Category: Latest News

21 Sep 2022
nepcon asia

Pillarhouse International at Nepcon Asia 2022

Pillarhouse International at Nepcon Asia 2022

nepcon asia

Pillarhouse International will return to Nepcon Asia 2022, via Pillarhouse China, for the 2022 Exhibition, at Stand 15B045 of the Shenzhen Convention Centre, from the 30th of November to the 2nd of December 2022.

For over 40 years, Pillarhouse International has been designing and manufacturing specialist selective soldering equipment for the electronics, aerospace and PCB contract manufacturing industries, offering an extensive range of selective soldering solutions from low cost, flexible, standalone bench top entry level systems through to advanced, high speed integrated in-line production cells.

Pillarhouse China was established in 2005 to provide customers in China and Taiwan world-leading selective soldering solutions, and to ensure Pillarhouse International’s dedication to developing a truly global identity.

After a two-year hiatus from Nepcon Asia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pillarhouse China are delighted to be back exhibiting several of our selective soldering platforms across our handload and in-line configurations, as well as our desktop and offline systems, demonstrating Pillarhouse International’s wide variety of selective soldering options.

Our handload models will include our economical, compact Pilot machine, and our entry-level, single point Jade MKII machine, while our in-line models will include our flexible, modular Synchrodex machine, and our high-speed, multi-platform Fusion machine.

Darren Harvey, Pillarhouse China General Manager, stated, “Nepcon Asia is a key trade show in the Pillarhouse China calendar and allows us to connect with our branch’s market in ways unlike any other – which is why we are so pleased to be back this year following the enforced break due to COVID-19.”

Harvey continued by saying, “Pillarhouse China has expanded in both business and personnel since the last show, and we have full confidence in the South China market. That’s why we have secured our largest Nepcon Asia stand ever and are looking forward to showcasing the best selective soldering solutions to our customers at Nepcon Asia 2022.”

Eastern Region Sales Manager, Allan Jiang, South China & Taiwan Sales Manager, Penny Zhang, and South China Sales Associate, Derek Chen, will be present at Stand 15B045 of the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Centre for Nepcon Asia 2022 from the 30th of November to the 2nd of December 2022, to discuss all your selective soldering needs.

Pillarhouse will be at Stand 15B045 of the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Centre.

For more information about Nepcon Asia 2022, please visit: NEPCON ASIA 2022-Electronics Exhibition | SMT Show | Surface Mount Technology Expo | Automation Show

To view this event in Pillarhouse International’s calendar, please visit: Events – Pillarhouse International

05 Sep 2022
cluff and associates

Pillarhouse USA Announces Appointment of Cluff & Associates

Pillarhouse USA Announces Appointment of Cluff & Associates in Colorado and Utah; Rocky Mountain Regions

Pillarhouse International is delighted to announce the appointment of Cluff & Associates to lead sales efforts in the Rocky Mountain regions of Colorado and Utah.

Adrian De’Ath, Vice President of Pillarhouse USA stated, “Undoubtedly, we are very excited to announce the Cluff team have joined the Pillarhouse sales representative group with an extensive background in the electronics manufacturing industry. We are confident that Cluff will be able to provide our existing customers with excellent support, all the while continuing to seek out Pillarhouse platform opportunities in their respective regions.”

Cluff & Associates was established in 1979, with a philosophy based on an in-depth knowledge on the uniqueness of their territories, and the strength of their representation skills. Sharon Cluff, CEO, stated, “We are thrilled and look forward to offering Pillarhouse to all of our existing customers and seek out any new opportunities for the array of PCB assembly solutions in our regions. Given the current labour situations and constraints, we realise the value proposition that Pillarhouse brings with their selective soldering equipment solutions.”

It was a mutual consideration for high-level customer service which brought Cluff & Associates together with Pillarhouse, according to Theresa Leetham, Managing Partner. She explains, “Our focus has been, and will remain, to be the best customer service experience. We will also continue to focus our product line offerings with tried-and-true solutions that bring value to our customers’ operations. These goals are perfectly compatible with Pillarhouse’s approach to sales and customer relationships, as well as their excellent array of selective soldering products.”

