This book is intended to provide a highly indexed reference for the process engineer or assembly technician who is encountering a particular problem or would like to learn about how others have dealt with myriad SMT assembly issues.

After surveying and auditing hundreds (maybe thousands) of assembly facilities, lines and processes, Phil Zarrow and Jim Hall with ITM Consulting have seen a lot of "stuff" - good, bad and indifferent. That's what BoardTalk and this book are all about.

Ten years and 200 episodes of "BoardTalk with Phil and Jim" later, the "Assembly Brothers - Pick and Place" prevail. Thanks to [...] BoardTalk is heard all over the world ("Keep on Troubleshooting in the Free World"). The advice on those shows is still relevant and applicable today. This collected decade of "wisdom" cas been collected in this book. At the time of publishing it is the only book of its kind on troubleshooting electronic assembly processes, equipment and materials.

For each episode, Phil and Jim read and discuss the questions and their take on the problem off the air, but once they are recording it is unscripted, verbatim and recorded on one take. They occasionally disagree with each other but usually come to terms by episode end (and without incurring any violence). Each episode is based upon their experience and those of their wide network of friends and colleagues whom contribute an enormous wealth of experience and information.