Metcal, a brand of OK International, has won the Circuits Assembly NPI Award in the category of Soldering – Hand Tools for the patented CV-5200 Connection Validation™ Soldering Station.
The Circuits Assembly NPI Awards are chosen by an independent panel of practicing industry engineers. Evaluation of the award entries is based on several criteria, including innovation; compatibility with existing technology; cost-effectiveness; design, and more. The award was presented to the company during a ceremony that took place at the San Diego Convention Center during the IPC APEX EXPO.
The LED light ring integrated into the Connection Validation Soldering Station hand piece notifies the operator when a successful solder joint is formed.
The patented CV-5200 Connection Validation™ Soldering Station is the next major step in the evolution of process control. CV is the world’s first soldering station capable of evaluating the quality of the solder joint by calculating the intermetallic compound formation and providing real-time, closed-loop feedback to the operator via an integrated LED ring in the hand piece.
“Connection Validation sets the stage for a major advancement in machine intelligence,” according to Christopher Larocca, President of OK International, which acquired Metcal in 1996. “It fundamentally mitigates the risk of product failures, imperiled user safety, recalls, and unrecoverable cost — which can result in significant damage to a company and its brand. Manufacturers can now confidently develop faster, more advanced products, while boosting performance and cost efficiency,” added Larocca.
The CV-5200 features a Chip-in-Cartridge technology that precisely calculates and displays tip temperature on the unit’s color TFT graphic display. With the CV-5200’s communication port, tip temperature and other data can be collected and analyzed in production reports.
Premiering in 2008, the NPI Awards program is an annual celebration of product excellence in electronics surface mount assembly. Premier products based on the finest examples of creative advancement in technology are chosen by a distinguished panel of electronics assembly industry experts.