Solder Joint Failure Detection: Does Inspection Assure Reliability?

Solder joint failures in military missile systems and commercial communication products were investigated. The study was initiated after it had been determined that visual PWBA solder defect inspection for external surface attributes of solder joints such as brightness, smoothness, evenness, solder quantity and PTH plugs and other attributes (including those of present IPC and DoD‐STD‐2000 criteria) was neither effective nor efficient. It was determined that visual inspection is subjective and varies to a large degree between inspectors.