Different Ways to Choose the Best Low Temperature Soldering Material

Solders are made with a variety of alloys with varying melting temperatures, which typically range from 47 degrees Celsius to 1064 degrees Celsius. Low temperature soldering material is preferred for certain applications that require decreased operational costs. Likewise, it may help reduce materials, labor requirements, and energy, too. Low temperature solder material can eliminate the need to have two SMT steps. Likewise, it can be a wave soldering step to add value while ensuring lower total cost of ownership. Here are ways to choose the best low temperature soldering material:

•    Take note of the main key considerations – Factors like the temperature range of your components, the required thermal properties, and the device’s final operating temperature are crucial when choosing a low temperature soldering material. You also need to consider CTE mismatch and unique properties like lead-free.

•    Explore different types of soldering material – Reputable manufacturers typically offer soldering material in different varieties for various applications like low temperature processing and fine feature printing. Make sure that the product has low drossing rates and low oxides, excellent solderability, high purity, and good wetting. Some soldering materials are lead-free, while others contain tin-lead.

•    Consider the joining application – Low temperature solders may be used in many different joining applications. In cryogenics, for instance, pure indium metal alloy is used in the low temperature soldering material because it can maintain its malleability, even when liquefied gasses experience extreme temperatures. The metal is known for its excellent thermal conductivity and the malleability and softness lets it compensate for a CTE mismatch between various joined surfaces, including any rough surface.

•    A low melting alloy is recommended for thermometers used in food preparation, and in devices used in fire detection. Some electrical fuses may rely on low temperature soldering material to increase their safety.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Lead-Bearing Solder Paste

Solder pastes can be made using lead to help electronics manufacturers achieve higher yield and throughput, while lowering their total cost of ownership on many different applications. Lead solder paste can bond metal and electronic components permanently, and it is typically sold as tin-lead (Sn-Pb) solders, which are also known as ‘soft solders’. The product is commercially available, so it is easy to acquire, and the tin concentrations are often between five percent and 70 percent by weight. The higher the tin concentration, the higher the shear and tensile strengths of the solder will be.

Advantages of Using Lead-Bearing Solder Paste
•    The tin in lead-tin solders enhances the wetting property of the alloy, since lead has poor wetting qualities. This way, lead solder pastes have become a better alternative to solid solders, especially in printed circuit board assembly.
•    The melting point of a tin-lead solder paste is at 183 degrees Celsius (361 degrees Fahrenheit), making it safer for certain applications where the temperature is not likely to rise to that level and cause the lead to release toxic fumes.
•    In tin-lead soldering, lead solder paste enables higher and consistent print volume repeatability. Lead solder paste can be handy at the prototyping stage and for hobbyists, too.

Disadvantages of Using Lead-Bearing Solder Paste
If you are buying a lead solder paste, you need to make sure that the tin concentration is enough for the application. There are a few disadvantages to using lead solder paste:
•    It is not recommended for plumbing and food grade applications.
•    Lead-tin solder paste can dissolve gold plating, resulting in brittle intermetallics.
•    Lead solder paste can be poisonous and toxic, so you need to make sure that it is carefully formulated and manufactured. Consider buying lead solder paste only from a reputable and established manufacturer that has years of experience in formulating and making solder pastes in a wide range of alloys.

A Guide about Selective Soldering

Selective soldering can be a cost-effective means to assemble printed circuit boards using through-hole technology. Despite the increasing popularity of surface mount technology, through-hole technology remains preferred in certain applications, although they can be cumbersome. In that case, selective soldering may help simplify the process while ensuring cost-effective and precise results. Selective soldering may be necessary for parts that could get damaged by heat from the reflow oven, which is used in the SMT assembly process.

Types of Selective Soldering Techniques:

•    Manufacturers follow standard assembly processes in selective soldering. Selective aperture tooling over wave solder is a process where tools ignore areas that have been previously soldered by an SMT process. Hence, only the areas that are yet to be soldered are treated in the window or aperture. The PCB assembly is then delivered to the wave soldering equipment to finish the entire process.

