5 Key Steps of a Wave Soldering Process

Soldering is considered to be an important process in the electronics industry and happens to be one of the basic things that the concerned people should know about. Using this technique, it becomes easy to attach components to the printed circuit board in order to form an electrical connection. There are various kinds of wave soldering methods that can be used depending on the requirements and their application, such as hand, robotic, selective, and wave soldering. In this article, we will be discussing more on wave soldering. 

Wave soldering process, in particular, is an in-line process in which the bottom of the circuit board is treated with flux, preheated, and immersed in the solder. At the later stages, the board is cooled, and a machine is used to carry out the further process. Soldering machines that you will find today are available in different types, although their underlying principles and functioning remain the same. This particular technique is used for through-hole components and is essentially used when you want to process bulk components. In such a situation, it would be a much cheaper and effective method to produce soldering components at a much faster rate. 

Here are the main steps that are involved during the process of wave soldering. These steps need to be followed in order to ensure that the process is carried out efficiently, and the final product comes out to perfect well. Read below to know more about the wave soldering process and how it can be used to manufacture high-quality components.

Step 1 – Melting the Solder

Melting the solder is the first step involved in the entire process of wave soldering. The machine, in this case contains the solder in a tank, which is then heated to melt the solder. It is necessary to meet the required consistency at an appropriate temperature in order to ensure that the soldering process can be carried out further. 

Step 2 – Cleaning the Components

This is the next crucial step that needs to be carried out. The components that need to be soldered are cleaned in this particular step. In case any oxide layers are formed on the components, then they are removed from the surface. This entire process is carried out by fluxing, which can be either corrosive or non-corrosive, depending on the severity. 

Step 3 – Placement of the PCB

Once the solder is melted, and the components are cleaned properly, the circuit board can be placed on the solder. The board is held strongly with the support of metal clasps, which give it a firm positioning and placement.

Step 4 – Application of Solder

The molten solder is applied when the PCB is placed properly and given time to settle. In the process, it is ensured that no bumps are formed during the process.

Step 5 – Cleaning

Cleaning is the final step when it comes to wave soldering. In case there are any residues formed, they are cleaned in this step. Moreover, the circuit board is cleaned and washed using solvents and deionized water. 

With this article, you might have gained some important insights into the wave soldering machine process and how it is done. This particular technique is highly popular in the electronics industry due to the several benefits it has to offer when it comes to soldering specific components. As it can be used on bulk components, it saves a lot of time and effort of the manufacturers. This particular technique requires a lot of expertise and understanding of the soldering components in order to get it right. It is extremely important to avoid mistakes during the soldering session as it might spoil the PCB design.  Therefore, it is always important that you leave the task to the experts and ensure that the circuit board is properly managed. It is always best to consult well-known manufacturers to ensure that the components meet the right specifications and requirements as per the industry standards. With their assistance, you will be able to save a lot of effort and cost over the types of soldering methods, so it is advised that you seek their help whenever you are going forward with this process.