[SOLVED] Some basic tips and help required for SMD soldering

[tpetar]

Soldering paste should be keept in fridge, and have time for good quality usually 6 month from date of manufacture, including in that time, time of transportation and time needed for selling in shops.

This makes sense in a larger series, for production in short time. In China lots of production of high series PCB is made by hand on standard way!

Just to remind.

;-)

 

[arbj2]

alexan_e.. I have not tried any of the methods, even hot plate technique, i tried to solder using a temperature controlled soldering station but it became very messy...thats why i feel the hot plate method seems easy in comparision.

In any case this project may take some time as I still have to gather the components and tools..

thanks
a

 

[tpetar]

If you want to work with soldering iron, specially with SMD parts, you need practice, steady hands and good eyesight.

 

[keith1200rs]

I must admit I would be wary of the hot plate method. It seems it could easily damage the PCB and the parts due to overheating. While PCBs are heated from underneath to help soldering of devices on the top surface, the heat below the PCB would be below the melting point of solder. Also, to melt solder on the top through the PCB would require quite a high temperature or long dwell time underneath.

Keith

 

[GSM Man]

I must admit I would be wary of the hot plate method. It seems it could easily damage the PCB and the parts due to overheating. While PCBs are heated from underneath to help soldering of devices on the top surface, the heat below the PCB would be below the melting point of solder. Also, to melt solder on the top through the PCB would require quite a high temperature or long dwell time underneath.Keith

A typical hot plate will reach a temperature no higher than 260 degrees C (500F). Lead solder paste (63Sn-37Pb) melts at 183C and lead-free solder melts at around 220C. It takes around 2-3 minutes for the hot plate and board to go from room temperature to the point where the solder melts. The IPC standard specifies that a PCB must withstand a temperature of 260C for 10 minutes before delamination. So unless you are very careless, there is little chance you are going to damage the PCB.

 

[tpetar]

And not only damage PCB, he can damage IC, capacitors and other parts also. Almost every part have in datasheet max permited temp and time duration, during preheating and soldering.

On PCB with both side arranged parts can be hard job to use hot plate.

In situation when some particular part should be changed, soldering knowledge is needed (soldering iron - hot air).

Better is IR soldering/dessoldering but price....

 

[FvM]

I think it's somehow fruitless to guess about soldering methods you apparently never used...

I don't feel a need to disprove specific erroneous believes, just let me say, hot plate method works great for me in prototype soldering.

Of course it doesn't work for double sided assembly, neither most of the discussed soldering methods do without special prerequisites.

Overheating is can be a problem with several prototype methods. Hot air e.g. can easily damage sensitive parts.