The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) announced a new Advanced Electronics Assembly Technologies course scheduled for November 10-12, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM US Central Time each day. Electronics industry veteran, Keith Bryant, instructs the course live via an online platform.
The course is designed for experienced electronics manufacturing professionals who want to improve yields, adopt new processes and stay competitive as products become more complex. It gives participants practical insight into advanced solutions that many facilities are not yet using. These include formic acid reflow, LIFT printing and laser bonding. The course also covers recent advances in 3D AOI, in-line X-ray inspection and vapor phase reflow.
The course has three 4-hour modules, each covering a stage of advanced assembly:
- Module 1: Materials, Printing and Deposition. HDI/UHDI boards, fine-pitch solder pastes, low-temperature soldering, jet dispensing, LIFT printing and SPI advances
- Module 2: Placement, Inspection and Reflow. Pick-and-place optimization, large-format BGAs, in-line 3D AOI and X-ray, void reduction, and vacuum, nitrogen and formic acid reflow
- Module 3: Advanced Joining, Cleaning and Final Assembly. Vapor phase and laser reflow, laser depaneling, robotic soldering, cleaning under low-gap BTCs, SIR/ECM testing and box build automation
Participants take a multiple-choice exam after each module, with a 70% passing score. Those who pass all three modules receive an SMTA Advanced Electronics Assembly Micro-Credential.
The intended audience includes process, manufacturing and quality engineers, senior technicians, and junior managers who have hands-on industry experience. It is an advanced program and is not intended for new hires or those new to electronics assembly.
