In a message dated 2/23/2007 9:22:24 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
eanderson@carolina.rr.com writes:
From what little I read and I think I understand about the solder wave is
that it is just to complex and hazardous for home use. A bed of liquid
solder with "waves" agitated in it the cress of which bathes the
component/pad.
The reflow (put solder paste on the pads and cook in an IR oven) method
seems to be the standard approach in industry at the moment. The cooking
part worked fine, its the placement of components without rubbing the paste
off the pad or disturbing other components already placed that is my
challenge.
Ed
At Western Electric there were dozens of wave machines at the end of each
circuit board line. Machines with belted devices inserted the devices, cut the
leads to length and crimped the leads over the solder pad at the rate of a very
fast machine gun. And that was in the 60s.
Diodes, resistors and transistors went on this way. Other machines could
add ICs and multiple lead devices in a similar way. I should have paid more
attention.
Lynn E. Hanover