Bender GmbH benefits from 24/7 monitoring of the reflow oven
How RPI controls and optimizes the soldering process
Krzysztof Lison implemented a new SMD production facility at Bender last year. From his previous professional positions, it was clear to the Head of the Industrial Engineering department that reflow oven monitoring was needed for electronics production. In this interview, Krzysztof Lison explains why he chose an RPI (Reflow Process Inspection) system from KIC and how it not only monitors but also controls the soldering process.
At a Glance
Q: What characterizes your production? How is the KIC system used in it?
Our SMD electronics production at Bender GmbH stands for maximum precision, quality and process reliability. We produce complex electronic assemblies using state-of-the-art assembly and soldering technology, whereby we strictly monitor and document the entire production process.
A central quality feature is our continuously monitored reflow soldering process, in which the KIC system plays a key role. KIC is a leading temperature profiling system that we use to record, analyze and optimize the thermal processes in our reflow ovens.
By using the KIC system, we can
- Match soldering profiles precisely to the respective assembly, monitor and document temperature curves in real time, and detect and correct process deviations at an early stage, thus ensuring consistently high soldering quality.
- The result is reliable, standard-compliant processing of even the most demanding components, from fine pitch to BGA, with high energy efficiency and a low reject rate.
- The KIC system therefore supports us significantly in implementing our high quality standards and contributes to our zero-defect strategy in SMD production.
Q: Why was the investment necessary?
The investment in the KIC system was a strategically important step in order to be able to permanently meet the growing requirements for quality, traceability and process stability in SMD electronics production.
With increasing component density, more complex assemblies and more sensitive solder joints, the demands on the reflow soldering process are also increasing. Even the smallest deviations in the temperature profile can lead to soldering errors and thus to functional failures, particularly critical in safety-relevant applications, which are typical for our customers.
The KIC system enables us to meet these challenges proactively by:
- Ensuring temperature profiles are precisely monitored and optimized
- Process data is fully documented (e.g. for audits or customer requirements)
- And ensures consistently high production quality
The system also allows us to commission new products more quickly (“first pass yield”) and use our reflow ovens more efficiently. The investment was therefore not only a quality measure, but also a contribution to the competitiveness and future-proofing of our production.
Q: Have you organized a benchmark and if so, how did you go about it?
Yes, before making the investment decision, we carried out an internal benchmark process to identify the best solution for process monitoring in the reflow soldering area.
We proceeded as follows:
- Definition of requirements:
First, we analyzed the specific requirements of our production, including temperature stability, profile accuracy, operability, integration into existing processes as well as documentation and traceability requirements. - Market analysis and pre-selection:
We examined various suppliers of temperature profiling systems and drew up a shortlist. Reference reports from other electronics manufacturers were also taken into account. Of course, decades of experience from the SMD team also flowed into the selection. - Practical tests / live demonstrations
The favored systems were tested in a real production environment. In particular, we evaluated the measurement accuracy, user-friendliness, software integration and manufacturer support. - Evaluation and decision:
The KIC system convinced us the most in the overall comparison, both in terms of technical performance as well as user-friendliness and long-term maintainability.
This structured benchmark gave us the confidence to choose KIC as a future-proof and economically viable solution that will sustainably improve our process control.
Q: What convinced you about KIC?
What particularly impressed us about KIC was the combination of technological maturity, practicality and future viability. In detail, the following points were decisive:
- High measuring accuracy and reproducibility:
KIC delivers precise and consistent temperature profile data, which is essential for stable reflow soldering quality, especially for complex assemblies and narrow process windows. - Intuitive software and simple operation:
The user interface is designed to be clear and practical, which minimizes the amount of training required and makes day-to-day use in production easier. - Automated profile optimization and SPC functions:
Functions such as Auto-Focus or Process Window Index (PWI) enable fast and objective evaluation of soldering profiles as well as proactive process optimization, without tedious manual evaluations. - Seamless integration into existing processes:
KIC was easily integrated into our existing infrastructure and supports our traceability and quality management systems. - Experience and support:
KIC has been established on the market for many years and has proven itself in electronics production. The technical support and the availability of training and updates were also important plus points for us.
All in all, KIC has provided us with a consistent, reliable system that both meets our current requirements and is future-proof for the challenges of SMD production in the future.
Q: What improvements have you been able to achieve through KIC?
By using the KIC system, we were able to achieve several concrete improvements in our SMD production – both in terms of process quality and efficiency:
- Higher process reliability in reflow soldering:
Thanks to precise temperature profiling and automated evaluation (e.g. using the Process Window Index – PWI), we can detect critical deviations at an early stage and take targeted countermeasures. This significantly reduces sources of error such as tombstoning, voids or cold solder joints. - Consistently high soldering quality:
By precisely setting and monitoring the reflow parameters, we ensure that all assemblies are manufactured within a defined process window. This increases reproducibility and reduces the rework rate. - Reduced set-up effort for new assemblies:
The KIC system enables faster and more objective profiling for new product start-ups. Thisreduces set-up times and increases productivity – especially with frequent product changes - Seamless documentation and traceability:
All process data is automatically recorded and archived. This facilitates internal quality assurance measures and meets the requirements of our customers and standards such as IPC and ISO 9001. - Better decision-making basis for process optimization:
KIC’s analysis functions provide reliable data for continuous improvement processes (CIP) and make process potentials visible that were previously unrecognizable.In short: more transparency, fewer rejects, less effort – with consistently high quality. For us, this makes KIC a central component in reliable and economical SMD production.
About Bender
Bender is one of the world’s leading providers of solutions that make electrical systems smarter and safer. The family-owned company based in Grünberg employs around 1,350 people in 15 countries worldwide. More than 20 percent of all employees work in research and development in order to continue to offer innovative answers to the energy technology issues of tomorrow.