SOLDERING FLUX SUBSTITUTE MANUAL

Solder paste is applied to the pads on a circuit board using either a jet application or a stencil. The circuit board is passed over a molten wave of solder which wicks up into the holes soldering the component leads in those holes. Here is how flux is applied for the different soldering processes: As such, flux is an integrated part of soldering, and its application is considered to be part of the entire process. The job of the flux is to prepare the surfaces for soldering, and then protect those surfaces during soldering as well.

SOLDERING FLUX SUBSTITUTE MANUAL

Manual hand soldering technicians usually use a wire or ribbon of solder to work with.Īs we discussed earlier, the complete soldering process involves both the solder and the flux to create good solid solder joints. Solid bars are used for applications that require a large reservoir of molten solder, while solder powder and paste are used for reflowing under surface mount leads. The solder that is used for circuit board assembly has to conform to the standards set in IPC J-STD-006 and is available in different forms depending on how it will be used. Since the molten solder has a lower melting point the metals it is joining, it provides a strong metal-to-metal joint without causing any harm to the board or the components after cooling. The solder is used as a metal filler between the metals to be joined and is heated until it melts. Solder is the adhesive material used when two metals need to be joined together, such as component leads and their corresponding pads or holes on a printed circuit board. PCB Solder and How it Works Together with Flux

Now that we’ve introduced you to flux and how important it is to the process, let’s look at the PCB solder itself. The solderability of the metals that are going to be joined.Which solder process is going to be used for the PCB assembly.The density of the component placement on the PCB.The type of printed circuit board that is being assembled.The no-clean fluxes do not need any special cleaning for performance, and any visible residue can be cleaned as desired.įlux is available in liquid, paste, and solid forms, and there are different factors that go into deciding which type of flux should be used. These residues if not removed would continue their activity and cause corrosion of the board while it was in operation. After the soldering process, the rosin and water-soluble fluxes need to be chemically cleaned to remove any excess flux residue that remains. There are three different categories of fluxes used to solder electronics according to IPC J-STD-004B, Rosin and Rosin Substitutes, Water Soluble, and No-Clean. Solder flux not only removes these different contaminations, but it also helps promote the wetting of the molten solder between the metals and protects the surfaces from re-oxidation during soldering. In order to remove this contamination, it is vital that the board be cleaned with flux prior to soldering. This contamination can prevent the soldering process from creating good solid joints between the circuit board metal and leads of the components that are being attached to it. The unprotected metal on your printed circuit board can become contaminated with impurities from handling, as well as from oxides that form due to the metal’s exposure to air. While solder is used to assemble components onto your circuit board, the flux is used prior to assembly to prepare and help your board through the soldering process. What is Flux and What is the Difference Between Flux and Solder? Let’s take a closer look at exactly what these two materials are and the difference between flux and solder.

Just as with a magic show though, without flux, the solder couldn’t go on.

But in all of those phrases you never once hear the word “flux,” even though it is as equally important as solder in attaching a component onto a printed circuit board. We talk about soldering our circuit boards using wave soldering, solder reflow, selective soldering, and even good old manual hand soldering. When it comes to soldering a printed circuit board, there is a very similar relationship between solder and flux as there is to a magician and their assistant. Without them, the show couldn’t go on, yet they rarely seem to get the recognition they deserve. Magician assistants usually don’t get any billing but are in fact highly skilled actors, dancers, and on-stage performance facilitators. This allows the assistant to make the mechanics of the illusion work by flipping a switch, folding themselves up in a box, or opening a trap door, all while the attention of the audience is focused on the magician. Although the magician appears to be the source of the illusion, they are more often the showman drawing the attention of the audience. I am fascinated by a good magic show, but I’ve read that in a performance it is actually the magician’s assistant that does a lot of the work.

Soldering flux substitute