Lawrence Leroy Kneisel

Inert gas wave soldering evaluation

Production modules were soldered using adipic acid/isopropanol as a flux and atomized formic acid to further enhance oxide reduction over the molten soldered module. The objectives of the evaluation were to assess system capability, measurable performance versus conventional wave soldering equipment performance, and environmental impact. The system capability for overall machine performance, from belt speeds to repeatable solder heights and solder joints, has demonstrated the effectiveness of inert gas soldering over current conventional soldering technology. The inert gas system performance versus conventional process performance using production level product has demonstrated the feasibility the system has for production implementation by lowering the solder defect rate by a fourfold improvement. The positive environmental impact of inert gas soldering consists in reductions in volatile organic compounds, lead, and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions. Cost comparison of inert gas soldering to conventional wave solder systems is very favorable when total costs of the cleaning machines with CFCs and floor space are compared.<<ETX>>