Heating Zone Control Device for Reflow Soldering

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Solution Overview

Problem

In reflow devices used for soldering, the existing technologies waste power as they maintain all heating zones at different temperatures simultaneously, leading to inefficient heat-up processes due to fluctuations in heat-up time caused by residual heat, environmental changes, and heater degradation.

Innovation Solution

A control device that monitors the temperature of at least one heating zone and adjusts the heat-up starting time of subsequent zones based on the temperature of the first zone, reducing unnecessary power consumption by synchronizing the heat-up times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If heat-up starting time of each heater is set by previously measured values, then total current of heaters is reduced during heat-up process, but heat-up time fluctuation causes wasted power consumption in heating zones that reach temperature too early

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidheating efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device monitors the actual temperature of each heating zone in real-time and dynamically adjusts the heat-up starting time of subsequent zones based on this feedback. When a heating zone reaches its target temperature, the system receives feedback and delays starting the next zone's heat-up, preventing wasted power consumption while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static, pre-measured heat-up timing to dynamic, real-time adjustment. The heat-up starting time of each heater is no longer fixed but is continuously adjusted based on the actual temperature status of previous zones, allowing the system to adapt to fluctuations in heat-up time caused by residual heat, environmental changes, or heater degradation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If all heating zones are heated simultaneously to different setting temperatures, then each zone reaches its target temperature, but power is wasted in zones that reach temperature before others are ready

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature control accuracyVSAvoidwasted power

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary heating of zones in a controlled sequence rather than simultaneously. By using monitoring feedback to determine when each zone is ready, the system prepares subsequent zones to start heating at the optimal moment, ensuring temperature control accuracy while eliminating the waste of heating zones that are not yet needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If heat-up starting time is fixed in advance, then control is simple, but heat-up time fluctuations due to residual heat, environmental changes, or heater degradation cause synchronization errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol system complexityVSAvoidheat-up time synchronization

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring unit provides real-time temperature feedback that allows the control device to detect heat-up time fluctuations caused by residual heat, environmental changes, or heater degradation. This feedback mechanism maintains reliability without significantly increasing system complexity, as it uses simple temperature threshold detection to trigger timing adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach reduces wasted power consumption by ensuring that heating zones are heated efficiently, even when heat-up times fluctuate due to environmental changes or heater degradation, by starting the heat-up of subsequent zones only when the preceding zone has reached a predetermined threshold temperature.

Implementation Method 1

a monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature of at least a first heating zone in the plurality of heating zones

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature monitoring:

Implementation Method 2

the heat-up of at least a second heating zone is started... by previously measured value, and the heat-up starting time of each heater is set

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS9535433B2Control device, heating device control system, control method, program, and recording medium

Publication Date: 2017.01.03 OMRON CORP

AI summary

A control device that controls a heating device having a plurality of heating zones, has a monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature of at least a first heating zone in the plurality of heating zones, and a control unit configured to perform heat-up starting control, in which heat-up of at least a second heating zone is started in the plurality of heating zones, based on the temperature of the first heating zone.