Martin Anselm, Ph.D., Manager, Universal Instruments’ APL AREA Consortium, will examine the accelerated integration of new materials and components, and the challenges this poses for reliability testing

April 25, 2014 – Universal Instruments’ Advanced Process Lab (APL) continues its active contributions and collaboration with the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) when Martin Anselm, Ph.D. presents the keynote address at the International Conference on Soldering & Reliability (ICSR), held May 13 –15 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Anselm – recently elected to the SMTA Board of Directors – will present “A View of the Electronics Industry Process, Reliability, and Materials Research Landscape”.

According to Anselm, “In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, OEMS and CEMs are required to quickly adapt to new market trends and technologies in order to maintain a favorable business model.” Anselm continued, “However, the drive to meet these expectations will very often lead to a less-than-thorough understanding of new components, materials, and processes, as well as the inability to implement credible reliability testing procedures.”

Anselm elaborated on reliability testing and validation, “The term “reliability” is frequently misused, since many tests are evaluations based upon internal, customer-driven, or industry-accepted standards which do not always provide pass/fail criterion. As a result, these tests are very often merely best guesses for the reliability of products in the field.”

From Anselm’s perspective, fundamentally sound research to understand the mechanics of failures, reliability, and material properties falls on academia and consortia. He will discuss the current mainstream North American research landscape, reviewing some of the research groups in the industry and how each fits into the electronics market. Specific research topics will be used as examples to illustrate value for each program.

To find out how Universal’s Advanced Process Laboratory can help your organization, contact APL Director David Vicari at 607-779-5151 or vicari@uic.com. To learn more about the APL’s AREA Consortium, including how to become a member, please contact AREA Consortium Manager Martin Anselm at 607-779-5077 or anselm@uic.com.