DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : P. Annapurna
Designation : Sr Lecturer
Branch : Electronics & Communication Engg.
Institute : Govt. Polytechnic for Women, Medak.
Semester/Year : I Year
Sub. Name : Electronic Components& Devices
Sub. Code : EC-105
Major Topic : 6.0 PCBs
Duration : 100 Minutes
Sub. Topic : Soldering Methods.
Teaching Aids : Animation Clips & Images.

EC 105.108 to 109 1
Objective

On completion of this Class , the student will be

able to learn

– Soldering methods
• Iron soldering.
• Mass soldering.
• Dip soldering.
Drag soldering.
Wave soldering methods are emphasized.

EC 105.108 to 109 2
Recap

• Till now we have learnt

• Principles of Soldering.

• Materials used for soldering like

1. Soldering Alloys.

2. Soldering Fluxes.

EC 105.108 to 109 3
Soldering Techniques

• To achieve the solder joint,

• The solder and the base metal must be heated

above the melting point of the solder use.

• The necessary heat applied depends on

• Nature and type of the joint.
• Melting temperature of the solder.
• Flux.

EC 105.108 to 109 4
General Soldering Methods

soldering
methods

Electrical
Soldering
Iron Torch Mass Furnace
Or
soldering soldering soldering soldering
Resistance
soldering
EC 105.108 to 109 Fig-1 5
• Among the soldering methods mentioned we
will discuss

• The iron soldering.

• Mass soldering.

EC 105.108 to 109 6
Iron Soldering

• The most common method for general soldering is the

use of soldering iron.

• This technique has a reasonably high state of perfection

as for as the design of the iron is concerned.

• It is also known as hand soldering.

EC 105.108 to 109 7
Soldering Iron
Insulated handle

• A soldering iron consists of

an insulated handle.
• Insulated handle connected,
via a metal shank to the bit.
Metal shank

Bit
Fig-2

EC 105.108 to 109 8
Soldering Bit
• The bit actually make contact with the component parts of
the joint and the solder and heats them up.

• The electrical heating element is usually located in the

hallow shank or in the handle.

• Soldering Irons are produced in an enormous variety of

designs and sizes.

• Selection of an appropriate type depends on the intended

application.

• The key to the function of the iron is the bit itself.

EC 105.108 to 109 9
Functions of the bit

• The bit of the soldering iron has to perform the

following functions.

• It stores heat and conveys heat from the heat source to the
work piece.

• It may be required to store and to deliver molten solder and

often flux to the work piece.

• It may be used to remove surplus solder from the joint.

EC 105.108 to 109 10
• It is essential that the bit surface is perfectly wetted
(tinned).

• This encourages flow of solder in to the joint.

• When the surface of the work piece becomes wetted by

solder :
• A continuous film of liquid metal bridge the gap
between the soldering iron bit and work piece.
• This provides a path of high thermal
conductivity along which the heat can flow in to
the work piece.

EC 105.108 to 109 11
Construction of soldering bit

• Soldering bits are usually made of copper.

• Copper combines good wetting properties and the

optimum heat capacity and thermal conductivity.
• How ever an erosion problem exist for long term use.
• Tin – Lead solders will attack the copper and dissolve it
during the soldering operation.
• Erosion problem of copper can be minimised by coating of
thick iron followed by nickel / tin plating.
• In this way life of the bit can be increased by a factor 10 to
15.
EC 105.108 to 109 12
Different Sizes Of Soldering Iron Bits

Fig-3

EC 105.108 to 109 13
Soldering Iron Design

• The size and the shape of the bit are largely determined
by the amount of heat that has to be supplied during
each joining operation.

• The bit shank must be sufficiently large to enable

soldering of the required number of joints.

• The heat input of an electric soldering iron (wattage) is

mostly related to the intended rate of working.

EC 105.108 to 109 14
• The proper choice of soldering iron depends on

• Whether occasionally a small number of individual

joints have to be made.

• Whether continuous production line soldering of

many joints has to be taken.

EC 105.108 to 109 15
Steps involved in soldering with an Iron

1. Clean the parts to be joined.

2. Apply flux.
3. Heat the soldering iron.
4. Soldering iron at soldering temperature is held on the
work pieces to heat them.
5. The solder is usually in the form of wire, stick or
preform is available in the market.
6. Solder is applied to the work piece close to the bit
where it should melt immediately and become bright
and fluid.
Contd. …….
EC 105.108 to 109 16
1. If enough solder has been applied, it will completely
penetrate and fill the gap of the joint.

3. If flux – cored solder was not used the joint must be

cleaned and it must be treated with flux.

• The time required to keep soldering iron on work

piece is entirely dependent on the nature of the
joint and characteristics of the soldering iron.
• When the joint appears to be sufficiently filled the
soldering iron is removed and joint allowed to cool
down undisturbed.

EC 105.108 to 109 17
After completion of iron soldering let us discuss
about Mass soldering………

EC 105.108 to 109 18
Mass Soldering Technique

• Mass soldering technique is used when large number of

joints are to be made simultaneously using a solder bath.

