The future of mixed technology is all
about smaller circuit boards with more complicated packaging. With the growing
popularity of SMT technology, through-hole technology is taking up less real
estate on a PCB assembly. But through-hole pins are still necessary for many
boards, and they still need to be soldered. While the process can be
cumbersome, many manufacturers have turned to selective soldering as a
cost-effective and precise way to solder through-hole technology.
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Offline Selective Soldering Machine Ant-I1
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Do you need a selective soldering system
China? There are various models on the market to choose from, and similar to
any tool, there is one right machine for the right operation. Some companies
merely need an entry-level ‘jack-of-all-trades’ machine, and others require a
machine to handle a particular component assembly operation expertly.
Whatever your requirements might be,
there are plenty of selective soldering machines to meet your needs. So, how to
choose one? It is best to consider first what the machine will be used for?
Consider Printed Circuit Board Size
First, consider the maximum size of the printed
circuit board that will be soldered in the machine. Is there only one size and
layout of the board that will be soldered? Or does your company produces a
range of them?
Most machines have adjustable tooling so
that the precise board size can be loaded and soldered by a selective soldering system China. However, certain machines come with
maximum board size that can be accommodated. Some may only be able to solder up
to a 12-inch by 12-inch square and others an 18 by 20-inch board.
First, you need to pick a machine that
can solder the boards your operation will be producing. Are additional boards
of different dimensions going to be produced in the future? Then, you may need
to buy a machine that will be able to handle future products as well.
If your machine produces multiple PCB
sizes, you should choose a machine with easily changeable tooling.
Soldering Method Is Important As Well
Keeping the soldering method in mind is important,
as well. There are numerous ways of selective soldering. Some machines
selective solder by blocking off sensitive areas and then reapplying the board
to wave soldering. Others use the laser soldering method.
Fountain soldering is also very common. The area and
components to be soldered are dipped in a fountain of molten solder. In the case
of a single drip wave soldering machine, the components are dipped or dragged
one-by-one. And in the case of a multi-dip wave soldering system, components
are dipped in multiple fountains. Single dip wave soldering is very precise,
and solder bridges are virtually eliminated. Multi-dip wave soldering is much
faster, as all components are soldered in a quick procession.
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Inline Selective Soldering Machine MAS-I2
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However, if producing multiple configurations of
PCBs, one needs to either change the tooling, flux, nozzles, and solder used to
begin producing the other products or must have multiple machines so that the
production can run uninterrupted.
Therefore, your company needs to keep the soldering
method in mind, to choose the one that best fits your production needs.
Is the Platform Flexible?
Flexibility is the second-most important element. Is
the system capable of using multiple nozzles, multiple flux types, multiple
tooling sets, multiple solder types, and multiple ranges of temperature? Is it
capable of extending pre-heating?
Also, is that something your operation requires?
Because some companies do not require much flexibility due to limited product
range. Other companies need to produce a wide variety of PCBs and need a selective
soldering system China capable of producing them all.
Adequate Support Is A Must
The amount of support is another vital element in
choosing selective soldering equipment, be it by the manufacturer or any
aftermarket suppliers of service labor, consumables, or parts. Because if you
cannot have it serviced when you need it to, or get consumables or parts for it
when you need them, what’s the point of risking your operational capability on
such a machine? That is why it is crucial to seek out equipment that can be
serviced or supplied quickly.
In the end, to find the right selective soldering
system China, you have to know your products. What kind of soldering needs to
happen and in what time-frame. Also, you need to know the range of operations
that the selective soldering machine needs to perform for your production
needs. Knowing all those things will help you choose the right soldering system
for you.
