Solder profiles

  • To be able to solder using a chamber oven like the eC-reflow-mate it is important to understand that:
    • The dwell temperature of the solder alloy needs to be reached at all solder joints present on the board. Therefore the max temperature in the curve should be set at solder temperature of the alloy + a delta T on the board. This delta T depends on the size of the board, the copper load of the board, the component load and size on the board etc… For a standard board this delta T will be around 25°C. therefore our standard lead free curve is set at 245°C as highest temperature
    • A PCB needs time to heat up. This time required depends on size of the board, on copper load, solder mask colour, component load and size, etc… some experience will be required to estimate this for your board. Since this is very hard to get under control we opted to pilot the oven based on temperature set points and hold times at this specific temperature set point. You can define up to 5 of these points (3 preheat, 1 reflow and 1 doors open point).
    • Since soldering with any chamber reflow oven is very much affected by Thermal Inertia, we recommend to make the curve as simple as possible and to start your reflow experience with a simply 2 point curve: Reflow (245°C, 10 seconds) and Door Open (215°C with Hood).
      This curve will take the board straight to the reflow temperature and hold it for at least 10 seconds. Due to the enormously good thermal insulated eC-reflow-mate-V4, the effect of the Thermal Inertia, will make sure that heat up times are well under the maximum defined ramp up times. To be sure of the latter, you could still activate T ramp, but that usually has no effect because the oven is slower than the built in security value of not reaching 190°C within 3 minutes. The set dwell time of 10 seconds will exceed 30 seconds, which should be enough for any standard technique. Setting the door open point at 215°C will make sure that the oven opens up fast enough so cooling can take place quicker. Due to the double level built drawer, the PCB will not move as it sits on the top level of the drawer, if the drawer is opened while using the hood.
  • We deliver the eC-reflow-pilot software including some predefined solder profiles.Picture8
    In this window you can see the 9 predefined soldering profiles. These profiles can also be used as template to specify your own curve.
  • If you click on the save button, you can edit the profile in the profile editing menu.Picture9
    1. Table of profiles
    2. Drying
    3. Settings
    4. Open
    5. Save
    6. Save as
    7. Synchronising PC->Reflow
    8. Synchronising Reflow->PC
    9. Profile Name
    10. Profile settings
    11. Zone temperature, hold time, active or not
    12. Extraction hood. Activating this will open de over door after te hold time of the reflow temperature is over, thus allowing to cool down immediately after soldering.
    13. Advanced settings
    14. Set the bottom temperature. For double sided soldering we suggest that the bottom heater is set to a maximum temperature of 175°C for lead free soldering and 150°C for lead soldering. This to keep the temperature on the bottom side as low as possible and yet high enough to support the solder process on the top side.
    15. Set the offset with which the bottom needs to follow the top temperature. Generally we define the bottom heater to follow the top IR-lamps curve on a distance of 40°C. This means that the bottom heater parameter is set to -40°C. This way the bottom heater supports the top curve in the best possible way. If more power is needed the -40°C can be reduced to -30°C or less or even follow (which is 0°C).
    16. Activate and set a temperature correction of X °C. For your PCB, a difference in temperature registration will exist between the top sensor (furnace) and the external sensor measured at the maximum temperature in the curve. For use of the eC-reflow-mate without the external sensor for soldering this type of PCB, you can compensate this temperature difference by setting the difference value at a temperature (max). For example -25°C at 245°C measured.
    17. The temperature correction is defined for top temperature X °C
    18. Run the profile without looking at the preheat zones defined above.

     

Controlling the eC-reflow-mate from the display

Program selection

Picture1

  1. Program selection
    Select the required program and accept it with the tick to edit the preferences
  1. Select the drying process
    Set a specific process with lower temperature and longer time period typically for PCB/parts drying tasks.
    This is important because parts may have be stored for long periods, absorbing the moisture.
  1. Control screen for the selected program
    Accept the selected program and move to the control screen
  1. Back

PS. These predefined profiles may not be suitable for every PCB configuration!

