The verification process evaluates solder joint integrity and assembly performance under demanding environmental conditions to ensure long-term reliability.
Spur Electron is an ESA authorised facility for micro-sectioning, providing detailed inspection and verification of solder joints to support quality assurance and mission-critical performance.
Solder Assembly Verifications.
Spur Electron are very proud of the extensive library of component packages and shapes we have submitted to SMT solder verification campaigns and subsequentially been approved by ESA for assembly onto space flight hardware.
A typical verification program according to ECSS-Q-ST-70-61C, para 13.2 comprises of
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Vibration - to simulate the launch of the rocket
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Shock - to simulate the satellite being ejected from the rocket
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Thermal Cycle - to simulate the hot and cold conditions as satellites orbit takes it in and out of the suns rays.
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Microsection Analysis
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Presentation of qualification plans
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Assembly of dedicated test vehicles
Vibration Test
The standard ECSS levels of vibration are very high - up to 28.5 g RMS
Spur use special vibration equipment at approved test houses such as MSSL, Airbus and RAL.
Control and monitoring equipment, Accelerometer instrumentation, Power Amplifier, Shaker, Slip table
The test vehicle is monitored in several places with accelerometers to monitor X and Y displacement and perpendicular (Z) deflection.
The slip table provides the lateral vibration, in the X and Y axis.
Shock Test
Shock test is performed on a ringing table which is excited by an anvil dropped either vertically for Z axis shock, or from the side for lateral, X/Y shock excitation.
A ringing table with the equipment to be tested in a box at the front.
A typical SRS, Shock Response Spectra.
Thermal Cycle
Thermal cycle is performed at Spur in our thermal cycle chamber.
The requirements according to ECSS are -55ºC to +100ºC for 500 cycles or in some cases 1500 cycles. Dwell times are 15 minutes and the rate of change is approx 9 ºC/minute.
The temperature is recorded continuously with a pico logger. 12 channels are available.
In the case of electrical monitoring there is a 24 bit high resolution ADC which can measure voltages either directly or with a force / measurement system. This is particularly useful for monitoring Column Grid Array device with daisy chains.
The thermal cycle chamber is able to achieve temperatures as low as -65C and greater than 160C. This makes it ideal for PCB Group 6 test where a 200C temperature change is required.
Microsection
Microsection for solder verification is performed in our laboratory which has been approved by ESA for analysis of solder joints submitted to SMT solder verification. More details can be found in the laboratory section of this web site.