Beyond the shared values for attentive and effective client relations, Sharon Cluff, CEO, believes the mutual benefits of the agreement between Cluff & Associates and Pillarhouse are immediate and undeniable. Sharon continues by saying, “With Pillarhouse’s first-class selective soldering product portfolio, covering handload, in-line, and coil-winding options, combined with our intricate knowledge and understanding of our clientele and wider region’s needs, we see no outcome to this partnership other than shared success. We are ready to engage with our territory, this time with added Pillarhouse firepower.”

 

For more information about Cluff & Associates, please visit Cluff & Associates, Inc. (cluffinc.com)

To view Cluff & Associates within Pillarhouse International’s world agents listing, please visit: World Agents – Pillarhouse International

25 Aug 2022
smta guadalajara 2022

Pillarhouse International at SMTA Guadalajara 2022

Pillarhouse International at SMTA Guadalajara

smta guadalajara

Pillarhouse International will once again be exhibiting at the SMTA Guadalajara Exhibition, via Pillarhouse USA and Pillarhouse Mexico, at Booth 308 of the Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico from the 21st to the 22nd of September 2022.

For over 40 years, Pillarhouse International has been designing and manufacturing specialist selective soldering equipment for the electronics, aerospace and PCB contract manufacturing industries, offering an extensive range of selective soldering solutions from low cost, flexible, standalone bench top entry level systems through to advanced, high speed integrated in-line production cells.

SMTA’s local expos allow exhibitors to align their company with the same values of providing high-level technical expertise that SMTA represents. Providing this platform to bring professionals within the electronics and manufacturing industries together gives attendees exposure to global technology at a local level. In addition, the local expos allow an opportunity to educate regional engineers who may not be able to attend SMTA International.

Pillarhouse USA Vice President, Adrian De’Ath, said ahead of the show, “SMTA events are a key part of Pillarhouse USA’s visibility in North and Central America, so we are happy to continue that with this year’s show in Guadalajara. Mexico is a growing manufacturing market, and we are excited to be part of it.”

Pillarhouse Mexico Sales & Service Manager, Tomas Guitron, stated, “It is evident that companies around the world are seeing how much Mexico can contribute to their market share, their workforce, and their manufacturing capacity. That is why it is important for Pillarhouse to consolidate our presence here by remaining visible to customers and observing the space in which we operate. SMTA Guadalajara is a fantastic way for us to do this.”

Pillarhouse will be exhibiting at Booth 308 at SMTA Guadalajara 2022.

For more information about SMTA Guadalajara 2022, please visit: SMTA

To view this event in Pillarhouse International’s calendar, please visit: Events – Pillarhouse International

18 Aug 2022
coiltech

Pillarhouse International at Coiltech 2022

Pillarhouse International at Coiltech 2022

coiltech

Pillarhouse International will be represented at Coiltech 2022, via our agent Grassi Trade, at Pordenone Fiere Hall, Pordenone, Italy from the 28th to the 29th of September 2022.

For over 30 years, Pillarhouse International has been designing and manufacturing specialist selective soldering equipment for the electronics, aerospace and PCB contract manufacturing industries, offering an extensive range of selective soldering solutions from low cost, flexible, standalone bench top entry level systems through to advanced, high speed integrated in-line production cells.

Grassi Trade was established after their founders’ many years of experience in the field of enamelled copper wire distribution. Functioning as an official Pillarhouse International agent, Grassi Trade deal exclusively with customers looking for coil winding systems. By providing Pillarhouse International’s Quadron coil winding machine, and supplying our soldering machine spare parts such as nozzles, ceramics, and magnetic tensioners, Grassi Trade offers the complete Pillarhouse range for customers within coil winding and associated industries.

Coiltech is the fastest growing international coil winding exhibition, focused on materials, machinery and equipment for production and maintenance of electric motors, generators, and alternators as well as power distribution, industrial transformers, and coils in general. Since the show’s launch in 2010,  the exhibition has rapidly developed into an internationally renowned event within the coil winding industry.

