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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Soldering techniques for high-reliability electronic equipment are taught in 5 day course at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Topic covered include new circuit assembly, printed-wiring board reworking, circuit changes, wire routing, and component installation.
Tabs suitable for electrical or mechanical connections in solar cells and integrated circuits are made by spraying technique. Solder wets copper, copper bonds to aluminum, and aluminum adheres to glass. Arc spraying is automated and integrated with encapsulation, eliminating hand tabbing, improving reliability, and reducing cost.
Special lead-forming tool puts step in leads of microwave power transistors without damaging braze joints that fasten leads to package. Stepped leads are soldered to circuit boards more reliably than straight leads, and stress on brazes is relieved. Lead-forming hand-tool has two parts: a forming die and an actuator. Spring-loaded saddle is adjusted so that when transistor package is placed on it, leads rest on forming rails.
Encapsulated in robot end effector is RF induction-heating coil for heating solar cell while in transit. Holes in encapsulant permit end of unit to act as vacuum pickup to grip solar cell. Use of RF induction heating allows cell to be heated without requiring direct mechanical and thermal contact of bonding tool such as soldering iron.
Method is noncontact and nondestructive. Technique detects solder bonds in solar array of other large circuit board, using thermal-imaging camera. Board placed between heat lamp and camera. Poor joints indiated by "cold" spots on the infrared image.
Mechanism consisting of stylus and hand-operated lever incorporated into screening machine to precisely register front and back solder pads during solar-cell assembly. Technique may interest those assembling solar cells manually for research or prototype work.
Solar cell modules with welded and soldered interconnections were constructed using a flexible substrate material. These modules were thermally cycled between approx. 80 deg C at rates 100 cycles/day to demonstrate survivability under simulated low Earth orbit (LEO) temperature conditions. The modules, cycled in an inert atmosphere, show durability for 36,000 cycles.
A compilation of papers presented in a joint NASA, American Society for Metals, The George Washington University, American Welding Society, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers Conference on Welding, Bonding, and Fastening at Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, on October 23 to 25, 1984 is given. Papers were presented on technology developed in current research programs relevant to welding, bonding, and fastening of structural materials required in fabricating structures and mechanical systems used in the aerospace, hydrospace, and automotive industries. Topics covered in the conference included equipment, hardware and materials used when welding, brazing, and soldering, mechanical fastening, explosive welding, use of unique selected joining techniques, adhesives bonding, and nondestructive evaluation. A concept of the factory of the future was presented, followed by advanced welding techniques, automated equipment for welding, welding in a cryogenic atmosphere, blind fastening, stress corrosion resistant fasteners, fastening equipment, explosive welding of different configurations and materials, solid-state bonding, electron beam welding, new adhesives, effects of cryogenics on adhesives, and new techniques and equipment for adhesive bonding.
On or about November 10, 1988 an open circuit solder joint was discovered in the Magellan Radar digital unit (DFU) during integration testing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A detailed analysis of the cause of the failure was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory leading to the successful repair of many pieces of affected electronic hardware on both the Magellan and Galileo spacecraft. The problem was caused by the presence of high thermal coefficient of expansion heat sink and conformal coating materials located in the large (0.055 inch) gap between Dual Inline Packages (DIPS) and the printed wiring board. The details of the observed problems are described and recommendations are made for improved design and testing activities in the future.
Vaporization-cooled heat sink proposed for use during soldering of multiple electrical leads of packaged electronic devices to circuit boards. Heat sink includes compliant wicks held in grooves on edges of metal fixture. Wicks saturated with water. Prevents excessive increases in temperature at entrances of leads into package.
Experiments in support of the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) and the In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI) were conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with the goal of promoting our fundamental understanding of melting dynamics , solidification phenomena, and defect generation during materials processing in a microgravity environment. Through the course of many experiments a number of observations, expected and unexpected, have been directly made. These include gradient-driven bubble migration, thermocapillary flow, and novel microstructural development. The experimental results are presented and found to be in good agreement with models pertinent to a microgravity environment. Based on the space station results, and noting the futility of duplicating them in Earth s unit-gravity environment, attention is drawn to the role ISS experimentslhardware can play to provide insight to potential materials processing techniques and/or repair scenarios that might arise during long duration space transport and/or on the lunar/Mars surface.
GEIA-STD-0005-1 defines the objectives of, and requirements for, documenting processes that assure customers and regulatory agencies that AHP electronic systems containing lead-free solder, piece parts, and boards will satisfy the applicable requirements for performance, reliability, airworthiness, safety, and certify-ability throughout the specified life of performance. It communicates requirements for a Lead-Free Control Plan (LFCP) to assist suppliers in the development of their own Plans. The Plan documents the Plan Owner's (supplier's) processes, that assure their customer, and all other stakeholders that the Plan owner's products will continue to meet their requirements. The presentation reviews quality assurance requirements traceability and LFCP template instructions.
The purpose of this study is to assess the experimental reliability results of miniaturized passive components (01005, 0201, 0402, 0603, 0805, and 1206) assembled using surface mounting processes with tin-lead (Sn-Pb) and lead-free (Pb-Free) solder alloys under extreme temperature deep space environments.
This paper presents the results of studies that provide an overview of expected sensitivities to cycle rate, temperature, lead stiffness, and strain-cycle depth.
This project set out to evaluate the critical issues of toxicity and public health effects, material availability, and the environmental impacts of raw material extraction and metal finishing, with the goal of using environmental impact as a factor in selecting feasible lead-free alloys.
Spacecraft electronics including those used at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), demand production of highly reliable assemblies. JPL has recently completed an extensive study, funded by NASA's code Q, of the interplay between manufacturing defects and reliability of ball grid array (BGA) and surface mount electronic components.
Spacecraft electronics as used in the NASA community, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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