Will condensing soldering change the EMS market?

The process requires apparatus with a chamber in which the expected chemical reactions take place. A special high-density liquid with a constant boiling point is heated here. After reaching the target temperature, a PCB is placed in the chamber. It is placed directly above the liquid brought to the correct temperature at the boiling point. At this moment, steam is released it spreads w up the chamber and settles on the PCB.

The liquid is not brought to a boil, thanks to which there is adequate thermal insulation in the chamber, which protects against damage to delicate elements on the plate. The whole process is carried out under anaerobic conditions and does not require the use of nitrogen. After removing the plate, all the liquid evaporates from the plate, and this is placed in a special cooling section. Thanks to this, solder pastes with different melting points can be used more effectively.

The main advantage is the even distribution of the weld regardless of the colour, shape, size and manner of placing individual elements on the tile. This eliminates the risk of a thin layer of weld or shading by large elements. The steam settles on the entire surface of the plate. In the cooling process, the liquid evaporates and leaves no undesirable traces.

This is a relatively recent method that is gaining more and more interest from producers. Condensing soldering requires specialized equipment. High costs mean that only the largest manufacturers can afford to implement this technology in the mass production of electronic products. In addition, the procedure requires time, and hence, the effectiveness of this method with a huge number of plates may be insufficient. However, the technology is in a continuous development phase and it is possible that current defects will be quickly eliminated.