3
votes
5answers
326 views

Why not reflow a PCB before placing parts?

A standard reflow method for low-volume assembly is: Method A Apply solder paste (using stencil or syringe) Hand-place parts (using vacuum pickup pen or tweezers) Oven reflow - But what happens ...
6
votes
2answers
767 views

Solder does not stick to tip of soldering iron?

Basic question here, but it's driving me insane! The solder does not seem to stick to the tip of my soldering iron. After the iron heats up, the tip appears black (sometimes on all sides and ...
4
votes
1answer
249 views

Soldering 0.5mm pitch ICs using stencil and reflow oven

I'm new to SMD soldering, and tried to assemble a couple of boards, using a reflow oven. I 'm using a stencil (Kapton - mylar) and so far it worked fine except for the LQFP48 devices (pitch 0.5mm). In ...
4
votes
3answers
703 views

Questions on mass-production soldering

Wave soldering I am trying to understand how wave soldering works. Unfortunately the Wikipedia article has has left me unsure about the process: Is the entire board with its components ...
3
votes
2answers
485 views

DIY Fluxes with ethanol-propanol-x-nol

Got inrested in DIY fluxes by reply here. Can you substitute rosin-core wire with DIY flux and non-rosin-core-wire? How and where to actually use DIY fluxes if you have rosin-core wire? Which % of ...
6
votes
5answers
529 views

SMD solder now or later?

I'm soldering up some boards with smd parts, using a hot plate to reflow, and I'm (inevitably) realizing that I got some of the wrong parts. Now, is it better to leave the boards with smd components ...