Pillarhouse will be represented by Grassi Trade at Pordenone Fiere Hall, Pordenone, Italy from the 28th to the 29th of September 2022.

For more information about Coiltech 2022, please visit: Coiltech – Pordenone Fiere (fierapordenone.it)

To view this event in Pillarhouse International’s calendar, please visit: Events – Pillarhouse International

18 Aug 2022
productronica india

Pillarhouse International at Productronica India 2022

Pillarhouse International at Productronica India 2022

productronica india

Pillarhouse International will once again be exhibiting at the Productronica India 2022 Exhibition, via our agent Accurex Solutions, at stand number PE21 of the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, India from the 21st to the 23rd of September 2022.

For over 30 years, Pillarhouse International has been designing and manufacturing specialist selective soldering equipment for the electronics, aerospace and PCB contract manufacturing industries, offering an extensive range of selective soldering solutions from low cost, flexible, standalone bench top entry level systems through to advanced, high speed integrated in-line production cells.

Accurex Solutions was founded in 1987, committed to providing exceptional after sales service and transparency of operation, aiming to be the most reliable partner in your progress. With six branches spanning India’s electronic industrial hubs, Accurex is always close to their customers, ready to provide capital equipment for projects across PCB assemblies and semiconductors.

Productronica India is the most popular trade fair and exhibition for the Indian market of semiconductors and display manufacturing. The show features first-class forums and events which highlight the latest market trends and technologies, sharing knowledge to meet the needs of the growing Indian electronics industry.

Pillarhouse will be at Stand PE21 of the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, India from the 21st to the 23rd of September 2022.

For more information about Productronica India, please visit: www.productronica-india.com

To view this event in Pillarhouse International’s calendar, please visit: Events – Pillarhouse International

12 Aug 2022
grif tools

Pillarhouse International at Grif Tools 2022

Pillarhouse International at Grif Tools 2022

grif tools

Pillarhouse International will be represented at the Grif Tools 2022 Event, via our agent ELAS, who will be presenting a short seminar on ‘Selective Soldering Challenges’ at 11:30AM local time on site at Grif Tools Kft., 99 Vecseyvolgy Street, H-3300 Eger, Hungary, each day from the 20th to the 22nd of September 2022.

For over 30 years, Pillarhouse International has been designing and manufacturing specialist selective soldering equipment for the electronics, aerospace and PCB contract manufacturing industries, offering an extensive range of selective soldering solutions from low cost, flexible, standalone bench top entry level systems through to advanced, high speed integrated in-line production cells.

At Grif Tools 2022, ELAS will also be exhibiting Pillarhouse’s Jade MKII – our most successful machine selling over 1,200 units globally to date. The Jade MKII is a single point selective soldering system designed to meet the needs of the small/medium batch manufacturer who requires high levels of production flexibility, offering uncompromised selective soldering quality at a very low cost.

ELAS has been providing full sales, service and spare parts support for manufacturing equipment to the electronics industries and beyond since 1999. Their philosophy from the beginning has been to provide customers not only with knowledge and support, but with high-tech equipment. ELAS are proud to now have over 600 units of their technology in operation worldwide. With more than 30 dedicated professionals, ELAS is ready to support existing installations and welcomes all professional challenges for new projects.

Grif Tools offers exhibitors and customers a continental view of Europe’s electronics market. By showcasing engineering solutions, this helps attendees realise their highest expectations for affordable costs. With over 10 years’ experience, 10,000 manufactured tools and 150 happy customers, Grif Tools believes in zero compromise of quality solutions, assisting the market by promoting only the most credible outfits.

Pillarhouse will be represented by ELAS at 11:30AM local time at Grif Tools Kft., 99 Vecseyvolgy Street, H-3300 Eger, Hungary, each day from the 20th to the 22nd of September 2022.

