Processes
Assembly processes used in selective soldering include:
- Selective aperture tooling over wave solder: These tools mask off areas previously soldered in the SMT reflow soldering process, exposing only those areas to be selectively soldered in the tool's aperture or window. The tool and printed circuit board (PCB) assembly are then passed over wave soldering equipment to complete the process. Each tool is specific to a PCB assembly.
- Mass selective dip solder fountain: A variant of selective-aperture soldering in which specialized tooling (with apertures to allow solder to be pumped through it) represent the areas to be soldered. The PCB is then presented over the selective-solder fountain; all selective soldering of the PCB is soldered simultaneously as the board is lowered into the solder fountain. Each tool is specific to a PCB assembly.
- Miniature wave selective solder fountain(s): This typically uses a round miniature pumped solder wave, similar to the end of a pencil or crayon, to sequentially solder the PCB. The process is slower than the two previous methods, but more accurate. The PCB may be fixed, and the wave solder pot moved underneath the PCB; alternately, the PCB may be articulated over a fixed wave or solder bath to undergo the selective-soldering process. Unlike the first two examples, this process is toolless.
- Laser Selective Soldering System: A new system, able to import CAD-based board layouts and use that data to position a laser to directly solder any point on the board. Its advantages are the elimination of thermal stress, its non-contact quality, consistent high-quality solder joints and flexibility. Soldering time averages one second per joint; stencils and solder masks may be eliminated from the circuit board to reduce manufacturing costs.
Less-common selective soldering processes include:
- Hot-iron solder with wire-solder feed
- Induction solder with paste-solder, solder-laden pads or preforms and hot gas (including hydrogen), with a number of methods of presenting the solder
Other selective soldering applications are non-electronic, such as lead-frame attachment to ceramic substrates, coil-lead attachment, SMT attachment (such as LEDs to PCBs) and fire sprinklers (where the fuse is low-temperature solder alloys).
Regardless of the selective soldering equipment used, there are two types of selective flux applicators: spray and dropjet fluxers. The spray fluxer applies atomized flux to a specific area, while the dropjet fluxer is more precise; the choice depends on the circumstances surrounding the soldering application.
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