Reflow Oven Changeover in a World of Short Production Runs

Reading time ( words)

A clear industry trend now spreading beyond the traditional North American and European markets is characterized by short production runs and frequent production line changeover. Improved technologies for line balancing, production planning, smart feeders, MES and more are being used more effectively to allow for faster production line changeover and less downtime. One obstacle tends to be the reflow oven. Having a $2 million production line sitting for 30+ minutes while waiting for a $40,000+ oven to stabilize on a new recipe will wreak havoc on profits. The goal should be instant oven changeover, and that goal is achievable in the majority of applications.

First, a few observations on the purpose of a reflow oven. I always ask process engineers the following question: What is the main job performed by the reflow oven? The answers tend to be to melt solder, solder the components onto the board and create a strong solder joint. All of that is true, but there is more to it. Clearly, we do not want a strong solder joint that cracked the component in order to achieve it. So the reflow oven needs to solder the assembly within the tolerances/process window set by the relevant solder paste, components and substrate.

Read the full article here.

 

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of SMT Magazine.

08/06/2019 | A. Prasad, L. Pymento, S.R. Aravamudhan, and C. Periasamy, Intel Corp.

This paper evaluates the current state of inline SPI tools from multiple vendors for solder paste measurement accuracy and capability. It discusses a measurement capability analysis that was carried out against a golden metrology tool across a range of volume deposits, and highlights the results from the study.

07/24/2019 | Adam Murling, Miloš Lazić, and Don Wood, Indium Corporation; and Martin Anselm, Rochester Institute of Technology

In the last three to five years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the use of low melting point alloys for SMT applications. Typically, the compositions are around the eutectic bismuth-tin alloy, perhaps with additions of other elements to increase the robustness of certain alloy properties. Now, there are several new products on the market and numerous ongoing reliability projects in industry consortia.

07/24/2019 | Neil Sharp, JJS Manufacturing

The electronics manufacturing process can often be extremely complex, and the costs associated with product recalls can be astronomical. A robust approach to test is key to ensuring the quality of your product and the satisfaction of your end user.