Unlocking Diverse Challenges in the PCB Industry: How SMT Soldering Technology Enhances the Upgrade of Electronic Manufacturing

The productronica China, a crucial platform for showcasing and exchanging ideas in the electronic intelligent manufacturing industry, will grandly resume from March 26 to 28, 2025, in Halls E1-E5 & W1-W3 of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). This exhibition will be extensive, covering nearly 100,000 square meters. It is expected to attract nearly 1,000 quality enterprises from the electronics manufacturing industry. They will showcase products and technologies spanning the entire electronic manufacturing supply chain, including electronic and chemical materials, dispensing and gluing technologies, electronic assembly automation, testing, measurement, and quality assurance, electronic manufacturing services, surface mount technology (SMT), harness processing and connector manufacturing, component and part manufacturing, motion control and drive technology, industrial sensors, robotics, and intelligent warehousing, among others.

How to conquer traditional soldering pain points with reflow soldering technology amid high-density challenges?

As PCB complexity increases and functional requirements grow, electronic devices are becoming thinner and smaller. The density of components on PCBs is rising, using smaller and thinner surface-mount devices, which significantly increases the mounting density and allows for precise thickness control. Reflow soldering technology has become an essential key process in this context.

Reflow soldering involves pre-applying solder paste to the circuit board, placing SMD components, and then melting and re-solidifying the solder paste through heating to form a robust electrical connection. Traditional reflow soldering ovens often have drawbacks such as residual gases during the soldering process, leading to bubbles and voids within solder joints. Excessive solder bubbles can negatively impact joint reliability, causing a decrease in mechanical strength, reduced current paths for components and PCBs, a significant increase in impedance for high-frequency devices, and overheating issues due to decreased thermal conductivity. Facing numerous challenges in using current vacuum reflow ovens, many professional welding equipment suppliers have introduced high-performance solutions.

The EXOS10/26 vacuum reflow oven from German company Ersa can reduce voids by up to 98%. This solution features an active medium-wave radiation heating system inside the vacuum chamber to maintain heating efficiency. It is also equipped with a dedicated vacuum oven temperature tester, which operates normally under special protective devices and unique designs, enabling real-time temperature monitoring of solder joints within the vacuum chamber. Additionally, the real-time vacuum monitoring system can track the vacuum level settings of the equipment, providing clear insights into the real-time and actual vacuum levels inside the chamber.

The VisionXP+VAC vacuum reflow soldering system from Rehm Thermal Systems offers a void-free soldering solution. Widely utilized by renowned global enterprises across various industries for nearly 30 years, it excels in soldering quality, flexibility, process stability, and efficiency. This system significantly boosts production efficiency while achieving void-free soldering using vacuum technology, further optimizing soldering outcomes. Equipped with an EC fan motor, it reduces system noise significantly, enhances system sustainability, enhances the stability and simplicity of temperature distribution, and allows for individual heating and cooling of each temperature zone. Leveraging the CoolFlow cooling solution, it provides excellent cooling performance, meets necessary inert process environment requirements, eliminates the need for extensive energy consumption for cooling water circulation, and avoids the need for additional cooling units and refrigerants. The Pyrolysis rosin recovery system requires material replacement only once a year, minimizing maintenance needs and downtime and ensuring long-term clean and dry chamber operation. Incorporating SSP+ helps significantly reduce heat overflow in high-temperature zones and ensures more optimized zone segmentation. Additionally, the fast line change feature better meets the current demand for multi-variety, small-batch production from customers.

Addressing the demand for low void soldering solutions, HELLER, a globally recognized Tier 1 SMT manufacturer, has introduced the inline vacuum reflow oven 1911MK5-VR, providing an efficient soldering solution for automated large-scale production while significantly reducing production costs. The oven's built-in five-stage precision vacuum module ensures void-free soldering (Void < 1%), enabling precise control of the soldering process by implementing standard reflow oven temperature profiles with direct transplant and easy adjustments. Its multi-temperature zone design and numerous temperature control points cater to various temperature profiles, effectively keeping the total void area below 1%. With high production efficiency, this oven boasts an average production cycle of only 30-60 seconds and features an ultra-fast pressure reduction time facilitated by a highly efficient oil-free vacuum pump unit. Furthermore, the equipped high-efficiency solder flux recovery system prevents flux residue, while the heating wire installed in the vacuum chamber reduces the liquid time of the solder paste, enhancing overall soldering quality.

JT Automation focuses on intelligent solutions and its upcoming innovative intelligent DC reflow soldering oven deeply integrates three core AI systems, significantly enhancing production efficiency and quality in the SMT industry. This equipment, based on deep learning neural network models, can automatically predict and optimize reflow soldering parameters, continuously improving prediction accuracy. The intelligent maintenance system ensures precise management of equipment components' lifecycle, reducing maintenance costs and safety risks. The intelligent energy-saving system utilizes fluid simulation and AI algorithms for energy management, assisting manufacturing customers in achieving green manufacturing goals. This reflow soldering oven not only improves soldering quality and production efficiency but also effectively controls costs, further empowering sustainable development.

