Uneven Solder

Say goodbye to uneven solder new vapor machine delivers uniformity on all components.

HCR-Electronics recently put into production its first rehm vapor reflow oven. this latest investment further improves the company’s ability to provide engineers with the highest quality assembled circuit boards through more uniform solder applications.

The conventional process of solder application involves air heating in solder ovens. the downside of air heating is it creates temperature gradients across the board, resulting in non-uniform melting of the solder. additionally, temperatures often need to be raised for hidden or internal joints, which then overheats external connections. another problem is that the oxygen in the air can create discolorations and inhibit performance.

Vapor reflow ovens offer a better approach. first, the boards are inserted into the chamber and the oxygen is evacuated. next, a chemical called galden is brought to a vapor by raising the temperature, similar to steam from water. this vapor is inserted into the chamber where all components, regardless of size or mass, are heated at the same temperature. consequently, using a vapor solder process helps prevent problems such as solder thieving, solder bridges, and insufficient solder on joints.

“when we have boards with disproportional-sized components, we now can be assured the best solder joints possible,” said Gary Klappstein, operations manager at HCR-Electronics. “considering the vast array of board complexities advanced assembly addresses every day, the addition of vapor soldering is an important step in ensuring maximum quality each and every time.”