Jan 10, 2011 
IBL Technologies LLC, a division of IBL Löttechnik GmbH, announces that Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has purchased an IBL BLC-609 vapor phrase system.
The sale was facilitated by Torenko & Associates, IBL’s sales partner in the Southwest territories of the United States, in early December and became operational at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s Dallas facility on December 15, 2010. IBL’s Jochen Lipp, CEO, and Reyna Mora, executive administrative assistant, as well as Ron Torenko, president of Torenko & Associates, were present at the sale.
Lockheed Martin purchased IBL’s vapor phase system to replace an older hot air reflow oven. Vapor phase was chosen over a larger hot air system because of higher thermal efficiency, smaller footprint and lower power consumption. The IBL BLC-609 will be used in a low-volume/high-mix product development operation.
As a development operation, Lockheed Martin will be determining the uses of vapor phase in standard printed wiring assemblies, as well as in the development of leading edge board and assembly production technologies.
“It is a pleasure to work with our Lockheed Martin engineering counterparts. They are knowledgeable in reflow processes, and immediately recognized the advantages that the Soft Vapor option on the IBL machine offers. Controlling the peak temperature and not overheating the components is a definite advantage,” said Mr. Lipp.
The IBL BLC-609 offers precise control of the reflow operation using the Soft Vapor Phase. Using the IBL BLC-609, Lockheed Martin is now able to achieve the same profiles that it used in its hot air system, or use classic vapor phase profiles. The system is flexible enough to perform Sn/Pb or Pb-free soldering. The live temperature monitoring and documentation features also were a factor. Precise control, flexibility and feedback are crucial items in a development shop operation.
IBL has been the leader in Vapor Phase technology for the past 25 years. Its Vapor Phase Premium Series SLC/BLC has been designed for any type of soldering requirements and demands. It includes features such as Soft Vapor Phase (SVP) and Soft Vapor Temperature Control (SVTC) that provide customers with high flexibility as well as the ability to create custom profiles. The Vapor Phase Premium Series also provides repeatable and reliable processes every time due to the temperature control.
