• Persistent raw material inflation.
• High volatility in metal prices.
• Margin pressure in highly competitive markets.
• Increased requirements for both economic and technical sustainability.

One of the most affected materials is silver (Ag), a fundamental component in standard SAC alloys such as SAC305.

Since silver represents a significant portion of the cost of solder paste, any sustained increase in its market price has a direct impact on unit production costs.

In this context, optimization cannot be limited to logistical or volume adjustments. It requires a technical reassessment of the material itself.

The strategic question is clear:
Can silver content be reduced without compromising assembly reliability?

The Real Impact of Silver Content in SMT Processes

Standard SAC (Sn-Ag-Cu) alloys, such as SAC305, contain approximately 3% silver. In high-volume SMT production, this proportion represents a significant share of the total alloy cost.

Low SAC alloys (such as SAC105 or SAC0307) significantly reduce that percentage, resulting in:

• Direct reduction in cost per kilogram of solder paste.
• Lower exposure to precious metal market volatility.
• Improved budget predictability in serial production.

However, the analysis cannot remain purely economic. Reducing Ag content directly modifies the solidified joint microstructure and the morphology of intermetallic phases.

This transition is not simply a “low-cost substitution,” but a technical decision supported by specific metallurgical behavior.

Technical Comparison: SAC305 vs Low SAC (SAC0307)

From a microstructural perspective, the difference between SAC305 and Low SAC is clear.

In SAC305:

• Higher fraction of Ag₃Sn intermetallic compounds.
• More rigid microstructure.
• Strong performance under long-term thermal fatigue.

In Low SAC (SAC0307):

• Lower density of silver-based intermetallics.
• More ductile matrix.
• Greater energy absorption capacity under impact loading.

The comparative images clearly illustrate differences in intermetallic phase distribution and density, as well as variations at the pad-solder interface.

Strategic Recommendation Based on Application Profile

The transition to Low SAC alloys is particularly suitable for products where the dominant failure mode is associated with localized mechanical stresses, such as impacts or PCB flexing.

This is typically the case for smartphones, tablets, wearables, IoT devices, and a large portion of portable consumer electronics. In these applications, drop and shock events generate short-duration but high-intensity dynamic loads.

Conversely, in applications where the dominant degradation mechanism is cumulative thermal fatigue—such as automotive systems, industrial electronics, or equipment exposed to wide thermal excursions over many years—standard SAC remains a solid reference. Its higher rigidity and greater intermetallic fraction can contribute to improved performance under prolonged and repetitive thermal cycling.

Ultimately, the choice should not be approached as a general substitution, but as a decision aligned with the actual load profile of the product and its lifetime requirements.

Would you like to assess whether your product can transition to Low SAC without compromising reliability?

At NUFESA, we can coordinate a qualification trial tailored to your specific application profile and jointly analyze the technical and economic impact.

Request a technical evaluation trial

La entrada Cost Optimization in SMT Amid Rising Silver Prices: Is It Time to Transition to Low SAC Alloys? se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

Specialized adhesives, new-generation soldering and modular equipment are enabling the industry to adapt to the growing complexity of electronic devices.

These trends were presented at the All-in-One Conference organized by Nufesa, which served as a meeting point for manufacturers and experts to discuss the upcoming challenges facing the industry. 

Henkel: high-performance adhesives for demanding environments

Henkel leads innovation in solutions that increase the reliability of electronic processes:

• Structural adhesives that enable complex assemblies requiring durable bonding without compromising mechanical strength.
• Capillary underfills thatprotect critical components such as BGAs from vibrations, shocks, and extreme conditions, making them essential in sectors such as automotive and consumer electronics. 
• Thermal gels with conductivities of up to 6.5 W/m·K and free of silicones, stand out for their ability to dissipate heat in high-density modules, ensuring thermal stability and long-term performance.

These solutions enable manufacturers in sectors such as healthcare, white goods, and defense to increase the useful life and efficiency of their products.

Indium: high-precision, low-temperature soldering

Indium Corporation offers solutions for the assembly of miniaturized components thanks to its ultra-thin solder pastes (types T6 and T7) that facilitate controlled and stable flow on small pads.

Its low-temperature alloys, such as Indalloy®, allow working with sensitive substrates such as flexible materials, LEDs, or sensors without the risk of thermal deformation.

With advanced jetting and dispensing techniques, these solutions help reduce defects, improve joint consistency, and increase productivity on complex assembly lines.

Essemtec: modular equipment for flexible production

Essemtec All-in-One technology responds to the demand for flexibility in modern industry. Its modular platform integrates dispensing, pick & place, rework, and inspection into a single system, facilitating a quick transition between prototyping and short-run production.

