The 8 Biggest Problems in Electronic Components in Brazil

Electronic components are everywhere: in mobile phones, laptops, set-top boxes, refrigerators, cars, satellites, Industry 4.0, IoT, and the new 5G. Over the years, their use has become more widespread, production costs have decreased, and mega-factories have consolidated in Asia. It was the perfect time for electronic technology to gain more space and become popular worldwide – and that’s exactly what happened. Here in Brazil, it couldn’t have been different.

Major OEMs and EMS providers are the largest consumers of electronic components globally. They also manufacture the biggest “villains” in terms of electronic component consumption per product: latest-generation smartphones and electric vehicles. Dealing with electronic components isn’t easy. And believe me, it’s going to get even harder! They are sensitive and require a series of precautions that begin with raw material processing, front-end, back-end, packaging, logistics to factories, assembly, and delivery to the end customer as a finished product – and to make life harder for industries, components are getting smaller and experiencing constant global shortages.

A simple failure in these small components and BOOM! Your new laptop won’t turn on, your phone freezes, the refrigerator stops cooling or overheats, that brand new 1,000-inch TV loses sound, or your car gets recalled. No matter what your business is, treating your electronics well is essential for manufacturing a robust, quality product – this is the minimum that customers can expect. Here I list the 8 biggest problems with electronic components. This list is the result of 15 years immersed in the electronics world, delivering more than 30 million components in Brazil.

1. ElectoStatic Discharge (ESD) versus Electrical Overstress (EOS)

The old and (not so) good EOS and ESD are #1 on this list. But before discussing them, let’s identify what they are: EOS is the exposure of a component to current or voltage above its maximum limit. The results of EOS in electronic components are: permanent damage causing total uselessness, latent failure, and reduced component lifespan. ESD, despite receiving as much attention as EOS, accounts for a much smaller portion of electronic component problems. In fact, there’s confusion (and some mysticism) about the two. I don’t intend to add fuel to this fire, but one point is fact: ESD is one type of EOS among many that exist. ESD, being a type of EOS, also causes the problems described above. A major difference with ESD is that it’s a less common, non-periodic event caused by rapid or abrupt discharge of accumulated energy. The good news is that robust programs exist to ensure protection against ESD – many of these are already widely established in electronics industries.

2. MSL (Moisture Sensitive Level)

At #2 we have the problem of moisture contamination in electronic components. Among the various MSL classes of electronic components, level 3 with 168 hours of exposure is the most common. What does this mean? Simple: the component has a predetermined lifetime of 168 hours after its package is opened. After this, there’s a risk that its encapsulation has received excess moisture, which can cause problems during reflow and soldering processes. Having a well-trained technical team is essential to control, record, and monitor the component after opening – its lifetime begins a countdown to ensure sufficient time for opening, assembly, and soldering. The most common (and simple!) resources to avoid problems are: packaging with desiccants, reading moisture control cards, dry-box storage, and always reading component packaging to ensure its internal classification matches manufacturer specifications. The problem caused by moisture is the destruction or burning of component layers or dies during superheating in reflow. It’s literally the “kettle” effect inside the component.

3. Over Heating

Rounding out the top 3 is electronic component overheating. This issue is more complex and has multiple causes ranging from incorrect reflow oven setup, touch-up of components that didn’t solder properly, or rework when replacing problematic components using a standard soldering iron. This is the reality for most electronics industries and a major challenge for technical departments seeking efficient solutions in oven profile tracers, critical analysis of components on PCBs, and even lists of components that can be reworked, components that cannot undergo any touch-up, to the extreme case of complete PCB scrapping for sensitive products or those covered by robust quality agreements. The problem with component overheating is structural damage from excessive temperature, leading to immediate failure, latent failure, or reduced lifespan.

4.Baking

5. Shelf Life Control

Electronics have numerous restrictions, and this is one strongly emphasized by manufacturers. These components have 2, 4, 6, or 10-year shelf lives under correct (if not perfect) storage conditions. Indeed, many components remain “safe” in large factories’ electronics inventory. The problem occurs when packaging moves between factories, gets replaced, loses traceability and records, leaving the major question: when was this component manufactured? You might think this is unlikely, if not impossible, in large industries – however, large industries represent less than 1% of total electronics industries in Brazil. And, worsening the scenario, shortages of some electronics force “indiscriminate” component purchases under sometimes questionable conditions. Lack of shelf life control is very dangerous and can cause failures that still affect end product quality today.

6. Chip Brokers

This is a sensitive topic that always makes buyers’ hair stand on end. For those who don’t know, I’ll quickly explain how electronic component purchasing works in industries: at the top of the list, we have manufacturers who will sell to those buying significant quantities. Right below are authorized distributors who charge a bit more and serve everyone within their lead time and price conditions. End of story. This is the regular cycle of electronic component purchasing.

However, there is a class of unauthorized distributors, also known as brokers. Many of them value component quality, others do not. For this reason, discussing broker usage within some industries is taboo. Yet, it is the reality that happens due to electronic shortages, long manufacturer lead times, phase-outs, and lack of substitute or alternative components. The tip here is to know your broker, their work method, storage conditions, request quality reports (when applicable) and, most importantly, request advance photos of the electronic component packaging identification labels to validate the information’s truthfulness and traceability. Speak well or speak ill, brokers have a very important participation in the electronic sales market, and it is better to mitigate these risks than to compromise an entire production batch.

7. Incorrect Packaging

You didn’t read it wrong. I’m referring to that cardboard packaging (becoming extinct) or plastic covering that completely protects the component, ensuring it is safely housed in a pocket case, tray, or tube. There are cases where these packages are developed exclusively for road transport or short distances – this is due to initial test reasons, development, location of industries side-by-side with electronic manufacturers in Asia and other factors. However, with the rapid popularity of purchasing “kits” in Asia for assembly in Brazil or the incessant search for new solutions (and cost reductions), these components end up being sent to Brazil in packaging that is not suitable for this long and complex logistical process. As a result, thousands of components are monthly discarded by industries. The corrective action: is the correct development process, either by an SQE (Supplier Quality Engineer) or a Feasibility Commitment that considers critical logistical aspects for electronic application and use.

8. Device Programming

This topic directly relates to the continuous evolution of electronic products. As products become increasingly technological, their software interface becomes more robust, user-friendly, and fast – all aimed at improving user experience. As a result, software has become more complex, with multiple partitions, special algorithms, and much (really much) heavier. A quick example is Smart TVs that come with software ranging from 4G to 16G in memory, or Smartphones that have their memory occupied with 4G to 8G of basic apps for use. A tremendous evolution compared to the Nokia 6120 that had the simple snake game and the battery lasted 15 days. Software recording was done in-line for a long time, meaning directly on the product assembly line – it took only a few seconds and involved simple components. A homemade solution could solve the problem. Today the scenario is totally opposite. The recording process takes from 1 to 16 minutes, with multiple partitions that must be correctly recorded to ensure proper functioning and prevent product freezing. Terminals must be perfectly aligned to avoid test failures, and lastly, this process must be done automatically, with traceability and fast speed because the customer cannot stop their production line. In other words, it has become a production bottleneck for industries seeking efficiency. The solution has been outsourcing the recording process, allowing industries to focus on their core business of assembly, avoiding investments of approximately US$500,000 in automatic recording machines and outsourcing this complex process with specialized IC recording & fitting companies – my recommendation in Brazil is EPS Global, which has the best and most competitive solutions.