For more information about Grif Tools 2022, please visit: GrifTools

To view this event in Pillarhouse International’s calendar, please visit: Events – Pillarhouse International

05 Aug 2022
nepcon vietnam 2022

Pillarhouse International at Nepcon Vietnam 2022

Pillarhouse International at Nepcon Vietnam 2022

nepcon vietnam

Pillarhouse International will once again be exhibiting at the Nepcon Vietnam 2022 Exhibition, via our agent Transtechnology, at stand number J15 of the Hanoi International Exhibition Center, Hanoi, Vietnam from the 14th to the 16th of September 2022.

For over 30 years, Pillarhouse International has been designing and manufacturing specialist selective soldering equipment for the electronics, aerospace and PCB contract manufacturing industries, offering an extensive range of selective soldering solutions from low cost, flexible, standalone bench top entry level systems through to advanced, high speed integrated in-line production cells.

Transtechnology was founded in 1988, serving businesses now for over 30 years. With a wealth of experience and knowledge, expertise has been passed down from one generation to the next. Starting out in Singapore, Transtechnology’s expansion throughout the Southeast Asian regions has brought their influence across national boundaries. At the heart of Transtechnology is to provide SMT solutions within a comprehensive range of technologies to improve productivity across a wide variety of businesses. To be a supporting partner in recommending and implementing cost-effective measures in assembly line driven industries, and to maximise revenue, is the goal.

Nepcon Vietnam is the most influential and only electronics trade show in Vietnam – the basis for the introduction of the latest technologies to global innovators. Nepcon Vietnam 2022 focuses on the concept of ‘Electronics 4.0 Insider’. The exhibition will bring together 300 brands and companies to showcase SMT, testing technologies, equipment and supporting industries within intelligent manufacturing.

Pillarhouse will be at Stand J15 of the Hanoi International Exhibition Center, Hanoi, Vietnam from the 14th to the 16th of September 2022.

For more information about Nepcon Vietnam 2022, please visit:  NEPCON Vietnam | Event for Electronics Manufacturing

To view this event in Pillarhouse International’s calendar, please visit: Events – Pillarhouse International

29 Jul 2022
Micro Nozzle

The Micro Nozzle – How It Works and Its Advantages/Disadvantages – Technical Article

The Micro Nozzle – How It Works and Its Advantages/Disadvantages

What is the Micro Nozzle?

Pillarhouse’s patented 1.5mm Micro Nozzle is the result of over 20 years of research into how we could conquer the unique challenges of particularly small nozzle requirements in selective soldering. The first challenge was overcoming the fact that a small nozzle has little thermal energy. This is akin to touching a small soldering iron to an anvil when a PCB has high thermal mass.

Why Was the Micro Nozzle Necessary?

The method used prior to our patented Micro Nozzle to overcome particularly small nozzle requirements was to use a smaller standard nozzle design, and then superheat the solder with an extremely high tip flow rate. One of the issues with this approach is that the temperature has a much smaller effect on the resulting heat transfer than flow rate. It also creates a situation where the process is susceptible to copper dissolution because of elevated solder temperature and dwell times. Additionally, competitive solutions require an exaggerated flow rate at the tip to keep the solder from solidifying, so the advertised nozzle size is misrepresented, and the true contact area is much larger than the nozzle diameter would predict. Our solution is to provide a multi-section nozzle that enacts a solder flow rate internally equal to a nozzle 2.6 times as large with a resulting tip flow equal to a standard design nozzle. This means the heat of the solder is refreshing the energy in the tip at a high rate, but the PCB is not exposed to the unsteady and vigorous flow.

 

The next patent involves the wettability of the nozzle itself and the ability to solder without bridging. Typically, the smaller the nozzle, the more quickly it will de-wet. This is a function of exposure time of the solder to O2 but mainly due to the small nozzle having less wetted area than the PCB wetted area (pads and leads). The rule of thumb is the greatest wetted area wins when trying to avoid bridging. The patent provides a design including external features on the tip itself that multiplies the surface area, much like corrugated cardboard has a greater surface area than flat paper. The result is a particularly small nozzle that has a strong ability to de-bridge fine and ultra-fine pitch components with enough thermal energy to solder multi-layer PCBs without extended dwell times, exaggerated contact flow or extremely high solder temperatures.