This approach is ideal for manufacturers with high mix and low volume, as it reduces setup times, minimizes line changes, and allows projects to be scaled without investing in multiple pieces of equipment.

Innovations that drive the industry forward

The combination of state-of-the-art adhesives, welds adapted to new geometries, and multifunctional equipment is redefining electronics manufacturing.

These trends offer companies the opportunity to improve reliability, reduce production times, and respond to the demand for increasingly compact and complex devices, laying the foundations for a more agile and competitive industry.

La entrada Key trends in soldering and adhesives for advanced electronics se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

Collaboration with technology leaders

The day, with the collaboration of Essemtec, Henkel, Indium, Eurecat and the Functional Print Cluster, combined technical presentations, live demonstrations and a guided tour of the Eurecat facilities.

The aim was to provide a space where attendees could discover innovations, interact with experts and share experiences. In addition to the presentations, technical materials and documentation were provided to facilitate the application of what was learned in their own production plants.

Demonstration of the Essemtec All-in-One

The day also included a live demonstration of the Essemtec All-in-One machine, connected from Switzerland, showing its ability to combine dispensing, pick & place, rework and inspection in a single modular machine.

A proposal that aroused great interest due to its applicability in low-volume production and high customisation, especially for prototyping departments and companies with a need for short series and quick changeovers.

Opinions and experiences of the attendees

Participants highlighted the dynamic format and the value of interactions:

“A meeting point for technical experts from the printed electronics related industry,” commented one attendee, who highlighted the networking as one of the most enriching points.

Other attendees highlighted the possibility of learning about real use cases and exchanging ideas with representatives from different sectors, from automotive to health.

With the success of this edition, Nufesa is already preparing new technical conferences that will continue to bring innovation and knowledge to the electronics sector, with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of the industry through training and technology transfer.

Don’t miss the video summary of the event:

La entrada Nufesa All-in-One Technical Conference: a meeting for electronics professionals se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

We invite you to an ALL IN ONE: The Flexible Solution to introduce you to Essemtec ‘s solutions for rigid and flexible circuit manufacturing which incorporate dispensing, component assembly and inspection in a single innovative solution for multiple applications.

In this exclusive conference you will discover how to improve your projects with the most innovative solutions on the market:

• Essemtec ALL-IN-ONE: Meet the innovative all-in-one solution for rigid and flex circuit manufacturing. With dispensing, component assembly and inspection in a multifunctional equipment for multiple markets (with Lorenzo Lorenzoni, Senior Area Sales Manager).
• State-of-the-art materials: Presentation of conductive and structural adhesives from HENKEL (with Stieven Josso, Application Engineer) and the best solder pastes for precise dispensing from INDIUM (with Angelo Marques, Application Engineer).
• Applications in the market: Learn how to use these materials to address the specific demands of your industry with the creators of Essemtec’s ALL-IN-ONE solution and the manufacturers of the products.
• EURECAT Foundation Experience: Discover the applications of these products in the development of unique solutions for advanced electronics (with Daniel Fernandez (Functional Printing & Embedded Devices Unit Researcher).

SPACES ARE LIMITED! DON’T MISS IT!

📅 Two dates to choose from: July 2 and 3
🕒 Time: 9:00 – 14:00
📍 Parc Tecnològic del Vallès | Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona

La entrada Discover the technical conference “ALL-IN-ONE: The Flexible Solution” by NUFESA – July 2 and 3, 2025 se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

Project awarded within the support program for AEI in the 2024 call for proposals. The deadline for completion is set between August 2024 and July 2025. The entities and companies forming the project consortium are 2 clusters; SIVI Cluster and Functional Print Cluster and 4 SMEs: Aspace Salamanca, Ceteo, Instituto de Ciencias Salud de Castilla y León, Centro Stirling and Nufe belonging to the communities of Castilla y León, Navarra and Cataluña.

The PLAIISENS project started a few months ago; it is the continuation of a work already carried out in a first phase with PLAISENS, presented and developed in a previous call for AEIs in 2023. This is a necessary and strategic extension to ensure the overall success of the project, consolidating its impact in the field of health and health technology.

The first phase of the project focused on the research to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for the subsequent development of a sensorized platform for the detection of body pressure of the person in ventral and dorsal decubitus, as well as in sedentary position, associated with the generation of a software that collects this data for evaluation and decision support for the health professional.

PLAISENS investigated to provide greater objectivity to these data to provide a reliable tool to assess the risk of developing postural alterations and psychomotor retardation, the evolution of these alterations in the context of the maturation of the central nervous system (CNS) and the efficacy and effect of specific therapeutic actions at specific times, based on achieving increased symmetries in the supports to improve the postural and orthopedic situation of the patients.

The application of technologies based on capacitive and resistive sensors, which will be printed using electronic printing technologies, was studied with the aim of making it possible to manufacture devices in the future in a simple and inexpensive way in order to deploy the use of these devices in the social and healthcare environment.

