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The SMTA Connecticut Chapter is inviting electronics manufacturing professionals to an Open House at Microscreen's new stencil manufacturing facility in Oxford, Connecticut, on Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
The event will include a tour of the facility, a technical presentation on low-silver solder alloys and time to catch up with fellow industry professionals. Registration is free and limited to the first 50 attendees.
"One of the things I enjoy about our chapter events is getting to see what's happening at local manufacturing facilities," said Dave Dworak, SMTA Connecticut Chapter President. "It's a chance to learn something, ask questions and catch up with people in the industry."
Microscreen opened its Oxford facility earlier this year. During the tour, visitors will see how SMT stencils are manufactured, from laser cutting through inspection and quality control. Members of the Microscreen team will be available to answer questions about the manufacturing process.
Todd Gilmore, President of AGI Corporation, will also be at the event to answer questions about PCB Assembly Tooling and its applications in electronics manufacturing.
Shantanu Joshi, Head of Customer Solutions and Operational Excellence at KOKI Solder America Inc., will present "Reliability Evaluation of Low Silver Solder Alloy Paste."
With rising silver prices driving up the cost of solder materials, manufacturers are looking at ways to reduce silver content without sacrificing performance. Joshi will discuss research evaluating a low-silver solder alloy containing nickel and bismuth as an alternative to SAC305. The presentation will cover solderability, thermal cycling, joint reliability and mechanical shock resistance, including how the alloy performed compared with SAC305.
Joshi has more than 12 years of experience in electronics manufacturing, including research and development, process optimization and reliability engineering. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, an SMTA 40 Under 40 honoree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Binghamton University.
After the Open House, everyone is invited to Oxford House Tavern, about five minutes from the facility, where SMTA will pick up the first round of drinks.
