Part 1. Automated THT: Selective & Wave (setup, profiling, defects)
THT provides the mechanical reliability anchor on mixed boards, relying heavily on chemistry and fluid dynamics. This chapter focuses on mastering automated mass soldering for strong, void-free joints.
We detail the critical process elements:
- Pre-Soldering: The non-negotiable role of fluxing and preheat to ensure proper solder flow and chemistry activation.
- Mass Methods: Setup and profiling for both classical Wave Soldering (to prevent bridging) and high-precision Selective Soldering.
- Defect Triage: Linking common failures (solder balls, non-fills) back to specific process parameters for fast resolution.
Control the chemistry and heat, and you minimize rework.
3.1 THT-Friendly Design
Through-Hole Technology (THT) remains mandatory for mechanical stability (connectors, relays), hi...
3.2 Fluxing & Preheat Control
The perfect solder joint begins with chemistry and heat. Through-hole soldering is a high-risk th...
3.3 Selective Solder Programming
Selective soldering is the high-precision solution for mixed-technology boards, solving the probl...
3.4 Wave Solder Setup
Wave soldering is the original mass production technique, and its effectiveness is determined by ...
3.5 Common Defects & Corrections
Solder balls, non-fills, and bridging are often not defects of the solder wave itself, but failur...