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jeudi 22 mai 2014

A Look At The Reflow Soldering Oven

By Marci Glover


Everything you purchase today that is electronic uses circuit boards to keep them running. How these circuit boards are made demands use of complicated specialty equipment designed specifically for making the components for tablets, smart phones and virtually every other electronic devise available. One of the machines needed to create these mobile connections and ensure they work is the reflow soldering oven.

By placing a powdered solder mixture on the circuit board manufacturers can bond two materials. The boards are heated in ovens until the solder becomes liquid and will, when cooled, permanently bind the circuits to the board. To complete the process the boards and circuits must travel through four stages of heat and cooling. These stages are called zones by the manufacturers.

The preheating step is first on the list. This process determines a ramp up rate for the amount of heat that can be applied to the boards in question. When heat is applied too fast it can cause thermal shock to the components or boards. Thermal shock can cause cracking of components or boards and solder paste spattering. Conversely, heating too slow causes the flux in the paste to be incomplete.

The next step in the process is called the thermal soak zone. This is a process that is sixty to one hundred twenty seconds long and serves to remove excess paste from circuit leads and activate the oxide reduction process. Temperature is very important at this stage also to prevent the solder from being damaged or damaging other parts being processed. Thermal assessment of the entire board is done at this point prior to sending it to the next phase of production.

The reflow zone is also called the time above liquidus or TAL. This is the point where the highest temperature is reached. This is a very important component because it must not surpass the highest temperature that can be tolerated by the part most sensitive to thermal damage. The process takes approximately one minute and should be closely monitored to ensure the temperatures do not surpass the limit set for the piece.

Finally the cool down zone where the board gradually cools allowing solder to solidify. Although not as critical as the ramp up process an appropriate cooling process can also help prevent damage to the boards. Specialists recommend a rate of under five degrees per second for cool down.

This equipment can be large or small in size. Some of the more compact units are called surface mount technology because they can be seated on bench tops. Others are much larger and can measure over six foot in length. Nearly all of these units supply some means for technicians to monitor what is going on inside while the machine is working. Some provide windows and others allow for computer hook ups with USB outlets.

The importance of these ovens is seen every day in nearly every household in the country. People use electronics virtually everywhere they go whether it is to the office or school or driving down the road using a service to find your way. These ovens help provide the convenience of electronics that have become a way of life for many.




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