Now with PLAIISENS, the project faces the challenge of investigating the application of 4.0 technologies for the future development of a sensorized platform available to health personnel for the early diagnosis, evaluation and monitoring of patients, especially children and young people, with motor disabilities and/or postural alterations. 

This second phase of the project aims to address both technological and clinical challenges. The objective of this project is to research and develop a technological solution on 3D surfaces based on the joint use of 4.0 technologies of electronic printing, sensorics and artificial intelligence as a demonstrator of the capabilities of the technology, focused on extracting objective data relating to the posture of the person in both decubitus, to detect the risk of developmental disorders in the first year of life, as well as to associate the data of the posture in both decubitus with the development or evolution of deformities in population with neuro-musculoskeletal pathology in infant-juvenile age and to analyze the ethical-legal conditions necessary to implement the technological solution in clinical practice.

The entities that are part of this initiative are Aspace Salamanca, an association of parents of people with cerebral palsy and related encephalopathies of Salamanca; Ceteo, an orthopedic expert in accessibility, orthotics, prosthetics and custom-made products; ICSCYL, Institute of Health Sciences of Castilla y Leon; Centro Stirling, the R&D&I unit of Mondragón Componentes; Nufesa Electronics, a pioneering company in the supply of products and accessories in the electronics and microelectronics market; and the associations AEI Cluster SIVI, the cluster of innovative solutions for independent living, and Functional Print Cluster, a cluster association for functional and additive printing.

The PLAIISENS project: Sensorized Intelligent Platform (File No.: AEI-010500-2024-233), budgeted at 334,469.00 €, is financed with 252,745.00 € by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, through the support program for Innovative Business Groups (AEI) 2024, with the aim of improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

La entrada PLAIISENS Project: Sensorized intelligent platform se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

Specifically in Zumaia where we have been able to enjoy spectacular landscapes, incomparable gastronomy and where we have enjoyed, laughed and shared experiences as a team outside the offices and which has reminded us that we are not only a team, but a family.

That despite the losses, difficulties and adversities, we are always united, and this is the strength of NUFESA. Thanks to all of you who have made this celebration possible! 🙌

La entrada 45 years of Nufesa Electronics se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

We took the opportunity to show you the RAPIDSHAPE equipment for 3D printing and also to show you the range of products for low pressure injection of TECHNOMELT (HENKEL).

It was a great opportunity to be with our customers and represented in this new space which you are invited to visit.

Thank you all for your support and we look forward to seeing you next time! 🙌

NUFESA TEAM

La entrada We present a video summary of the event on 3D printing materials. se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

A great week visiting in Shenzen the factory of our partner SEAMARK, leader in X-ray and rework equipment.

We had the opportunity to see the new X-ray battery inspection equipment and, in addition, we received training on the upcoming XRAY 3D inspection equipment to be approved.

From their wide range of XRAY inspection solutions, we were introduced to the new AXI in-line inspection equipment as well as the new solutions for automatic rework equipment with self-cleaning and self-deposition of paste.

If you would like to receive more information about them, please do not hesitate to contact us.

La entrada We visited the SEAMARK factory in Shenzhen. se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

La entrada SEMINAR ON 3D PRINTING MATERIALS se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.

PLAISENS (Sensorised Intelligent Platform) aims to investigate the application of 4.0 technologies for the future development of a platform that can be used by social and healthcare professionals for the early diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of patients, especially children and young people, with motor disabilities and/or postural alterations.

The project aims to explore a technological solution based on the joint use of electronic printing, sensors and artificial intelligence as a demonstrator of the capabilities of the technology.

The PLAISENS project aims to achieve the following objectives in two phases (two years): General objective:

• To explore a technological solution based on the joint use of 4.0 technologies of electronic printing, sensorics and artificial intelligence as a demonstrator of the capabilities of the technology, focused on extracting objective data relating to the posture of the person in decubitus, which will enable the detection of the risk of suffering developmental alterations in the first year of life, or of developing deformities in the population with neuro-musculoskeletal pathology.
• Second year: Research on the implementation of the solution on 3D surfaces.

PLAISENS project details

Year: 2023

Financing:
Project supported by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, through the 2023 Call for Innovative Business Groupings, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

• Total budget: 274.256,00 €.
• Grant: 217.902,00 €.

Project partners:

The Cluster Soluciones Innovadoras para la Vida Independiente (SIVI), the Cluster de Impresión funcional y aditiva (Functional Print), ASPACE Salamanca, Centro Stirling, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid and Ortopedia CETEO and NUFESA Electronics.

La entrada Getting to know the details of the PLAISENS Project se publicó primero en NUFESA Electronics.