This significantly reduces contamination in subsequent processes (e.g., imaging, testing, etc.)

Saturn also has two Excellon Century 2001 drilling machines. These machines are equipped with larger tables sizes that enable us to drill panels up to 20" x 28". This will reduce handling per piece in subsequent processes.

Also, these machines are equipped with automatic measurement systems that measure drill bit length, diameter, spindle runout, and broken drill bit detection. Essentially, these capabilities remove the human element from these drilling issues, thereby minimizing the chance of operator error.

The environment in this room minimizes foreign material from creating common shorts in the imaging process. Also, strict temperature and humidity controls prevent distortion in the customer artwork.

Saturn employs two automatic electroplating
lines and, as such, PTH is a two-step
process.
Saturn has built a custom automatic plating
line that has been designed and constructed
primarily in-house. The intent was to
minimize plating variation, which is the
main goal of production plating. This was accomplished by including the following:

1. It houses racks that only allow
panels to be plated one-high.

2. Anode-to-anode distance is 28 inches (maximum allowable distance for plating).

3. Water-submerged positive cathode contact.

4. Chemical-submerged anode bars for
positive contact.

5. Eductor system. This utilizes a highvolume
chemical flow parallel to the panels instead of air to accomplish chemical agitation.

6. Mechanical agitation to allow chemical to flow through holes.

7. Dual-sided rectification to equalize copper plating from one side of the rack to the other.

8.State-of-the-art rectifiers (two per rack) with 0.5% maximum ripple effect.

9. Panels are now being plated at 17 amps per square feet (ASF), versus an industry standard of 30 ASF. This will result in more uniform
plating, albeit lowered production.

10. High ductile plating process that meets C7000 specs for 1,000 hour cycle tests.

11. Chemistry has been revised so that high-aspect ratio plating can be performed. Both lines are calibrated to plate 10:1 aspect ratio as a standard.

Our developing line is constructed of a single-chamber, stainless steel developing line.

This is a stainless steel post-cleaner unit that runs at 150°F, sprays regular and D.I. water at 1 to 1.5 gallons per minute at 50 psi using 7.5 HP pumps (1/2 gallon per minute, 20-30 p.s.i., 1.5 HP is the best available on the market). Furthermore, the cleaner uses 8-1” wide toothbrush-type agitating brushes versus an industry best of 4-0.5” brushes. This custom process has been proven to remove ionic contamination from the surface of PCBs to well below industry standards.

Saturn offers a variety of testing alternatives.

First, Saturn has 5 Mania double-sided testing machines.

The fixture cost for these testers is half the
cost or less than those used in more
traditional clam shell testers since we build everything in-house.

Also, Saturn utilizes six flying probe testers
for smaller and prototype orders. This allows the customer to forego the cost of a hard testing fixture and, instead, pay a modest testing fee.

Furthermore, Saturn has controlling interests in four other PCB facilities so that in the event of a catastrophic event, the supply chain will not be compromised.