Six Sigma Services

For over 27 years, SIX SIGMA has been advancing lead finish and soldering technology for the military, aerospace, automotive, medical, and commercial microelectronics industry.

SIX SIGMA provides value-added services including lead finish for component conversions and solderability failure restorations and related testing. SIX SIGMA also provides ball attach, column attach, and failure analysis services for the semiconductor and printed circuit board assembly industries.

Russ Winslow founded Winslow Automation, Inc., in 1986. The original products were patented soldering fixtures (also known as solder pallets) for through hole and surface mount semiconductor components. These pallets were designed to adapt lead tinning of surface mount technology (SMT) IC’s to the high volume wave soldering process. In addition to pallets, Winslow also designed custom automation equipment for local semiconductor companies. The proliferation of SMT technology in circuit assemblies created a need to provide lead tinning of SMT components that could not be adapted to pallets or other methods of automated soldering. Recognizing this need led to the development of the FlexLine^® 4-Axis Robotic Solder Dip System.

In 1990, the business was expanded to include a service organization to process microelectronics through the hot solder dip process for our customers utilizing the FlexLine^® 4-Axis Robotic Hot Solder Dip System. This service organization is appropriately named SIX SIGMA because of our uncompromising attention to detail and our understanding that maximizing product yields through this step of the semiconductor assembly process is critical to our customers. (At the time, the term SIX SIGMA was barely known even in the most progressive quality oriented companies.) Winslow Automation, Inc. dba SIX SIGMA provides hot solder lead finish services and related testing services, and failure analysis services for the semiconductor and printed circuit board industries. Services like BGA ball attach, reballing, and column attach have since been added to fill a need in a niche market and continue to competitively position SIX SIGMA for growth and success in the microelectronics component finishing market. In 2008 SIX SIGMA achieved AS9100B & ISO 9001:2000 certification as well as DSCC Transitional QML Qualification.

Components processed by SIX SIGMA are found in applications that vary from the most sophisticated missile and satellite guidance systems, to commercial aircraft engine controllers, to automobile passive restraint systems, to life sustaining medical electronics. The first customer parts were processed in December of 1990 and SIX SIGMA has been a profitable and growing business since its inception. Today SIX SIGMA is a recognized leader in semiconductor lead finish, processing millions of high reliability semiconductor components each year. In 1998, the Ball Grid Array Preform was recognized by Surface Mount Technology Magazine as the 1998 Vision Rework and Repair Product of the Year. SMT Vision Awards recognize the people and products within the surface mount industry that serve as benchmarks for excellence. In 2001, the column attach service was recognized by Advanced Packaging Magazine for excellence in the interconnection category. Winning this award reflects SIX SIGMA's  diligence, innovation, and dedication to excellence.