Cranston, Rhode Island USA. AIM Solder is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming APEX Expo 2026. APEX takes place March 17-19 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. As a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, AIM will be showcasing cutting-edge soldering materials. These include the innovative REL61 alloy.
AIM designed REL61 as a drop-in replacement for SAC305. By reducing silver content and incorporating a small percentage of bismuth, REL61 delivers performance equal to or better than SAC305 across all metrics at a much lower price point. With silver prices reaching record highs, there’s never been a better time to switch. Mid- to large-scale manufacturers have already saved hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by converting to REL61. In production for over a decade, a broad range of electronics manufacturers have adopted REL61. This product is available in bar, solid and cored wire, and solder paste for use across all assembly applications.
Technical Conference Presentation
AIM’s Gayle Towell will be presenting at the accompanying technical conference. Her paper is titled “Rethinking Area Ratio: A Physics-Based Model for Predicting Solder Paste Transfer Efficiency for Thin Stencils”. This presentation will take place in session #17 SMT Process 2: Stencil & Print Quality on Wednesday, March 19th from 2:00-5:30pm.
Abstract: Area ratio (AR) has long been the industry standard for predicting solder paste transfer efficiency (TE) and guiding stencil aperture design. However, as electronics manufacturing pushes toward ultrafine pitches and thinner stencils, inconsistencies in TE have emerged despite AR values being above the recommended 0.60 threshold. This study examines the theoretical foundations of stencil paste release, focusing on the interplay between gravitational forces (which scale with paste volume) and adhesive forces between paste, stencil walls, and substrate (which scale with surface area).
Here, an alternative model for variable AR limits that accounts for variations in stencil thickness is proposed. To test this approach, the model was applied to pre-existing experimental data obtained from previously published papers in which print tests with differing stencil thicknesses were used. Findings indicate that a stencil-thickness-dependent AR limit provides a more accurate predictor of TE across varying stencil designs and could inform future industry standards for ultrafine solder paste printing.
To learn and more discover all of AIM’s products and services, visit the company at APEX Expo 2026 at booth #2813. You can also visit AIM anytime at visit www.aimsolder.com.
About AIM
Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry. With manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world, AIM produces advanced solder products. These include solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products. AIM also offers specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. As a recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement. Moreover, AIM prides itself in providing customers with superior technical support, service, and training. For more information about AIM’s complete line of advanced solder products and global technical services, please visit www.aimsolder.com.