Wave soldering and reflow soldering are two common soldering methods for electronic products in the production process of electronic products. The main differences between them are: wave soldering is used to solder plug-in circuit boards, and reflow soldering is used to solder SMT chip circuit boards.

SMT products have the advantages of compact structure, small size, vibration resistance, impact resistance, good high frequency characteristics and high production efficiency. SMT has occupied a position in the circuit board assembly process.

The typical surface mount process is divided into three steps: applying solder paste-mounting components-reflow soldering.

Wave soldering refers to the flow of molten solder (lead-tin alloy) through an electric pump or electromagnetic pump into a solder wave of design requirements. It can also be formed by injecting nitrogen into the solder pool to make the pre-installed components The printed board uses solder waves to realize the soldering of mechanical and electrical connections between the soldered ends or pins of the components and the pads of the printed board. According to the different geometrical waves used by the machine, the wave soldering system can be divided into many kinds.

Wave soldering process: insert the component into the corresponding component hole → pre-coat flux → pre-bake (temperature 90-1000C, length 1-1.2m) → wave soldering (220-2400C) → cut off the excess plug-in feet → check.

The difference between wave soldering and reflow soldering

The reflow soldering process is to re-melt the paste solder that is pre-distributed on the printed board pads to realize the mechanical and electrical connection of the soldering ends or pins of the surface assembly components and the printed board pads.

Wave soldering has a new welding process with the enhancement of people's awareness of environmental protection. In the past, tin-lead alloys were used, but lead is a heavy metal that can cause great harm to the human body. So now there is a lead process. It uses *tin-silver-copper alloy* and special flux and requires higher soldering temperature and higher preheating temperature. It is also necessary to set up a cooling zone workstation after the PCB board passes the soldering zone. This is in order to To prevent thermal shock, if there is ICT, it will affect the detection.

Wave soldering can basically be solved as it is for soldering slightly larger and relatively small components.It is different from reflow soldering, and reflow soldering heats the board and components.In fact, it is to liquefy the solder paste that was originally brushed. , In order to achieve the purpose of connecting the component with the board.

Reflow soldering passes through the preheating zone, reflow zone, and cooling zone. In addition, wave soldering is suitable for hand inserts and dispensing boards, and all components are required to be heat resistant. The wave surface must not have components that used to be SMT solder paste. The SMT solder paste board can only be reflow soldered. Use wave soldering.

Wave soldering is to dissolve tin strips into a liquid through a tin bath, and use the motor to stir to form a wave, so that the PCB and parts are welded together, generally used in the welding of hand inserts and smt glue boards. Reflow soldering is mainly used in the SMT industry. It conducts hot air or other heat radiation to melt the solder paste printed on the PCB and solder the parts.

Different processes: wave soldering should be sprayed with flux first, and then preheated, welded, and cooled.

The difference between wave soldering and reflow soldering

The difference between wave soldering and reflow soldering

Wave soldering is to dissolve tin strips into a liquid through a tin bath, and use the motor to stir to form a wave, so that the PCB and parts are welded together, generally used in the welding of hand inserts and SMT glue plates. Reflow soldering is mainly used in the SMT industry. It conducts hot air or other heat radiation to melt the solder paste printed on the PCB and solder the parts.

The process is different: wave soldering should be sprayed with flux first, and then preheated, welded, and cooled. Reflow soldering passes through the preheating zone, reflow zone, and cooling zone. In addition, wave soldering is suitable for hand inserts and dispensing boards, and all components are required to be heat-resistant. The wave surface must not have components that were once SMT solder paste. The board of SMT solder paste can only be reflow soldered and cannot be used wave soldering.