
Solder flux plays a crucial role in smooth implementation of soldering. Cleanliness of metal surfaces is the basic element ensuring soldering performance, depending on functions of solder flux. The wave soldering process is composed of four steps: flux spraying, preheating, wave soldering, and cooling.įlux Spraying.

It is carried out in a wave soldering machine (Figure 2). Wave SolderingĪs its name implies, wave soldering is used to combine PCBs and parts through a liquid “wave” formed as the result of motor agitation. Lead or lead-free soldering should be chosen according to specific demands of products for which assembled PCBs will be designed to work. is called lead soldering, while soldering with solder paste without hazardous substances is called lead-free soldering. Soldering with solder paste that contains hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, etc. When it comes to PCB assembly, soldering is applied through solder paste. Soldering is actually a low-temperature brazing, and its filler is called solder. Brazing refers to the process in which two pieces of metal are bonded together by heating and melting filler, or alloy, at a high temperature. Briefly speaking, welding refers to the process in which two similar metals are melted to be bonded together. Prior to formal comparison between wave soldering and reflow soldering, it's of significant necessity to understand differences among soldering, welding, and brazing (Figure 1). The differences among soldering, welding, and brazing. As the leading soldering technologies for assembly, wave soldering and reflow soldering have been most widely applied to high-quality assembly however, the differences between the two technologies continue to confuse many, and when each should be used is also vague. Compared with hand soldering, automatic soldering has been widely selected due to its merits of high accuracy and speed, and the demands of large volume and high cost-effectiveness. Soldering has played an essential role in determining the success of electronic products, since electrical connections derive from precise soldering. As contemporary electronics embrace light weight, increasing efficiency, and high speed, each link of the manufacturing process also conforms to this philosophy, including printed circuit board (PCB) assembly.
