SMT Reflow Soldering Oven: Efficiency And Profitability
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is a technology of soldering electrical components onto the pre-printed circuit boards. In order to make the whole process possible, SMT reflow soldering oven is usually used. This is a machine that employs high level of technology and bonding principles in its functionality. It is very complex but offers reliability and better alternative in the field of electrical assembly. This comes with advantages such as reduced board cost, controlled manufacturing and assembling process and reduced material handling.
This attaching electronics to PCB requires heating of soldering paste so that it attaches electronics on the pad on solidifying. This requires a complicated and an efficient technique, and there currently better technology to do this than an SMT reflow soldering model.
It involves joining of electrical components on to contact pads with solder paste and heat. In the process of highly controlled heating that take place in the oven, solder melts in the right position and permanently join the electrical components on PCB in the process.
SMT soldering ovens are designed with specific zones, stages which numbers to a total of four. It all starts from the preheat zone. In this stage, the melting temperature of the solvent in paste is set. The time/temperature relationship also known as ramp is determined to help control heating in other zones.
At thermal soak zone, the components are exposed to heat for about 60-120 seconds. The heat produced at this stage should be enough to remove all the volatiles of solder paste. The reflow zone then takes over. At this stage, the components get exposed to the maximum possible temperature which is normally set a few degrees below the maximum temperature tolerable by the component with the lowest tolerable temperature. This reduces surface tension at joints, the result of which is the bonding between pads and the electronic components.
The 4th zone is the cooling stage where control cooling ensures that the components are correctly placed and fixed. In all these stages, both heating and cooling process is keenly controlled to avoid any thermal shock that may damage the components or the PCB.
The heaters in these types of oven are made of ceramic materials with various options through which heat reaches the heating zones. The heat transfer can either be through hot air (radiation) and infrared electromagnetic radiation among other alternatives.
These machines have gained favor with electronic assemblers for various reasons. These include simple methods of operating, faster production, high level of accuracy, produces much more component per unit time than any other method. In addition to this, depending on the model, it is possible to attach the components on both sides of PCB and there is efficiency in electricity utilization.
The revolution in technology has seen production of better SMT reflow soldering ovens with the latest ones being very efficient in energy consumption, capable of large volume of production thus reducing assembly and handling time and with better quality finished products which all translates to higher profits for the firm and better and safer electronics.
This attaching electronics to PCB requires heating of soldering paste so that it attaches electronics on the pad on solidifying. This requires a complicated and an efficient technique, and there currently better technology to do this than an SMT reflow soldering model.
It involves joining of electrical components on to contact pads with solder paste and heat. In the process of highly controlled heating that take place in the oven, solder melts in the right position and permanently join the electrical components on PCB in the process.
SMT soldering ovens are designed with specific zones, stages which numbers to a total of four. It all starts from the preheat zone. In this stage, the melting temperature of the solvent in paste is set. The time/temperature relationship also known as ramp is determined to help control heating in other zones.
At thermal soak zone, the components are exposed to heat for about 60-120 seconds. The heat produced at this stage should be enough to remove all the volatiles of solder paste. The reflow zone then takes over. At this stage, the components get exposed to the maximum possible temperature which is normally set a few degrees below the maximum temperature tolerable by the component with the lowest tolerable temperature. This reduces surface tension at joints, the result of which is the bonding between pads and the electronic components.
The 4th zone is the cooling stage where control cooling ensures that the components are correctly placed and fixed. In all these stages, both heating and cooling process is keenly controlled to avoid any thermal shock that may damage the components or the PCB.
The heaters in these types of oven are made of ceramic materials with various options through which heat reaches the heating zones. The heat transfer can either be through hot air (radiation) and infrared electromagnetic radiation among other alternatives.
These machines have gained favor with electronic assemblers for various reasons. These include simple methods of operating, faster production, high level of accuracy, produces much more component per unit time than any other method. In addition to this, depending on the model, it is possible to attach the components on both sides of PCB and there is efficiency in electricity utilization.
The revolution in technology has seen production of better SMT reflow soldering ovens with the latest ones being very efficient in energy consumption, capable of large volume of production thus reducing assembly and handling time and with better quality finished products which all translates to higher profits for the firm and better and safer electronics.
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