•    Another type of selective aperture soldering is the mass selective dip solder fountain. It uses a special tool with apertures that lets the solder to be pumped through, and represents the areas that must be soldered. After soldering, the printed circuit board is delivered to a selective solder fountain and every aspect of the PCB’s selective soldering is conducted simultaneously.

Laser soldering is the latest process in selective soldering and it can import CAD-based layouts to be used in positioning the laser directly to solder any point on a PCB. It eliminates thermal stress while ensuring flexibility and high-quality and consistent solder joints.

The Pros and Cons of Using Lead-Bearing Solder Paste

With electronic engineering booming worldwide, there is continuous R&D efforts being put into the techniques and methods used for highly mechanized mass-production of printed circuit boards. This process can be daunting if the prerequisites are not falling in place. One such process is soldering, where solder paste, solder bars (or solder wire) and other electronic materials are used to manufacture high quality printed circuit boards. There are lead based and lead-free solder pastes used for PCB assembly. Here, in this blog, we will focus on the pros and cons of using lead solder paste for manufacturing of printed circuit board.

Pros -
1.    Lead-bearing solder paste has a low melting point, making it easy to form the joint nicely without damaging the parts of the circuit board.
2.    Because of low melting points, less heat is needed to get the job done, thus consuming less energy and indirectly helping you save on energy bills.
3.    Due to the advantage of the viscosity of lead solder paste, different types and kinds of solder paste can be formed depending on the particle size, shape and flux.

Cons –
1.    Lead is toxic, thus lead based solder pastes used for electrical connections are harmful for humans and for the environment.
2.    Joints attained by lead solder paste are weaker as compared to lead-free solder paste.
3.    Lead solder paste is a poor conductor of heat and hence a large percentage of the joint mass demonstrates electrical resistance.

With this evaluation of the pros and cons of using lead solder paste, it might be easy for you choose the best for your PCB manufacturing requirements.

How to Choose the Best Low Temperature Soldering Paste?

A solder is the most essential part of soldering process for manufacturing printed circuit boards. It has been invented for creating permanent electrical connections between various electronic components. Simply put, solders are fusible metal alloys consisting of different elements and combinations which are then used in different electronic device manufacturing applications. The right kind of solder paste helps to join two metal pieces during the PCB assembling process, and creates a stable bond between the different metal pieces. The most essential part is that these solder alloys are to be used in the right combination and at the right temperature as per the specifications of the printed circuit board being assembled. Let’s see how one can choose the right low temperature solder paste for their requirements.

Solder paste is made up of alloys comprising mostly of tin these days. Low temperature solders are easily fusible at temperatures generally below 200 degrees °C. The alloy you choose should take into consideration the chemistry of the surfaces to be joined and the alloy itself. Any adverse reaction should not be taking place at the selected temperature range.

# Unless otherwise stated in the PCB specifications, low temperature solder paste should be lead-free as per the latest norms notified by various authorities, as lead is a toxic metal, and can harm humans when absorbed through the skin. Even trace amounts of this metal can result in terminal health issues.

# Selecting the right low temperature solder paste also depends on the thickness of the board and the density of the alloy. Some printed circuit boards need to be manufactured with extremely thin widths on which high temperatures may have adverse effects.

Just keep these factors in mind and make the best selection of low temperature solder paste for your PCB assembly.

How to make a soldering alloy?

Solder alloys are frequently used for manufacturing machines, devices and electronic products. To quote their technical definition - a soldering alloy is an amalgamation various metals like tin, lead and other precious metals. It creates an alloy which has specific qualities and characteristics making it fit for machine use and electronic fabrication. Of course, these combinations are used in accordance with the desired properties needed form the solder alloy. One of the most widely used combination for soldering alloys is 60% tin and 40% lead, which gives a robust blend, has a diminutive melting range, and sets speedily.

Types of Solders

There are many kinds of solder alloys used for different machines and electronic equipment. Not all the solders are the same, therefore, choosing the right one for establishing the correct electrical connection is a big task. Usually there are three kinds of solder alloys – lead alloy solder, lead free and/or silver alloy solder. The most commonly used one is the lead alloy solder, as it permits lower melting temperatures which is beneficial for creating an effective bond between components on a circuit board.

