In May 2012, an IBL BLC509 Vapour Phase oven was installed to give Union Four the facility to offer its customers a reliable, effective and safe soldering solution for high density, high technology boards. The soft vapour phase process enables various temperature profile adjustments to be made to almost every temperature gradient in order to cover a wide range of demands.
The highly adaptable temperature range means that every board can be soldered no matter how complicated it is without the risk of it being over heated at any stage during the process. Safe soldering for lead-free solder can be achieved with temperatures upto 230 °C.
During the first stage of the process, the board is immersed into a vapour, created by a liquid with a specific boiling point (typically 230°C for lead-free alloys). The heat of the PCB and components when immersed in the vapour can never exceed the boiling point of the liquid and eliminates the risk of over heating. Heat transfer to the PCB is accomplished almost irrespective of the size, shape, colour and thermal mass involved.
The second stage of this process is to rapidly cool the boards via an inbuilt cooling unit. This offers a significant reduction in the time taken from soldering to solidification of the solder joints; thus maintaining the integrity and structure of the board. This is particularly advantageous on heavy boards with a large mass soldered to them.
For more information on how this process can help you and your requirements, please contact a member of our team Contact Us