Heat/Thermal Energy

What are the advantages and disadvantages of heated nitrogen?

Heated nitrogen raises the environment temperature around the solder nozzle requiring less energy to maintain temperature. As selective soldering nozzles do not have infinite thermal mass, this is important in reducing solder dwell times. Additionally, the heated nitrogen has an added benefit of locally heating a circuit board during the process which reduces the dwell times.

What are the advantages of heating nitrogen with a separate heat source?

Heating the nitrogen has diminishing returns once it exceeds the nozzle tip temperature. If the nitrogen provides energy to change the nozzle tip temperature it is competing with the control on the heat source for the solder. The solder heat source has no ability to reduce temperature. Heated nitrogen can become another process variable that needs process control. Additionally, if you ‘superheat’ the nitrogen you must be concerned about extended dwell times because it could potentially reflow SMT devices surrounding the target soldering area.

What are the main causes of copper dissolution solder temperature/dip time solder choice?

Alloy choice is particularly important in the copper dissolution scenario because lead free alloys have a propensity to aggressively leach copper from the PCB. The downside of using an alloy that causes less copper dissolution is that it usually wets slower, making the process more difficult. For instance, SAC305 causes higher rates of copper dissolution than SN100C but they are inverse in the dwell times required to solder, meaning extended dwell times and higher pot temperatures for the SN100C. The flow rate of the nozzle itself and the solder temperature/dwell time at contact also have a significant impact on copper dissolution.

 

Pump Control

There are different pump styles currently on the market, including:

  • Mixed flow flat blade impellor mechanical
  • Mixed flow impellor mechanical
  • Magnetic pump

Pillarhouse uses mixed flow flat blade impellor mechanical, and magnetic pumps. Mechanical pumps provide higher resolution and better pump deceleration control for de-bridging fine pitch and PCBs with poor lead length. Mechanical pumps are rebuildable and have only nominally more dross per shift than magnetic pumps. Magnetic pumps have good solder acceleration and recovery which is better for cycle time. There are no moving parts, the design is simple and has nominally less dross production than mechanical pumps.

The method of wave height control Pillarhouse employs is a contact pin which identifies the solder contact at a very high resolution by the shorting of a low voltage dc current. Pillarhouse have also used lasers that measure wave height, as part of previous projects.

 

Why Do Pillarhouse Use Thermal Calibration and What Is Its Advantage Over the Mechanical Method?

Thermal calibration is the single best process control in the Pillarhouse arsenal. The test confirms that not only is the XYZ working properly (contact out of place or wrong size otherwise), but it also shows that the nozzle is evenly wetted and the pump, solder level and wave height are in control. By using thermal calibration, a customer can take a programme off another Pillarhouse system, recalibrate, and know the system will work the same as the other machine without wasting product. Our belief is anyone can make a product work in a lab – the true test is when they have established a process and try the same product after six months with different nozzles and a new solder; can the system reproduce the same results? Without tests, we feel this is not possible.

 

To see Pillarhouse’s Micro Nozzle in action, please visit our official YouTube channel and watch here: Pillarhouse’s 1.5mm Micro Nozzle – YouTube

 

For more information about Pillarhouse’s soldering technologies, please visit: Soldering Technologies (pillarhouse.co.uk)

05 Jul 2022
pillarhouse mexico

Pillarhouse International Expanding Mexico Sales & Service Support Capabilities

Pillarhouse International Expanding Mexico Sales & Service Support Capabilities

pillarhouse mexico

Pillarhouse International is pleased to confirm an expansion of our sales and technical support capabilities in Mexico, with a continued dedication to improving our availability to customers across North and Central America by working in conjunction with Pillarhouse USA.

This increased commitment means that Pillarhouse Mexico now have three service engineers available on-site, online and by telephone during regular 8AM-5PM CDT working hours. Two of these service engineers are based in Guadalajara for customers in central and western Mexico, with a third service engineer based in Monterrey for customers in northern and eastern Mexico.

As well as increased service personnel, Pillarhouse International has three spare parts locations for customers across North and Central America, with one site in each of Guadalajara and Monterrey respectively, along with our main Pillarhouse USA facility in Chicago, USA.

