Induction Soldering of PCBs with Soldering paste

The customer uses a manual solder process. The current time to join 7 PCB’s is 1 minute 45 seconds. It does not include the time to apply the solder paste and place the jumper across the PCBs in the paste. Our goal is to use induction soldering to reduce the cycle time while producing a high quality solder joint.

Equipment

UltraHeat UPT-S5

5 kW, 50-200 kHz

HS-4 Heat Station

Two-turn custom designed coil

Materials

• Soldering wire

• Soldering paste

Application of the solder paste with a stencil is recommended. This will provide improved process control, better repeatability, and avoid any residues.

Key Parameters

Temperature: 300° C

Power: 3 kW

Time: 14 sec for joining 7 boards

Frequency

200 kHz

Process:

Apply the solder paste on the pads of the printed circuit boards.

Place the copper jumpers in the solder paste across the pads of the adjacent PCBs.

Position the induction coil over the copper jumpers and pads.

Apply power to the UPT-S5, and heat for 2 sec. That’s the time to heat one joint, and join 2 boards.

Confirm electrical continuity of across the jumpers by testing LED’s on the printed circuit boards.

Results/Benefits:

Induction heating provides:

Strong durable joints

Selective and precise heat zone, resulting in less part distortion and joint stress

Less oxidation

Faster heating cycles

More consistent results and suitability for large volume production, without the need for batch processing

Clean and safe heat application, without pollutants