Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
Nolan's Notes: The Next Killer App in Component Manufacturing
Five-Star Reflow Recipes: Q&A With Rob Rowland
December 28, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Rob Rowland, director of engineering at Axiom Electronics, discusses his new IPC APEX EXPO Professional Development course on how to create a standardized methodology to accurately generate new reflow soldering profiles. Attend Rob's course, "Reflow Profiling Simplified," to add to your technical knowledge and enrich your career, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22.
Q: Rob, tell us a little about the Professional Development class you’re going to be teaching at IPC APEX EXPO 2023.
A: Many years ago, I became frustrated using the trial-and-error method to create reflow soldering profiles. I wanted a more scientific and systematic approach to help me simplify the process of creating good profiles, so I started to learn more about the science of soldering.
I discovered that there are basically five elements that influence all soldering profiles: flux, solder, heat, materials, and surfaces. I studied each one of these topics in-depth to understand how they influence reflow soldering profiles. A better understanding of these topics enabled me to develop a standardized methodology for calculating conveyor speeds and determining reflow oven zone temperature settings for various board sizes.
In this class, I’ll explain how I approached this work to help others develop similar methodologies for creating their own reflow soldering profiles. My presentation also includes the basic reflow profile recipes I have been using for the past 20 years.
Q: Why should someone attend your class?
A: This class will help you develop a systematic approach to creating reflow profiles by teaching you the physical and chemical properties that influence the reflow soldering process. This class will also help you fine tune this process and demonstrate how to troubleshoot various problems that occur during reflow soldering.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in getting an accurate reflow profile?
A: Conveyor speed and zone temperature settings are the adjustable parameters of a reflow profile. Figuring out how to calculate conveyor speed and determine zone temperature settings is challenging if the basic elements of soldering (flux, solder, etc.) are not well understood. For example, flux depletion during reflow soldering can be a big problem if flux chemistry behavior is not accurately anticipated. Flux depletion is directly related to conveyor speed.
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you would give your attendees?
A: Soldering profiles should be based on the physical and chemical properties that influence the soldering process, not developed by trial and error.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: I enjoy teaching because I always learn something new, so I’m looking forward to presenting this class at IPC APEX EXPO.
This article originally appeared in the December 2022 issue of SMT007 Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Indium’s Karthik Vijay to Present on Dual Alloy Solder Paste Systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference
05/06/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Technical Manager, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Karthik Vijay will deliver a technical presentation on dual alloy solder paste systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference, May 20-22 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
SolderKing Achieves the Prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade
05/06/2025 | SolderKingSolderKing Assembly Materials Ltd, a leading British manufacturer of high-performance soldering materials and consumables, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise, one of the UK’s most respected business honours.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
05/07/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileIn electronic assemblies, the integrity of connections between components is paramount for ensuring reliability and performance. Gold embrittlement and dissolution are two critical phenomena that can compromise this integrity. Gold embrittlement occurs when gold diffuses into solder joints or alloys, resulting in mechanical brittleness and an increased susceptibility to cracking. Conversely, gold dissolution involves the melting away of gold into solder or metal matrices, potentially altering the electrical and mechanical properties of the joint.
'Chill Out' with TopLine’s President Martin Hart to Discuss Cold Electronics at SPWG 2025
05/02/2025 | TopLineBraided Solder Columns can withstand the rigors of deep space cold and cryogenic environments, and represent a robust new solution to challenges facing next generation large packages in electronics assembly.
BEST Inc. Reports Record Demand for EZReball BGA Reballing Process
05/01/2025 | BEST Inc.BEST Inc., a leader in electronic component services, is pleased to announce they are experiencing record demand for their EZReball™ BGA reballing process which greatly simplifies the reballing of ball grid array (BGA) and chip scale package (CSP) devices.