Desktop Reflow Oven Now Available For This Assembly Process

Written By Admin on Sabtu, 30 Januari 2016 | 04.54

By James Russell


A reflow oven is used to attach electrical components to a printed circuit board, PCB. This is achieved with the use of solder paste. The process is a delicate balance of heating the solder paste just enough to attach the component or components, but the initial heat cannot be so high that is damages the components or the circuit board. The ovens are now available in the desktop reflow oven model. The prices range from around four to six thousand dollars.

This particular technology is called surface mount technology, or SMT. Sometimes these ovens are called pick and place machines. The floor models of reflow ovens are very expensive and take up a certain amount of floor space. The desktop versions allow for production of small pieces in small places.

The soldering process is highly sophisticated and must be managed with precision. Computerized electronic systems are in many of the products people use every day. Computers, calculators and cars are only a few. Robotic surface mount technology, SMT, is used in manufacturing many of these products.

The reflow process includes four heating stages, referred to as zones. These are the preheat zone, the thermal soak zone, the reflow zone and the cooling zone. The preheat zone involves a measurement known as the maximum slope. Generally, during this zone the temperature will rise at the rate of 1 degree C to 3 degrees C. If the temperature rises to quickly there could be damage to the components. Conversely, if the rise is too slow, evaporation of the flux in the solder paste will be incomplete.

Less than two minutes, the thermal soak is the shortest stage of this process. This stage activates the flux in the solder paste. The flux is a chemical cleaning agent which when activated creates oxide reduction on the pads and leads of the components. Just the right temperature is needed. If the heat is too low, the flux will not activate fully. Too high heat will cause the solder paste to spatter. At completion, thermal equilibrium must be established.

The next stage is the reflow zone. The highest temperature occurs during this stage. Precision still is necessary. As a guideline the rule is that the highest temperature must be 5 degrees C less than the degrees tolerated by the component with the lowest heat tolerance. At this time the solder paste liquefies as it reflows through the PCB and components to achieve metallurgical bonding.

During the fourth and last stage, the cooling zone, the entire assembly will cool and solder joints will become solid. In the previous stage the assembly was at its maximum heat. During this stage it will cool at the rate of about 4 degrees C per second. The PCB and the bonded components are now ready for the next stage of assembly in the manufacturing process.

There are several manufacturers of these soldering ovens. Some people in the market for a desktop model may already have sufficient knowledge of this equipment to make an informed choice. If you do not have the knowledge, talk to other professionals for advice and research at least three different brands before making your purchase.




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