• Solder bath acts as the source of heat as well as filler

metal.

• The most important soldering technique employ some

form of immersion or contact with a molten solder bath.

• Mass soldering technique is used in large electronic

industries.

EC 105.108 to 109 19
What are the advantages of mass soldering?

1. High productivity.

3. More rigorous control is possible over all the individual

stages or soldering.

5. Makes more reliability of the final assembly.

EC 105.108 to 109 20
Methods used for Mass Soldering
• Components are mounted on one side of the boards.

• Their connecting leads pass through the component

holes.

• Leads are then solder to the conductive tracks on the

other side of the boards.

• For high production rates

• Making all these contacts manually would be

very slow and costly task.

• Mass soldering can provide economic solution.

EC 105.108 to 109 21
 Methods used to apply Flux
• Initially flux must be applied to the PCB’s.
• Flux is usually of rosin type used, dissolved in an organic
solvent.
Methods :
• Dipping the board on to the surface of a bath with flux.
• Brushing.
• Spraying, using a special spraying cabinet.
• Rolling, in contact with a plastic foam rubber roller
impregnated with flux.
• Wave fluxing, i.e by passage over a standing wave of
liquid flux.
• Foam fluxing, when the standing wave is of foamed flux.
EC 105.108 to 109 22
• After flux coating the PCB’s are usually heated to remove
the bulk of solvent prior to soldering.

• If this is not done

• Gases may form air locks during soldering
• Which may results in areas of the board not being
wetted by molten solder.

• In the case of in-line soldering machines drying is carried

out by passage over controlled infra red heater or hot –
air blowers.

EC 105.108 to 109 23
Dip Soldering
• Principles of Dip Soldering

• In simple dip soldering, the pre-fluxed assembly is lowered

vertically on the clean solder surface until it makes contact.

• Immersed in the solder bath to the required depth.

• The surfaces become wetted by the solder.

• Solder penetrate and it is retained between them by

capillary forces.

• It is essential that the surface of the solder is freshly

cleaned, to sweep the oxides and flux residues to one side
of the bath immediately before dipping the assembly.
EC 105.108 to 109 24
Solder pot construction

• Solder pot is usually made of Cast Iron or Steel and is

electrically heated.

• It should be large enough to take the intended size of

boards.

• It should be large enough to provide mass of molten

solder to counter act local cooling effect when the board
is immersed.

EC 105.108 to 109 25
 Principle of Dip soldering

Component side of PCB

Solder bath
Solder pot

Fig-4
EC 105.108 to 109 26
Principle of Dip soldering

Component side of PCB

Solder bath

Solder pot

Fig-4
EC 105.108 to 109 27
• The bath temperature should be suited to the nature of
the assembly being processed and other factor such as

• Mass
• Thermal conductivity
• Specific heat.

• The solder bath temperature is normally with in the range

of 2200 C to 260 0 C for Tin – Lead alloys close to eutetic
composition.

• For Lead- rich alloys the temperature may be increased to

350 0 C to 400 0 C.

EC 105.108 to 109 28
• Time of contact with the solder should be minimum ,
• For complete wetting of all surfaces by the solder.
• For filling all joint spaces by capillary action.
• Both the time required of contact and optimum
temperature of the solder bath are best determined by
trials before the beginning of production runs.
• Once the optimum parameters are determined they have
to be strictly maintained by ,
• An automatic control for time.
• An automatic control for temperature.
Will be an advantageous.
• The solder composition for dipping baths in electrical and
electronics applications is normally 60% Sn / 40% Pb.
Contd. …..
EC 105.108 to 109 29
Angled Dip Soldering
• How ever, the better purity of the initial solder, the longer,
it will lost until the impurity level becomes significant.
• For soldering of P.C.B’s in simple dipping method, it is
advisable that one edge of the board is lowered in to
contact with solder first.
• It allows escape of flux and remaining solvent
vapours (angled dip).
• Complete contact can then be made after 2 – 3 seconds.
• Upon with drawing the board, an angle path should again
be used.
• To assist solder drainage.
• Minimise icicles and solder bridges between
adjacent conductors.
EC 105.108 to 109 30
 θ

Fig-5
Angled Dip Soldering Method
EC 105.108 to 109 31
Fig 5
Angled Dip Soldering Method
EC 105.108 to 109 32
 θ

Fig 5

Angled Dip Soldering Method

EC 105.108 to 109 33
Introduction to Drag & Wave soldering

• A number of modification to the simple dip soldering

process have been introduced with the aim of speeding
up the process and making it more automated ;

• The ones mostly used are

• Drag soldering.

• Wave soldering.

EC 105.108 to 109 34
Drag Soldering
• In drag soldering,

• A conveyor system is used to move the PCB.

• There fore it passes successively over a fluxing station.

• A flux dryer or pre heating stage.

• Then over the surface of a long and narrow solder bar.

