Applying unleaded solder paste and the initial chips

The very first stage of RAM production is applying solder paste to the blank PCB. In recent times, there has been a call for computer companies to start using totally lead-free products and TEAM is one of the many companies to stand up and listen.

Here is a close up of what a PCB looks like without anything installed onto it.

The machine below is responsible for applying the solder paste to the PCB.

The PCB is then sent on through to the next part of the SMT line.

At this point, the SMT will begin to place all of the tiny components onto the PCB.

As we mentioned in the introduction, TEAM make use of "high-speed" SMT lines. That means they are twice as fast as regular SMT lines. Many years ago we visited other memory factories and it's amazing to see how much Japanese robotics have improved over the years, in terms of the raw speed these machines can place chips on the PCB.

With just three high-speed SMT lines, which in theory are equal to six, TEAM Group is able to produce almost one million memory modules per month.

Now that the components are installed on the PCB, the RAM chips are ready to be installed.