Global Sourcing Spotlight: Tariffs—The New Reality
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
Reflow Oven Changeover in a World of Short Production Runs
March 15, 2016 | MB Allen, KIC THERMALEstimated reading time: 1 minute
A clear industry trend now spreading beyond the traditional North American and European markets is characterized by short production runs and frequent production line changeover. Improved technologies for line balancing, production planning, smart feeders, MES and more are being used more effectively to allow for faster production line changeover and less downtime. One obstacle tends to be the reflow oven. Having a $2 million production line sitting for 30+ minutes while waiting for a $40,000+ oven to stabilize on a new recipe will wreak havoc on profits. The goal should be instant oven changeover, and that goal is achievable in the majority of applications.
First, a few observations on the purpose of a reflow oven. I always ask process engineers the following question: What is the main job performed by the reflow oven? The answers tend to be to melt solder, solder the components onto the board and create a strong solder joint. All of that is true, but there is more to it. Clearly, we do not want a strong solder joint that cracked the component in order to achieve it. So the reflow oven needs to solder the assembly within the tolerances/process window set by the relevant solder paste, components and substrate.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of SMT Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
KYZEN to Focus on Aqueous Cleaning and Stencil Cleaning at SMTA Juarez
05/20/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Juarez Expo and Tech Forum, scheduled to take place Thursday, June 5 at the Injectronics Convention Center in Ciudad Jarez, Chihuahua.
Koh Young Installs 24,000th Inspection System at Top 20 EMS
05/14/2025 | Koh YoungKoh Young, the global leader in True 3D measurement-based inspection and metrology solutions, proudly announces the installation of its 24,000th inspection system at a Top 20 Global EMS in Thailand.
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.