EC 105.108 to 109 35
Drag Soldering
At the beginning of the passage over the sold bath

• The board is lowered at a small angle.

• Travels horizontally along the solder surface before being

with drawn.

• The PCB is with drawn at a small angle to assist solder

drainage.

EC 105.108 to 109 36
Drag Soldering Method

Fig-6

EC 105.108 to 109 37
Drag Soldering
• Control system can vary the speed of travel over the

• Fluxing station.

• Solder bath.

• Often facilities may be provided for increasing the time of

contact with the solder by a pre determined dwell period.

• Before the PCB makes contact with the solder surface ,a

horizontal scraper bar travels along the bath, to remove
oxide films and any flux residues, leaving a clean solder
surface to facilitate wetting.

EC 105.108 to 109 38
Wave Soldering

• Principle of wave soldering

• In wave soldering, instead of lowering the boards on to a

solder bath ,solder is pumped out of a narrow slot to
create a standing wave in the solder bath.

• The boards, after passing over the usual fluxing and

drying sections are conveyed across the crest of the
solder wave by a conveyor system which follows a
straight line path.

• This path may be inclined upwards at a small angle to

the horizontal ( e g, 5 – 15 0) in order to assist solder
drainage after the boards have passed the wave.

EC 105.108 to 109 39
Wave Soldering

• The drainage and distribution of solder may also be

improved by choosing a particular wave forms
mentioned below against the direction of board
movement.

a) Double crested solder flow.

b) Flat topped solder flow.

c) Unidirectional solder flow.

EC 105.108 to 109 40
Principle OF Double Crested Solder Flow

Fig-7

EC 105.108 to 109 41
Flat Toped Solder Flow

Fig-8

EC 105.108 to 109 42
Principle Of Unidirectional Solder Flow

Fig-9

EC 105.108 to 109 43
Advantage Of Wave Soldering

• Virtually oxide free surface being continuously

generated on the solder.

• Air, flux, and flux vapours are dislodged by rapid

movement of the solder.

EC 105.108 to 109 44
• At the end, let us discuss about Solder masks
………….

EC 105.108 to 109 45
Solder mask

• Solder mask , also called solder resists, are organic

coatings which are applied selectively to those areas
where no solder wetting is desired. Thus, if a PCB is
selectively coated with a solder mask, only such areas
to which components are to be soldered are left
exposed.

EC 105.108 to 109 46
Conclusion
We conclude that
• The general soldering methods used are
• The iron soldering.
• Mass soldering.
• The key to function of the soldering iron is the bit it self.
• Mass soldering technique is used when large number of
joints are to be made simultaneously using a solder bath.
• In simple dip soldering, the pre-fluxed assembly is
lowered vertically on the clean solder surface until it
makes contact.
• In simple dipping method, it is advisable that one edge of
the board is lowered in to contact with solder first (which
is also called as angled dip soldering).
contd…
EC 105.108 to 109 47
 • It allows escape of flux and remaining solvent
vapours (angled dip)
• A number of modification to the simple dip soldering
process
• have been introduced with the aim of speeding up the
process
• and making it more automated ;
• The ones mostly used are
• Drag soldering
• Wave soldering
• In drag soldering, boards are lowered with an angle and
moved horizontally along the solder surface before being
• with drawn, and it is with drawn at a small angle to
assist solder drainage.

• Contd……
EC 105.108 to 109 48
• In wave soldering, instead of lowering the boards on to
a solder bath, solder is pumped out of a narrow slot to
create a standing wave in the solder bath.

• Different types of wave soldering techniques are

a) Double crested solder flow.

c) Flat topped solder flow.

e) Unidirectional solder flow.

EC 105.108 to 109 49
Summary

• We have learnt,

• Different Soldering methods like

• Iron soldering.
• Mass soldering.
• Dip soldering.
Drag soldering.
Wave soldering.

EC 105.108 to 109 50
Assignment

• Take your own circuit, fabricate complete PCB ,solder the

components and test it.

• Visit PCB manufacturing industry where, mass soldering

technique is used.

EC 105.108 to 109 51
1. General soldering methods which are used frequently
Iron soldering
……….. Mass
and soldering
…………..

EC 105.108 to 109 52
• bit
key to function of the iron is ……itself.

EC 105.108 to 109 53
1. In order to protect from erosion problem for soldering
nickel/tin plating is
bit coating of thick Iron followed by…………
used.

EC 105.108 to 109 54
1. Mass soldering technique is used when large number
--------------------- of joints aresimultaneously
to be made ---------------

EC 105.108 to 109 55
1. The advantage of angled dip soldering is

Allows escape of flux and remaining solvent vapours.

……………………………………………………………..

EC 105.108 to 109 56
 conveyor system is used to move
• In drag soldering -------------------
the PCB.

EC 105.108 to 109 57
Frequently asked questions

1. List soldering methods of PCBs ( Short answer

question).

3. List and explain the soldering methods of PCBs

(Essay question).

EC 105.108 to 109 58
Thank you

EC 105.108 to 109 59