-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
The Cost of Rework
In this issue, we investigate rework's current state of the art. What are the root causes and how are they resolved? What is the financial impact of rework, and is it possible to eliminate it entirely without sacrificing your yields?
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Rehm Launches Flexible 2-in-1 Solution for Reflow Soldering
July 27, 2015 | Paul Wild, Rehm Thermal Systems GmbHEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The desire for higher throughput and better integration of SMD lines require new technological solutions. In line with this, Rehm Thermal Systems has introduced a vacuum unit that enables convection soldering processes with or without vacuum – with only one soldering system.
Energy-efficient, low-maintenance and voidless, the new solution features two technologies—the convection reflow soldering system VisionXP+ and a vacuum chamber—that had been united to provide this new option.
As soon as the solder is molten—and while the solder is still in the optimum molten state—the VisionXP+ with vacuum option reliably removes voids and gas emissions. Void content of less than 2% can be realised with a vacuum between 100 mbar and 10 mbar (Figure 1a). For an exact setting of the process parameters the vacuum level is measured directly in the process chamber. Pressure gradient and the speed of the vacuum process can be set individually and profile parameters can be saved. The mechanical system construction allows to optionally use the vacuum or to apply it as a classic convection soldering system (Figure 1b).
Figure 1: X-ray images of a QFN44 solder joint following soldering process (a) with vacuum and (b) without vacuum with the VisionXP+ Vac system.
The vacuum chamber is installed (Figure 2) as an enhancement to the available peak zones. The integrated pyrolysis and separate filtering of the atmosphere extracted from the vacuum chamber makes maintenance and cleaning easy. The vertical travel range and automatic service positions of the vacuum chamber allowing good access to the internal mechanisms during maintenance periods and minimises downtimes and reduces maintenance effort.
Figure 2: A convection soldering system of type VisionXP+ Vac with vacuum chamber.
The system has a higher throughput by a second transport track and comes with a tripartite transport system: pre-heating/peak area, vacuum unit and cooling zone, and optional with a central support for particularly wide boards. Transportation speed in the cooling zone can be reduced, and cooling time of components can be extended to assure optimum temperature for the subsequent process steps.
All heating zones are regulated individually and thermally separated from each other to assure a stable reflow process, flexible pressure and temperature profile guidance. Figure 3 shows a temperature profile with the vacuum process switched on. With a very low vacuum of 10 mbar profile settings ≤3K/s heating, tL≤90s, TP≤240°C had been fulfilled. With the integrated heating in the chamber, the component temperature can be adapted to the most common standards.
Figure 3: Pressure and temperature profile of a soldering process with the VisionXP+ Vac.
In order to identify a suitable combination of condensation or convection soldering and vacuum technology, the individual aims should be analysed. Table 1 compares several important features of the two vacuum soldering procedures.
Table 1: Comparison convection and condensation soldering systems with vacuum.
Suggested Items
Indium Corporation to Present, Exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM
03/28/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation is set to present and exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM, one of Europe’s premier single-day electronics manufacturing forums, on April 17 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany. Topic areas for 2024 will include AI, automation, sustainability, and quality.
Reducing Nitrogen Consumption in Convection Soldering with Rehm Thermal Systems' Patented Mechatronic Curtain
03/28/2024 | Rehm Thermal SystemsCurrent developments indicate a need for larger throughput heights due to the trend towards e-mobility, which in turn increases nitrogen consumption for process inertization. Rehm Thermal Systems responds to this issue with an innovative solution: the mechatronic curtain.
Indium Corporation, Industry Partners to Showcase Products “Live@APEX”
03/26/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation®, in cooperation with its industry partners, will feature its proven solder solutions live on the show floor throughout IPC APEX Expo from Apr. 9‒11 in Anaheim, Calif., U.S.
ITW EAE Wins New Product Introduction Award for Electrovert® Wave Soldering Machine Deep Wave
03/26/2024 | ITW EAEITW EAE is proud to announce that it has earned a 2024 New Product Introduction (NPI) Award for Electrovert’s Deep Wave option for wave soldering machines. This new, innovative system provides the ability to pump up to a 20 mm wave height.
Mek's Next-Gen AOI Technology Takes Center Stage at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
03/19/2024 | MEKMek is excited to announce its presence at IPC APEX EXPO, North America's largest electronics manufacturing event, in Anaheim, California, from April 6-11, 2024. Attendees are invited to visit Mek at booth #1433 to explore the latest AOI technology offerings.