How to make solder alloys?

To fabricate connections, you will first have to make the solder alloy ready for use in the process. The soldering process includes combining the filler alloys and other parent metals at the temperature of about 840ºF (450ºC) and above. Achieving purity is an important part of soldering alloys, thus one has to clean the components to be bonded to get a good connection. This is managed by using flux which is applied on the surface to remove impurities and prevent oxidation. The next step is forming the connection between components using the melted metal alloy. Always remember that placing a solder alloy on your machine is not like glue, it is a piece that assists in building a great electronic connection. Once the soldering alloy is in place, do not forget to investigate for errors.

In a nutshell, this is how soldering alloy is made to be usable for creating component bonds in an electronic circuit.

http://alphaassembly.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-to-make-soldering-alloy.html

Structure and Types of Cored Wires

Mechanical Engineering and electronics industry cannot be imagined without solid wires, fluxes, metals and various extraordinary devices that are involved to build meticulous and gigantic machines. From soldering to welding and brazing, everything involves the use of cored wires. These wires can be clubbed with various elements and metals in accordance with the machine/circuit to be built. Let us explore the structure and the uses of these significantly important components that are extensively used in modern electronics.

One of the most common components used in electrical circuits are flux cored wires. There are majorly two kinds of flux cored wires – gas shielded and self-shielded. Let’s check them out:

# Gas shielded flux cored wires - This variety is guarded with external shielding gas. The structure of gas shielded flux-cored wires enables the metal to solidify and coagulate faster than the metals used in welding processes. These cored wires work well during the process of welding metals with higher melting point. Slag removal in the process is also trouble-free. 

# Self shielded flux cored wires - Talking about the self-shielding variety, they do not need any external shielding of gas as mentioned above. This cored wire develops their own protective shield, making them easy to operate. They are often described as a ‘stick electrode that is inside out’!

Let’s see three main uses and advantages of cored wires –

•    They possess excellent mechanical features and corrosion resistance which is best for all welding metal applications.

•    They offer heightened moisture resistance for seamless connectivity making them perfectly suitable for use in many electrical appliances 

•    Cored wires are reliable and offer consistency in soldering processes, which can then be used in all kinds of applications.

You can look for a professional service provider who builds these magnificent cored wires for accurate welding and soldering processes in electrical engineering.

Information on Development in Photovoltaic Applications

Photovoltaics is a revolutionary technology that has changed the way many things today work. This technology has gained immense popularity in terms of green and clean energy. The most prominent application of this technology is seen in the form of solar cells which are being extensively used for production of power, all across the globe. The major advantage of using Photovoltaic technology is environmental preservation through production of clean energy. This blog post will offer more information on the development in Photovoltaic applications.

Understanding Photovoltaics
The basic principle of photovoltaics is rooted in semiconductors. There are some materials which react to light in a very special way (cadmium-tellurium, crystalline silicon, etc.). When light of a threshold strength strikes the surface of these materials, electrons are ejected (this is technically known as photoelectric effect in physics). This creates a cavity in the atomic structure of the material, which makes the rest of the electrons start “flowing”, which creates an electric current.

Application of photovoltaics

The above stated process forms the basis for production of clean energy. A lot of what happens in a photovoltaic system depends on the way that particular system has been manufactured. Since this involves constant exposure to light over a long period of time, the materials used to manufacture a solar panel need to be very rugged. In order to achieve a highly efficient and quality system, it is necessary to ensure that assembly of parts (right from the semiconductors of a solar cell to the panel) are assembled properly. Even the slightest mistake can cause drastic deviations in efficiency and life of a system. There are international standards, like the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which define the benchmarks of manufacturing quality of electro-technical products. For photovoltaic applications also, the IEC standards hold true. Manufacturers need to adhere to these standards in order for their products to be saleable in the market.

Knowing now how important proper assembly is, you may want to ensure that the products you procure have been manufactured with the best possible processes.