Soldering Apparatus Flat Wave Inert Gas Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current soldering apparatuses face challenges in efficiently soldering printed circuit boards with long leads in an inert gas atmosphere at low oxygen concentrations, leading to high costs and low productivity due to the need for large inert gas feed rates and complex transfer mechanisms, especially when using the flow-dip method.
Innovation Solution
A soldering apparatus with a solder vessel and overflowing pot forming a flat wave, integrated with a conveyor and casing that allows vertical movement to contact the wave, while maintaining an inert gas atmosphere through controlled nitrogen gas feed, reducing gas consumption and chamber volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flow-dip soldering method is used in an inert gas atmosphere, then soldering quality is improved, but inert gas consumption increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The soldering chamber is segmented into multiple zones with different inert gas flow rates. The chamber is divided into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, where the first portion receives higher inert gas flow to maintain low oxygen concentration for high-quality soldering, while the second portion receives reduced flow to decrease overall gas consumption. This segmentation allows different regions to have optimized gas flow rates according to their specific soldering requirements.
2Reliability
If a flow-dip soldering method is used in an inert gas atmosphere, then soldering quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor mechanism is physically integrated with the casing structure, combining two separate components into a unified system. The conveyor is mounted on guide rails that are part of the casing assembly, and the drive mechanism is incorporated into the casing structure. This integration simplifies the overall device by reducing the number of separate components and their associated mounting structures, while still maintaining the inert gas atmosphere for high-quality soldering.
3Reliability
If inert gas feed rate is increased to maintain low oxygen concentration, then soldering quality is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the soldering chamber are provided with different inert gas flow rates according to their specific requirements. The first chamber portion, where actual soldering occurs, receives higher inert gas flow to maintain low oxygen concentration and ensure high soldering quality. The second chamber portion, which may be for preheating or cooling, receives reduced inert gas flow since it does not require the same level of oxygen control. This local quality approach optimizes gas distribution to match actual process needs.
4Device complexity
If conveyor and casing are integrated, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor and casing are designed to move together as a unified system along common guide rails, maintaining constant relative positioning between the two components. The guide rails are precisely manufactured and positioned to ensure that the conveyor and casing remain in proper alignment throughout their movement. This equipotential design approach, where both components share the same reference framework, reduces the need for complex real-time adjustment mechanisms and simplifies the integration while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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
Enables high-quality soldering at low costs with reduced inert gas consumption, maintaining low oxygen concentrations and high productivity for both standard and partial soldering processes, including those with long leads, without increasing the soldering chamber volume.
Implementation Method 1
the surface tension of the molten solder is decreased
Implementation Method 2
oxidation of the regions to be soldered can be prevented
Implementation Method 3
the wettability of the regions to be soldered to the molten solder is significantly improved
Data Source
AI summary
A soldering apparatus including a vessel containing a molten solder, a casing defining therewithin a soldering chamber in which a flat overflowing wave of the molten solder is formed, a conveyor physically integrated with the casing for movement therewith and operable for transferring a printed circuit board through the soldering chamber, actuators and for vertically moving the casing, inert gas feeders for feeding an inert gas to the soldering chamber, and a controller for controlling the operation of the actuators and, so that the printed circuit board is contacted with the surface of the flat overflowing wave in an atmosphere of the inert gas during its passage through the soldering chamber.