Highly tailored, highly flexible automated printed circuit board (PCB) assembly
TRAK has invested heavily to ensure we have the in-house capability to take a design from the mind of our customers through each stage of production. This includes printed wiring board (PWB) and printed circuit board (PCB) equipment, process controls and inspection stations. This department has been optimized for flexibility in manufacturing the complex products our unique military and space customers require.
- Board sizes up to 19.7" x 18.1"
- Component processing range of 01005 (devices) to 1.97" QFPs and BGAs
- Pick and place with fine pitch down to 10 mils
- Automatic, 2D optical board inspection
- Solder deposition via screen printing
- In-line, 12-zone convection reflow oven with nitrogen
- Adhesive dispensing for chip bonding
- New generation, non-ozone depleting cleaning system
- X-ray inspection of leadless BGAs and QFNs
X-ray equipment is used to optimize and control the solder reflow process for BGA and QFN style packages. Inspections include QC of ground pads, substrate to carrier attachment, and hermeticity.
Advanced RF and microwave clean room manufacturing
TRAK has heavily invested our in-house class 10,000 and 100,000 clean rooms to offer a controlled environment for:
- Large area substrate attach
- Complex epoxy and eutectic die attachment
- Manual and automated thermosonic ball and ribbon wedge bonding
- Parallel gap micro-welding
- Manual and automated bond strength testing
- Plasma cleaning
The most advanced computing and 3D EM simulation capabilities
TRAK engineers are solidly equipped with best-in-class CAD and 3D EM simulation software and tools, and are well versed in taking advantage of these tools strength in shrinking design/development time, reducing design cycles, cutting costs, and providing more optimal design performance. The specialized skills of TRAK engineers extend beyond simple CAD and 3D EM fields simulations, TRAK's design teams are knowledgeable in deeper software simulation and analysis techniques, namely parametric optimization, thermal, and structural.
TRAK's software design tools include:
- NI/AWR Microwave Office
- ANSYS HFSS
- Spice
- ADS Eagleware
- SOLIDWORKS
- AutoCAD/li>
- Mentor Graphics Designer
- PADS
- Extensive library of in-house tools
"THOR"
Committed to advanced design, TRAK took its 3D EM simulation resources to the next level by building a secure in-house high-performance computing (HPC) cluster dubbed "THOR" with Microsoft HPC software. This high powered computing cluster is fully equipped with the fastest multi-core processors, extreme amounts of RAM, and solid-state drives (SSDs) for blazing read/write speeds. For complex parametric solutions, TRAK's engineers can dig deeply into the software analysis with this extra computing power and achieve very high power designs, voltage breakdown, transition optimization, magnetic saturation, mode generation, and elimination with astonishing turnaround times.
One of the proudest and most intuitively assembled engineering teams in the industry
TRAK's engineering team is a full bench of multi-disciplined RF/microwave, and time and frequency pros. With both component and subsystem experience delivering to the industry's biggest players in space, defense, and commercial applications, there's nothing they can't handle. And our growing collaboration with our fellow high frequency engineers within the Smiths Interconnect brand family, enhances our capablities even further.
Unique disciplines and software skills throughout every design phase
In addition to TRAK's core design team of experienced designers of complex RF/Microwave and time and frequency systems, ours also includes talented engineers with expertise in micro-controllers and software programming, too. Uniquely versed in strategies and techniques for diverse environments, TRAK's collective design team has proven success in fully programmed and controlled solutions. These include designs for the harshest conditions such as satellite, rugged industrial, airborne tactical, and naval shipboard environments.
Wholly one-quarter of TRAK's staff is deeply involved with the engineering design phase, which provides significant leverage in tackling mission critical defense, homeland, and aerospace system challenges. Several members of our staff have obtained advanced degrees and training from the University of South Florida. We also support The University of South Florida by teaching course work related to the microwave industry and funding periodic joint research projects associated with the WAMI (Wireless and Microwave Information systems) program.
