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CertificationsReflow soldering is a process in which solder paste is used to attach surface components to a PCB, which is then heated through hot air or infrared light. The solder paste melts and flows, thereby electrically and mechanically connecting the components to the board.
Reflow soldering requires the use of specifically designed equipment, most importantly a reflow oven and a thermal profiling system to provide full monitoring of the process.
ConRo Electronics offers a wide range of reflow soldering equipment from major manufacturers such as Solderstar.
Conro Electronics is an authorized distributor for Solderstar.
Types of reflow soldering equipment
- Reflow oven: This device is used to heat the PCB assemblies during the reflow soldering process. Industrial reflow ovens have a conveyor belt that allows to heat a large number of PCBs at the same time. The oven then gradually cools down the assembly, ensuring that all components are securely soldered together.
There are two main categories of reflow ovens: 1) Infrared ovens generate heat through ceramic infrared heaters. 2) Convection ovens use hot air to transfer heat to the PCB. - Pick and place machine: These robotic machines are used to quickly place a large amount of surface-mount devices onto a PCB. Compared to manual placement, they provide much greater speed and accuracy.
- Thermal profiling system: A thermal profiling system is a device that measures the temperature of a soldering process and provides feedback to ensure the procedure is within specified limits. A thermal profiling system helps avoid two common problems with reflow soldering: overheating (which can damage components) and underheating (potentially leading to unreliable connections).
Advantages of reflow soldering
The reflow soldering process provides many benefits, including:
- Improved quality due to better wetting of the solder on the component leads
- Decreased risk of damaging sensitive electronic parts, since all components are heated evenly
- Reduced assembly costs due to higher yields and less rework
- Increased productivity due to faster processing times
