Z-AXIS recently installed a new wave soldering machine that’s about 40% faster than the one it replaced. See it in action.
Wave soldering is a quick and efficient way to solder electronic components to printed circuit boards. Molten solder is pumped up through a nozzle, creating a wave of solder that the boards passes over.
When Z-AXIS recently retired its 21-year-old wave solder machine, we installed a new unit that’s about 40% faster. This Made in USA equipment wets a wider area and includes top-side heat for higher-quality boards.
We also measure the thermal profile with our new machine to ensure that boards are heated at the proper rate. We create a recipe for each board to ensure high quality soldering.
How Wave Soldering Begins
The process begins when boards are loaded into the wave soldering machine and held in-place by titanium fingers. Titanium is inert and won’t interact with or contaminate the solder.
Next, flux is sprayed onto the boards. This cleans away any contaminants and promotes wetting. Our new machine lets us select the type of flux and determine how much to use and exactly where to apply it.
Two Types of Flux
Z-AXIS uses two types of flux: no-clean and aqueous. No-clean flux leaves a little inert residue on the board Aqueous flux requires cleaning but is often used for high-reliability applications or where the board will be coated.
After flux is applied, boards move through three stages of pre-heating. This activates the flux and heats the board both top and bottom. Solder can then fill the board’s drilled holes, or barrels, completely.
Soldering Through-Hole and SMT Parts
Wave soldering is ideal for boards that have all through-hole components on one side, and for boards that have surface mounted parts and through-hole components on the top and nothing on the bottom.
The technology has improved over the years, and our new machine promotes greater efficiency by letting us run more meters per minute without any gaps between adjacent boards.
New Wave Soldering Machine is Investment in the Future
Our old wave soldering machine served us well and handled over three million boards, but the addition of this new equipment underscores Z-AXIS’ commitment to quality and investment in the future.