A revolution in wave soldering
A revolution in wave
soldering
by Peter Grundy, ITM Consulting, Sussex, United Kingdon
In recent years there has been much by the process.
In the continuous improvement emphasis placed on efficiency drives, as wit-
• A single, hollow, high-speed solder
(CI) manufacturing system,
nessed by such things as lean manufactur-
wave is active enough to force solder
processes are constantly evalu-
ing or 6 Sigma manufacturing. These are
into all the wettable places needed
ated and improved in light of
admirable methods of enhancing overall
to create good solder joints without
their efficiency. This holds true
efficiency in factories and they should con-
shadow effects, but it is also gentle
in nearly all areas of electron-
tinue. The term ‘continuous improvement’
enough to not create bridges. It does
ics manufacturning, save one:
amplifies the need to ever-improve. not need to run at an angle, so it can
So why has wave soldering not devel- be fitted to a machine with horizontal
wave soldering. Today’s wave
oped much? It’s true that it is a stable and
conveyors. The result is highly efficient
soldering machines still use the
mature method of manufacturing, but
perfect quality solder joints.
same basic format as machines
that is no reason for it not to develop. For
developed many years ago, and
many years, even decades, wave soldering
output
they still cover the same large machines have adopted the same basic
• All equipment should be able to run
footprint. It is time for a revolu-
format of twin waves, angled conveyor and
at maximum efficiency all of the time
a compromise speed through the flux,
so that the maximum output from the
tion in wave soldering.
lowest floor space can be achieved, and
preheat and solder sections. The process is
wave soldering is no exception. If the
not ideal.
cost of output per square metre of floor
All modern factories need maximum
space is less than €1 then the system is
Keywords: Wave Soldering, output from minimum floor space, to-
moving towards sensible efficiency.
Continuous Improvement,
gether with minimum running costs. This
applies to all equipment used by manufac-
• Many companies need these high “spe-
Efficiency
turing, wave soldering included. Tradition-
cific outputs” even though they often
do not run at such rates all the time,
al soldering machines tend to be huge and
so the ability to offer high productivity
relatively expensive per square metre.
along with flexibility is a key attribute.
The time was ripe for a development
that embodies all of the requirements
Flexibility
listed above. Enter, THE modula wave with
• Modern manufacturing requires the
its small footprint, small running costs,
ability to be able to tackle anything the
low cost of ownership and high output
designer creates. Sometimes designers
capability. Other non-soldering equipment do not understand proper DFM, but
suppliers have managed to achieve this, but often they have no choice other than to
the wave soldering world was left behind design something that is known to be
until Kirsten Soldering developed THE
very difficult to manufacture. A flexible
modula wave.
wave soldering system will allow the
ability to handle a very wide range of
process
thermal masses, sizes of PCB and vari-
• No compromises. The product is given
able programmes.
the optimum conditions for fluxing, • It is very rare for a manufacturer to be
preheat and passage over the solder able to specify and buy a manufactur-
wave. The modularity of the machine ing system that is exactly right for all
allows its conveyors to be programmed circumstances over a long period of
to either move the product at a speed time. Almost inevitably, today’s produc-
necessary for the flux or solder or to tion equipment will be insufficient
move at maximum speed into one for tomorrow’s production because of
or more preheaters to dwell for long component changes or new designs
enough for the flux to act and the being necessary for company survival.
product to absorb enough heat to make Any system that can be extended and
the solder process work without defect. adapted to new needs will have an
Each of the modules can run indepen- advantage over its rivals.
dently at whatever speed is demanded
24 – Global SMT & Packaging – June 2009 www.globalsmt.net
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