-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC 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.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
New Products: Solders and Soldering Systems
June 23, 2009 |Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
These are the new hand soldering stations, solder pastes, wave solder pots and pumps, fluxes, and other products for the soldering process from companies such as Cooper Tools, Qualitek International, Henkel, ACE Production Technologies, FCT Assembly, Balver Zinn, and more.
Improved Solder Checkup ProgramThe Solder Check UP Program now includes analysis for SN100C, SACX, K100LD, and SN100E, in addition to the variety of pot alloys analysis already available. A periodic solder analysis is necessary to maintain solder pot integrity and avoid contamination, which could cause a variety of quality and solderability issues. A solder analysis is recommended every 30 days. The test comprises a 0.5 lbs sample, which is sent to one of the company's worldwide locations. Qualitek analyzes the sample and e-mails a report on the status of solder impurities as well as the level of tin. This report is designed to help identify solder joint or processing problems. To best suit customer requirements, there are several solder check-up programs for leaded pots as well as lead free. Customers have the option to purchase prepaid mailers at a discount or send solder samples through UPS or postal mail. Qualitek International Inc., Addison, IL, www.qualitek.com.
Lead-free, Water-soluble Solder PasteWS177 lead-free water-soluble solder paste features advanced print and reflow characteristics, including good solder spread and wetting, and IPC 7095 Class III resistance to voiding using both straight ramp and soak reflow profiles. WS177 is fully cleanable after two paste reflow cycles, with a wide cleaning process window. It is compatible with SN100C and SN97C alloys with Type 3, 4, and 5 solder meshes. It suits assemblers combating stencil life, shine or microcrack issues, and those using OSP, ENIG, immersion silver, and immersion tin PCB finishes.WS177 reportedly offers shiny SN100C solder joints, no residues, and excellent solder spread on all common pad finishes. It features high-volume repeatability with 16-mm-pitch QFP pads and 12-mm circles, as well as excellent response to one-hour pause, after two knead strokes at 35 to 65% RH. FCT Assembly, Greeley, CO, www.fctassembly.com.
The Weller WD1002T.
Hand Soldering StationThe Weller WD1002T microprocessor-controlled soldering station is based on the WD1002 station's control unit and the short tip-to-grip precision of its iron, but with the added benefits of a Weller Stop+Go safety stand with an integrated dry tip cleaner. The WD1002T increases safety and extends tip life by use of the WDH10T Stop+Go safety stand and the WD1 control unit. The Stop+Go safety stand features temperature offset, programmable setback levels, and adjustable temperature lockout. The soldering iron temperature automatically returns to setback when placed in the safety stand and returns to operating temperature when removed. To save bench space, a dry tip cleaner has been integrated into the Stop+Go stand. The use of the dry cleaner reduces surface oxide build-up and maintains the thermal efficiency of the soldering tip, allowing the soldering iron to operate at lower temperatures. The soldering station suits repair and laboratory environments as well as production, design, and R&D applications. Cooper Tools, Apex, NC, www.coopertools.com.
Henkel's Multicore LF700.
Lead-/Halide-free Solder PasteMulticore LF700 lead-free, halide-free solder paste reportedly reduces voiding in BGA solder joints, delivers a high tack force to provide stability during high-speed component placement, and offers long printer abandon times of up to 4 hours even when printed onto fine-pitch 0.4-mm CSP apertures. Solderability is good over a range of reflow profiles in both air and nitrogen. The paste is effective on several surface finishes including nickel/gold (Ni/Au), Immersion tin (Sn), Immersion silver (Ag), and OSP copper. Its low viscosity targets small- and medium-sized high-density PCBs. After 8 hours of exposure to 80% relative humidity (RH), Multicore LF700 exhibited excellent coalescence. Henkel Corporation, Irvine,k CA, www.henkel.com/electronics.
An ACE stand-alone system.
Stand-alone Solder Pots and PumpsSuiting low-volume soldering applications requiring more than a simple solder pot but not an automated or conveyorized system, the advanced solder delivery systems are designed for custom and stand-alone applications. Solder Pot and Solder Pump technology enables more sophisticated, controlled, and configurable batch soldering. This advanced solder pump technology is available in a stand-alone, multi-featured solder pot for a wide variety of applications including solder fountains for manual rework and manual lead tinning. OEM users have requested ACE solder pots, pumps and controllers for integration in custom manufacturing operations and soldering automation projects. Each solder pot includes a variable speed solder pumping system, standard or custom nozzles, inert atmosphere control features, and variable temperature control. Examples include a "Dynamic Wave" with nitrogen for wave soldering, and a "Flat Surface" wave with dross wiper and nitrogen for lead tinning. ACE Production Technologies Inc., Spokane Valley, WA, www.ace-protech.com.
Rehm offers parallel reflow processing with different profiles in the same oven.
Parallel Leaded and Lead-free ReflowThe Dual Lane Vision X Series convection soldering system enables simultaneous lead-rich and lead-free reflow soldering in a single system. Separate SMD production lines or continuous recipe changeover increases manufacturing costs and complexity. Based on the Vision Series convection soldering equipment, Dual Lane Vision X is a reflow soldering system offering two parallel processes. Equipped with two separate conveyor lanes, the system enables manufacturers to operate these lanes asynchronously at different speeds. Using this multi-track variant, manufacturers can also operate the two lanes asymmetrically with different lane widths. The two conveyors can be loaded with diverse PCBs printed with different solder pastes. The flexible heating system in the VX-Series makes it possible for the operator to select ideal reflow profiles for the different products on the two lanes for maximum flexibility and control. Rehm Thermal Systems, Blaubeuren-Seissen, Germany, www.rehm-group.com.
Cobar's 396-DRX flux.
No-clean VOC-free FluxCobar 396-DRX is a VOC-free flux that is RoHS-compliant while maintaining soldering performance. According to IPC J-STD-004, Cobar 396-DRX is classified as ORL0. It contains no halides and is based on a water carrying system that will provide advantages in transportation and storage conditions and eliminate fire risks, as well as being odorless. The thermally stable Cobar 396-DRX offers a wide process window with top-side preheat temperatures of up to 150°C. Due to the strong thermal resistance, this flux can be used in a range of applications, such as high thermal mass and heavy multi-layer products that require extended and higher soldering conditions. The Cobar 396-DRX activation system eliminates bridging and provides good through-hole filling for lead-free as well as leaded applications. PCB surfaces are reportedly clean post-soldering, with no visible residues. Cobar BV, a member of the Balver Zinn Group, Breda, Holland, www.cobar.com and www.balverzinn.com.
Tin/lead Water-soluble Solder PasteWS159 water-soluble solder paste features good solder spread and wetting, as well as print volume consistency down to 12-mm circles. It has IPC 7095 Class III resistance to voiding using both straight ramp and soak reflow profiles. WS159 is fully cleanable with a wide cleaning window. It works with 63/37 and 62/36/2 alloys with Type 3, 4, and 5 solder meshes. The paste suits assemblies with stencil life issues, post-cleaning residue/cosmetics issues, and cosmetic shine issues. It can be used on boards with OSP, ENIG, immersion silver, and immersion tin finishes. WS159 features high volume repeatability with 16-mm-pitch QFP pads and 12-mm circles, as well as excellent response to one-hour pause, after two knead strokes at 35 to 65% RH. FCT Assembly.