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RGA and the Cleanliness of Vacuum Components

June 2, 2017 By meiadmin

RGA and the Cleanliness of Vacuum Components

Regardless of the industry, all companies strive to run a safe operation and minimize production downtime. Even the microscopic contamination of manufacturing equipment and parts can negatively affect their performance in their integrated assemblies. Dirty equipment is less reliable and more prone to wear and breakdown.

Outgassing of materials and the generation of particles can have a significant effect on assembly. Material outgassing is of particular concern in applications where vapors can affect performance. Material selection and appropriate cleaning processes are an essential part of managing outgassing.

Understanding Residual Gas Analysis

Residual Gas Analysis is an analytical technique used for identifying gasses in a vacuum environment. During the process, a Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) creates a beam of ions from the sample of gas being analyzed. These ions are separated into individual species based on their charge-to-mass ratios. The three main parts of an RGA are the ionizer, the mass analyzer and the ion detector.

Residual Gas Analyzers Detect and Quantify Contaminants

RGAs are used to monitor the quality of a vacuum and to detect minute traces of impurities in a low-pressure environment. A residual gas analyzer is specially designed to be used in either a laboratory or on the shop floor. They are primarily used for process control and contamination monitoring in vacuum systems. Gas analyzers can distinguish leaks from outgassing, detect helium, fingerprint the process background and determine the effectiveness of gas line purging.

Outgassing is the detachment of volatile molecules which can be absorbed or adsorbed on the surface or in the volume of a material. Outgassing prohibits fast achievement of low pressure valves and outgassing materials can deposit on surfaces, causing them damage.

Vacuum Cleanliness

Vacuum applications are becoming more important due to the large number of technologies that can only be applied in vacuum environments. The purpose of a vacuum is to remove molecules that could interfere with a process or equipment. In order to achieve optimal vacuum performance, vacuum vessels and components must be kept clean. An RGA helps achieve stringent levels of cleanliness while efficiently characterizing and quantifying micro-contaminants.

What “Target Condition” Means in Regards to IPC Workmanship

May 26, 2017 By meiadmin

What “Target Condition” Means in Regards to IPC Workmanship

IPC standards are essential to a company’s improvement. These standards help establish a level of quality and help communicate quality acceptance criteria across the industry. Electronics assemblies are divided into three classes in the following four categories:

Target Condition
Acceptable Condition
Defect Condition
Process Indicator Condition

IPC standards ensure that manufacturers remain accountable and credible to both their suppliers and their customers. IPC standards also provide a common language between designers, assemblers and testers. This helps eliminate confusion, speed up verification and reduce assembly costs.

What is “Target Condition”?

“Target condition” is defined as “close to perfect” and is the most desirable condition. It should be noted that “target condition” is not always achievable and might not be necessary for the reliability of an assembly. However, every assembly should strive for this ideal.

IPC Classes

IPC Classes are used to standardize the acceptability levels of electronics. The IPC definition of Classes is based on product functionality and functional operation criterion. The environmental and reliability requirements of a product determine its appropriate Class selection.

IPC Class 2 and IPC Class 3 are both workmanship standards for building electronics assemblies. These standards define what is considered acceptable when it comes to all things related to electronics circuit board assembly including build criteria for solder joints, heel fillets and component placement tolerance.

Unless otherwise noted on the product documentation, the default build standard is generally Class 2. Class 3 is a much more stringent workmanship standard and is typically reserved for products that require more intense levels of reliability such as those used by the medical and aerospace industries. For a product to be defined as Class 3, it must meet total IPC criteria.

Achieving the Ideal Cost-Performance Ratio

Electronics design, engineering and manufacturing involves a constant balance to achieve the ideal cost-performance ratio while still allowing for differentiation through innovation. IPC standards allow electronics manufacturers to clearly understand and meet their customer’s expectations for both performance and quality.

When you work with Means Engineering, Inc., you can rest assured that our experienced team will meet the IPC standard that your product requires.

Advantages of Orbital Welding for High Purity Applications

May 19, 2017 By meiadmin

Advantages of Orbital Welding for High Purity Applications

Orbital welding is a clean and highly effective way to join two objects together. The process involves moving the head around a stationary object. There are many advantages of orbital welding.

Orbital welding is ideal for a number of special situations including:

When the tube or pipe cannot be rotated or rotation is not practical
When space restrictions limit the size of the device that can be used
In applications with strict requirements for quality, consistency and purity

Clean Welding

It’s important to keep contamination away from metal tubing during the welding process. Impurities can easily destroy an entire process, costing a significant amount of time and money. Orbital welding is extremely clean. It is generally performed in a clean room setting where tubes and fittings can be welded in a high-purity, contamination free environment.