Count on us for precision dispense and die attachment
TRAK Microwave's dispense and die attachment is conducted in a fully equipped MRSI-605 assembly work cell that handles the complex epoxy and eutectic die attachment that is often required of our military and space customers.
Features of the work cell include:
- Dual epoxy dispense
- Daub pot (dual)
- Eutectic heat stage
- 10 micron accuracy
- Windows driven software
- Advanced vision system
High powered lasers provide total control over package sealing, hermeticity, and marking
TRAK provides turnkey sealing, leak testing and marking of your microelectronic packages. For designs that require that special touch, TRAK has laboratory space and tools dedicated to custom processes.
Our laser shop offers:
- Laser sealing (inert atmosphere)
- Parallel seam sealing (inert atmosphere)
- Laser marking
- Fine and gross leak detection
Nothing leaves until it proves its resolve
We understand that you require much more than high quality electrical testing and visual inspection. So to prove the quality of our solutions, a holistic array of in-house mechanical and environmental stations are also regularly used in the design and production phases of our defense, space, and industrial products. When an assembly or subsystem is expected to provide mission critical reliability and performance over time, TRAK's test capability will uncover any weak links so TRAK's design team can take the design to the next level and fix them quickly.
Our mechanical and environmental test capabilities includes:
- Vibration (sine and random)
- Mechanical shock
- Thermal cycle and shock
- Temperature
- Altitude
- Thermal
- Vacuum
- Humidity
- Acceleration
- X-ray
- Particle Impact Noise Detection (PIND)
Hybrid assembly is a long-standing art form at TRAK
From TRAK’s early heritage as a triode tube manufacturer to today, TRAK has offered world-class hybrid manufacturing capability. We're committed to employing the most highly skilled workforce and latest production grade equipment to bring your next-generation integrated microwave assemblies (IMAs) and time and frequency systems to life.
While our advanced automated equipment gets the high-level program attention, it is our artisan grade hand assemblers whom attract the most admiration from the industry QC pros who tour our facility. Their skilled work is tremendously respected and absolutely critical in achieving many of your MIL-STD requirements.
Our collective hybrid assembly capabilities includes:
- Automated dispense and die attach
- Automated ball and wedge bonding
- Ribbon bonding from 2.5 x 0.5 mil. up to 20 x 1 mil.
- Thermosonic wire ball bonding from 1 to 2 mil. diameter
- Thermosonic wedge bonding
- Parallel gap micro-welding
- Ultraviolet cleaning
- Plasma cleaning
- Hermetic package sealing and inspection
Modernized high frequency testing stations for optimal in-line and final inspection
TRAK is versed in designing highly complex test systems, which reduce recurring costs and increase reliability in production test environments. TRAK completely builds and designs these test systems in-house, even down to the software. This top-down thought-processes around testing provides the best performance, control, and security. Moreover, having these capabilities in the same facility as the design teams brings a strong pairing for enhanced design, as prototypes can be rapidly tested and optimized quickly.
We also offer:
- Test process development
- Design for Test (DFT)
- In-circuit test fixture development
- Functional test fixture development
RF/Microwave testing to 50 GHz
TRAK’s test labs feature a full range of RF/Microwave test equipment for key parameters such as noise figure, isolation, harmonic/spurious response, and intermodulation distortion up to 50 GHz.
Our equipment includes:
- Vector network analyzers
- Spectrum and signal analyzers
- Phase noise test sets
- On-site calibration equipment (ANSI/NCSL and Z540-1-1994)
Investing in test at the speed of digital transmission
OEMs want it all from their digital systems and TRAK delivers. To do so, we've installed highly specific digital equipment to ensure perfected electricals and on-time delivery of your time and frequency devices. By also investing in skilled digital test techs and equipping them with these leading tools, the digital department at TRAK never misses a beat. High bandwidth digital oscilloscopes and logic analyzers are a few of the tools, along with custom test systems for your unique time and frequency challenges.