ITW EAE has introduced an innovative oxygen content closed-loop control system for the reflow oven sector, specifically designed for the CATHOX™ nitrogen oven, ensuring precise control of oxygen content within the range of 200 PPM to 2000 PPM. This system maintains the set oxygen content point accurately within +/-100PPM in the low oxygen content range of 200 PPM to 500 PPM and within 20% of the target set value in the high oxygen content range of 500 PPM to 2000 PPM. In production mode, this closed-loop control system ensures the stability of PCB quality; while in standby mode, it effectively reduces nitrogen consumption and automatically reverts to the preset PPM value when the machine is put back into production. The patented CATHOX™ (Catalytic Thermal Oxidizer) significantly reduces maintenance requirements while maintaining a clean production environment. During the reflow soldering process, this system efficiently removes volatile compounds from the chamber, converting organic gas into hydrocarbons and capturing them through filters. The design philosophy of Centurion™ is also reflected in its easy maintenance, allowing users to perform maintenance operations effortlessly without any tools.

SMT Thermal Discoveries introduces a new product in 2024: the formic acid oven, an advanced high-temperature vacuum inline reflow soldering system. Its key features include full convection heating technology that can meet different product requirements within the same process, with versatile carriers for flexible placement. Additionally, the equipment is equipped with intelligent safety features such as a fully enclosed system, nitrogen gas (with residual oxygen content of 100 PPM or less), and intelligent gas alarm detectors to ensure operator safety. It also utilizes efficient steam processes to reduce nitrogen and formic acid consumption. The system comprises three heating zones and three cooling zones, allowing for flexible configuration based on requirements.

The V-series vacuum reflow soldering machine equipment is the second-generation upgraded equipment introduced by SMT Thermal Discoveries. It supports dual-track systems and triple-track systems, with options for both connected and separate fixed modes. Equipped with heavy-duty track transport devices and independent board entry acceleration control conveyors, it ensures efficient production processes. The cooling zone allows for cooling from both the top and bottom and larger vacuum chambers can be customized based on customer requirements. They both share the ability to effectively reduce energy consumption, enhance production efficiency, and feature advanced temperature control and cooling systems to ensure high-quality soldering results. Whether for users seeking high precision or mass production, both of them are ideal choices.

Vacuum reflow soldering, also known as a vacuum oven, is a technique used for soldering surface-mount components in a vacuum environment. Unlike traditional reflow soldering, vacuum reflow soldering creates a vacuum environment in the later stage as products enter the reflow zone, reducing the atmospheric pressure to below 500 pa and maintaining it for a certain period. At this point, the solder joints are in a molten state, with the surrounding environment close to a vacuum. Due to the pressure difference inside and outside the solder joint, any bubbles inside the joint can easily escape from the solder material, significantly reducing the void rate in the solder joint. Lowering the void rate in solder joints fundamentally improves the reliability of high-power components that transmit current and heat through solder pads. Vacuum reflow soldering can also be mixed with hydrogen or other reducing gases to effectively reduce oxidation. Jaguar Automation's vacuum reflow soldering equipment boasts stable performance and reliable soldering quality, making it a leader among China's vacuum reflow soldering products.

Wave soldering manufacturers unveil "black technology" to meet diverse PCB needs

While SMT is widely used for handling miniaturized components, many applications still rely on through-hole components to ensure mechanical strength or meet specific electrical performance standards. Wave soldering technology efficiently accomplishes the soldering of these through-hole components, ensuring strong, uniform, and consistent solder joints, which are crucial for enhancing the long-term reliability and performance of products. As technology advances, wave soldering equipment continues to innovate, incorporating modular design, visual systems, and intelligent temperature control, further enhancing soldering quality and production efficiency.

For instance, in the fields of precision soldering and equipment automation, QUICK Intelligent Equipment has deep expertise and has independently developed a core component for selective soldering — the electromagnetic pump heating control system. It has simultaneously introduced a series of selective wave soldering equipment options, including online, offline, modular, and deep chamber heavy-duty models, catering to IGBT power devices such as the inverter, OBC, DC-DC, and PDU in new energy vehicles, as well as sensor and other control modules.

It's crucial to note that components in the electronic control systems of new energy vehicles have extremely high requirements for tin penetration rate and stability of soldering. QUICK Intelligent Equipment's selective wave soldering technology utilizes nozzle design and control systems to ensure the installation quality of each solder joint with high reliability. Multiple soldering modules and electromagnetic pumps can be synchronized for soldering, with the option to expand to large-diameter nozzles to achieve high wave soldering efficiency, combining efficiency and stability effectively. Additionally, addressing the large and heavy nature of the electronic control systems, QUICK Intelligent Equipment has custom-developed heavy-duty tracks, high clearance upper sections, Z-axis large travel, and special soldering nozzles to meet the soldering process requirements for pre-assembly with casings. It also features an integrated full-size carrier reflow system to reduce equipment footprint and enable synchronized adjustment of upper and lower reflow tracks.