High Quality Welding

An orbital weld performed using the right equipment and settings will always result in a high quality weld. This makes orbital welding the perfect choice for applications with strict requirements such as in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries.

Efficient Welding

Welds are always consistent and clean making the welding process extremely efficient. Computerized welding is even more efficient as the entire process can be scheduled ahead of time and documented. This reduces costs as well as production time.

Consistent Welds

With manual welding there will always be a level of variability and inconsistency between welds. Orbital welding produces consistent welds every time. This is due to the fact that orbital welding equipment can be set to a specific program, allowing the system to repeat the exact same welds time and time again.

Means Engineering, Inc. has the capabilities and equipment necessary to perform high purity welding services for a wide range of industries. Our highly skilled employees offer high quality orbital welding to semi E-49.

5 Little Known Facts About Welding

May 12, 2017 By meiadmin

5 Little Known Facts About Welding

In some form or another, welding has been around for centuries. In fact, welding dates back as far as the Bronze Age. Many people don’t realize the impact that welding has on their everyday lives. Means Engineering, Inc. hopes that you will enjoy the following little known facts about welding.

WELDING IS ALL AROUND US

More than half of all products made in the U.S.A. require some form of welding in their manufacture process. No matter how big or small, anything made out of metal can be used and produced through welding and fabrication. As technology continues to evolve, so does the accuracy, quality and versatility of welding and fabrication. Welding is involved in the making of all kinds of things, from our computers and cell phones to the homes that we live in.

WELDING IS DONE IN A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTS

Welding is performed both indoors and out as well as in space and underwater. Underwater welding is used for structures that cannot be removed from water. Welding in space is essential for projects such as the International Space Station.

5% OF WELDERS IN THE U.S. ARE WOMEN

During World War II more than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry performing jobs such as welding, riveting and engine repair. Today, 5% of welders in the United States are women. This percentage is expected to rise by 2020.

PLASTIC CAN BE WELDED

Welding is essential to the manufacturing process of all types of vehicles. Ultrasonic welding was used to assemble the world’s first plastic car. Although plastic cars never caught on, ultrasonic welding did.

WELDING IS NECESSARY FOR MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

While doctors and scientists stand at the forefront of the medical world, they wouldn’t be able to perform their jobs without the dedicated men and women who manufacture and engineer the medical devices that they rely on. Welding is crucial to the manufacturing process of laser technology, MRI, CT, X-ray machines and air-tight operating rooms.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers fabrication of complex welded assemblies for a wide range of industries. The quality of work produced by our expert welders is fully backed by our demanding quality management processes.

How an Integrated Management System Can Help Your Business

May 5, 2017 By meiadmin

How an Integrated Management System Can Help Your Business

There are many benefits to an integrated management system. The greatest benefits include increased efficiency and the reduction of costs and disruptions caused by external audits. An IMS shows that an organization has an unwavering commitment to employee and customer satisfaction as well as continuous improvement.

What is an Integrated Management System?

An integrated management system (IMS) is a single system specially designed to manage multiple aspects of an organization’s operations. Integrated management can benefit any organization, regardless of their size or sector. An IMS makes it possible to integrate two or more management systems into one cohesive system with a complete set of documentation, policies, procedures and processes.

How an IMS Improves Efficiency

Many businesses run multiple systems to manage different aspects of their business such as health and safety, environment, quality and HR. An IMS enables the integration of organizational structures, decision-making, resource allocation and auditing processes into one robust system.

An IMS significantly improves the process and service quality of a company, leading to increased efficiency within the system.

Integrated systems provide a clear picture of all aspects of an organization including how they affect each other and all associated risks. This results in less duplication and easier adoption of new systems in the future.

Seamless Integration of Management Systems

Companies can choose between conversion and consolidation when integrating management systems. Conversion involves adding new processes to an existing management system and revising documents to cover all management system requirements. Consolidation involves merging two systems and integrating other systems during formalization. This method allows organizations to merge documentation when it supports the same process.

Any combination of management systems can be integrated. Means Engineering, Inc. integrates our Quality Management System (certified to ISO 9001, AS9100, and ISO 13485), our Environmental Management System (certified to ISO 14001) and our other business processes (including Health and Safety, Information Security, Business Continuity, and Ethics). With one efficient system, we are able to better meet the needs of our customers.