Bridging
Bridging turns up in 2 fields: thermal spray, PCBs. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Bridging in thermal spray
Coating that forms a continuous skin across the edge of a mask, so it tears or lifts when the mask comes off.
Defect at mask edges where the coating builds up over both the part and the tape or shield, joining them. When the mask is removed the coating tears unevenly or peels back from the edge of the coated area. It is prevented by using shadow masks held slightly off the surface, cutting the coating at the tape line, beveling the edge, and pulling tape soon after spraying.
"Bridging over the tape on the flange, pull it slow and score the edge with a blade first."
Bridging in PCBs
Solder defect in which solder joins two pads or leads that should be separate, creating a short.
Bridging is an unwanted solder connection between neighbouring pads, pins or traces. It shows up on fine-pitch ICs and connectors from excess or slumped paste, misprints, misplaced parts, missing mask dams and, in wave soldering, trailing pins with no solder thieves. AOI and X-ray catch most bridges, and repair is done with flux and solder wick or a drag tip.
"Bridging on the TSSOP pins 7 to 9, wick it, and tell the line to wipe the stencil more often."