Process editing

 Picture2

1-2-3-4. Set up the preferences of different process zones (temperature required and dwell time)
After starting the process, the device warms up the PCB to the “Preheat1” temperature, and holds it for the specified “Preheat1” time. Once “Preheat1” is completed, the device proceeds device proceeds to the “Preheat2” phase. This process is repeated for “Preheat2” , “Preheat3” and “Reflow Zone”. Maximum temperature and time settings for each zone is 260°C and up to 30 seconds.

5-6. Extraction hood/Door opening
The time of Door Opening depends upon whether the extraction hood is installed. If the extraction hood is installed, the door opens immediately after the Reflow zone has completed. If the hood is not installed, then the door opens after the set “Reflow Time” and only when the PCB temperature is lower than the set Door Opening temperature.

7-. Bottom side temperature offset
A different temperature can be set for the bottom side heating elements to the top side heating elements temperature.

8-. Set temperature offset
Sets the offset temperature.

9-. Heat up conditions
This is when all of the Preheat Zones are inactive and in a state of “Slow heat up”, the temperature reaches the 190°C level in 2 minutes. In the same scenario but in the state of “Normal heat up” consider only the “Reflow” zone.

10-. Back

11-. Save process settings

Set “Zone” settings

Picture3

  1. Set PreheatX zone temperature with numeric pad
    The range of temperatures for all zones are between 80°C-260°C. The temperature is measured on the PCB’s surface. On this screen numeric values can be set. Use the tick to accept the selected values.
  1. Set PreheatX zone time with numeric pad
    The maximum time period is between 1 – 30 sec’s for all zones. On this screen numeric values can be set. Use the tick to accept the selected values.
  1. Set PreheatX zone temperature
    Use the + button for increasing, or the – button for decreasing the values. Tap and hold the button for faster change. Use the tick to accept the selected values. Values must be between 80°C-260°C.
  1. Set PreheatX zone time
    Use the + button for increasing, or the – button for decreasing the values. Tap and hold the button for faster change. Use the tick to accept the selected values. Values must be between 1-30 seconds.
  1. Active/NonActive zones
    If we have an active zone, the process will run according to the given time and temperature settings. If the status is NonActive, this zone will be skipped.
    It is possible to de-activate Preheat1, Preheat2, Preheat3, but the Reflow zone is always active.
  1. Back to the previous screen without save
    Return to the previous screen without save, keeping the original settings.
  1. Back to the previous screen with save
    Return to the previous screen saving the new zone settings.

Set BOTTOM temperature

Picture4

Selection modes for the lower heating element:

  • Bottom element heating mode 0°C: in this mode there is no difference between the bottom heating temperature and the PCB temperature so the offset is 0°C
  • Negative offset: For this mode the bottom heating temperature follows the PCB’s temperature with the offset value. Offset values can be between 0°C-180°C.
  • Independent mode: in this mode a specific value for offset is set e.g.150°C.
    Please note!! The bottom temperature will not be able to maintain a higher offset temperature than the top temperature.
    The Top heating elements have more effect on the entire inner temperature than the Bottom heating elements.

1-2. Increase or decrease the specified values
If the selected value is 0, then Bottom element heating mode is selected.
If the selected value is negative, then negative offset mode is selected.
If a specific value is set then independent mode is selected.

3. Bottom Heating mode
On this screen the type of heating along with the set values can be seen.

4. Back
Return to the previous screen without saving, maintaining the original settings.

5. Save
Save the selected values for Bottom heating.

Predefined Profiles /see in Settings menu/

Picture5

  1. Predefined profiles
    Predefined profiles for the most frequently used PCB’s.
  1. Set default profiles
    All the user profiles can be set as default profiles and be edited in profile editing menu
  1. View PCB preferences and profile
    With this button the preferences of selected predefined profiles can be monitoring
  1. Back

Details to predefined profiles and import

Picture6

  1. Values to predefined profiles
  2. Back
  3. Import to users selected profile
    Values can be edited

PCB settings

Picture7

  1. PCB colour: Green, Black, White, Red, Blue, Yellow, Transparent, No Soldermask
  2. PCB type: FR-4, ALU, Rogers
  3. The largest PCB size: Mini, Small, Medium, Large, Extra
  4. PCB thickness: (mm) – 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.4, 3.2
  5. PCB layout numbers: 1-16
  6. PCB copper thickness: 12µm, 18µm, 35µm, 70µm, 105µm

 

Back to eC-reflow mate overview