Pillarhouse's Fusion Global is a high-speed, cost-effective, multi-platform inline selective wave soldering equipment controlled by the next-generation PillarCOMM.NET software. It features a user-friendly "Point & Click" interface with a PCB image display and allows for offline program generation using Gerber data. The Fusion Global equipment utilizes high-speed roller conveyors, offering maximum flexibility with shorter line lengths and lower costs compared to current market products. The standard three-zone layout (fluxing, preheating, soldering) of the Fusion Global can accommodate PCBs up to 508 mm x 508 mm (20" x 20"). To enhance throughput, the system is equipped with adjustable dual flux heads and dual solder pots, with a Y-direction spacing range from 90 mm to 250 mm, enabling simultaneous soldering of two 250 mm (Y) x 508 mm (X) products. Each soldering zone can be equipped with different Pillarhouse solder nozzles, such as AP, Jet Tip, and the patented 1.5 mm micro nozzle. Additionally, the unique patented quick-change solder pot design allows for easier and faster non-contact solder pot replacement, reducing manual contact and enhancing safety.

The selective wave soldering equipment SUNFLOW 3/450, introduced by Suneast Technology, is equipped with independently developed electromagnetic pumps and high-precision spray nozzles. It features a hybrid chain and roller drive system along with an automatic track width adjustment system, ensuring efficient and flexible operation of the equipment. Combining top hot air preheating and bottom infrared preheating technologies, the equipment provides more uniform heating effects. It supports online or offline programming, allowing users to set soldering parameters independently for each solder joint. It also displays the soldering status throughout the process, facilitating monitoring and management of the soldering procedure. Additionally, the SUNFLOW 3/450 offers expandability and can be upgraded to dual electromagnetic pump selective soldering to meet various production requirements.

The ZSWHPS4-46 selective wave soldering equipment from ZSW Electronic Equipment ensures a 100% tin penetration rate, effectively preventing common soldering defects like insufficient solder joints, solder skips, excessive solder, solder joint bridging, and starved solder joints. Its feature is its fixtureless operation and no post-solder cleaning requirement. The equipment incorporates an online visual programming system based on an expert database, automatically identifying solder joint coordinates, generating soldering paths, and recommending process parameters, making the programming process both convenient and swift. In terms of process stability, the ZSWHPS4-46 has reached a world-class level and finds wide applications in military electronics, automotive electronics, high-end manufacturing, medical electronics, and industrial control fields. It has accumulated significant experience in mature applications across these sectors.

Against the backdrop of a rapid recovery in the semiconductor and PCB industries and a surge in market demand, the importance of soldering technology is increasingly highlighted. Soldering technology is evolving toward intelligence, high precision, environmental friendliness, and interdisciplinary integration. With the development of new materials, exploration of new processes, and advancement of intelligent manufacturing, soldering technology is adapting better to the miniaturization and integration trends of electronic components, thereby enhancing soldering quality and efficiency. In recent years, the application of technologies such as laser soldering and electron beam welding has been gradually expanding, providing more reliable connectivity solutions for electronic products.

productronica China 2025, scheduled to take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from March 26-28, 2025, will serve as a significant platform to showcase excellent soldering technologies. The event will bring together top manufacturers and industry experts from both domestic and international sectors to discuss the application prospects of soldering technology in the semiconductor and PCB industries, as well as how to address industry challenges through technological innovation. In addition to the mentioned enterprises, leading manufacturers such as FUJI, Mycronic, Europlacer, JUKI, HiNet (a major supplier of YAMAHA), Alpha Metals, Axxon Automation, AST, MPI, FAROAD, Borey Advanced (a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASMPT), Desen Precision, Huajida Precision, Zhixin Technology, JTE Automation, Techwin Precision, First Technology China, Gallant Tech, AMT, Ascentek, HELLER INDUSTRIES, GKG Precision Machine, Anda Automation, and Indium will present more technical solutions in a scenario-based manner to inspire innovative ideas among professional attendees in the Chinese electronics manufacturing industry. The SMT Intelligent Factory Core Exhibition Area and the Microassembly Technology Park will focus on guiding industrial intelligence upgrades and shaping new trends in intelligent manufacturing development.

Secure premium booths! 2025 booths in high demand!

We extend a heartfelt invitation to electronic manufacturing enterprises both domestically and internationally to participate in the exhibition. Here, you will have an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your latest products and technologies. Leveraging the exhibition's strong influence and wide reach, you can precisely reach target customers and swiftly expand your presence in both domestic and international markets. Moreover, a wide range of exchange activities will foster in-depth collaboration among enterprises. Together, we will explore industry trends, uncover potential business opportunities, achieveUnlocking Diverse Challenges in the PCB Industry: How SMT Soldering Technology Enhances the Upgrade of Electronic Manufacturing mutually beneficial outcomes, and collectively compose a remarkable chapter in the history of the electronics manufacturing industry. There are still a few booths available, so book quickly to seize the competitive advantage in the industry! For further information, please contact Ms. Sinsia at +86 21 20205553.