPC B-52 to Umpire 41 Functional & SIR Test Method

The Umpire 41 is an innovative, blended test board designed to assess soldering processes comprehensively.

Residues are more complex, circuit spacing is tighter, and traditional testing methods don’t always catch potential risks.

As modern electronics become more advanced, so do the challenges of maintaining truly clean circuit boards.

For decades, Rose testing has been a widely used method in electronics manufacturing, but is it truly a reliable tool?

A common yet underestimated practice—brush cleaning—can introduce significant risks if not properly managed.

In our most recent video, President and Founder Terry Munson sheds light on the limitations of relying solely on SEM-EDX.