Regarding our Mexican sales force, Pillarhouse International has a well-trained group of commercial representatives spread throughout the Mexican territory, helping potential customers get the best proposal for their selective soldering needs in terms of equipment selection and configuration, as well as process development.

Tomas Guitron, Pillarhouse Mexico Sales & Service Manager, spoke on this further by saying, “Pillarhouse Mexico has an extremely capable sales and technical support team ready to assist our customers across the country. In times where some big companies are finally realising the potential of the Mexican market, it is important that Pillarhouse International adapts to reflect their needs.”

Guitron continued explaining Pillarhouse Mexico’s evolution by saying, “We are demonstrating that adaptation by increasing our sales and service team here and developing new remote support tools to offer our customers various quick problem-solving options, using the latest technology available in video conferences software, safe information sharing and instant messaging applications.”

For more information on Pillarhouse International’s sales and technical support capabilities in Mexico and beyond, please visit After Sales – Pillarhouse International

30 Jun 2022
pro-active

Pillarhouse Improves Pro-Active Engineering’s Production with Multi-Platform Selective Soldering

Pillarhouse Improves Pro-Active Engineering’s Production with Multi-Platform Selective Soldering

pro-active   

Pro-Active Engineering, a well-known leader in the PCB industry for over 26 years who guide customers through the complexities of design engineering, has chosen Pillarhouse International as their selective soldering process equipment provider and purchased an Orissa Fusion as part of their efforts to increase U.S. market share.

Offering many services, Pro-Active allows their customers to consolidate their manufacturing and engineering needs under a single roof, removing the headaches of managing multiple vendors and complex supply chains. Pro-Active’s approach of prioritising customer service ensures it has attentive and knowledgeable project managers committed to customer success.

Pro-Active has a principle of helping customers design, develop and bring their products to market fast. This high-level manufacturing criteria is precisely why Pro-Active chose Pillarhouse – for the innovative equipment and process expertise. In keeping with Pro-Active’s standards, they chose the Fusion for its high-speed PCB transfer, offering the ultimate in flexibility, to benefit the expansion of their production capabilities.

Process issues and comparative product quality of their previous wave and hand soldering operations prompted Pro-Active to review their relationship with selective soldering. The process features of Pillarhouse’s Fusion machine captivated Pro-Active and made their decision to invest simple. “Before we installed Pillarhouse’s platform, we were using a combination of traditional wave and hand solder techniques, plus a different model and style of selective solder machine,” said Paul Schwanbeck, Vice President, Pro-Active Engineering. “We needed a more cost-effective way of working and the Fusion platform presents us that opportunity and more.”

Schwanbeck continued, “Pillarhouse’s Fusion system was the standout machine in our search for a new selective soldering solution. We wanted to continue the increase in throughput of our selective solder process, while maintaining high quality and high control. With its reliable design for conveyor process, ability to keep the PCB assembly stationary, and the environmental control the multiple pre-heat provides, the Fusion facilitates our objectives superbly.”

After conducting extensive market research, Pro-Active felt the Fusion was the most technologically capable selective soldering system to meet their needs. “We reviewed other manufacturers and machines ahead of making a final decision,” adds Schwanbeck. “Once we saw the Fusion and its impressive features, we liked the fit much better than any other platform. Another key factor was Pillarhouse’s intricate level of support – their fast response to operational issues and their ability to log into the machine for troubleshooting are big positives about their machine and their customer service.”

This investment in Pillarhouse’s selective soldering technology sees Pro-Active eagerly anticipate the desired improvement in efficiency compared to their previous wave and hand soldering methods. “Pro-Active Engineering is extremely satisfied with its decision to purchase Pillarhouse’s Fusion machine,” concludes Schwanbeck. “Their process knowledge is valuable, and we are looking forward to applying the Pillarhouse machine on our new projects.”

Pillarhouse International and Pro-Active Engineering have developed a successful, well-grounded partnership.

For more information about Pro-Active Engineering, please visit Home – Pro-Active Engineering (proactivepcb.com)