Nano Dimension’s DragonFly Pro systems have successfully shortened and simplified the assembly process for ball grid arrays (BGAs) and other surface mount technology (SMT) components used for integrated circuits, from days to one hour. In a recent qualification study, Nano Dimension’s Application Engineering team demonstrated the role of its DragonFly Pro, a precision additive manufacturing system, in enabling a shorter and simplified end-to-end process for mounting BGAs and other surface mounted electrical components onto printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Typically, the process from initial design through printing, soldering, manufacturing, assembly and reflow takes weeks to complete. With a special layout structure that can only be achieved through additive manufacturing of PCBs, there is no need for special tooling for assembly. This enables in-house manual assembly of BGAs and SMT components during the design and application development phase.
The in-house approach enabled by the DragonFly Pro is said to eliminate all the stages of ordering and delivering assembled PCBs from external suppliers and enables companies to do a lot more tests and feasibility studies that would not be possible without in-house additive manufacturing of electronics. Under existing practices, making needed design changes is tedious, as it involves back-and-forth communication between different suppliers, often leading to delays, creating difficulties in predicting development times, and putting the BGAs at a higher risk for errors. The DragonFly Pro 3D-printed socket structure also promises to improve mounting accuracy of the BGA component since there is less risk that the mounting position will shift. For higher flights of knowledge, take a ride on DragonFly Pro and also visit Nano Dimension Ltd.