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In a recent SMT007 survey, we asked the following question: "What are your greatest challenges when it comes to soldering?" Here are just a few of the replies, slightly edited for clarity.
Jon Ashton, Vergent Products: Selective soldering is not covered (as a process) by any specific IPC/J-STD document that I can find. The training, even from our equipment supplier, is prohibitively expensive. That makes improving the process harder than it should be. Regarding SMT PCBA design, there is a lot of bad data out there in existing CAD/CAM libraries, and the manufacturer’s datasheets are often the source of this bad information.
Jeff Vaessen, Borg Indak: Choosing the right tip geometry is the biggest challenge for any solderer. The right tip makes all the difference in the world.
Pongtip Pattarateerawat, Celestica Thailand: The wave soldering process is more challenging than the SMT reflow process, as there are a variety of PCB design and component considerations when it comes to wave soldering.
Yingyos Sookchai, SVI Public Co. Ltd: Achieving solder fillets with perfect wetting and avoiding damages to components.